Metropolitan Montessori School

This week I was able to work a catering job for the Metropolitan Montessori School. It was their end of the school year reception with a tex-mex menu. The job was three days long, and it originally belonged to a chef friend of mine, but due to an injury, she stepped out of the last day and I was her fill in. 

The majority of my prep work responsibilities consisted of glazing and decorating the Mexican chocolate cake; made with cocoa, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. It was also completely vegan. There were seven of them, all different sizes, but all lovely and delicious. 

I spent the rest of the evening setting up, working, and breaking down the event. It was a lovely group of people to work with and for and I actually enjoyed myself.

Catering by Lisette

If you’re looking for the portrait of a tragic corporate American casualty, then Michelle Belasco is sure to disappoint. 

However, if you’re looking for a fried collared green dumpling that will make you smack your mama, she’s your new best friend in the kitchen. 

Michelle (along with her sassy kitchen alter ego Lisette), runs Catering by Lisette out of her home, and out of necessity. After being laid off from her lofty, yet suddenly unnecessary job, she set to work making her passion her income. 

Her signature service is a series of miniaturized entrées, served within a bite or two. Now, miniaturizing things might sound old, but she’s resourceful about it. Her dishes make sense because they aren’t just shrunken, they are adapted for size. Her pulled beef short ribs with roasted baby potatoes and caramelized brussle sprouts impressed me. She didn’t cut up large potatoes and roast them, or turn a large cabbage into a savory slaw. She thought about it for a minute, and made something beautiful. 

Although she admits to never being classically trained, she claims to have cooking, ‘in her soul’, which frankly puts her miles ahead of many ‘trained’ chefs. Also, she exhibits an unapologetic sense of restraint, both in her dishes and in her decision making. (Restraint is, in my opinion, the unsung knife skill; they should list it just below julienne, but way before tourne.) She has admitted to turning down work, not because she was too busy, but because she wasn’t feeling it. 

At first, I thought she might have been crazy, turning down work, but when I thought about it again, and good for her. She has a vision, and she’s really building something for herself. Most entrepreneurs run in to trouble when they take on every opportunity they can get their hands on. But her restraint automatically gives her a reputation of being a little hard to get, and maybe too good to conform to exactly what you want. If you’re gonna hire her, it’s not because you need a service, it’ll be because you want exactly what she’s selling. 

We could all learn a lot from that.

  

Francine Segan

She's my new favorite person. Food historian, cook book author, culinary arts teacher and wonderful hostess. I wish there were more people like her in the world. 

Read her books.


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