Once Upon a Menu.

Back in the day, some girlfriends and I decided to share resources with one another by way of monthly menus. We were able to swap recipes as well as ideas for planning ahead, saving a bit of money, and balancing busy schedules with healthy mealtimes. It was great.

Then I quit my full-time job to start my own business. A business in which I cooked for other people. For a living. I wound up casting aside any efforts at organizing my own life (and lacked any energy to cook after getting home) in favor of bringing home extra batches of whatever my clients were requesting. Also, as long as we're being honest, I ate a lot of junk (and welcomed some extra pounds I would desperately like to shed).

After a few months at my new job, I'm ready to usher balance back into my life. I've missed my early-morning quiet times, scheduled workouts, laundry and cleaning schedule, and - yes - knowing what will be on my dinner table on any given day of the month. Yes, I realize this makes me sound like a control freak (Would you believe me if I told you it helps me to relax when details like these are in order?). Anywho...

I'm curious, bloggy-friends: Do you have a method for crafting meals in your home? Do you prefer to plan ahead or fly by the seat of your pants?

If you're interested, curious or just plain bored, you can view our November menu here.

Of France and Onions.

With only two months (!) before our long-awaited trip across the pond, I thought an appropriately-themed evening at home would be a great way to kick off the weekend. Indeed it was: while onions caramelized on the stovetop for over an hour, Pinot Noir magically emptied itself from our glasses and Coralie Clement soothed our weary souls.

Ah, Friday nights.

Melissa's French Onion Soup
Adapted from Anne Burrell's recipe, found here.

7 large sweet onions
Extra-virgin olive oil
7 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt & Pepper
2 quarts beef stock
7 oz. dry sherry
One bundle thyme
4 bay leaves
1/2 lb. Gruyère, grated
1 loaf Sourdough bread, cut into thick-ish slices

Peel the onions and cut in half. Cut off root and stem ends and thinly slice the onions lengthwise. Place the onions in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and add the butter and several tablespoons of olive oil. Stir well to coat the onions. Cover the pot and allow the onions to sweat for about 15 minutes. When you open the lid, they should have reduced quite a bit and released a fair amount of water. Sprinkle the onions with the sugar and a little bit of salt. Turn flame down to low and let the onions cook for about an hour more, stirring frequently. (Rule of thumb when caramelizing onions: Leave them be enough so they brown, but not enough so they burn.)

By the end of an hour the onions should be considerably smaller and very brown. Add sherry to deglaze the pot. Also add the thyme, bay leaves, and stock. Add a pinch more salt and some pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Taste and if necessary, add another small sprinkle of salt (but keep in mind the cheese will add saltiness as well).

Preheat broiler. Meanwhile, toast or grill the bread slices. Fill ovenproof crocks 3/4 of the way with soup, and add 1-2 toasts in each bowl. Top with grated Gruyère. Place crocks under the broiler to melt the cheese and make it brown and bubbly, about one minute. Serve immediately.

Tots in a Pot.

My new job has had my schedule tied up something fierce, mainly because I started at the height of our office's annual busy season. Thankfully, the week of events I am responsible for overseeing went quite well and I even had fun to boot. I am humbled by the fact that every two weeks I receive a paycheck while so many people are looking for work, and that I am surrounded by a creative, intelligent team led by a wonderful example of a boss.

(Wow. Someone cue the Hallmark music.)

Ahem. At any rate, once the dust settled on our tables, chairs and balloons, I found myself facing a pile of receipts for take-out and delivery meals eaten during late nights at the office. I wanted to get back into the kitchen, but lacked a lot of energy with which to make an impressive meal. Enter Tater Tot Soup, possibly the least healthy dish I've ever made in my entire life. No, really. It consists of a stick of butter, some milk, sour cream, cheese, and a bag of tater tots. Oh, and don't forget some good old fashioned bacon crumbled on top. Easy? Yes, but I wondered as I crawled into bed that night whether I'd awake the next morning or die of clogged arteries. Thankfully, I'm alive to tell the story and confess I've even had a cup or two (or five) of leftovers...but this comfort food won't likely make another appearance in our household for a loooong time.


Do you have a favorite dish that is on your cardiologist's "Do Not Touch" list?

Working 9 to 5.

I've been on a break from blogging, in case you couldn't tell. I've also, it appears, been on a break from living. If I'm not cooking for clients, I'm at my other job. If I'm not working at all, I've been wallowing. It's been a rough summer, in case you're new around these parts. I dealt with grief that came over me in waves. A client informed me they wouldn't be able to renew their contract and I nearly had a meltdown. I came to the realization that I was going to have to significantly restructure my business and ultimately, made the decision to begin looking for a 9-5 job...but knew I didn't want just any job.

In many ways, it was like experiencing a second measure of grief. I know in my gut that the economy is the biggest reason why business isn't thriving for me right now, but I feared that all the fine folks who encouraged and supported me as I launched my business would be disappointed in me. That I would look like a big fat failure. I hoped beyond hope that I would find a job with a schedule that could accommodate the occasional special event so I could still cater a bit on the side. I was bolstered by a dear friend who looked me in the eye, took me by the shoulders, and said, "No matter what else happens in your life, you struck out and pursued a dream. That's far more than lots of people can say for themselves."

The plus side, of course, would be a stable schedule, steady paycheck, and h.e.a.l.t.h. i.n.s.u.r.a.n.c.e., can I get an amen. But where to look? Everywhere I searched seemed to leave me feeling worse and worse about my qualifications - or lack thereof. I finally found a job I thought would be a perfect fit (and for which I thought, in all humility, I would be a shoo-in), and never heard back. The despair I felt was unrivaled to anything I've experienced in recent years. After the last few months, as I told a friend just a few weeks ago, I just. needed. something. good to happen.

And yet.

Through it all I knew everything would turn out okay. For reasons I'm unable to articulate, I trusted that God was beside me through my darkest hour(s). I waited. I prayed. I hoped. Occasionally, I freaked out. Then a friend called and suggested I look at a recent job posting in my area. It would draw on my experience in event planning, is only a mile from my house, and would be a stable job with benefits. I nearly ran to drop my resume off...and then waited. And waited. And waited.

Until. . .

Last week I was called to interview for the position and yesterday, was made an offer which I gladly accepted. In some ways it is bittersweet - setting aside hopes I'd had for my business to thrive and flourish - and in others it is a tremendous weight off my shoulders. I'll still be able to accept special event catering gigs as I'm available, so all is not lost. In fact, a few of my clients are still eager to have me cook once in a while for them, which is very flattering.

I'm jumping right into things with a big event just around the corner at my new job - in fact, as I wrap up at The Big Green Coffee Machine and start working in my new office on a part-time basis over the next two weeks, I will be working the next eighteen days straight.

It's a new season. I feel a great sense of hope and renewal. And that tastes pretty good.

Celebratory Sangria de Cava

Ingredients:
1 lemon, 2 limes, and 1 large orange, sliced thin
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Cointreau
1/4 cup brandy
1 bottle cava, chilled
1 cup no-pulp orange juice (better yet, fresh-squeezed if you can)
1 can lemon-lime soda, such as 7-Up, chilled

Directions:
Combine fruit, sugar, Cointreau and brandy in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight.

In a pitcher, combine the marinaded fruit, orange juice, lemon-lime soda, and cava. Stir together and add ice cubes (for fun, I froze large strawberries in an ice cube tray and added those for more color).

Serve immediately.

Grande, No-Water Chai with...Chicken?

That's right, kids, you read it here first:

I'm working up a new recipe.

For chicken.

Chai Chicken.

I know where I want to take it - at least on its first go-round - but am dying to know how you would whip up such a dish given these two ingredients. A little Iron Chef inquiry, if you will. Weigh in and, if the mood strikes, maybe I'll give your idea a whirl!

Also, please oh please click here to help me win a Madsen. Because carting home groceries has never been more stylish.