Ah! So I have been terrible at keeping up this blog. So much has happened. I am in my second term now, and all my production stations are the same, so I think I will post about those as I go through them this term.
Big things from last term:
Showcase:
So, Showcase happens for every new freshmen and it's an opportunity for parents and friends to see the school and what we do. For pastry, this wasn't a very trying experience. Everything was prepared during production and we were there just to make it an actual event. I was in the bread room. So we baked off doughs, cut them up and serve. We'd also explain what things were and how things worked. It was a pretty fun night. I learned all about things in the kitchen being "sexy", which was pretty entertaining. Mostly it is just making everything look nice and appealing (no half empty bins of ingredients, etc.) but it was much more entertaining to have these things described in terms of sex appeal.
Finals was the next big thing. I had a knife skills test, which I got an A on, and a quiz that i also got an A on despite completely forgetting about it, for Intro to Culinary for Hospitality Professionals. I had a written final for Intro to Pastry Arts, and for my practical in Pastry Techniques I had to make Paté Briseé (Pie dough) and Pastry Cream.
And now I am in term 2! I am a Freshman 2!
This term I am taking Appetizing Starts, Production, Bar tending, math, sanitation and bread. Very excited for bread.
I've only had Appetizing Starts and Production so far this term, but both have gone well. I have Chef Ferratti for Appetizing Starts and we made soups yesterday. Emma and I made Manhattan Clam Chowder. Chef was really nice and told us that all our soups were really good, and not just for pastry students. So that was awesome.
Anyway, that's everything so far!
Beki
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
School!
So, my long delayed school post.
So my schedule is this: I have Culinary for the Hospitality Professional on Monday 12-3 and then Etiquette from 3:15 to 5:15. Tuesday I start with Production at 6 am, and that goes to 11, then I have pastry techniques from 12 - 3 and then Intro to Pastry Arts from 3:30 to 5:30. I'm off Wed and Thurs and have Production again on Friday.
So what I actually do in these classes. In Culinary, I am learning basic culinary techniques. Basically, I am learning about half of the "intro to culinary" course. We did a couple of weeks on knife skills (I have a test in 2 weeks) and we have made stock. Now that we have learned stocks, we will learn sauces. But that will be a later post.
Etiquette is mostly business etiquette. How to write a resume, etc. A class that would've been more useful if I hadn't already had a job and therefore learned how to write a resume out of necessity... But it's not so bad. Apparently we will do some dining etiquette things and that might be useful.
Production: So this is a big part of the program and it's awesome. There is a bakery connected with the school so production is making stuff for the bakery, and it is full scale, really what it is like working in a big bakery. Production takes up two kitchens and there are about 4 stations in each kitchen. I don't know what all the stations are yet, as I have only been in the one kitchen. Each person is at a station for 2 weeks. So I was on Pantry station for my first 2 weeks, and now I am on my second week on Restaurant Station.
On Pantry Station you make the big batch recipes of things that other people will need for the recipes in the bakery. These are things like, chocolate mousse, butter cream icing, pastry cream, sticky bun goo, etc. This also includes sorbets, ice creams, etc and re spinning these as needed. It is hard to hate a day that starts with eating ice cream (sampling needed to check that they are still good!)
Now I am on restaurant station. This means I plate out things for the dining hall people and prepare the desserts for the Restaurant that night. This has been fun because I have gotten to do things by myself. I made a Marscapone Roulade, chocolate mousse bombes, pineapple tarts and frangipan strudel things.
Next week, I am on bread station. I am very excited.
In Pastry Techniques, we actually learn how to make things (this doesn't really happen in Production, you just follow the recipe and hope it works). Class usually goes like this: Chef Andress explains what we are going to make, he then makes it and then we do. Hands on Learning is cool. So far we have made pie crusts, pies, tart crusts and tarts (thereby learning how to make pastry cream - yum)
Intro to Pastry Arts is basically baking science. It's all really interesting! This class is useful because now i can understand why certain recipes haven't worked in the past and can avoid mistakes in the future. I can also tell you (or at least, i definitely can by the end of the term) why something went wrong with your recipe and what you should avoid doing! Just ask me!
That's the basic run down, but ask me questions if you have them!
Beki
So my schedule is this: I have Culinary for the Hospitality Professional on Monday 12-3 and then Etiquette from 3:15 to 5:15. Tuesday I start with Production at 6 am, and that goes to 11, then I have pastry techniques from 12 - 3 and then Intro to Pastry Arts from 3:30 to 5:30. I'm off Wed and Thurs and have Production again on Friday.
So what I actually do in these classes. In Culinary, I am learning basic culinary techniques. Basically, I am learning about half of the "intro to culinary" course. We did a couple of weeks on knife skills (I have a test in 2 weeks) and we have made stock. Now that we have learned stocks, we will learn sauces. But that will be a later post.
Etiquette is mostly business etiquette. How to write a resume, etc. A class that would've been more useful if I hadn't already had a job and therefore learned how to write a resume out of necessity... But it's not so bad. Apparently we will do some dining etiquette things and that might be useful.
Production: So this is a big part of the program and it's awesome. There is a bakery connected with the school so production is making stuff for the bakery, and it is full scale, really what it is like working in a big bakery. Production takes up two kitchens and there are about 4 stations in each kitchen. I don't know what all the stations are yet, as I have only been in the one kitchen. Each person is at a station for 2 weeks. So I was on Pantry station for my first 2 weeks, and now I am on my second week on Restaurant Station.
On Pantry Station you make the big batch recipes of things that other people will need for the recipes in the bakery. These are things like, chocolate mousse, butter cream icing, pastry cream, sticky bun goo, etc. This also includes sorbets, ice creams, etc and re spinning these as needed. It is hard to hate a day that starts with eating ice cream (sampling needed to check that they are still good!)
Now I am on restaurant station. This means I plate out things for the dining hall people and prepare the desserts for the Restaurant that night. This has been fun because I have gotten to do things by myself. I made a Marscapone Roulade, chocolate mousse bombes, pineapple tarts and frangipan strudel things.
Next week, I am on bread station. I am very excited.
In Pastry Techniques, we actually learn how to make things (this doesn't really happen in Production, you just follow the recipe and hope it works). Class usually goes like this: Chef Andress explains what we are going to make, he then makes it and then we do. Hands on Learning is cool. So far we have made pie crusts, pies, tart crusts and tarts (thereby learning how to make pastry cream - yum)
Intro to Pastry Arts is basically baking science. It's all really interesting! This class is useful because now i can understand why certain recipes haven't worked in the past and can avoid mistakes in the future. I can also tell you (or at least, i definitely can by the end of the term) why something went wrong with your recipe and what you should avoid doing! Just ask me!
That's the basic run down, but ask me questions if you have them!
Beki
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
SCHOOL!
My orientation is tomorrow! I am very excited, and kind of nervous. Classes start Monday. I will probably be updating this more frequently now that school is starting up.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Dinner tonight
Uel and I made a delicious pasta tonight. Here's what you need:
1/2 an onion
4 cloves garlic
1 cup artichoke hearts (chopped)
2 tblsp roasted red pepper (chopped)
5 sun dried tomatoes
2 tblsp olive oil
2 tblsp artichoke heart liquid
2 Tblsp tomato paste
2 Tblsp Hot Pepper Paste (I used the Amore brand one, but I think any hot sauce would probably do.)
oregano
basil
cumin
salt
.75 pound pasta
0) Boil water for pasta
1) Chop onion, garlic, artichoke hearts, red peppers, sun dried tomatoes.
2) Sweat onion and garlic with the salt
3) Add some oregano
4) Add artichokes, peppers, tomatoes
5) Add the two pastes
6) Add some basil, cumin and more oregano
7) Add the extra artichoke liquid
8) Stir everything together and then stir occasionally.
9) Once water has boiled, cook pasta according to box instructions.
10) Combine pasta and sauce and serve with parmesan cheese.
I was very pleased with this meal. It was really simple, and delicious. I didn't have any, but I think adding a little feta cheese would be yummy too.
I hope you try it and find it delicious!
Beki
1/2 an onion
4 cloves garlic
1 cup artichoke hearts (chopped)
2 tblsp roasted red pepper (chopped)
5 sun dried tomatoes
2 tblsp olive oil
2 tblsp artichoke heart liquid
2 Tblsp tomato paste
2 Tblsp Hot Pepper Paste (I used the Amore brand one, but I think any hot sauce would probably do.)
oregano
basil
cumin
salt
.75 pound pasta
0) Boil water for pasta
1) Chop onion, garlic, artichoke hearts, red peppers, sun dried tomatoes.
2) Sweat onion and garlic with the salt
3) Add some oregano
4) Add artichokes, peppers, tomatoes
5) Add the two pastes
6) Add some basil, cumin and more oregano
7) Add the extra artichoke liquid
8) Stir everything together and then stir occasionally.
9) Once water has boiled, cook pasta according to box instructions.
10) Combine pasta and sauce and serve with parmesan cheese.
I was very pleased with this meal. It was really simple, and delicious. I didn't have any, but I think adding a little feta cheese would be yummy too.
I hope you try it and find it delicious!
Beki
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