Gold Digger Blog
Posted on August 12, 2015 by Jackie DeKnock No comments
GOURMET LOVE
“Spreading love, one recipe at a time!”
The back-story that inspired the menu that inspired the recipes! Foodie and Love stories combining love, romance, and adventure (remember this is all fiction my friends)! Let me take my paintbrush, paint the scene and the mood to take you there…
Inspired Quote to love by: “Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try!” ~ Michael Jordan
Love Dateline: You Can’t Always Judge A Man By His ‘Weapons’
Where: Northern Ontario
When: Winter, brrr
Mood: Vulnerability and wondering ‘what if’s’?
Emotion: Joy immediately followed by sadness
Two Mountains
Growing up in Northern Ontario, one of my favourite winter pass-times was downhill skiing. Hey, listen, when you live in the frozen north, skiing is ALWAYS good for the soul to survive the ‘way-too-long’ winters. It’s actually more like a religion! The skiing and après-skiing were ‘the’ perfect activities to while away frosty winters! I love to ski, always decked out in what I considered great ski suits (looking good has everything to do with skiing). So, with that in mind, my Gold-digger expedition target became the owner of no, not one mountain, but two mountains! Imagine that, two mountains in one small town, jackpot! A lifetime of skiing! A lifetime of mountains! Go big or go home, that’s what I say.
Truth Be Told # 8
Being truthful, (as I always am) I did have feelings, true feelings for him and his beautiful smile with glistening eyes. It wasn’t just his mountains (I’m not that shallow…and I do love skiing).
Meet Secret Agent 008
Let me introduce him…I’ll call him Secret Agent 008 with the latest of ski equipment, the sleekest of ski suits, always dressed to kill. He also had a beautiful chalet with a hot ‘n steamy hot tub and oh, did I mention he owned two mountains? I was spellbound by 008. Eight is my favourite number as well, so I thought that perhaps that might have meant something (grasping at straws…perhaps). 008 also knew how to cook, now that’s ALWAYS enticing and the way to a woman’s heart. One snowy evening, I arrived at his chalet (doesn’t get much more romantic than that does it)? I was in heaven, a chalet nestled in his mountain…ahhhh.
Shaken or Stirred?
His first question “Shaken or stirred?” to which I replied “Shaken thank you, of course.” I had done my homework and I knew that’s how he liked his martinis…when in Rome I say. He smiled (his beautiful disarming smile) and happy with my decision, shook away with the coolest, sleekest of martini shakers (shiny silver resembling the shape of a bullet). It went down as smooth as silk, “Oh my he’s good.” I thought to myself as I sipped away. The fire crackled and glowed as he wined and dined me (perhaps more wine than dining, but that’s OK). The food was delicious, thinking back, I think it was pasta…either way, my mind wasn’t so much on the food, I was mesmerized (and I was on a secret mission for MI5 or 6, I can’t remember…never mind). Did I mention that he owned two mountains? What could be more perfect than that? We wined, we dined, we spent time in his hot tub, followed by his waterbed (yep, I know I’m dating myself now, they were in vogue back then and oh so romantic)! Please note, this was all purely due to the mission that I was assigned, I had to do my due diligence and research. I thought “Oh, this is so nice…things are going really, really well (or was that just the wine talking…never mind).”
Comfort and Joy
As the snow flakes quietly fell, fire glowed, I spent the night snuggled up in the warm, cozy waterbed safe in the arms of my man 008 (more research). He was a true gentleman (you know what that means – respectful – always a good sign), what could be more romantic than that? I felt like I was on a movie set…and the love story all about me! A morning farewell ensued, as did a delicious hug and kiss (more research). I departed as it continued to snow over my winter wonderland movie set. The afterglow stayed with me all day and night, smile on my face. Ahhh, how sweet, a chalet in the mountains…sigh. I’m sure that you would have felt the same way! I felt such feelings of nothing but pure love and kindness towards him. What a gentleman.
Struck Gold?
Then the next day came…nothing…the next day…nothing…and so on! Ouch, that hurt, what – no love story? No 008? What? It seemed like a sure bet to me. I know what you’re thinking hot damn, another one slipped away. I had no idea what went wrong…you know the feeling when you start to blame yourself and wonder what ‘you’ did wrong? I did that for about a day (processing time), then I realized that although his name is 008, he wasn’t quite man enough to be honest and tell me the truth. Definitely not a man I wanted to date, let alone live on a mountain with (even if he did have a great smile, a chalet, hot tub, fireplace and was a great cook). Oh well, wasn’t meant to be, I’d sum it up as a one night, one-sided love affair, oh, and the food was pretty good, so all was not lost! And I WAS on a mission after all which I accomplished. I continued to ski at his mountain, undeterred, as I love to ski (and I didn’t have many other options). We crossed paths (or ski slopes) many times, nothing ever said as I held my head high and smiled at him. I was as graceful as possible, always my charming self.
Dangerous
In hindsight, I should have dug deeper in my research on Secret Agent 008. After the fact, I discovered that the 007 on the silver screen and ‘my’ 008 were cut from the same cloth! I’m sure you know of the 007 type – the household name, the star in action movies filled with dangerous car chases, explosions and beautiful women (yep, he was a bit of a womanizer I discovered the more I skied). He was charming; he could charm the ski pants off anyone. He was the epitome of cool, too. Of course only driving ‘the’ most luxurious of cars, skiing on the best of skis, wearing the sleekest of ski-suits, and packing the kind of weapons and secret agent tools that make our most valued toys look like a playthings – his chalet, hot tub, martini shaker, waterbed & two mountains – now they were ‘his’ secret weapons! Villains hate him for his skill, women love him for his attitude (and money and mountains) and audiences adore him for his charms. Oh, snap out of it, back to reality, he wasn’t ‘the’ real 007, I just thought he was ‘the’ one for one short minute (or short ski slope)! In hindsight, I should have made this Gold-digger menu for him (if it had existed back then), things could have worked out very, very differently as food is always the way to a man’s heart (as know ladies don’t we)!! This was my first and my last ‘Gold-digger’ expedition; apparently I wasn’t cut out to be a Gold-digger, so much for mission! Really…who needs two mountains anyway, way over the top…one would have been enough!
My lesson from this experience was to love someone for who they are and not what they have. I did become friends with 008, love is always the way. The end.
Love Dateline: Meet Goldfinger
Where: Southern Ontario
When: Summer
Mood: Hungry
New Definition
Fast-forward years later, I would find myself in a situation where wealthy, successful men were sometimes interested in me (moi). I’ll make up a new term – Goldfinger – ‘the’ men with the gold! Here are two short stories that I’ll share…
Many, many moons ago, I worked as a Concierge (no, definitely not an escort, never…who do you think I am)! I LOVED my job! As part of the ‘territory’ that came with the job, I crossed paths with many, many ‘Goldfinger-type’ characters! Here’s the 1st story –Mr Goldfinger was famous, he was wealthy, he was successful, he was riding high. Perfect, right? He just wasn’t my type. He was a nice man, but not a love interest. One fine day, Mr Goldfinger invited me out for dinner…actually is was many, many fine days, he was very persistent (I’ll give him that). What’s a girl to do, he invited me for a steak dinner, he broke me down as I couldn’t exactly afford steak dinners on my salary! I finally said ‘Yes!” I was hungry for steak (not that I’m a big steak eater, but it had been a long, long while). He picked me up in his sexy, snazzy little convertible. Top down, wind blowing through my hair, music blaring, people staring – you know the scene. All him wanting to garner attention – I looked half his age, so definitely a ‘showpiece’ – I saw right through him, but I was focussed on the catch – a mouthwatering steak dinner.
The Castle
We sped to La Castile steakhouse – why not come along, three’s company! Check out the web site http://www.lacastile.com/. The web site says it all – ‘A Distinctive Dining Experience – The Place To See – The Place To Be Seen!’ Listen to the music “In The Mood” – takes me back (interestingly enough Goldfinger was trying his damnedest to get me in the mood)! And it was all about ‘being seen’ for Mr Goldfinger! I ignored all of that and proceeded directly to the menu – food. Dinner was delicious (of course it was), very traditional – steak, baked potato, vegetables – c’est tout! Oh and of course copious quantities of red wine…a bottomless glass for me. I knew his ploy well. We jumped back into his toy and he whisked me home into the night.
Nightcap Perhaps?
Euphemism: “Please invite me upstairs for a nightcap…pretty please.”
Translation: “I am hoping that I’m going to get lucky tonight.”
Yes, of course I knew the question was coming, I know you did too…we’re just smart that way. What’s a girl to say? I did appreciate the steak dinner, he was a nice man and I was being kind (although I knew 100% that I wasn’t interested in the least bit by the time I took the first bite of my appetizer). “Oh, OK, yes come on up to my apartment.” I thought to myself, “I’ll just be polite, charming, respectful, grateful, give him a drink and politely escort him to the door asap.” Showtime! Drink served, pleasantries ensued. OK good, this is going well and I wasn’t the least bit nervous nor intimidated by him either, as I knew that we’d cross paths again at my ‘office.’ All was good and under control. He made himself at home, siting comfortably on my foam couch – yes foam that was all I could afford at the time! I sat down, giving us lots of space between us (I would have sat in another province or country or continent, if we could have communicated from that distance and I could have swung it). Yep, you know what’s next, he smoothly slid over, closer to me. All I wanted to do was to genuinely thank him…but no…
Deep Breath
Ahhh, deep breath, “You know how to handle this, you know where this is going.” I thought to myself. He did the usual ‘yawn move’ (you know the one) and moved in for the ‘nightcap experience’. He was going for the yawn move and the kiss at the same time with drink in hand. Smooth. As he executed his move, he slid off my couch onto my bright red shag carpet (it came with my place, forgive me). The judge in me gave him a ‘2.0’ for execution as I politely stifled a laugh and asked ‘Are you OK?” He was so embarrassed and distracted by his faux-pas (face turning the colour of the carpet). Whew, I was off the hook. He quickly regained his composure, finished his drink and departed, same shade of red. He slunk away in humiliation with his tail between his legs. Whew! OK debrief – a great steak dinner, I highly recommend the restaurant…I don’t however recommend going out on a dinner date if this is the outcome! I crossed paths with him many times as he travelled frequently and I always treated him with kindness (he did likewise). I guess he was wise enough, realizing that I wasn’t interested in the least bit, that he gave up asking (thank goodness). I did wonder however, was it my foam couch or my red shag carpet that turned him off? No matter, never mind. Once I left my Concierge position, I wished him well and that was the last time that I ever saw him in person. That is until I saw his front-page photos and headlines over the course of many years to come:
Goldfinger charged with Fraud and Forgery
Goldfinger found guilty of Fraud and Forgery
Goldfinger jailed for Fraud and Forgery
Goldfinger granted Full Parole
Goldfinger making a Comeback…
And that is my one of my Goldfinger stories ladies. In hindsight, thank goodness for small miracles and the fact that I didn’t get involved with Goldfinger although he was a kind man to me.
Struck 24 Carat Gold
This is another short ‘Goldfinger’ story that this time involves real gold…’the real McCoy!’ No, no, no I wasn’t ‘digging for gold,’ honest, I was just given gold quite by cold chance! Another frequent customer was a wealthy Arab Sheik (I don’t recall his name right now). I got to know him well and helped him out on many occasions – it was all part of the job! Did I mention that I LOVED my job…I did! I loved meeting people and helping them in their journey in any way possible. I never, ever expected nor wanted anything in return at all, I was just doing my job and what I love to do (to help people). One day around Christmas-time (I wasn’t at work that day), Mr Arab Sheik left me a beautiful gift to thank me for being me (and doing my job)! How nice is that? The gift was two beautiful 24-carat gold bangles and a bottle of the best…Jean Paul Gautier Parfum. I wasn’t supposed to accept gifts, however, I wasn’t able to return them…so what’s a girl to do? I breathed a “Thank you.” to the sky and brought my gifts home for safekeeping until I crossed paths with him again and could safely return them (true story). The parfum was the most unusual perfume that I had ever seen. It was packaged in a tin can, the bottle dressed up in Madonna’s ‘cone bra.’ Gaultier produced sculptured costumes for her during the nineties, starting with this infamous cone bra sitting in my perfume collection! I never, ever crossed paths with my benefactor again. I truly would have thanked him in person and returned his gifts. Merci Mr Arab Sheikh wherever you may be, I still think of you today whenever I wear either!! I so appreciate your kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness.
Some music to get you in the mood!
Gold Digger Playlist Inspiration
What inspired this menu is the first song on the playlist – “Gold Digger,” by rapper Kanye West. I recently heard it playing over the radio waves for the 1st time ever. I thought to myself “Wow, what a great new release.” Am I out of date or what? It had already peaked at number one in 2005 and I heard it for the first time in 2015. OK, I know what you’re thinking, where have I been, have I been in a time warp, under a rock? You’re not the only one! My son tells me that all the time “Once I love a song, it’s already old!” In any event, the song inspired this menu, the story of the disastrous life of a man married to a woman who manipulates him for financial gain (not that we’d ever do that…right)? It’s the story of females who admire successful men as opposed to mediocre and unaccomplished men. They live by the code “lack of money can’t buy love and happiness.” This ‘code’ reminds me of something a work colleague told me as I was leaving for Paris way back in 1986 – and I quote – “Marry for money, love comes later.” Not that I did that in my life, but I definitely never forgot the mantra of her life (yep, she’s still single to this day)! Marry for love instead.
Sugar Daddy Search
If you are searching for ‘your’ Gold Digger man, you may want to check out http://sugardaddyforme.com …just sayin’!
Good luck tonight if you make this Gold Digger Menu! Keep looking and cooking until you find love!
XO
PS Love your food, what comes from the heart touches the heart! Craving isn’t a ‘Bad Word,’ food IS sexy!
PSS I came up with this handy wallet-sized ‘Manly Ranking Scale’ – pull it out when you need it! It’s similar to the Richter Magnitude Scale that measures earthquakes (the idea came to me as I survived a major earthquake in Vegas years ago). I’ll grade each man of my life at the time of my Love Dateline story! Feel free to grade the man of your life, If he’s a +10 (and I hope he is), I’d say go for it!:
In this case, ‘my’ Gold-digger is ranked as a 0 – walk (or ski) away quietly, head held high and as graciously as possible!”
Check out the complete “Gold Digger” menu
Foodie Dateline: Warm Melting Chocolate Love
Where: Caribbean Sea & India
When: Winter 2012 and 2013
Mood: Chocolate, what’s not to love
Emotion: Joy
Caribbean Cruise – Tasting the Love
Now, to the food, the dessert. The “Marry Me” Warm Melting Chocolate Cake brings two fond foodie memories to mind. This is called ‘Marry Me Warm Melting Chocolate Cake’ because it is THAT good, THAT decadent and will make him want to marry you! Let me tell you the story of this recipe! This recipe hails from a Caribbean cruise that I was on many moons ago. It appeared on the dessert menu daily and I admit that I ordered it every single day that I was at sea. I typically like to taste everything on the menu, but this dessert was so decadent, delectable and dreamy that I couldn’t resist. It became my favourite go-to dessert! The ‘cruise food’ was high on the gourmet-scale and always delicious! With that in mind, I decided to take a cooking class (a gift) on the cruise knowing that I would definitely be adding to my recipe repertoire (thank you again for the gift). It took place in the ship’s galley. What a cool experience cooking deep in the ‘depths’ of this massive ship.
Ship Ahoy
We cooked in the cavernous, spotless, bright, shiny kitchen (decked out with elevators to each floor). Wow, what an operation! White and stainless steel impeccably scrubbed as far as the eye could see. I’m sure you could eat off the floor if you wanted to…no, I didn’t try it! We worked in the midst of the dinnertime hive of activity, I could have just stayed down there and watched the world of food go by. We made a delicious gourmet meal and ended it with this very “Marry me” Warm Melting Chocolate Cake. I learnt that this dessert is ‘the’ most frequently ordered and most popular dessert amongst the thousands of discerning cruisers who sail daily…so you already know that it has to be good when a recipe gets that kind of press! When I arrived back home I re-created it, tweaked it, perfected it and made it my own (that’s just what I do with recipes…no, I’m not a control freak…I’m just always looking for THE best taste possible). It’s now my all-time favourite melted chocolate dessert, I share it with you and I’m sure it will work wonders for you!
India – Sharing the Love
The second foodie story comes from Southern India back in 2013. I stayed at an incredible foodie destination called La Bangala, this place is ‘the’ foodie mecca in all of India. Check out the web site at: http://www.thebangala.com/. I participated in hands-on cooking classes to master their culinary treasures. I was so, so flattered when they asked me if I had a favourite dessert and whether I would share the recipe. Their desserts are sometimes more ‘American’ than authentic Indian. Wow, its not every day that one of your dishes just might make it on the menu of a foodie mecca. I considered what my ultimate favourite dessert would be and this is it (my own rewritten, recreated recipe). I sent the recipe over to the Owner/Chef and she sent back this feedback: “We have just tried out the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake…it is truly delicious and does melt, in your month, almost immediately…Thank you Jackie for a superb recipe.” Followed by “We have made the Warm Chocolate Melting Cakes twice since we first tried it out. Everyone loves it.” They then went on to tell me about their upcoming cook book and asked me if I would be interested in testing a couple of their authentic Indian recipes, I did. …that’s another story! Check out their delicious cookbook – The Bangala Table: Flavors and Recipes from Chettinad. Make this Warm Chocolate Melting Cake for the man of your life and he’ll love you forever!
Wish you were here!
XO