So, here it is... Wednesday.  The 'member tasting' was on Monday.  I worked 12 hours off the clock on Sunday, then 12 hours on Monday to make sure the tasting went off without a hitch... and it did!

After the 10th and final course went out... I went downstairs and was applauded (as I posted before).  When I returned to the kitchen, I turned to Andrew, gave him a high-five... applauded him and said he was a Rock Star!  "Great job Andrew!!!  We did it!  Lynsey bought me a bottle of wine to celebrate... would you like a glass of wine?"  Now mind you, I had been in the kitchen for 12 hours, Andrew for 6 hours.  He replied "No thanks! Yeah... we did it... but I gotta go pick up my son."... "Well, great job!" I said... then he left.

Apparently, the next day... he went to the General Manager Tim (I'll get to him in a minute)... and tried to get me FIRED for offering him, then myself partaking in a glass of wine while ON THE CLOCK.  (Funny thing is... I never clocked in... I just went strait to work)

This is a guy who has gotten away with doing the absolute MINIMUM of work for the last year, whom I have put up with, and on the days he actually DOES his job, gave credit for... You know what Andrew?  Fuck me once... shame on you... Fuck me twice?  Shame on me... guess what... it AIN'T gonna happen TWICE!!!


I was legitimately thanking him and celebrating what has been a major event... and he tries to get me fired for it!  What an ASS-HOLE!!!  OK Andrew... DONE with you!!!


So, after Lynsey filled me in on the Andrew trying to get me fired thing...  She proceeded to tell me that everyone loved the food at the tasting, but that TIM (remember Tim?... I mentioned him earlier in this post), and Jessica (what her qualifications are I STILL don't know)...  Could I change up the menu?  Could I reduce it?  Could I.....


I stopped her at that point and said... "You know what?  I'm DONE!  I'm not frustrated with you (Lynsey).  I have KILLED myself putting together a menu that is High-Profit and one day prep.  I have spent over 100 hours putting this shit together... not counting COOKING AT HOME off the clock... These people don't have a clue and have been jerking me around.  They WANT caviar, but they want to pay for deviled-ham.  Tell you what... tell them they can buy Stouffer's frozen lasagna... frozen everything... canned everything... throw it in the nuker... and put it on a plate.  I'm not changing the menu... I'm not compromising on prep time.  It is what it is... and if they can't accept it, then what the fuck-ever... I'm DONE!"

I told Josh and Tat about my evening... then asked them if I was being melodramatic...  at which point both of them about slapped me upside the head and said "NO!!!  This is what we've been warning you about for the last 5 months!!!  These people have NO idea what they are doing and they are TOTALLY taking advantage of you!!!  Kick them to the curb!!!"


So, in about 4 weeks, Josh, Tatiana, Phoenix and Aiden will be moving back to Los Angeles.  I will have to make a decision.  Do I ride it out here in Bartlesville at the Copper where the people making the decisions have no idea what the fuck they're doing?  Or... do I impose on my sweet sister and try to get a job cooking (I'll most likely start as a dishwasher at Arby's) and hope that I can get out of her hair fast enough to not damage the only family I have left???


Long post... I know... But any insight from people I know and love would not be a bad thing right now...
  

OK y'all... It's a little passed 10:30pm... I'm now home from the 'official member tasting'....

I've been cooking and prepping for basically 24 hours.  I'm exhausted!  Thanks to Andrew and Lynsey... (who's gpa passed away this weekend.. I'm SO sorry sweetie!)... The tasting went off amazingly well!

The final course of 'brie en croute', Lynsey had me take off my apron and help her bring the stuff down stairs... at which point I was APPLAUDED!!!  OMG... The people eating the food I MADE... APPLAUDED me !!!!  Now.. if ONLY we could get the management to understand the PREP time that is needed....  Seriously... DUDES!!!!!


There was one woman who specifically commended me on the vegetarian foods offered.  She mentioned that in Bartlesville... there aren't a lot of options for Vegetarians. I had to agree... there AREN'T a lot of options... That's kinda how the major food/menu/recipe modification started!
 
BTW Renee... I was introduced to the 'crowd' as 'Chef Lorie'... Pretty cool... huh?

Josh is insistent that I be 'Chef Auguste'... but I'm cool with LORIE.

I am SO glad this tasting is over... now I have to focus on MOVING!!! I HATE moving!!!  Josh and the family will be leaving in March... Sooner than we were planning... So I'm looking at April/May here... then I've got to find a new place... God Damn!!! I HATE moving!!! It SUCKS OUT LOUD!!!

OK... my ONLY needs are:  A GREAT kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 1/2 baths WITH laundry... 

OK all you in Bartlesville, OK... GO!!!!

So, Monday is the tasting for the 'members'.  They couldn't postpone it because invitations have been sent out, and we have about 30 folks who 'rsvp'd... Lynsey won't be able to attend because of her grandpa.. (again, I am SO sorry).

I just want it to go off without a hitch... this is our baby... 

It's Saturday... I've done all the shopping and I've worked really hard to make sure that this tasting goes off without a hitch.  I'm cooking the meat tonight... I'm skewering and doing other stuff tomorrow... Then MONDAY... well... HOPEFULLY, I've planned it out well enough to run smoothly... 

Love you Lynsey... I hope I don't let you down!!!
 

Linsey, I am SO sorry about your g-pa!!!  I know that the upper people don't give a rat's ass, but I do... WE do... Don't you worry... I know that this final tasting is 'our baby'... but we will pull it off.. I promise!!!

I will get all the prep done... then I will go home to make myself 'pretty', so the members aren't turned off by my ugliness...

(keep in mind I can only do so much to not look ugly!)

Everyone is on board... at least those that matter... 

Love you buttercup!!!

Monday will go off without a hitch... at least none THEY will see!  Take care of yourself baby-girl!!!

So, Copper (or at least the marketing director at Copper), decided they wanted to run a special 'Valentines' package.  That's cool.  She put it together bass-ackwards... but whatever...  This is what the dinner special included:

Parmesan Twists with Marinara Dipping Sauce
Salad
Lasagna Bolognese (red meat sauce) or White Vegetable Lasagna
Dessert Brie en Croute
Bottle of Wine

Price per Couple: $50.00 

This special was/is to run on Feb 10, 11, and 14th.  

I made the 2 lasagnas on the 10th at home, brought them to work and set them up.  Got all the other items assembled and par-baked... and on the 10th... not ONE taker.


I wasn't holding out high hopes for Saturday the 11th.  Boy, was I wrong.  We had a total of 9 specials available, we sold 6.  That was cool.  Cooler yet?  People were RAVING about the food.  From the parm twists through the Brie en Croute!  The best part is... the COST of my dinner (not including wine) was a mere $9.00 per Couple... the wine cost was $5.00... So, total cost for dinner was $14.00... SOLD for $50.00!  I'd like to see them bitch about food costs NOW!!! (Which they are by the way).


So, Tuesday I will be cooking 2 more lasagnas at home and bringing them into work... once there I will get more parm twists made, and get the Brie wrapped.  We learned a couple of things last night that will be applied to Tuesday's service.  All in all, it ran really well.


Andrew worked with me last night.  He actually did his job and seemed interested in what was going on.  He didn't pop open his laptop to play chess even ONCE!!  That was nice.  He was either cooking, or doing dishes, also nice.


Well, I'm exhausted and have a LOT of housework to get done today.  I'll check back in after the Valentine's Day service and let you all know how it went.


The 20th is the 'official' member tasting... so still have THAT monkey on my back.... right now... just want to get through Valentine's Day!

So, I went in early to work today to get the egg rolls made for tonight's special. Do to a mis-communication regarding scheduling, Andrew was working tonight.  Lynsey wanted to make sure I got the egg rolls done, and showed Andrew how to make them.  Well, I've got plenty of filling left, but only had enough wrappers to make 30 rolls (10 orders).  So I made them, made the dipping sauce, then showed Andrew how to cook them and plate them.

Actually, what I said was... let's figure out the plating.  Now, I already knew how I wanted them plated, but I wanted him to feel he had SOME involvement in their development.  My plating won (which he preferred).

The first order for the 'special' went out.  In less than 5 minutes, the empty plate came back.  I asked Logan (the bartender)... did they like them? not like them? Any comments at all?

He said that they LOVED them and wanted another order, but the wife said they were going to be there a while... so let's space it out...

I shot a look over at Andrew, who the whole time I was making them was complaining that people don't really like egg rolls, let's hope someone buys them, we'll probably have a ton left over, it's just a waste of money... 

Ha-Ha Andrew!! Take That!!!!

Look, Andrew is a nice guy.  I like him, I really do.  Unfortunately, he just does the minimum, and when someone like me comes in and screws up the status-quo... well, he's got to take shots where he can.  I get that.  So, since there was a foul up on the schedule... I told Andrew I was leaving.  My work was done, I got the feedback I needed, and I'm working tomorrow (gotta buy more wrappers first!)

It's been a stressful few weeks, with tastings, selling the inventory, kids being extra 'autisticy'... and a few other things... but tonight, I plan to sleep.  Tomorrow? Well, that's another day!