Given the Current State of Affairs

Just this Saturday we had our first party of the year and while everyone enjoyed the food I was way out of practise as I spent 90% of the time in the kitchen even though I had pre-prepared almost everything. Perhaps I went a bit ambitious with the menu:

For starters
Babaghanoush crostini topped with a sprig of parsley
Pico de Gallo with tortilla chips

Small Bites
Pumpkin & Sage mini Fritattas
Caramelised onion and Camembert Tarts
Fresh Boccacini, basil and char-grilled red capsicum rolls

Dessert
3 Milks cakes topped with a passion fruit cream

Everything looked lovely and my exposure to finer foods has definitely improved my presentation skills, however I could have really used a catering assistant to do the final preparations and offer the foods to my guests. When we move into our new apartment I'll have someone come to help with my dinner parties, perhaps a fellow cookery student from school.

Given the current state of affairs with my work I am actively looking for new work. My day to day duties have left me uninspired and disenchanted with chain/franchise restaurants -- organic food or not. I've been giving a lot of thought to becoming a personal chef again. Catering has become a hot topic in my life these days, hence my incessant desire to through small dinner and cocktail parties. My idea is that I can work part-time in a commercial kitchen to continue to get that experience I need to have my own restaurant some day and devote the rest of the hours of my week to my personal chef business. Having been vegetarian for 7 years now, with the last 3 years having a particular interest in making vegetarian food taste good and be healthy, I'm going to focus on offering vegetarian and vegan food only.

I think that there just might be a big enough market for part-time work as a vegetarian personal chef given the current situation in this country with weight and health issues. Next year when I am able to work unlimited hours I can really focus on what I want to do with my career. I can't wait.