Back To Work

BURNING THE BRISKET
I’ve made several meals in our new kitchen by this time. While, YES it’s a beautiful kitchen to work in, I still have to get used to THE WORK. May I give a big hail-out to all the people who do have to plan, shop, cook and clean up for meals? I am reminded of that after restaurant-hopping for 9 months. I decide to make a nice fancy dinner for my father-in-law. I prepare a large brisket, potato latkes/pancakes, pea pods, salad, and grapefruit, with brownies for dessert. My college friend and his son from Chicago are in town. I set the table for two more. Now, brisket is a sore spot between David and me. He always thinks I cook it too long. I follow his mother’s recipe to the letter, but I fail to crimp the two pieces of foil together at the top of the roast pan. As a result, the steam from the water seeps out. The brisket dries up and burns. I try to save it by pouring in more water, adding wine and tomato sauce. I stubbornly try to carve the leathery meat. My oldest son walks by and tastes a piece. “You made beef jerky!” he excitingly pronounces. I know it’s over. I ask David to go to Costco and pick up some roasted chicken on the way to get his Dad. Yep, never gonna hear the end of this.

SAWDUST FESTIVAL
We decided we like sawdust so much that we want to tackle another project. Really, the window casing in our kitchen is damaged from the ceiling framing, so our contractor gives us a great deal to put in solid wood casing to match our new cabinetry. It takes three craftsmen working from 8 am to 9 pm to finish the woodworking and one finisher 4 solid days of staining, sanding and varnishing to complete the job. We are their first customers to add window casing to the kitchen. I am cooking my potato latkes while listening to the finisher tell me his story of how he started working with our contractor. He starts at the beginning where he learns his carpentry trade in school as a 7th grader in a small town in Mexico. It was either that, or work on his parents’ farm for the rest of his life. He had bigger dreams for himself. He had to leave for the United States when he was sixteen to continue his career. He lived with his uncle’s family and later with his brother. Finding work in an antique shop was the best move for him. Restoring antiques was very popular at the time, and after 10 years, he had learned his craft well. To this day, he continues to send home money to his family so they can have a better life as he does. Antiques are not as popular anymore. For the past five years, he has worked with our contractor in their finishing department. He will someday open his own furniture shop back home where he can be with his family. Back to our project… the last intoxicating smells of varnish waft away; our window casing is completed and we order new blinds to compliment them. We are ready for the painters!

NEXT POST
The story starts at the bottom. Check back next week for more food and remodel progression! Scroll down for the photos.