A Day of Denial

I'm in a strange sort of limbo here. 

A job that occupied a large portion of my life for the past 6 weeks has ended... And I am one week away from my return to Spain. 

I've been hitting some hurdles...

How did I start off the day?  I re-visited "Doughville"

A single batch of the recipe is very easy to handle. 

I then caramelized some onions (following the instructions that Joon had shown me way back long ago during week 4 of LudoBites), made the mixture of creme fraiche and greek yogurt, and proceeded to make a tart for Lisa at lunchtime. 

Then off to my erranding.  The Spanish Consulate relaxed their rules about getting fingerprints cleared with the FBI since it takes 8-10 weeks... Now I just need to get proof with the State of California Department of Justice that I have an absence of a police record... which takes about 3 days... but just about every place I go - there are issues, and they can't do the LiveScan (come back with the proper form, the person isn't there, the computer crashed, the appointment window is closed, etc.) I had an easier time getting the FBI clearance back in February!  Too bad those are expired now. 

So what did I do when I returned to Lisa's?  Re-visited "Tartlandia"...

But I got a little creative.  Or rather, I wanted to combine a Smitten Kitchen recipe that I love with Ludo's recipe, which I know inside-out.

Yellow & Green Zucchini, with lemon, thyme and the creme melange

perfect crisp golden thin cracker-like crust... not dough-y like pizza.

But I didn't stop there... I then wanted to combine the 2 tarts I made during LudoBites - based on what I had. 

Caramelized onions, thinly sliced fingerling potato coins sauteed in clarified butter & pepperoni slices (we had no bacon)

Great color, perfect crust... but i preferred the zucchini one.

 I'll look for new topping combinations - and if anyone has any suggestions, please pass them on!  Lisa said put an egg on it - to make a breakfast pizza...

hmmmm - the last time I opened my mouth about making eggs - specifically an omelet, French Chef traumatized me (story for another day).

So I'm in denial that Ludobites is over, and I'm being denied on my attempts to get a temporary residency visa for Spain... I hate being in limbo.  and less than a week left.  gahhhh!

LudoBites - week 5

What a crazy week!

I got the new recipe for the new tart - the Choucroute Tarte Flambe.  With it came a whole slew of new responsibilities.  And a very valuable lesson:

Joon:  "never trust anyone in the kitchen."

What Joon was telling me was more of a guidance of not relying on anyone else - be sure you know your own inventory, and know what you need.  I had been relying on Elodie too much for my own good.  But now that she left for France, it's up to me to be sure I get my one dish done.  And help out with desserts when I can.

Rosanna joined the team on Tuesday to take over desserts from Elodie.  As they worked together on getting the recipes down, I was learning the components of my new recipe. 

I still start the day in Doughville

next I have to slice 5 pounds of Russian Fingerling Potatoes into thin coins on the Mandolin (yes, I already skinned my knuckle on it).  Rinse well, pat dry - then sautee them in clarified butter... Pommes Sautee a la cru.  It takes me forever to sautee 5 pounds of potato coins - so I've been moved to using the plancha. 

Some time in between, I need to cook the bacon & slice onions... and make the creme melange (with mustard).  And be ready with my "Mise en Place" by 5:30.

Well - this is how it went:
Tuesday: I got help from Elodie - and the tarts were fine - no snafus.

Wednesday: Miserable.  I still hadn't taken charge of the inventory for my recipe, or the techniques for getting it all assembled.  But I tried to get it all done on my own... Somehow I still earned the scornfull wrath of Chef. It was Elodie's last day (sad face).  I also left in tears.  Next stop, The Burgundy Room for a much needed drink and hugs from friends.

Thursday: I was so nervous and anxious about getting everything done, that I over-prepared the components for the Mise-en-Place, leaving me with plenty of extra for Friday. I knew what ingredients needed to be ordered, and put them on the shopping list in time. We also had a full house in the kitchen with extra interns who were helping with the tarts.  I found myself standing around with nothing to do.

Friday: We were short-handed in the back kitchen.  It was just Joon (3 different entrees), Rosanna (3 desserts & an appetizer), me (Choucroute Tarte Flambe - and helping out Rosanna & Joon).  I had a bit of help from Sabel to get a few tarts assembled before service started... but then she had to go to the front to help Grace, Sam & Greg.  And you know what happened?  Everything went right! 

Chef:  Sharon! How many tarts do you have in ze oven?
me:  2 chef!
Chef: ?? (confused for a moment)
me: one that's on order, and one is par-baking
Chef: ok, good.  Well done, Sharon.

No mistakes... well, one slight mistake of a torn crust - that I gave to Mike (owner of Gram & Papas)... but no missed orders, no late orders, and I had just the right amount of ingredients for the Mise en Place.  And after the appetizers were done, Rosanna & I helped Joon.  When desserts were being ordered, I helped Rosanna.  And then the appetizers again... Just the 3 of us back there - we worked well together... no time to just stand around twiddling our thumbs - we were constantly moving.  And to see Joon work - it's like a well-choreographed dance. 

Best. Night. Ever.

I will not argue with Chef

100 times.  by hand.  not on zee computer.

The way Joon recounted the situation, it sounded so much more dramatic and awful than it seemed when it was spilling from my mouth.

Friday night.
Understaffed.
There was a rush, and I didn't have enough tarts ready to send 3 to one table at the same time.

Chef comes to the back shouting
Chef: You will not send out the tarts one at a time.  I want 3 tarts right now!
Me: (panicked - because not all the tarts went into the oven at the same time) Alright, we're trying.

Gasp! 

Oh shit - wrong way to talk to him. 
If I wasn't just a student/novice - I'd have been axed. on the spot.

Chef:  THAT IS NOT HOW YOU TALK TO ME!
Me: Yes, Chef. 
Chef: You get me those 3 tarts.
Elodie steps in to my rescue and is getting a couple out of the oven - with another soon to follow - and we're rushing and hustling to get the 3 out together.

After the crazy rush ended, Chef comes to me and says: Your homework this weekend - you will write for me 100 times "I will not argue with Chef". By hand.  Not on zee computer. 
Me: yes chef.

***********
It's now about 11pm and the cooks from the front room are in the back and we're cleaning up and recounting our horror stories of the night.

Joon:  And then she looks Chef in the eye and answered back to him.
Greg, Sam, Grace: (looking at me shaking their heads) you did not!
Me: it was that bad?
Joon: The answer is always "yes chef"

***********
So why were we so short handed?  That girl who had made the off-handed comment to me about the tarts, the one who was throwing me under the bus and sabotaging me in these subtle little ways (which isn't really undermining me, it's undermining Ludo - as it's his name and reputation on the line), yeah, she had "car troubles" and couldn't find a way to get to the restaurant.  Hmmm... I don't think she'll be coming back next week.

Chef doesn't harbor ill will over something like insubordinate talk from an intern who obviously had a case of foot-in-mouth syndrome.  He was back to joking around. 
Chef: I Need a Tart right now - How Long?
Me: 9 minutes chef!
Chef: (smiling) that's ok - i don't need a tart now.  But you will write for me 100 times "I will not argue with chef"
Me: yes chef

Chef: those 4 leftover tarts (pointing to the raw assembled ones on the speed rack) - prepare them for the staff.

Not like we could save them for Tuesday... the staff loves them.  We love all the food... It's all so good!
Too bad we always sell out of the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings - I really want to try that dish.

As for my homework - damn straight I did it.  I'm not taking this job for granted.  Even though Elodie was assuring me that he wouldn't fire me over such a trifle.  We all have our roles in the kitchen - and my 3-4 hour task of preparing the dough is my fixed task - it won't be re-assigned to anyone else, as everyone else has his/her own role.  And while some dishes are being rotated in and out of the menu, the tart isn't leaving.

TART! - One more tart, 3 tarts all day.

That's my life right now... tarts. 

Chef: so you practiced this weekend?
Me: (i can't lie)  no, chef.
Chef: NO? but why not?
Me: I don't have the equipment, chef.
Chef: but you can borrow zee equipment.

I needed those 3 days off.  Although a part of me actually did want to try the recipes at home, but as I confessed to Chef, I really didn't have the equipment.  or the ingredients. 

Additionally, my agenda was booked.  I rested my feet.  Maybe that's why I'm still so perky tonight.  I even took the dog for a jog - not just a walk - but a jog around the block when I got home. 

We are now in week 2.  I've had 3 full days of preparing 2 mixers worth of triple recipes of pizza dough.  And subsequently rolling out 32 thin rectangular shapes.  They're still not perfectly even, but they are much more uniform than last week's doughs.  The rhythm is down.  They are looking good, and at the end of the night, they all baked up perfectly. 

Next:  Gotta work on my speed.

At least I wasn't panicked or rushed - but it's such a tedious task that I want it over with as quickly as possible so I can move on to something more interesting.

Oh - and we got these gorgeous new aprons with the Ludo rooster logo silk screened on the front.  It has pockets too!  I'd post a picture, but it's in the wash right now.  why?  yep, it was covered in flour.