6 weeks down!

I've have now completed six weeks at the Western Culinary Institute, and by far Skills II has been my favorite, of course I've only had two classes so far. Chef Winter has been amazing, to the point of I gave her a huge hug at the end of class yesterday. This is a Chef that will always be one that I look back upon fondly. She even prepared a 30+ minute video of everything we did in class - quite awesome really to look back on and something I'm sure I'll save for years and years.

Everyday of Skills II I looked forward to getting up at 4:00am, making the 45 minute drive to school and putting on my whites. I don't want to sound like I'm towing some company line here - but I can't wait to get into my "Whites" tie that apron around my waist and getting to cooking. I feel almost honored that I can put those whites on and do my 'thang' as it were. It's been a while since I've felt this kind of pride in anything I do. I used to have that feeling when I was in radio, but the luster wore off - this time around I don't think that's ever going to happen.

Currently we're on Christmas break and will return to school in January, the 5th to be exact. Where I'll start a new class, "Charcuterie" or if you look at my class schedule "Meat and Seafood Identification and Fabrication". We start out in the class room for half the day, and then up to the butcher shop. Should be an exciting time, though I've bonded with some of my classmates from Skills II and most of them move on to another class as they're in the Associates program, I'm in just the diploma program - so for me - new classmates every 3 weeks. Excpet for the four of us who are diploma, we rotate together.

We only had three days of class this week due to weather, and that was a bit dishearting. I wanted to be in class, I wanted to learn what Chef Winter had to pass on to us. But after the break, she will hold what we call "open lab" after school to learn and prepare stuff we didn't get to with the shortened week. Which is great, there were two sauces we didn't get to make - and I want to learn how. Not to mention, I'm joined the schools sauce club called "Les Sauciers Sevants". I've really become to love a great sauce - made with the right things like a good veal or beef stock it can enhance a dish like you couldn't imagine.

With it being Christmas Break, I should be posting a bit more often.