Employment? What's That?

So! The people in the St. Helena branch have been really nice by looking out for employment opportunities for me. And these would be People. Yeah, the ones with connections. Joleen called me yesterday. She works with lots of restaurants of booku caliber, including those of chef Thomas Keller...the best chef on the west coast. Ooooooo... She had been talking to her Thomas Keller lady and they came up with this plan: I email Joleen a resume, Joleen forwards it to her Thomas Keller lady, and the lady walk it in for me. Woah. And where is she walking it in? None other than...

That's right! Bouchon Bakery! Oh the charm! Oh the quaintness! Oh the whimsy! Oh...the goodies!!!

Do not be fooled; these macaroons are truly as big as your palm! $3 a pop, but sooooo worth it! They're huge and incredibly delightful! Sugary airy crisp on the outside, dense chewy nuttiness on the inside, and smooth sweet buttercream in the center! I die and go to heaven every time I eat one of these! Pistachio, hazelnut, mocha, raspberry (!), chocolate, vanilla, caramel, blueberry...and I might have the chance to be surrounded by them on a daily basis! Hold your breath for me, but do it from somewhere with this view:

That's right! This is from the Bouchon near you! This one is a Bouchon french bistro/Bouchon bakery located at 10 Columbus Cir, New York, NY 10019-1158. You must sometime go there. You must consume things that look like this:

And this:

And this:

And this:

As big as your fist!

And here's another preview just to push you over the edge!

[squealing and head explosion]

Might I want to work here? Oh, please oh please oh please oh please!?!?!?!

[enraptured sigh]

To Be Continued...

That should have been the title of my last blog entry about...a year ago:o)

My husband Sebby makes a lot of food. My husband Sebby makes food a lot. My husband Sebby makes good food. My husband Sebby makes a lot of good food a lot of the time. That means I have to not eat a lot of good food a lot of the time. Just some of the time. Ok, most of the time:o) These good foods range in complexity and flavor and temperment and provide a tasty parade across my plate and palate! Lately Sebby has been doing a lot of baking. Here are the things he's baked during the week:

In order of appearance:

We first have the most chocolatey cookies ever. They have a nice crunch on the outside, but the chew that you expect to experience in your favorite bar of dark chocolate. Smooth bites of generous chocolate chips meet you in every bite, and the middle bite of the cookie is moist and leaves chocolate smeared in the corners of your lips. YUM!

Then we have whole wheat flax seed bread. The sweet little flax seeds dance along the beautiful swirl in the middle of the loaf that is characteristic of a well turned bit of bread. A yeasty zing is the high note that subtly plays above the nutty and earthy lows from the whole wheat and flax. The texture of this combo de la terra is is surprisingly light and not dense in any way, but moist and slightly chewy from our flaxy friends.

Next, FRENCH! Oh the crackly goodness! It was all I could do to keep from tearing a hunk off of the steaming loaf as it came out of the oven. A watched loaf of bread never boils, but it does sing! A happy little whispered dance of krinkles and crackles greet your smiles as you cozy up to it. Those wrinkles are telltale of a delicate crispy crust that flakes most deliciously as you take your first bite, yielding the chewy, sweet, tangy center. Mmmmmm!

We can't neglect to mention the most lovable burger buns in the world, especially since they were the inspiration for this delectable episode! I fell for these beauties the moment I saw them tucked in for their rising! The sweetest little pillows of dough you ever saw! I patted them on their tummies and gave them encouraging words as they puffed up in response to my loving silly banter:o) Then they baked! And oooohhhh! They were so golden! So be-speckled with sesame seeds! So plump! The outsides were as soft as flower petals and the inside was soft and sweet, so tender, and oh so good with all the fixin's! Mixed baby greens, a mess of BBQ sauce and pepper jack cheese, tomatoes fresh and sunwarmed from the garden, and one of Sebby's black bean burgers plopped in the middle. Ahhh, what a toothsome burger!

Since I DO make stuff myself sometimes and I want you to be proud of me, look what I made:

Chocolate chip meringues that are all airy crunch on the outside and sticky gooey on the inside,

And...

Yes, I take credit for him! Fluffy and pudgy...isn't he tasty looking!? Happy eating my friend! I wonder what you'll find to nibble on downstairs...

Rebuttal

This blogspot thingamajig has a failing. There's no way to send a message to a blogger. You can have a convo via comments, but is that really what we're going to do? So here we are at my solution. Every once in a while I'll post one of these rebuttal blogs to respond to all of your lovely comments that stimulate my cranium.

I loved your ASL video! My favorite parts were when you were partying and then the time you had to scratch your nose! I think I squealed because you're so cute. Needless to say I was beaming the whole time that I was watching:o)

Also, I'm glad that you liked my grandparents:o) Can you imagine either of them being the Herald of Health? ;o)

I have an explanation for fake-cousin-Justin's behavior. McDonald's fries are the definitive fries and hence transcend any scandal involved in their origins! When I crave fries, those are what I'm after!

As far as Maria goes, I think you're her exact opposite my dear! Life is Megan's Party!!

Should we go into the children's books business together? My dad has always been wanting me to since I was a wee thing, and Sebby and I are always running into new ideas for stories for the tots, not the least of which would be "The Tiniest Plankton". And I must beg you to refresh me on the gum wrapper and spider story...it has fallen between the squiggly cracks of my gray matter!

As a last little juicy extra: tonight was the Dancing With the Stars Finale and part of one of the girl's outfits were the old-fashioned type of hosiery with the stripe up the back, except that the stripe was sequined in purple to match her outfit. I thought of you!

Ok, can't help sticking in another freebie: Wendy's is having a Frosty promo - buy one get one free! Take David and "chill out"!!

Baby's Back to the Babyback

Today is a day to be marked in all calendars and celebrated across nations and National Sebby's First Ribs Day. Yes, the former pesce-vegetarian has finally made it back to the food of his dreams: ribs. When he was a little boy his parents would take him to Spoon's where he would slather his little face with BBQ sauce in sticky babyback ecstasy. He has always remembered those ribs and has spent many a year without them. Finally, the odyssey of returning to carnivorous territory began, the end goal always being those babyback ribs. Well ladies and gentlemen, that goal has finally been achieved. I returned home from work this weekend and was welcomed by two slabs of babyback ribs, laying in expectant readiness on the bottom shelf of the fridge. They have now been carefully blanketed in cumin, smoked paprika and brown sugar, pensively awaiting to be slathered with cherry chipotle BBQ sauce before doing their low and slow dance on the grill. At long last, both man and ribs will be reunited!

Also, the aforementioned YouTubes of my grand-relatives!

YouTube - Dadio Singing

AND

YouTube - Momio Playing Polly Wolly Doodle All Day

Life Is Maria's Funeral

Let me tell you about a patient called Maria. Maria's mother was Greek. Maria is Greek. Maria's mother was very superstitious. So is Maria. Maria's mother knew and applied many wives' tales and home remedies to her life. So does Maria. Maria's life is a funeral, and I'm positive that her mother's life was a funeral too.

Today Maria came in for the first time since the Swine Flu has been in circulation. Maria brought her mask with her. Maria is sure that the government knows more about it than they're letting on because they aren't giving us more specifics about the Swine Flu; which symptom manifests first, how long it lasts, or that a temperature of 102.5 is very dangerous for adults. Maria is also sure because Cuba isn't letting anybody travel. Why would they do that unless they knew something? Maria is also sure the government knew before-hand that it was going to happen because her husband is going to give blood for their daughter's blood transfusion and the doctors told him that he couldn't leave the country for the entire year that he was giving blood. I assured Maria that it sounded like a standard precaution. Maria didn't remember ever hearing the doctors telling him that before. Maria warned me that I shouldn't go to the grocery store without using the sanitizing wipes. Maria asked me if we had masks at the office. I told her we didn't, but we had hand sanitizer and lots of Lysol=D But Maria has no sense of humor. Maria remembers when there weren't antibiotics and listed numerous home remedies for numerous symptoms:

For burns - put flour on it.

For bug bites - a paste of baking soda and water.

For bug bites that have already been scratched and irritated - a compress of vinegar

For swelling - a poultice of crushed onions

For a sore throat - a tablespoon of honey, then a shot of whiskey, and there's always tea with lemon and brandy.

Maria's brother got sick once and they gave him a milk bath. She isn't sure what it was for. Maria thinks it was to give him nutrition. (!)

Maria's mother bought a lottery ticket and Maria's sister gave their mother a black cat. Maria's mother was upset because it would bring bad luck in the lottery. Maria's mother won $10,000 in the lottery and said the cat brought good luck.

Maria also thinks that cats suck babies' breath.

So for twenty minutes, three times a week, my life is a Greek tragedy.

Who's There...?

Just something to amuse you...but make sure to plug in your night-light; I don't want to hear about it if you get nightmares!

Good thing I found that delicious chicken salad before I found YOU!

Dancing With The Geriatrics

Today's blog stars Grandpa Frank Nava. Apparently, Grandpa loooooves to watch Dancing With The Stars! Eighty-year-old Grandpa who normally goes to bed around 7 has to stay up until the show starts at 9 and continue staying up until it's over at 10:30. Thanks to Dancing With The Stars I get to have a grandpa that knows who Lil' Kim is. Thanks to Dancing With The Stars I get to have a grandpa that tells us about the various accidental boob-grabs on the show. I have much that I owe to Dancing With The Stars!

Another recent remarkability regards our front door window. This window is a medium for various love notes that I have penned in Crayola Window Markers. I just received a message of my own for the very first time this week!

It's very awesome!