Posted in chef days, culinary school, kitchen on Nov 20th, 2009
Josie was supposed to be scooping blondie batter out of a glass bowl and into a waiting pan. She handled my blue spatula like a lazy rake, pushing batter forward, up and out one glop at a time. I clasped hands and tried patience, but the spatula dripped and she moved on to licking her [...]
Posted in Chicagoland, culinary school, recipes, sauces on Jun 27th, 2009
Moments after finishing my first pot of caramel sauce – first melted sugar, first caramel anything – I pulled up an apron corner, wrapped the burning handle and carried it down twenty-seven steps, past an audience of snickering older students, past my teachers, not breathing until the pot finally reached the hands of a famous [...]
Posted in Chicagoland, chef days, culinary school on Mar 1st, 2009
The Simmer Till Done management and advisory board – that would be me – is on a special-projects work break, so please enjoy these posts from the past, especially if they’re new to you. Thanks for visiting – and if you have a repeat request, by all means send it along. Today we review a [...]
Posted in Chicagoland, cake and cupcakes, culinary school, marriage on Nov 13th, 2008
On our 15th anniversary, a look back at the most important cake I never made. ———– We’d insisted on a November wedding – autumn, crisp and comfortable – but now, standing in satin heels before a seated crowd at the Knickerbocker Hotel, I thought, what the hell does it matter what month it is, except [...]
Posted in Chicagoland, culinary school on Sep 4th, 2008
So, while I was fixing the kerflooey blog-bugs, I put together a little chat – maybe not so little – on why I didn’t stick with fine dining. It’s a magical high-end world and everyone wants in, right? Well, the five-star kitchen is tempting, to be sure – but you can make that almost everyone. [...]
