Ahhh, in-firm interview week. A word to the wise for those of you who will spend this week schlepping all over the downtown core in painfully new footwear: make sure you don’t go hungry. Take it from someone who still has hazy memories of the week. Of all of the good advice that is being thrown your way this week — wear comfortable footwear, avoid the PATH, schedule your interviews with time to spare, don’t chug three martinis and hit on female associates — the most important ones are to get some rest, and stay well-fed. Fainting in interviews is generally frowned upon. Stomach-rumbling is more just embarrassing (for you).
I know what most of you are thinking: isn’t there going to be a kickass spread waiting for me in every boardroom? Aren’t these firms going to basically force-feed me with bon-bons and caviar in order to woo me into giving them the next two (read: ten) years of my young adult life? And while the answer is yes (except replace “caviar” with “fruit plates”), most of you will be a big ball of nerves and you won’t be able to stomach much, if any, of the food provided. You’ll also be approached while you wait by articling students who are there to make sure you “feel comfortable,” which means they will force you into painful small talk about where you go to school instead of letting you hoard your free cookies in the corner behind the potted fern.
So, instead of spending the night before your interview rehearsing amusing anecdotes and memorizing your resume, I suggest cracking a bottle of wine, relaxing, and making some biscuits. Yup, biscuits: they are delicious, they go well with soup, they provide some on-the-go energy, and they travel in your purse (gentlemen, they probably will not fit in your leather portfolio, but you can improvise). Just make sure you bring a napkin and watch out for crumbs. And for the rest of you who are blissfully employed or just happy to be past this stage of your lives: hey guys, biscuits!
This is adapted from the Cook’s Illustrated “Best Buttermillk Drop Biscuits” recipe, which doesn’t contain the bacon and cheese. The plain, original version makes a delicious and versatile biscuit that can be sweet or savoury, buttery and light, well-complimented by a spot of jam or butter for a quick breakfast, or serving as a delicious accompaniment to soups or stews. Feel free to play around with your own additions (caramelized onion and gruyere; black pepper and parmesan; chive and blue cheese – you get the idea).
The genius of this recipe is the combination of acidic, cold buttermilk and melted butter, which when combined forces the butter to congeal into small lumps that stand in for the typical “cutting cold butter into flour” method that can be time-consuming. The fact that they can simply be dropped onto the baking sheet also saves the time of rolling out and cutting dough. All in all, you can pop these things in the oven after only about 15 minutes of prep time.
Buttermilk Biscuits with Bacon, Cheddar and Parsley *
Makes 10-12 biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp table salt
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup cold buttermilk **
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (about 5 minutes)
* For plain biscuits, simply omit bacon, cheddar and parsley and follow directions below.
** If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by combining 1 tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice with a cup of milk and letting it stand for 10 minutes.
1. While you’re cooking the bacon, preheat oven to 475F and adjust rack to middle position. Line a baking sheet with greased aluminum foil or parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Mix in bacon, cheddar and parsley and stir until combined evenly.
3. In a separate bowl, combine cold buttermilk and melted butter, stirring with a fork until small clumps form.
4. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients, folding in gently until just combined and edges of dough begin to pull away from edge of bowl (avoid overmixing). Scoop dough using a 1/4 cup measure onto baking sheet, spacing the biscuits about 1.5 inches apart.
5. Bake until golden brown on top, about 12-14 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack before serving. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature.
Sara Chan is a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer, food enthusiast, unprofessional home chef and even less professional food photographer. Her favourite food group is pork.