It's Challenge Garlic

Yeah, I'm still here.   You try working nothing but numbers in a P&L account and watch said numbers go down in flames and still find something witty and charming to write about.  I come home at the end of the day and immediately proceed to the confines of flannel for solace.  It's disturbing on so many levels.

While we all seem to be running ourselves ragged at work, the sales numbers, particularly the cateing sales numbers are simply not producing themselves.  Ways to increase actual sales at the stations but catering sales is a whole different animal.  No way to force people to cater their breakfast meeting.  Those days of continental breakfast ordered in for 4 people to discuss what side of the campus should have the first speed bump are over.  Now it's 'grab a coffee on the way in if you want'.  So, when I hear people asking me for a deal on the price of a bagel I tend to curl my toes and smile and mention how much I never did mind about the little things.

And speaking of shooting daggers from my eyes.....apparently spanikopita is a casserole.   It must be so...a culinary student said it.  Chef was serving a spinach pie - a very large spanikopita when you really get down to business (which is phyllo dough, spinach, feta cheese and enough butter to tan a full sized body) when a very large in a Baby Hewey sort of way student commented on how much he loved casseroles.  Chef and I looked at each other and I asked if he just called the spanikopita a casserole.  He proceeded to explain to me that since it has a crust it's a casserole.  Since I was willing to agree that some things with crusts could be considered casseroles that happen to have crusts, he took it to mean that I was bowing to his genius.  Flummoxed, I was silented by his girth and stupidity, and finally, by his boorishness.   "you can take my word for it", he stated...."I'm a culinary student".  Oh, then, in that case, let me get the hell out of my position right now, a culinary student clearly knows more about the business that I do.  Both Chef and I  were of a same mind - this kid is in for a rude awakening.  I'd pay more than the average dollar to be there when he goes for his first professional interview, or better yet, his first day on the job.  Oh, to have to watch him peel 50 pounds of red onions just for shits and giggles..   What a dope.

As for tonight, it's Battle Garlic.  I'm making roasted garlic gnocchi with pork short ribs.  I'll tell you all about it over there on that facebook place.   That's where the pictures will end up, anyway.

Is it cocktail time yet?