Lunch with Ashley Part 2
However, even though it's been a year, I want to finish my report on my first attempt at making lunch.
So... Ashley.
Making lunch at work is not easy. You have to bring a crap ton of stuff to make it happen. I put off my menu plan until about two days before, and even on the morning of I had to stop at the store for last minute items like ghee (a dairy free butter, that I had never cooked with, but why not try something new when you're going to display your cooking talents for a co-worker right?), gluten and wheat free crackers, etc. Let me interject here and say that I hope I learn from my mistakes. Mistakes like procrastination. Yeah. I'd really like to avoid procrastination.
Anyhoo, equipped with a laundry basket full of supplies from home, I went into work. You know, they say hind sight is 20/20. Boy o boy is that true. I left myself sooo much prep work to be done at work. All the chopping, cutting, etc. What I thought was a simple lunch took a century to prepare. Of course my nerves were a wreck, wanting everything to be perfect. As I was down in the kitchen preparing the lunch, some interesting things started to happen I hadn't taken into consideration. First, I was making this lunch in a public kitchen, so there were people coming in and out, watching, commenting, and making me so nervous! Second, pretty soon the smells from the kitchen starting wafting through the building, and started to draw even more attention. What I didn't know was the owner of the company was there for some important meetings, and pretty soon I had him, and what seemed like the entire executive board in the kitchen with me, wondering what was going on!!! It was hard enough taking this risk, but then doing it on display adds a whole crazy element. Ashley had come into the kitchen so that we could get started, and I turned on some classical music to give us a nice ambiance. You could hardly hear it over the hustle and bustle. This was supposed to be a "get to know you' experience, but with all the passers by, and the utter chaos, and the fact that I was cooking up a storm, I couldn't pay any attention to my guest, and it left little time for conversation.
I overcooked the omelettes.
Perhaps it was the ghee they were cooked in. Or the fact I was using unfamiliar pans and equipment. The salad turned out nice, with a simple dressing of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. The soup was delicious. I used the recipe from my superb, 'Joy of Cooking,' and it did not disappoint. The wheat and gluten free crackers were gross. Serves me right for just guessing with no taste test. We didn't even get to the fresh raspberries.
Ashley ate like a bird. Seriously, like two bites of her omelette. She seemed to like the soup and salad okay, though.
We had a nice conversation, where I learned she was doing her own, 'Happiness Project,' á la, Gretchen Rubin. So cool. She had taken the idea and made it her own. A month to explore religion, was planning a month for travel, a month for art, etc. Looking for what would really make her happy. Really, that's all we had time to discuss. The lunch hour was taken up with my prepping, and explaining to everyone who walked in what on earth we were doing.
Phew! It was hard. It kind of felt like a disaster, but was a great learning experience. I made an extra omelette and gave it to Jessica, who's desk is right by mine, and she said it was delicious :). What do I want to remember for next time? So many things.
1- Taste test all food before serving
2- Do a practice run to work out kinks and snags
3- Don't use unfamiliar products/equipment
4- Don't procrastinate
5- Be more prepared so the focus can be on the guest and not the food prep!
I am not extinguished, though. Until next time, friends, bon appétit!
