Culinary School Weeks 32 - 45

Well the lack of weekly posts throughout these last few months should speak for itself. This semester of school has been the most rewarding and education thus far. I have grown so much. Since that first week I have learned hundreds of methods, and techniques and shortcuts. I know the difference between a Chuck roast and a Round roast. I can break down a chicken in under 5 minutes. I can tourne a potato. I can make a killer Bearnaise sauce. I could whip out pastry cream in my sleep. All of these acquired skills are so special and important to me, but I think what I'm most proud of as my last semester of Culinary School comes to an end is the confidence I'll walk away with. I know there's still so much learning and growing to be done, but as of right now I feel like I could go work in any kitchen, anywhere and be proficient. And that feels pretty cool.

This semester pushed me beyond my comfort zone. There were days that I felt like I could not look at another lamb chop again. But it all paid off when I was nominated to be UVU's student chef of the year. 

(This was my competition Plate) 

I'm also happy to say that I gained NO weight this semester! No help from Plugra or This day in class: 

Also I can decorate cakes! I need sooooo much more practice so let me know the next time you need a birthday cake! 

At the very beginning of this journey I said I wasn't sure which direction I wanted to take this, and frankly I'm still not 100% sure. But I do know that baking make me happy, and that for now that's what I'm going to pursue. The beautiful thing about this industry is that I can change my mind anytime I want. And that
as long as there are hungry tummy's (and sweet tooth's) out there I'll have a job.

My last semester of lab classes are now over, and starting the second week of January I'll start my final semester of culinary school as an intern at Les Madeleine's a French Bakery in Salt Lake. After 7 weeks there, (...drum roll please...) I will leave for Paris where I'll work 8 more weeks in a real live Parisian Patisserie. I feel so lucky to have these incredible opportunities and love that I LOVE what I'm doing.

Culinary School Week 31

First off German food is good. Second this week I was stationed in Garde Manger, or cold foods. I made 3 salads and an amouse bouche (like hous d'oevres). I made a really great German potato salad, a warm coleslaw salad and an awesome apple and celery root salad with a yummy dill vinaigrette. I think what was hardest for me this week was figuring out how to plate thing so that it doesn't just look like a pile of potatoes. I'm realizing I'm not really into super gimmicky garnishes and really fancy, fancy plates. Simplicity is my style. But not everyone is into that, so I'll put up something simple and my critique will be put another garnish on the plate, etc...then I'm frustrated because I'm having to do something based on someone else taste, that I never would have done originally. Anyway I felt like this was a great station to ease my way into the restaurant. I was able to get my dishes up and out on time and never really felt pressure. Wednesday's we do as much prep as we can and then Thursday and Friday it's go time, the restaurant is open. My cute family made reservations to come and eat every. single. week. I'm so lucky to have such awesome support.

My first tickets

German Pretzels

Culinary School Week 30

...And I'm back in the kitchen. Culinary School started off again this week with a bang. I feel like I went from elementary school to an MBA program. My semester is split into two blocks first half I get to spend Wednesday - Thursday nights in Restaurant Forte. Our student run fine dining restaurant and second block I'll be in Advanced baking.

My class changed this semester which is unusual, normally in the program you start and end with the same people. My original class was split and I joined a class of day students who on the first day referred to me as "night class" and made sure to welcome me to the "big leagues". I laughed and played along modestly itching to get into the kitchen so that I could make my presence (and abilities) known to the class. 

I had the opportunity on the second day of class when our Chef announced that our two day practical exam would start then. I fell right back into the flow of the flow of the kitchen and prepared 4 really awesome dishes. Day one was an appetizer of duck breast with a cherry gastrique, and an entree of red trout with a tomato compote over orzo pasta. Then on day two I made scallops in a white wine and browned butter sauce as an appetizer and an entree of chicken breast with a mushroom sauce and rice pilaf, with pretty vegetables. I went from being "night class" to the girl people ask when they don't know if their wine is reduced enough, or the girl who is on the other end of questions like:"hey taste this sauce, does it need any more thyme? Or salt? Do you feel like I should finish it with a little cream?". I really love being good at this. I love getting better. I love going to school and learning more and more and absorbing everything I can from my experiences and from the people I work with. But probably more than anything I love the confidence it gives me. Being away from this program for the summer was nice in ways...like how cool it was to spend time with my husband...or how awesome it was to not be sleep deprived. But I live for this, I thrive in this environment and, boy, does it feel good to be back.

These first 7 weeks of the semester the restaurant will be cool. Each week my classmates and I will rotate positions. One week I'll be the garde manger chef, one week the baker, one week the sous chef, one week the pastry chef, all our positions change. Additionally the restaurant cuisine changes, one week Thai, one week French etc. It's going to be challenging but I'm really excited for it. 

Next week is the first week the restaurant is open. German week here we come! 

My new classroom

My day two entree

Culinary School Week 29

This was my last week of the semester. It was exhausting and exciting and frustrating all at the same time. On Monday I had my final practical in my hot foods class. The instructor didn't tell any of us which proteins we would be assigned for the practical we just showed and were able to choose from a pile of meat. In the pile was lamb, pork, scallops, sole fish and tuna. We had 4 hours to create a menu, get all of our prep together, and then cook 4 appetizer plates, 4 salads, and 4 entree plates. I came up with a menu that was totally out of my comfort zone and went to work. I decided for my proteins I would use sole fish for my appetizer and use a rack of lamb for my entree. I wanted all my plates to be cohesive so I went with a middle eastern theme and used spices like turmeric and smoked paprika and coriander and cumin and garam masala and saffron and lots of other yummy thing to season my meats with. The pressure of this test was crazy! At first I felt like I had so much time but it went so quickly! I kept looking at the clock thinking is that right?? Has an hour and a half really gone by and my lamb is still in the plastic wrap!? But somehow I pushed through. I was so busy cooking away and getting plates up that I DIDN'T EVEN GET PICTURES. I don't want to talk about how mad I am. Ughh! My menu went something like this: spiced Sole fillets over caramelized peppers with a lemon beurre blanc, middle eastern salad with chickpeas, tomatoes fresh pita and a dijon vinaigrette, and a herb roasted rack of lamb with a cherry balsamic gastrique with sauteed zucchini and saffron rice pilaf. It really was all delicious beautiful food that could have used some tweaking but for the amount of time I had to prepare and lack of preparation I felt like I did pretty dang good. I made pita bread for crying out loud! Anyway I got a good grade and went home sweaty and exhausted but happy. The rest of the week I spent scrubbing the carbon stains off pots with harsh chemicals. I think I'm down a few brain cells, but those pots look good.

 

And with the end of the week here I can happily say that it wraps up my second semester of culinary school! I can't believe I'm here, I made it through two semesters of this grueling schedule - and I'm proud of myself. Sometimes I wonder why I'm doing it, sometimes I don't have a reason good enough (in my mind) to make up for how crazy tired or frustrated I am. But sometimes I come home from class so satisfied and full of accomplishment that it completely makes up for all the negative. I have found my niche, and it feels good. I get all summer off but will be back in the kitchens next fall for my restaurant class (come eat at my restaurant!), and my advanced baking class (hello wedding cake design!). See ya next fall UVU!

 

 

Culinary School Week 27

This week we covered healthy cooking, Asian cooking and then had a big Italian feast later in the week. For the Italian dinner I made these fun little Parmesan rings to hold Caesar salad. They were adorable and tasty but were mostly just a time consuming pain. The semester almost over and looking forward I have two beastly practical exams and then I'm free. I'm so looking forward to having my summer off, no classes, no homework. Just lots of free time for motorcycle rides and Adam.



 

Culinary School Week 26

This week started off on a high note with breakfast cookery. The bad news is that maybe I ate 4 nutella stuffed crepes, a raspberry pancake and a bowl full of yummy granola. The good news is that I have mastered the art of crepe making in a frying pan. I managed to get those crepes so paper thin you could read through them and oh, they were delicious. Much to my chagrin we finished the week off with a big catering event. I got to serve. That explains the face in the photo below. Sweaty and ticked off, that's what I'm calling it. "Would you like an hors' d'oeurve? No? Ok I'll walk away and come ask you again in 3 minutes. Enjoy your sparkling pear juice. Jerk. Kind gentleman." That is real life right there. Repeat awkward interaction over and over and over. But at least I can make crepes.

 

Culinary School Week 25

This week we covered some fun stuff, soups and sauces in hot foods, where I made a really good coconut chicken curry soup and cheese making, melon carving and fondue in Garde Manger where I discovered that melon carving and cheese making are not my forte. However fondue eating, that is my forte. That is totally my forte. It's crazy to think that the end of the semester is quickly approaching. Only 4 weeks and I get my life back for the summer! Time with my husband again! Home before the sun goes down! No more stinky kitchen smelling laundry! It's going to be glorious. But in the meantime I'll continue to soak in all this cooking business as I continue down the path of getting my associates degree in dish washing science culinary arts.

 

Culinary School Week 24

Last week was a hectic one, we did a lot of competition practice in my hot foods class and in Garde Manger we catered. The competition was Friday afternoon and it wasn't until I was about a block away that I felt the nerves start. I walked into the kitchen and was over come with butterflies. I was certain that I was going to catastrophically screw something up. And believe it or not I didn't. Nothing went terribly wrong, I wasn't late on my presentation, I didn't drop anything, I didn't burn anything (except my hand...oophf). I just showed up and cooked some really good food. The seasoned and very experienced chefs judges, flew in from all over the US. During my cook time the chefs walked around the kitchen and observing our techniques and asking us questions. It sounds much more nerve wracking that in was, in fact I enjoyed that aspect of it. One of the chef's admired my preparations and reminded me to salt the backside of my chicken. More than anything it was cool. Upon the completion of my plates a steward took them to the judges table with minutes to spare. I waited impatiently until it was time for my critique. The judges were kind and full of advice for me. Most of their notes I received were positive, except for those about my risotto from the born and raised Italian chef. Of course I would make an Italian dish for an Italian man, and of course it would be wrong. His biggest note for me was not to toast my rice in butter before adding stock, that's the authentic way of making it, the way his mama made it, the way he makes it - not the way that I learned. Other than that he said that my dish was nice and well thought out. After everything was said and done the chefs encouraged me to keep it up and reminded me that I had done excellent for my first competition. I was awarded a bronze medal for my dish, and was shocked to find out that I was only 1/3 of a point away from a silver. I was proud of myself and went home happy.

 

 

 

Roasted Chicken Breast Jus Lié over Parmesan-Mushroom Risotto with Thyme Buttered Carrots & Lemon-Garlic Haricot Vert



Culinary School Week 23

This week we catered two events, which means I have very little to talk about. We prepped one day, served two days and made sausages on our day off. Sausage making was, ahem, interesting not the most appetizing of culinary procedures if you ask me...something to do with the meat grinder...and the casings...it just...I don't know...weirds me out. But the finished products were great and that's all that counts. We made spicy Italian sausage, chorizo, and a Swiss veal sausage, all were very tasty but I especially liked the Italian sausage, I think this weekend I'm going to make something delicious with it. Mmm pig. Other than that the semester is moving a long quickly. Before I know it, it will be the end of April and I'll be off to Europe!! Truth. I'm euro bound in a little more than a month - Adam is sending me on my merry way to meet up with my long lost Canadian Friend in Amsterdam.

 

 

Culinary School Week 22

This week classes consisted of cheese and a practical exam. In Monday classes we made various kinds of fresh pasta and had a cheese tasting. The apple walnut smoked cheddar was fabulous, and I even tried Limburger (it really doesn't taste as bad as it smells). My classes later in the week were a bit more stressful, our midterm practical exam was crazy. I had 4 hours over the course of two classes (2 hours per class) to complete 2 rolls of sushi, 4 different types of hors d'oeuvres for 4 people for 1 hour, shrimp cocktail, 2 green salads with 2 different vinaigrettes, potato salad, cole slaw, a ruben sandwich, and scallop ceviche, I get tired even typing all that, let alone actually doing it. But, I did it. And now it's done and I can breath until the next one. To be honest I'm actually really amazed and impressed with what I've learned and what I am capable of. At one point or another during the high pressure exam I would take a step back and think "Wow, really? Did I really just make that? It tastes so good! And looks so professional." The good grades are nice but actually seeing improvement and watching my techniques become fine tuned is a pretty sweet experience.

 

Culinary School Week 21

Twenty one weeks seems like hardly anything, but I feel like I've been doing this forever. This week was a pretty laid back week, I didn't have class Monday or Tuesday, so it felt like a little break. We covered some strange and new things in Garde Manger this week, for example a timbale, a little purred vegetable, baked, mousse-esq type thing. They were surprisingly delicious, however I couldn't get over the fact that essentially they're baked baby food. Vegetables are cooked till mushy and then pured and pressed through a sieve to remove big chunks, cream and eggs are added and then they're spooned into molds and baked. They can be served hot or cold and usually have a sauce to accompany them on a plate. Baby food I'm telling you, baby food with sauce. I made a carrot timbale with a basil cream sauce, pictured below. The things we're going over in that class right now are so "old school" very European, very um...interesting. I'm glad I get to experience it, but at the same time I'm quite certain that there will never come a time in my life when I'll need to know how to make a Gallentine again, am I right? Or am I right. Last night we had a catering event, my participation amounted to the 4 sheet pans of chocolate chip cookies I baked for the choir that came to sing to our guests. And then of course there was the eating of said cookies, I lost count after 4, it's a delicious dangerous path I've chosen, but someone has to do it. I think I've finally gotten to a place where I can say goodbye to those size 4 citizen jeans, I'll never fit into again. In other news next week I have a two day Garde Manger practical, something I'm not looking forward to.

 

 

 

 

Culinary School Week 20

Classes this week were packed full of fun and interesting stuff. Of course the week started with the killing and cooking of a lobster. I won't lie it was a task I was not looking forward to, and I won't say that it was easy because it wasn't, but I will say that I now know how to prepare lobster, two different ways and that's pretty cool. And I didn't pass out...that's pretty cool too. I'm proud of myself. In other news I learned to roll sushi and nigri. We had salmon and tuna and made various rolls filled with pretty cuts of vegetables and spicy wasabi. I wish I could say that I'm a huge sushi fan but I'm just not, don't get me wrong it's good and every once in a while I crave it, so I split a roll with a girlfriend and order a side of dan dan noodles because a whole roll of sushi is just not my thing.  Unless it's deep fried, and then it's totally my thing. But that's different. Talk to me about the tempura California roll. Yep. I like it. Anyway the weeks are speeding by again and before I know it I'll be competing in the K competition. That's right next month I have to get to participate in a chefs competition, more news to come on that. Just know that a significant amount of sleep is lost each and every night because I'm mostly scared for my life. That is, I'm afraid I'll have a heart attack upon arrival of competition day. Nerves I tell you. Anyway my last bit of news is that I have found an internship to cap my educational journey with. I'll be interning at an adorable french bakery in Salt Lake this summer. See you at 4 am 3 days a week i-15. I am truly looking forward to it. Early mornings are made easier when french pastry is involved. That's my motto.

 

Culinary School Week 19

This week we prepared for an event which meant making hundreds of teeny, tiny little hors d'oeuvres. The daunting task of assembling these little artistic bites didn't surprise me in anyway. I knew it was going to suck, and it did, it sucked. It wasn't one of those, not-so-bad tasks it was a beast of an assignment, and I am so happy it's over. Earlier in the week we worked with game and poultry, the poultry day was good, we worked with chicken and turkey and duck, birds that I am familiar with. The game day was a whole different ball game though, we worked with elk and alligator - it was pretty cool. I was so surprised that the alligator turned out as tender and delicious as it did. We made a gumbo type stew and it was not bad. When we were preparing for the event the chef asked if someone would make this cheese appetizer call brie en croute, I'm embarrassed about how quickly the "I'LL DO IT, CHEF" came out of my mouth. I knew what it was and I knew I wanted to make it. I wanted to feel like I was baking again even if all I was doing really was wrapping a round of brie in puff pastry and decorating it with dough scraps. It was dough. It was baking. And oh man it felt so good. Ha, it's funny how much I miss being in the bake shop. Anyway that's it for this week, on to the next. Admittedly I'm a little afraid because with the new week comes a new obstacle: the execution of a crustacean. That's right I have to murder a lobster on Monday. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. Pray for me or better yet, pray for that poor lobster.

 

Culinary School Week 18

This week we covered some fun things in my classes. In my hot foods class we learned about all things beef. I made a (really ugly) beef wellington with madera sauce and a grilled cilantro and lime marinated flank steak topped with fresh pico de gallo. The good news is that it all tasted great the bad news is that, that wellington was pretty hilariously ugly! But I'm learning! I would put a picture up but seriously, it was just too bad. My steak was great, perfectly cooked and had good flavor. In garde manger (cold foods) we covered sandwich preparations this week. I made a killer triple decker club sandwich with layer upon layer of bacon, cheesy, meaty goodness. We also made home made chips and a bunch of salads to go along with all the sandwiches. I really liked the Monte Cristo a guy in my class made it's like a ham and cheese and french toast mixed together. It was tasty. Overall another great week. Although I love all this cooking and learning these new techniques something has been confirmed to me this semester. It's that I am a baker. Not having a baking class this semester has been tragic hard, but I am grateful to be learning all the facets of this industry, from really talented people. Everything that we're covering in my classes is cool and I enjoy it but it's nothing like last semester when I remember being elated to go to class. On more than one occasion I couldn't sleep the night before class because I was so excited to go to school the next day (seriously!). However, I've still got so much to learn and am really going to try to enjoy this semester. I want to soak it all in because if anything I'll be able to make an amazing club sandwich, and that's something to be proud of.

Culinary School Week 17

This week in classes we continued to review things we learned last semester. In my cooking class we worked with salmon. I filleted a whole salmon and then worked on making 4oz portions, which is actually much harder than it sounds. The shiny salmon scales kept sticking to my hands and knifes, mostly it was annoying, but it was kind of awesome too (hello mermaid status!). In garde manger this week we covered salads and vinaigrette's, and served at a catering event. The catering events used to drive me crazy, and let's be honest they still kind of do, but it's great experience and I'm able to learn a lot of tricks of the trade while participating. And I get to laugh at all the old people who fall asleep at their tables. So yeah, I guess they're not too bad. Moving forward we are going into uncharted waters and experimenting with meats and cold sandwiches. Hooray for learning new things.   

 

Culinary School Week 16

I'm back in it. Full force up to my eyeballs in dishes, knife cuts, and lecture. This semester I'm taking Professional Kitchen I which is a build on class from my cooking class last semester. We get into menu planning, plating and food pairings, as well as more advanced cooking techniques. I'm also taking Garde Manger it's basically cold food preparation. We cover salads, vinaigrette's, sandwiches, cheese making, fruit carving and lots more. I'm wasn't sure going into my Garde Manger class whether or not I was excited, I think more than anything I just wasn't really sure what to expect but now that I've got a better understanding about what I'll be doing I've become more excited. The things I'll learn in that class will be things I can regularly use, and as of right now the techniques and recipes are things I'm fairly unfamiliar with, I'm really looking forward to delving into this new material. This week in my cooking class the chef wanted to see where we were as far as some of our techniques go. We broke down some chickens and worked on knife cuts and made two dishes a coq au vin and a pan seared chicken breast. In garde manger this week we made mayonnaise, bleu cheese dressing and ceasar dressing. I really liked everything we made (even the mayonnaise) the dressings were really delicious I especially liked the bleu cheese dressing. Homemade dressings are really easy and are so. much. better. It was amazing how different the ceasar dressing was fresh than when I buy it in a bottle. As we worked away in the kitchens this week I was taken back to my first weeks of school and remembered those exciting first few days. It's amazing to me to see my skills and techniques get better and become more fine tuned. I'm learning so much about what I love and am so grateful for this opportunity.

Culinary School: Week 15

It's over! My first semester of culinary school is over! I almost can't believe I actually did it. But then I look at the grease burn scar on my forearm and scar I have on the top of my middle finger from the time I nearly cut it off, and then it becomes real again. It's physical proof that I did it.

This week in classes I had finals and catering events. In baking for my final practical exam I had 4 hours 45 minutes to make a batch of dinner rolls, a dozen ginger molasses cookies, one pound of creme anglaise, a pumpkin pie, a pie shell, a batch of eclairs and creme puffs filled with pastry cream. For some dumb reason I forgot about my baking pie during the practical and it was completely over cooked so I had to remake it. The eclair dough didn't puff up in the oven so I had to remake that as well. In the last 15 minutes of the practical I was literally sprinting around the kitchen. I pulled my remade pumpkin pie out 2 minutes before the time was up.  It was a beautiful thing, I finished! In cooking for the final practical the chef gave us two components of a dish: sole fish and beurre blanc (sauce) - we had to make a meal including a starch and a vegetable to go along with our fish and sauce. We had 15 minutes to plan our entree using what we have in the kitchen. Before we started we had to turn in the name of our dish so that the chef could see how well we stuck to our plan. I decided to make a pan seared sole fish over vegetable couscous topped with lemon beurre blanc and toasted almonds. It was a really good dish with lots of flavor, and it was cohesive - I was completely thrilled with the outcome.

I have learned so much this semester. More than I've learned in any other semester of school. I soaked in all of the lessons and tips and techniques like a sponge. My cooking habits and skills have begun to evolve, I feel more confident experimenting in the kitchen and have learned to trust my own instincts over the instincts of the person who wrote the recipe. Culinary school has taught me a lot about myself. I have experienced frustration, and anger, pure excitement and joy. This program has brought out a lot of good in me. It has helped me to realize that I can be a leader. And that I can do hard things. I was pushed to the edge of my comfort zone, and to the brink of exhaustion and I was able to come out feeling successful and improved. I gained 10 pounds, I learned to poach an egg and how to fillet a flat fish. I learned how to make buttercream frosting and baguettes. I learned that simple is usually better and that almost everything could use a little more salt. With the first semester of culinary school coming to a close I look forward with excitement for what's next.

Final Practical Exam Plate for Cooking

 

 

Final Practical Exam Tray for Baking

Finals Week

Oh hi. Hello. I'm still alive. Barely. My feet ache. And my back aches. And I feel as if I smell only of deep fryer grease and dirty dishes. But I'm surviving I think. This week has been a whirlwind (and let me point out that it's only Tuesday...). Below is what happened last night at 11:00pm. So yeah that's basically where I'm at right now. Three ibuprofen and a butt load of crappy Chinese food. All I have left is one practical, a book report, a paper and I'm home free.

 

 

 

Culinary School: Week 14

This week class time was spent working catering events and preparing for practical exams. The photo below is a great expression of what my life looks like right now.  Papers and messes and sticky notes and to go boxes. On top of all of that poor Adam has been sicker than a dog all week with a nasty cold, lots of congestion going on - which means there's some major snoring happening at night, which means I have been sleeping (I'll use that term loosely) on the couch. Not the most comfortable place to rest my tired body after a long day at work and school. We catered a handful of events this week but my favorite was on Wednesday when we had all the tables set the water glasses full, 50 portions of salmon hot and ready, 3 beef tenderloins at the carving stations, all the sides prepared all we needed was hungry people to show up. Unfortunately that never happened. There was a scheduling error and they thought the party was the next day so we cleared all of the food out had to start over on Thursday. It was...frustrating. Next week I have two practical exams, one written final, and 3 catering events (including my own company Christmas party) it will be a busy week. I'm working on mustering up the little bit of motivation and positivity I have left to get me though. At last the semester is winding down, I am definitely ready for Christmas break.

 

Culinary School: Week 13

This week should be know as "burn out week" because that's what I am. I'm burnt out. Thanksgiving break did me a disservice I slept in and stayed up late and remembered what it was like to have a life. And it was nice. So nice. Then it ended. Abruptly. And I had to go back to harsh reality. Long days, zero time with my husband and the constant feel of flour under my fingernails. Husband tries to be encouraging and says things like "Only 3 more weeks, you can do it! " and all I want to do is slap him in the face. This busy schedule is catching up with me. Obviously. Getting to classes this week was like pulling out teeth. I had to come up with a reason why I had to be there every night. It was an internal debate on the way to class everyday. Monday was pretty easy convincing myself to show up to class because I knew we'd be making chocolate souffles. And oh, they were the most beautiful chocolate souffles I've ever laid taste buds eyes on. Tuesday, I had to turn in a research paper. Obviously a good reason to go. Wednesday, was breakfast cookery night. Stuffed french toast and crepes. Duh. And Thursday, all types of fresh pasta, and fillings. Fun. So although I wanted to come up with a reason to stay home every night this week I couldn't because it's culinary school. And every night of culinary school is worth going to. There's always something delicious to make, therefore something delicious to eat. And the possibility of being able to eat something delicious is always a good reason to go anywhere. Even school.