“A hard beginning maketh a good ending.”

It is difficult to find the appropriate title for this final culinary school blog.  Other options were:
"Every end is a new beginning"; “If you want a happy ending, that of course depends on where you stop your story.”;  "It's never over til it's over."; or, “You won't realize the distance you've walked until you look around and realize how far you've been.”  But,  I think the one I finally chose was the most appropriate (and it is short) - "A hard beginning maketh a good ending." 
After reading through a few of my earlier postings, I am reminded of the stress of those first months... WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?  It was really a stress from the first to the last.  At this point I can admit that it was good stress.  Mind-altering stress.  Refining, revamping, sharpening stress.  I finally made it to the end... the good ending - graduation.  
I matriculated Friday, August 12th.  A day to be entered into the annals of Gayle's life history as a defining moment.  I was soo happy.  I was ecstatic. My feet barely touched ground all day.  I smiled and was friendly to all fellow human beings - so tolerant of their driving as I traveled the California freeways;  so benevolent to all tourists crowding my little town.  I think I was perfect on August 12 - that one shining day.  Well, truthfully, I guess you can't really be perfect if the only person you are thinking about all day is yourself. :-o  
I did my hair to impeccability; I ironed my chef's coat to faultlessness; I chose the ideal pair of shoes and chose divine, yet understated earrings... and then proceeded to harass my husband, sons, and sister to get going because I was afraid we would be late.  We were 30 minutes early.  :-)
When we arrived and I caught the first glimpse of my fellow students, I cried out, (to myself) "My people!"  I couldn't really say that out loud to young people in their early 20's.  Those friends with whom I had shared the kitchen trenches.  Those associates who had competed in the culinary arena and won the battle.  We graduated together, just like we started... together.
There was only one difference... I got the President's Award.  :-)
Oh yes, I did.

"And just when you thought you were the coolest person in the room, I walked in."

Okay this Title quote is a little ridiculous, but funny.  I want to tell you about my classmate, Jack.
Jack and I are in competition... Jack wants to beat me.  I am not sure why; Jack isn't sure why.  Probably because I am just there. And now, guess what?  I want to beat Jack... badly, very badly!
Jack schools me in knife skills.  I school Jack in baking. 
Jack is a speed demon.  I am more methodical... interestingly enough.
Jack has tons of restaurant experience.  I have savvy.
Jack is always first in plating during our practical finals.  I always score the highest on written tests... except once.
As reticent to admit this fact, it is true that Jack beat me on a written test.  One time.  He was ecstatic.  He was elated.  He was annoying!
In the midst of his overblown, bombastic, extensive, celebration, I said,  "Jack, I am going to get you a T-shirt that says "I beat Gayle by one point... ONCE!'"  He told me he would wear it if it was black and the writing was white, outlined in gold.  Where did I lose control of this competition?
When we paired up as a team for the Garde Manger final, we rocked the kitchen.  :-]
I like 19 year old Jack... but not enough to ever let him beat me... again.

"Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one."

Although I have been quite inconsistent in blogging my experiences of culinary school I have decided it is not too late to continue on...
I have finished my class work and now find myself nearly done with my "externship."  I finally found out why it is called - "extern".  It is because I am still protected and monitored by my culinary school - boy they just don't let you out of their sight for a minute! :-)  To continue, I have been working at the Italian Bed and Breakfast and enjoying the challenge of plating 8 hot breakfast plates with all manner of egg dishes, red, russet, and sweet potatoes, crepes, rolled pancakes, breakfast meats, fruit and vegetable varietals, morning "desserts", hollandaise sauce, sweet tomato/basil sauce, balsamic reductions, caramel, whipped cream - and that just scratches the surface.
Today, among other things I made an apple galette and garnished it with homemade caramel sauce and hand-whipped cream.  (Any of my chef's instructors reading this blog?  I am following the make-it-yourself imperative!)  This dish is considered the morning dessert.  It was served with scrambled eggs in puff pastry shell with hollandaise, a hash brown style potato dish with thyme, onion, and garlic, and roasted cherry tomatoes, coffee, cranberry juice, and orange juice.  Why am I suddenly so hungry??
Chef Mary let me take the reins the other day and I made ham and cheese crepes with a fried egg on top, served with cinnamon/brown sugar sweet potatoes and a lovely fruit garnish.  The breakfast dessert was lemon/blueberry scones and homemade strawberry jam.  I know if sounds like I am bragging, but I am truly surprised when it all comes together and people like the final product.  Even the couple from Scotland said I could sell my scones there! :-0
I want to move to Scotland... I like bagpipes.  I cried when I watched Braveheart.  I am Scottish... among other things.  I think I could pick up their brogue without any trouble.  Ron and I could live on what I make hawking my blueberry lemon scones on street corners.  Hmm...
One of the most delightful things about this B&B is the visitors.  We have had guests from China, Poland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Germany, England, Scotland, Canada, Knoxville Tennessee, Colorado, Illinois, South Carolina, New York, Arizona, Pennsylvania, etc., etc.  What fun to serve all these lovely folks breakfast at 9 AM en masse at the round table in the dining room!
I may have been made for this job... I feel quite sure I like the cooking and the people together!
Graduation is August 12 at 6 PM.  I had my school coat altered so the shoulders actually fit, and I found out I don't have to wear the elastic-waist, black and white striped pants.  Zipp-idy-do-dah!  I can wear plain black pants or a skirt!! 
I am proclaiming,  like Dr. Suess, "Today was good.  Today was fun.  Tomorrow is another one!"

Phyllo: "flaky, tissue-thin layers of pastry used in baked desserts and appetizers"

I have of late been obsessed with phyllo (filo) dough.  I can't sleep at night because I am thinking phyllo dough.  I find my mind wandering off into thoughts of spanakopeta and... phyllo layered desserts.  "Gayle," you ask, "why are you obsessed with this culinary product?"  "Why," I respond, "I think because I have to use it in my final practical exam... I also have to use over 30 other ingredients!"  (Have this instructors lost their minds??)  The question is valid and my answer banal... why a fancy for this particular element?  Hmm...  Maybe because it's a challenge to use... keeping it covered and moist, brushing butter on each layer without breaking the fine gossamer sheets.  Maybe it brings back memories of spanakopeta in the late 70's early 80's when I made it, with great trepidation,  for some collegiate function.  Maybe because it just tastes so dang good!  You may think I am overstating this obsession, but truly,  I am not.
I was talking to some friends the other day about people being obsessed with elements of life.  "What is that about?", said I.  "I'm not obsessed about anything."   "I am too easily distracted to become bewitched by one thing."  "I have a broad range of interests."  Clearly, some self actualization needs occupy some  my waking moments... maybe the middle of the night,  wide awake, obsessing moments too.

"Someday is not a day of the week." -Benjamin Franklin

Well today is "someday"... finally.  I haven't logged in my experiences for a month, and instead of saying someday, I am saying "today',  by gollie! 
I have finished Cuisine III and a very hairy final.  We had to present four courses of 2 identical plates to the Chef in 4 hours.  I created the most elaborate timeline which I have developed to date.  It worked well.  Once I found out what was in the "market basket" I only had a few adjustments that had to be made.  I made an asparagus soup, an appetizer... can't remember what it was; the entree was grilled lamb chops, with some kind of vegetables (I can't remember what they were either :-o),  and a panko encrusted polenta; dessert was a white chocolate panna cotta with Grand Marnier.  I have never experienced a final which everything went smoothly.  :-]  My hands were shaking so badly during the knife skills portion I wasn't sure if I could cut anything straight.  I ask myself, "why are you so stressed over these knife skills?"  Myself didn't have a good answer, but the test was survived and I managed an A-.
Last Thursday was the final for the nutrition section.  During these nutrition classes we cooked without any fat, sugar or salt... can I just say, you may be able to cook without one, but not the others.  At least not at the same time.   The best thing we made were oatmeal cookies (applesauce instead of fat).  The final was only 3 courses and it seemed like a cake walk (or a nonfat yogurt walk) compared to Cuisine III.  We were allowed to choose a nutritional focus - mine was "lowfat/ low cholesterol... not sugarfree!!   I made a delightful composed crab salad which had a orange/honey vinaigrette and an entree of sea bass and fruit salsa (pomegranate, orange, blueberries, and serrano chili's) with cilantro couscous and roasted vegetables.  The dessert I made was a fruit smoothie (served in a cute little sherry glass) with banana schnapps,  and the oatmeal cookies.
I have finally reached a point where I am feeling some confidence and freedom to experiment a little bit in class.  It has taken me a while to learn the ropes - to understand what the expectations are and how to meet them.  Eureka - free at last!!  Why is it these young adult classmates didn't seem to have these barriers I experience?   I could probably figure it out, but don't really think it would have added-value to my life,  especially since that is water under the bridge at this point. (That is a big bunch of baloney or "hooey" as my father used to say.) 
This week we start "Garde Manger" aka salads, charcuterie, etc.  We will be working in teams, as usual, but our final will be working in teams as well.  I love working in teams!  I am a youngest child - I am social! I need brainstorming! I need... people!

"Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need."

It really hasn't taken me this long to lick my wounds, life has just encroached on this blogging thing.  I promised the Char-LOTTE story and for the sake of this journal experience, and posterity I am going to do my best to communicate that adventure in a concise manner.
Setting:  Baking Final.  Kitchen Stadium, San Diego Culinary Institute
Production:  2 Creme Brulee; 1- 8" Almond Creme Fruit Tart; 1 Raspberry Mousse Charlotte
The Narrative:  After the chef's signal we students started separately with our Biscuit Cuilliere (Lady Finger Batter), consisting of whipped egg yolk with sugar; whipped egg white with sugar; folded in to flour and corn starch.  After creating the dough from a 1/2 recipe several of us noted, upon piping it into circles and long 6" wide strips there didn't seem to be enough batter to create one charlotte.  We decided to pool our strengths and mise en place for one more recipe, pipe it out and it would act as reserve for whomever needed it.  (The brilliance of this idea will unfold with the story.)  At this point I start on my almond tart and creme brulee, but I will not digress into this endeavor, just know it was occurring simultaneously with the charlotte.  The biscuit turned out well; a couple of my circles (one for the bottom and one for the middle layer) were a little thin, but acceptable.  Time to start the mousse.  The Italian Meringue, made earlier, needed to be folded into the raspberry puree (with gelatin.)  It had lost a little volume, and was a little resistant to incorporation, but I got there.  I added the whipped cream to finish the mousse and was ready to build the charlotte.  I cut my circles to fit inside the metal mold and folded my strips of baked biscuit cuilliere around the mold creating the sides.  I brushed the bottom circle with the "fruit punch" and proceeded to measure out my mousse with a ladle so the layers would be uniform.  It didn't take long to see I was not going to have enough mousse for this charlotte, but I had already started filling the mold, so I couldn't remove what mousse I had already used.  If I was lucky it would be 2/3 full (probably a result of fallen Italian Meringue and too much work incorporating it.)  This would not do!  I can't present a charlotte 2/3 full.  This would mean failing this final and having to repeat this day all over again... NEVER!  What could I do quickly?  Add whipped cream to some puree and gelatin was my best bet - the layer would be slightly different, but it was the only option I could conjure up during the time I had and the other platings and desserts I had to give the chef.  I went in search of more puree and heavy cream - there was NONE.  NONE!  Oh gracious, I am doomed.  I could mound fruit on top - the chef would never go for that.  Ergh.  Then the reach-in refrigerator door opened and light from heaven poured forth from it's miraculous chamber and out came... yes Raspberry Mousse.  One full quart my partner and I had refrigerated (10 days prior to this day) when we were creating them in class.  I melted down that gelatinized mousse on the induction burner and went in search for (Please, God) and extra circle layer.  I found one.  In short, I had a 3 layered charlotte.  To present the desserts we had to show the whole creation minus one piece which was plated and garnished to the nines.  The chef cocked his head sideways as he judged my charlotte and said, "This charlotte has three layers."  I said, "I know."  He said with a grin, "I don't think we have ever had a three layered charlotte presented for a final."
I got an A.  God be praised.  Thank you whoever had that inspiration to make extra biscuit cuilliere. 
Do you see the hand of the kindest of Gods in this?  Boy, I do.  And I learned this lesson (which goes back to the title of this blog):  Not only use a larger pot than you think you need, make extra batter and filling or extra everything for a culinary final.

"Dogs are wise. They crawl away into a quiet corner and lick their wounds and do not rejoin the world until they are whole once more."

I have just been dealt a harsh blow... :-]  I did not even get the opportunity to audition and interview with my first choice for the pivotal externship.  Admittedly, it was a huge stretch.  I am not giving up... I have responded with as many positive comments and additional possibilities within their establishment and now I will wait to hear back, or after hearing back again,  will come up with yet another idea in order to tell them how much they need me in their kitchen.  This is exhausting! ;-]
Right now, I need to retreat and lick my wounds... I have never really thought of myself as dramatic, and truly I am saying all this with a certain amount of my tongue in my cheek.  I know important life events  are rarely funneled through one experience which seems crucial.  I will leave room for God to work.
No culinary info today (too busy feeling sorry for myself), except to say (I always have something to say),  I passed my baking final with an A.  Thanks be to God!  More later about that Char-LOTTE adventure and my friendly competition with one student.

“Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshingfloor, so shall ye heave it.”

I hate baking. 
Well, I hated it from 8AM-12:30PM yesterday.  :-]  We had a different instructor,  and the pace was very different.  It was good to learn from someone new, but hard to adjust for this (hmm, shall we say more mature) culinary student.  In that period of time we produced a creme anglaise, an ice cream base, a sorbet base, a chocolate souffle and a sponge cake.  Our souffle exploded, our ice cream base overcooked, and our sponge cake didn't look like anyone elses after baking.  I cleaned up the souffle ramekin as best I could, garnished it with raspberries and powdered sugar to hide some defects and plated it with a tiny bowl of creme anglaise.  I strained the ice cream base through a fine chinois twice, poured it into a hotel pan with lots of surface area and put that pan in an ice bath in order to cool it down as fast as possible (we were behind).  I just mourned over the sponge cake.  Did I mention the new chef was the Executive of the entire program??  I went on our lunch break, to lick my wounds, anticipating... the worst afternoon know to man.  It was going to be filled with a horrible cake and inedible ice cream. "Do the god's hate me",  I cried.  "I don't belong in a commercial kitchen;  I can't keep the pace; I am a failure"... is there anyone out there as sick of this mantra as I am?  :-]  Oh wait, there is more - we were fortunate enough to have yet another different chef for the afternoon... can I crawl in a hole now?
There was a lot of self talk during the lunch break that consisted of "Gayle, are you a quitter?",  "Stop feeling sorry for yourself", "Dry your tears and toughen up", and then some sweet fellow students came over and kept me company for a few minutes, which freed me from a continuation of overused aphorisms, and we entered into that wretched kitchen once again, but I was ready to make the best of it.
What do you think happened?  Our sponge cake was the only one properly cooked, the chef went straight for our ice cream base, tasted it and loved it and we produced an Italian meringue buttercream icing which could not have gone more swimmingly. 
Sometimes in life, says this wise, old sage, we are given the gift of immediate satisfaction (my experience of the low and the high all in one day) but more often it is the longer road of delayed satisfaction.  I hope I have learned this lesson.  As Winston Churchill once said, "Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." Or, my favorite resource, the Bible says, " Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.   (Psalm 27:14)   Okay, maybe that is a little vehement for culinary school, yet the principle applies. 


 

"Oh, it's more than a trifle, Clancy. It's a charlotte ."

Have you ever heard someone from France say "charlotte"?  The emphasis is on the "lotte" with lots of round vowels... it is actually a lovely name.  Have you ever heard someone from France say "mirror", spelled miroir in French?  It is... lots of vowels rolling around in the mouth with a few r's to make it interesting.  Hmm... I am supposed to be talking about food aren't I?
Tuesday we made the classic dessert, the char-LOTTE with raspberry.  We used a "fruit punch" (raspberry puree with corn syrup, lemon juice and sugar) to soak the biscuit cuillere (lady finger dough.)  The mousse was raspberry and included an Italian meringue and whipped cream. Once the mousse chilled and set inside the lady finger form, we covered the top with the mirror or "miroir"  :-]  (like the fruit punch with gelatin).  It was lovely.  Creating a charlotte is quite a production, and there are many steps.  This recipe, along with the fruit tart will be the practical piece for our final in a few weeks.  My family is going to be sick of charlottes...  maybe I can share the wealth.  Is there anyone is southern California who will eat dessert? 
We made chocolate filigrees to garnish our charlotte,  tirimisu, and creme brulee.  I accidentally took Jack's filigrees from the frig and used them.  Well, gosh, they looked just like mine... only a little better.  I kept saying to myself, "Wow, these look really good and uniform.  Did I do these?"  Okay, it was probably some awful subconscious pest which blinded my judgment when I took the lacy, chocolate beauties from the refrigerator.  My dear classmate was a good sport about it, but I may never live it down. 
I must admit to never having made creme brulee... I know, I know, how can someone who claims to love dessert, and claims to love to produce them,  has never made the most loved and favored creme brulee?  I am intimidated by the torch.  I admit it.  I did not show my fear in class (I hope) instead I took that flame thrower in hand and torched my creme brulee like a pro... well, almost a pro. 
How do you feel about flan?  I LOVE flan... oooh, the texture is silky and the caramel is a wonderful, dare I say, slightly bitter compliment to that smooth masterpiece.  We haven't eaten ours yet.  It is waiting patiently (in our Tuesday/Thursday class refrigerator) to be plated in some magical way on Thursday.  I need to work on plating... I need to work on everything.  :-]

"Cure for an obsession: get another one."

I'm baa-aack.  After two weeks of the restaurant design obsession I am ready to re-enter into the real world, and my blog.  What did I do for those two weeks?  My team of three did the following: 
1. Create a restaurant concept, mission statement and design.  With a scaled floor plan for restaurant  
    and kitchen design
2  Create a menu in keeping with our concept.
3. For each dish, be it entree, side, appetizer, dessert we wrote out standardized recipes, including all
    sub recipes.  Each recipe had to have a food cost percentage which reflected a yield analysis and
    each  plate formulated to portion costing.
4.  Job descriptions written for front and back of the house.
5.  Scheduling written for one full week
6.  Full on budget including benefits, insurance... everything
7.  A bound book which includes all information and recipes
8.  Ad infinitim
On Friday we presented our restaurant concept, design, and budget to the class as if they were
 investors.  We had an over 120 page bound book,  a project board, a hard copy of our menu (like you would get in a restaurant) and our team did a faux website.  
This is what I did (literally) for 2 weeks - including the weekend.  I went to class.  I came home and worked on my computer until I went to bed.  When I wasn't in class I worked on my computer.  When I wasn't working on my computer I was working on the project board.  I did host a church get-together/
business meeting - that was the only fun I had. 
Can you say tired?  On Thursday one of my project partners and I were so exhausted everything we said to one another was funny.  So funny we were in tears.  Now that is tired!
We did a great job, I think.  Grades in 2 weeks.  I don't really care what the grade is... I feel good about our work and this class is over.
NOW it is time for another obsession!!!  My poor husband.  As long as the obsession means cooking some meals I think he is okay with it. :-]
And it is back to the baking class - Yippee!!! 

"You can say this for ready-mixes - the next generation isn't going to have any trouble making pies exactly like mother used to make. "

BAKING!!  Hurray!  At least "hurray" for one measly week; we have to interrupt baking to do a  2 week session on Food and Beverage Management!  But, back to baking... Tuesday was Pate Brisee or Pie Dough and Sweet Dough.  Translated into dishes we made Quiche Lorraine and two sweet fruit tarts with Almond Cream.  I'll tell you this, no dishes were as well received in my home as the Fruit and Poached Pear tarts!  Hmm's and Yum's and so forth were heard for minutes on end.  Forks were busy attacking my sweet little tarts and no one was bothering to plate them either.  It was a little off-putting considering all the desserts I have made over the years and never had that kind of response before!  I think the apricot glaze on the top of the fruit not only made it beautiful, but was an extra added bonus flavor.
I asked the Chef why he only uses butter in the crusts and not lard or shortening since I had always heard it makes a flakier crust.  He just cocked a substantial eyebrow at me and said, (French accent) "Because it tastes better."  And there you have it.  This Pate Brisee was very flaky.
We blind baked the crusts of course, removed the beans and then finished baking to get the bottom nice and done.  Interestingly enough,  we blanched the bacon for the Quiche Lorraine instead of frying it... ugh.  I asked the chef why we blanch it (doesn't that sound disgusting?) and he said so the bacon is not crisp and therefore will not break the custard when it is cut into wedges.  He was right - it did not break that beautiful, smooth, egg-y custard, but I think I might risk the knife-like crispy bacon. :-]
Yesterday was Pate a Choux.  I have made many gougeres (sp) and so have experienced the Pate a Choux dough, but we made eclairs and profiteroles and cream puffs that looked like swans and iced Napoleon's.  I have never been so sick of desserts in my life - and I didn't even eat any.  You know,  intensive cooking is sometimes like sewing a dress... by the time you have completed the project you look at it and say, "Well, it looks good and I really liked the whole idea, but now... I am just over it!"  Maybe that is why when someone cooks for you it tastes so much better than if you cooked it yourself - generally speaking that is. 
We also learned how to make a tiny parchment paper cone for piping tiny streams of chocolate.  I like the idea of a tiny little squeeze bottle better, or even a tiny little disposable pastry bag with a tiny round- holed tip.  It took me twenty minutes to create that tiny little cone.  :-)

E-lat-ed [ih-ley-tid] - gleeful, joyful, jubilant

Elated! That is how I felt after school on Thursday.  Cuisine II - done; accomplished; concluded.  Hallelujah!  As these section finals loom my emotional quality deteriorates... that is to say, I am not fun to live with.  When they are over I am as high as a kite - I am tolerant, loving, helpful, friendly - in short,  a delight- until I have to start it all over again.
The chicken cooperated on Thursday for the knife skills portion of the test.  I finished fabricating that bird in under 8 minutes which was the fastest time frame for the highest score.  Then there was the accuracy part of the scoring - I did okay - forgot to "french" the wing on the Airline breast - well truthfully I didn't really even know I was supposed to do that!  The julienne, batonet and brunoise - not so good, but my tornay of potatoes were praised (in a moderate sense) by the chef. 
After the knife skills pressure cooker we moved into the market basket portion of the practical final.  Chicken (shocker), potatoes or rice, and a few vegetable selections ( asparagus, tomato, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, fennel.)
I decided to keep it simple and hopefully execute well.  I chose to do a tomato provencal with a pan-fried tornay of potatoes and asparagus.  The protein, as I mentioned, was the Airline chicken breast and I did a brandy cream sauce with a brunoise of vegetables.  My garnish was a heart-shaped crouton ( a nod to Valentines Day.)  If I was really talented at this blogging thing I could take you right into the kitchen so you could feel the tension, the hum of emotion, the current of nervous strain as we students worked feverishly to accomplish our plan and present our 2 exactly matching plates hot,  and beautiful to the Great High Inquisitor Chef Instructor.  30% vegetable, 30% starch and 40% protein; 4-6 colors, 1 inch from the sides, nothing on the rim, no smudges or drips - white plate pristine except where the food lie in subjugation to the diner in a beautifully designed flow from 10-4 counter clock-wise.  Well, that was the plan at least.  I put my chicken on backwards - my flow was ... well, let's just say it came to a screeching halt.  It is that crazy wing thing sitting up on the chicken breast that throws me off - I can't ever figure out which way it is flowing and how to set it on the plate.  :-]  BUT, the Chef said no one had frenched their wing as well and the vegetable brunoise in the brandy cream sauce was a distinct improvement over my knife skills brunoise offering.  I do learn from my mistakes.  Generally, he liked my food, color, execution.  The best part about it was that IT WAS OVER!!
Bring on the written test - at this point, even with my small amount of success,  I was so ELATED the practical was over I could have conquered the world!!  I did.  I scored the highest on the written test (which wasn't really high enough, but hey perfection is not going to happen here) and rubbed it in to a funny fellow student who is always showing me up.  Driving home, in my one lane, totally unconcerned with my fellow commuters and whether they were passing me in faster lanes, I basked in the knowledge that Cuisine II was over and I was free... until Tuesday.
Next - Baking... I LOVE baking!

“A cook she certainly was, in the very bone and centre of her soul. Not a chicken or turkey or duck in the barn-yard but looked grave when they saw her approaching."

Yesterday I fabricated 4 chickens. That is to say I cut them up into their usual pieces (with the exception of an "Airline" breast which has the wing drummette on it... a very strange portion of chicken - I think I have seen it... once.)  My best time in chicken fabrication was 9 minutes.  This morning I plan on shattering that record... after I have had at least 2 Americanos :-]  That smacks of drug enhanced performance,  doesn't it?  Happily, as far as I know, caffeine has not been banned from the kitchen!  I understand some chefs have friendly wagers regarding chicken fabrication speed.  Hmmm...  I'll take on anyone in the speed- trussing category, but knife speed?... not so much.  I have never had so many nicks and cuts on my poor little (or should I say elegant - I was tempted to say "big") hands!  There are some ways of using a knife that are so ingrained into one after years of incorrect use that trying to hold that dangerous tool any other way seems clumsy and inefficient.  I will say that here on this blog, but not in class.  Chef's are not particularly amenable to excuses for poor technique.
Thursday's class was veal and chicken,  but the stars were the Black Quinoa Pilaf and Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce.  I have not been much of a quinoa fan, but mixed with the rice it was delicious - the bacon didn't hurt either ;-] - other ingredients were: onion, carrot, red bell pepper - simmered of course in chicken stock, with green onions and peas to finish.  Now that is healthy eating I can wrap my head around!  The cream sauce is just what it sounds like - cream, wine (of course) and sun-dried tomatoes.
Tuesday is fish... hmm... I wonder what the sauces will be.  I know,  you think I only care about the sauces.  I do like fish, really I do... generally speaking.  Can I just say it smells bad to produce - when you have cut it up and prepped it,  the general smell lingers on your apron and coat... even after a short time it is not so pleasant an aroma and just think what you smell like by the end of the day.  After these classes I shall purchase fish fully fabricated in a lovely brown wrapped parcel ready to go straight into the pan - after seasonings of course.
Please feel free to comment on my facebook page or here on the blog and let me know if you are craving more information regarding recipes or ingredients.  For those who live near me I am going to have a Saturday class in chicken fabrication and other general knife skills - Free for those who can laugh, have a good time, and wield a knife safely!  Barn-yard fowl beware!
.

"You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there."

Yes, unfortunately for you the reader, another final is coming up.  Knife skills, 100+ questions of written testing, and a "Market Basket" cooking test.  So, I find myself searching for hope and encouragement that I can conquer and overcome my fear.
It seems silly to fear knife skills tests and market basket challenges...  I have cut up a chicken before - many times... I cook dinner frequently based on what is in the refrigerator or pantry.  My fear stems from a few things:  1. Fine dining chef's will be critiquing my plate on presentation, taste and technique.  2.  I will need to incorporate into my offering the things I have learned over the past few weeks so that the chef recognizes that I have learned what he was teaching.  3.  I have choked on knife skills in the past.  4.  The written tests are hard even if you have extensive notes.  Now that I have stated my fears, I shall let them go and ride on the wind. 
From today on I will strategize and study, plan and practice.  I will have confidence in what I have learned and my ability to regroup from kitchen catastrophes'.  I will think on the good and positive.  As it says in Phillipians:  "Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse."
Can someone remind me I said this please!

Never say, "oops." Always say, "Ah, interesting."

In looking for a quote for the title of this post I found myself in a sea of delightful comments regarding mistakes.  This is of great appeal to me since I spend a good amount of time fixing mistakes... my mistakes.  My family says that one of my great strengths in the kitchen is the ability to save my dishes from disaster.  I am not particularly proud of this reputation but, at times, it has it's rewards.  
Case in Point:  Thursday, we made beef dishes - Filet, Chateaubriand, Short ribs, New York steak, and Braised Short Ribs of Beef.  I was responsible for the Roqueford Demi-Glace, which was to accompany the Filet.  I needed to make the Demi-Glace first, but we had no Espanole (remember the Mother Sauce.) The strategy was to do a shortened version of that 2 hour sauce. Then add more veal stock and reduce to a demi-glace. The tomato paste was my downfall.  In trying to incorporate the 2 recipes together I didn't pay attention to volumes and ended up with too much of that darned red paste, which made a VERY red sauce. Big Mistake!  So, I called the Chef over and he said (don't forget the Parisienne accent), "It is too red; there is too much tomato paste.  You must start again." WHAT?  I rarely start again.  So, I said, "How about I take 3/4 of this sauce and save it and add beef stock to the remaining 1/4, then reduce it for the demi-glace."  He liked it and said, "Yes, and we can use this tomato sauce for the short ribs."  "Exactly what I was thinking!", said I.  In my humble opinion it was a lovely addition to the Braised Short Ribs. 
I don't know if the chef thinks I am hopeless or inventive... I am what I am.  Except when I am trying to be a better version of myself. :-]

Let my words, like vegetables, be tender and sweet, for tomorrow I may have to eat them.

Cuisine II started with vegetables.  Asparagus with... you guessed it - HOLLANDAISE!  Am I never to be free from that mother sauce?
We changed partners for Cuisine II and I find myself in the back row trying to understand what the French chef is saying with all the pots clanging and the water running and the induction stoves making their humming sound. I have taken to watching some of my favorite movies in French, hoping that the language sounds will become more natural to my ear...  really who does crazy things like that??
More importantly, here are some things I learned:  Green vegetables have Clorophyll (shocking) and want to be cooked or blanched in salted water to retain color.  Orange or yellow vegetables have Carotene (not new news) and although their color is not affected by acid, they retain firmness with salted water.  Vegetables which are white or purple - Flavanoids (did not know this term) -  want acid in their water so they keep their color integrity.  When blanching don't forget the ice water bath to stop cooking.
The best dish of Tuesday was a cauliflower gratin - we simply blanched cauliflower in acidic water (lemon juice), sauced it with a Mornay and then added more Gruyere on the top - finished in the oven until brown.  Wow.  We did make onion rings with a bbq dipping sauce - not bad either.  I can do without vegetable brochettes (kabobs).  Do you see a theme here?  I must figure out how to make healthy styled vegetables and like them.
Thursday's best dish might be the braised belgium endive.  Endive cut in half lengthwise; sauteed in olive oil and butter (of course),  we added fresh squeezed orange juice and reduced it - added a julienne fin of orange zest and chicken broth, and braised it... you guessed it, until it was done ; plated the endive, reduced the sauce and poured it over the plated endive - really, very good.  We also made Ratatouille - I have never met a Ratatouille I liked.  We even served it in a parmesean bowl... not impressed.  The cabbage rolls in Asian dipping sauce were delightful - but even the chef said "The sauce makes the dish."  (I overcooked the cabbage leaves and had to redo them - usually I can salvage my mistakes, but I decided when thinking of time and cost I should toss them and give it another try... smart move in the long-run)
News Flash:  I drove all the way home last night in one lane (once I got on the 5  :-] ).  It took me 50 minutes to get home, but I just cruised (generally speaking ;-]) and pretended that it didn't matter that the lane next to me seemed to be going faster than I.

"Noncooks think it's silly to invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet."

It is true - time makes the sauce.  Why was the Cioppino so good?  Because we used a Mother Sauce - the Tomato which we made in class.  It simmered for one and a half hours.  Tomato Sauce is made from salt pork, mirepoix, tomatoes,  tomato puree, white stock (any meat/chicken un-carmelized), pork bones and a sachet of thyme, bay leaves, garlic, parsley stems and peppercorns. The usual order is followed - render pork; add mirepoix (sweat); add tomatoes, the puree, the sachet, salt and sugar (just a smidge); add stock and bones and simmer slowly for 1-2 hours.  Remove bones and pass through a food mill.  For the Cioppino we sauteed onion, celery, red bell pepper, fennel, leek and garlic - deglazed with wine.  Added fish stock or clam juice, and The Tomato Sauce with bay leaf and simmer 15 minutes.  Add some chopped tomatoes and simmer 5 more minutes.  Then comes the seafood - added according to cooking time.  Finish with worcestershire,  and lemon juice - salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with parsley and basil. You will notice from the picture we had crostini with a homemade aioli... my mouth is watering and it is early morning.
To re-cap Thursday's class it went something like this:  8AM - meet around the demo table for our marching orders - 5 sauces in 4 hours... do-able.  The Bechamel, The Veloute,  The Demi-Glace (actually made from The Espanole which had to be made first and simmers one and a half hours),  and The Tomato.  All these made in teams of two.  The Hollandaise to be made individually.  We then present our finished product to the Chef for evaluation on taste, texture, consistency, etc.  Three of these sauces cook at least one and a half hours and then must be finished.  We concluded our sauces at around 11AM, at which time I launched into my Hollandaise... we are not friends, me and the hollandaise.  Suffice it to say, I restored my "broken" hollandaise and submitted it to the Chef.  He loved the flavor and the texture was good.  The need for truth compels me to admit that I made a few attempts on the hollandaise.  I hate the hollandaise, we are mortal enemies.
The afternoon proceeded along these lines: 12:30PM - gather for the afternoon directive - Creole sauce from our Tomato Sauce, Mornay from our Bechamel, Supreme from our Veloute, Bordolaise from our Demi-Glace, and a Buerre Blanc.  All made individually.  Honestly, this was easiest for me.  These "small sauces" are not difficult, but rely on flavor and texture and the proper technique in making a roux.  I did well with every sauce, but he thought my Supreme sauce was a little thin.  I finished with the small sauces in good order and decided to take the Buerre Blanc nice and slow (which is always a good idea when swirling butter into a reduction of wine, vinegar and shallots).  It really was lovely, and I used less vinegar and more wine (because I knew the chef liked that flavor better).  A very good way to end a day of testing!  We were all headed home by 4PM. 
Ron and I celebrated by going out to dinner ( I had a gift card!) and a movie - The King's Speech (which was amazing - go see it).  Cuisine II here I come!

"Now take a bite of this....No, no don't just hork it down"

Cioppino - it's easy to "hork" down... because it is soo good!  That was our culinary experience and treat at the end of a busy day at school on Tuesday.
My knife skills were fair... I'm sorry to say I choked a little, but I try to remind myself that was my first "practical" exam so hopefully I will improve my performance under pressure.  The written exam was... interesting.  85% was the highest grade in the class.  Needless to say most were not happy with their score - neither was the person who scored 85%!  Culinary school is not for the faint of heart - only the strong survive - "Ferryman ho! In the night so black Hark to the clank of iron; 'Tis heroes of the Yser, 'Tis sweethearts of glory, 'Tis lads who are unafraid! Ferryman ho!"... "Hail, ye heroes! heaven-born band! Who fought and bled in Freedom's cause."...  "When the will defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honor scorns to compromise with death"... This is war!  (Wow, my adrenaline is pumping now.)
After all the testing we took a break and I introduced myself to someone from another class who was milling around in the... okay, in the ladies room where girl-talk thrives - her class is about 6 weeks ahead of our class.  I inquired as to how she enjoyed Cuisine II... I think she was an unhappy person.  She never smiled; she rolled her eyes; she looked with great pity on me and all she said was "good luck."  Really?  No, I mean REALLY??  I shall not be discouraged and will yet remember what a great American president once said "The future does not belong to the faint-
hearted; it belongs to the brave." 

(Sighing)  All that talk of battle and conflict and conquering took a lot of energy...  I will close with a picture of the deliciousness won at the dying of the day. :-] 

“In examining the potential of individuals, we must focus on their strengths and not just their mistakes. We cannot be limited by what they may have spilled in the kitchen.”

My last post ending was quite abrupt.  Which felt like my life at the time.  On the 23rd of December I fell off the cliff - in a matter of speaking.  Exhausted from a long day at school making chutneys and chowders, pureed and cream soups I headed home anticipating our Christmas guests who had already arrived!  I love having family at Christmas and I had a house full.   I went over the edge simply because I had to be at work the next morning at 7AM - Christmas eve.  I had nothing prepared for our tree trimming party on the 24th or the full plan for Christmas day dinner or my son's birthday celebration on the 26th.  People would have pitched in and helped, but you see it was my responsibility.  I regrouped with the kind help of my loving husband and my sweet daughter, and asked for my work schedule to be cut back significantly.
When I begin something new there is a significant amount of self-scrutiny that accompanies the activity.  Truly, it is exhausting.  I analyze my abilities to cope, to succeed, to excel.  I do believe as my young classmate observed, I am an overachiever.  My plan for the new year ( I HATE resolutions, because I usually cannot keep them) is to release the overachiever without losing the aspirant I can be. 
Yes, Tuesday is the knife skills final and the written final over 4 chapters - Knife Skills, Mis En Place, Stocks & Sauces and Soups.  In preparation for the practical knife skills test, I have julienned, diced, brunoised and batonned for days.  They are not perfect, but they are the best I can do... and that is enough.  I have made extensive notes and reviewed questions on each chapter - I can do no more... it is enough. 
I still have a couple more days to work on my Hollandaise - because I certainly have not done enough. ;-]
Today's post was a little esoteric, but part of this process I call culinary school.  Stay tuned for knife skills test results!