Mary Ladd

The Kiwis Have Their Food Requests

In order to feel like a good houseguest, I always bring goodies. I try and cater it to the host's desires: wine for the oenophile, fiery sauces for fellow hot heads, etc.

We are getting ready to visit family in Whitianga, New Zealand. My relatives used to live in the Seattle area, and seem to miss Costco, among many other things. I offered to bring whatever they need, and here are their picks:

-64 ounce Yoshida sauce. While the Yoshida brand sounds familiar, Smart & Final did not carry any of it. After asking the S&F staff (friendly and helpful, yes!) if they had a good substitute, and getting a truthful "we don't carry it and I don't know what the ingredients are," it was time for further action. I reluctantly bugged Oscar at work so he could Google Yoshida. After he read me the Yoshida line of teriyaki sauces to me, I picked a substitute: Kikkoman's Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce, the Original Teriyaki.

-Any sort of hot sauces. No need to Google that, although a Hot Sauce blog query would've helped. I selected Tapatio, Sriracha, Trappey's Red Devil Cayenne Pepper Sauce, and The Original "Louisiana" The Perfect Hot Sauce, One Drop Does It. All of these items will be carefully wrapped and placed in a box, rather than in my suitcase. I will write my relatives' address, in case the box goes missing en route. That's also a great way to guarantee I won't have clothes dripping with hot red goo.

-They asked for 5 lbs. of Columbian whole bean coffee, but they're getting 6 lbs. total. That's 4 lbs. of whole bean Peerless Hawaiian Island blend, and 2 lbs. of the Peerless Sunrise Blend.

-Life Cereal. My cousins have always loved this stuff. I hope 62 ounces gets them by for a good while.

SFist Harry Denton and Donna Sachet's Drag Brunch

Ryan Tate at Covers has analysis on my Drag Brunch piece for SFist, from this week. Yes, news does travel fast on poor service these days. However even if the service was a drag at first, Cassandra Cass, pictured at left, and the other performers did a great job.

In the Trees: Catering Hazards

One guest told me I looked "so angelic" as I served dessert while tree branches surrounded my face and poked my shoulders. I may have looked angelic (yeah right), but I felt at times contorted and uncomfortable. The tree was supposed to be a holiday decorative element, but it was right at my back. Branches shot out on both sides of my face.

Why didn't I move my station forward, so I'd have more space? Because this was one event where you don't move a thing. Don't even ask. That job was for the team of designers and managers who were swarming the place. Every bar, table, china plate, garnish, floral arrangement, and plant were perfectly placed. Sure, it all looked extraordinary. It was clear the guests were oohing and ahhhing and enjoying themselves. But sometimes these event design types drive me nuts. It's clear they may not take into consideration the movements a caterer will be making while doing her or his job.

Have you ever tried to stand and carve roast beef when there are long and strong branches poking and hurting your neck and back? That happened at another recent event. All the carving chefs were above average height (5'7"+), and later bitched about the poking and prodding from wreathes spanning seven feet in each direction made out of, you guessed it, gigantic tree branches.

Recommendations Welcomed. Headed to New Zealand.

Last night yielded some great food and bar recs for New Zealand. Over Blue Moon beer, Merle Haggard and Irish drinking tunes, even better. I met and talked to Chef Daniel Billo at The Club 23 in Brisbane ("Land of the Stars"). He's a tall, tatted CCA alum, and just returned from New Zealand. Four cooks (chefs ?) and I stopped in at The Club 23 for drinks after working an eight hour catering shift in South San Francisco. Dan just returned from New Zealand, and said Cin Cin on Quay, where he used to work, is a great spot for eats. I am so dropping his name, per his request to "freak out" his former co-workers. He gave one bar rec: The Fiddler.

I have been doing most of the research for our trip. We are going there to visit relatives and relax. The three week trip begins at the end of the month, and is likely to cover the north island only. That's because the main focus is to see and catch up with family in Whitianga. It will be summer when we arrive, sweet! My aunt has tried to set expectations on the cuisine, saying something along the lines of it being "a bit more simple" than what we may be used to. Not a problem.

If you have some eating and drinking recs, feel free to comment or drop me a line.

CHOW Mention

Making a List, Checking it Twice made it on CHOW's Grinder.

Offal Good's T-shirts

I would totally wear one of the "Lips & Assholes The Other, Other White Meat" t-shirts served up by Chris Cosentino over at Offal Good. Limited edition, and $30 a pop. I believe that same "Lips & Assholes" sentiment was also on our menu when we dined with Anthony Bourdain at Incanto, where Cosentino is the chef. Great idea, Chris. I hope the sales are strong. Will Cosentino get some Adidas kicks available for purchase, too? Adventurous holiday shoppers want to know.

Champagne and Cheese for the World's Worst Patient

It's been said that I am the "world's worst patient, ever," by those who know me. If hints of a cold or flu start with an itchy, dry sore throat, the only way I may slow down is by spending a few more minutes with books or papers in bed in the morning. I may cancel social engagements, unless there's talk of dinner at Buckeye Roadhouse included. Why rest in bed when I can enjoy some fun and food with friends?

At times, I don't follow the advice I give to other sickies of resting, eating hot soup and drinking herbal teas. Rather than make or order up some brothy chicken soup, I accept offers of (very good) champagne. Just a few sips, really. How often does the chance come to drink such superb bubbly? I could argue that those bubbles are similar to the ones in the Emer'Gen-C drink packets people seem to be crazy for.

While I should avoid dairy when sick with a cold, I didn't recently. Boucherondin made me do it. It is a delectable semi-aged goat cheese that cost $15.99 a pound, and was a gift. The reason I set my tissues, throat spray, and water aside? To eat some of this goat cheese that appeared to be perfectly ripe and ready for consumption. I couldn't let two or three days pass, for fear the cheese would then be too far gone. That would give me a broken heart in addition to my sniffles and sneezes.

My Mom used to sometimes make me toast and offer 7UP when I was sick as a kid. I remember bland foods like toast are supposed to be good for sickies. So, I twisted that advice to suit my cravings. I made toast and garnished it with some fresh buttery crab that I couldn't bear to waste. Sickness be damned! I should eat more citrus for Vitamin C when I am under the weather. But no. I have been known to send out Oscar for raspberry rings from Dianda's. Perhaps that's my way of following the bread/toast guideline, although a raspberry ring is sweet, tasty and buttery. Not quite the same thing as bland.
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Catering: Make a List, Check it Twice

If I am working as a cook/chef for a catered event, there is a check list of to-dos.  This list covers my uniform and knives, and is separate from food shopping, staffing, rentals, and menu lists. It's best to take care of these things hours or even days before the event. That way, the drive or BART/MUNI commute doesn't feel rushed or harried.

• Iron Chef jacket.
• Iron bistro style apron. These aprons have 2 pockets and reach almost to my ankles.
• Hang apron on a hanger, folded. Place Chef jacket around the top of the hanger, and button the top two buttons. Cover the ensemble in a clean garment bag, and zip up.
• Make sure all knives are clean and sharp. Occasionally bust out the sharpening stone. Also bring a peeler, wine opener, zester, food thermometer and several pairs of food handling gloves. The gloves are used if I am working an open station where I'm handling food where clients will be, rather than some back/side/garage kitchen.
• Clean black shoes. My current non-skid faves are from Land's End, but I also have decent pairs from Skechers and Birkenstock. These shoes are worn with black socks.
• Clip finger nails, extremely short. Catering means liquids and foods will come in contact with my hands for eight or more hours. (Gloves aren't used that often.) Clean up equals being around and exposed to: slush buckets, garbage bags, recycling containers, dirty platters and dishes. It's distracting, revolting and ugly to have food and gunk encrusted under nails, so I always keep them super short.
• Swap wedding rings. I take off my wedding ring and replace it with a $10 one that I bought at an import store on 24th Street. It's better to wear a plain and simple ring that will not get caught on anything. I also don't want to ruin my ring with crud and food.
• Print directions and contact information.
• Put on a watch that works and is precisely set. The watch will be consulted throughout the event, and consulting a cell phone or co-worker for the time takes too long. Don't count on having a clock in the space where you're working.
• Pack at least two side towels. It's good to write your name or initials on the towels, so they don't get swiped or mixed in with the client or other staff linens.
• Bring a bottle of water and snacks. Staff meal, which is supplied by the employer and ranges from Subway sandwiches to pasta, hot dogs, or more, is not guaranteed. Nuts, apples, dried fruit, tamales, and chocolate are good. Bonus: they are easy to transport and eat.
• Day of event: put on a white t-shirt, black or checkered pants. Wear a sweatshirt or sweater that is grubby enough that no one will want to steal it. Leave the leather jacket or other valuable items at home. Grab knives and uniform, and off you go.

Food Notebook Mention

Carter at Food Notebook liked the info on the Free Chocolate exhibit and included me in a round up.

Free Chocolate Exhibit Opening

Update: more pics and info on my December 8th SFist post. Also, check out my SFist colleague Derrick's post on this at his blog, An Obsession with Food.
 

Chocolate has its politics, too. So says one artist. I checked out an exhibition by April Banks last night, and learned more about the global economy that feeds our chocolate demands. Banks seems to offer explanations on why chocolate is a luxury item that is produced and farmed by some of the poorest countries in the world. Some of her glossy images had a creepier side to them, and there were photos, sculptures, and graphic design to take in. She also had two ladies passing out chocolates, wearing t-shirts that said "Free Chocolate" and were available for $25 a pop.

Upcoming related events for this exhibition will be a (free) conversation with Banks on Saturday January 27, at 1 p.m. There's also a (free) Fair Trade & Chocolate discussion on Wednesday February 7, at 7 p.m. with Tex Dworkin (Global Exchange), Ella Silverman (TransFair USA) and Tom Neuhaus (Project Hope & Fairness, Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates). I may go to the Thursday February 8, at 7 p.m. Heart Shaped Box Truffle Making Workshop, that is $5 to $20 sliding scale.

That Rarest of Catering Breaks: the Bomb Squad Sweep

Breaks during catering are not usually relaxing. Eating is rushed, and I am usually looking at or thinking about "what's next" for the event. Sometimes at events in private homes, there are no official breaks at all. However, I recently had one of the strangest breaks in memory.

Hundreds of guests were due to attend this event, including politicos and other luminaries. On the time line, it was noted that at an appointed time (which of course ran twenty minutes late), all kitchen and service crew had to leave the event area completely. This included the kitchen, staging, and ballroom areas where the guests would be dining. Everyone. Out. Now. We still had to finish placing the food and water bottles on the tables, but that would have to wait.

We took our break for thirty minutes. I made use of the time by eating, drinking water and coffee, chatting with folks, and beautifying myself in the bathroom. When we returned, we had to enter through a metal detector. I dumped my walkie-talkie, work cell phone, mini notebook, pen, ID, and lip goo into a basket. Thankfully, my bra did not set off the metal detector, which has happened at a few airports and is a super drag. Once I was cleared through the metal detector, on went my mandatory blue wristband. No party or keg with this wristband! The army of security staff would use it throughout the day to identify me as a staff or attendee.

So, how did the event go? While there were no apparent security mishaps, I was definitely more on edge and cautious as I patrolled the floor. I kept my eye on staff and attendees, but would also watch all those guards. As I stood at the edge of the room during part of the program, I wondered how they managed to look professional (stern gaze, no smile) without fidgeting or stretching.

Holiday Decorating

              Usually I enjoy December because there is so much going on for work and parties. Also, there can be a lot of good food and drink to be had. It's also my birthday month, which I fully milk with the relatives. I surprised myself by spending a few hours one night this week sipping, listening to music, and decorating our place. My tips are on SFist if you want to check them out. C'mon, you know you want to.

For dinner, we had spiced apple cider, beef franks, with sides of sauerkraut and a dill pickle. I should've taken one of the franks when they had nice blisters from cooking. Next time.  They are definitely not a tradition but hey, the decorating was a last minute idea. I was itching for an excuse to use my Le Creuset grill pan.