Excitement

“Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple.”–WW

It is in the air.  Can’t you feel it?  It surrounds you, encompassing all of you, and you feel exhilarated.  Why?  It is because you want it, you want to be a part of it, or just want to be near it.  Currently there is a furry of excitement in my house.  Most of which is coming from my activities of cooking, culinary exploits, and exercise.

So these are the exciting topics on deck for me.  Each interesting in their own way.

• Baconfest
• Job interviews
• Next

Baconfest

I signed up Chef Boss months ago for Baconfest Chicago.  He needed to come out to the big city and see how the masses turn out for the love of pork.  Indeed, I am very happy he is doing this event and getting to hang out with many different types of chefs in the cool part of town.  Oh, he presented a bacon bratwurst with caramelized onions, german potato salad, balsamic glaze, and a crispy bacon rasher.

Like always, Chef gets a bit moody, but then he turns on a dime and gets ready to cook.  As he walked around the hall as we set up his booth.  He strolled around and saw other chefs like Stephanie Izard or Perry Hendrix.  Chef quickly realized that these people all had his book.  Yup, these chefs paying homage to bacon and use his book.  He was so surprised.  I think he knew, but really; did he?  He came back to the table and was like “did you know that so and so has my book?  Did you see their menu?  Those are my sausages.”  I said, “yes chef.  I know.  That is why I wanted you to come here today.”

The time was nearly upon us as Baconfest time to open neared.  The four of us were ready to plate.  The doors burst open and a heavy flow of bacon diners came in.  We could not keep up plating our dish.  I love this rush.  Plating as fast as I can, but keeping it neat and clean.  Announcing what the dish is over and over and over.  Here are two levels of excitement.  One for me keeping my nerves, plating, and interacting with guest; which I love.  Even the Chef’s wife said are you always this nice.  Yeah, well kinda.  It’s when I get around people and food, this uber-nice-ness pours out.  I also know that it is a role I play.

Secondly the excitement of the bacon worshipers.  Their passion for bacon, for food, and even at times for Chef.  These followers of bacon came here to UIC for one reason.  Bacon.  Nothing was going to stop them.  They wanted it now.  Bacon in every shape and form, in savory and sweet applications, to wear on shirts, and to even own the perfume.  True bacon explosion.  For some this event could be very overwhelming to others a god send.  These excited and enthusiastic people are the ones that Chef needs to focus on.  This is his demographic.  The bacon people!

It was great to see Chef excited.  He had ideas for new dishes, maybe another new book.  I saw the ideas run through his head.  Every smile that crossed his face when people said “I love your book”, “sign my book”, or “I saw you on Bourdain”.  He loved it.  I hope he enjoyed his time there.  I know I did.  I wanted a shirt from the event, instead I came away with a platter of bacon given to me by a drunk vendor.  Now that is the biz!

Job Interviews

I had two.  It was scary and very interesting.  I have not had a double header like that ever.  Sooooo nervous.  In this process I learned a lot about myself and where I should be going.  Going forward that is.

I am an operations girl, a hedgehog, a worker bee, a go to girl any time of day.  Support, building, and follow through.  That is what I am or what I know me to be.  In the process of doing these interviews, I realized how much I love my current job with Writer Boss. The email appears in my inbox at any time of day.  Sometimes at  7:30 in the morning or 11:00 at night and when I open it, it is time to work.  I love it.  The excitement of anticipation.

I get to do so many little things that drive other people nuts.  I just like getting work done.  No if ands or buts about that.  Today I need to examine salt, find this article about this seasonal item, what do you think, I need a product, and the list goes on.  Besides that there is making links, trying to do SEO stuff, and keeping on top of everything.  But I love it.  God, knows whose email I am cc’d on or who is attached to a string of emails.  Lots of wow.  Lots of that is my job.  One word: AMAZING.

So, how did my interviews end up?  Call backs on both.  I am an operations girl and I need to stay on track.  Sorry kitchen.  Maybe when I own a place.  The rest of the details are locked away.  I am too scared to say.  The excitement is killing me!

Next

This restaurant embodies what excitement is.  A thrill and something that I have been looking forward to for over a year.  I have not been this excited to go to an event in years; let alone a restaurant.  Ok; I can accept Alinea and Au Pied de Cochon.  These two are pretty kick ass places and yes, Alinea is another Achatz restaurant.  The pinnacle of my super excitement was when I saw Robbie Williams in Denmark way back in the day.

Next’s lead up was similar to Hansel and Gretel following a path of breadcrumbs.  So, many hints, peeks, glimpses into the restaurant into the minds of the creators .  I am lightly obsessed with the vision and passion that Grant Achatz has for food.  I can not get over it.  I watched numerous videos from YouTube, found articles, and followed the restaurant’s progress on social media.  Just plain dumbstruck. “We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams.” –WW

Yes, i’m stuck in a Willy Wonka mode, and getting into Next was like finding the Golden Ticket.  Intense and exciting.  “A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.”-WW  The concept of Next is 4 themed dinners a year and you have to purchase tickets to go.  When they opened they did not allow everyone to get rezos.  Next sent out emails last week to individuals who registered on their website.  Once you received the email you  were able to get into the system to register to buy tickets.  The thing was the earlier you signed up to follow Next the higher you are up the food chain for tickets.  I was in round 5/6, so I was one of the 1st 2,500 people to sign up on their site.

Funny thing was that my email came to me while I was getting interviewed.  A ball of excitement came across me and I wanted to sign up and get my spot ASAP!  I did not, but I knew I wanted to.  One of my friends secured the chef’s table over Memorial Weekend and I can not wait for that, a huge splurge, but in the name of dining. Right?  Now all I can do is wait.  As I stew in my excitement for the big dining day.  Then I will have more to share. Tick Tock.

“The suspense is terrible… I hope it’ll last”–WW