From the depths of despair to cooking up a storm!

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It was the last week in February, and I'd come to a decision that I needed to tell my new housemates that, it looked like, I would be moved out by Easter. No opportunities on the work front had arisen and I needed to focus on an exit plan. In fairness, they were all offering to help and sending me information about any job advertised, from different places they came across. On one of the days, I received a message through about a shop girl needed in the $2 shop located just round the corner from where I live. I grabbed my CV and went round. The lady in the shop was very nice and said they would let me know the following day. I'm not sure why I decided to continue up the street and into the Little Peckish Cafe, but this is where it all changed for me and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. 😊 I walked in to this fairly large cafe located in the middle of a small arcade and enquired about any positions going. From there I had a conversation with the owner 'Maggie' who's name, I only got as I was leaving. We chatted easily together and I explained my past work experience, highighting, I was quick to learn, passionate about food and loved to plan and prioritise things. All key requirements, as it turned out to be a 'Kitchen Assistant'. I left there with a secured trial, two days later. I could not stop grinning. A work opportunity at last, in an environment I had a passion for. I turned up at the Cafe at 8:00am on the Friday morning full of nervous anticipation. It had been a while since I'd been in a work environment and at least 20 years since I'd been in a cafe one. The 'Cafe' was already a buzz with customers enjoying a coffee and some breakfast before facing the day ahead. It had a nice vibe and that low level hum created from general chit chat to those catching up on the phone. I entered through the large open front and made my way to the back were I spied 'Maggie'. First up, the cold counter offerings needed to be made up and placed ready for the customers to choose their takeaway lunch options. This consisted of a mix of sandwiches, turkish breads, ficelles, bagels and three different flavoured quiche. Each with their own mix of flavours and ingredients, all to be created a set way. My brain was on fire, information being blasted at every synapse, hungry to take it all in. I suddenly felt useful again. I couldn't get enough. The role would involve this creation every day, including making pastry, quiche mix and fillings along with baking them and presenting them in the cabinet. Maggie was so enthusiatic and an encyclopeadic wealth of baking knowledge, which was all at my finger tips, to now learn. I could not believe my luck. I had wanted to find something, that I could use my creative side in and this was exactly the opportunity I needed. Better still, her husband was GF and she had some fantastic recipies that would be suitable for me. Once the cold counter was filled, there was no time to waste. We now concentrated on what other items would be needed. For example cake batters to be weighed and placed ready to go, dressings to be made up for the salads and sandwiches, sandwich fillings to be created, batter for the ricotta and cougette fritters. The list was endless and my eyes lit up. The expectation is that I would eventually learn and complete all these. The role had another part to it aswell. I would also aid the chef 'T', a young guy who was quiet with a dry sense of humour. Perfect! This place even came with banter!!! He's great, and I'm going to learn alot from him. My role with 'T' is to help during a busy service were I will plate side salads and prepare other simple aspects of the dish like poached eggs, wilted spinach, morrocan kebabs, rice etc. Other dishes are all me, for example 'Smashed Avo' and 'Mount Salmon'. This was the really fun bit were you certainly need your wits about you. My trial lasted 6 hours and I couldn't believe how fast the time had flown. I was buzzing with excitement and loved every minute. The good news, 'Maggie' invited me back, the job was mine if I wanted it. It would be 18 hours a week, to start, 8am-2pm Monday to Wednesday. I did! Ideally it would have loved full time, but given 'Maggie' had taken a chance on me when no-one else had, she had my full commitment and I would just have to look for something else to subsidise it. Athough what I would earn, would easily cover my rent, but not so much my bar bills aswell! 😉 Still the pressure was now off. My official first day of work in NZ started on Monday 29th February 2016. That week, I worked 30 minutes more on Monday, Tuesday, 'Maggie' left me crack on whilst she had her grandson and Wednesday she presented me with a contract and upped my wages by another $1 an hour. I was made up!!! In my first week, I had made all sorts and I couldn't wait to come back. The week had appeared to have gone by more quickly, as it does when you work. St Davids day passed me by and in New Zealand signified the start of Autumn as stated on every channel. I couldn't believe it, as two days earlier, I had got slightly cremated at the beach. The weather changed and it became alot cooler, even with some rain. In my days off, I took in some retail therapy now I was earning and treated myself to a couple of nice tops and dresses. I was pleased how my body had coped with a fairly manual job, going from one based at a desk and now being stood for 6 hours. I suppose my role is now so diverse and quick paced, you dont get time to think about it and maybe with all the travel, Im actually fitter now, than I've ever been. Monday soon came round again and my four days off, vanished. Two in a blur as usual after having been out Friday and Saturday. I had made some new friends and this was another example where the world is so small. Through one of the meet ups, I met an american lady called 'Tracy', who now lives in New Zealand. Incredibly, we have a mutual friend. Tracy only knows, none other that 'Duffman' my recent tour leader after taking a trip with him some years ago around the 'Red Centre'. Given 'Duffman is now touring New Zealand and often pops into Wellington, we've decided to catch up for a drink, next time he's in town. I arrived at work, raring to go feeling quite upbeat but when I got there, my mind went blank. Well four days off will do that! 😉 I pulled myself together and got on with the cold counter offerings but these bloody sandwiches and rolls were going to be my achillies heel. I felt like I was taking an age with them. There was just so many ingredients and they were all slightly different, I was losing my mind. It hadn't helped that Maggie wanted all the ingredients in front of me, for all of them, at the sametime which just confused me. Afterwards I asked if she minded if I came up with my own way of working, the end result would be the same but I needed some order to this process!!! Maggie was fine with my request and obviously not bothered (as I constantly berated myself) so much so, she left mid morning to attend some meetings. This gave me some confidence that she was obviously comfortable with what I was doing. My service training with 'T' was getting better and he'd even given a complimentary report to Maggie when I worked with him solely on Tuesday. I'd also started to anticipate us running out of items and written a list for Maggie's attention. It felt so good, to be using my brain again. I'm sure it was beginning to turn to mush before this. 😉 Better yet, my second week, I scored an extra shift on the Thursday and Maggie had made a GF Chocolate Cake which she had kept me some to sample. It was amazing, so moist, chocolately and light as a feather. I bought my very own baking journal to take notes and recipies to help me learn and maintain all the good tips and tricks I'm being taught by both 'Maggie' and 'T' and I can't wait to get the Chocolate Cake recipe from her. It had been another fantastic week and I was loving every minute. In my spare time, I was still keeping an eye on other part time positions but was really hoping to get full time at Peckish! Time would tell, but for now, I needed to keep my head down, focus, take it all in and deliver on the goods! Another weekend was upon me and this time, it consisted of meeting up with Alan and the gang on Friday evening in town including JR's son Morgan, who was visiting for the weekend. The temperature had certainly dropped and it was the first time that I suddenly felt my 10 months of summer, was finally coming to an end. I had even positioned myself right next to the fire in 'Bangalore', to warm up, it was so cold. The following evening I attended a 'Pot Luck' dinner located at Alan's where Sue was celebrating, she had been there for a year. Luckily I got to enjoy some more creamed Paua accompanied with Kina after JR and Morgan had been diving earlier that day. It was a great evening and I met somemore really lovely people from the 'Meet Up' group. Following that I went to bed for a few hours before getting up at 4:15am to make my way to the Welsh Bar to see the Wales-Engalnd game that started at 5am NZ time. It wasn't the best result and dissapointing that they only started to really play ten minutes from the end. Still the atmosphere it created in the last ten minutes was fab. It also made for a great breakfast consisting of G&T and some scrambled egg that the landlady, bless her, cooked for me given I couldn't eat the pies at half time. With kindness like that, I'd be silly not to pop in more often! Obviously, not on a work night though!!! 😉



A New Zealand favourite - GF Ricotta fritters with Courgette or Corn.

Ingredients:

3 eggs seperated

240g Ricotta

2 TBSP Parmesan

50g Rice Flour ( other flour can be used, Rice Flour just makes it GF)

30g melted butter

1 bunch chopped fresh Parsley

Salt and Pepper to season

2 Courgettes or 1 tin of Sweetcorn



Method

Combine 3 egg yolks, ricotta, parmesan, melted butter, parsley in a bowl. Season and beat with a spoon to combine.

Whisk egg whites in a seperate bowl until you obtain soft peaks

Gently fold the egg white mixture into the original bowl of mixed ingredients until a nice light batter is formed.

If using courgette, grate or alternatively add a tin of drained sweetcorn into the batter mix.

Place spoonfuls in a heated , lightly oiled frying pan, cooking through and turning once.



These are great served with a fresh salad containing beetroot and goats cheese. Hope you enjoy.x

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Comments

[Beth Cowdry]

Yay work!
Synapse... oooh get you! So happy that you have found a job doing something that you have a real passion for and you haven't ended up 'walking the streets' ? Bonus on the GF. No longer an out of work lay about. You won't know what's hit you! Looking forward to all the recipes as well ? Keep up the good work ? Bxx

[Valley Girl on Tour]

What do you mean 'out of work lay about' ? ?? I've still been busy! ?