Reading, Writing, and Ravioli: Job Hunting, Baking, and Seahorses Galore

First of all, my apologies for the lack of recipe posts during these past few weeks—I was really busy with work and class, and I also dined out a lot and got a chance to enjoy some of my mom's cooking during my too-busy-to-cook days. I also just got back from a week-long trip to visit my boyfriend in Memphis (which included a few days in Nashville and Chattanooga). I'm booked up tomorrow and Sunday with work, but I've got the rest of this coming week mostly free, so stay tuned for one or two new recipes (I'm hoping to dive into some cookbooks that have been languishing on my bookshelf).

Just thought I'd share a little about what I've been up to during these busy weeks and share some pictures from my recent trip (I've got some great photos from the Tennessee Aquarium)...

So, first things first: I'm renewing my job search efforts (I'd love to be employed full-time and be out of the house by the end of the summer and I'm really eager to get more writing and editing experience during these next few months). I had a potential opportunity pop up a little while ago, but it fell through, so I'm back to researching and applying. It's proven a little tricky so far because I'm interested in publishing industry jobs (and really anything involving writing and editing) but I'm not looking in the usual places (NYC and a few other big cities). I'm definitely hopeful though and I'm utilizing any resources I can find (LinkedIn has been a great source for advice and job leads). And, of course, I'm still in love with the idea of working for a food-oriented publication, so I plan to send resumes to a few publications I've been researching just to see if there's any chance any of them are hiring.

As for my baking class, it's going pretty well! I'm definitely out of my element—baking is more precise and oftentimes, you use the same handful of ingredients for each recipe, but by applying them in different ways, you get different results, so it's a challenge being more restricted in the kitchen. I love the freedom of cooking—I like to ad lib, to play with ingredients, to try new flavor combinations. Baking is a little trickier, because every ingredient has a very particular role and action in whatever it is that you're making. But, all in all, I'm enjoying the challenge, and enjoying even more the chance to try all of the delicious treats we make during each class. So far, we've made an assortment of breads, danish, puff pastry, creme puffs, pies, and probably a few other things that I've since forgotten (the semester is already half over!). I work with a great group for class at a giant wooden table, surrounded by jars of honey, containers of vanilla, and pots of sprinkles and it's a lot of fun. Because I'm not sure when I'll get a full-time job, I haven't decided whether to sign up for any more courses in the future, but even if this is the last course I take, I'm so grateful to have had the chance to take some culinary classes and expand on my existing knowledge and skills.

Now for the fun!—During my trip to Tennessee, my boyfriend and I ate many wonderful things (sadly, I didn't take any pictures of our meals—shame on me!) and we got to see some great places, including the Parthenon in Nashville and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. My favorite meals? Angel Hair Pasta with Brown Butter and Mizithra Cheese from The Old Spaghetti Factory (I'm bound and determined to recreate this simple dish, if only I can find the cheese), a baby green salad with walnut-pesto vinaigrette from F. Scott's in Nashville (definitely going to try to make a similar dressing), and a great blue cheese burger from Huey's in Memphis. I'm also a big fan of a Nashville favorite: Fireball Whiskey (this liquor tastes like liquid Red Hots candy and that spicy heat actually cuts through the alcohol burn). During the trip, John and I ate sweet potato fries, hot wings, caramel ice cream, gyros, English pub food, and sushi, just to name a few more items on our trip's menu, and everything was delicious (so, let's face it, this was more like a food-cation than a vacation, haha). As for the places we saw, the aquarium was by far the best. I loved the huge assortment of jellyfish and seahorses, and the whole facility was so well designed! Check out some of the pictures from this visit...