Oh lovely day

April 10, 2010

Hello to you an a spectacular Saturday morning in Asheville. Last night was a bit chilly so I put blankets on the columbines I just planted. This morning I uncovered them. I might have to repeat tonight, but it promises to be a nice day and that sun will make the flowers come out. Bees love columbine, I hear. This year everything in my garden will be for them. Yee ha!

I go to Indianapolis this week to talk to a bike club about last spring’s cross-country ride. I still can’t believe I did that ride. Amazing to think that at this time last year I was in Texas. Whew! (Did I tell you I’m going to ride from North Dakota to Maine? 2011. Whee!)

And when I get back things crank up around here. We are headed into our busy season. I’m “omelet babe” for a Bat Mitzvah next weekend and then I head to Rhode Island for a board meeting for Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. We have a good string of weddings on the calendar, many of which I’ll help cook or serve. What fun.

But the very best thing right now is the pleasure of my garden and yard. This is the very best time of year. I have been cleaning out garden beds, one section at a time. On Wednesday I went to the nursery, cashed in the remains of a gift card, loaded up my car with herbs and geraniums and new toys and headed home. My pup helped me weed and watched as I gave the lawns their first mowing. Last weekend a fellow from here helped me move some heavy plants and a stone bench. On Thursday afternoon I dug around and smoothed things out and stuck those new things in the soft earth just before that lovely soaking rain came on Friday.

Now I go home, open the door and just leave it open as I putter around the kitchen. Almost everything in my house has now been dusted (I’m not the best housekeeper, but things are pretty tidy right now) and I am feeling clear and filled with that spring air.

My bees are settling into their new homes in my front yard. I’m getting more bees soon and have been assembling more bee hive parts in the early evenings. This is a calming thing to do. Listening to old-time music, tapping hive bodies and honey super frames together. Tye settles in next to me and all is good.

The other night I got to meet the man who made my bike. He’s one of my heroes and I gushed to him about my bike adventures, past and future. He probably hears that all the time but I felt very special, talking to the person whose company has been so much a part of me in these past years. I just bought a new bike for the next round of adventures and, now that my garden is clean, the biking can commence in earnest.

This afternoon I am a judge at the first “Cupcakes for Cures” contest at the Grove Park Inn. 54 cupcakes. Yikes! I’m going to NEED a bike ride by the time I’m done with all those tastes.

It has been quite a week. Full. Good. I’m glad it is spring. In many ways. I’ll be in touch next week.

The Bees have arrived!

April, 2010

The birds’ songs are stronger and stronger at my home these days. They wake me up, perk me up, remind me that this chill is almost done, that spring says are just about here. Finally, I say. Finally.

The arrival of my bees highlighted this past week. I drove to Hendersonville last Sunday on a grey morning, wound up to the top of a mountain, and picked up my “nucs” (the nucleus of the hive.) Each nuc contained a queen and a whole bunch of bees, four frames loaded with workers, babies, a few drones, and a lot of promise.

I tucked the boxes into my car, trying not to be concerned about the few bees hanging on to the outside of the boxes. I need not have worried. All they wanted was to be inside those boxes. They were not at all interested in me.

We drove home, notifying my sister when we were nearly there. I am the new beekeeper but she is my security blanket, standing by, assuring me, silently, that all is well. In truth, again, I had nothing to worry about. The bees had been in their nuc for time enough that all they really wanted, I suspect, was to get out, stretch, settle into their new, roomier digs.

I’d spent the afternoon before their arrival painting, organizing, readying my property for their arrival. My hives had been in my back yard but, after losing them two years in a row, I decided to shift them to the front. It’s a sunny spot and I get to see them all the time. Much better. Much.

By Sunday my excitement took over, replacing any trepidation I might feel about the transfer, the opening of the nuc box, the handling of the frames of bees. The bees hardly made a noise as I opened the lid, lifted out a frame at a time, installing them into their new spot. I breathed more easily after I’d finished the first nuc, and by the second one I took my time, looking, noticing, enjoying the exploration. Queen! Worker! Baby! Wow!.

And on Wednesday my mentor came by to check. Together we went back in, opening up each hive, looking at each frame (there 20 in each hive), identifying, cleaning, checking.

All is good so far. My bees are healthy and strong. And I am determined to do whatever I can to make sure they stay that way. I’ll keep you posted – and will hopefully share some honey with you this season. Stay tuned.

February Musings

February 12, 2010

G’morning! It’s a snowy, sunny day here in Asheville today. Cold but nice. We had a snowy night last night. It actually took me an hour to get home, a drive that is usually a ten minute breeze. But drivers, excessively cautious, crept along and slowed down at the slightest grade which resulted in them spinning and not moving and then creating small and then huge jams. It was a big mess. I was happy to get home and happy to stay there too. I built a big fire, cooked (!) and watched the Olympics. Funny, they have no snow. We have lots. Curious, that.

We’re setting up for a Christening today. This party was originally supposed to happen in December but we had a big snowstorm. Today’s the rescheduled event. The Garden Room looks so pretty. White tablecloths, pink roses, a festive buffet. Should be nice.

Later on we’re having a birthday party for someone who is turning 70 (or maybe 75, I’m not sure.) I like that. Both ends of the spectrum. Right here. This sort of thing makes me happy.

And we have a big week lined up. Old-time jam is the Tuesday night event. On Wednesday we’ve got the Outward Bounders coming. Next week is a Uke jam, a Safari Dinner, and some uke and fiddle music. We’re talking about doing a Truffle Dinner. Many things are in the works. It’s coming right along.

I’ve been studying to be a certified beekeeper. The test is next Friday and is, for me, a big deal. I’ve been trying to keep bees now for two years. I picked two very hard years to start. The first year we had a severe drought. The next year, excessive rain. The first years are critical for bee-keeping and mine have had a hard time. I attended Intermediate Bee School recently and am now nose-first into my books. MY there is a lot to know. But I am determined to be a good keeper of these magnificent creatures. They matter so much. So much. And the more I know, the better I’ll be (I hope.) The picture, by the way, is a little beeswax bee made by the daughter of our delivery gal.

I’m also starting to work with an old-time fiddle teacher. There is a subtlety to this music. It seems very simple. The tune repeats, repeats again. It is mesmerizing. A friend of mine calls it Mountain mantra music. But for the fiddle the signature comes from the bowing. If you get it, you can play these tunes. If you don’t, it just doesn’t ever get the groove that a dancer moves to. I’m trying to get it. Winter seems a good time. I’m home. It’s dark. The music fills me, creeps into my bow, and gradually, gradually starts to be a part of me. It’s good.

The other big thing right now is glass. I’m playing with it, working on making things symmetrical, thinner, even-walled. This, too, is a mesmerizing thing to do. Any lapse of focus ends up turning the glass into a useless mess. I love the focus of this art. The drawing in, the shaping, the making the piece match the image in my mind. I am moving in the direction of actually being able to make the thing I imagine. I have my first big commission and that is a charge. Ten or fifteen pieces. Somehow matching, yet all different. I’ll start on them very soon.

Life is good right now. Full and rich. Not every single thing is perfect but then, if it was, what would I try for? Hope all is well with you. Happy Valentine’s Day. Happy Mardi Gras. Laissez les bons temps roulez. Pourquoi pas?

New things for the New Year

We've been so full of ideas and activities that I've neglected telling YOU about them. We're now open until 8 during the week. You can come, have a simple meal with us before going to the movies or to a later-night show at The Orange Peel (for example.)

Here's a quick glance of what's going on these days.

MOST importantly, mark MONDAY, January 25 on your calendar. Abigail Washburn is going to be with us, playing her old-time banjo. She used to head up the old-time all-woman band Uncle Earl. She also plays with Sparrow Quarter (with Bela Fleck and Ben Solee.) This is a not-to-be-missed special show. We'll have simple supper and beer and wine specials for you. No cover charge, but plan on leaving her a gift in the tip basket.

Join in Music Jams on Tuesdays:
1st and 3rd Tuesdays play or listen to Old-Time Music.
2nd and 4th Tuesdays play or listen to Ukulele Music.

We're having Cooking Classes on Wednesdays:
(sign up for our e-mail newsletter (on our website) for up to the minute information
or visit the "newsletter" section of our website: laureysyum.com)

Come for a simple supper and a glass of something on Thursdays.
We call 'em Gourmet Comfort Tunes.
On January 21 listen to Rayna Gellert and friends. Lovely fiddle music.
On January 28 come hear Jenna Lindbo. Here voice is sweet and so are her songs.

Fridays are Lasagna Nights now.
Call to find out this week's special flavor.

And we're adding two "Big kid/Little kid" Cooking classes.
On January 23rd and January 30 we'll have a hands-on class. Starts at 10. Ends at noon. Bring a little kid and have fun together. The cost is 35.00 for both of you.
Want to sign up? Call us at 252-1500.

Finally, on Friday, January 29, we're having another of our Dinner and Conversations. this one will be "A Taste of Tuscany." I'll be cooking (in front of you!) This is a selection of my favorite Tuscan recipes, paired with some wonderful Tuscan wines - five different ones!!! Cost is $55 per person (+ tax). Reserve your spots at 252-1500.

See what I mean????

Wearer of the Purple

I forgot to mention our most recent accolade:

Best Caterer of Western NC as voted by the Mountain Xpress Readers!

We all got to wear purple wigs, all of us winners, in the paper's phographs. I think we were among the first ones to don these lovely hairpieces because they were still in packages when the photographer arrived.

The other day, in the Asheville Holiday parade, I noticed that the float riders all wore purple wigs. yikes! Could these have been the same wigs that we, and everyone else in town, wore? I sure hope not. I'm especially happy that we were, I think, the first to put them on.

Anyway - happy Thanksgiving to you. I'll try to be a bit more prompt with my notes. Gosh, I get distracted and then I look and see it's been a MONTH or longer since I've written.

yikes!!!

Ciao,
Laurey

October news from Laurey's

The days are getting colder. I’m sitting here writing with a sweater and a vest on. This is my first foray into the clothes that have been tucked underneath the shorts and t-shirts of summer. I kind of like it. My yard is frosty these days, the skies are clearer and the leaves are starting to turn. Zoom zoom.

There was a bear in my yard the other day. My pup starting going crazy, her hair standing up on her neck and her bark taking on a different tone. I followed her gaze and saw a HUGE bear, grazing on the fallen persimmons that fill up my lower yard at this time of year. Tye scooted out the door and down the hill before I could grab her and it was all I could do to convince her that she needed to stay away. Though normally pretty responsive to me, she did not come right back but howled with assertion at this intruder. The bear hardly noticed – thankfully. I got Tye locked in the house, grabbed my camera, and then went out on my own to try to record this visit. And it was only when I got within 15 feet that I thought, um, maybe THAT wasn’t such a smart idea either, and took myself inside with Tye. We stood on the porch and watched the bear eat until darkness took over and we couldn’t see it any longer.

I’m hopping up to New York later on today for a very short trek to the Culinary Institute of America. I’ve been invited to speak to the student body about being an entrepreneur, about being a woman in this field, and, I suspect, about my recent bike ride. I’ve never been there and am excited.

Last week I had two new experiences that were quite different and quite fun:
The first was that I stumbled into the Folk Art Center’s Heritage Day festivities (I was delivering lunch) just in time to join in on the fun. It was the World Gee-Haw Whimmy Diddle competition day. This is an Appalachian Folk Toy consisting of a notched stick that gets rubbed with a second stick, making a propeller on the end of the notched stick turn to the right (gee) or the left (haw.) I bought one, practiced for a short time, and won third place!!! (I am very proud of this award and am going to do my best to win first next year.)

And – I was asked to become an officiant so that I could conduct a wedding. I looked into it, did what it took, and performed my very first, but hopefully not my last, wedding. It was really fun, very sweet, and a little bit scary. I mean – this is for real! The bride and groom seemed very happy. (I was too.)

Oh – and we’ve been chosen Best Caterer in Asheville. I’m very proud of the crew here. We’re trying hard and it’s nice to get this award.

We have a lot going on here these days. Hope you come join in on some of our fun.

September 19, 2009

Hum. Hum. Hum. That’s how things feel here right now. After two weeks of working without Emily and Adam, and also without Martha, one of our cooks who has been on vacation, I see a light, shining very brightly right around the corner.

Adam and Emily (and Henry) are coping, finally starting the treatment that their little boy is undergoing. See the next little story for more information.

We got a card from Martha and she, it seems, has had a good time in Maine and will be filled with stories and fresh energy when she gets back to work on Monday.

Noel, here in the office, has shifted into Emily’s seat, ably covering her work duties in Emily’s absence. Kris, who is our fill-in baker, has joined us in the office, helping fill Noel’s seat. Kris will be taking over for Jaime, our catering chief, once Jaime leaves in December to go traveling so she’s spending some time sitting over in Jaime’s seat too.

Brendan is catching on in the kitchen, making more and more evening food for you. Deb has become the almost-every-day early girl. I’ve been filling in, when needed, for Martha and am the Tuesday morning early girl now. It’s fun to keep my knife sharp and my cooking “chops” up. I have a closet full of cooking clothes that have been gathering dust. No longer!

I’ve been having fun teaching my current series of cooking classes. We’re going to have a new series in October and you can sign up for them by giving us a call (252-1500.) Each class is 35.00 and includes a glass of wine and generous tastes of everything I will demonstrate and make for you.

Here’s the schedule:
Wednesday, October 7: Blueberry Hill Favorites.
Wednesday, October 14: Appetizers
THURSDAY, October 22: Harvest foods
Wednesday, October 28: Soups.

In other news, responding to a request, I have become ordained! I will be conducting my very first wedding tomorrow morning. I’m not sure who’s more nervous, me or the bride and groom! Actually, I’m honored that they want me to perform this ceremony and have been crafting my thoughts and words for them for the past week. (I’ll tell you stories next week, of course.)

And our Farmer’s Dinners are taking off. My goal is to have sold-out dinners each month and we’re getting to that point. Whee! It is SO much fun to cook right here, putting wonderful food into our ovens, cooking it, serving it to these lovely farmers and guests. I do so many events under tents or on mountain tops that it is an amazing treat to have functioning ovens, running water, and a solid roof over our heads. I’m going to try to do these dinners every month all year long. It might be a bit challenging in January, but that’ll make it all the more interesting, won’t it?

Okay – I need to go be delivery babe now. Then I’ll come back here, write some menus, do some planning and, later, go serve a big meal to a few hundred people. On it goes. Fortunately.

Thanks for your enthusiasm. It keeps me going. It really does.

I’ll be in touch soon.