Chronicles of a Curly Head: An Afternoon in Pictures

Hellooooooooo everyone!

How are you doing today?

I'm just splendid thank you.

It is about an hour past my bed time, but I'm eager to post and I doubt I'll have time to do it in the morning! So I'm going to make this quite quick.....

Breakfast this morning......

Two over easy eggs, a 'Morning Star' veggie patty, a piece of whole wheat toast, blueberry yogurt and 1/2 banana. I prefer to have a large breakfast to keep me sustained throughout most of the day. My meals get smaller as the day goes on. You know what they say: Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.

By far the highlight of my day.....

If you didn't know already I'm pretty bat shit crazy about the Hunger Games book series, so I had my bar set pretty high movie wise. I meant to see the film on opening night last week but one thing lead to another and it had to be put on hold. Long story short I absolutely loved the movie. Movies will never really compare to how good books are, but this stayed very true to the book which was refreshing from a fan standpoint.

If you haven't seen Hunger Games yet I suggest you read the books first and then see the movie. I'm willing to bet that you'll appreciate the film much more by doing so. Not to mention the books are pretty amazing. They're such a quick read - I read them in less than three days. Back to back to back. Fully plan on purchasing the movie when it comes out.

I ran out of every bit of makeup I own at the exact same time......

So a Sephora detour was a definite must today. I needed to purchase mascara, lipstick, and face powder.... the eye lash curler, body was, and nail file were just impulse buys that I justified in my mind as necessities - typical Jenna lol. That's not to say that I won't use these items to their fullest. I don't let anything go to waste! Especially expensive makeup and such. Pshhh I'm no fool!

Spent my afternoon having drinks and sushi with my roommate......

I was in no condition to drive.....so we walked to get sushi instead lol.

Crispy Spicy Tuna YUM!

It seems as if I'm drifting in and out of sleep at my lap top. That's would be my cue to go to sleep lol. I hope each and every one of you are having an amazing start to your week!

xoxoxoxo - JB

Let us begin....

[[Todays music]]

(1) MICHAEL BUBLE - YOU DON'T KNOW ME

There is no sound in the world my ears would prefer to hear right now......except perhaps "Jenna will you marry me" from the voice of Michael Buble himself. To that I would of course reply " Jenna Black-Buble it is." And then he'd sing "That's all" to me as we danced into the sunset. Words can't express my love for Michael. It runs deep. His voice just cuts the air like butter.

Sigh - gotta love a beautiful man in a perfectly tailored suit singing jazz music. ::Swoon::

[[Today's restaurant]]

(1) CARLO'S BAKE SHOP

Have you ever seen the show Cake Boss on TLC? Before the show was even created I held an interview with Buddy Valastro – THE CAKE BOSS HIMSELF!

It all started about three or four years ago in one of my hospitality management classes during culinary school. We were told to do a research paper/ interview with someone we admired in the restaurant business and present it to the class. I had no idea who I wanted to interview sooo…. I googled the “top bakeries in NYC” and “top bakeries in L.A.” (and a few others that I can't remember) with my fingers crossed hoping to get a response. I e-mailed every single one of those bakeries and then some. Out of 30+ restaurants I e-mailed for an interview, only two or three got back to me.

The first response I received was from Thomas Keller. Crazy right??? I was going out of my mind. Unfortunately something came up and the interview couldn't be held with Chef Keller himself, so I ended up e-mailing back and forth with one of his people. I learned a lot of really interesting things (I should show it to you guys sometimes) about Keller and his career, but I didn't think it was really enough for my project because I didn't actually get to talk to the chef I wanted to.

Buddy just so happened to be either the second or the third chef/restauranteur that e-mailed me back. One thing led to another and I actually got to interview him. I thought you guys might like to read our conversation:

::Side Note::

This interview was prior to Buddy having the show 'Cake Boss' on TLC. Had this happened post tv show I'm sure a lot of my questions would've been different!)

ME: What made you decide to open Carlo's Bake Shop and do things in your own unique way?

BUDDY: Carlo's has been in business since 1910, I'm not that old lol but I have been in charge here since 1994 and I had to change the business and adapt to what the people want. Now we do lots of specialty stuff where you have to come us to make stuff that other people can't make. That works out very well.

ME: What has had the biggest impact on your overall development as a baker?

BUDDY: The death of my father meant me having to fill big shows at a young age. I had to step up and become the baker I am today. I also had to earn the respect of baker's who have been working here for 30-40 years and I did it.

ME: What part of your job do you find most satisfying?

BUDDY: The smile on people's faces when they see the final product. Also, doing cake decorating is very therapeutic and I get a sense of fulfillment after I finish a masterpiece.

ME: From your perspective, what are problems and stressors do you see while working in this field?

BUDDY: Long hours, hard work, working holidays, working 6 days a week. It's a hard job but if I just had to do the baking part, it's not bad. The administrative is part is the most difficult, it's boring.

ME: What does your typical/average day look like? (Starting and stopping times, tasks at hand, number of hours, etc.)

BUDDY: I get in around 7am and stay until everything is don which can be anytime between 3 or 5 or even later. I have to delegate jobs for all my employees, make sure all cake orders are being done, make sugar flowers, decorate cakes, check my mail, meet with brides among many other duties. My week is usually around 60 hours.

ME: What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful in your field?

BUDDY: You have to have patience, have an open mind, you have to be able to read people and you can't do it alone.

ME: Is it important to have an education in the culinary arts before entering into your field, if so how much schooling is necessary?

BUDDY: You can start with any level of education, experience in the business or in the kitchen is what matters the most.

ME: What special advice or words of wisdom would you give specifically to a young person entering into your career?

BUDDY: Go to work with an open mind, never forget you are too old to learn something, always remember there is someone out there better than you. Show good worth ethic because that is what a boss likes.

ME: If you could do things all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself and what would you change?

BUDDY: I would definitely do the same thing because I love what I do. No matter how hard the job is, it's my life and I love it.

ME: How has owning and operating your own business changed you life?

BUDDY: You are always on call. All problems in the business are your problems. You do well but doing well comes with sacrifice.

http://www.carlosbakery.com/home.php

(2) KINDER KOOKKAFE

(The video might load kind of slow…and it isn’t in English lol. But it’s still awesome)

"This small restaurant is run entirely by children: they cook, serve, bring the bill and wash up, all with a little help from the friendly grown-up staff, of course. The simple set menu includes main course and dessert: ingredients are fresh, the food is healthy and prices are very low. On Saturdays and Sundays children can even cook for their own guests. From 3:30p onwards on Saturdays, kids between the ages of six and 12 can prepare dinner; on Sundays over five can prepare and serve an English style high tea. The average cost is EUR10. Reservations are necessary."

http://www.kinderkookkafe.nl/

[[Today's kitchen gadget]]

(1) KNIFE HOLDERS/BLOCKS

kind of creepy lol....

(2) CUTTING BOARDS

[[Today’s news]]

Well it's not actually new news - it's an old article I found in my CCH archives, and I just think it's such an awesome article that it needs to be posted again.....

13 YEAR OLD VEGGIE CHEF TO BE

"KELSEY O'CALLAGHAN wants to be a chef when she grows up - but not just any chef. Instead of having her sights set on attending the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, this 13-year-old from Bensalem is intent on making her mark at the Natural Gourmet School in Manhattan, an all-vegetarian academy. Miffed that "there isn't even a vegetarian chef on the Food Network," O'Callaghan figured she'd get a jump on her career, and The Veggie Chef (www.theveggiechef.net) was born. "I sort of made my own show," said the eighth-grader at Calvary Christian Academy. What started as a blog and Web site for healthy veggie eaters and cooks became a cooking "show" on YouTube, recipe demos starring, produced and edited by O'Callaghan, a two-day process she does in her room at home.Typically, she'll take a recipe she finds online or in a cookbook and tweak it to substitute plant-based ingredients for animal-based."

Want to read more?

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20100218_Veggie_attytood__kid-style__A_13-year-old_is_part_of_the_vegetarian_vanguard.html

[[Today's random]]

(1) BLUE VALENTINE

Seriously one of the most depressing movies of all time. I get really upset every time I watch it. Problem being: I can't help but to watch it, because it's just such a good movie. I always think it's such a great idea going into it, but when the movies over I'm like - damn....big mistake. I never learn my lesson, because it's an odd predicament for any movie lover to be in.

The concept is just way too real for my liking which is probably why it upsets me. I like my romance movies to be a little surreal, so it's more enjoyable to watch. This ones just a little too truthful for my taste. One of those movies that makes you seriously scared to fall in love with anyone ever again lol. But I can't stop watching.... It's like a beautiful train wreck.

[[Today’s food clip]]

(1) THE UNDERGROUND LOBSTER POUNTS: A PURIST, AN APARTMENT & THE PERFECT LOBSTER ROLL

(2) UNWRAPPED: NESTLE CRUNCH BAR

[[Today's curly head]]

(1) KERI RUSSELL

(2) SACHA BARON COHEN

[[Today’s recipe]]

TACO DIP & PITA CHIPS

1st - TACO DIP

(Thanks for the recipe mom!)

Helpful tips from my mother: You may use any type of lettuce in this recipe – but romaine works best because it keeps it’s crunch longest, doesn’t have a lot of water in it, and won’t turn soggy after a long period of time.

Also: You may add any other ingredients to this recipe that you like such as; tomatoes, olives, peppers, mushrooms, etc. But I would refrain from adding any salsas directly to the mix, because all of the water and moisture in the salsa will make the dip soggy quickly. It’s best to use salsa as a dipping agent instead!

::Ingredients::