I Just Want to Cook

I am sure that by now many of you must be wondering, "what the heck is going on with Ali and Evan? Why such a long hiatus on the LRBC blog?"

I stand before you willing to claim full responsibility for the recent, now more than one month long, lack of disclosure. We're still here, but the task of creating a new mobile food business has kept us both very busy, and resulted in a complete lack of blogging on this site. On a very positive note, I am happy to share with you that our lack of new news regarding our forthcoming food (ad)venture has forced Ali to create an alternative platform to channel her creative energy. Those of you eager to regain touch with the writer who bestowed so much of her magic into this website must check out her current project, Footbridge to the Feast. Go there now, and bask in the warm beauty that is my beloved wife. Those of you curious to learn more about what has transpired "behind the scenes" during these past few weeks, please read on...

One week ago today, I made a half gallon of yellow mustard. The mustard is currently being stored in large glass jars, high on a shelf in the dark corner of a commercial kitchen space I have been using. In another week I will get to taste the mustard in an effort to judge whether the white vinegar has mellowed enough over time. If the mustard is ready, it will be transferred to a refrigerator for use in my food truck. If however, the mustard is still too strong it must remain at room temperature for another week, or until it reaches its desired taste.

For me, waiting has always been difficult. At first, I was reluctant to make the mustard in-house, fearing it wouldn't be ready to use by the time I opened my food truck. At this point, I'm just hopeful that my truck will be fixed so I have a working fridge to put that mustard in.

In late September we dumped all of our savings and more into a 1986 Chevrolet Step Van that had recently been converted into a mobile food unit. I first went to see the truck in effort to learn more about what kind of units were on the market. Like a little boy who falls in love with a puppy, I returned from my "fact finding mission" eager to share the news with Ali that I had found my new kitchen. Lets just say that she wasn't exactly as thrilled as I was upon learning about the object of my desire. While taking the truck to a mechanic for an inspection, Ali got her first look at the truck. She has since admitted that upon first seeing the truck, she liked it more than she thought she would. Had the inspection proven a bit more thorough, we might not have ended up buying the truck in the first place. But it wasn't, and we did.

Perhaps the problems I have encountered, are in fact, products of my own intention. I believe in intention; and in hindsight I'm confused as to why I told so many people that I was sure there would be some "unexpected setbacks" which would delay the opening date for the truck. If deep down I have some sort of untapped masochistic side, it must be buried very deep, because most of my recent "setbacks" have been met with frustration (and plenty of expletives). Bad starters, loose fan belts, rusted soft plugs, dead batteries, and broken windows aside, there has also been a great deal of progress in the midst of the madness.

Since buying the truck we have been doing a great deal of research, working to create a concept and menu that we are excited to be able to share with you. Our days have been spent scouring menus for inspiration, conceiving new recipe ideas, tweaking favorite classics, and eating more red meat than our bodies desire. Thank goodness that the past couple weeks have shifted to vegan recipes, a necessary change as we scratch and claw our way towards our opening day. More than ever, I look forward to a time when I will get to show up to work and cook. Currently we are playing the waiting game, this time relying on some outside assistance to help us get our truck (which we have named "Lucy") running smoothly. I'm no auto-mechanic. As well as I can remember, I'm a decent cook, and I'm dying to be able to give it another go.