Numero Uno - Buon Appetito!

Translation: #1. on the Girl Turns 40 List - Take a cooking class!

And my oh my – what a fun day!

My day started early – I left for the Johnson & Wales University campus around 7am this morning.  Believe me, the campus is modern and beautiful , and immediately turned me into a Rachel Ray wannabe.

I had registered about 5 months ago for this class – just when I started Girl Turns 40 – and whew! I barely made it…I was the last spot. The Chef’s Choice classes through JWU, are specialty classes offered by the head chefs/professors to the general public. They are super popular – especially the Baking classes.

My Class

American Pie: Making the Perfect Pizza (and focaccia bread, I might add…)

Peter Reinhart was my chef instructor for today’s class. Chef Reinhart is the author of numerous bread-baking books, and thrice received a James Beard Award. His classes are all but IMPOSSIBLE to get into.  And on top of everything else – he’s so cool! Down-to-earth, a keen sense of humor, and all the while, masterfully demonstrating. Julia Child MUST have felt the same way on her first day at Le Cordon Bleu…seriously.

The fabulous Chef Peter Reinhart….

So class started at 9am, and the “students” were divided into workstations with 4 individuals at each station. First order of business was introductions, and a class agenda – then the demonstrations began.  Chef Reinhart prepped us for the day by making a pesto, tomato sauce, olive oil roasted with garlic, and an olive dipping oil with herbs.  He prepped all the pizza and foccacia toppings.

Then, it was our turn. Me and my station mates started on a pizza dough. 

(Note: we actually brought dough home with us. In order to use the dough for class today, the official JWU students – look for the white uniforms – had prepped some for us to use yesterday. The dough we made today, is for tomorrow’s pizza!)

OK – so I was not expecting this.

I have never seen such a contraption….but it’s a scale. It works by placing the white bowl on the left, “zero-ing out” the weight, then adding the black round hockey-puck-looking weights on the right-hand side to measure the ingredients. Mmmm-Hmmmmm.  You see?

Dry ingredients into the bowl.

Wet ingredients into the bowl.

See The Girl Mix.

Mix Girl Mix.

Then, Chef Reinhart taught us how to “stretch-n-fold” the dough.

Finally, after some additional ‘resting’ and maybe some ‘rising’….(I’ll have to check my notes)….Viola!

4 Kinds of Focaccia:

Herbed Olive Oil

Onion Marmalade, Blue Cheese, and Walnuts

Potato, Bacon, and Cheddar

Pesto and Roma Tomatoes

OMG – absolutely delicioso.

And it’s not over…

We moved on to our pizza dough, and made no less than 20 different kinds of pizza, again paired up with our station mates. Of course, we cooked 8 at a time – in their superfragilicious oven.

Finally, I gathered up my loot to take home: Two kinds of dough, my recipe booklet from class, purse, jacket – and my newly signed copy of “Artisan Breads Every Day” exclusively at Williams-Sonoma.

Check out the inscription:

Ahhhh…..Hmmmm. So, so, so much fun for The Girl today!

I’m off to Dallas for a much-needed weekend with the girls.

See you next week with highlights from the trip –

Girl Turns 40

#3. March Book Review – Being Martha

Grade : B – it’s a pretty good thing.

I have been a fan of Martha Stewart for many years. Pre-prison and post-prison, she has been an inspiration to me and others who aspire to be entrepreneurs and aim to live, well…better. 

The Girl Gist:

The book was written by Lloyd Allen – a lifelong friend of Martha, so naturally every anecdote portrayed Martha in the best possible way. I don’t blame Martha… she does have (ahem) a reputation, and I would also want to endorse a biography with the MSL Seal-of-Approval.  (There’s so much negativity out there…think Kitty Kelly her biography about Oprah Winfrey.) Mmmm? Don’t you agree?

Anywho,

my favorite part about the book is the chronological elements of how Martha Stewart became Martha Stewart, if-you-know-what-I-mean.  It all started in the late 70s with Martha selling breakfast baked goods displayed in baskets in an upscale store. Seriously? Who knew? I always thought it was a silver-spoon kind of thing. (No pun intended…’silver spoon’)

Then the catering began, benignly… but alas illegally, from her basement. The story continues with humorous episodes of Martha evading the Health Dept. officials, or outright fighting with the local City Council about her “business”.  It’s all so inspirational, and from such humble beginnings!

I have hope.

Allen also addresses Martha’s relationships – her husband, her daughter, her mother, her staff. Additionally, there’s also a large section devoted to the ‘fall’ of Martha - her conviction and prison sentence. Allen describes all events in the book in great detail, and I found myself (albeit, recognizing the spin) understanding and empathizing with her circumstances. Ultimately the book left me with a renewed respect for her personally, the empire she built, and the her perseverance through it all. 

The title of the book sums it up:

Being Martha: The Inside Story of Martha Stewart and Her Amazing Life.

Love her or hate her

– she has lead an amazing life, indeed.


Holli a.k.a Girl Turns 40


Stay tuned - my cooking class is up next!

Two Things - #16. and #9.

First thing:

#16. March Flowers

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya – and happy belated St. Patty’s Day.  Love my flowers this month are pure white, yellow, and chartreuse green -  so fresh looking! I especially love the tall, green Bells of Ireland…

Second thing:

Good Lord, the recipes.

Still working on #9. Operation: Recipe File, and it’s a job! Because there are so many elements, I’ve decided to break into smaller jobs. At the end of the month, we’ll have a big party to celebrate this accomplishment – I’ve been working hard!

Step One 

Purge and divide.

I had no idea how many pieces of paper I had collected.  For me, this first pass for “purge and divide” will be to separate decorating ideas from recipes – all ripped out and saved.   COMPLETE! (Yippee!)

Sidebar: Although mostly recipes and decorating ideas….I also found:

A grocery store receipt

A church bulletin

Some junk mail

The Owner’s Manual from my charcoal grill

And my automobile insurance policy

Hmmmm. Well.

Step Two

Set the decorating ideas and clippings aside until Girl Turns 41.

COMPLETE! (Yippee!)

"X" marks the spot, and here’s where I am…..

Step Three

Tackle the remaining clippings, and further divide them into two categories:

Favorites/Heirloom

Recipes to Try

Still sorting, but the end is near!

Step Four:

The nitty-gritty of it all.

Stay tuned for the final phase, summary, and wrap party. 

GT40

#4. Sunshine Cleaning - March Movie Review

GT40 Movie Night is typically reserved for a “classic” movie – again, one I haven’t seen, but always wanted to watch. My movie selection for March is definitely off-the- beaten-path… less classic, and more quirky, to say the least.  ‘Spring cleaning’ is the theme of the month – so why not Sunshine Cleaning?

Grade: B-

A quick summary:

Two sisters, who are down-on-their-luck, start a business cleaning up after crime scenes that are bloody, unsavory and not-so-nice circumstances. The draw? The pay is really good (and I found myself contemplating this). 

Rose (Amy Adams) is the high school has-been: cheerleader-who-dated-the-quarterback, popular girl….who now has the QB’s son, but not the QB.  She’s smart though, and recognizes the opportunity to start the cleaning business with the help of the QB – who she’s having an affair with. (Ugh.)

Norah (Emily Blunt) is the sister with no apparent ambition or talents, and she is coerced into becoming Rose’s partner. Additionally, Joe (Alan Arkin) plays a loving father figure, but is also on the lookout for a deal to make some quick cash.

Overall, I liked it.  It’s billed as a ‘comedy-drama’ but I would argue it’s more drama, and less comedy. I think I may have chuckled once. It’s a dark movie, and resonated with me about how families are scraping by. There’s an element of despair and depression in some parts, which almost makes the story real.  Thank goodness for Alan Arkin and his comedic timing – he helps to lighten the mood.

I always like a happy ending, and as endings go – this movie doesn’t disappoint. There’s a glimmer of hope, an unselfish act of love, and an overall feeling that it’s all gonna work out OK.

Whew!

I like it enough to recommend it – so if you haven’t seen it….give it a go, just know it’s not Disney.

Girl Turns 40

#9 Operation: Recipe File - Part One

Operation: Recipe File

Current Time: 1045 hours

Location: Various coordinates throughout the house

Reporting for Duty: Girl Turns 40

At 1100 hours, Operation Recipe File will officially commence, please stand by!

Ok, enough with the military overtones, there’s serious work to be done.

I must admit, I love all things related to good food. I love cooking and baking, but I also have a dirty little secret.  I am a recipe/magazine hoarder. I don’t think I’m at the point of calling Niecy Nash (yet), but certainly I recognize the ‘foolishness of it all’ so to speak….

My goal today is simple: I plan to plan a plan.

1. Identify the Problem.

Well, the problem is everywhere.

Here, on the floor:

Here, in a box:

Here, in binders and folders:

Here, on the refrigerator:

(Please, no judging! I hope you have similar issues with recipe organization… I would hate to be alone at the support group meeting.)

First order of business is to scope out a work surface (the kitchen table), and gather the Problem into one room.

2. Research possible solutions.

I’ve spent a good deal of time researching various sources about the best ways to organize recipes. Two of my favorites are:

From Real Simple:

Organizing Your Recipes: 8 Foolproof Methods

From Peter Walsh, Oprah’s organization guru:

Tip #300: Organize Recipes and Cookbooks

Neither are perfect solutions for me, so I am still formulating my plan.

3. Formulate a plan.

Ummm….right. Yes, still formulating – and obviously the nitty-gritty part.

To scan or not to scan – that is the question.

To be revealed in Operation: Recipe File –Part Two, so stay tuned!

4. Establish a timeline for completion.

This is the easy part – by the end of March. It’s only taken me 10 years to complete.

Working away today,

Holli a.k.a. GT40

#21. Volunteer Time

So I haven’t written about volunteering in a long time – it’s truly a passion, and certainly on my list of Top 40 ‘drops’ to accomplish this year… on a recurring basis! 

This month, I delivered meals to home-bound individuals (mostly seniors) for the local Meals on Wheels program.  I volunteered with this organization last month, and enjoyed it so much – I wanted to do it again, and to write about this time.

The amount of food this organization produces is amazing – they have their own kitchen, with volunteer staff from a local culinary school. Additionally, because their “customers” often have dietary restrictions due to health issues, they must buy food and prepare special meals accordingly.

They serve over 750 meals through 90+ routes throughout the local service area!! These colored thumbtacks represent the individuals, on a specific route – and this map covered the wall.

My route was a shorter one – just 3 patrons.  We worked with the volunteers at the hub to load up the correct meals and drinks, and then packed the cooler with an ice pack for the trip. We were assigned partners – one driver (me) and one navigator (my friend). And we were off….

Of course, pictures weren’t allowed of the actual deliveries to the recipients, but it was a rewarding experience.  Our instructions were to knock at the door, and announce, “Friendship Trays!” then wait for someone to answer the door.  One of our deliveries was to an older lady who was bedridden and her bed was literally next to the door. She was kind and gracious to us, and suddenly instead of feeling like I was somebody (Look at me, I am volunteering!)… I felt very insignificant.

The next stop was to an old, rundown ‘millhouse’ just outside the city center. The house was so dilapidated, I quickly assessed the porch floor – just to be sure it would hold me. I knocked on the door, announced my salutation, and much to my surprise – the door was slowly opened, by a four-year-old girl.  I could see an older lady on the couch behind her – my customer. She instructed the little girl to take the trays – I thanked her, and complimented her Halloween costume. She grinned, and shut the door.

Wow. What a humbling experience. 

I don't want you think I feel pity for these individuals, because I don't...I feel honored to serve them. I can't wait to go again.

Believe me – volunteering is good for the soul… and good for the ego. It will quickly realign your values and remind your brain to practice sincere gratitude.

(This mural was painted on the wall...)

 - GT40