I realized to my own horror that I’ve been silent on the blog front for quite some time. By ‘realized’ I mean ‘pleasantly reminded’ by my boss. As in “hey you twit, blog something would ya’?!?!” So, in honour of every billboard that I’ve ever seen reading: “My boss told me to change the sign so I did”, Nicolette – this one’s for you.
Since we chatted last, I’ve moved. Hooray. Moving in the winter I do not recommend. Moving 4 days before you leave on a family vacation I do not recommend. Moving while your children live with you, I do not recommend. If you are relying primarily on your chef friends to help you move, have Alexander Keith and Colonel Sanders cater the move – this I recommend strongly. Seeing 5 chefs eating KFC at 11:00 am just warms my soul, though it would surely give the majority of our patrons a rash!! Thanks fellas, thanks Colonel. I also recommend waiting until the sun comes up to bring out the beer. Maybe next time.
Speaking of that family vacation, I recommend checking the weather forecast before packing only shorts, tees, and flip flops for 10 days in the Bahamas. While I still believe that a lousy February day in the Bahamas is better than a lousy February day in St. Catharines, a sweater would have been nice. I did however learn that a beach towel makes a perfectly passable blanket in a pinch. I learned another thing when comparing vacation culinary adventures with my colleagues who spent their holidays in St. Barth’s – The difference between a French colony and a British colony is most evident in the grocery store. If you don’t like the look of the foie gras in St. Barth’s on Tuesday, wait for the next shipment to come in on Friday. If you don’t like the look of the green pepper in Hope Town on Tuesday, buy it – it’ll be the same pepper on Friday! In all seriousness though, the company and the accommodations made the vacation spectacular, and the ocean provided what the grocer lacked!
Vacation bliss was quickly replaced with utter confusion and chaos upon my return. As I mentioned earlier I do not recommend moving 4 days before going on a vacation. This is not because it’s too busy or there’s too much to keep track of or it’s too much of a scramble. No. This recommendation is based solely on the fact that when I returned, I had no idea where anything was. Food, clothing, knick-knacks, pots, pans…..The vacation was just long to forget where everything is and where everything went. To this day, I have no idea where my Kosher salt is.
Moving right along though, this move has been great for me socially. I now have a dining room, and I’m not afraid to use it. In fact, I’ve already had 2 dinner parties at the new house, which is 2 more dinner parties than we had in the last 3 years at the old house. Nothing against the old kitchen, but before whenever there were more than 3 people over someone had to sit on the floor. To say that our old house was small, full, and cramped would be an insult to small, full, and cramped houses everywhere. Ahhh, a real dining room. I also have a real dining room suite in said dining room. I have recently acquired my 98 year old Italian grandmother’s dining suite. It was purchased in 1945 and while it has been in my life for all of my life, I saw the top of it for the first time 2 weeks ago!! Always protected by a pad, a tablecloth, plastic, and on special occasions (like, say, meals for instance) another tablecloth, the table now sees the light of day. If you ask me, tables are to be eaten at. If you ask my mother, she’ll tell you I’ll wreck in 3 weeks what nonna spent 65 years protecting!
What else is new? I’ve saved the best for last. After 35 years on this earth, 16 years as a renter/homeowner, and 12 years as a professional cheffer, as of last night…….drum roll please……wait for it……..I HAVE A GAS STOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
House needs painting – I don’t care, I have a gas stove. Carpets need cleaning – I don’t care, I have a gas stove. Car needs a tune up – I don’t care, I have a gas stove. Kids need to go to the dentist – I don’t care, I have a gas stove. Laundry is piling up – I don’t care, I have a gas stove.
Did I mention I have a gas stove?
The first thing I cooked on it was soft polenta with blue cheese. My new ‘fondest food memory’.
I’ll try to check in more often.
Chow.