Not That I Like Spanish Food Much Anyways... But Still.

I don't handle death too well.

Well, duh.  Who does?

But today's funeral was somewhat surreal for me.  As the foreigner, I only caught about 50% of the conversations.  Being a new (yet old) member of the Spanish family, I had very little context with most of my family here.

So I really felt like an outsider, even though my place was within the inner circle.  I couldn't quite grieve among the group.  I'd rather weep in private, maybe with a few people I'm close with... and then be among people.

Fortunately, I haven't been to many funerals.  They are always sad, and full of tears - which is to be expected.  Yet most have had a memorial type gathering after... Usually with lots warm hugs, consoling smiles, and homemade casseroles, pies, and all types of comfort foods. Maybe that's just the American way. 

Today's Jewish ceremony here in Spain was just the gathering at the mortuary, followed by the burial at the cemetery.  That was it.  Afterward, we all went our separate ways.  No flowers, no reception.  Maybe that comes later?  

I don't like cemeteries.
I don't like the ritual.
I don't like the concept.
I don't want to go to them, nor would I want anyone to ever feel obligated to go to one on my account.

First off - if I can be a donor, that's what I'd want this vessel that is housing my spirit to go to - science.  If I can't... well, I'd want to be cremated.  And maybe be buried with a sapling that will become some sort of tree.

Kinda like in that Jodie Foster movie "Little Foxes" - where that girl says she want's them to plant a pear tree, so that in future years, people can come by, have some fruit and say "she's tasting good this year".  Well, maybe that's kinda gross.  I'd prefer apricots.

Just as I don't like cemeteries - I just don't like maudlin & morose funerals.  Have some sort of informal gathering at some favorite place... with lots of yummy homemade comfort food.  Pile-on all that dairy I've been lamentably missing all these years.  (damn that lactose intolerance!).  And just share some stories, and reminisce.  Something relaxed and easygoing.  With hugs.  And tears.  And laughs. And smiles.  Pretend I'm in the room enjoying seeing all my friends and loved ones remembering me fondly.  Without the drama.

Rest in Peace, my dear tante Lisette.  I absolutely adored you.  I feel blessed that I got to know such a fabulous woman who lived an extraordinary life full of love, kindness and generosity.  I miss you tremendously.  I almost feel guilty that I didn't get that haircut you always wanted me to get.  Almost.  I still prefer my hair long.  x

Photographing LudoBites

While I didn't get to go around taking pictures, there were several professionals who were invited in to the kitchen to document the experience that was LudoBites 007. 

There will be a LudoBites book coming out sometime next year... perhaps I'll make an appearance?  who knows. 

One guy named Wesley came in for a couple of days, and shot hundreds of pictures.  It's funny looking at the whole photo stream - looking at the experience I lived through from another person's perspective.  I also get a glimpse of the magic that happened in other parts of the kitchen - things I never got to see.  

If you're interested, please take a look... some of the photos are simply gorgeous.  There's one in particular of Chef joking around with me just laughing.  This picture makes me happy.  

Chef was tough to work for ("I may be an asshole, but i'm not a monster"), but he joked around a lot.  It was fun.  It was intense at times.  And if things were going wrong, it got scary.  But in the end, he got the results he wanted: the diners were served some beautiful, inventive, and delicious meals...

I just love food.  I love being around people who appreciate good food.  Food should be enjoyable, and fun.  I consider myself lucky that I got to experience working at Ludobites.  And if I could do it again, I definitely would. 

Where The Magic Happened

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The "punishment jam" was cooked in that lovely copper pot

The mayo on the ceiling after Chef "expressed" his anger by slamming the container down on the ground.

Doughville

Pistachio financier with berries and marscapone - it was a lovely deep green, but the picture doesn't do it justice... so good.

Foie gras, creamed corn & popcorn - plated, and ready to take out for service.

The outline of where the mayo was on the ceiling... I'm sure the glops of mayo fell to the ground that night, but the cleaning staff at Gram & Papa's still didn't clean the ceiling... ewwww.

yes, it's The Fred Savage - from the Wonder Years.  He interned a couple of nights.  Chef had him peel grapes that night.  And he did it. 

Rosanna, the pastry chef during the last 2 weeks.  Such a sweetheart. 

Me, sauteing the coins of fingerling potatoes that I'd sliced on the mandolin.  I look happy there, but I was always worried and nervous when using the "plancha" or flat-top. 

Erika, Rosanna & Joon (the machine)

Greg, moments after the sink handle fell into his hand again, and Grace totally cracking up, again.  Yep, it was a fucking miracle that we got anything done in that kitchen

Me & Ila - line cook, blogger, doodler extraordinaire

The Mise en Place for the Tropezienne dessert - strawberries macerated in sugar, black currants, powdered sugar, lavender blossoms

Sabel!  I adore this girl!  she always had the best disposition - always happy to be there, she also got assigned "standards"... and she taught me how to clean squid.  she liked that task.  me? not so much.

The oxtail entree - closing night... it was really good

Ludo Lefebvre - with his intimidating glare... this is him in a good mood. 

Chef & Joon

Scallop & Prawn ceviche - the leftovers plated for the after service final staff gorge-fest.  I took a deli-cup of this for take away

Brioche for the Tropezienne, with the creme patissiere & black currants - these were the leftovers for the staff

Now I get to wear a big red coq on my chest. 

She Noms things - and blogs about it

Another co-intern at LudoBites, Ila, has a pretty awesome blog. 

You should check it out.  Her comic strip drawings are the most adorable things - and she totally nails it.

She refers to herself as a doodler extraordinaire - and she is!

Go and visit. now.  just click here.
 
and her comic for LudoBites 007 can be found at the link below.  Maybe you just had to be there to get it... but it's true - what we did there was a miracle. She called it 99 problems (but I think there were more).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/inomthings/6143261024/

I'm gonna miss her.  She got us all laughing a number of times. 

Too bad she had another job at this Gastropub down in Orange County - so she couldn't be with us daily.  At least we can always keep in touch on Facebook and via our blogs.

Just Make Happen

LudoBites 007 has come to a close.

Some people didn't think I would last.

Sometimes I thought I wouldn't last.

I'm a stubborn girl.

I wouldn't give up.

Kinda like that marathon I completed back in 2004... I'd had food poisoning two nights prior... That was a miserable marathon... couldn't eat... could barely drink... took me 7h 14min to complete (some people can complete 2 marathons in that time)... but I didn't give up.   After all that training & raising money for AIDS Marathon, I wasn't going to return to LA with any excuses... I finished it...practically doubled-over in extreme discomfort... but I did it. 

What was I thinking as I crossed the finish line?  If I can do this, I can do anything I set my mind to. 

And I completed the 6-week run of LudoBites 007... It was an honor and a privilege to work under such an inspiring and accomplished chef, and with such a fabulous crew. 

There was blood.
There was sweat.
And yes, there were tears. 

As Chef likes to say - Never give up, and Just Make Happen. 

Just like on the day of the marathon, I wasn't having my best personal day (a fever?  why?  thankfully there's Advil)... but I didn't want to miss the final day of the run.  Which was tougher?  Ludo Bites, by far. 

... pictures and fun stories to follow. 

From Doughville to Tartlandia

**note: update Sept. 13 - pictures added.  and the recipe changed from onion tart to a sauerkraut/bacon tart... so some of the details for "tartlandia" changed in the last two weeks of LudoBites...

I've finally made peace with my role of being the person in charge of this appetizer dish I've been making for the past 4 weeks.

You need to cook happy.  You can't be angry while preparing food.  It'll somehow reflect in the outcome.

Hence the names.

I arrive at 11:30, and start working through "Doughville".
Step 1: gather the equipment, measure out the ingredients, and start mixing away using my Sea Foam Green Kitchenaid (which always makes me happy).  Then I set the giant balls of dough into the fridge to let them proof while I clean up my station and prepare for the next step.
Step 2:  Cut up a giant dough ball into 11 portions of approx. 80 grams each.  since I'd been scolded for not having even sized dough back in week 2, I started weighing the portions to get them as even as possible.

Giant dough ball - proofed overnight in the walk-in fridge - ready for slicing

Step 3:  Knead the 12 portions and then gently coax them one-by-one into soft pillow-y balls, with as few lines/seams as possible.

this is what you are going for on the underside - the seams are shallow

This is the top side - nice and smooth.  kinda satisfying in its velvety surface feel.

Step 4:  In order to keep them from drying out, I line the balls up on a sheet tray and cover them with a humid kitchen towel.

I get in early so I can "spread out"... my work station is rather tight. 

Step 5: Pass each ball through the pasta machine 5 times - to get it stretched out enough, and close to the correct size.

sometimes i go from 1 to 3 to 5... sometimes i have to do 1-2-3-4-5... and before I got my pasta machine back from my friend Joan, I didn't have a clamp to hold the machine in place... I almost got carpal tunnel syndrome in my left hand because of holding the machine steady!  ouchie!

Step 6: Using a rolling pin, further roll out the dough to the correct width & length. (the pasta machine has a fixed width which is too narrow)

This task helped give my arms some definition

Step 7: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, dust it with flour, lay out the rolled out sheet of dough, dust the top side with flour, lay another sheet of parchment on top.  Then repeat with the remaining balls of dough. I top the stacks with another sheet pan to help prevent the dough from shrinking back - wrap the sandwiched dough with plastic wrap. label it, and place it on a speed rack in the fridge.

Then repeat steps 2 through 7 at least 1 more time, sometimes 2 - depending on how many sheets of dough we need.


It's methodical.
It's time consuming.  
It's a helluva workout!
My arms are getting some definition now (happy dance!)
And it's my assignment.  I gotta do it.
There are no shortcuts.
But I've learned how to manage my time better and get consistent results.

After exiting Doughville, I am free to work on other projects.
If I have time to do Step 1 the night before, then I can potentially finish by 2pm.
This doesn't apply for Tuesdays.
If there are any leftover sheets from the night before, I might get away with only doing the recipe 2 times instead of 3. 
Again - it doesn't apply to Tuesday, as we don't keep leftover dough from the previous Friday.

At approximately 5:30, I enter "Tartlandia". 
Tartlandia is where it all comes together.
Step 1:  Organize the "Mise en Place"

• Scoop some ice into a rectangular tub, and sprinkle it with kosher salt. 
•  Gather the deli cups of the Creme Melange, Caramelized Onions, Thyme leaves, Bottarga (fish roe pods) and place them in the tub to keep cool. (weeks 1-4 was an onion tart; weeks 5 & 6 were sauerkraut/bacon tarts - so the mise-en-place changed)
• Hopefully there are some half-sheet pans available (I try to start hoarding them around 5 so I have enough to start - at least 6)
• Have the wood cutting boards (for serving) stacked and wiped clean
• Place the white cutting board at my station with the tools needed (spatula to lift any stuck dough off the sheet pan, mezzaluna to cut the tart, Chef's special rape to grate the bottarga & this bamboo tool to scrape any stuck bits of bottarga off the rape)
• White pepper mill & fleur de sel
• Have a dry kitchen towel for removing trays from the oven, and a wet towel to wipe the station clean

Step 2:  pull out the rolled-out dough from the fridge - and start carefully lifting each dough off the parchment stack - and laying them on floured sheet trays.
Step 3:  apply the creme melange onto the dough - not too thick, not too thin - close enough to the edge without getting on to the pan.
Step 4:  spread the caramelized onions atop the dough - again, not too heavily - allow enough room for the hot air to move around the onions to cook the tart.
Step 5: par-bake them for about 5-7 minutes in order to keep the dough from getting too soft which leads to sticking on the pan.

Par-Baked "Choucroute Tarte Flambe" ready to be fired as the orders come in

The real stress comes when the order tickets start feeding through.  Because if there are more orders than prepared tarts, it's a scramble to get more into the oven.  And then after they bake, there are still several steps before the tart is finished to go to the customer...
Step 1: remove the tart from the pan (sometimes it's not that easy)
Step 2: grate the Bottarga evenly on the tart.  sometimes the bottarga is very gummy and hard to grate.  This is the most time consuming of the finishing steps.
Step 3: sprinkle the thyme leaves, a small pinch of fleur de sel, and several grindings of white pepper.
Step 4: slice the tart into triangles with the mezzaluna.

Once the tart looks good and is ready to serve - it needs to get "run" out to the front for the server to take.

Of course the order tickets come in randomly, and sometimes 3 tarts are ready at the same time.  Or while I'm in the process of finishing 1 tart, the next one that was fired into the oven is ready to pull out.  This is where I need the assistance of either Elodie, Erika or Sabel.

Ryan is rad.  He totally took charge - but he was only around after 6 on Wednesdays & Thursdays - and on the final night

Some nights, I can do most of this alone.  But most nights, I need the extra set of hands.

Doughville is my place of zen - and I'm on my own there.  But I can't linger too long.
Tartlandia is all about adrenaline and speed - I must have that sense of emergency to get the orders out in a timely manner. It's usually crazy from 6:10 to 6:50 - then it dies down as the diners are eating their entrees.  Then after I help Elodie with her desserts, the second seating comes in and I again get that rush from about 8: 30 to 9.

this was what the onion tart looked like - served on the cutting board... it's missing a couple of slices - sometimes we had to do quality control checks ;)

All this for one appetizer that will set you back $10.
Chef is thinking of changing the toppings next week, and tested it on Friday.  If we switch to that new recipe, Steps 2 & 3 of the finishing will be eliminated. I'd probably get those tarts out faster.

Choucroute Tarte Flambe - mustard creme melange, sauerkraut, pommes saute a la cru - or thinly sliced potatoes sauteed in clarified butter, bacon, onion.

On Thursday, I'd expressed to Joon how I wanted to take part in working on caramelizing the onions - so that I can truly say that I worked on 90% of each tart that I sent out... So Friday, I tended to the onions on the stove - visiting every 10 to 15 minutes to give them a good stir to make sure they weren't sticking.  Thanks Joon, for chopping the onions for me... I'd have been a teary-eyed mess as I didn't have goggles for protection.

Another good thing about this role... how can I snack on raw dough?  eww... It's definitely helped me get muscle tone and definition on my arms, and I've lost weight.

I used to really hate this assignment, and wished I had a different part of the menu to work on.  Especially because Chef would get so angry that they went out so slowly.  But I've gotten faster, and finally earned some praise.  When Chef got mad at me the other night for something about the tarts, it seemed for a moment he would re-assign me.  I almost didn't want that to happen.  I've grown to like both Tartlandia and Doughville - they are polar opposites... but I'd miss them.

In Less Than One Month...

I'll be back in Barcelona soon...

The original intention of this blog was to chronicle my journey as an ex-pat living in Barcelona - hence the title. 

And since the name "Sharon" doesn't sound right in Spanish - gets lost in translation, my pseudonym would be Violeta....

My return to Los Angeles got extended due to an unexpected internship that I couldn't pass up.  I'm halfway through the internship.  And at times, I just want to quit - it's so stressful.  But I love being there, and being part of it... just making it happen. 

On the plus side, I'll be returning to Barcelona the same weight as when I left.  See, I don't particularly like cured meats & seafood... so I wasn't eating much in BCN.  But when I got back to LA, I started gorging myself on all the foods I love here, and promptly gained about 7 pounds. 

I never realized how working in a restaurant could be such ass-kicking hard work.  12 hours almost non stop with all the prep and then the service... and then the clean-up.  And no time to eat!  I rarely sit at the staff meals, and rather use that time to get my "Mise-en-Place" put into place for when the orders start coming in. 

Less than a month left in LA... EEEK! 
Of course I'll return.  But will it only be for a visit?
I guess LudoBites will be categorized as things I'll miss about LA.  It's not even over, and I already miss it.

Back in L.A. - and what I miss about BCN

I made it "home" - back to Los Angeles, the city I love.  But I no longer have a home.  

My suitcases will be in full usage as I will be hopping all around town and road tripping throughout the summer.  Why return to Barcelona for August when everything is shut down?

Good morning dead battery!

Yep, after 7 weeks of sitting in the driveway, my car battery was dead.  Not just drained - but completely dead.  At least I had almost a half a tank of gas left... 

Ok, fine... I'll take a new battery, Mr. Triple A man.  

I just need to get to Beverly Hills from Westchester by 10 am.  

30 minutes? That should be fine.

Hello 405.  Thank you for reminding me why I hate you.  15 mph on a thursday at 9:30 am? why?

Santa Monica Blvd - that was my mistake - shoulda taken Wilshire.  I know better than that.

15 minutes late for my appointment.  How dare I blame traffic - but it was true... but, oh forget it. everyone else was late too.

Is everyone heading out of town today?  

I thought it was a 3-day weekend, not 4!  

405 wasn't bad enough, eh? the 10 East - crawling.  

stop... roll forward a bit... stop... repeat... agonizing.  

At least no one was heading south on the 110 or west on the 105 this afternoon.  

I miss not having to drive.

I miss how everything is fairly nearby in Barcelona.

I love their mass transit system.  

I miss my new friends.

I miss being able to eat a croissant with my coffee in the morning - and being able to justify it due to my daily 3-4 mile walks.  

I don't miss the food there.

I had the most kick-ass Ramen at lunch today with my dad.

And this sunday - that's right - we're having Carne Asada from Sanchez Carniceria.  (swoon)

BCN: Virtual Disconnect

Dear Barcelona,

Because you have made it so frustrating to find information online about places & things within your city, you are forcing me to actually go out and wander the streets in search of things to do.  Sure, I get to stumble upon things I'd have never otherwise found - but finding out about places to go and things to do is so challenging. 

And Facebook doesn't get interesting for me until 4pm which is when all my U.S. contacts start waking up and posting... my contact list here is still rather meager.  As for Twitter - since I'm roaming, I can't really tweet at leisure - so there's no point there...

Talk about word of mouth: Sunday (May 1st) was Mother's day & Labor Day here in Europe.  At about 5pm, we heard a helicopter circling overhead here in my mom's 'hood.  But I didn't even realize how unusual that was until my mom pointed it out (helicopters circling overhead was the norm when I lived in Koreatown, Miracle Mile & MacArthur Park adjacent in L.A.)... Mick was over for lunch & after he left, he called and said the whole Zona Alta was on lock-down with police barricades shutting down access into the area.  Why?  Dunno... Think they had anything on the evening news?  Newp.  You know how we found out what was going on?  Mum went to the hairdressers, and that's how she got the skinny.  Old fashioned gossip at the hairdresser's.  Apparently there were some discontented unemployed rioters and anarchists protesting the banks due to the "crisis" (unemployment is 22% here), and they were throwing bricks and white paint at the bank windows all around town.  But there's no reporting anywhere!!! 

I know more about what's going on in Los Angeles than here.  sigh.  Even getting a connection here with my Mac is a tedious effort:  the Wi-Fi (pronounced wee fee) keeps going out, and I have to call up Telefonica to have them adjust their router (pronounced rooter) every few days so they can switch the channels to help me connect. 

Well, my return flight to LA is in less than 10 days... we'll see if there are things that I'll miss when i'm there until my return to BCN (not including people). 

Thanks for letting me rant.

Comfort Food: Seeking Noodle-y Soup

This is a new-ish comfort food for me.  Growing up, I was never much of a soup fan.  Never even cared for the Jewish standard, Matzo Ball soup.  But since I started cooking for myself, soup has crept up in the rankings of foods I love.  Especially soup with nice long slender noodles.  Like Ramen. Or Pho.  Yet these noodle-y soups that I am craving are nowhere in my personal repertoire.  Go figure. 

Last week, for Passover I made my first ever Matzo ball soup for our family Seder.

Well-executed - fluffy but not falling apart, round-ish Matzo balls cooking in salted water (to be married with the broth & veggies before serving)

Thanks Deb for the recipe & guidance.  These were great for my first attempt.  Still not a devotee of the MB

Lentil & Sweet Potato soup courtesy of Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc... this was a pretty f*ing amazing soup. I made this with Omgirlie back in L.A.

How awesome was this?  My soup almost looks exactly like the picture in SS@L - Suzanne Goin is my hero.

I make good soup.

I'm good at making a chicken stock & a veggie stock.

But when it comes to the stocks needed for asian soups - pho get it! I'll just go to the experts.

So in my yelp-less searching (thanks for not being here in Spain, yelp), I discovered that there is one (1) pho restaurant in BCN.  According to a couple of reviews I read, they don't have the standard condiments that accompany pho in the restaurants in L.A.  But pho is pho.  And I want some. Hopefully I'll have found my rooster sauce by then (b.y.o.b.?)

First, Pho.  Second. Ramen.

i like my asparagus green, thanks.

just a few things i really miss from home... (other than my friends/family)

• listening to KCRW from any room in my apartment (ok - my last place really had only one room... but taking my computer around from room to room is not practical.
• American Honey (by wild turkey).
• really great cocktails in general... i could use an old fashioned after tonight.
• the lightly/unscented body lotions that I had... the ones here conflict with my perfume.
• my favorite Bath & Bodyworks liquid hand soap.
• Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products.
• fresh market greens! they've never heard of kale, they don't bring pea shoots to the market though they're in season now... seriously, the produce is just totally sucking in general.  i don't get how everyone says there's such great food here... not a fan.  and what is the big deal about white asparagus?  they make it out like it's a delicacy.  i like my asparagus green, thanks.
• being able to get anything i need from some 24 hr market somewhere nearby.
• researching things online and actually finding answers.
• mexican food
• my electric kettle (though i can get one here - but haven't yet)
• yogi tea - green antioxidant (i don't care about antioxidant - it was just my favorite flavor)
• forget all the tapas - give me tacos al carbon! taco zone? mariela's?  BFTE? 
• being able to Yelp! about stuff.

but just for balance - some things i welcome about Barcelona (again, other than friends/family)

• not having to drive.
• relatively cheap wine/cava/beer
• finding my favorite hair care product cheaper here 
• great art nouveau architecture
• listening to KCRW traffic reports and being happy i'm not sitting in traffic