Things have gotten interesting on the competition team front. Our salad guy damn near cut a finger off. You want to know how? Doing a chiffonade with a Shun Cleaver, in BAKING CLASS of all things (I contend that he was just showing off). Anyways, with that I move up from understudy alternate to the alternate spot as Tyler (the alt)moves into the salad spot. He vows that he'll be ready to go by the 22nd of next month, but right now we've got to move forward with the thinking that he's not going to be ready and healed by that time.
We did a run through the menu on Thursday, with time constraints and everything. Lets just say we've got a lot of 'kinks' to work out before Feb 22nd. Our Pomegranate Molasses/Balsamic gastrique was reduced to much and resembled taffy. The salad was a bit flat, but that will be corrected by salting the greens before dressing the salad with the vinaigrette. This had to have been the longest four day week on record, as we were doing "two a days" Tues, Wed, Thurs - thank god we took Friday off.
In other news we wrapped up the third week of the cycle yesterday, taking a final and making breakfast in Charcuterie. Passed the class with a "A", even though I didn't do all that spectacular on the final. I can study all I want, and retain all that info but as soon as that piece of paper is put down in front of me, I'm screwed. Though the last two says I've probably brought home 2 or so pounds of various sausages, not to mention a quarter of a ham, pastrami and corned beef.
Starting Monday it's on to Intro to Baking.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Yes, I am a slacker...
Sorry for the long time in between posts, getting back into the swing of things was my main focus the last couple of weeks and it's paid off. Tomorrow starts the last week of the 3rd cycle for Charcuterie, and then it's on to baking. Not my favorite endevor in the world, but something I need to learn.
As I think I've mentioned before I'm now a member of "Team WCI" it's a culinary competition team. I'm a 2nd alternate but my main reason for joining was for the learning experience - and I've learned a lot so far and we haven't even scratched the surface. And it's been taking up a lot of my time, it's not unusual now not to get home from school until 4 or 5p (school gets out at 12n).
I also decided to forgo joining the Sauce Club, they meet on weekends and I can't afford the extra gas and parking money. If they met on the weekdays after school that would be one thing, I just don't have the budget to afford the extra gas and parking. Remember I live about 45 minutes from school.
I've got more pictures to process and post in the coming days.
As I think I've mentioned before I'm now a member of "Team WCI" it's a culinary competition team. I'm a 2nd alternate but my main reason for joining was for the learning experience - and I've learned a lot so far and we haven't even scratched the surface. And it's been taking up a lot of my time, it's not unusual now not to get home from school until 4 or 5p (school gets out at 12n).
I also decided to forgo joining the Sauce Club, they meet on weekends and I can't afford the extra gas and parking money. If they met on the weekdays after school that would be one thing, I just don't have the budget to afford the extra gas and parking. Remember I live about 45 minutes from school.
I've got more pictures to process and post in the coming days.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Getting back into the groove..
After two weeks of sleeping in (mean past 4:30am), this past week was a bit of a struggle as my body was revolting against me. I remember back when (look out old guy rambling!) I could get up a 4:30a after going to bed three hours earlier and suffering no ill effects - not so much so more.
Even going to bed at a semi-decent time of no later than 10:30 was tough this week. I promise this will be the last I talk about it. Getting back into the 'school groove' was a slow process but I feel that my body has caught up and it's time to rock!
One of the great things that happened is that I'm now a member of the Western Culinary Institute Culinary Competition Team. I'm a second alternate, which is fine by me I'm the least experienced member - hence the alternate but I've still got a lot of input to what's going on and I do have to learn everyone's job so that in case of an emergency I'm ready to rock and roll. I'll also be the team photographer at events and what not - I think that will help a lot when it comes to photographing food. Not to mention I'll be working on the display menu that has to be done. To say I'm excited to be a part of this venture is an understatement.
I also joined the Charcuterie Club as well and can't wait for our next meeting, I missed the first one because it fell on the same day that out Competition club met for the first time, and the meeting last almost 2 hours. And I've got a sauce club meeting next weekend as well.
A part of me is wondering if I'm going to end up spreading myself too thin, but I want to be as active as I can be at school. One thing I learned in 12 years in radio, is to learn and absorb as many things as possible - the more you know the more you can step in and do anything that's needed. I was at my strongest in radio (to use a baseball term) "Utility Man". I feel that I thrive in that kind of environment so this is really up my alley.
I've got some pictures to post, but that will come later.
Even going to bed at a semi-decent time of no later than 10:30 was tough this week. I promise this will be the last I talk about it. Getting back into the 'school groove' was a slow process but I feel that my body has caught up and it's time to rock!
One of the great things that happened is that I'm now a member of the Western Culinary Institute Culinary Competition Team. I'm a second alternate, which is fine by me I'm the least experienced member - hence the alternate but I've still got a lot of input to what's going on and I do have to learn everyone's job so that in case of an emergency I'm ready to rock and roll. I'll also be the team photographer at events and what not - I think that will help a lot when it comes to photographing food. Not to mention I'll be working on the display menu that has to be done. To say I'm excited to be a part of this venture is an understatement.
I also joined the Charcuterie Club as well and can't wait for our next meeting, I missed the first one because it fell on the same day that out Competition club met for the first time, and the meeting last almost 2 hours. And I've got a sauce club meeting next weekend as well.
A part of me is wondering if I'm going to end up spreading myself too thin, but I want to be as active as I can be at school. One thing I learned in 12 years in radio, is to learn and absorb as many things as possible - the more you know the more you can step in and do anything that's needed. I was at my strongest in radio (to use a baseball term) "Utility Man". I feel that I thrive in that kind of environment so this is really up my alley.
I've got some pictures to post, but that will come later.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Quotes
In my locker at school hangs a piece of paper with these quotes, I also have one just inside my door of my room so that I have no choice but to look at it standing at my dresser or on the way out of my room. I plan to add more as I come across them, but right now these are the main three quotes I have.
So I figured I'd pass these on.
Everything is relative but there is a standard which must not be deviated from, especially with reference to the basic culinary preparations.
A.Escoffier
The Complete Art of Modern Cookery
“Chef’s get there.”
Chef Michael Pardus
The Making of a Chef:
Mastering the Heat of the
Culinary Institute of America
“Live to Cook..”
Chef Michael Symon
So I figured I'd pass these on.
Everything is relative but there is a standard which must not be deviated from, especially with reference to the basic culinary preparations.
A.Escoffier
The Complete Art of Modern Cookery
“Chef’s get there.”
Chef Michael Pardus
The Making of a Chef:
Mastering the Heat of the
Culinary Institute of America
“Live to Cook..”
Chef Michael Symon
Friday, January 2, 2009
Is it Monday yet?
I haven't updated much, because well there's not much to update. Though I do have some pictures of recent events that I'll put up here soon - its just the matter of getting them of my camera and onto my computer. The kid and I are going to attempt Mt. Dew cupcakes later this afternoon.
Only three days left of vacation and then it's back to my alarm going off at 4:30 in the morning to make the pilgrimage to school, at least then I'll have more content for the blog. I'm itching to back to school, never in my 36 years would I have thought those words would come to my lips(I hated high school..).
I have finished off another book, "On the line" by Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin. What a cool book, I love the 'behind the scenes' aspect to it. Now I've started on "Alice Waters and Chez Panisse" by Thomas McNamee. I'm only a chapter or two in at this point,and really I should post reviews of all the books I've read just in the last month or so - which as been a few. I might have to put an inventory together of all the culinary related books I have at the present.
Only three days left of vacation and then it's back to my alarm going off at 4:30 in the morning to make the pilgrimage to school, at least then I'll have more content for the blog. I'm itching to back to school, never in my 36 years would I have thought those words would come to my lips(I hated high school..).
I have finished off another book, "On the line" by Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin. What a cool book, I love the 'behind the scenes' aspect to it. Now I've started on "Alice Waters and Chez Panisse" by Thomas McNamee. I'm only a chapter or two in at this point,and really I should post reviews of all the books I've read just in the last month or so - which as been a few. I might have to put an inventory together of all the culinary related books I have at the present.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Itching to get back to it..
I've been out of school for a week now (Christmas break)and I'm really itching to get back to it. It may sound a tad crazy, but man do I ever want to get back to school and continue the learning process. Maybe I'm a tad weird that way, but hey one week is good enough for me - recharged the batteries, been spending time with my son. But there's a part of me that wants back into school.
I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen during this long break. I've made stock, and yesterday I worked on a recipe from Chef Michael Symon's "Lola". It's the BBQ sauce recipe you find in the back of Ruhlman's "The reach of a Chef". It turned out pretty darn good, though I didn't have veal stock or espresso beans. So I used some remouillage in place of veal. Not the same, I know but I used what I had on hand and I figured using the beef stock itself would lend to much of a "beefy" flavor to the sauce. I had regular coffee beans and that seemed to work well, though I will have to try and get some espresso beans. And at some point, I'll hunt down some Veal bones and do a proper veal stock.
Headed out to the mall today, need to stop by Kitchen Kaboodle (got a gift card for Christmas and I need some knife guards) and I'll make a swing by the book store, as I'm in need of more reading material. I've blown through all 3 Ruhlman books, I've been reading the section on sauces in McGee and even started "Letters To A Young Chef" by Daniel Bould. I'm sure I'll be posting again before the start of the New Year.
But man, can I just go back to school???
I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen during this long break. I've made stock, and yesterday I worked on a recipe from Chef Michael Symon's "Lola". It's the BBQ sauce recipe you find in the back of Ruhlman's "The reach of a Chef". It turned out pretty darn good, though I didn't have veal stock or espresso beans. So I used some remouillage in place of veal. Not the same, I know but I used what I had on hand and I figured using the beef stock itself would lend to much of a "beefy" flavor to the sauce. I had regular coffee beans and that seemed to work well, though I will have to try and get some espresso beans. And at some point, I'll hunt down some Veal bones and do a proper veal stock.
Headed out to the mall today, need to stop by Kitchen Kaboodle (got a gift card for Christmas and I need some knife guards) and I'll make a swing by the book store, as I'm in need of more reading material. I've blown through all 3 Ruhlman books, I've been reading the section on sauces in McGee and even started "Letters To A Young Chef" by Daniel Bould. I'm sure I'll be posting again before the start of the New Year.
But man, can I just go back to school???
Monday, December 29, 2008
Externship
One of the things we're required to do at school is towards the end of our stay is a externship at a restaurant to get us in gear for the 'real' world of the kitchen. At first I hadn't put much thought into it because it seemed pretty far away, but I'm due to graduate in June - my externship will be leading up to graduation.
I'm slowly coming up with a list of places that I wouldn't mind externing at, though I'm still not sure what it is exactly I want to do when I graduate. Do I want to work the line? Do I want to go into catering? These are things I wrestle with pretty much on a daily basis. Why? Well the more thought I put into it, the better off I'll be when the time arrives.
Here's a short list of places I would like to extern at, including honestly some dream choices that I'm not sure I could get - most of these places are Portland based except for a few and if you know anything some of these are far from the friendly confines of the state of Oregon.
Yes there are some lofty restaurants on there and there are a few more in Portland that I wouldn't mind including Beast, and Higgins. But that's just a rough list at this point and time, I need to sit down with my Chef adviser and see what he thinks should be a good fit. I've really gotten interested in French haute cuisine at this point, though that might have to do with reading Ruhlman's "Chef" series and the fact for Christmas I got "The Art Of Modern Cookery" by Auguste Escoffier.
I'm slowly coming up with a list of places that I wouldn't mind externing at, though I'm still not sure what it is exactly I want to do when I graduate. Do I want to work the line? Do I want to go into catering? These are things I wrestle with pretty much on a daily basis. Why? Well the more thought I put into it, the better off I'll be when the time arrives.
Here's a short list of places I would like to extern at, including honestly some dream choices that I'm not sure I could get - most of these places are Portland based except for a few and if you know anything some of these are far from the friendly confines of the state of Oregon.
Yes there are some lofty restaurants on there and there are a few more in Portland that I wouldn't mind including Beast, and Higgins. But that's just a rough list at this point and time, I need to sit down with my Chef adviser and see what he thinks should be a good fit. I've really gotten interested in French haute cuisine at this point, though that might have to do with reading Ruhlman's "Chef" series and the fact for Christmas I got "The Art Of Modern Cookery" by Auguste Escoffier.
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