Thursday, June 26, 2014

Hello, everyone! I still am amazed at how time flies! Summer Soltice has come and gone and summer is here!

I am so excited to have a garden in my back yard! I think I may be a farm girl at heart. :-) I'm growing lots of tomatoes (quite a few heirlooms in the mix). One of my sister's friends gave us little tomato plants-started from seeds!! We asked for six plants and ended up with thirteen! I also planted cucumbers, four types of squash, small pumpkins, zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers, regular and Japanese eggplants as well as a few different herbs. I've already been able to use some of the herbs. Can't wait for the rest!!

And now that I look at these pictures, I'm thinking, "How could I have forgotten I planted sweet potatoes?!" They are growing in a purple soft sided pot from "The Gardener" website. It's amazing to think that most of the work goes on underneath the soil. The only part of the sweet potatoes above the soil line are the leaves.

The cats walked out onto the deck while I was taking pictures but when I tried to take Ah Choo's picture, he refused to look at me and started to go back into the house, lol.

I am still working as a personal chef, as I said in my last post. Amongst the many dishes I made on Tuesday for a personal chef client, were Beef Medallions with Madeira Mushroom Sauce and Hericot Verts along side Brown butter and Scallion Mashed Potatoes. YUM!


And for dessert? Oh, come on, you KNEW there was going to be dessert, didn't you?
Ina Garten's Coconut Cake!
I've attached a link for those of you interested in looking it up.

If you follow me on Facebook, then you know I auditioned or rather interviewed for a new Food Network show. It's a documentary on cooking competitions. There are four competitions (you aren't told what or where) over four weekends, so you aren't giving your life away. In order to be on the "Next Food Network Star" you have to promise at least three months of your life, move to LA and be away from family and friends. That's quite a commitment! I was told I would hear from them in the next week if I was one of the those chosen. We'll see! One of the first people there was a team of competitive cooks. The lead was dressed in a long gown, heels, a tiarra and a white sash pinned with a button that read "I'm just here for the bacon." JSCasting was asking for people with big personalities-they got characters instead! The group also arrived with a shopping cart full of trophies they had won in food competitions. Impressive!
I can't compete with that! But all kidding aside, I just have to wait and see.

More to come!!!

Thursday, June 5, 2014

It's been a long three months! I'm back now, though!

Let's see.....I no longer work evenings at Gas Lamp restaurant, although I still make desserts for them. I enjoy that. I make Creme Brûlée, Bourbon Pecan Tart and New Work-Style Cheesecake. All yummy! (Guess I had to say that, didn't I, lol).

I am working about 2 days a week at GI Consultants as a nurse.

I launched a new service for my business, April Cooks Tonight Personal Chef Service, which I call Prix Fixe Dinners. They are fixed price entrees available to people who don't want to spend the money for full-on personal chef service, but still want an alternative to expensive restaurants and fast food. Delicious chef-made meals delivered to your door! (If you live in the Reno-Tahoe area, that is, lol) I have brochures and a new Facebook page for my business (www.facebook.com/aprilcookstonightpersonalchefservice). Check it out and let me know what you think of it. I'd appreciate the feedback!

I also have an online store at prixfixe.aprilcookstonight.com. I post the week's menu on both my website and on the online store. Complete with pictures!

I started working with a business coach named Heather Dominick. It's group coaching, which saves me a little money while still getting the help I need to grow my business. Working on positive energy, homework Heather hands out and reading, lots of reading!

I've been doing a little more catering and have been asked to make a wedding cake in September. It's a simple cake with no frostings on the side, just between the layers. I was also asked to cater a small wedding for 30 in September (I sense a theme here, lol). Growing slowly....

I'd like to focus more on food on my blog, including recipes and food wisdom. A little change for me. This blog has been a journey of my change from nursing to food and while the journey continues, life changes and so do we.

So look for more entries in the future. Write me if you have suggestions or helpful hints, otherwise I'll see you around. And thanks for reading!

Monday, March 10, 2014

Made it through another week! The drama does continue.....Danny was coming back to the restaurant after finishing the shopping (since we are so busy now, he has to shop more often) and noticed after he turned into the restaurant parking lot that two men were loitering outside the front door of the restaurant. He yelled at them to get away (seeing that they were defacing the front door, I get that) so they picked up a large rock and through it through the back window of Danny's jeep, shattering the window. There was glass everywhere, including on some of the groceries. We all either cleaned up the glass outside or cleaned up the groceries inside. What a mess! Danny and a couple of cops chased these men but apparently lost them in an apartment complex near the restaurant. Later that same afternoon, Debra left to pick up laundry at the dry cleaners and on her way back into the restaurant, someone threw a rock at her. It didn't hit her but still scary all the same! I don't understand people sometimes...no respect for each other.

But enough! We have cycled through the Mango Creme Brûlée

and the Oreo Cookie Cheesecake

so when I go in on Wednesday, I'll be making new desserts. Danny wants to go back to traditional recipes so the new cheesecake with be Classic Cheesecake topped with fruit and an apricot glaze. The Creme Brûlée will also be a traditional vanilla flavored Creme Brûlée. All good. It's just a little frustrating to have any creativity squelched. As long as people like the desserts, I guess I'm ok with that but I think I will not be staying at Gas Lamp for as long as I thought I might. Danny doesn't talk much to me or anyone (unless of course he is yelling). Guess all those years dealing with doctors is coming in handy. There has been no more talk of opening for lunch so I have decided to let it go for now.

On a bright note, I was asked to be part of the demo team of personal chefs that demos stovetops, etc for Wolf-Sub Zero. The company is based in the Bay area but does have at least one store here in Reno, Standards of Excellence. They pay pretty well and who knows where it could lead (or not, lol). Still, I am looking forward to training on March 19, a Wednesday. I get paid for that too!! And I get to play with all the cool kitchen appliances. More on this later!

Tomorrow will be my second day back cooking for my personal chef client-hope it goes better this week! It took more two days to cook through all the menus he chose-I couldn't seem to make it all the way through in one day! He was understanding about it and hopefully the tasty food was worth the wait. :-) I shopped today for cooking tomorrow and also made dessert: a Coconut Pineapple Blueberry Bread Pudding with a Bourbon Caramel Sauce. YUM! I'll let you know how that goes over. Looks and smells good!

I received a call from a woman named Loretta, who has her own business called "Front Office Staff". She is an answering service but more than that as well. She and her staff take care of the reception desk at Bosma Business Center (I catered there last month for a "Get Connected" meeting). She was reaching out to me because she thought I was someone she wanted to know and also thought she might be able to help me connect to more people who could bring me more personal chef and catering business. I'm all for that. I'll be going to a business breakfast on Wednesday at the Hidden Valley Country Club (the same Hidden Valley as the dressing-who knew?). We'll see what happens. She really was very nice. She is also going to help me connect to a group called "E-women", who help women brainstorm and give them ideas and feedback for their businesses. Things seem to be happening, only time will tell if these are the "right things".

The weather is turning nicer and the plum trees outside out front door are blooming-
Aren't they gorgeous? They looked even prettier today.

Time for bed and tomorrow IS another day, as Charlotte said in "Gone with the Wind".

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Things have settled down a bit at Gas Lamp, although I forgot to add the last and final drama from last week. Our host was stabbed in the back at a party he went to so missed a day or two of work. Apparently he turned enough so that the blade did not hit his lungs. Personally, I think he needs new friends, but that's just me.

Last weekend was busy, as usual. Danny is leaving the restaurant open later and later as compared to his usual close times. We actually seated a Two-top (restaurant speak for table, party of two) at 9:15pm!! "Cal"-surprise! I've just kept my head down and done my job. There are still things to be learned so I will continue working as long as I can. I do like most of the people there.

On my "weekend" (hard to call Monday and Tuesday my weekend, but that is indeed what it is with the schedule we keep at Gas Lamp) I worked at GIC, another long day, but the pay is much better than restaurant work, although not as enjoyable as it once was. Tuesday (yesterday) I spent most of my day cooking for my personal chef client but did not finish all the dishes he had asked for so will have to go back on Thursday (tomorrow) morning and finish up before I go to work at Gas Lamp.

Tuesday morning was International Pancake Day at IHOP (International House of Pancakes). They were giving away buttermilk pancakes, hoping people would contribute to the Children's Miracle Network. An unusual fundraiser, but I like pancakes and Jordan likes a "deal" so off we went! It was ok. I can't remember the last time I went to IHOP!

This morning I went into Gas Lamp only to discover they were deep cleaning the large industrial hood over the cook stoves on the "hot" side of the kitchen. Almost everything was encased in plastic so there was nothing I could do but wait and go back in the afternoon. A loss of hours, but not much to be done. So when I finally did go in at 1pm, I only had time to bake two batches of brownies and make Mango Creme Brûlée. Wednesdays, the menu is a prix fix menu and I am tasked with coming up with new small desserts to serve-all the while working with what is at hand at Gas Lamp. One of the desserts is almost always a brownie sundae, very popular. Today I changed it up and made Chocolate Pots de Creme and Mandarin Oranges with Grand Marnier and Mascarpone. Both very tasty!!


I am off tonight so am going out with a girlfriend-one of my best friends. We are having a glass of wine at "Fine Vines". Fine Vines has "WINOS" night, which stands for Women In Need of Sanity. Very cute! Not much else going on....will catch up later!

Thursday, February 28, 2014

The last day of February! Where DOES the time go?! I awoke to a very cloudy sky, which soon was producing rain-we need it. Since then, it has gone from cloudy to sunny and back to cloudy.

I finally have a set schedule at Gas Lamp. Wednesdays 9AM-4PM, 3pm to ? (close) Thursday through Sunday. On Mondays, I work at GIC (I just can't quite let nursing go all together) and starting next Tuesday, I go back to cooking for my best personal chef client. No days off in the near future. We'll see how long I can carry on with this schedule!

As for Gas Lamp, Danny fired the bartender Wednesday evening. I guess they've had a lot of complaints about her being rude to customers. The owner of another local restaurant came in Wednesday and was told we were closed. Guess he went ballistic! Starting yelling at Danny, Danny yelled at Kerrie, the end result of which Kerrie was let go and the people whom were told we were closed, got fed. Glad I missed that drama. Things were quite subdued Thursday. I have mixed feelings about some of my decisions, although a friend reminded me today that there is drama everywhere. That certainly appears to be true!

I had to tell Gabrielle I could not cater her June wedding. I guess I was reminded Monday evening, when I did a tasting for the bride and groom and both sets of parents, why I don't usually enjoy catering weddings. Shows like Bridezilla tend to put one off on weddings. There are always little changes people want to make to a menu and while I believe that people should get what they want as they are paying for it, the requests sometimes are too much to deal with (we've had several "we were talking and thought "this" would be a nice addition" emails). So, after much thought, I withdrew my bid and let it go. I feel good about that decision-right now, life is just too hectic!

Wednesday, my new baking day, I went in to work at 10am and began dessert making. I switched the Creme Brûlée from coconut creme brûlée to mango creme brûlée. Yum! I found a can of pureed mango, the same type of puree they use to make (east) Indian lassi's. It is an absolutely gorgeous color! I mixed it in to the creme brûlée recipe I use. It baked up nicely in shallow ramekins, then got refrigerated and it's burnt (I mean that in the best, most tasty sense!) sugar-coating will be fired right before service.


Next came the Bourbon Pecan Tart. I've made a link to the Epicurious page the recipe came from. REALLY good and a big seller. I try and make up Pate Sucre dough ahead of time and freeze it so I always have dough available for both the Pecan tart as well as the Apple Gallettes. Makes life easier in the long run!
I had enough gallettes, so just baked up the pecan tart.

We serve this with a scoop of handmade maple ice cream. Are you salivating yet? :-)

It's a friend's birthday today-actually her birthday is February 29th so she only gets to celebrate on the actual day every four years! It's an almond layer cake with a raspberry filling, no frosting, just a dusting of powdered sugar. I'm taking it over to her house this afternoon.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

I was going to be SO diligent about writing on my blog after I left Maui. I haven't done a very good job of that, have I, lol? I thought it might be a good way to decompress after working at Gas Lamp but I am usually so tired by the time I get home that I have not kept up.

The morning after I arrived back from Maui, I had to work at GIC. At 7AM! Ugh! I literally hit the ground running that week. That Monday at GIC was very busy and I worked over my 8 hours.

The next day I had a catering event for a group from Bosma, called "Get Connected", a "Biz Talk" group used for networking (especially small businesses). Grab and go appetizers for 20 people-no plates and no napkins, although I insisted on having napkins. No one is that neat! Someone in the group provided wine and water. And did I tell you the woman who hired me wanted me to "WOW" the group. Apparently they had not had any success with past food endeavors so were discouraged about finding someone to give them the finger food they wanted. I made Asian Spiced Chicken with Vanilla Apricot Sauce in Won Ton cups,

Apple and Onion Confit on Crostini
and Tunisian Vegetable Salsa with Pita Chips. The woman how hired me, had a sample of my cooking when I catered a birthday party for one of the nurses I work with at GIC. Small world..... Anyway, I was a success and now they have asked me to provide food for the next "Get Connected" in April (they have this event every other month).

Wednesday, I catered lunch for my sister's earthquakes in Nevada meeting up at the Great Basin Science Library, up near the Desert Research Institute. She usually works in Carson, so I was very happy to hear the meeting was in Reno and I did not have to deliver anything to Carson City! Southwest Chicken Wraps, Big Green Salad (it had lots of "stuff" in it-a variety of lettuces, legumes, cheese, tomatoes, etc) and Rocky Ledge Cookie Bars. The cookie bars are so named because if you cut them into triangles, they look like craggy ledges!

Wednesday evening, I started full time at Gas Lamp, if you can call any job at a restaurant full time. Unless you are the executive chef or manager, the restaurant is only open from 5pm to closing, which in our case is anywhere between 8:30-10PM.

The week of Valentine's Day was CRAZY busy! We were booked for Valentine's Day by the Sunday before. And I guess those people who didn't go out on Valentine's Day, went out on Thursday or Saturday. Even Sunday was unusually busy, I think because it was a three day weekend (President's Day was Monday). Special desserts for Valentine's Day were Chocolate Oblivian Truffle Torte , a thick, fudge, chocolatey slice of heaven, and a "Berrymisu" Parfait. The parfait had mixed berries, mascarpone cheese, whipped cream, Chambord, and ladyfingers, all layered like a coffee tiramisu. Can you say YUM?

We were hopping every night and there were tempers flying everywhere. I think I was unprepared for all the drama that happens in restaurants-maybe I don't watch enough reality TV (no thanks!). So I guess all the drama you see on TV is somewhat real and not made up. People do crazy things, or out of ignorance, make mistakes.

My first week back they fired the dishwasher. My second week back, they fired a waitress. Hmmmmm.... Hope there is not a pattern here. The found a new dishwasher, have not so far hired a waitstaff person but did hire another woman to work the bar with Kerrie. And did I mention one of the staff seems to be taking cash out of the profits? This is truly fodder for a soap opera. At my age, I am not so into drama everyday!

I'll update you more soon. Lots of stories to tell in Reno, "the biggest little city in the world"!

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Well, folks, I was home by midnight Sunday but had trouble sleeping that night. Monday morning, I hit the ground running! I worked as a nurse Monday-had to be there by 7AM. Yikes! It was a busy day so I knew I wouldn't get off early or even on time, for that matter. I did make it through the day, however, and after grocery shopping for my Tuesday catering job, I was able to take it easy. I did sleep well Monday night, lol!

Today I was up at 7am and admit to slacking off for about an hour or so before starting to prepare for my Tuesday catering job. I made Tunisian Vegetable Salsa with Pita Chips, Asian Spiced Chicken in Wonton Cups with Vanilla Apricot Sauce, and Apple & Onion Confit on Crostini. Alas, I did not take any pictures, so cannot post pictures. The meeting I was catering for was called "Get Connected", which is a way for business people to network and meet new people. They asked me to stay, which I did and met some really nice people. The get-together took place at Bosma Business Center, which is a building that houses a number of business that rent anything from a cubicle to a suite of offices. A concept I was unaware of. Time will tell if anything comes of "networking".

I came home and made dessert for another catering job-Rocky Ledge Bars. They have alittle bit of everything in them: chocolate chips, white chocolate, mini marshmallows, toffee bits and chewy caramel! Gotta be good! I will take a picture of those when I cut and plate them tomorrow. After that-Chocolate Oblivian Torte, a dessert I am trying for Valentine's Day at Gas Lamp. Just three ingredients: dark chocolate, butter and eggs. Who'd of thought cake could be that easy?! I will take pictures of that as well tomorrow.

For now, as I write this, I am surrounded by sleeping cats. I think I need to join their ranks and become a sleeping cat as well, lol.