Saturday, December 8, 2012

It's been a busy two weeks, working mostly in my nursing position.

I did have two catering jobs during this period. The first job was for the surgery center I mentioned earlier. The menu was New York Strip Toast with a Maidera Pan Sauce and as sides, Duchess Potatoes and Garlicky Green Beans.

Dessert was an Apple Cranberry Galette. Yummy!

The second catering job was for an office Christmas party that took place yesterday. Finger food for 25! The menu included Wild Mushroom Pizza,

Mini-Shrimp Rolls,

Mini Manchego Tarts, Gorgonzola and Pear Polenta Rounds,

Keilbasa-Apple Skewers with a Horseradish Dipping Sauce,

Chile-Lime Cashews, Spiced Roasted Chickpeas, and Caramelized Onion and Shallot Dip served with Crudites. For a sweet, I also made Tuxedo Brownie Bites. Those are mini borwnies topped with a mix of whipped cream, white chocolate and cream chees and topped with a strawberry slice. Another yum! They provided their own wine and beer. The recipes were from Bon Appetit and www.foodnetwork.com. Lots of choices for this time of year.

My Mom is doing well, although is not happy about being in rehab/nursing home. It seems it is a "no-frills" place so is a little depressing. Hopefully my sisters will be able to take her home in a week.

As I have the next three days off, I've been thinking of baking cookies. That's one of the things that make up Christmas and getting in the spirit. Not sure exactly whick ones I'll bake-so many cookies, so little time! I'll let you know which ones I bake.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

What a month November was! Life seems to have gotten crazy lately. I'm not sure why that is or even if there is a reason!

I came home from Denver on Monday, November 5. I ended up by having a wonderful time. Although it is hard to visit friends when they are working their regular jobs and you are free and wanting to see them. It worked out though. I had some great food, too, eating at restaurants like Potager, Parallel 17, Parks, and Cru. And I will go back again soon (I hope).

My mom flew into Reno on Tuesday, November 6. She told me her plane got in at 11:30am, so I was at home cleaning away when she called me at 10:30am to say her plane had already landed!! Yikes!! Kick it into high gear, finish what I am cleaning, jump in the car and go pick her up. It was great having her fly here for a six week visit. She does not get around as much as she has in the past. She can pretty much only walk with a walker, but that's ok, she is still mobile.

My mom and I went out to lunch at Arlington Gardens (I know, I know, Ric's favorite restaurant!) then came home. My sister, Janell, came over after she finished work (she worked for three weeks with the school district as a teacher's aide).

I worked Wednesday and Thursday as a nurse, but had to fit my personal chef cooking in those days as well. Busy, busy!!

The dessert my client asked for this week was a French Apple Cake-yummy! It sounded so good, I made two, lol. One for him, one for us! The recipe came from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook, "Around My French Table". She says she got this recipe from a friend of hers (after trying to watch her friend make it, as the French woman never wrote down any recipes!). Simple but SO worth it!

At some point (Saturday, actually, November 10) it snowed here in Reno. My Mom and I decided it was best just to stay indoors, although it did not last more than a day or so. Mom was so excited by the snow, we took a picture of the deck with snow on it (some of you will likely say, "Snow?! that's all?!").

My sister is moving to LA to look for a job and was to be out of her apartment by November 15. That didn't work out as planned. She had so much "stuff", it took an extra two days to get everything moved out!! Most of her furniture is in a storage unit, but there are a few things in our garage. It was a crazy time!

Jordan and I were suppose to attend "Napa Flavor!", a big food celebration hosted by the CIA in St Helena, CA. (Culinary Institute of America, NOT the Central Intelligence Association, lol) but because of weather and needing to get my sister moved out, we didn't make it. Apparently it was not meant to be. Perhaps next year!

Did I mention I received an email inviting me to apply for the Next Food Network Star? How cool is that?! I need to fill out the online application, send in two pictures of myself and a three minute video about my self as well as cook something in same said video. I missed open casting in LA on November 12. In looking back, I should have just gone! It would have been much easier, lol. We'll see what happens!

There was a potluck at one of the GI centers and they asked me to bring a birthday cake as they were celebrating a birthday and a fairwell. I made a chocolate cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting. I ran short of powdered sugar and did not want to run out to the store to get some, so tried the shortcut I read about online about making your own powdered sugar by wooshing it around in a blender or food processor. Well, I am here to say it did not work in my food processor, so my frosting was a tad bit "grainy" due to the granulated sugar I used. Interestingly enough, people asked what the "secret" was to my buttercream frosting, lol! Who'd have thought? It was a pretty cake, though.

Monday, November 19, I spent cooking for a personal chef client. On the menu was Poached Salmon, Apple and Potato Salad; Spinach and Cheese Puff (more a souffle than a "puff"); Stuffed Chicken Divan with a Sherry Dijon Sauce; Panko-Crusted Chicken Bites with Apricot Mustard Sauce and Glazed Squash; Crisp Tuna Cabbage Salad; Tomato-Pepper Soup with Ham Arugula Wraps and Pumpkin Mousse for dessert. My client also asked for Bittersweet-Orange Truffles to give to his sister as a gift (nice man!).

Last Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, my Mom, Jordan and I drove down to LA to spend Thanksgiving with my sister, Michele and her son, Dylan. The trip down Hwy 395 was lovely-no ontoward weather for a change! Thanksgiving Day we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade then cooked turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, glazed carrots, bacon and Brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, and rolls. My sisters bought dessert-Banana Cream Pie (?!) and Pumpkin Pie. OK by me to buy some things during a busy holiday rather than make everything from scratch!

The Friday after Thanksgiving, Jordan drove down to San Diego to visit his daughter and her family while I stayed with Michele et al. In a crazy accident, my Mom lost her balance and fell backwards, breaking both bones in her lower left leg!! Poor thing-it looked awfull and was quite painful. My sisters and I spent the day in Providence Holy Cross Hospital ER with my Mom. She did get admitted to the hospital and had surgery to fix the fracture on Saturday morning. I felt so bad for my Mom, she is rather an orthopedic disaster. We teased her some because the label on her ER bed read "ER DISASTER"!

Surgery on Saturday morning went well. She has good doctors there, so Saturday afternoon, Jordan and I drove home alone, leaving my Mom with my sisters, Janell and Michele, to watch over her. Mom will be in the hospital for about a week, then in Rehab for about 2 months as she cannot bear any weight on her left leg until it heals (in about 2-3 months!!). Poor Mom! At least she is not alone.

I have a catering job tomorrow for my old surgery center. The menu is New York Roast with Madiera Pan Sauce, Duchess Potatoes, Garlicky Green Beans and an Apple-Cranberry Galette (a "free-form" tart). I shopped today for supplies and will make dessert in the morning and worry about the rest of the meal in the afternoon. Sounds like a tasty menu, does it not? I will take pictures for you-I must get better about doing that!

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are nurse days. I can't complain about having a job, or rather two jobs! And there will be another trip down to LA to see my Mom and move some of Janell's, "stuff" down there to her.

November 1, 2012

I worked every day in October (save two days) at GI Consulting. I took advantage of the fact that they were short-handed. You take advantage of work when you can and be thankful you have a job when so many people do not.

Because of nursing work, however, my cooking time suffered some this month. Good thing my main personal chef client is so flexible! It took me 2-3 days sometimes to finish all the recipes on the menu.

I also spent a lot of time caring for Jordan. He had sinus surgery a week and a half ago and had complications that kept him in the hospital for two days. A most stressing time.. He is now much improved, and sent me off to Denver on a trip I had planned a month ago.

As I write this, I am in Denver, a sort of mini-vacation. I am staying at Capitol Hill Mansion Bed & Breakfast, the same B&B I lived at while in culinary school in 2010. I met some great people here and try to get back here when I can to visit. Since I am using my iPad to write this, I can't add any pictures so I'll have to come back and add some later. Google is not very iPad friendly!

I got into Denver early Tuesday evening. I put my bags in my room (Carl leaves notes on the outside door for people checking in so he doesn't have to stay home 24/7), then walked 6-7 blocks to a Capitol Hill area restaurant called Potager. It is one of my favorite restaurants to eat at. They use all local ingredients and change the menu every month to focus on produce that is available at the time. The food is always good!

The only problem with coming during the week is that friends are all working, so I have been amusing myself with touring the Molly Brown house (yes, the famous Unsinkable Molly Brown that survived the sinking of the Titanic used to live in Denver!) and with helping out where I can at the B&B.

I baked chocolate chip cookies this morning-my favorite cookies to make. the cookies I made here don't quite look like the cookies I make in Reno. The high altitude plays a role in that, although I tried to adjust for the altitude. I plan on making Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls this afternoon, or at least start them. If I get them all mixed and cut, I can put them in the cooler for a slow rise overnight and Carl can bake rhem off in the morning. He has pretty much given me permission to do whatever I like. Gotta love a man who lets you do whatever you want, lol. And, of course, he benefits, as do his guests.

I found out yesterday, that Kim's husband is in the hospital from complications after having his gallbladder out. I went to culinary school with Kim. It would seem that many people are having difficulties. I hope I get to see her while I am here!

I'll let you know what other adventures I find in Denver. Tomorrow I plan on going to work with Cris, another culinary schoolmate, who works in a cafe. He plans on putting me to work! It is always fun to learn and to try new things. I'll let you know how I do, lol.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

My how time flies! I am back at work, busy with both working as a nurse and continuing to provide personal chef meals. I am thankful to have those jobs in today's economy. My sister has not been so fortunate and will be moving to southern California in a month or so to see if she can find a job there. I will miss her!

The weather in Reno continues to be nice. The nights are quite cool but it gets into the 70's during the day, and 80's all this next week. Hard to believe it's Fall! There is a rose bush outside our front door, still blooming, that is just beautiful. I had to take a picture!

We are all settling into the new house (Jordan, myself and Ah Choo). He has found all kinds of places to explore and sit, including the bookcase on either side of the fireplace, lol.

I was so busy working at the clinic because they are short-handed, I had to split personal chef cooking over three days. Those were long days, but I generally find cooking and baking to be very relaxing. This week for desserts I made Tuxedo Brownie Cups and Mixed Fruit Tarts (ala Jacques Pepin and in my case, plums and pears).

The other items on the menu were Garlic Shrimp and White Beans; Chicken in a Garlic-Almond Sauce with white rice and Vichy Carrots;

Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Proscuitto and Gruyere Sandwiches;

Mini Lobster Rolls; Ribeye Steak with Potatoes;
Hearts of Palm, Corn, Tomatoes and Watercress Salad; Cardomom Dusted Lamb with Rich Vanilla Sauce and Mashed Potatoes; and Baked Potato Soup. A very nice selection!

While looking at recipes (more of an obsession than a passion), I found a recipe for a toffee candy called "Simply Crackers Candy". It sounded unusual so I decided to try it out. HUGE hit with everyone who tried it!

Simply Crackers Candy
1 sleeve of saltine crackers with salt (about 35)
2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (11.5oz) package of chocolate chips (either milk chocolate or semi-sweet)
3/4 cup of chopped nuts, optional (I used sliced almonds)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking tray with foil and cover with the saltine crackers. In a small pot, melt the butter and the brown sugar then boil the butter and and brown sugar for 3 minutes, until frothy. Pour over the crackers.

Bake 5 minutes. The butter/sugar mixture will bubble. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread the chocolate with a spatula and sprinkle with nuts, if using. (Gently press the nuts into the chocolate.) Refrigerate at least one hour, then cut or break into pieces. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

I just realized how long it has been since I last made a blog entry. Mon Dieu, as the French would say!

The second Farm to Table Dinner on September 15 did go a little smoother. We had hot plates this time (which means the food is still hot or warm when it gets to the diners). Janell, my sister, and I both managed to cut our fingers on the mandolin we were using to slice lemons. Yikes! It was a very sharp blade! At the request of my partner, Jan, I did make up a "gravy" to go on the roasted pork. I used some of the pork jus, some chicken broth, white wine, worchestershire sauce and a little butter and it was done. And made so many people happy, apparently (I do not believe that every form of protein needs a sauce or gravy, but it is nice to have at times).

I changed up the "mini pastries" at the end of the meal. I did try several recipes from a cookbook called "Bite-sized Desserts" by Carole Bloom. The flavors of the pastries was excellent, but after trying several recipes and having them fail, I gave up and went to some tried and true recipes instead. The only thing that came out well were the Pistachio Tea Cakes. I also made French Chocolate Bark, a recipe Ina Garten has used on several of her cooking shows (Back to Basics). You take two kinds of chocolate and melt them together, spread them out on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet then sprinkle chopped apricots, cashews and dried cherries over the chocolate and let it set. Yum!!

By the next day (September 16), I was exhausted. We washed and packed up the dishes, wine glasses, silverware and serving pieces so they would be ready for next year. Yes, it looks like we will do this again next year, although probably not two dinners, just one. I don't remember if I put up the Old 1862 Ranch webpage but here it is: www.theold1862ranch.com You can see pictures of the ranch there as well as the menu from this year. Jan is already wondering what we could serve next year! I told her to ask me in a month or two, lol.

I was busy with nursing work all the next week, at GIC and then three wellness clinics. I also needed two days to complete the list from my personal chef client as I was cooking for essentially two weeks. I made only one dessert, though. Chocolate Orange Mini-cheesecakes. They were very cute! the tops were sprinkled with a mix of orange zest and sugar, a kind of candied orange zest.

I was busy making Seafood Gratin,

Chicken and Cilantro Pesto Pasta,
Chicken Teriyaki with noodles,

Mini Taiwanese Meatballs, Field Greens with Oranges, Strawberries and Chai vinaigrette, Frisee and Apple Salad with Dried Cherries and Walnuts, Asiago Risotto Primavera, Aromatic Lamb Meatballs (from Nigella Lawson's recipe) and Green Fatoush Salad with Pita Chards, Chicken and Spinach Wraps with Hazelnut Sauce, Curry Chicken Wraps with Nectarine Chutney,
Penne alla Vodka,

and Pasta with Pancetta and Peas.

Quite a lot of work!

I also catered some food for a dinner at the local fencing club. They had Baked Spaghetti, Tri-tip Beef and Mushrooms in a Red Wine Sauce, Ratatouille, Buttery Raspberry Lemon Cake and an Apple Pie Cake. Several of the club members made salads and some other desserts. Cooking and baking took most of Saturday (September 22) afternoon. I delivered the food at 5:30pm. AND forgot to take pictures of all the food. I must admit, I get so caught up in the joy of preparing a dish, that I often forget about taking pictures. I should be better about that, as food (for the most part) is my business and I need to be a better saleswoman!

Sunday afternoon, Jordan and I drove up to Chalet View Lodge to meet the new chef. His name is Dave Sypnicki. He started at Chalet View Lodge's restaurant two months ago. It is a "business within a business" as he put it. He did not go to culinary school but instead did a three year apprenticeship with a famous chef in Portland, Oregon (apprenticeships are almost a lost art here in the States). He has worked at several places in northern California. Also new to the restaurant is a wood-burning pizza oven. We had one of their pizzas for dinner while talking to Chef David. He makes his own pizza dough and topped our pizza with fig jam, blue cheese, Applewood smoked bacon and arugula. Don't wrinkle your nose--it was a wonderful combination of flavors! And after he found out I was a chef, he made the offer to have me be a "guest chef" in his kitchen. He also expressed an interest in helping with our Farm to Table dinner next year! What a treat it would be to work with professional help in the kitchen. Especially as I was considering expanding the menu to more courses next year. We'll see what happens!

Monday I had to have surgery but it was a quick out-patient procedure. I am off all this week to recooperate. I felt pretty good today so decided to make Spaghetti and Meatballs for my friend, Jan, who had back surgery a week ago. And as they say, "no good deed goes unpunished". After chopping herbs to put in the meatballs, the knife fell off the counter and fell on the floor. Although I jumped back, the chef knife landed on its handle, bounced up and sliced my lower leg open. Yikes again! I had to call my sister to take me to the doctor's office so I could have it stitched up (four stitches). It was a crazy accident, but showed me that perhaps I need to take it easy the rest of this week....

Monday, September 10, 2012

Well, we are finally moved in to our rental house. There are still boxes sitting around, but for the most part, the living room and dining room and most of the kitchen are put together. I guess you need to live in a space for a bit before realizing what looks good here or there.

Labor Day, Jordan and I had dinner with friends. It was a lovely evening to eat outside. And I didn't have to cook!

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I worked in my nursing job. The days were complicated by going from nursing to cooking two of those days. I could not do all of my personal chef cooking after working all day so had to split the cooking up. The meals have been fairly simple the last several weeks as I did not have the availability of baking at home. Thank goodness my client was sympathetic! I did manage to make a Pecan Bourbon Tart dispite the lack of proper pans.

Friday morning I went shopping to buy all that I needed for the Farm to Table dinner I was cooking for. Our friends Jan and Jim own a ranch right on the Nevada California border. It is just beautiful out there. The weather was lovely with little wind (Nevada is famous for it's gusty winds). And folks seemed to have a great time and enjoyed the food. Here is our menu (which we will repeat this coming Saturday):

Appetizers: Gazpacho
Cowboy Gourgeres (Parmesan Chive Biscuits with a slice of ham)
Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette
Proscuitto Melon Skewers with Basil Oil Drizzle

Surpirse Cocktail: Limoncello Collins

Entree: Tuscan Roasted Pork Loin
Roasted Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes
Southern Italian Ratatouille
Asiago Risotto (as a vegetarian option)
Focaccia bread

Dessert: Frozen Watermelon Lime Bars (Yum!)
Assorted Pastries: Blackberry Almond Tea Cakes, Pear and Ginger Mini-Cheesecakes, Apricot Walnut Tarts, Bittersweet Chocolate-Orange Truffles, and Pineapple Empanadas.

All I can say is that a good time was had by all! We decided to do two Farm to Table dinners this year. We'll see about next year, lol. I had some great help--my sister and a friend of mine, Diane. We had wait staff that served for us, the tables were set with white linen tablecloths and napkins, lovely dinnerware, wine and water goblets, and twinkling lights under the grape arbor on the patio. Jan and Jim really do have a nice ranch (it has been around since 1862!). No pictures to show so I will have to take some this next time. We are making a few minor changes to the dinner routine but I guess we learn each time we do these dinners.

Tomorrow I will be back to nursing and the next day a personal chef job. I do believe that life is settling back down (thank goodness!).

Labor Day, September 3, 2012

I'm finally back! In looking at my past writings, I was surprised to see it has been almost a month since I last blogged. August was filled with packing up one house and organizing a new rental house. For a week, Jordan and I were vagabonds (at least it felt that way). We had a week in limbo after our house sold and we could get into our new house (I was going to say home, but it doesn't feel that way yet). During that limbo week we stayed two nights in a hotel, two nights with friends and two nights with my sister. It was complicated by Jordan needing to travel to So Cal over a long weekend, which extended the date the furniture and boxes were to be delivered.

But we are finally in our new house, slowly unpacking. The furniture is mostly placed, but I always feel it takes some time to get the "feel" of house before you come to realize how everything works together (or not). During this entire process, Ah Choo (our cat) stayed with my sister, Janell. When we brought him back on Saturday, he cried (meowed rather) for 15 minutes and wouldn't come out of his carrier. Poor thing. He knew that he was not "his house". He did, however, eventually come out and explore, although he did not wander far from my side (no wonder they call ragdoll cats, "puppy cats"--they follow you everywhere and sit at your feet).



In the midst of all this chaos, I still managed to work 3-4 days a week as a nurse and at my personal chef job and did a little catering. I must say though, I am happy to see the end of August!

I tried my hand at Chocolate Pots de Creme-it turned out well. And I even had the appropriate little pot to bake it in thanks to my client!



I will spend this week working three days at my nursing job and one or two afternoons doing personal chef work. But the big event this week is the Farm to Table dinner my friend Jan and I are putting on. She and her husband own The Old 1862 Ranch north of the city of Reno. They are the hosts, I am the "Executive chef" (such a fancy sounding title, lol). You can check it out at www.theold1862ranch.com and see the menu as well as pictures of the ranch. I'll be sure to blog afterwards so you can see some of the dishes we make and let you know how it goes!