The thing about the catering biz, it's like Lights-Camera-Action. It's all about staging an event. And the adrenalin runs hard, which is good until the event is over and one goes home and can't fall asleep.

I drove one server home after a gig last week and she offered up that she prefers restaurant waitressing to serving at a catered event. I asked why and her answers made all the sense in the world.

Restaurant waitressing is predictable. It's more formula driven from the moment a group is seated to when they leave. The kitchen and table arrangements are always the same, as is often the menu. There are very precise table assignments, while catering is more of a team effort and servers float for the most part. In restaurants there are fewer surprises.

Catering couldn't be more different. Every kitchen is different - including ovens which can be either convection or conventional. We import every bit of food down to the last grain of salt. The table arrangements and settings vary greatly. Sometimes we import the tabletop place settings - other times the hostess will use a rental service especially if the event has a theme. Sometimes a hostess will use her own dishes, glasses, and silverware. Sometimes the hostess will even provide some of the food. Sometimes we provide floral arrangements, sometimes the hostess makes those arrangements. Catering events often have a theme. Catered events are always happy events.

I've worked quite a few functions since I started. I love it. I enjoy it far more than I ever thought I would. There is always, always a man or woman who thinks they have a special gene connecting their lineage to royalty... and we're supposed to detect their nobility. These people don't bother me a whit. It's actually kind of amusing. I like the challenge. And even the nicest folk around seem to think I have a magic wand. At a recent event where we served 125 sit down with seven servers and four bartenders (I'm telling ya folks, that's h-u-g-e for up here, I had some unusual requests. I think it's because I'm ancient in comparison to the other servers that people approach me with odd ball requests.

Last weekend, one woman took me aside and explained that her daughter was extremely allergic to any nuts, and could I whip up a pasta dish or something for her. Well, in a nano-second several hundred thoughts raced through my head. A few of which were: Are you fucking nuts (no pun intended), here, let me pull my wand out of my ass, what fucking planet are you from lady? Nope. Didn't suggest any of those thoughts to her. After I scraped the glaze off my eyes, I explained in 25 words or less, the dynamics of a catering kitchen, but told her I would investigate possibilities. I scurried to the kitchen and robbed several trays and dishes, and came up with yummy little ham sandwiches and a salad without pine nuts and a delectable array of sliced fruits. The mother and little girl were thrilled. At this same event, a woman beckoned me to her table and asked if I could serve her a different dessert because she was diabetic. I wanted to say, "Hey lady, do I look like the Galloping Gourmet?" Nonetheless, I galloped to the kitchen and robbed different fruit garnishes, washed off the powdered sugar dust, made a pretty arrangement on a plate and tossed on a few almonds. She thought I was a goddess.

Catering is soooo cool. I love the challenge and the opportunity to work with different people. The reason why I will cook with Julia more often than others is because so many of the other servers have day jobs. Most catering servers are moonlighting.

Serving at events is fun. Cooking is fun, too, but the work is much more intense and harder, and apparently no one likes to bake. Baking isn't my favorite either, but I can do it. The terrific upside to cooking is being in Julia's *space*. Julia’s other assistant is Gretchen who has worked for her for almost three years. The first day I cooked for Julia I made 144 petite cheesecakes and 144 petite chocolate cupcakes with raspberry filling and chocolate icing. These weren't all that hard to prepare, but I had to multiple the recipes by 7x. The thing about baking - there's no room for error. None. Baking is a precise art. While Julia was making her fabulous paella, she occasionally asked us to taste for seasoning. One doesn't make adjustments very easily when baking. I had to use every brain cell I had that day. But the camaraderie of a happy kitchen is pure joy. It was a blast!

Another minor difference between restaurant serving and catering is the dress code. We have a lot more flexibility, but basically wear a white top and black bottom (skirt or slacks), or black on black. We complement each other but dress differently.

Another big difference between restaurant and catering jobs is that the base pay is much higher with catering and the tips are extremely good. This probably compensates for the ebb and flow of jobs and lack of steady income.

Anyway, that's my life these days. I know my job is nothing more than glorified waitressing, but I love it. I'm a natural. In fact, someone came up to me last night at a wedding we were catering and said, "You have a wonderful aura." Yup life is so very, very good. I'll have to get some current pics taken so you can see for yourself. Below are some taken last summer, I believe, when David was visiting.




David & Irene





Not bad for 60! Natural hair, too! And how 'bout that aura!