perks of the job

hello! i won't bother to make excuses for myself - when i started this blog, i was essentially a secretary in an office i loved but didn't find very satisfying, and i've since bounced from job to job, remaining unsatisfied - until now. this blog served as a fantastic means of creative expression, a way to force myself to do what i love even though i wasn't getting paid for it - it's rather bittersweet that i've found a job now that is so fulfilling, where i get to be as creative as i can muster and do what i love all day long. it's a wonderful feeling, but leaves me feeling somewhat drained when i come home in the afternoon, and blogging has lost some of its urgency, for lack of a better term, for me - it's almost as if my job has become my creative outlet, and blogging has become more of a job. a job that i love, but one that i've been pretty awful about keeping up with.

so, anyway, here's an attempt at getting back on the horse. one of the things i was sad to leave at my last job was the freedom to wear whatever i liked. i've worked in bakeries before, and it's more a case of dressing for comfort that style - and i'm okay with that, but i do miss my fancy shoes and vintage dresses. so i've been rather delighted to find that the other girls who i share a kitchen with are unendingly chic while managing to be kitchen-appropriate. i've taken to wearing lipstick, tights and dresses with an apron careful placed over them; or on more low-key days, something like this:



shirt: j crew
pants: cheap monday
shoes: vintage, thrifted
belt: asos

another fantastic perk is that the bakery is the sister-store of a wonderful organic market, which is right across the street; i'm able to get off work, walk across and head straight to the meat counter, to see what's freshest and talk to the butcher about the best way to prepare it. last thursday it was a lamb, and the butcher recommended i bring half the neck home and braise it with a rub and some vegetables. it's not something i would ever make - for whatever reason, my cooking preferences tend towards extremely fussy, involved dinners - but i followed his advice and it turned out absolutely divine.








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braised lamb's neck

1/2 neck of lamb
a rub of spices - i used kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, ground fennel seed, coriander, paprika, rubbed sage and fresh garlic
your choice of vegetables - i used what i had lying around: a leek, two potatoes, and a handful of cherry tomatoes
red wine and chicken stock, for braising
a pat of butter, for browning the meat

start the butter in a pan - once hot, add the meat, and cook for a couple of minutes on each side - just long enough to brown it. transfer it to a slow cooker with the veggies inside, and add enough chicken stock and wine to come halfway up the top of the meat. braise on high for at least three hours, or up to six. i served mine with a simple greens salad, tossed with some parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and topped with a poached egg. (i'm pretty much topping everything with a poached egg these days.)




i have such a backlog of food to post, i'll do my best to stay on top of it this time! much love to all of you for sticking with me, and hoping you've had a great 2012 thus far.

xo audrey

clad in plaid

monday, monday. had to wake up briefly this morning at the ungodly hour of 6 am to help sam out the door; i pretty promptly fell back asleep until about 10 am, woke up, had some cereal and coffee and a few pages of john lennon: the life, a brick of a book that i'm about halfway through and can't get enough of. if you are any kind of beatles fan, or just like a well-written biography (a rare enough book, in my experience) i can't recommend it enough.

after posting yesterday i had a nice supper of falafel with all the fixings and then settled down with a nice belgian beer, my boy and big trouble in little china. i know i can't shut up about how good life is, but man, domestic bliss is kind of awesome. i love my apartment and i've become such a homebody lately, but in a way that somehow doesn't feel sad or lame. i am very ready for winter and the excuse to sequester myself in my cosy apartment for a couple of months.



shirt: actually a dress, by esley, i bought it in portland (you can see the full thing here)
skirt: bought from that amazing thrift store outside of philly
belt: also from said thrift store
necklace: ebay
bow tie: one of my shoe clips
shoes: devotte
socks: american apparel

today i'm sending off resumés to as many restaurants as i can find via my school jobs board, then making a list of dream bakeries in brooklyn, the plan being to stop in personally and attempt to charm them into giving me a job. this couple of months of worklessness has been fun, no doubt, but it's time to wake up from the fairy tale and get back to real life.

currently jamming to mayer hawthorne, passed on to me by a good chicago friend. great, motown-y sound with a more modern edge; two thumbs up. to summarize, i recommend reading the john lennon biography, perhaps while listening to mayer hawthorne, drinking duvel and watching big trouble in little china. you won't be disappointed.

until tomorrow,

xo audrey

move, movers, moving, moved

what. a. week. it has been, already.

first of all, i want to apologize to (and pour some out for) my fellow weardrobers, who all went out last night (well, tuesday night, i guess it is technically thursday here) in manhattan and. . . well, i guess i don't know exactly what they got to do, because i didn't make it. i really, reallllly wanted to; it would be so cool to meet you guys in person, and if ever i needed a cocktail it was last night, but it also happened to coincide with my moving day, which, as they tend to do, continued late into the night until i was dirty and sweater and had been splashed with mop water and slammed my shins on various boxes/wall corners/bathtubs. but it was absolutely not a waste of a night, in fact it was quite a good one: at 7 pm i splashed some water on my face, threw on some mascara, slipped on a blue church and state blouse (but, hellll no, no pictures) and went over to a restaurant near my apartment to talk to the executive chef about becoming their pastry chef.

the surprise? i got the job.

okay, it starts off really small - two days a week, pay not worth writing home about (although it did warrant a quick phone call,) but i get to do WHATEVER I WANT. i am the dessert chef. it's just me. that means i get to make a menu of whatever i want to do. i get in before every one else and have a few hours to blanchir and slice and cuire a blanc to my heart's desire. my menu for this coming week: (i start next tuesday)

french apple pie
fresh cherry pie
peach cobbler
(all of those will be served a la mode, optionally)
coconut creme caramel with raspberry basil garnish
blackberry brioche bread pudding with vanilla creme anglais

okay, so i have to make 3 pies or cobblers, and one has to be apple, so i don't get full control. still. i am really excited about the last two, although i am trying to keep everything pretty simple this first week so i don't overextend myself and get my feel of the kitchen. but, man, guys. this is like a dream for me. i can't believe how quickly this fell into place. this is huge. i am a happy, blessed girl.

and just now, after dragging an 80 pound bag of laundry 6 blocks down the street with a 35 pound duffle bag on my shoulder, i leaned against the counter and took a photo, because i may be sweaty, but i'm sweatin' in style.



shirt: anthropologie (and vanessa's)
jeans: cheap monday
shoes: a gift from the lovely and thoughtful amy!

tomorrow morning i leave for california for 5 whole days!! and by tomorrow morning i mean i have to be in a car in 7 hours. and i should probably pack and go to sleep.

i am bringing my camera and swear to be better about posting this week. . .

much love!

xo audrey