from a friend.....

*** my random emails from a friend.. you made a girl smile today.. hugsss ***

Ok fine, I'll humor you. I dunno about summer goddesses though, but we'll see

close your eyes and let me paint you a picture....

You with your wine, me with my scotch, enjoying the high of 26, enjoying each others company, chilling in downtown by the water, watching the sunset, talking about anything and everything... People walking around, the everyday city noise on the road, all this does not matter, because we are both intoxicated with each other... the moments seems so surreal and yet no inhibitions whatsoever cloud our thoughts... except hoping the night would not end...

musings of coupling

Being together was such a good idea, at one point it was the epitome of perfection. Enjoying each other's company, wishing for the end of a work day to come home and simply be together was fun...

Then everything changed and separation sinked in.. It became a sad thought and a puzzle more than anything else to equate you and i being together as a good idea. Now it doesn't make sense, it has become such an oddity, one wonders how it was ever possible...

In an inebriated state maybe, the oddity would become clear. Before that moment sinks in however, I'll scratch my head and ask why???

Slow cooker adventure

Here is my first attempt roasting a 3lb chicken in my beloved slow cooker. I volunteered to make our girls night out meal last Saturday for my friends but of course I didn’t want to slave in the kitchen all day and my slow cooker was fast becoming a big and heavy paperweight in my kitchen counter top. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to put it into good use.

The menu I decided was simple yet elegant which I thought was the theme of the entire night.

Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon Roasted Chicken
Asparagus with Prosciutto
Mushy peas with mint

The chicken took about 8 hours including 1 hour prep time and I was able to make the other 2 dishes in 30 minutes with plenty of time to clean up before my chickas arrived. The house smelled like Swiss Chalet threw a party at my place and it was good! Haha!

Bonus was making homemade chicken stock using the slow cooker again with the carcass that was left after the chicken was picked clean by my friends (I guess it’s a good sign that they liked it. Lol!) My brother promised he’ll use it when he makes Tinola later this week.. Yey!! One chicken, 2 meals, you can’t ask anything more than that..

I wish I have a better quality picture but here it is..

my hand

All I can give you is my hand in friendship, that is all that I have, that is all that I need...

If you accept, I will lay the world at your feet..

For friendship is what's most precious to me..

Now and always

Butter Love Affair

Talk about having a hit of the munchies.. I’ve been craving a mélange of tastes, textures, aromas for the past 2 days, I can use the “I’m PMSing excuse” so I’ve been going on a whirlwind gastronomic adventure for the past 2 days and I’m not complaining.

Last Sunday, after suffering most of the day with a really bad hang-over, and I admit I was tempted to whip up a blood mary to ease my queasy tummy, instead I ended up passed out in the couch until late afternoon. When I woke up, I wanted something simple, fast and wouldn’t cause another riot in my already sensitive tummy. The obvious answer a pasta dish.

I ended up making spaghetti with sage infused brown butter. I’ve never had brown butter sauce before. My pasta experience has always been either tomato or cream based sauces, but I wasn’t craving for either and I didn’t want to do all the work. The 2 main criteria I had were simple and fast. Coincidentally I the food network channel on (when don’t I have the food network channel on.. lol) and it featured a brown butter sauce. It was perfect, I had to try it out.

Spaghetti in Brown Butter Sauce
Good for 2 servings

¼ lb of spaghetti
3 tbsp of butter
10 – 12 leaves of sage
Juice of ½ a small lemon
Fresh cracked black pepper
Generous serving of freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook the spaghetti as per package directions.
Melt the butter over medium heat
Add sage leaves and let it fry gently on the butter
Cook butter until it turns a hazelnut brown
Add the lemon juice to stop the cooking process
Pour over hot spaghetti
Add a couple twists of your pepper mill
And top generously with parmesan cheese

Bon Appetito!!
It was nutty, cheesy, and the taste of lemon gave a burst of freshness that was utterly delightful. It was a cornucopia of tastes that left me completely satisfied. The best thing is I didn’t have to spend a cent because I had all these things in my pantry. Try it out, you won’t regret it.

Monday night was a different story, I wanted seafood and there was a special sale at my local fishmonger for Dungeness Crab. I brought home a couple and started to make another simple and delightful dish. I simply boiled the crab for 20 mins in salted water, there wasn’t any reason for me to do anything fancy with it. But I brought my dipping butter to another level. I usually add a splash of orange juice when I make lemon butter but I ran out and there was no way that I’d go to the store to buy OJ, I went through my pantry and there was a bottle of grand mariner, orange liqueur in butter, why not!?!? It came out amazing..

Citrus Butter Dipping Sauce

2 tbsp butter
½ tbsp lemon
½ tsp grand mariner

In a microwave safe bowl, slowly melt the butter in defrost temperature every 30 seconds.
When butter is completely melted add lemon and grand mariner and mix thoroughly
Heat again for another 30 seconds
Serve alongside Crab, steamed
baby bok choy in oyster sauce and hot rice..

YUMMMOOOO!!!

My only comment for this butter dish is try the unsalted kind, now I know why chef’s prefer to use unsalted butter because as soon as the butter started to cool down the salt crystallized and what’s left in the dish was citrus flavored salt instead of butter. I could’ve gone all the way and made clarified butter, but I can always save that for next time I get hit with the munchies and satisfy my palate with butter sauces.

Christmas Miracle

I'm unfortunately past the age where miracles and surprises come wrapped in a box with a pretty red bow. Whenever I get the chance to reinvent myself, pick up from the rut that I've been living and breath a sigh of relief because it wasnt too late to do what's right.. that is my idea of a miracle.. I think its a bit more special now that christmas time is here because this is a season of hope.. For better things, for a better life and a better future..

ho! ho! ho!

Working with a Recruiter series.. Part One

I come from a country where the term recruiter conjures up images of a sleazy fly-by-night operative of someone who’s out to con you. Sadly there are still those who take advantage of people who don’t know any better and it makes my blood boil that these people tarnish a respectable profession and make things a lot harder for us headhunters who take pride in what we do.

I’m here for 2 reasons, one to show that not all recruiters are con-men, there are a lot of us who find pride with our chosen profession, and we do follow strict standards of morals and ethics when dealing with our candidates and clients. And my 2nd reason is to give some tips and advice on how to best navigate the chaos of a labour market, and how to choose the right person to lead the way for your benefit.

First part of this series is probably the best and most important advice that I can give anyone. Always find a recruiter that you feel most comfortable with. Someone you can trust and depend on to help you with your career.

You wouldn’t go to just any corner lawyer or banker to get advice on your legal issues or financial matters would you? I’d bet a million bucks that you go to that particular banker or lawyer because you’ve developed a relationship with them, they’re someone in your professional network that know you and in turn they’re someone you trust and you can turn to for advice.

Same thing with your recruiter, this should be a person that you can depend on to help you with your career. You need to be able to trust this person with your dreams, your goals and ambitions. This relationship is not a one time meet and greet and hope for the best. You need to take time to get to know each other and connect once in a while to give updates on what’s going on from your end.

Working as a recruiter for a number of years now, I’ve developed a lot of professional relationships within my network where I can call on people when I have a new position that comes my way because I’ve met them, I know what’s important for them and with their profiles I can make the best match.

It’s such a humbling experience to hear that I’ve helped someone find that right position for them in their career development, 99% of the time they’re the people that I’ve met, people I’ve created a relationship with and I took the time to know what they’re looking for and what motivates them. And like I said it works both ways, they’re the type of candidates who took the time to get to know my style of work and strategize on what’s right for them. Between a star candidate that I’ve met and some person that I talked to on the phone, I always, ALWAYS remember the people that I’ve met and prioritize them with any new opportunity that comes my way.

Go ahead, take 20 minutes of your time to go and meet a recruiter, find the right one that works for you and believe me, those 20 minutes will pay in dividends for years to come.

Ps. Don’t you pay your lawyer and doctor when you go to them for advice. You get advice from your recruiter for free and if you play your cards right