OK, it's been a couple of days since the first tasting.  To say that I was stressed or had a 'minor' meltdown would be.. Under-descriptive.  

The main problem that I'm dealing with is just the overwhelming timing of EVERYTHING!  I got hit with a 'time-frame' for all these tastings at work, and wouldn't you know it... right smack in the middle is my business finally getting sold (after 2 years on the burner)... Kid's medical appointments, Josh, Tat and kids trying to work out the logistics of moving back to L.A. to help out Tat's Mom, Jack F'ing up a simple 'car sale', 'Other' issues on the home-front... My Brain Is About To Explode!!!!!

I did everything in my power to be 'prepared' for this tasting.  The Tasting was on Monday... I started preparing on the Friday prior.  Well... at least the MEAT was cooked! 

The tasting was supposed to be at Noon on Monday.  I couldn't get into the kitchen until 10:30am on Monday.  I went into this tasting thinking that (like all tastings I've ever seen), that ALL menu items must be DONE and on the tables at the SAME TIME.  This was my MAJOR stress.  The kitchen in this 'restaurant' is SMALLER than my kitchen at home.  It is IMPOSSIBLE to get everything done and ready to go out at the same time!  There simply is no way to make it happen!  I lost my mind trying to MAKE it happen.

Josh started out with me in the kitchen... "What do you need me to do?"  Beats the Hell outta me!!!  I can't even figure out what the 'F' I'm doing here!!!  Then Linsey showed up (with her sweet little daughter Audrey... OMG.. you would LOVE this little blonde-haired cuttle!)... After about 30 minutes... Josh took Audrey... then it was me and Linsey to try and save this DISASTROUS Tasting.

So, the tasting was scheduled for Noon... It's now a little after 1:00pm... We finally decided to send out 'courses'... It was the only way with the limited cook and prep space.

I'd do my best to get each dish made... Linsey would take them out... then explain them while I was in the kitchen 'M-Fing' and all sorts of other things... trying to get the next one ready.

Now... Denise, Linsey and ANYONE who knows me and has had my Pupusas... I can make them in my SLEEP!!  Not here! Not in THIS kitchen.  Linsey was blown away by the difficulties I was having with the masa.  Between the heat and dryness.. we just could NOT get the masa to work! (I taught Linsey how to make Pupusas.. and she makes them all the time for her and the family)... It just was NOT working!!!

Anyway... we got through the tasting... BAD pupusas and all..I Never left the kitchen... she did all the work of selling and explaining each 'course'.  According to Linsey... they LOVED everything... (except the pupusas).

I broke down crying at the end.  I felt so HORRIBLE for letting Lindsey down!  She promoted me to these people.  Not only could I NOT cook... But I made her look like an ASS for saying that I WAS a GREAT cook!

She told me again... They COULDN'T hear you 'M-Fing' every time... they LOVED the FOOD!!!  They are really excited about the 'Member' tasting... 

So.. I learned a LOT from this DISASTROUS tasting... Something that will HOPEFULLY help the the one that REALLY counts... THIS kitchen is NOT adequate for 'ALL AT ONE TIME' tastings... The member tasting will happen in the EVENING... which means I have the WHOLE day to prep... not just a couple of hours... AND... Send the items out in courses... NOT all at once.. which is impossible in this kitchen!  

The member tasting is on February 20th... then I was dropped the bomb of having to have a special 4 course meal for Valentine's Day... Oh.. OK... (that's ANOTHER LONG-WINDED blog!)

Oh.. and in case you're wondering.. the NON-Cook people (the one's that pay the bills... and paychecks)... are under the impression that I can come in 15 minutes early and have everything ready to go... like rolling 200 eggrolls, making 'brie en croute' and 'French Onion Tarte' (which requires 40 minutes on the onions alone)... 


Linsey understands and gets that there is 'prep' time for all these items... They don't.. so if you come to Copper... expect to wait 2-3 hours to get your order!!!


Linsey and I both know that prep time is a full day to give you a 'weeks' worth of 'whatever' plus daily prep... they just want fancy food popped out like a cat giving birth to kittens.... 


Looks like I may be moving in with you Nay after all!!!

Tomorrow is the first of 2 tastings. It isn't going to go well... I'm completely unprepared and overwhelmed because of all the other things that happened.  Timing is God-Awful!!!  If I had another week, I'd probably be fine, but I have until noon tomorrow.  I was excited... now I'm dreading the massive failure about to take place.  I've destroyed my kitchen at home and can't even function it's such a mess.  I'm going to go to bed, try to get some sleep and hopefully have the energy to pull this off tomorrow, but in all honesty... I'm so exhausted, I don't know that I have it in me... even though my entire future is on the line here.  Well, at least there's no pressure!

It's late Saturday night.  Josh and I got through a good portion of the APW packing... And I've been slow cooking the Pork, Beef and Chicken for Monday's tasting.

The group that is tasting on Monday, as I've said... is the management, marketing and other uppers.  They have rejected items on the new menu before any type of tasting for various reasons... some regard cost, some.... well... they don't want to be viewed as a 'bucket-o-beer' type of establishment.

The items I have put together for this new menu have COST in mind.  Ingredients that can be used in a multitude of applications.  This means LESS waste, MORE variety and quick application at the time of service. All things that save bookoo bucks!

The 'Bucket-o-Beer' establishment...  had to do with the 'sliders' that I proposed.  There are two things that are monster popular in the 'restaurant world' right now.. two things that EVERY restaurant customer 'knows'... Panini and Slider.  These two items you don't have to explain to a customer... they know exactly what that is.  Yes... sliders ARE available at 'bucket-o-beer' places... BUT they are ALSO available at 5 star restaurants!  It all has to do with the PLATING!


Linsey told me that for THIS tasting... don't worry about plating... just give them stuff to taste.  Well... um, no.  We eat with our EYES first.  I was going to listen to Linsey... but after talking with Josh... he said "NO! Do what YOU know is right! You Eat With You Eyes FIRST!  If you want them to put the sliders on the menu... THEN PRESENT them like a 5 Star Dish!!!!  Forget what Linsey said and do what you know is right!"


Thank you Josh.  This is only a 'mini' tasting.  The 'Members' come later...(in which plating is supposed to matter).  If I want to get these items on the menu.. even though it's people who don't know anything about food... then I need to make SURE they get the WHOLE picture!  Present to them the same way I would present to members (and customers)! Yeah Josh... thank you for reminding me to listen to my own inner voice and instincts!


So, tomorrow night (Sunday), I'm putting together a mini-mini tasting with Josh and Tatiana... which will include sliders (with plating), egg-rolls (with plating), a couple of different slaws... Then I have a good idea on how to approach Monday.


Anyway, it's 1:00am now... so I'm hitting the sack.  I'll let you know how Monday goes!!  Ta-Ta for now!!! :)

The 'whirly-gig' was kinda a disappointment... I wanted LONG ribbons of potato, carrot, apple, etc... What I got was thin half-moon pieces.  The 'Curly-Fry' cutter worked GREAT however.  I'll work it out...

So we made Paninis tonight with the new press. OMG!!!  OK, I've made all these sandwiches before... 'grilled' on the stove-top... they've always tasted good.. no complaints... BUT... with the Panini press....WOW!!!  The DEEP grill marks and crispiness of the bread (all the way through) combined with the 'compressed' ingredients... They were crispy/gooey bits of Heaven!!

I wanted to make sure I had the press and the whirly-gig in time for the tasting.  The sandwiches were beyond what even we thought they would be!!! I've made grilled sandwiches for years and they've been good... but this was a whole new level!!!  Even JOSH was surprised by the difference.. the texture and look of the sandwiches... YUMMERS!!! 

Linsey and I bought the ingredients today for the first 'tasting'... which is on Monday... I'm cooking already (and it's only Friday).  I'm hoping all goes well and this new menu will FINALLY come to fruition!!!  Can't wait... I'm really excited!!!  I'll let you know how it goes!!!

Most chefs have several years to prove themselves... I have a few months (starting last October).  If all goes smoothly with the sale of all my woodworking hobby stuff... then I've bought myself one year in the place I'm currently living. I have 2 tastings I have to put together... 

On Monday, I have tastings for the management.  From there.. they will decide what makes it to the second tasting (for donors and members).  Now Linsey and I both agree, management is not necessarily the 'taste-buds' of the people that actually come and eat here.  The one in charge of marketing (who is very nice and I have no problems with whatsoever)... Won't try the Olive Tapenade Bruschetta because she doesn't like olives.  She wants to get rid of the Calamari because she doesn't like it... thinks the Pupusas sound gross ('Thick hand made tortillas stuffed with cheese')...

The fact that they 'ix-nayed' a bunch of stuff before the tasting because 'it sounds gross', well you don't know until you've tried it. Fortunately Linsey was there to rally the cause! Trust me.. Pupusas are FABULOUS!!!  Just because you don't know what they are doesn't mean they taste like crap!
Anyway... I digress...

So, Josh, Tat and the kids are moving back to Cali... and I have to blow the minds of all these tasters and focus groups in the next couple of weeks to even KEEP my job.  If I manage to pull that off... then I have to impress them enough to give me enough hours so I can keep living where I'm living.. 

I am SO sick of MOVING!!! I like where I'm at.  I'm 2 blocks from work, so when my P.O.S. vehicle breaks down... at least I'm close enough to work to make it there.  I've got nice views of the ONLY SKYSCRAPER Frank LLoyd Wright ever designed and built (which is where I work by the way)... I can see the 4th of July Fireworks out my second story window... You get the picture... I like where I'm at and don't want to move.

Yes, I'm rambling again!  Sorry.. I just have SO much on my mind that I'm trying to work through.  Tomorrow, I am dragging Linsey's ass to Sam's to shop for the tasting and do some pricing.  Then I'm getting inventory packed so I don't lose my one shot at getting through this year.

OK.. this WHOLE blog just got depressing!!! See what happens when you drink and type!!!

I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

(oh!!! I did get my veggie whirly-gig and my panini press today! The paninis were AWESOME!!!)

All righty then... got other business stuff going... now in between that, I've got to get the 'tasting' menu together for the 'management' on Monday... then after that.. get the OTHER tasting menu together for the donors.

No pressure! I have a couple of hours tomorrow (during dinner service) to work out the details with Linsey... then finish my other business stuff... shop for the tasting... prepare the tasting... and YES... My brain IS about to explode!!!

It's not like my entire FUTURE depends on the OTHER business AND the TASTING... If I could just get the kids to sleep beyond 3:00am... HELL... if I could sleep beyond 3:00am... I MIGHT just get through the next week and a half... no promises.. but I am trying my best!!!

Well, I have a guy flying in from California tomorrow for a few hours.  He's coming to check out what we have left in inventory for APW. If he likes what he sees, then he MAY buy out what's left and I can officially close Augum's.  Even better... I can then devote all my time to the kids, the cookbook, the new menu at Copper and there will hopefully be enough $$ to allow me to stay in this place after Josh, Tat and the kids move back to California... at least it would take some of the pressure off of trying to find a place and MOVING all this HEAVY furniture AGAIN!!!  If all goes well... I would then be able to stay here until Copper gives me enough hours and pay to cover my actually living expenses.

If I can't pull it off, or things go awry... then I shit can it all and move in with Renee... (Hear that Renee?).

Stay tuned!

So, I'm going to say that I had a pretty good night.

Came in, got my prep done... a few orders here and there.  Then as I was coming back from my smoke break (all chefs smoke you know), Art, the guy that is at the front check in desk, hesitantly ask me to make him a 'double burger with double cheese, grilled onions'...etc. and a side of 'chips'.

Now, what you need to know about Art is, he sends ALL guests of this hotel/restaurant/museum establishment somewhere else but HERE for food.  He HATES the food here. I can't say that I blame him... the food has always been sub-par at best.  When a guest who's paying big $$ to stay here asks where's a good place to eat... you want to let them know good places to eat...

So anyway... Made his burger and chips (which I hand cut with a mandolin) and he eventually picked them up about 15 minutes after his order was done.

Sometime later Art shows up in the kitchen with his empty plate.  He looks at me and asks "What is the green stuff in the burger?".... Uh-Oh I'm thinking to myself... "Um, fresh Italian flat leaf parsley."  Then he asks... "Do YOU make all these burger patties?"... "Yes.  I prep them all ahead of time.  I season them, add Worcestershire and the fresh Parsley... Why?". Next he asks... "What about the chips? Do you do something special with the chips?".... OH GOD... Where is this going????
"Yes.  I cut a large batch of chips and fries ahead of time, par-boil them for about 3 minutes, then set them in the acidulated water until they get cooked.  Why?  Was there something wrong?"  (Not sure I want the answer to this question... I'm really nervous now)

This was his response:

"I really didn't want to order any food here... but I'm working until 11 and I was starving.  Andrew and Robert's burgers suck.  When I get one, it's always flat and dry and has no flavor.  When I order chips, they are burnt on the outside, limp and greasy and raw in the middle.  The ONLY reason I took a chance tonight was because you were cooking and I figured it couldn't be any worse.  Had I known that I was going to get a plump, juicy burger full of flavor and perfectly cooked.. I wouldn't have ordered a double to try and make up for the thin, dry burger.... and the chips...OMG... they were SO GOOD!!!  They were crisp on the outside, not burnt and fluffy and light on the inside!!!  This was probably one of the best burgers I've ever had... and the chips were amazing!!!"

(OK, I'm smiling now)... "Well, thank you very much for the kind words!"

He continued... "I was quite pleasantly sur.... " he trailed off... "Surprised?" I said....(he was trying not to insult me).... "Don't worry about it... I'm not a 'trained' chef, I'm just someone who loves to cook.  No one here knows what to make of me.  I introduce a lot of techniques and ideas... but no one really knows if I'm talking out my ass... except Linsey... she's the only one who has really eaten any of my food and knows what I can do."
Well, that was the gist of the conversation (verbatim).


I had won over one of the biggest critics of the food here... that felt pretty damned good!


I ran a little test tonight because the fryer has always been set to 350 degrees (the universal frying temp).  The 'par-boiled' chips and fries can be dropped at that temp and you can leave them in there for 2 minutes or 10 minutes... they just won't burn... FRESH (which is how it's always been done) will burn on the outside and not cook the inside (whether at 350 or 375 degrees) and be limp and greasy.  I took a batch of 'fresh cut' fries and chips, tried them in the fryer and after 30 seconds they were burnt on the outside, limp, oily and NASTY... 


Yep, par-boiling is the ONLY way to go if you want PERFECTLY cooked fries and chips!  No question about it!  The added benefit is, you can drop the fries or chips... make the rest of the order and not have to worry about them turning into crispy critters... And being par-boiled... they don't absorb ANY of the frying liquid!  


Yea, I'd say tonight was a pretty good night!

It's Monday and Linsey is MIA. Not out of the ordinary.  That's OK, I had a lot of other things keeping me busy today.  Right now I'm hangin' with Aiden.  Josh is picking up the Phoe-cat, then off to the store for trash bags!

Aiden managed to loosen the cable on the TV last night, so NONE of my shows recorded! Bad night to have that happen... Sundays record like 8-9 things!!!  BUGGER!!!

I don't work again until Wednesday... Hopefully prep won't be too much of a bitch... we'll see what Andrew leaves me.  I'll check back soon.. Oh and by the way Renee... thanks for the pop-by!! :)

Just got home from work. It's about 11:00pm. My shift ended at 9:00, but we had SO MANY folks in the bar, hanging out, listening to a new performer, drinking and EATING!

From 4:00 to 8:00 I only had 2 orders come in. Then, at 8:05pm--- 13 tickets came IN AT ONE TIME! Of course the printer jammed after the second ticket.  I could hear it printing... just nothing coming out! I called down to the bar... "STOP sending orders... the printer is jammed and I'm not getting ANY of them!"  I got through the orders pretty quick (once I knew what was on them)... then we decided to keep the kitchen opened late cuz people were eating and eating and eating!

Monday Linsey and I are heading out to Sam's Club to do some price checking on all the ingredients for the new menu.  She said they're trying to figure out what to keep and what to get rid of on the old menu... cuz they want to dump it all and go completely with my new menu.  My new one still has some of the old stuff on it because it's popular and I know people want it... it's just tweaked a little.

Anyway... time to crack a beer and head to bed.  Josh and Tat's anniversary is tomorrow and I got them a room at the Copper (I get a discount now)... so I've got the kids and a BUNCH of APW crap to figure out this weekend.

I'll talk to you again soon... if anyone is out there! :)

OK, I need an attitude adjustment today!!

I went to work last night and got EVERYTHING done. I'm actually working alone the entire week, so all the prep work I do, I get to actually benefit from.  It's a nice change. I made sure that everything would be ready for tonight, because tonight should be pretty busy with 1/2 price pizzas and entertainment.  So it's all good to go. After I set up, the only thing I have to make is the spinach-artichoke dip.

I SHOULD be in a GREAT mood... but I'm not. I'm in a really PISSY mood. In my defense, I didn't get to bed until 1:00am, and BOTH kids woke up at 3:30am... so not much sleep... then of course my pre-menopausal body has decided to go back to high school today (which explains the extreme back pain I've been dealing with for a couple of days)...my back molar is so loose, I'm waiting for it to fall out, but it won't... it just hurts like hell...

Get the picture?  Yep... I need an attitude adjustment.  If I go into work (about 2 hours from now) in this mood... it will be a disaster in the kitchen. So, I'm trying to chill myself out.  I'm drinking a beer, I'm not pulling any APW orders, I'm going to lay down on the couch and HOPE that I can pull my shit together before I go in tonight. I can't afford to have tonight go badly....

For anyone who may read this post, I apologize for my extreme bitchiness... Hopefully on my next post I can tell you how WELL tonight went, and how I managed to pull my head out of my ass!

It's January 2nd, and I'm waiting on Lindsey to go over the new proposed menu and kitchen 'needs'.  I'm working at a bit of a disadvantage because one of the things I need to include is a cost analysis.  

I can't give them one because they have yet to give me costs (with their current supplier).  I did my own 'cost' estimates by going to Walmart for a couple of hours and pricing out all the ingredients at retail. I compared it to the one PO that they did provide me and found out that I could save them $250 a week buying retail at Walmart over what their supplier charges them (which didn't even include the shipping charges). Not only that... but the produce would be fresher and we wouldn't have to throw so much out at the end of the week.

Anyway... we may be getting a new supplier, or, I may be driving into Tulsa each week and buying supplies at Sam's Club.  Either way... until that happens, I can't give them the analysis... it's a bit frustrating.

What I did do was design a menu based off what I do know. As a 'home' cook on a budget, I designed a menu that is budget friendly, makes multiple uses out of single ingredients and most importantly (to me anyway), can be plated and out to the customer quickly and with the minimum of fuss! Oh... and still taste great! :) 

All they need to do; understand that there will be 'prep' time that they MUST allow me.  Currently, the kitchen is open for service at 4:00 pm.  I'm not supposed to come in before 4:00 pm.  That's not how it works in the real world!  I need to come in for a full day (when the kitchen is closed and there is no service) to prepare all the 'Apps' for the week.  These are things that can be made ahead of time, frozen/refrigerated and ready to go at service. Things like BBQ Pulled Pork Egg rolls, Pupusas, Breaded Raviolis and Cheese Sticks for deep-frying, etc. 


I know this is all boring crap for everyone else, but if they want to really pull this off... I need to convince them that this stuff is necessary.  I need 3 crock pots that I can slow cook Pork, Beef and Chicken in.  Crock pots are good because you don't have to be there babysitting them... Super-tender and shredded... these meats can be used in a multitude of recipes!


Sorry that I'm blathering on... it's just my frustrations coming out.  These people are pencil pushers... all they know is the bottom line, not what goes into cooking quality foods that will keep people coming back over and over... which they will discover actually IMPROVES their bottom line!


OK, and my family is moving away back to Los Angeles.  My grandsons whom I've helped raise over the last almost 6 years, will no longer be part of my life.  This KILLS me.  All I have right now is this restaurant menu and it being a success.  If I can't spend 20 hours a day working on it... I'll lose my mind over my heartache of losing my grandsons!


Pitty-Party!! :(


I'll let you know how it goes.