Hours later, the blistering Phoenix sun had set, and I was finally cool enough to commit to the driv

For 100 days, San Diego pizza maker Matt Lyons (aka Mattivore ) will be living in Kenya, consulting and training staff for the opening of a Neapolitan-style pizzeria in Nairobi. In this series, Matt will chronicle his journey from start to finish.
Editor's Note: For 100 days, San Diego pizza maker Matt Lyons (aka Mattivore ) will be living in Kenya, consulting and training staff for the opening of a Neapolitan-style pizzeria in Nairobi. In this series, Matt will chronicle his journey from start to finish.
This post was written just after I got to Nairobi, and in light of the recent events, I should briefly share my more recent experiences. I live less than a five minute walk from Westgate Mall. I shop at that Nakumatt, I drink coffee at that Java, I buy bread from that ArtCaffe, and I exchange currency at that Forex. And I just happened travel nursing international to be doing none of those things Saturday afternoon. But so many were, some very close who were among the fortunate. I share the deepest hopes and thoughts to those who were more severely affected, travel nursing international to those who lost loved ones.
I'm heartbroken at these events, which I have seen firsthand. The building is visible from my roof, the shots and explosions travel nursing international frequently audible, and the smell of fire now lingers on my clothes and in my curtains.
I believe Westgate was targeted because it represents progress, the increasing opportunity, prosperity, and greatness of Nairobi. travel nursing international Westgate represents a rising middle class, a vibrant economy and a diverse global city. And now, Westgate is known the world over as a place where unspeakable terror unfolded, and where a terrible few sought to destroy not just the lives of people in a mall, but the livelihood and comfort of a country. These great Kenyan people, who are so positive and resilient, will grieve, but they will move on, and continue to prosper. And I'll do what I can, even if it's as insignificant as trying to help make people happy by making pizza. From Westlands, travel nursing international Nairobi, Kenya,
In my last post , I told you about how I applied for, and landed, a position to consult on the opening of a new pizzeria in Nairobi, Kenya. This week, I'll tell you about the time between signing that contract and hopping travel nursing international on a jet plane to Africa.
I've done some traveling, but I've never lived abroad, travel nursing international never been away from home for such an extended period of time, and, shockingly, I've never consulted on the opening of a Neapolitan pizzeria in East Africa before. Suffice it to say I had my work cut out for me. There were practical things to consider, like making sure I the proper clothes, the right power converters, and the lucid-hallucinogenic-nightmare-inducing antimalarials.
After I signed the contract, I wanted travel nursing international to thank the person who referred me. Samin Nosrat lives about 500 miles away from me, in the San Francisco Bay Area; on a whim, I packed a toothbrush and a few days of dog food, grabbed the pup, filled the tank, and took off. I love driving through the Central Valley, grapevines and vast open fields on either side of the highway, speed limits merely a suggestion.
Dinner with Samin had been arranged at Boot and Shoe Service . The little gesture of a meal to thank Samin turned into a gathering of nine, old friends and new, including her good friend, owner Charlie Hallowell. Samin, intimately familiar with the menu, ordered for the table, calling for nearly everything available. Charlie, consummate host, started running the table, telling stories too funny to try to do justice to here, (and even if I could, would be much too vulgar for this site).
Samin's brother Bahador such a close friend that I refer to him as a brother tried to relate to Charlie just how big of fanboy of his I am. "Matt's memorized your six goals for Boot and Shoe. Matt, tell him." Bahador was referring to a very relatable interview Charlie travel nursing international had given in 2010, that I had, at one point, committed to memory. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said sheepishly, shooting travel nursing international a look of death towards Baha. "Oh c'mon, you know," Charlie urged. The whole table knew I knew. "Tell me, I forget what I said. Did I see it through?"
"Yeah," I said, "you did. Your six goals, were to: 1. Employ travel nursing international some talented young cooks, 2. Hang friends' art, 3. Sell bourbon, 4. Play Otis Redding, travel nursing international 5. Hire hot girls with tattoos to run the food, and 6. Make damn good pies." And he had, and I was impressed. And in spite of the embarrassment, remembering those goals and simultaneously seeing them fully realized bridged travel nursing international a gap in my perception of Charlie's existence.
As goblets of wine became Collins' of gin, it became apparent that I would not be treating the table, or Samin, to dinner in Charlie's restaurant. Luckily, I did have had a note and a small gift for her, and I think she knew that I was truly appreciative for her sticking her neck out for me. Laughter became more riotous, and desserts came and were gobbled up, and too soon, an excellent evening drew to a close.
I had been trying to find the time for more than a month to head to Arizona for a few nights, to do some special research. With less than two weeks to Africa, I booked a last-minute flight travel nursing international to Phoenix, jumped in a rental car, and drove straight to Pane Bianco , arriving a few minutes before they opened at noon. I went to the café next door for a latte, and found Marco Bianco master baker and brother to Chris reading on his tablet and sipping an espresso.
I introduced myself, but he remembered me from the last time I was in town. He even remembered that I had applied for a crazy-sounding travel nursing international pizza gig in Kenya. Our conversation turned to the question of baking at high elevations; when he learned that Nairobi sits at 5,450 feet, something clicked. He said that before travel nursing international Heritage Square, before the pizzeria in the grocery store, his brother travel nursing international had baked in Albuquerque, at an elevation of 5,300 ft.
Marco also mentioned that Chris had recently returned from London, and I might find him, and the advice travel nursing international I was looking for, at Trattoria a few hours later. When I walked in that afternoon, I saw Chris immediately, talking to Chef John Hall, laughing, tasting something right off a cutting board, and seeming satisfied with it. When Chris left the kitchen, I nervously travel nursing international approached him, introduced myself, and said, "In ten days, I'm flying to Nairobi, Kenya to help open a pizzeria. Do you have a second?"
As it turned out, he had nearly an hour, but only because he dropped everything, travel nursing international even ignoring several phone calls. He listened as I described my concept of this Kenyan pizzeria. travel nursing international He immediately challenged me, "Is that what you want it to be?" "Not exactly," I told him. I'm from his school-of-thought, the one that dictates that the most important steps to a great product happen outside the walls of the restaurant, in the community and in the local fields; not in the import shipyard. Like him, partially (mostly) because of him and his passionate philosophy, I'm devout in sourcing locally, from people who I know, and who build communities around their products that I purchase for my product. And importing shipping containers of Caputo, Gustorosso tomatoes, travel nursing international and boatloads of other Italian oils, meats and cheeses, as good as they are and as impressive as that all is, are clearly counter to ideals that I hold so dearly. And those purchases are already made, already travel nursing international in transit, manifests signed.
I guess I wasn't looking for solutions, or practical advice, or for him to help me reconcile travel nursing international my cognitive dissonance with some of those details. I guess I just wanted to get it off my chest. And so, in spite of the certain challenges and inevitable imperfections, he again challenged me, this time to be the pizzaiolo and human that I want to be. "Because there is no difference," he said "This business is only a relationship with no separation from life itself." He continued "I can tell you know how to make pizza, so you'll figure it out over there. Everything else, you know more than you think, so just follow your heart."
I got up from the table, thanked travel nursing international him for his time, and walked towards the door, a little stunned at the breadth and intensity of the conversation. I paused, considered my very recent, very large meal, and, against better judgement, sat down. The waitress brought a menu, but I didn't need one: I ordered the gold standard and an Oak Creek Nut Brown. A minute later, Chris walked over. "What're you having?" he asked. "A Margherita." "Cool, come on over, I'll make it for you."
Hours later, the blistering Phoenix sun had set, and I was finally cool enough to commit to the drive north. I settled into the rental car, turned up the Stones' Beggars Banquet , and headed to Flagstaff.
When I arrived, travel nursing international Pizzicletta was sound asleep, a lone spotlight illuminating the dome of the oven in the otherwise pitch black space, just as quaint as I'd imagined. travel nursing international Not quite ready to call it a night, I rambled to a friendly stool in a Route 66 old-tyme saloon in downtown Flag, a place trying hard to recall its days long past. I ordered travel nursing international a Negroni, travel nursing international and nursed it while looking for a place to stay. After failing to choose one over-priced roach motel over another, I solicited advice from the bartenders, travel nursing international who almost reluctantly suggested the hotel in which the bar was located.
After a little eavesdropping, I heard that one of the bartenders was also a server at Pizzicletta. "I'm actually in Flagstaff just for Pizzicletta," I said, "Or rather, to stage there, because I'm hoping learn about elevation's effects on fermentation and woodfired pizza." The bartenders were intrigued, or at least pretended to be moderately interested, and having become new acquaintances, we shared a round of Fernet. I quickly learned my first lesson at altitude the exponential alcohol-hypoxia intoxication factor. I got the cheapest room in the hotel above the bar, immediately realized why they had hesitated to suggest the run-down rooms, and promptly fell asleep.
The next morning, I woke up, and texted Caleb Schiff . We had been discussing