why, when i said that i hate fiona apple with a passion, did my coworker put in one of her cd's? her logic defies me. thank god for kevin's music collection that i've slowly been copying onto my shoddy laptop. today, everything midtown is sounding really good. and if i turn it up loud enough, it drowns out all of fiona's lumbering complaints.

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last night was another spontaneous, simple culinary success starring the organic vegetables i got from my CSA box: grilled veggie sandwiches with fresh pesto and mozzarella and a mixed greens salad tossed in french vinaigrette and topped with nearly-translucent slices of pink radishes and chopped green onion. mmm. aaron was floored...bwahaha! this dinner was my retort to the feast of sweet potato and red bean curry and vegan potato salad that he made a few weeks ago for me. the pressure's back on him :)

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a little update...in late may i went back to chicago for a few days for my brother's wedding..which was beautiful. i saw kevin o. for a while..he brilliantly chose to take me to this amazing vegan korean restaurant where i gladly burned my lips on the kimchee stir fry...it was so good. the rest of the day we spent musing about life and relationships and our mutual social inadequacies...as usual. i love that kid. i am so lucky to have a friend like him.

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upon my return to california i was assaulted with calls about part-time pastry opportunities and within a day of being back, i had two interviews set up...one at a well-known san francisco restaurant for a plating position and one at Frog Hollow's Farm Shop for baking pastries and such.first was the restaurant...despite intense nervousness beforehand, I did really well in the kitchen. Plating cheesecakes with lemon sauce, pistachio brittle and candied lemon peel...profiteroles with coffee ice cream and chocolate sauce...torching creme brulees...scooping ice creams and sorbets...rushing to set up a party platter...within two hours I was offered the job. I'd be earning a whopping $10/hour to plate solo on the two deadest nights of the week. I thanked the chef and, honestly, told her that I needed to clear it with my boss and that I'd get back to her the next night. it didn't take me long to decide that i didn't want to work there, regardless of whether or not my boss would be okay with my taking a second job. at the tryout, i had been really disappointed with the quality of the desserts, the style of presentation, and the handling of the ingredients...as well as with the overall energy of the place. it just lacked. i guess i was spoiled from working one month as an extern in the kitchen at a better-known restaurant in the city...but i was looking for that passion, that drive that i felt as an extern...and it just was not there. so i declined the offer.

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the next morning, i stumbled out of bed, threw on my trusty cutoffs, jean jacket and gym shoes, drove to sf, and pushed my way through the yuppies and eco-divas at the Ferry Building to the SlowFood movement and chemistry...then scheduling myself to come in the next monday to tryout. the tryout was simple...I threw a few pastries in the oven, egg washed and sugared the day's stock of cherry turnovers...and by 8:00 a.m. on Monday, I had my second job offer of the week: $11/hour to work early Sunday and Monday mornings at the pastry shop of one of the most well respected organic fruit farms in the country. wahoo! this one i accepted.