Weekend Homework

Aaaah! New assignment from the gourmet takeout across the street: Coffee cake bundt cake with walnuts and drizzled glaze...Guess I know what I'll be doing with my single self all weekend. Plus, they want to call my brand Jenny from the Block (since I do live across the street), but asked to see my butt first, just to make sure the phrase fit. (And let me tell you, no one's asked me that for a while.) Grade: at least passing, I guess.

But Jenny from the Block? Hmmm...

Alexandria Speaks

Design: Alexandria, D.J.'s tween sitter

Take Two

Back by quasi-popular demand (two requests), I am now returning to the IFC. Got a midweek batch of B.P. in the oven; an inconsistent selling rate at the gourmet takeout across the street; a new, relatively lucrative (!) freelance copywriting gig on my computer (book covers for the publishing house); a daughter who I apparently put too much pressure on, so I'll no longer be going public, completely bustin', over her achievements, and in particular, her rash of upcoming performances; another surprise business venture I've yet to mention though have been sitting on for years, but suddenly my one-of-a-kind Lost and Found tween jewelry collection is possibly a wanted item at a seriously hip East 9th Street store; and a bunch of other stuff I guess I'll get into eventually. I also still maintain a two times per week Tracy Anderson Method Mat Workout DVD average, but that's probably the last you'll hear about that.

Shout out to N.M., funist, who inspired me (didn't take much) with his...UNSOLICITED ADVICE (trademark 2008, J.K.).

The Irreverent Family Cookbook

School's Out

Special Thanks!

Here's a sincere shout-out to my loyal blog followers, official or otherwise; any and all comment writers; my birthday celebrators; my mom for her present; my sister C. for being my most ardent fan, and E. for joining in at the end; Dee, the super cool bakery couple, the restaurant lifer, J., Monique, the three assistants, and the single mother of three who stopped coming after a while; the generous family, without whom I could not have managed the class; Alexandria, who picked up the Saturday slack; anyone and everyone who ever bought or will buy my bread pudding; the folks at the gourmet take-out across the street; my taste testers, aka, my landlord and neighbors; the cooking school on 7th Avenue and 14th Street; and mostly, to Chef Nola, one bitchin', life-altering chef and mentor, who always kept things cool in the kitchen.

Dedication

To My Daughter Judy,

Thank you for picking me to be your mother.

Moving On

Let's review (I had a beautiful photo to present for just this moment, but it's not uploading. Darn!):

• I finished my thirteen-week one hundred-hour baking and pastry arts class. Certificate in the mail.
• I met Chef Nola, who is really a special person. Plus Dee, the super cool bakery couple, and the rest.
  
• I gave myself a D+ for my participation in the Tracy Anderson Method Mat Workout DVD, based solely on my attendance record. I still think it's a great (albeit monotonous) workout, and will try to continue on with it as I prepare for summer in the city.
• I'm selling Jenny's Bread Pudding with homemade Challah at the gourmet take-out place across the street. So far, it's a small but potent runaway success.
• I had six loyal followers on my blog. Hollah!
• I've begun the transfer of my blog to book form. New variation on a title: How to Make Bread Pudding.
• I made eclairs. And petit fours. And puff pastry. And tarts. Pies. Breads. Cakes. Cookies. Rose decorations. And more.
  
• I've moved on from my previous Challah recipe (will leave that recipe in the sidebar, however, for old times' sake), and am back to my textbook's Challah, which turned out excellent this week. In fact, my bread pudding looks amazing this time around.
• I still don't have a guy, though there are two possible set-ups on the horizon: one with an upstate inventor who has his own waterfall (though I can't seem to manifest that rendezvous), and one with the bass player from...Joan Jett (who've I've been told I resemble). The yentl there wanted to know if I thought he was cute, but honestly, I couldn't tell with that big U.S.A. tattoo on his arm, and his hair all red and spiky around his head. He kind of looked like a big grenade. (P.S. My phone broke yesterday when I dropped it on another mystery call from you-know-who-you-are. As if I hadn't gotten the message already!)
  
• I still don't have a new job, or more hours of the old one. My copy editing is improving, though. Now if I could just stop leaving the books until the last minute, I'd probably be much less stressed.
• I have a few new baking tools, including a cool digital scale, a three-ounce ladle, an ice cream scooper, a mini ice cream scooper, a new pastry brush, a box of decorating tips, and even a dough cutter! Plus, of course, my Top Chef kit, my Fourth Edition Le Cordon Bleu Professional Baking textbook, and my yellow spiral filled with copious notes and handouts, one of which includes my now top-secret recipe for Jenny's Bread Pudding.
• I can put together a bakery box. Kind of.
  
• Mise en place: I'm giving myself a prize for most improved.
• D.J. continues to amaze—me, herself, and the world around her. Today begins the first rehearsals for her debut at Lincoln Center. I am so grateful.
  

Yes!

Totally sold out by six p.m. yesterday!

Have new tips from Chef for improving my bread making, so I'm going to try that again today, 'cause the cafe already wants a refill.

Yes!

International Day

Dee definitely wins top International Day entry with this beautiful Italian cake I can't remember the name of. It's marble pound cake, sliced, soaked in Amaretto, molded in a bowl, filled with layers of both plain and chocolate whipped cream, refrigerated overnight, and finally turned out on the plate the next morning. Was truly delicate and delicious. Congrats!


My contribution, Grandma Piggyback's Brownie Pie, was frankly only so-so (though Chef did ask for another large piece to go), and I had a bitch of a time making a nice looking slice. The restaurant lifer brought some kind of sandwich cookie with caramel filling that someone else made for him (what-the-?!), and though people raved, I still haven't tried mine yet. Monique looked so pretty and fresh in her street clothes, and she made a Haitian pudding with crackers, sugar, buttermilk, and fruit, which was actually very good, though not the most attractive color. The super cool bakery couple never showed, and I think we were all kinda disappointed.

Before the tasting, we talked about our plans post class, and the soon-to-be-divorcee, who arrived with no International offering, received her own personal Chef-over, a tough-love encounter similar to the one I'd gotten last week. I do hope she heeds Chef's words, though, which seemed to be spot-on, and the whole scenario reminded me of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Rabbit Hole. Though I did not love this play, I often think about the question it raised, which is: Under whatever duress you find yourself, could you dare to imagine living your same life...differently?

"Somebody Told Me" by The Killers

photo: The generous mom who, of course, came to see D.J. tap in her school's talent show.

OMG, D.J. is an amazing tap dancer!

NIMBY

Yes, Chocolate Bar has moved into my backyard. No joke.

I knew they were returning to a spot right around the corner from me, and that my neighbor to the left was to be their landlord, but I never realized I could see right into their kitchen. Further, they're having a party tonight, so I thought I'd mosey on over and see what delectable hot chocolate drink or Jacques Torres bonbon I could score. Not! It's a private affair. With a bouncer, guest list, umbrella holder by the door, and everything. I mean, who is the chocolate crowd, and how cool do you have to be to step under that umbrella? I'm actually a bit insulted I couldn't get in. How's that for a low blow.

Still, their mini chocolate croissants—fresh from Balthazar—are the perfect size, and I'm seriously going to have to control myself every time I walk by, which is about fifty times a day.

Must check on my bread pudding sales.

Checklist

• Have twenty-three four-ounce fantastic looking bread puddings in my tiny refrigerator right now, midway through their three-hour cooling process. My Challah seemed to work just right, at least visually.
• Hired one of D.J.'s young tween sitters, Alexandria, to make the Jenny's Bread Pudding logo. Was supposed to arrive before today's delivery, but has been postponed until next week.
• Wrote up my first invoice, though wonder whether or not I should've put C.O.D. on the thing.
• Emailed my Bread Pudding update to a growing distribution list, and called a few others. I quickly shut down the personal updates, though, when the two brothers at one of my corner delis had no idea what I was talking about, and apparently don't even like bread pudding.
  
• Figured out who bought at least half of last week's order, so that's actually making me kind of nervous they won't sell out as quickly this time 'round. (Visualization exercise for myself, and/or anyone else who's into it: They sell out. Quickly. With lots of compliments. Maybe someone even inquires about a private, separate, larger order. Some very cute man enjoys his pudding, and asks to meet the baker, Jenny. Oh, and I get a call from that editor-turned-agent regarding her strong interest and excitement in my blog/book, which she agrees should be called Bread Pudding.)
• Created my mise en place for tomorrow's class assignment (B.Y.O.Dessert) for International Day. I don't feel very international these days, so I've opted for...Grandma Piggyback's Brownie Pie (http://theirreverentfamilycookbook.blogspot.com/2009/02/grandma-piggybacks-brownie-pie.html). It's not the most professional looking item, but it is freaking great, so that's that. Maybe I'll dust it with confectioner's sugar. I'd also bring vanilla ice cream if the taste tests weren't going to be first thing in the a.m.
• Wrote off the recent series of unsatisfying phone calls with my Italian ex. Sadly.
  
• Asked for a two-day extension on my latest vampyre copy edit.