You know what really makes
me irate? There seems to be this disconnect of what a private investigator
really does, and what Joe Schmoe thinks a P.I. does. Maybe one of these days
I’ll get a film crew to follow me around. It’s not all about jealous husbands
and hot divorcée’s.
Like right now for
instance.
Now I will admit that my
mouth tends to get me into trouble now and again (more now, than again I
suppose). This leads me more and more into situations like I’m in now.
Before I get too involved
in trying to pull my ass out of the frying pan…again, I figured I should
introduce myself. My name is Alistair Sheppard. I’m the owner of Fallen Angel
Investigations. Sad thing is that I’m most likely going to buy the farm before
the paint dries on the door.
I work take care of things
that go bump in the night. Things that people refuse to acknowledge.
I used to hate e-readers (most likely because I didn't have one) other than that I fancied myself a book snob of epic porportions. Still to this day, I love the smell, look and feel of a book in my hands. Someday I may purchase one, I guess at the end of the day a book is a book whether it's electronically delivered or I can hold it in my own two hands, the feeling of paper texture.
Now, before I go any further - people are busy.
I get that. But please bare with me on this.
One thing I hear from friends/colleagues, is "I just don't have the time." to me this is the end all be all of copouts. This applies not only to reading, but to cooking as well. This is why we're fat, and to some extent stupid. This is something that I can't wrap my pointy little head around, the excuse that there are not enough hours a day to A. Cook a family meal at home, B. To read.
I grew up in a family of readers.
Between my mother, myself and at one time my grandmother we could comsume books at an alarming rate. Last year I made a goal of reading 60 books in a year (you can find me over at Goodreads.com) and I fell damn short - though it wasn't for a lack of trying. Anytime I could sneak in a page or three I did. That's why I can't take the whole "Too Busy" or any of that as Sheldon Cooper would say "Hokum". It's an excuse, just like the rest we make to ourselves or others on a regular basis.
ETA: I'm going to pin this post to the top for the time being.
They say that three times is a charm, and I'm hoping it will.
I've decided to re-lauch PrixFixe-Online with the new year. I've made some choices, going to be taking some leaps. Not to mention this blog keeps me writing which is never a bad thing. PFO was food/career focused only. I've decided to go with an open format. I'll still talk about food and what not because that's my profession. I'm out of work for the time being, so I'll be writing about finding a job.
I also pledged to myself that this is the year I pick up my writing, andI haven't written fiction in a while. I'm working on a 4,000 short story for Lit Reactor and decided I'm going to write a book this year and work on a screen play when I can. Though I know that most of my time will be wrapped up in this book - and getting/holding a job just means I'll have to re-set my schedule.
At first I was going to not post this, and then my inner 7 year-old took over my brain. In which I giggled a lot (you can do that if your innner 7 year-old takes over). So the guys over at Epic Meal Time have come up with a new product - that only they could come up with.
I present to you, Whisky Dick Lube. It's just what it sounds like.
As I sit here writing this, it's been 9 months since Orion closed, longer than we were open. I've honestly lost track of how many resumes I've sent out. I've joked about the fact I've been "carpet bombing" my resume. If we're being honest, I haven't lost track. As it stands, out of the over 30 resumes I've sent out I've netted:
2 stages
2 interview's
0 jobs
That #3 item is what I like to call a fivefingered junkpunch.
I don't want to jinx it, but I've got another interview coming up on Thursday morning - at a place I'd really like to work at, another restaurant that's doing it the right way. What is the right way? Well I'm not sure exactly how to describe it really (or at least that I can commit to words at the moment).
I seem to have a thing for small kitchens, something I'm just now learning and that's fine by me. I think I'd be lost in a big kitchen - the only big kitchen I've been in since culinary school was Carlyle for my externship - and its not even around any more.
Or alternate title of "Damn, you haven't blogged in ages and something at work spurred you to write this". Which is true. For those who don't know, I've opened a restaurant in Bremerton WA called Orion (Yeah it's a fb 'fan' page -but at the moment it's getting the job done) there's also the obligatory Yelp and Urban Spoon pages as well. But that's not why I'm here.
I need to get back into this form of expression and be able to write down all the jumbled things that are going around in my head. Tonight though, I was personally challenged. First the gentlemans wife had food restrictions pretty much no dairy and nothing from the allum family. No problem - I can work around that - and did.
Then he pipes up with "make me something" (mind you, it's a open kitchen and I'm all but sitting in the dining room - 800sq - 9 tables.) it a second but I put together a tempura with beer (cliche I know - but it was a local beer from Vahlholl brewing).
Batter some shitakes I had bought yesterday - fried them up - tossed with truffle sailt that I got at Pikes Place Market the last time I was there and served it with a quick sweet chile sauce (though the wife had to forego the sauce..). I couldn't go too wild, because of the wife - and I didn't have much to play around with as I'm pretty well portioned out to the point - I didn't want to throw things off. He was pleased, his wife was as happy as a clam and I was able to give them a personal experience.
I love my job, and I love what I'm doing. Radio was fun, but I'm starting to feel like this was what I was ment to do - I'm just a bit slow on the up take. I'll admit, (WARNING: Cliche Ahead) I'm still finding myself and that groove.
If you're curious as to what the place looks like, take a look at this.
Now I will admit some of the plating has changed as the menu has progressed - though it's pretty dialed in at this point. But first menu change is coming up in April - while some dishes will carry over - I'm excited for the new additions.
This is also the first time ever that I've put together a wine list, and it's growing each and every week. It's exciting to be the one directly involved with the process (though doesn't the saying go: Chef's have control issues?). So now it's time to start working writing back into my schedule of things to do. Though being crazy busy, took a bit to adjust to - I think I'm at a point where I can find the time to do so, it maybe breif at times but this here blog ain't going nowhere.
I've got a more informative post in the works, just a couple things you should know before I move on to this video from Micheal Ruhlman.
1. I'm no longer at Scratch. 2. I'm in the process of opening a restaurant in Bremerton WA. 3. Yep, no longer in Oregon 4. Don't have home internet yet, thank god for tethering.
Awareness in the kitchen is mandatory. If you don't have it, your frakked.
I'm not one to get political on this here blog, but I just couldn't pass this up because amazingly it has to do with the restaurant industry in Oregon.
Please, allow me to give to you - insanity.
I really don't even know where to start with this. Well, actually I do - lets go with the million-dollar former basketball hack who is very out of touch with what's going on in Portland and the state. He's obviously never heard the adage - "Never fuck with the person making or serving you food".
I was hoping this was a joke, but the punch line never came. He seems to have this idea that servers are getting paid pretty good money and don't really deserve what they're getting paid. He's talking like tips are a guaranteed thing, and we all know that's not the case.
Not to mention he say's waitresses, so does this mean that this applies to women only? Really the best thing Dudley can do right now is: EAT AT HOME.
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