beat

I’m beat. I’ve been picked up by this whirlwind this week, and it’s really taking its toll. In a good way, mind you. Whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. I feel stronger. This week really taught me a lot, and It’s still only Thursday night.

Today started bright and early at 5:28am, and here it is at 10:58 pm. I’ve had a grand total of one 10minutes nap. That’s it.

Normally that’s not really that big of a deal, but for some reason today I just feel like I worked myself to the bone. School was long. We made two dishes of food, and they honestly came out great. Fried calamari with a homemade garlic aioli (french garlic mayo) served with a grilled portabello mushroom was the appetizer. A poached striped bass over a bed of sauteed spinach served with a beautiful sauce (really no name for it, it was a fish veloute with pan drippings, finished off with some cream, egg yolk and seasoning) and a side of sauteed potatoes with a parsley butter.

Coming Full Circle

I am back in a kitchen. Life is beautiful.

First time in almost two months, and boy have I missed it. The classroom I’m at is right across the hallway from the first classroom I had back on the first day of school. It really hit me when I saw the batch of noobs on their first day today. They had gone downstairs and gotten their equipment, knife bags, books, all that junk, and came upstairs and was waiting in the hallway. Looking into our kitchen. Just like I did, over 3 months ago.

It’s hard to believe it’s only 3 months. Fuck it feels like years. I remember looking into this kitchen and being amazed. A whole classroom of people that actually looked like they knew what they were doing. They were juggling 3-4 pots and pans at once, pulling stuff in and out of ovens with just a side towel, chopping and dicing stuff so fast it blew the mind. Today, I saw them looking at me, being that guy I was so amazed with just a few months prior. It feels good.

I walk around these days actually knowing where I’m going and what I’m doing. That sense of confidence is just great. Like people walk around their whole life and never feel that shit.

The class itself is great. It’s has a whole new set of challenges, besides the level of the food being refined, and plating and presentation being more important – each table has a designated time when their food is due.

Now I’m not talking due as in, you can finish whenever you want as long as it’s before 10:40. If your appetizers are due at 10:40, well guess what? It’s due AT 10:40. You’ve got a 5minute window to turn it in, and if it’s later than that, you lose half your daily points. Did I mention the vast majority of the points in this class are based on daily points? Awesome.

It will take a little while to get used to. It would be a lot easier if I had actually cooked some of these things before. Like today, we finished up our lecture at like 9:30 and our table had till 10:40 for appetizers and 11:10 for the entree. I was fully done with all the prep I could’ve done at like….9:50. All my vegetables that needed to be blanched were blanched, all my vegetables cut and ready to go, all my spices out, everything sliced and diced. So I kinda stood around not doing a whole lot. I didn’t really want my food to get cold, so I hung out for 20 minutes or so before I got going again.

Let’s just say, I was a little pressed for time towards the end and turned in something I really wish I had 5 more minutes to refine. Misjudged how much time things would take me, oh well. I managed a 16/20 just on stupid mistakes alone today. It’s probably the worst grade I’ve ever gotten on a day’s work in a kitchen, but that’s ok. I won’t make these mistakes again, so it’s for the best. Plenty of time left to nail this class in the pooper and finish it up with another A.

Tomorrow’s menu includes a french onion soup, a cheese omelet, and a pork chop with some kind of prune stuffing with a sauce robert, served with a vegetable medley saute and garlic mashed potatoes. Yum!

Wish I took a picture of today’s stuff. Cream of broccoli soup as a starter, with a sauteed chicken breast over a bed of rice pilaf, served with a delicious chasseur (a pan sauce reduction with mushrooms and tomatoes) sauce and a side of zucchini provencal. It was unreal, so yummy. I typically think chicken breast is a waste of space and it’s dry and tasteless and just all around crap. Changed my mind on that one, this dish is something I’d order in a restaurant.

Pandora is playing all my favorite tunes today, the weather mellowed out. Things are just looking great right now. Can’t wait to wakeup tomorrow.

Peace!

Another zzzz week

Two weeks in the computer lab down, one to go. Got an A in my software class (a real shock I know) and am well on my way towards an A in my purchasing/kitchen math class. The information will be really useful maybe 5+ years down the line when I’m running a kitchen, but at the moment it’s not really all that relevant. Good stuff to have, it’s just hard to be too enthusiastic about it.

A lot of people are having a really hard time with all the math. I spend about half my day helping out my classmates, which is good in a couple ways. First off, I love these guys to death, I want to see them succeed. The last thing I want is for them to be left behind. We all work so well together, I’d hate to see them get left back on our kitchen classes and fall into another class.

Secondly, there’s no better way to learn this info than to teach it to someone else. If I do my own work I might grasp the concept and obviously understand it, but if I then go and have to explain what I did to five other people then you get it on lockdown so hard you’ll never forget.

Outside of school, been a pretty basic week. My birthday was awesome, both my personal celebration at the bar and going to my parents’ house on Sunday. I love the bar downstairs and two doors down. It just feels cozy. A chill atmosphere with good, cheap delicious beer on tap and some awesome bartenders/owner/chef etc. Good people. I literally would spend every night there if I could both afford it financially and with the physical stress of a hangover on a daily basis.

Took my day at my parents’ house to cook 20 pounds of pork ribs. Smoked em up nice with a good spice rub, a little sauce at the end. Came out awesome. Took most of the leftovers home to Frisco with me and had lunch most of the week.

Went out drinking on wed. with a couple friends in the afternoon. Had a few pitchers and they bounced around 5pm. Went home, took a shower, said fuck that…got dressed and went down to the bar. Got home late, drunk…hungover on Thursday. Not my greatest idea ever, but at least it’s just computer class. I still nailed whatever we did yesterday, then slept it off when I got home.

Might sound like I drink a lot, but really idk…I don’t feel like it’s all that weird really. I mean I’m at school, right? It’s nice, I feel like I know so many people now. I could just hang around at school when classes are over and chill with just about anyone. I look at the newer students like they’re nubs when I’m a seasoned vet. Wonder how I’ll feel in a few months when I really have some experience to fall back on.

Feeling really comfortable all the time, it’s a good feeling.

Friday night will soon be upon me. Going out tonight, to temple. I love that bar, and I’ve been looking forward to Friday night all week. Probably grab a nap and some grub and head on down.

If anyone’s reading this, please support this worthy cause!

Still Maintaining

They posted the butchery grades today.  Another “A” in the books.  Honestly I’d have been disappointed if it came back any other way.  Three months into school and I’ve got perfect attendance and a 4.0 gpa.  I’ve got this shit on lockdown.

Got finals in one of my computer classes tomorrow.  Should be a piece of cake, I’ll be amazed if I get anything but another A.

Almost 1am, really should be getting to sleep.  Twenty-five times around the sun, I feel old.

Going drinking tonight, without a doubt.  I can feel the cold bubbles on my lips.  Been looking forward to this all week.  I don’t even care if my friends want to go, I’ll sit at the bar with a couple pitchers and be plenty satisfied.