liamsaunt

My first food related job was at age 15, waiting tables and the counter at a "family restaurant" that specialized in burgers had homemade ice cream. We had to wear old fashioned blue waitress dresses like the ones the girls wore on Twin Peaks (but without the hats). We also had to wear white aprons that tied in the back with big fluffy bows. The gross old guys that hung out at the coffee counter during the day would always lean over and untie my apron strings and make comments. I was 15 for Pete's sake. I quit as soon as I turned 16 and was old enough to work at the movie theater in town. Next food jobs were all in college. Freshman year I worked in the largest dining hall on campus, running the same industrial dishwasher that @rotuts has described. It was hot and messy, but I did not mind it. That summer, I stayed at college and waited tables at a diner in town. It was fine. I don't remember much about it to be honest. Sophomore year, I worked in a dining hall again, but this time in the vegetarian dining hall, doing all the prep work for the salad station. I liked that job. The work area was chilly and I was by myself. Junior year, I moved into a dorm on campus that had its own dining hall for residents of the dorm only. I was the vegetarian lunch cook. I was not allowed to pick the recipes, just execute the dishes that had been decided upon by the chef. I worked alone on the food though. I remember that a lot of the recipes were from the Moosewood Cookbook, but scaled up. That was a crazy dorm and a wacky time. The dorm (and the dining room) always smelled like pot. People used to chant my name while coming through the lunch line to get food. 🤣 The chef in charge was always hung over and screamed a lot. Luckily for me, he would come in and start the meat entree after my vegetarian food was in the oven and I had cleaned up, so we did not interact much. After that experience I moved on to office work for the rest of my working career.

I've been taking pictures but keep forgetting to post them the next morning. Here are some from this past week. Ricotta, spinach and arugula malfatti with roasted beet sauce, toasted pine nuts, and roasted broccolini Asparagus, shiitake mushroom, bell pepper, and cashew stir fry Tonkatzu chicken with smashed cucumber salad and rice Braised cod with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, and basil Miso salmon bowl with roasted bok choy and napa cabbage. There's some broth and noodles buried under the fish too

Some recent dinners. Broccoli pasta Chicken tacos Noodle bowl with napa cabbage, bok choy, spinach, cilantro, and jammy egg Tomato braised cauliflower with raisins, feta, and mint

Pizza night. Carbonara Mushroom

Stir fried chicken, broccoli and peppers in a sweet and spicy sauce with rice

Broiled gnocchi with spinach and corn in a pesto cream sauce with basil on top

Gingery chicken and rice soup with cilantro and chile crisp

Thanks for the report, always nice to see the Provincetown views from where you stay.

Saturday, sticky chicken wings with broccoli, rice, and cream cheese wontons Sunday I did not feel like cooking a big dinner so we just had sandwiches. Everyone made what they wanted. I only took a picture of mine, which was a mushroom cheesesteak. Husband had a burger, sister had a caprese, and niece just ate leftovers from Saturday before heading to skating practice. Last night, rigatoni with spicy turkey meatballs

Orzo with kale and Parmesan, topped with some sautéed chicken marinated in lemon and garlic.

Another recipe from Milk Street, the World in a Skillet. Stir fried eggplant and sweet peppers with miso. I added some spinach to bump up the veggie variety. I would have preferred a spicier dish (hence all the sriracha on my rice) but my sometimes spice averse niece really liked it.

We were in Falmouth until Friday. The house we were in was right on a seawall. We had a mild storm while there and the waves were already coming over the wall and into the yard then. I can only imagine what happened during the nor'easter! I didn't bother with a food report since most meals were pretty blah, with the exception of Water Street Kitchen in Woods Hole. I am sure you are having better eats out there in Provincetown. Enjoy the blustery beach for me! 🙂

Monday, spicy bucatini with olives and capers Last night, a recipe from the final issue of Cook's Country magazine for chipotle-lime chicken and rice with pickled radishes, served with a big salad

It could be a nostalgia thing. Where I went to college, the most popular pizza place used to make pizzas with crazy toppings, and we all thought they were the greatest thing ever. My favorite had tortellini on it! I am sure if I ate it now I would get sick haha Last night, another recipe from Milk Street's The World in a Skillet: sweet and savory skillet steamed eggplant. Everyone really liked this one too, the eggplant was very creamy and flavorful.

Chicken thighs marinated in zaatar, yogurt, and garlic and grilled, with a big salad, rice pilaf, and flatbread