It's not a valley ... it's a delta, but Texans call the Rio Grande Valley "The Valley" and expect it to be accepted as truth.
We've finished our work season, and although bits of paperwork, spreadsheets, and finance still need to be addressed, we can safely leave the bakery work-site in Todd Mission, TX, and head home to the orchard. As self-employed people, we never really quit working, but we've fashioned a life for ourselves that allows us a space in which to escape. Rather than take vacations over the past several years, we've sunk the money into a funky little house in a (now organic) orchard on the Mexican border in Texas. By the time we're feeling caught up with our work expansion enough to think about any traveling vacations again, the house will be paid for, and we'll have that sweet grounding spot available as we grow old together.
This year we'll make the final payment on our bakery (Queen's Pantry) at the Texas Renaissance Festival. The mixed blessing of an arrangement that allowed us to pay over 4 years was that for 4 years we haven't actually been able to take home any of the net from that show. The house in LaFeria allows us an easy and comfortable frugality of picking fresh grapefruit for breakfast, making guacamole from our own avocados, and hanging out in Sky Chairs in the orchard while listening to songbirds.
While we're making big plans for 2010, both at our NY show, and our TX show, I'm looking forward to getting away to a slower and easier pace of life.
Construction and sign making for our summer and fall shows will come soon enough ... The construction for the fall show will begin in early spring. If we don't run away now, our winter break will come and go before we can even catch our breath.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Time is fleeting ...
It is unfortunate that during the time of year when I might have more interesting things to write about ... I can't seem to find time to get any blogging accomplished.
This week, in addition to our normal weekend hours, we were open on Tuesday and Wednesday for 2 days of school field trips. We were busy. We short-staffed for the smaller traffic flow, and the fact that some of my employees were in school during the workday.
Then twice as many students arrived. We were in the weeds most of the 9 til 4 day. Then we had to stay late and do our regular Tuesday and Wednesday prep chores of Scotch Eggs ... and then the plumber came in and cut two giant holes into my floor in trying to find the greywater leak that showed up after he snaked my drain line last week.
Today I'm trying to get the leak fixed. (Apparently the snake found a formerly-duct-taped cap under the floor ... so he never fixed my leak ... he just made another outlet for the greywater.) The joys of owning a 30 year-old hippie-built kitchen.
This weekend is Halloween. Traditionally it's a big weekend at the show. I'm headed back to "The List".
This week, in addition to our normal weekend hours, we were open on Tuesday and Wednesday for 2 days of school field trips. We were busy. We short-staffed for the smaller traffic flow, and the fact that some of my employees were in school during the workday.
Then twice as many students arrived. We were in the weeds most of the 9 til 4 day. Then we had to stay late and do our regular Tuesday and Wednesday prep chores of Scotch Eggs ... and then the plumber came in and cut two giant holes into my floor in trying to find the greywater leak that showed up after he snaked my drain line last week.
Today I'm trying to get the leak fixed. (Apparently the snake found a formerly-duct-taped cap under the floor ... so he never fixed my leak ... he just made another outlet for the greywater.) The joys of owning a 30 year-old hippie-built kitchen.
This weekend is Halloween. Traditionally it's a big weekend at the show. I'm headed back to "The List".
Friday, September 25, 2009
Opening TRF
I'm in Todd Mission, Texas, opening our shops at the Texas Renaissance Festival. I have a great crew, and now that it's my 4th year with the bakery, the opening chores are becoming more of a routine. The Hubby is enroute from our summer show, which closed last weekend. The van and the Wells-Cargo trailer are totally overloaded, so it's slow-going.
When he gets here, we'll have another batch of signs to hang, and we'll set up the solar array and tent at our newest fruit location. We've got the first stand-alone solar-powered food booth. We already tend towards healthier food items than most festival vendors (pay no attention to the pastries behind the curtain). This new shop is no exception. Of course Ghirradelli decadence enrobes the fresh strawberries, but nutritionally it's still several steps above a funnel cake.
So we're midway through the craziest part of our work-season. We're hoping that by hiring more help, we can cut back from the 80 hour work-weeks that The Hubby and I tend to experience from August through November. (Fingers are crossed.)
The Texas Renaissance Festival opens on October 10th, and runs weekends only, including the Friday after Thanksgiving, through November 29th.
When he gets here, we'll have another batch of signs to hang, and we'll set up the solar array and tent at our newest fruit location. We've got the first stand-alone solar-powered food booth. We already tend towards healthier food items than most festival vendors (pay no attention to the pastries behind the curtain). This new shop is no exception. Of course Ghirradelli decadence enrobes the fresh strawberries, but nutritionally it's still several steps above a funnel cake.
So we're midway through the craziest part of our work-season. We're hoping that by hiring more help, we can cut back from the 80 hour work-weeks that The Hubby and I tend to experience from August through November. (Fingers are crossed.)
The Texas Renaissance Festival opens on October 10th, and runs weekends only, including the Friday after Thanksgiving, through November 29th.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Mid-show NYRF
Well, it's almost mid-show anyway. We just completed the third weekend, which traditionally is when attendance begins to build. We're playing a weather game this rainy summer; so we've got customers when it's not raining, more than along any normal traffic patterns.
I missed the second weekend (August 8-9) at NY, because I flew to the Texas Renaissance Festival to partake in their hiring fair. Woo Hoo!!! It was *amazing*. I can't believe I didn't do it sooner. At TRF, prospective employees were seated in The Globe Theatre audience, and at 9am, the Vendor Coordinator made a presentation, which included introducing show staff. Then the Entertainment Director gave a great pep-talk about how the workers at the festival are setting the scene and the mood of the illusion, and are, in fact, an important part of maintaining the atmosphere that our guests are expecting. Then each of the employers who were looking to hire were given 5 minutes on stage in which to describe their work-culture, shop themes, and specify what they were looking for in employees. One of my competitors stood up and said she was only looking for people fluent in French or German. I'm pretty sure she actually found people qualified. We all announced where we would be located to take applications as part of our presentation. This meant we got to go wait for applicants that actually had an intention of working at our specific shops, rather than just randomly hoping to work somewhere at the festival. It was marvelous.
I was hiring for my Scottish Bakery, and for The Hubby's Spanish-themed fruit shops. I had 56 applicants, for 24 positions, so I really got to be particular. The Scottish booth employees will begin their dialect classes this week. Today I'm organizing everyone's paperwork, and making an information packet for festival management, so that the photo-IDs for the festival can be produced before I get back to Texas.
I missed the second weekend (August 8-9) at NY, because I flew to the Texas Renaissance Festival to partake in their hiring fair. Woo Hoo!!! It was *amazing*. I can't believe I didn't do it sooner. At TRF, prospective employees were seated in The Globe Theatre audience, and at 9am, the Vendor Coordinator made a presentation, which included introducing show staff. Then the Entertainment Director gave a great pep-talk about how the workers at the festival are setting the scene and the mood of the illusion, and are, in fact, an important part of maintaining the atmosphere that our guests are expecting. Then each of the employers who were looking to hire were given 5 minutes on stage in which to describe their work-culture, shop themes, and specify what they were looking for in employees. One of my competitors stood up and said she was only looking for people fluent in French or German. I'm pretty sure she actually found people qualified. We all announced where we would be located to take applications as part of our presentation. This meant we got to go wait for applicants that actually had an intention of working at our specific shops, rather than just randomly hoping to work somewhere at the festival. It was marvelous.
I was hiring for my Scottish Bakery, and for The Hubby's Spanish-themed fruit shops. I had 56 applicants, for 24 positions, so I really got to be particular. The Scottish booth employees will begin their dialect classes this week. Today I'm organizing everyone's paperwork, and making an information packet for festival management, so that the photo-IDs for the festival can be produced before I get back to Texas.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Audit Dance
This morning I had an audit from the NYS Worker's Compensation office. Every few years, I have to prove to them that our restaurant's payroll is not similar to other restaurants with 20 employees, because we are only open for 8 weekends of the year. Apparently they don't have a little check-box on their forms for our version of the food-biz.
They wanted to audit us last fall, but we were in the middle of our Texas show at that point. Doing the deed long-distance involved copying and sending about 477 pieces of paper. So I skipped it, knowing we'd be back in NY the following summer. I knew it might get messed up, but really, how bad could it be?
Well, in January I got our first Worker's Comp bill at the assumed rate. Uh ... OUCH. One month's bill was equal to my entire year's bill in former years. And they kept coming. As soon as I got my office set up in NY, I called to schedule an audit, in hopes it would happen in the 2 months I'm here.
Today I spent the 2 hours of the inspector's visit, digging through files to meet the requirements for the 2 year audit. In a few weeks I'll find out what our credit is, although they don't normally provide refunds. I may be paid up for the next several years, as what they had billed me for the year was equal to my entire NY payroll last year.
While I knew that the audit was for my benefit ... I was still stressed about meeting the paperwork requirements (there was that moment when we thought we'd have to reschedule so that I could fly to Texas and get the 2007 pay-stubs).
All's well that ends well, I suppose.
They wanted to audit us last fall, but we were in the middle of our Texas show at that point. Doing the deed long-distance involved copying and sending about 477 pieces of paper. So I skipped it, knowing we'd be back in NY the following summer. I knew it might get messed up, but really, how bad could it be?
Well, in January I got our first Worker's Comp bill at the assumed rate. Uh ... OUCH. One month's bill was equal to my entire year's bill in former years. And they kept coming. As soon as I got my office set up in NY, I called to schedule an audit, in hopes it would happen in the 2 months I'm here.
Today I spent the 2 hours of the inspector's visit, digging through files to meet the requirements for the 2 year audit. In a few weeks I'll find out what our credit is, although they don't normally provide refunds. I may be paid up for the next several years, as what they had billed me for the year was equal to my entire NY payroll last year.
While I knew that the audit was for my benefit ... I was still stressed about meeting the paperwork requirements (there was that moment when we thought we'd have to reschedule so that I could fly to Texas and get the 2007 pay-stubs).
All's well that ends well, I suppose.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Summer Jobs
I've been hiring people for their summer jobs for the past 20 years. We have food shops at theme parks ... "Grab Shacks" would be the industry term, since we don't really have dining rooms. We don't sell typical grab shack fare, because we're in "Themed" theme parks ... Renaissance Festivals. So we're selling Bangers & Mash, or Scotch Eggs, or Fresh Fruit Tartlets, depending on the venue and the jurying process at that venue.
For a restauranteur, it can be a dream. All of the manic problem-solving and the 85 hour weeks are wedged into a section of the calendar year; so recovery time in the off-season is part of the deal. However, the hiring process can be intense. It's opening a restaurant and hiring 35 people twice a year, in two different markets. What works in one, may not work at all in another. (For example, Craigslist is considered a shopping site in Texas.)
So today I'm hoping to get some new hires from the NY festival's hiring day. Many of last years' employees have moved away for college, or their phone numbers have changed. It's not unusual for teenager's phone numbers to change, but apparently in this age of cell-phones, people are discontinuing their land lines in their homes. Parent's phone numbers had always been my fall-back connection, and some of my key people have been hard to find this summer.
I only need 8 weekends from someone ... you'd think it would be easy to get a commitment. It's not. In fact, this year I'm going to give a bonus of $1 per hour, at the end of the festival, to every employee that has been on time, every day they were scheduled to work. We'll see how it goes.
For a restauranteur, it can be a dream. All of the manic problem-solving and the 85 hour weeks are wedged into a section of the calendar year; so recovery time in the off-season is part of the deal. However, the hiring process can be intense. It's opening a restaurant and hiring 35 people twice a year, in two different markets. What works in one, may not work at all in another. (For example, Craigslist is considered a shopping site in Texas.)
So today I'm hoping to get some new hires from the NY festival's hiring day. Many of last years' employees have moved away for college, or their phone numbers have changed. It's not unusual for teenager's phone numbers to change, but apparently in this age of cell-phones, people are discontinuing their land lines in their homes. Parent's phone numbers had always been my fall-back connection, and some of my key people have been hard to find this summer.
I only need 8 weekends from someone ... you'd think it would be easy to get a commitment. It's not. In fact, this year I'm going to give a bonus of $1 per hour, at the end of the festival, to every employee that has been on time, every day they were scheduled to work. We'll see how it goes.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
July 9, 2009
We're heading north to Ithaca, NY this weekend. We sell chocolate covered strawberries, cheesecake, and bananas (amongst other yummies) at a great music festival called the Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance. I first went several years ago, when I was in town visiting our good friends Loretta and Eric. As any festival vendor will tell you, seeing a show before deciding to participate is crucial. Well, maybe not crucial ... but highly recommended.
The festival has a Healing Arts Tent, and my first participation was in teaching a class there. I still volunteer part of my time in that tent, as I fine-tune what the offerings of the Lemonade Brigade might be in our goal of easing peoples fears around the breast cancer issue. (That's obviously another post entirely ... I promise I'll get there.) Joanne Kingsley does a beautiful job of orchestrating the varied offerings of donated time by alternative health practitioners.
We stay in Trumansburg, in a 200 year old barn that has been outfitted with summer bedrooms. It is one of the most magical places I know, and we have admitted that one of the major reasons we do this show is the gift of living in that space on our friend Ruth's property. Not to mention the magic that is Ruth herself.
The Hubby is designing a solar powered show booth. We're practicing with it in Trumansburg, but it will be launched officially at the Texas Renaissance Festival. While he's watching battery power levels, I'm packing our personal needs for the week. While I'm excited to be giving the solar booth a try, and excited to have scheduled an extra 3 days for visiting friends while upstate, I still have to hire at least a dozen people for the NYRF show, and I'll have to hit it hard when we return to Tuxedo on the 20th.
The festival has a Healing Arts Tent, and my first participation was in teaching a class there. I still volunteer part of my time in that tent, as I fine-tune what the offerings of the Lemonade Brigade might be in our goal of easing peoples fears around the breast cancer issue. (That's obviously another post entirely ... I promise I'll get there.) Joanne Kingsley does a beautiful job of orchestrating the varied offerings of donated time by alternative health practitioners.
We stay in Trumansburg, in a 200 year old barn that has been outfitted with summer bedrooms. It is one of the most magical places I know, and we have admitted that one of the major reasons we do this show is the gift of living in that space on our friend Ruth's property. Not to mention the magic that is Ruth herself.
The Hubby is designing a solar powered show booth. We're practicing with it in Trumansburg, but it will be launched officially at the Texas Renaissance Festival. While he's watching battery power levels, I'm packing our personal needs for the week. While I'm excited to be giving the solar booth a try, and excited to have scheduled an extra 3 days for visiting friends while upstate, I still have to hire at least a dozen people for the NYRF show, and I'll have to hit it hard when we return to Tuxedo on the 20th.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
NASFT Fancy Food Show
This show is really targeted to gourmet retailers, so it's rare that I find a supplier for one of our theme park restaurants. However ... there are always ideas to steal, and flavor combinations to consider.
The Hubby and I went with our friend Buffey. She happens to be an incredibly talented Culinary Mercenary, and she's currently helping plan a deli for a health food store chain. The day had some magic about it. Every person who I had hoped to network with Buffey happened to cross our path ... either away from their own booths, or even as fellow attendees walking the aisles. Some really great connections were made.
A couple of the gluten free baking mix manufacturers who I spoke with were able to meet my needs for my bakery at the Texas Renaissance Festival, so the trip was a business success also. That was really my only quest this year, although the Fancy Food Show is always dazzling, and worth the trip.
The Hubby and I went with our friend Buffey. She happens to be an incredibly talented Culinary Mercenary, and she's currently helping plan a deli for a health food store chain. The day had some magic about it. Every person who I had hoped to network with Buffey happened to cross our path ... either away from their own booths, or even as fellow attendees walking the aisles. Some really great connections were made.
A couple of the gluten free baking mix manufacturers who I spoke with were able to meet my needs for my bakery at the Texas Renaissance Festival, so the trip was a business success also. That was really my only quest this year, although the Fancy Food Show is always dazzling, and worth the trip.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Gagh
This is one of those one-pot quickie meals that friends request on a regular basis. The Hubby calls it "Buckwheat Noodle Crack", and my friend Riki calls it "Gagh" (for the Klingon wormy dish).
As with anything that one makes often, it's never exactly the same, so I'll make a rough approximation of the recipe amounts.
The veggies are flexible, but you want a lot of color to balance the taupe color of the noodles. Last night I used:
Minced Ginger
Minced Fresh Garlic
2 tsp. Olive oil
(Saute in a wok, but try to find a lid big enough to help the steaming process later. A pizza pan works well.)
Also have a pot of water boiling nearby for the noodles... they are fast.
Add in this order, firmest to softest vegetables, cooking each a bit before proceeding to the next step:
Sliced Carrots
Cauliflower (small chunks)
Red Bell Pepper, diced or sliced
Brocolli (small chunks)
sliced yellow squash (small)
spinach
The amounts are really eyeballed according to color ... it's important to have sweet veggies in there, as the noodles themselves can be bitter. Do not add more oil ... add water and let the veggies steam. Try and get the firmer veggies softened before adding the next veggie.
When you get to the spinach, stir it in, cover, and turn off burner. Drop noodles into boiling water. When noodles are al dente, drain, and then in a large bowl, begin layering and dressing.
Spoon a layer of veggies into the bottom of the bowl. Cover with a layer of soba noodles. Dress with Braggs Liquid Amino Acids, and Rosemary Infused Oil (Avocado is best, but Olive will work ... the Rosemary is what is important.) Continue layering and dressing the noodles until complete. Toss to coat and blend, then taste to make sure you got enough dressing, but not too much (I know ... not very precise for a recipe ... sorry).
You are aiming for an even amount of veggies to noodles. Practice makes perfect. One little bundle of soba noodles should serve one person, unless you're feeding carpenters, athletes, or teenage boys ... In that case, double it.
This is a delicious cold salad on day 2 or 3.
As with anything that one makes often, it's never exactly the same, so I'll make a rough approximation of the recipe amounts.
The veggies are flexible, but you want a lot of color to balance the taupe color of the noodles. Last night I used:
Minced Ginger
Minced Fresh Garlic
2 tsp. Olive oil
(Saute in a wok, but try to find a lid big enough to help the steaming process later. A pizza pan works well.)
Also have a pot of water boiling nearby for the noodles... they are fast.
Add in this order, firmest to softest vegetables, cooking each a bit before proceeding to the next step:
Sliced Carrots
Cauliflower (small chunks)
Red Bell Pepper, diced or sliced
Brocolli (small chunks)
sliced yellow squash (small)
spinach
The amounts are really eyeballed according to color ... it's important to have sweet veggies in there, as the noodles themselves can be bitter. Do not add more oil ... add water and let the veggies steam. Try and get the firmer veggies softened before adding the next veggie.
When you get to the spinach, stir it in, cover, and turn off burner. Drop noodles into boiling water. When noodles are al dente, drain, and then in a large bowl, begin layering and dressing.
Spoon a layer of veggies into the bottom of the bowl. Cover with a layer of soba noodles. Dress with Braggs Liquid Amino Acids, and Rosemary Infused Oil (Avocado is best, but Olive will work ... the Rosemary is what is important.) Continue layering and dressing the noodles until complete. Toss to coat and blend, then taste to make sure you got enough dressing, but not too much (I know ... not very precise for a recipe ... sorry).
You are aiming for an even amount of veggies to noodles. Practice makes perfect. One little bundle of soba noodles should serve one person, unless you're feeding carpenters, athletes, or teenage boys ... In that case, double it.
This is a delicious cold salad on day 2 or 3.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
NYC visit
The visit is almost over and I still don't have any justification for it, other than the fact that my life is always enhanced on many levels when I get together with this particular group of women.
We spent the evening in Park Slope, having a quiet (sort-of, other than the uproarious laughter)dinner at the home of Catherine Bohne. She owns Community Bookstore; which in all of my travels, remains one of my all time favorite places on earth. Her website does a good job of communicating the vibe of her store, but you still need to pet a cat or dog while shopping for or discussing book selections.
Food is always part of a NYC visit. The trip is mostly about time together, so we've refrained from parking for hours in the midst of some poor server's livelihood; and instead have enjoyed the very European experience of fresh cheeses, bread, wines and fruit at home. Normally I have some personal food rules that keep dairy and wheat at a minimum, but I'm also a Southern Girl, so I can use that ingrained politeness as an excuse to relax and enjoy my visit. (Besides, the Union Square Farmer's Market was today ... yum!)
Tonight is our last night in town, so dinner and a brainstorm session with The Lindas, and Wendy Dubit.
Before I left, The Hubby said, "Please promise that if you women manage to take over the world this week, you do so without pissing off too many people."
We spent the evening in Park Slope, having a quiet (sort-of, other than the uproarious laughter)dinner at the home of Catherine Bohne. She owns Community Bookstore; which in all of my travels, remains one of my all time favorite places on earth. Her website does a good job of communicating the vibe of her store, but you still need to pet a cat or dog while shopping for or discussing book selections.
Food is always part of a NYC visit. The trip is mostly about time together, so we've refrained from parking for hours in the midst of some poor server's livelihood; and instead have enjoyed the very European experience of fresh cheeses, bread, wines and fruit at home. Normally I have some personal food rules that keep dairy and wheat at a minimum, but I'm also a Southern Girl, so I can use that ingrained politeness as an excuse to relax and enjoy my visit. (Besides, the Union Square Farmer's Market was today ... yum!)
Tonight is our last night in town, so dinner and a brainstorm session with The Lindas, and Wendy Dubit.
Before I left, The Hubby said, "Please promise that if you women manage to take over the world this week, you do so without pissing off too many people."
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Dinner with Friends
We were invited to a beautiful Indian dinner last night. Our new friends from the weekend's show serve and/or sell food as part of the support for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) of Houston. Like us, they serve healthier food items than the normal street fare. Their show menu was vegan, and delicious.
It was truly a delightful evening, and I'm thrilled we could all make it happen, not just for the gorgeous Thali plates we were served, but also because it was nice to sit around with other professionals strategizing street shows and outdoor events. I was not working Bayou City this weekend, as I'm prepping and packing for another show. I'll drive to Atlanta this weekend for a 2-month visit.
One of the chefs wants to continue discussing recipes with me. The Hubby shared a bag of my kale chips with their shop over the weekend, and the allure of raw food recipe creation has been kindled. I'm looking forward to this, as dinner last night was lovely, and there were raw elements I hadn't experienced before, such as shards of ginger, soaked in turmeric, water and salt. The 2 different colors of the turmeric made for beautiful plate-scaping.
Last night we discussed Nourishment, as feeding people is a cornerstone of their spiritual philosophy. I told them of my quest to find the word for that feeling some of us get when we feed people. "Service Attitude" or "Seva" were both suggested. Our new friends staff their festival booths with members of their spiritual community, and all of their food is blessed before being served ... in this, their staff has that energy that we all wish for our staff to have. It's difficult to put into words (hence my search for a terminology). But I want my staff to be made up of people who are fed on some level other than their pocketbook ... in the act of feeding others. We know that energy in ourselves, but it's difficult to translate it into a question belonging on our job applications.
It was truly a delightful evening, and I'm thrilled we could all make it happen, not just for the gorgeous Thali plates we were served, but also because it was nice to sit around with other professionals strategizing street shows and outdoor events. I was not working Bayou City this weekend, as I'm prepping and packing for another show. I'll drive to Atlanta this weekend for a 2-month visit.
One of the chefs wants to continue discussing recipes with me. The Hubby shared a bag of my kale chips with their shop over the weekend, and the allure of raw food recipe creation has been kindled. I'm looking forward to this, as dinner last night was lovely, and there were raw elements I hadn't experienced before, such as shards of ginger, soaked in turmeric, water and salt. The 2 different colors of the turmeric made for beautiful plate-scaping.
Last night we discussed Nourishment, as feeding people is a cornerstone of their spiritual philosophy. I told them of my quest to find the word for that feeling some of us get when we feed people. "Service Attitude" or "Seva" were both suggested. Our new friends staff their festival booths with members of their spiritual community, and all of their food is blessed before being served ... in this, their staff has that energy that we all wish for our staff to have. It's difficult to put into words (hence my search for a terminology). But I want my staff to be made up of people who are fed on some level other than their pocketbook ... in the act of feeding others. We know that energy in ourselves, but it's difficult to translate it into a question belonging on our job applications.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Bayou City Arts Festival
We're selling chocolate covered stuff at the Bayou City Arts Festival in Houston's Memorial Park this weekend. Weather is perfect, and it really is a Chocolate Covered Strawberry crowd. You might even call it a Sex in the City crowd ... girlfriends out for an afternoon of shopping for fine art. Fabulous.
The art in the show is highly juried, and utterly gorgeous ... as is this weekend's weather. We're having a great show. The Hubby befriended some new vendors, and gave them some tips and tricks. They are from the local Hare Krishna temple and Hubby says their food is gorgeous. (Of course, he's a sucker for a well-made Samosa.) They want to make a dinner for the two of us this week as a thank you. It should be lovely.
Our (built for speed) Bayou City Menu:
Chocolate Covered Skewers of Strawberries
Chocolate Covered Cheesecake
Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana
Fruit and Cheese Plate
The art in the show is highly juried, and utterly gorgeous ... as is this weekend's weather. We're having a great show. The Hubby befriended some new vendors, and gave them some tips and tricks. They are from the local Hare Krishna temple and Hubby says their food is gorgeous. (Of course, he's a sucker for a well-made Samosa.) They want to make a dinner for the two of us this week as a thank you. It should be lovely.
Our (built for speed) Bayou City Menu:
Chocolate Covered Skewers of Strawberries
Chocolate Covered Cheesecake
Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana
Fruit and Cheese Plate
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Raw Sorbet
It's not a huge $ maker, but we sell raw sorbet at a couple of our venues. It's hugely appreciated by the lactose intolerant and (all 3 of the) raw foodies at our Texas Renaissance Festival operation.
For anyone into raw food ... it's that old standard of frozen fruit through a Champion Juicer, while using the solid plate rather than the juice sieve. We sweeten it with ripe bananas, and use the cleaned-then-frozen fruit from our fruit shops "Don Felipe's Fruteria" and "Fruitful Endeavors". The festival is only open on weekends, so having a plan for the fruit is a must.
One of the most advantageous elements of the sorbet is that we have it as a sweet treat option for ourselves. Rhonni's shop is a bakery ... and while the food is lovely .. it's not what we want to be eating everyday. Those fresh fruit tartlets might look like they are good for you, but the shortbread crust puts a kink in the svelteness plan.
We also sell the sorbet at Pete Seeger's Clearwater Festival ... now that is an appreciative audience. It was the first time we ever ran out of product, and had to make it on the spot ... and we always show up with enough product to double our biggest day at any event. So many of the show guests already owned Champion Juicers, and didn't know the trick ... it was really nice to be able to pass the tip along.
By the way ... Clearwater has an amazing line-up this year. It's Pete Seeger's 90th birthday, and the 40th anniversary of the festival. I'm going to have to make sure we bring enough workers to allow time to watch some shows.
Last night I made a new chocolate sorbet. Our winter home is on the US/MX border, in LaFeria, Texas. It's a funky and fabulous house in a 3 acre organic citrus and avocado grove. I planted a Black Sapote tree this year, and the following recipe is why:
1.5 cups black sapote chunks, cut into 1" pieces and frozen
1.5 cups perfectly ripe banana, in 1" chunks and frozen
1 Tbsp raw cacao powder
Chopped hazelnuts or fresh mint as garnish (optional)
Toss cacao onto the frozen pieces of fruit, then alternate them through the Champion, using the solid plate. Serve with chopped hazelnuts as a garnish if desired.
No additional sweeteners are necessary if you use truly ripe bananas. It's incredibly creamy and chocolaty. (no nutritional data available yet).
If you can access Black Sapote, it looks like a green persimmon, and like a persimmon, it's not ripe until it is almost ooz-y ... very soft. They freeze well. If you freeze the entire thing, you can run it under hot water, and the skin will come right off. There are about 9 large seeds inside, so figure out how you're going to deal with them before throwing the entire thing at a piece of kitchen machinery.
For anyone into raw food ... it's that old standard of frozen fruit through a Champion Juicer, while using the solid plate rather than the juice sieve. We sweeten it with ripe bananas, and use the cleaned-then-frozen fruit from our fruit shops "Don Felipe's Fruteria" and "Fruitful Endeavors". The festival is only open on weekends, so having a plan for the fruit is a must.
One of the most advantageous elements of the sorbet is that we have it as a sweet treat option for ourselves. Rhonni's shop is a bakery ... and while the food is lovely .. it's not what we want to be eating everyday. Those fresh fruit tartlets might look like they are good for you, but the shortbread crust puts a kink in the svelteness plan.
We also sell the sorbet at Pete Seeger's Clearwater Festival ... now that is an appreciative audience. It was the first time we ever ran out of product, and had to make it on the spot ... and we always show up with enough product to double our biggest day at any event. So many of the show guests already owned Champion Juicers, and didn't know the trick ... it was really nice to be able to pass the tip along.
By the way ... Clearwater has an amazing line-up this year. It's Pete Seeger's 90th birthday, and the 40th anniversary of the festival. I'm going to have to make sure we bring enough workers to allow time to watch some shows.
Last night I made a new chocolate sorbet. Our winter home is on the US/MX border, in LaFeria, Texas. It's a funky and fabulous house in a 3 acre organic citrus and avocado grove. I planted a Black Sapote tree this year, and the following recipe is why:
1.5 cups black sapote chunks, cut into 1" pieces and frozen
1.5 cups perfectly ripe banana, in 1" chunks and frozen
1 Tbsp raw cacao powder
Chopped hazelnuts or fresh mint as garnish (optional)
Toss cacao onto the frozen pieces of fruit, then alternate them through the Champion, using the solid plate. Serve with chopped hazelnuts as a garnish if desired.
No additional sweeteners are necessary if you use truly ripe bananas. It's incredibly creamy and chocolaty. (no nutritional data available yet).
If you can access Black Sapote, it looks like a green persimmon, and like a persimmon, it's not ripe until it is almost ooz-y ... very soft. They freeze well. If you freeze the entire thing, you can run it under hot water, and the skin will come right off. There are about 9 large seeds inside, so figure out how you're going to deal with them before throwing the entire thing at a piece of kitchen machinery.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Why Kitchen Grrls?
Restaurant professionals are an odd lot ... some simply have fallen into the industry by default ... yet there are those of us that are here because we've found a way to be paid for our preferred extreme sport. Adrenaline Junkies ... consciously ready for the next mad rush, whether it's due to a member of the waitstaff flaking, or because the nature of our restaurant venue just happens to be one of concentrated bursts of traffic volume.
Then there is that difficult-to-describe element of the joy of feeding people. The word "Nourishment" is trite here perhaps, but an element nonetheless. For those of us that are good at this ... it's not enough to feed someone ... we have to feed them something Delicious. We have to care about its creation ... even when we're making the Gazpacho in 4 gallon batches.
We also strive to stay healthy in a work environment full of empty calories, long hours, and high stress. While few of us have the luxury of selling food to people with our own food preferences ... we are the first people you invite to your potluck, and, admit it, you decided to have a potluck just because one of us was in town this week. Here we'll post some of those recipes we've shared over the years ... and hopefully discuss new food experiments as they evolve.
Here's to great Food!
Cheers
Then there is that difficult-to-describe element of the joy of feeding people. The word "Nourishment" is trite here perhaps, but an element nonetheless. For those of us that are good at this ... it's not enough to feed someone ... we have to feed them something Delicious. We have to care about its creation ... even when we're making the Gazpacho in 4 gallon batches.
We also strive to stay healthy in a work environment full of empty calories, long hours, and high stress. While few of us have the luxury of selling food to people with our own food preferences ... we are the first people you invite to your potluck, and, admit it, you decided to have a potluck just because one of us was in town this week. Here we'll post some of those recipes we've shared over the years ... and hopefully discuss new food experiments as they evolve.
Here's to great Food!
Cheers
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