Grit-y Week

Its been one hell of a week. I'm taking a week-long class on project management with the world's most annoying group. The guy next to me keeps a running commentary on everything the teacher says. On top of that, work doesn't stop because I'm in class. I'm just ready to quit. I'm tired of my job, tired of Charleston, tired of all the hassle, tired of feeling like an outsider on everything that I have to do.

T took me to 82 Queen last night. The food was good, at least pretty good. I think my standards are going up. Their shrimp and grits are good, but they just don't put enough of the cheese and BBQ sauce on as I think they should. I guess I should learn to just order things that I wouldn't or haven't made at home. I know my own tastes well enough to know what I like. Which, unfortunately for me, usually means higher fat content. Oh well. I do make a darn good shrimp and grits. And the cheese and BBQ sauce seem like an odd combination, but they are, in fact, excellent.

Its just been a rough week. Its about time for a weekend.

Chinese New Year

Happy Year of the Rat!
T. and I held a Chinese New Year cocktail party this weekend for his office. There were about 50 people, which is about as many people as came to our wedding........ I guess being the boss has its benefits. The menu was pretty good, although we had decided to make it a little more generic (ie. no whole fish or super long noodles) to appeal to less sophisticated tastes.
Menu
Crab Mousse in Cucumber Cups
5-Spice Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Chicken Curry Cups
Shrimp with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Orange Chicken
BBQ Short Ribs
Mini Egg Rolls with Spicy Mustard
Coconut Shrimp with Mango Sauce
Pot Stickers with Ponzu Sauce
Teriyaki Sausages
Key Lime Cheesecakes
Kahlua Coconut Rolls
Mango Gelee
Fortune Cookies

The party was a success, although no one really knew what to say to me so I was pretty nervous. Everyone said they had a good time, which was the point. T helped with the decorating, and the house looked great. I was so rushed that I didn't get a chance to take any pictures, but it did look good. And I didn't quite plan well enough, so I was kind of late getting all the food on the table. I wanted everything to be fresh, so I guess I squeezed things a little too much.

The party was fine, and I think the food was pretty good. I guess I'm just not feeling very inspired lately. T is on a diet, and I need to lose weight, and I'm hardly ever home anyway. And I just don't have any friends to come over and eat the food. While T has plenty of work people we could have over, that is always nerve-wracking and I end up drinking too much and I don't have any fun. I guess I'm just feeling really isolated, and it kind of shows in my cooking. Maybe I'll try doing something elaborate for myself for Valentines day since T will be getting in late.

I don't even have the energy to write anything interesting. I'm just too tired, or worn out, or something. I'll try this again later.

Unfun Party Planning

I am planning an un-fun party. We are planning a cocktail party for T's office, or at least the 20-30 that he deals with the most. And I actually hope that they will have fun, but as T is the boss, this falls into the "mandatory fun" type of events that people go to not because they enjoy them but because they have to. Since we didn't get a chance to do a holiday party (neither Christmas nor New Years nor any other December-scheduled event that the EEO trouble-makers keep complaining is getting second-fiddled), we are going to have a Chinese New Year party. It allows us to welcome people into the new year, kind of, and avoids any "you are discriminating against the Unity celebration for Zimbabweans on Dec 22."

As this is going to be, we estimate, 40-50 people this will be the biggest party I have ever thrown. I'm considering renting glassware and plates, so that I don't have to do paper. But not sure yet. And while I love Asian food, of many kinds, I don't think this crowd will be particularly fond of things like whole fish cooked in salt, squid appetizers, or duck tongues, which my friend insists are known to bring longevity and contain lots of antioxidants.

So, planning is still in progress, so I'll let you know what we decide. I'm starting to experiment. Or, I would experiment if the kitchen wasn't so dang cold. So instead I'll watch FoodTV, make some notes, and get ready for my trip next week. Any ideas on what types of food one would make for the year of the rat?.......ratatouille?

French Classic

French cuisine, especially the deserts and the seafood dishes, have an aura of being difficult and complicated, and......well........snotty. So, pour yourself a glass of wine Ms Child and let me show you how we do it at my house......

Menu:
Proscutto Wrapped Zucchini
Mini Peppers Stuffed with Anduille Sausage
Lobster Thermador
Braised Lemon Thyme Game Hen
Potatoes Florentine
Popovers
Chocolate Espresso Tort

My crowning achievements were the Lobster Thermador and the Chocolate Espresso Tort. For the tort I actually went through several cakes to get them right, and ended with one that was just tight enough to stand up to the 3 layers, but was still fairly fluffy and tender. The espresso buttercream was done in as a traditional French Buttercream with separated eggs, simple syrup, heating, cooling, whipping, folding, and repeating for several iterations. The result was one of the most luscious buttercreams I have ever tasted. Actually better than our wedding cake.....

I used to think that the richest seafood dish I had ever had was the Crab Imperial at Palace Cafe in New Orleans. But I think now that I have actually done Lobster Thermidor, the classic (read long, difficult, complex, and rather snotty) way, I think I have a new winner. I couldn't get pre-cooked lobster meat, so I steamed my own tails, made lobster stock, made the roux, sauteed the mushrooms, cooked in the brandy, assembled, bakes, replated, and finally topped with Parmesan cheese. It was the most decadent seafood dish I have ever eaten, and I have to say, I was pretty impressed.

The game hens and the popovers came out fine. The potatoes florentine were a little under cooked. So, don't think I've completely lost focus on my own meager talents. But I do have to say that I was impressed with the tort and the thermidor. And I think our guest were too.

So, what do you think Ms Child? Do I get a gold star for this one?

Been There, Done That

Sometimes retreat is the better part of valour. So when T's boss, The General, came for dinner I decided to do all dishes that I've done before. It was a very nice, sophisticated, well executed dinner. Read here......kind of boring for me.

Appetizers
Savory Cheesecake with Carmelized Onions
Homemade Pickle Dip and Crudites

First Course
Scallops and American Caviar in Califlower Soup

Main Course
Beef Wellington with Stilton
Puree of Potatoes, Parsnips, Carrots, and Carmelized Onions
Green Salad with Port Vinagar and Dijon Vinagrette
Sourdough Butter Rolls

Desert
La Bete Noire with White Chocolate Glaze and Raspberry Sauce

It was a ver good dinner, although the meat was a little tough, the rolls didn't rise as much as I wanted them to, and the cranberry syrup for the cocktails was a little gritty. But in all, I think a pretty well executed meal. Even with me being sick.

Which brings me to my current gripe, which is that I feel like things are moving so fast that I don't know what to do. I sometimes wish I could just stop the world from spinning for a few days so I could relax. Well, I have a couple international flights to look forward to, so hopefully that will help me get my fill of boredom so I can keep going.

I do have to say that I'm doing pretty good on not eating too much, although I don't seem to be losing any weight. So......no fun dinners, no good food, no losing weight, and no time to slow down. Sigh.

Well, I'll try laying on the couch and wishing I could actually get into the Christmas mood.

Thanksgiving Take 1

The Swedes came, we had a lovely dinner, and I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with how it came out. My one complaint is that the stuffing wasn't what I wanted. It was made with whole wheat bread, which just goes to show that I'm not one for health food. But below is the menu, and while it was pretty traditional, some of it was executed perfectly:

Turkey rubbed with Herb Butter
Green Onion Gravy
Wild Mushroom Stuffing
Green bean casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce
Pop-overs
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Fudge Pie

I was most impressed with the cranberry sauce, gravy, and the turkey. I had never made a turkey before, but luckily T helped me with it. The gravy was beautiful and silky, the cranberry sauce had a really nice zing, and the whole evening was perfect. Luckily my friend also came to bring a little light-hearted sarcasm to the dinner. I wonder if she will ever catch on that I bribe her with food because I'm just not that entertaining of a hostess?

Oh well, my first attempt at Thanksgiving was a pretty good success. And I liked working on it. Sometimes traditional can be the best.

Dastardly Donuts

I'm sitting in a meeting discussing software radios. Or, more acurately, trying to focus on radios and instead spending lots of energy trying to resist the other half of the chocolate glazed, sprinkle coated, saturated fat-laden, demon donut that is sitting next to me and taunting me. I'm trying so hard to lose weight. But since I'm getting to the point where I can't easily lose weight I'm trying to lose it in a "sustainable" way. I'm doing pretty well, but there is this stubbord 5 pounds on my waist that just won't budge. Despite the 5 days a week of cardio, and watching what I eat (mostly......I gave in and had half of the donut........but it makes up for only eating half my waffle this morning.....how's that for logic?), it still won't budge.

Well, as I've been sitting here I drank so much coffee that my stomach is queazy and I'm jittery and not in the mood for the donut. I guess I'm still obsessing over how T always says that he wants to lose weight except that he likes all the good food I make. I feel like I have to be responsible for what I weigh and what he weighs and try to not cook, I guess I just feel stifled. I want to lose weight, and I love to cook, and I want to support T, and I just feel like crying.......or eating this donut. Ugh.

I guess I need another hobby.