hot buns!

Danda!

Giovana, what a beautiful picture. You are right the clarity of the picture will take you there any time! Danda, deep breaths!

Hope you are taking care of yourself. Sleeping or just being mellow letting the chemo do its thing. I am sure the anticipation of seeing Dr. Plowman on the 9th for the CT Scan has your mind reeling, but try to outdo your mind with your spirit-remember mind, body and soul-you have three to pick from so when one is bullying the others you can battle back. Stay strong Danda and think positive! We are sending you strength from afar!

And since Mary says humor is key to one’s survival, I will provide an amusing side show act for you and your audience.

I have learned that buns, wine and company can be an explosive mix! No, this does not mean I was having a “no pants party” this weekend! I am instead working on a new business venture. It is in its infancy and may never move beyond, but I am forever hopeful! I have found there is a hole in the market that I may fill. Buns! Mini-hamburger buns that some of you may have heard referred to as Slider Buns. White Castle started the trend years ago, restaurants caught on last year that small burgers were cute and could be considered gourmet and now Burger King is on the scene offering their version. But the average at home chef has limited options for buns if they are in the mood to serve sliders. That is where I come in! I am trying to figure out how to bring my bun business to the open market.

Act 1:my first attempt at making the buns.
It is a rainy Sunday, my boyfriend’s parents, older sister, her little one and two of our friends with their baby are invited over for an afternoon get together. No pressure, I decide to serve gourmet sliders with my fresh baked slider buns. The hour is getting late with the couple of hours needed for preparation and rising time the buns are finally in the oven. And then it all happened so fast. I was pan frying pancetta bits, attempting to make my truffle aioli first in the blender, then in the kitchen aide mixer and finally by hand with no luck. Ultimately realizing that one must beat the egg yolks before adding the oil to the emulsify the mixture. Begin again with the aioli, this time with my boyfriend’s mother’s help. Both of us passing the bowl and whisk between one another long enough to regain strength. Burgers are done, I’m trying to keep the pancetta from burning, the buns I see are now burning, “someone save by buns,” I shriek!

Interlude
First, let it be said I am no baker. Too much measuring and exact timing! Second, my mother lamented I was the sack of the potatoes when she carried me to bed and my brother was the climbing monkey- I like to think that meant my body was hard as steel! I always feared that this “heaviness” would carry over into my baking! Indeed, when I was younger it did as I made my first batch of brownies with olive oil instead of vegetable oil-I am Italian, what can I say!

Act 2 and final scene.
Buns are saved, but with Coppertone tans on their tops! Aioli has been whipped to beat the band! Pancetta is perfect. I did it! The buns look good, my boyfriend, Jeff’s, burgers look delicious. The assembly line starts putting the burgers together while I open some ceremonious wine. First bottle corked and ready. Second bottle….cork is pushed down unexpectedly and the wine explodes sending red wine to the ceiling. Party freezes. What the hell just happened I think?! What a mess. My tall boyfriend tries to mop up the ceiling, it is too late the wine has been absorbed into the cheap plaster. The burgers are getting cold. Screw it; we can’t let the burgers go down with the ship. Assembly continues and before not to long, wine is poured into glasses, burgers are tasted and all is well. Still wondering how we will get the wine from the ceiling, but maybe when I strike it big selling my buns on grocery store shelves I can afford to repaint the ceiling. Until then we just look up and remember why buns, wine and company can be an explosive mix!