The Sweet Life

I haven't posted in ages. I'm waiting for my grain rice mix to cook. I'm trying to condense these past couple of months into a post without going overboard. I had a birthday.  Ate at Sepia and had a wonderful time. Enjoyed a tasting menu at Aviary .  Had a wonderful time. Worked about 70-80 hours a week for about a month.  Short-staffed.  Frustrated.  Exhausted.  Don't remember much. Got a dessert published on BizBash. Changed the desserts in Small Plates. Wait?  What?  Go back? Which part did you miss? Many things have been happening at work and not having enough people to do the work has been tough, but I've been pretty well-seasoned from working at NoMI and Trump to be able to "make it happen."  We are finally having a slow week, and I have finally had two days off in a week (in a row even!), and am catching up on rest and am getting bored.  Cafe items is up to par stock.  Banquets and Small Plates is just ab...

Planning a birthday dinner for a savory chef isn't an easy task. Especially if it also involves an anniversary (1 year), and Valentine's Day (he cooked a birthday dinner for his mother and family the day before so we basically stayed close to home on Sunday). (For Valentine's day, I had thought of doing it over-the-top and having some sort of heart theme with each course. But I think it turned out better this way). I'd planned, researched, second guessed, changed, finalized, and fretted over the menu. I consulted cookbooks, YouTube videos, websites, blogs, friends, and even the man himself (when I found out his favorite seafood was scallops, I quickly added a course). Once the menu was finalized, I planned the prep, making lists (couldn't live without them), scheduling prep as well as shopping and lying. I made and froze rough puff pastry from Michel Roux's Pastry: Savory and Sweet . I made fresh pasta dough and filling, formed, and shaped the ravioli. I...