NY--->CT--->NJ...all in a weeks time.
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This week was a "switch-your-fulltime-schedule-around" kind of a week. I had the opportunity to cook for a wonderful family renting a house in Fairfield, CT for the whole week. Since I am looking to build a more "local" clientele (which in my head local means not having to pay for parking...uh hum NYC) plus I had only heard good things from other people about this family. I jumped on and put this job on top of a 1st birthday party I was in the middle of menu planning a bit on the back burner ( we'll get to this one later, it was awesome).
Right from the first email exchange I knew the lady of the house and I were going to get along just fine. She was very direct with what was expected (no guessing games thank God!) and knew the specifics of each of the 10 people that I would be serving (he ate anything, she just had a baby, meat and potatoes for him, blah, blah,blah). And like yours truly, she loves a list. She is a bit more organized in her delivery though.
The week went off without a hitch. Grilled wild salmon the first night, Not-Your-Ordinary-Taco-Tuesday the second, Mediterranean seafood salad and roasted chicken for the third dinner, and finally (after a day off) roasted branzio...aka my new favorite fish. Delicious!
I guess I should go ahead and let you all know now before I move on with this posting, that my food photography, not so much "skills", but more like "opportunity" really sucks. I am always on a timeline and people are usually eating or digging into the food by the time I even think of pulling my camera from my bag. Keep this in mind and that it is truly something that I am working on.
Moving on to the end of the week. The aforementioned of the baby's first birthday didn't happen because it was local (because it was anything but...in New Jersey!) , but merely for the dollar signs $$$. This turned out to be so much more than a money maker but more about creating a connection with a client. The lady of the house/wife/mother of the birthday girl was so super awesome, and then things just got better when I met her family. Everyone was so into a "CHEF" being in their kitchen that I could have put a pile of canned tuna on the plate and they still would have been so grateful.
Two menus were created, a menu for the kiddos, and then one for the kids at heart. Though, everything was eaten by guest of all ages: mini grilled cheese, flatbread pizzas, hamburgers, hotdogs, grilled salmon, smoked brisket, and an array of salads that I have served over the summer: roasted red pepper quinoa, orzo w/ roasted broccoli & cauliflower w/ pesto sauce, then a mayo-less cole slaw w/ summer tomatoes and grilled corn. Yum.
Anywho, all of that being said, I did have to move some things around in my full time schedule in which to get it all done. I will spend the next week not only recouping from this past week, but planning for the next week ahead...cocktail parties & another outdoor bbq (here' where I will introduce my easy smoked brisket).
I promise here that I will have more food pictures and pics from the actual event. Maybe I am more timid than I think.
Happy Labor Day Folks!
Right from the first email exchange I knew the lady of the house and I were going to get along just fine. She was very direct with what was expected (no guessing games thank God!) and knew the specifics of each of the 10 people that I would be serving (he ate anything, she just had a baby, meat and potatoes for him, blah, blah,blah). And like yours truly, she loves a list. She is a bit more organized in her delivery though.
 |
| Her list nicely typed. |
 |
| Mine |
I guess I should go ahead and let you all know now before I move on with this posting, that my food photography, not so much "skills", but more like "opportunity" really sucks. I am always on a timeline and people are usually eating or digging into the food by the time I even think of pulling my camera from my bag. Keep this in mind and that it is truly something that I am working on.
Moving on to the end of the week. The aforementioned of the baby's first birthday didn't happen because it was local (because it was anything but...in New Jersey!) , but merely for the dollar signs $$$. This turned out to be so much more than a money maker but more about creating a connection with a client. The lady of the house/wife/mother of the birthday girl was so super awesome, and then things just got better when I met her family. Everyone was so into a "CHEF" being in their kitchen that I could have put a pile of canned tuna on the plate and they still would have been so grateful.
Two menus were created, a menu for the kiddos, and then one for the kids at heart. Though, everything was eaten by guest of all ages: mini grilled cheese, flatbread pizzas, hamburgers, hotdogs, grilled salmon, smoked brisket, and an array of salads that I have served over the summer: roasted red pepper quinoa, orzo w/ roasted broccoli & cauliflower w/ pesto sauce, then a mayo-less cole slaw w/ summer tomatoes and grilled corn. Yum.
Anywho, all of that being said, I did have to move some things around in my full time schedule in which to get it all done. I will spend the next week not only recouping from this past week, but planning for the next week ahead...cocktail parties & another outdoor bbq (here' where I will introduce my easy smoked brisket).
I promise here that I will have more food pictures and pics from the actual event. Maybe I am more timid than I think.
Happy Labor Day Folks!
