Happy St Patrick's Day!
Yesterday I did some baking. I made Apricot muffins (with yummy cream cheese in the batter) and ran some errands while driving my car as much as possible so it would pass the smog check and I could get it registered for another year. I guess when you change your battery, your car "forgets" certain things that the machine uses to check for a smog check. You have to drive the car so a new memory builds up. High tech anymore I guess! I also heard from one of my culinary classmates that she was asked to interview for a teaching position at Cook Street. Apparently Chef Lexie, who has Celiac's Disease, has become so sensitive to wheat that she can no longer even be around dough and batter! She was the Pastry Chef instructor. What an honor for Kim to be asked to interview for the position! Go Kim!!!
Today I had lunch with my friend Michael. We went to Beaujolais Bistro, a French restaurant down on West Street. Pretty much a classic French bistro. I had Boudin Noir with mashed potatoes, fried egg and asparagus. And what is Boudin Blanc you ask? Do you really want to know? Ok, it's blood sausage. Don't know if you remember but we learned how to make Boudin Blanc in school (essentially a chicken mousseline filled sausage). We tasted but never made Boudin Noir. It was tasty, actually. Michael had Crocque Monsieur (ok, just a fancy grilled ham and cheese sandwich) served with a salad. We had a nice visit. Then it was off to see my lawyer friend, John Springgate to pick his brain about opening a business. He is very practical and I have always found him to be honest and up front (I know, you don't exactly expect that in a lawyer, lol). So he had a few good suggestions and a few keep your feet on the ground, be realistic about it comments. I owe him lunch for the consult. A bargain at half the price!
My sister, Janell, bought some corned beef and cabbage, and dropped it off at the house. So I cooked the corned beef in the oven (350 degrees, one hour per pound) with some spices, water and beer, then at the end added cabbage, small potatoes, onion and carrots. Janell came over, as well as my neighbor Sandy. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. One of those meals you really only need once a year, lol.
My friend Stephanie, from Baltimore, is trying to help me come up with a business name. She sent me a little exercise to figure out what kind of business I wanted to have, what I was good at and if I had a specialty or not. Love to make cookies, but also like to make muffins, quick breads, brownies, and easy cakes. At the same time, I would like to make desserts for fine dining and upscale casual restaurants. Sophisticated desserts, individually portioned with a presentation that makes people admire and appreciate what they are going to eat. At the same time I also want to offer comfort type desserts, such as bread pudding, but presented in a more upscale manner. Homey yet sophisticated. Is there such a thing? We'll see.
Stephanie also asked me to cook food for a women's event in October called the 2011 Wild Goose Chase. It takes place in Cambridge, Maryland. Apparently there is not much in the way of restaurants there and the vendors that show up don't have food of substance, nor do they have anything vegetarian. So Stephanie thought of me. As this ride is a fund raiser, I would have to get myself there, find my own kitchen help, buy my supplies (unless I can find a sponsor), then keep whatever I make selling this food. She thinks there is a high school kitchen I could cook at. so I guess I'll think about it. The sponsors of this bicycle race are Terry Bicycles. I guess I'll think about it...
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