Flow State
Howdy, Neighbor.
I hope this message finds you well-prepared for the holiday week ahead. The warm weather of last week allowed local farmers to plant their first-ever crop of Winter sweetcorn. I’m told that with staggered plantings we will enjoy the harvest from Valentines Day all the way to April Fools Day. I heard a long screech from a hawk, flying high overhead yesterday, and thought back to the baby hawks that were fledged across the street this summer.
Monday evening I was watching TV with Lori when I received a text message from our friend Denise, who owns Ghostwriter Public House. It read: “Crazy, but we are celebrating four years this week at GW!! Would love to offer free cake to all guests Wednesday and Thursday this week. I’m behind the 8 ball on planning…can you help?” I love Denise and her husband Dennis, and jumped at the chance to help. But it was an interesting question…how to quickly produce 200+ servings of cake to offer as a thank-you to patrons?
Denise thought that a German Chocolate Cake would be fun, so I researched recipes and found a couple that looked interesting. I suggested baking one of each for us to review on Tuesday, and she agreed. Instantly, I had to clear my calendar to allow time for this. Not just cooking, but shopping, cleaning, measuring, taking notes, etc. Tuesday morning I did a two-hour sprint on work for my advertising clients, then drafted a shopping list and went to the store. As I absorbed more information from the recipes, I realized that I did not have time to cook both, so I focused just on the one that required two 8-inch round pans (the other one required three layers…I only have two pans).
The test cake was delicious, but I identified some issues with it, both from a production standpoint and an allergen standpoint. Denise and Dennis came over to sample it, and talk further about how we might pull off a larger-scale production of it. We nixed the toasted pecans to accommodate those patrons with nut allergies, and decided to go with a single layer cake layer rather than two-tier. Eventually, Denise asked: “So, are we doing this?”
It was a bit of a sprint just to get to this decision point. Saying “yes” meant that Wednesday would be an even bigger sprint. Of course I took the leap. From this point forward, I could feel the clock ticking down to Wednesday evening’s dinner service at the restaurant. On such short notice, we couldn’t order ingredients from Ghostwriter’s established suppliers, so I went back to Ross’ Market and bought 12X the ingredients that I needed for a single recipe (you’re welcome, Nancy). With so many variables changing (new oven, different baking pans, etc.), at least I would be using the same ingredients. I also stayed up late, completing an important client deliverable, which I would deliver first thing Wednesday morning.
I was at the restaurant by 9:40am. When I walked out at 4:40pm, there were nearly five full sheet pans of cake, and more than two gallons of German Chocolate icing, along with fifteen cups of toasted coconut for garnish. The time flew. The staff of the kitchen were amazingly supportive and helpful, though I suspect they wondered why I was in their workspace. I desperately wanted to make something delicious, as efficiently as possible so that I could get out of their way and let them return to "normal," whatever that might mean.
I won’t drag you down the rabbit hole of all the details of this little production run, except to say this: I was in a complete flow state. I had to have complete focus, so as to stay one step ahead of the process, and increase the likelihood of a good outcome. This way of being continued through Thursday and Friday - my focus on productivity on work and domestic tasks kept rolling. It was a great week. I got so much done - not dissimilar from the type of productivity one sometimes experiences in the days leading up to a vacation. My energy level never crashed, either. I slept like a rock each night, waking refreshed and ready to go again the next day. I’m not sure how long this can be sustained, but I got on a roll. It was great to find that extra gear again. It’s good to know it is still there when I need it.
Denise was just crazy enough to offer me this opportunity, and for that I am very grateful. It is a perfect example of growth happening outside of our comfort zones. And how about Ghostwriter, celebrating four years of operation? Opening just before the pandemic, improvising so completely, and thriving today. What an accomplishment.
Now its on to Thanksgiving meal prep! I put sixteen apple hand pies in the freezer yesterday, and a quart of cinnamon spiced honey syrup (a key ingredient in these Spiced Honey Bourbon Old Fashioned cocktails) in the fridge. Thanksgiving is going to be great.
Sunday Supper
With extra friends and family in this week, it might be good to make something that can feed a crowd. Andrew Zimmern’s Tater Tot Hotdish is a Midwestern classic. I once heard that the night before Thanksgiving is one of the biggest nights for ordering takeout, allowing people to preserve their kitchen for prepping the big meal. Don’t hesitate to order out, if that makes more sense for you.
Sunday Music
I heard this band playing in Ghostwriter kitchen Thursday, and it sparked memories from my college days - here are the Brand New Heavies performing live in 2013. Enjoy!
Have a great week ahead! Offer support to others. Make good use of this day. And let me know how I can help.
Peace & Love,
Neal