That's What Bob's Cooking: Where have I been?

Friday, March 23, 2012

Where have I been?

Let me start off by saying, while I may not have been posting a lot lately, I have been experimenting with recipes, and Lord knows, I have been eating! That being said, in my personal life, I had a lot of time, so I decided to pick up another job, as my full time job, allows my afternoons and weekends off. So I put in a few applications, and waited, and waited…..finally I got a call back from a very interesting company out of Minnesota, that works exclusively with Target store. The store I would be assigned to, was directly on my way home from my first job. This job allows you to set your own hours with VERY few restrictions. It works SO well from me….well, as you know when it rains it pours. I was talking with one of my vendors I work with, at my full time job (prior to starting working at Target!), and mentioned that I might be looking at picking up a few hours here and there. He said that is exactly how he started with his company. I didn’t think much about it, and right after Christmas I got a call to start merchandising 1-2 stores on my way home, when I wasn’t working at Target, and Sunday morning too. Well, as it all works out together, it has kept me VERY busy….some might say even too busy to spend what I’m making, but that’s just crazy talk!

In addition to working 3 jobs, I am attempting to increase my catering business. Last year was a great starter year from me, perfect with my new career path, and before taking on multiple jobs. This year, it’s a little tougher. I’m trying to bid out 2 weddings and already have a reception booked, for this summer, and a wedding in December.

That brings me to part two of my personal life. My partner, of 12 years, has a growing interest in charity work. A friend of ours does a lot of fund raising with a local charity to raise money and visit Vietnam to disperse the raised funds to the needy and mainly children. Craig asked if he could photo journal and blog their trip. They were heading out March 1^st and would be gone for four weeks….let me repeat FOUR WEEKS. That would be the other reason for 3 jobs!

While he’s abroad, experiencing exotic things, and givin’ away money, I’ve been working on a few classic recipes, and something’s I don’t get while he’s around (He doesn’t eat 4 legged animals, just fish and poultry). So I’ve been making a few dishes that I remember having as a kid…..Porcupine Meatballs, Pot Roast, and the MOST amazing Tuna Noodle casserole (I’ll be making that one again!) I have also been working on a few desserts, outside of my comfort zone, which is pretty big!

Anyhow, I just wanted to update you followers, and let you know to keep an eye out, I will be posting a few dazzlers soon! And while you wait here are a few things I’ve found that I’ve really enjoy….check em’ out!

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My Complete Profile

I was born and raised on the East side of Portland Oregon, by two native and second generation, Oregonians, my Mom and Dad (Jack and Joan). Oregon, and the Northwest are deep in my blood. That being said, I have always had an interest in cooking. I would love to add a warm loving story here about how my Mom nurtured my love of cooking by setting me up on or near the counter top to help with whatever she was cooking. Well, that's not exactly the case.

Being a child of the 70's and 80's, I had a great exposure to classic foods like Spam, Tang, Rice-a-Roni and Hamburger Helper. While many of these premade, sodium roller coaster, treats where regulars on our table, my Mom would have to hold the title as "casserole queen". Casseroles are her favorite and her specialty. Whereas, my Dad was more of a spur of the moment kind of cook. His creations included many of the items from our makeshift pantry. Sometimes, i think he was thinking, "the more ingredients, the better it'll be!". I think my first attempt at cooking would have to have been making cookies, either peanut butter (with the criss-cross fork tine print on top), or chocolate chip cookies. Over the years I have made so many of both of these recipes, I have surely lost count.

During middle school, my Mom encouraged me to take Home Economics, thinking that all kids, boy or girl, should know how to cook out in this world. This sparked a growing interest in cooking. So when I entered my junior year of High School, at David Douglas, I enrolled in the culinary arts program, we called it Food Services I. This was a class that had been offered many years before, where the students ran a restaurant, The Kilt, during the lunch periods. Unfortunately, since the class had not been offered in several years, so we didn’t have enough students to open the restaurant, that year. Within the first few weeks of this class, my instructor asked if I'd like to be involved in an outside "club" (kind of like a version of Eagle Scouts) that was mentored by local business owners. It sounded interesting so I joined (not to mention it got me out of the first 2 periods of the day).

At our first meeting I was approached by Sylvia Poesdel, the owner of the Portland landmark restaurant, Sylvia's Italian Restaurant & Dinner Theatre. She asked me if I would be interested in an afterschool job, coming to work for her to learn the cooking/chef trade on the job. I jumped at the chance and started in October of 1985. During my senior year I rejoined the culinary arts program (Food Services II) and this year we were able to reopened the restaurant, which the rest of the students voted me to manage. I just absolutely loved it! I worked at Sylvia's until after I graduated, in 1989. I learned a lot about the restaurant industry, and I would have to say it would be one of just a few life altering jobs I have had throughout my career.

After high school, while I was working at Sylvia's, I applied to culinary arts school. The Two things kept me from continuing my career in culinary arts, were financial and having worked out in the field, I saw so many negative attributes to being a chef, I decided that since I love to cook, I wanted it to be a hobby, and not a drag to go work each day.

When I left Sylvia's, I worked at a hotel, then Safeway. From there I joined Fred Meyer in the Service Deli, and was quickly promoted to a manager. During the next 8 years, I worked throughout the Portland and Southern Oregon areas. In 1998, I earned a promotion to the regional specialist position (District Manager) in Seattle. During this career move, I learned so much about the Food Service industry. I was charged to develop a new service salad case program, as well as work on a new catering program. I had the opportunity to work with manufacturers to develop these new programs.

In 2000, I met the love of my life, Craig. I also, moved from the food service program to the grocery department as an assistant manager. In the capacity I learned to develop my management skills as well as managing inventory. By being the best in my category, I earned the position of manager, where I moved from store to store cleaning up and reorganizing as I went. I also was entrusted with training future Food managers for the region. At which point I was pursued by another company to run a store for them, and enter back into the restaurant industry. During these 3 years, I learned the Restaurant Supplier side of the business. While I enjoyed the time I spent in this opportunity, I yearned to go back to the Grocery industry, and spend more time with my first love, cooking, and writing about my adventures….in the kitchen!