I Got A Job!

Sorry for the cross-post, but instead of retyping everything, you can just read about it on my pastry-focused blog, The Last Course Discourse.

Check out the post here – My New Family

Timing is Everything

One of my concerns about moving back to Seattle is that I will have a hard time finding a job. Well, that’s not quite accurate. I’m concerned about finding a job that really interests me. See, the problem with Seattle is that while the restaurant scene is continually growing and improving, there still isn’t much space for pastry cooks. Sure, restaurants offer desserts, but they are usually made by someone who is also doing pantry work (aka garde manger) and not specifically focused on pastry. Very few restaurants can afford a pastry chef. The ones who can are the larger restaurants, possibly associated with a hotel. These are restaurants that are not doing the innovative type of cuisine that really interest me. I want to work in a small-ish restaurant with a focused and dedicated group of people who are passionate about food and pushing the boundaries of modern cuisine. There are a few places like that in Seattle and only a couple of them have a pastry chef. My friend*, Dana, at Veil is one of them, and even there she has to pick up some shifts doing pantry work just to stay full-time.

So imagine my delight (and frustration) when I see this posting on craigslist –

Pastry Cook/Chef Needed for High End Contemporary Restaurant

We are looking for an individual that is fired up about pastry. We are a small contemporary restaurant looking to do some of the coolest food in the city. We like to use crazy cool ideas and crazy cool, fresh ingredients like pop-rocks, yuzu, and cabernet grapeseed flour; making everything from scratch. Experience with foams, gels, bubbles, and all of the cool new techniques is a plus. If you are an individual that likes to push the boundaries of what pastry and restaurant desserts can be, and like to work in a professional, organized kitchen please let us know.
You would be responsible for the production and oversight of all pastry and sweet products and some of the fun savory things that also fall into that realm. You, along with the Executive Chef, will write and execute the dessert menu and all of the fun little things that go along with it. Most of our desserts are intricate and contain 10-15 components.
If this interests you please respond to this ad via the email provided. Please remember to include a current resume. Thank You!

Damn, why couldn’t they have needed someone about three months from now when we’re going to be back in Seattle!? I did decide to email them anyway just to make a professional contact. Besides, who knows, maybe they’ll still need someone in a few months.

*Dana and I have emailed a few times and met in person once at Veil. I hope she doesn’t mind me referring to her as a friend!

Paper or Plastic?

“I have my own bag.”

You would be surprised just how much this phrase can throw off a NYC store clerk or grocery bagger. We have had a plethora of responses, the most common is a cursory acknowledgment of our statement (“Uh huh”) and then they proceed to put the items into a plastic bag anyway. There is also the very annoying response of moving the bag aside (which we’ve placed on top of the goods to be purchased with the express purpose of forcing them to acknowledge our bag), ringing up the goods, and then putting them in a plastic bag anyway. All the while our bag languishes to the side amidst our protests of “We have our own bag!” Then there is the test of wills in which the clerk rings up our goods and then leaves them on the counter, waiting for us to bag them ourselves. I guess just because we’ve brought our own bag they feel this relieves them of the responsibility of putting the items in the bag. Have I mentioned how much I’m looking forward to getting back to Seattle?

Maybe I should carry around copies of this article from the Washington Post that talks about the environmental impacts of paper and plastic bags. The moral of the story – bring your own bags, people! I carry around a collapsible bag with me. It doesn’t take up much room in my shoulder bag and has prevented a lot of plastic bags from winding up in landfills or being burned in China or being swallowed by a sea turtle.