http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/ ChefTalk.com Cooking Forums - Food and Cooking disucssion for the professional and the at home cook. en Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:02:24 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/images/styles/cheftalk/misc/rss.jpg http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/ http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/385-post-restaurant-life-experience.html Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:16:33 GMT Nicko had contacted me about continuing my blog regarding my restaurant experiences. However, prior to today, I just couldn't bring myself around to it just yet.

Long story short, after all my efforts and sacrifices to make the career change, I got blindsided a bit by a physical problem...sciatica! Basically, this is a back problem that affects the sciatic nerve that runs from the spine through your gluts, to the front of your thighs and downward.

I pushed through work as long as I could but medicine (both prescription and non-prescription) began to stop being effective.

Eventually, I approached my chef and talked with him about my pain. I tell you, I could not have ever expected a more understanding and concerned chef in my life. We discussed my options, as well as my performance up to that point.

One of my life long dreams was to cook in a fine dining restaurant. The fact that I was able to actually accomplish that goal truly was a dream come true. However, that is little consolation when physical pain completely benches the dream.

Even now, I don't even know what to say about all that happened. I tried all sorts of meds to alleviate the pain...and they all became ineffective. And, as a line cook extern, I was not entitled to benefits yet. Just trying to get in with a physician was basically off the table.

My sleep was suffering. My chef and I discussed the normal pains that come with working in such a position and that they usually subside. But it was obvious that the pains I was having were beyond the norm.

Although I was eventually able to get in with a physician, I was only able to get a preliminary diagnosis that would require further testing to confirm. And even then, there are not many options for defeating sciatica. Apparently, the back is a fickle beast when it comes to pains and remedies.

It got to the point where I had to face reality and accept the fact that, at least for now, I would not be able to do this job. Again, I spoke with my chef about everything, and we came to an understanding. I didn't leave him hanging so to speak, and he didn't get rid of me. It was a mutual understanding...and I could not be any more humbled by such an understanding leader/chef.

Perhaps it was just not meant to be, for now. The weekend when I approached my chef about my pains, the owner also announced that they would be closing that particular location and focus more energy on the two other existing locations in the higher traffic parts of the valley (in popular hotels). In addition, one of these locations was about to be reopened shortly after some MAJOR renovations. (i'll give more details later).

so I guess what I am trying to say in this re-introduction of my blog is this: I would not have changed anything in how things have panned out over this past year. However, similar to what Logan Worley stated in his career changing blog/journal, the older you are, the more pains you will have and/or the more time you will need to recover from them.

The hard part for me is that in this turbulent economy (and with my wife being in the mortgage industry) we are now in a pretty tight spot. I can't necessarily get back into a kitchen until I can rid myself of this pain. Yet, to fix the problems, I need insurance. I can try getting back into my old non-culinary industry (which I have been trying to do) but the interviewers are naturally suspicious of my recent attempt at leaving the industry. Fun times!:crazy:

So now I am left with either finding a whole new industry to work in, or attempt to return to the culinary industry in some different form other than being in the kitchen. so far, little luck on either option. But I am not giving up.

And who knows, maybe one day I will be back in the kitchen. This is a setback, but not necessarily an end to the dream! My only consolations from all of this is that 1) I was able to reach my dream, even if just for a moment; and 2) my chef sincerely complimented me on my performance. I could not have asked for more than that!

Thanks for reading! ]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/385-post-restaurant-life-experience.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/302-week-5-sem-2-plus-changes-changes-changes-pictures.html Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:36:47 GMT So I am about two weeks behind, but with good cause.

For Aromatics, we did a test run of the school's restaurant. My team was assigned the vegetables for the meals. Nothing too fancy...glazed carrots, sauteed zucchini, and sauteed mushrooms with onions.

As for our veg items, the carrots turned out well. The mushrooms and onions turned out well (though a little tardy...more in a moment). And the zucchini were mushy. I think the zucchini needed to be sauteed in small batches so that way they come out a little more firm and retain their color. But we were instructed, after verifying the recipe with chef, to place them all in a rondo at the same time. So basically with all the moisture in the pan at the same time, they came out tasting like they were boiled or simmered.

The mushrooms and onions were a little tardy because we needed to wait for the stuffed flank steaks to be seared first...so that way we could then sautee the onions/mushrooms in the same pan (a big self contained frying surface that can tilt to pour out liquids as needed--never did catch the name of this device--looked like a giant stainless steel tub or igloo cooler). They tasted fine.

As for Butchery, we FINALLY got to the long awaited Beef sessions. Nothing too exciting yet...just trimming the sirloin, pulling off the tri tip, then cutting steaks. Chef did, however, show us a hidden steak in the sirloin that is tender and juicy and the perfect size for sandwiches.

Now for the career change update. (long)

Way back in April, I saw a call for resumes on craigslist with a very respected French restaurant in town. I responded immediately and actually got a call from the sous. He explained that they were compiling a list of people to hire for after their summer vacation (the restaurant closes for July). But he liked my responses to questions he posed and said that he would be calling me back in July.

Things at this time were already getting tight financially, so I was forced to look at other options and put my time into job hunting over the summer instead of summer cooking classes. My goal for starting school was to give my resume some credibility so that I could enter a decent restaurant. But so far, nothing was panning out.

So, I looked at all sorts of jobs in CA (including non-cooking positions). Once I had some ideas of where to apply, I took a week long trip to CA to apply. And wouldn't you know it? The VERY FIRST DAY of jobhunting in CA (in fact, my very first hour of driving to jobs in CA) I get a call from another respected french restaurant in town wanting an interview. Further, my wife called letting me know I received a hand signed letter from the owner of that restaurant--a chef I truly admire. My final decision? With these encouraging contacts, I decided to refocus on local culinary jobs and interview with this restaurant.

So I came back home. And , of course, The VERY FIRST DAY back from CA while I am preparing to interview with this restaurant, I get a call from my old employer offering me a position (excellent, excellent pay). I honestly explained that I was interviewing shortly and was given until the end of the week to decide.

I attended the interview and it went extremely well. The sous said that he like me a lot and wanted to extend me an offer but needed to have a second interview in a couple of days (I assume with the GM? Exec chef?) and we set the appointment.

Based on this, I called my old employer and said that I would probably not be available since the interview was so promising.

Two days later, when confirming the second interview, I was told that the sous would not be available so to call back. When I called again, he was not there that day. When I called again, the sous didn't come to the phone and instead said to the person answering the phone that the second interview was canceled. When I asked whether that meant permanently canceled or temporarily, the guy on the phone couldn't tell me and couldn't pass the phone to the sous. I waited for some contact, but in the end I sent out thank you cards as this was obviously not going anywhere.

So at this point, I have withdrawn my CA applications for the restaurant jobs; I turned down a great paying job in my old field for this promising restaurant job; and now I am back to square one.

Remember that restaurant from April? I decided to give them a call, just to see the progress since we were nearing the end of July. The sous was pleased to hear from me again and proceeded to complete a full interview over the phone. At the end he said, "As far as I am concerned, I consider you on my team." But, the position wouldn't be open until early fall, October at the latest.

So, again, I wait. And we all know how the economy went between July and now. My wife is in the mortgage industry and had been able to weather the turmoil, but things were now ever MORE tight. I needed a job NOW, and I was back in school...hoping to make some sort of connections/contacts/etc. in the culinary field.

Finally, when things were so bad that I couldn't wait for the cooking spot to open, I called up the restaurant one last time to explain that I needed to move on. But before I could say anything, the sous said, "GREAT! Thanks for calling. It reminds me that I forgot to email you last night. Can you start with us on Monday?"

I was flabberghasted! And what great timing! I said "sure" and we made arrangements. I told my wife and we were so relieved. Later that day, I told her not to tell anybody just yet or else it will get jinxed. WIth my luck, I knew that I should not consider this job a done deal until my signature was on all the paperwork. Unfortunately, she had already spread the word a little bit.

Well, less than 24hours later, I get a voicemail from the sous that he had to withdraw the offer since the owner needed the spot for somebody else. Not blaming my wife, of course. This is just my usual kind of luck.

The next day, still in financial straights, I pumped myself up for returning to my old career. It was a hard task to come to grips with, and was emotionally draining, but I got the nerve up to start making calls to old contacts. Did NOT want to come to this, but it was needed.

Well, after getting all my energy and momentum going in this new direction (i.e. toward my old career), guess what? You guessed it, I get ANOTHER call from the sous who says that they are now ready for me again and could I come down.

A week earlier, I would have been jumping for joy. But now, being in need of more money than I would likely get from this job, and with all the momentum going a different direction, I was truly torn. And it came down to the old debate: money vs. desired career.

It was a long weekend of deciding and contemplating. We needed money, but isn't getting into a great kitchen like this the exact reason why we sacrificed so much? The timing was well beyond not being ideal, but isn't it worth the risk? If I passed this up now, how likely would it be that I EVER return to the culinary world?

After long discussions and encouragement from my wife, I called up the sous and accepted the position.

So, starting tomorrow (October 9), I will be FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY be working in a French kitchen full time. I am being put right to work on the line as the entremetier (vegtable cook).

I withdrew from my classes as they served their purpose (getting me into a classical kitchen). And, for better or worse, the blog will not deal directly with classes anymore...but I am sure that I will still have plenty to share about what I learn in the live kitchen.

My only two concerns: 1) Money (of course); and 2) Can my body take it?

In the original cheftalk diary of Logan Worley, he described the physical toll the career took on him as an older newcomer to the culinary world. He looked to be in better shape than me, so I just hope I can learn the best ways to cope and recover from the physical demands.

Well, I will keep you all posted. Please find pics, below, from my final classes:


Stuffed Flank Steak


Top Sirloin Whole


Step 1 Trim Top


Step 2 Trim Bottom


Step 3 Trim complete


Step 4 Pulling off Tritip


Step 5 Tritip off


Step 6 Divide into thirds


Step 7 Cut thirds into Steaks


Spot where hidden tender steak comes from. Chef doesn't know what it is called but loves it. You can see the actual steak in the photo of step 6...it is front and center of the photo. ]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/302-week-5-sem-2-plus-changes-changes-changes-pictures.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/289-week-4-semester-2.html Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:07:00 GMT For Aromatics, we finally did some cooking--get us used to the restaurant kitchen. Next week, we will do a dry run of the restaurant. Then the week following, we will go live and prepare meals for the school's restaurant.

I didn't know what to expect for cooking this week as we were not given menus in advance. In fact, we were asked to volunteer for stations the morning of our cooking. My team volunteered for the soups. My particular soup: Black Bean.

Now, if you have had previous experience working with beans, you would know that for the most tender beans, you need to soak them for about 12 hours or so--some beans requiring even more time. Further, even with that long soak, the beans need a good long, slow simmer to become tender. But we were given roughly two hours to create our dishes.

Well, apparently, the beans were soaked overnight for us, but even at a fast boil, two hours is NOT enough time to make tender beans. Likely, at a fast boil, the beans would break apart.

But as students, you do what you are told right? Who am I to question? Right? (arrrgh!)

But when I saw that the recipe called for FAR too little liquid, I couldn't keep silent anymore. Playing the student role, I sheepishly asked the chef if the recipe was correct? It seemed like it might be a bit too little liquid.

"Yes yes. Its fine...it will be fine."

"Um...but 7 cups of liquid won't bring us near to the 1 gallon of soup we are trying to produce."

"Yes yes. but look at all the veg and ingredients we are adding. It will be fine."

"But the beans need liquid to..."

"It will be fine."

So back to work I went. After the soup was on for a while, chef comes up to me: "We are going to need to adjust this recipe. It needs more liquid.":crazy:

But probably the most interesting part was trying to get the beans tender in two hours while strictly following the recipes we were given.

The recipe was basically this: render some bacon fat, add some garlic/jalepeno (brief cook), add the veg (brief cook), then add the beans and liquid and simmer until tender.

In other words, ACCORDING TO THE RECIPE, before the beans could be placed on the stove, everything needed to be prepped first.

If we students were allowed to break from the recipe, I would have started simmering the beans ASAP in the liquid and get them tender while prepping everything else. THEN in a separate pot, I would have rendered the fat, and added the veg. THEN, when ready, I would have added the beans to the cooked items and brought back to a simmer. Makes sense to me! But again..."students follow the recipe."

So when two hours were complete, and the beans still weren't tender, of course comes the analyzing. But really...what can one say? "I followed the recipe."

Butchery, on the other hand, was fun as always. We cut up lamb. Chef showed us lamb porterhouses, and showed us his way of doing lamb racks. He even showed us a way of cleaning the bone by tying a piece of string to our tables, then wrapping the string around a rib bone--AND PULL! The bone came out squeaky clean! No scraping needed. Great trick!

Our bones didn't come out as clean as chef's, but it was still a great tip to learn.

One hitch was a fire alarm going off while we were in the kitchen. Apparently the sugar arts class had placed some sugar in the oven that started smoking and set the fire alarm off. So the building was evacuated. All of us still had lamb guts all over our hands. We didn't get back to the kitchen for a good half hour--enough time for the gaminess to set in. I tell you, my hands smelled like lamb for two days!

As for the career change, the economy is finally hitting home...what that means exactly, I don't know. What additional changes we will need to make...I don't know. But changes for us will be happening soon. Hopefully, I can stay on the culinary track. We'll see!

Below are the pics from the butchery class:


Whole Lamb


Whole Lamb Upright


Lamb Rack Whole


Lamb Rack Cut 1


Lamb Rack Cut 2


Lamb Rack Cut 3 (forward cap off)


All the waste and trim


Lamb Porterhouse ]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/289-week-4-semester-2.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/284-week-3-semester-2.html Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:39:37 GMT This week for Aromatics, we got a lecture on Salt, Chilis, and edible flowers. Nothing too exciting. We did, however, get to see a few dozen examples of salts (artisinal and natural). The coolest ones, in my opinion, were the smoked salts. They, of course, carried the smoke flavor of the wood... This week for Aromatics, we got a lecture on Salt, Chilis, and edible flowers. Nothing too exciting. We did, however, get to see a few dozen examples of salts (artisinal and natural). The coolest ones, in my opinion, were the smoked salts. They, of course, carried the smoke flavor of the wood over which it was cooked. Nice aroma.

For Butchery, our chef demo'd how to break down a whole pig. Then we each broke down a pig loin.

From our loins, we cut chops, ribs, Boston Butt roast, stew meat, tenderloin, and then pounded out scallopini. We also tried out the band sawfor trimming feather bones from the ribs. It was great work. Next week is lamb.

Here are some pics of the pigs and some of the cuts. Enjoy!

The pre-cut pig:


The ham removed, or Fresh Ham


The butt removed:


The loin removal:


The loin off:


The tenderloin:
]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/284-week-3-semester-2.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/280-9-8-2008-career-changing-story.html Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:54:11 GMT I almost forgot to share one of the more interesting stories from this past week! In our classes, we are fortunate enough to have a few professional cooks/chefs who are going through the program to get their cooking degree. A few of these students have been in the culinary industry here in town... I almost forgot to share one of the more interesting stories from this past week!

In our classes, we are fortunate enough to have a few professional cooks/chefs who are going through the program to get their cooking degree. A few of these students have been in the culinary industry here in town (Vegas) for YEARS. So we have boat load of diverse experiences within our walls.

One good aspect of being around such people is that you get an insider's view of the state of affairs of the industry. For instance, it is a widely accepted belief that, due in large part to the presences of unions and gaming industry resources, Vegas is a place where even the lowest man on the totem pole in a kitchen may earn a livable income with benefits--many dishwashers on the strip easily make $14 with benefits after a 6 months. The down side of this is that it is nearly impossible to get rid of poor workers (if they are union, that is).

But another wide held belief is that qualified candidates are purposely overlooked for hiring to prevent competition. This seems to be changing to some extent since more and more casino restaurants are independently owned. However, it is one of those beliefs that is hard to prove--except with anecdotal evidence.

Well, here is some more anecdotal evidence to stoke the flames. One of the students who is a chef and is on the hiring committee at the restaurant where he works (a nice restaurant on the strip), openly shared an irksome story with me.

Long story short, he freely shared that any time a resume or application comes across his desk wherein the applicant is educated, well qualified, or experienced...he takes a quick look at the resume and tosses it in the trash. "I don't even call the guy. Why? I don't need someone better than me around. The others too. If you're good, we don't want you."

And I know....some of you will say, "not everyone is like that. Get over it."

Yeah, yeah...I agree. Whatever. But I think such a story is worthy to share. Why? Because I believe people need to know the wide ranging attitudes that they may be up against when changing a career.

In my case, whether it is from my instructor (the butchery guy), or a restaurant's manager, I have endured MANY negative comments for my attempt in changing careers. The comments are not hidden or subtle (i.e. I did not misinterpret what they were telling me).

In fact, a few have been outright direct and rude. Nevertheless, a couple have truly been encouraging and supportive.

But regardless, hearing stories like this from a guy on a hiring committee is always disheartening. My perceptions, that this kind of behavior exist, are of course unprovable. But again, a story like this just reinforces what I have experienced thus far.

Maybe I don't belong in the kitchen. Or maybe my education and professional experience will take me another route someday. But for now, I can only share what I have experienced and hope that it may help others in some way. :rolleyes: ]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/280-9-8-2008-career-changing-story.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/278-week-2-semester-2.html Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:03:12 GMT So, somehow on Sunday (before class this past tuesday), I threw my back out. How? I don't know. I wasn't even doing anything at the time. I had just gotten up from the dining table and my lower back felt kinda funny, and a little stiff. Then, not too long later, it felt like a full blown, back-out situation! I was slightly hunched over to move. I couldn't twist, bend, and hardly walk without pain. And anytime my pelvic bone/hips made any slight adjustments for balance, I would feel a shooting pain up my spine. This, by far, was not the worst back pain I have ever had, but it definitely was the most debilitating for a few days.

So for class on Tuesday (remember, this is a full day--leaving 6:30am from house and coming home roughly 8:30pm) I was prepared for the worst. Luckily, Aromatics class was just a lecture and Butchery was breaking down chickens....and by the time that rolled around, I had limbered up just a bit.

As for specifics for the day, in Aromatics we reviewed a short history of spices. Gotta admit, I love history, but this was boring.

The only interesting point was when our instructor took it upon himself to subtly (but overtly) proclaim his religious belief that the earth is only a few thousand years old. I believe the actual quote was "I'm not one of those guys who thinks the earth is millions of years old. More scientific reports are showing that there is no evidence for such a claim."

So apparently scientists have been wrong.

But then contrast that statement with his later comments "There are more scientific reports showing that food additives cause cancer. I was in church recently and this little boy was eating a blue lollipop and and just said to myself 'how can you do that to your son? he has no choice in the matter. Why would you do that?'"

So I guess scientists are right???

For what it is worth, I really don't care what you believe. But when I am paying for "cooking classes" I don't want religion OR any other unrelated subjects brought into the discussion. Such missteps are irrelevant and shows either poor lesson/lecture planning, or poor execution. You think I don't mean it? Read my blog from last semester and my frustrations with our basic instructor to stay on topic and our tardiness everyday. Mind you, his comments were in addition to a number of overt bible citations in his spice timeline. If I am learning history, there are more sources out there for empirical, historical spice use. No need to use a specific sect's religious text in bulk.

All of this religious talk surprised me, however, since I was expecting the "fun" stories to come from my butchery instructor. Well, actually, he didn't disappoint us either and kept us well entertained late into the evening.

I can't think of a celebrity to compare our butchery teacher to, but the closest I could come up with is maybe Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor). Sarcastic, rude, and yet somehow funny. His commentary, his outspokenness, and his persistent belief that he is completely right all of the time has seriously been entertaining. Quick to pass judgment, but freely admitting his own faults...he takes you on a roller coaster ride. You chuckle at his comments; your jaw drops at his opinions; you blush at his criticisms.

And every other sentence ends with him saying, "Huh!"...as if he were saying "You understand me?!" For instance, "so you take your chicken and place him legs away from you. huh! Now wrap the string around the legs. Huh!"

Great guy. He would make a good subject for a book.

When we finally got to the kitchen for our butchery lab, our chef showed us three ways to truss a chicken, and demo'd breaking down a chicken a couple of times.

Then off to work we went. We didn't have to truss, so we got right to work on breaking down the chicken into french breasts, tunnel boned legs (with the oyster), tenderloins (which we used for a pasta later on), and wing drumettes.

I had recently seen a way of breaking down a chicken by Martin Yan which had now made the job a quick task for me. So luckily I was able to get through my chickens fairly quick (good for my back), but of course there is always something that could be done. In this case, helping other stations out to finish the job and/or clean up the kitchen. No problem. And our chef made us dinner (a tough task since our school has not filled its walk-ins or pantry with food for the semester yet). After it was all said and done, we were out an hour early--EVEN WITH dinner and clean-up. This is how things should run!

He did say that next week we will likely take the full class time. But it will be worth it. We are going to be working with pork: preparing tenderloins, making chops, and cutting ribs. I have been waiting a year to take this class and I am not disappointed in the least. ]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/278-week-2-semester-2.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/273-week-1-semester-2.html Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:01:10 GMT I was trying to arrange my schedule in such a way that I would be more easily available for any jobs that come available. so I decided to place my classes on a single day. Fortunately, the two classes I wanted were actually available at non-conflicting hours. So...... This semester, I am... I was trying to arrange my schedule in such a way that I would be more easily available for any jobs that come available. so I decided to place my classes on a single day. Fortunately, the two classes I wanted were actually available at non-conflicting hours. So......

This semester, I am taking a class called Aromatics, as well as Butchery.

The Aromatics class is actually a restaurant experience class where we will rotate through various stations for live service in the school's restaurant--the focus being proper use of herbs, spices, seasonings, etc. Our instructor has not explained too much yet as to how we will be paired up and how the stations work, but I am looking forward to actual live cooking.

The chef for the Aromatics class seems really on the ball. He is a graduate of the CIA NY. He is very organized, professional, and knowledgeable. I am looking forward to learning from him.

The Butchery class is exactly what it sounds like, with the additional topic of charcuterie being covered. The instructor for this class, however, has implied that we will likely not go over charcuterie in much detail since our class only meets once a week--i.e. a number of items/dishes require sitting for 24-48 hours, but will not last a full week of sitting. This is the same problem that we experienced in Garde Manger--awesome charcuterie topic available, but practical application impossible. Oh well. I have a few books that I have used on my own for charcuterie. I guess I will just have to keep it up!

The chef for this class seems a little unpolished, but looks like he will be an adequate instructor. There is more that I will say on this subject later, I am sure. But I believe that his conduct will provide a number of entertaining (if not intriguing) stories as the semester progresses. Want a sampler? While introducing himself, he took the time to slightly belittle his daughter (very slightly) by showing disdain for her desire to teach English in foreign countries. This is in contrast to his almost glowing pride for his son who is in town gambling underage--and winning!

If those circumstances do not provide some enthralling stories, then I don't know what will!

Back to the classes: For Aromatics, all we are doing is reading for next week and we will get a lecture. For Butchery, thank god, we will actually start in the kitchen next week! Basic chicken knowledge--trussing, breaking down, etc. But at least we will not have to wait for 3 weeks like last semester. Whoohoo!

And for those who are interested about the career change part of my story...yes. Money is tight and almost daily I am tempted to return to my old line of work. Especially lately. But I know that the culinary field is broad and that there are countless opportunities to make a living in the industry. It is just a matter of finding the right opportunity, locally. But here is the counter-point to that: I am also starting to reexamine (subconsciously) the equally broad career field that I came from and opportunities that I had not previously considered.

But again...the clincher will be finding the right opportunity, locally...and soon! Here's to the stresses of life! :beer: ]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/273-week-1-semester-2.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/259-8-12-2008-two-weeks-until-2nd-semester.html Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:42:38 GMT So this past week, our home refrigerator died. The bad part: We shelled out money for a new one. We also had company stay with us overnight the day it died...so no cold water for them in the Vegas heat. Not to mention that we had JUST gone grocery shopping the day before. Ugh! Fun times!... So this past week, our home refrigerator died.

The bad part: We shelled out money for a new one. We also had company stay with us overnight the day it died...so no cold water for them in the Vegas heat. Not to mention that we had JUST gone grocery shopping the day before. Ugh! Fun times!

The good part: I was able to apply my knowledge from my sanitation class...test the temperatures of various food items that had thawed...and was able to save us a little chunk of money by knowing which items were still safe and edible, and which items needed to be tossed out. Whoo-hoo! Practical application of knowledge...can't beat that !

As for the job outlook, I spoke with the restaurant that offered me a position, but it looks like they won't need me until October for certain. I am still excited since I know that they still want me, but since that cuts right into the middle of the semester...yaddah yaddah yaddah.

So for now, my plan is to start the semester and not worry about the job until they are ready for me. It is good to know for certain (at least mostly for certain) when they will need me. I have been a little stressed this past week because I wanted to make sure I was completely available the moment they need me. And since they were a little vague as to the start date, I hesitated in making any plans. But now, I can at least feel free to make plans for the next couple of months.

Then again, there is that side of me who is getting antsy about money...the allure of certain job openings outside of the food industry is very tempting. But I think once classes start, I will feel reinvigorated and more focused on continuing my culinary edu. ]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/259-8-12-2008-two-weeks-until-2nd-semester.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/225-8-4-2008-3-weeks-until-second-semester-long-post.html Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:10:06 GMT Alright, so summer has been interesting to say the least. I attempted to get externships and/or cooking jobs within independent restaurants with little success. From the advice I had received on this board, and from other sources (books, internet, personal experiences, etc.) I had decided that I... Alright, so summer has been interesting to say the least. I attempted to get externships and/or cooking jobs within independent restaurants with little success. From the advice I had received on this board, and from other sources (books, internet, personal experiences, etc.) I had decided that I wanted to apply only with independent restaurants where the owner had a true hands-on impact on the business--i.e. no corporate chains. I am not ripping on corporate chain restaurants in the least. I just wanted to try my hardest to head in a certain direction even if it meant less money.

So, back at the end of March and in early April, I started sending out resumes, cover letters, and even a few portfolios of the dishes that I prepared from class. And then nothing. I followed up with a few restaurants...and then, nothing.

I kept searching through classifieds, craigslist, internet with only minimal success. I even sent my info to long shot restaurants...Michelin rated places. Nothing.

Days turned into weeks, and then months. Restaurants that I would stop by and personally visit would have one of two reactions to my appearance. The first group would ask me, "What? Why are you here? What do you want to be in a kitchen for? What? Why" They couldn't understand my desire to change careers....and therefore, I RARELY got past the hostess to speak with the chef or ANY kitchen crew.

The second group was less interesting. They would merely say "Oh we are ALWAYS accepting applications. Just fill this application out and I will be sure to give it to the chef."

Needless to say, nothing was promising.

Then, after a couple of months passed, I was confronted with the dreaded, DREADED debate...do I stick with the path that I was currently on (culinary school and jobs) and hope that I would find employment? Or do I bite the bullet, and slinker back into legal work and at least be getting a paycheck? If I were to go back, I knew that the chances of having the free time available to try getting a secondary cooking job or continue to take classes would not exist. I struggled with it for weeks.

Then one day, I decided why not look for jobs back in my home state of California? Technically, there really was nothing holding me in Nevada any longer and all my family was there. I was out of school, out of work, and there were always dozens of listings for jobs in CA every time I researched.

So.....I started getting excited about finally moving back to CA. I started making plans for CA. I didn't limit myself to only cooking jobs, but looked at everything in the hopes that I would find a good fit for me to make the move back. From there I could get myself established, get a consistent schedule, and then take culinary classes again or at least get a cooking position.

But of course Murphy's law kicks in. The VERY FIRST DAY that I start a 10 day job searching trip in Southern CA...in fact, the very first hour that I was driving to drop resumes, I get a phone call from a really good restaurant here in Vegas. I had sent my info to the main chef and he had forwarded my info to his sous. The chef also sent me a really encouraging letter. So I set up an appointment for about two weeks later when I got back in town.

And of course, I was a little bummed because my excitedness and dream of moving back to CA were now somewhat in disarray. A new debate was formed....keep looking in CA or go balls-out for a good restaurant job in Vegas?
I figured an interview wouldn't hurt any of my CA plans.

I was a little nervous the day of the interview, and the cheftalk forum helped me figure out what to wear--I settled for a shirt, tie, slacks and dress coat. When I arrived at the restaurant, the hostess gave me a fully loaded application and said that the sous would be with me in a little while. What I mean by a fully loaded application is one that wants an employment history for the past 10 years; residences for the past 7 years; references and their current jobs and addresses, etc. Fortunately, I had almost all of that information in my planner, less a phone number or two.

When the sous came out, we hit it off really well. He liked what I had to say, my background, and he didn't ask me, "What??? What are you doing here?" he understood my passion and desire to get into the industry. He liked that I understood the rigid rules that his particular kitchen follows, and that I was willing to start from the bottom up. We chatted for at least 30 minutes. By the end, he said that he liked me and that I would be a good fit, and that he definitely wanted to set up a second interview with me in a couple of days--I assumed he meant with the executive chef--and he would call me in a day or two.

A day or two later...no call. I called on the third day, and he was out. I called on the fourth day and through another crew member (each call prior, I had spoken with him personally) he told me that he had to cancel my appointment for that day (we weren't set for an appointment on a specific day...so I wasn't sure if he meant he was permanently canceling the interview, or if mistakenly believed that we had an interview scheduled for that day. In any matter, the crew member I was talking to couldn't give me any more information.

So, a little disappointed, I decided to give him a week or two more to call me. And if he didn't, I would send a thank you card to him and to the head chef thanking them for their time...and then move on with more job searching....needless to say, I ended up sending thank you notes. and I was now back at square one.

Now for the REAL kicker...after my job search trip to CA....MY VERY FIRST DAY BACK FROM THAT TRIP....THE VERY FIRST MORNING BACK IN NEVADA....I get a phone call precisely at 8am. It was my old judge wanting to know if I was available for work. I had not interviewed with the restaurant yet...and money was getting tight.

But I didn't want to lose the opportunity of getting into this restaurant that I wanted. So I asked if I could think about it for a couple of day (I admitted to the executive assistant that I was interviewing and would know the outcome in a couple of days.) So I was given until the day after my restaurant interview to give them an answer. Because the interview had gone so well, and because I was told I would be definitely be back for a second interview, I decided that I better turn down the position (and all that green money). I was worried that things could still fall through the cracks, but I needed to see this particular job interview through to the end.

So, of course, when I sent out those thank-you cards...it was more than a realization of not landing the kitchen job, but it was also the sad realization that I turned down a second job that was all mine if I wanted it. I don't regret the decision...it was just a hard pill to swallow, you know? This was all about a month ago when this ended.

Now for one last ray of hope...back in April, there was a posting on Craigslist with another really good restaurant in town. I sent my info via email, and within an hour, I got a phone call from the Sous. He thanked me for my info and like what he saw. But he admitted that the job posting were for positions that wouldn't open up until September at earliest. He then said that he would be calling me at the end of July to let me know the status of everything and their availability.

Well, with this past week being the end of July...and with another CA roadtrip scheduled...I decided to give this sous a call just to see the status. He thanked me profusely for calling because things were so crazy within the restaurant that he needed the reminder to call back certain of us applicants.

He couldn't divulge what was going on within his restaurant because the owner/chef was to make a big announcement this week to his crew about some positive changes in his restaurants. So the sous did share, however, that depending on the crew's reaction...that would determine when exactly I would start.

We talked about lots of different food topics for over an hour. he is really passionate about food, the industry, and especially about his chef--a classically trained chef from France who is really liked in town. It was a good conversation. He invited me to the restaurant's family meal and said that as far as he was concerned, I was on his team. It is now just a matter of figuring out logistics with his restaurant's changes and figuring out when I would start--which, he said, could be between mid-August through mid October at latest.

I really REALLY like this place and am more than willing to wait until December for even the lowest job at this restaurant. So for now...there is no further debate about what to do...the momentum is with me for staying here in LV and developing my cooking skills. CA is sadly left along the wayside for now...but for this particular job, it will be worth it.

Now, if we can just financially survive until I start, then things will be fine. My wife is the greatest for letting me make this change and pursue this dream.

Now...I am only left with one lingering problem...this sous is describing the job as "cooking school where I am getting paid." It sounds very much like a paid apprenticeship under the Head Chef's direction--long hours, grunt work, a few years of menial tasks...the works! But since I don't have a starting date yet, I feel like even this "sure thing" can fall through the cracks. So in the meantime, I will start my culinary classes at the end of August and hopefully get some tuition money back if I really do start with this restaurant and need to drop classes for the sake of this job.

yes, it will be a loss of money if I need to drop partway into the semester, but to train under this chef is very exciting and I feel that I will gain a lot from the experience. ]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/225-8-4-2008-3-weeks-until-second-semester-long-post.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/139-week-15-finals.html Thu, 08 May 2008 23:54:14 GMT Basic Final:

So our chef DID make it back from her surgery. But apparently they were not able to fully fix the problem with this surgery, so she will have to get another one shortly. I don't wish that pain on anyone!

For my final, I made a panko fried chicken with sage gravy; tarragon vegetables; and sauteed gnocchi (clarified butter and parmesan). It was soooooo good.

Chef gave me high praise for the gnocchi and the sage gravy. I was a little nervous about the sage gravy because it was a recipe that I created. And although I liked the flavor a lot, I was not sure how others would like it. Her reaction made me feel really good.

She cut into the chicken and commented that it was cooked right, and the color looked good. And then she tasted the gravy....and without looking up she got a big grin and said "Wow!"

That comment, to me, made the semester all worth it! She said she really liked the flavor of the gravy, and that it went well with the entire plate, especially the chicken. She has a good palate and was able to pick out a number of the seasonings that I used--she could even taste the slight amount of seasoning that I used in the dredging flour! She ended by saying that it was excellent.

So although we do not get our grade for the final (at least not yet), I do know that a professional chef thought that my dish was excellent. It's a little bit humbling. Although I feel I am a good cook, there is just something comforting about a professional acknowledging a job well done, you know?

Garde Manger:

My individual final did not go as well as my basic final or my team final last week, but Chef said I did really well.

I had planned on doing a flight of crostinis. One was to be herbed cream cheese on an olive spread; the next was to be a shrimp like salad on crostini rounds; and the last one was to be a large crostini of sorts called a boqueron (more of a tapas item than an hors d'oeuvre).

The boqueron is a crostini topped with frisee (with vinaigrette I believe) topped with a slice of hard boiled egg, topped with (no joke) an anchovy fillet.

Now, I am not an anchovy fan, but when I first ate this at Zuzu in Napa valley, I was blown away. The anchovy they used was a meaty, body portion--not the oil packed fillet slivers like on pizzas. The flavor was more mild than the oil packed fillets, and it just brought the whole dish to life.

However, when I arrived to class, the buyer had merely provided the oil packed fillets--not the salt packed like I had requested. Sadly, I was not the only person to get either the wrong item, or a different quality than was expected. So although I could have used the oil packed fillets, the flavor would be way off the mark...not to mention that the salt packed bodies add an attractive eye appeal element to the dish...while the oil packed fillets would have looked silly.

So, I had to throw out that idea, and come up with something new. I finally came up with these three hors d'oeuvres:

1) my take on ham and eggs: bite sized crostini rounds topped with a disk of prosciutto, a disk of hard egg white, topped with piped deviled egg. These came out really pretty and tasty!

2) Dill Shrimp Crostini: herbed cream cheese (fresh dill) topped with garlic sauteed shrimp. This was was also really tasty. At first you taste the shrimp and cream cheese, but then the dill gives a really nice kick after swallowing.

3) Prosciutto on olives crostini: This was the one that was my hail mary item that I concocted with the ingredients that I had available to me. The crostini was topped with a black olive spread (really just black olives passed through the food processor until smooth) then topped with a slice of prosciutto and arugula for color. I think if I used smaller slices of baguette, then it would have worked better.

Chef like the presentation and all three items. He understood (and I believe he gave some grading leeway) that some of us had to rearrange our items at the last minute. His suggestion for the prosciutto and olives was that I should have tried to use a sweet spread instead of a salty spread. (this was before he tasted the crostini so I think he was expecting the spread to be a tapenade).

A classmate was standing near and said "Chef, it's not salty." That's when chef finally tasted it. But he stuck to his guns and asked if I used kalamata olives. I explained that they were plain canned black olives and the spread was not salty. But that seemed to make him stick to his guns even more! He gave some good tips on what I could do in the future. But complimented the other items.

So, although things turned out well enough, they could have been better on this individual final for this class. But I am done for the semester and am fine with what I accomplished.

The school offers some summer courses, but I am going to hold off and work over the summer.

There are a bunch of different avenues that I am exploring. Now that I have finally made a clean break from my previous career, I feel like I can really explore (in greater detail) all the paths that a culinary career has to offer. Food writing/journalism? Chef? Pastry Chef? Baker? Food Science? Distributor? Restaurant Management? Sommelier? Importer? My wife and I have even discussed the idea of trying to enroll in the CIA. Yeah, yeah...I know...there are a bunch of pro's and con's to getting that extra piece of paper. and yet life is short, so why not? I realize more and more just how broad the opportunities are in this field and want to keep all options open.

So, for the summer...let's see what kind of job I can land and see how else I can develop my culinary resume!

Below are thumbnail pics of my dishes. enjoy!

This is my basic final. Sadly, chef cut into the chicken before I snapped a pic. So this is my second dish. Same idea, but the original dish was on a bleached white square dish, and the chicken piece was a frenched breast and there was a little more garnish.



These pics are my pics of my final platter: Top is the Dill Shrimp Crostini; Middle is my take on Ham and Eggs; Bottom is the prosciutto on olives crostini.




Here is my Garde Manger team. We had a fun time together! Thanks guys!

]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/139-week-15-finals.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/134-weeks-13-14.html Thu, 01 May 2008 02:07:14 GMT Week 13 was a wash because I was sick for the week. (Of course it hits right as finals approach).

Week 14:

So I missed Basic since I was still pretty down and out from being sick. Luckily, it was only a practice day for our final presentations. So I didn't miss anything.

But I tell you....Basic Cookery has been a real test for me, of sorts. I appreciate our chef instructor's desire to make sure we learn. But wow...she is heading to CA for surgery on her back.

The doctors told her she would be down for a week, but she is adamant that she will be present for our practical final (after only 4 days rest).

I overheard a few of the other instructors discussing what will be happening with our instructor's classes...and they were perplexed at how things were arranged. Our instructor was not present for the practice day (so any questions and explanations of how our practical exam will be administered will not be answered). She has not been responding to emails...even before she headed out for surgery--so again, no questions getting answered. So basically, two-plus weeks of no communication, and then we take our practical final. A few weeks back, she even admitted and apologized to the class for the bumpy semester. I just wonder how things will pan out when everyone is confused on the day of the practical.

We'll Survive!

For Garde Manger, today was our team practical final. We were to do a platter presentation of basically anything we wanted. Because a teammate and I are latino, we created a presentation of shrimp quesadillas, sopes, and salsa.

For the shrimp quesadillas, we used a recipe from our text book which (although not traditional nor authentic) was extremely delicious.

I made fresh homeade tortillas. To that we added this tomatillo sauce with cumin to the tortillas before grilling. This sauce, to me, is pretty disgusting tasting. But I had experimented with this sauce a couple of weeks back and learned that once you add this sauce to the shrimp and quesadillas, WOW!!!! It was a perfect combination.

A problem arose when we learned that the school's purchaser had purposely given us hard jack cheese to use (since they were trying to use the left overs from other classes). Hard Jack Cheese for quesadillas is literally the equivalent of parmesan for quesadillas--it just ain't gonna happen!

Our instructor asked if he could get me to use another cheese. I said mozarella. He said they were out of that. I asked for colby. They had none of that. So we settled on cheddar.

The results were not as good as it would have been with jack, but still very tasty.

The mini-sopes were, originally, going to be topped with a dab of salsa or a dab of guacamole--that's all. But as we got cooking, thins just came together and we decided to top each sope with a combo of guacamole, shrimp, cheese, and cilantro--with the fresh salsa on the side. It was also VERY good.

Even with the last minute change of ingredients, the race against the clock, the presentation, the creating of the preparations for the day, etc.--it was all exhilarating.

Next week is our individual final. I am going to do a flight of crosstinis.

Below is a pic of our presentation. (ok...i just tried adding the pic to this blog, but again..I can only put a link and the thumbnail size. Sorry...but the link should take you to the full sized pic. Enjoy!)


]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/134-weeks-13-14.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/124-weeks-11-12.html Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:43:49 GMT Last week in basic we learned how to fabricate and make shell fish dishes. Not bad. We made Oysters Rockefeller. Another team made clams casino...which I was really interested in tasting since I saw George order it on one of the episodes of Seinfeld. For Garde Manger last week, we made some... Last week in basic we learned how to fabricate and make shell fish dishes. Not bad. We made Oysters Rockefeller. Another team made clams casino...which I was really interested in tasting since I saw George order it on one of the episodes of Seinfeld.

For Garde Manger last week, we made some more appetizer/hors d'oeuvre items. Our team made beef sate (beef skewers) and shrimp tempura. I don't know about you, but I have tried some pretty horrid tempura recipes in the past. In fact, over the past two weeks between Garde Manger and Basic, we have had tempura three previous times--and not one of them tasted like tempura. So this particular recipe seemed like a winner...and it WAS!!! The trick was keeping the batter really REALLY cold (no need for club soda), swishing the shrimp while it is frying (to get those delicate crispies on the breading), and using a mixture of veg., peanut, AND sesame oil. Very tasty!

This week for basic was horrendous. To comply with state funding regulations, we had the career services lady come speak to us. But she has no experience with food jobs. All she did was ramble about resumes for 30 minutes. And our chef canceled the rest of class. So I drove about 40-50 minutes to class for a 30 minute presentation that was not informative and then drive 40-50 minutes home. Ugh!

Garde Manger this week was a little boring, but I did learn some cool stuff re working with aspic. We made and pour some aspic on styrofoam plates and then artistically decorated them, and then sealed the item in "suspended animation" with more aspic. Kinda cool stuff! Our team also worked on chaud-froid...the same thing as aspic except made with cream/sauce instead of water/stock.

Our designs were fun to make, but nothing exciting (unless you count the Shrek character made out of cucumbers).

The good thing about garde manger letting out so early was that a few of us got the chance to finally try out the school's own restaurant. Today was french bistro day. We had mussel saffron soup, quiche lorraine, and chocolate souffle. I was really impressed with what our school produces. I am impressed that these classes will lead us to producing this level of dishes.

No pics for these two weeks. Nothing photo worth unless you want to see the crazy aspic photos....oooooohhhhh, why not. Below are the aspic creations and the hors d'oeuvre items from last week. (hmmm...I tried to get the photos to appear, but they aren't showing up [even with the insert photo function]...so feel free to click on the links. Enjoy!)


Beef Sate


Shrimp Tempura


Basic Aspic with veg carving


Shrek under aspic on chaud-froid
]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/124-weeks-11-12.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/114-week-10.html Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:51:16 GMT This week went well, but nothing too exciting. For basic, we fabricated and cooked fish. No exciting stories here. But I have been practicing dishes for our final. We have a choice of chicken fricasee, chicken chasseur, and pan fried chicken (but we must use crumbs or panko--or else it is not... This week went well, but nothing too exciting.

For basic, we fabricated and cooked fish. No exciting stories here. But I have been practicing dishes for our final. We have a choice of chicken fricasee, chicken chasseur, and pan fried chicken (but we must use crumbs or panko--or else it is not considered fried chicken. Anyone else ever heard of that rule before?)

Anyways, I tried each of the recipes this past week. I really enjoyed the flavor of the fricasee, but I think the chasseur turned out better (at least for my first attempt).

I also made a panko fried chicken. It actually turned out really good. I made a sage gravy to go with it--very pleased with the results. Nevertheless, I still prefer a good liberal flour-egg-flour coating--which I still think turns out better than bread crumbs/panko.

I also have been making gnocchi for one of our permitted side dishes. I used a few different recipes and so far, the Culinary's text book gives the best basic version, and the internet provided a few other tips for dough preparation. I cook them, then saute them in clarified butter and toss with fresh parmesan cheese and parsley. DELICIOUS!

For Garde Manger, we did sushi. Our Korean teammate was really excited this week because he said that this was the only week that he was able to teach us how to make our dishes--and he did great!

Now if I can get on my soap box for a minute: It was sorta fun to work with making sushi rolls. But I kinda felt like what we were making was not real. For stocks, for sauces, for dressings...we have learned how to make the items the traditional way from scratch with some tasty results.

But for sushi...I guess I just sort of think of it as "fake" unless I know a truly well trained sushi chef is making it. I know that sushi chefs are trained for YEARS before being considered a sushi chef. And out of all those years of training, I know that a majority of the years are spent learning just how to make the rice--and then becoming consistent with it.

So for me, our "sushi" making lab was equivalent to making "chicken fricasee" using precooked chicken and a can of cream of chicken soup--tastes good, but not even the same league, you know?

We were provided with rice, nori, some precooked butterflied shrimp, some raw tuna (which I still don't think was sushi grade and which our chef was disappointed in too), and some other sushi roll ingredients. So all we did was roll.

Again, they were tasty, but I in no way would say to anyone, "I know how to make sushi!" All we really did was roll ingredients. No cutting of the fish, learning about the best parts of the fish to use and why, no discussion about making the rice, etc. But I guess for adding another food item to my repertoire, I can't complain.

Finally, I have been working hard the past couple of weeks trying to figure out how to make a resume for a kitchen job. I have plenty of professional resumes, but it is hard to come up with a decent looking resume when I am starting at square-one for kitchen employment.

But I think I have one that looks ok now. I am working on cover letters today. And I have a portfolio of sorts that I will send to a limited number of establishments to whom I will be applying.

I am looking to work up in Napa, or stay here locally in Vegas. Or maybe even finally head back to my roots in Southern California. I just want to make sure it is a place where I will really learn.

Sorry...no pics this week. There were no real sushi presentations, and Basic doesn't have us present dishes. Its friday...time for a beer!:beer: ]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/114-week-10.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/106-week-9.html Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:24:24 GMT Whoo-hoo! Back from spring break and back into classes. I gotta share my food trip over spring break. I went to Napa Valley and had a BLAST! The food...the wine...the FOOD! Heaven! Tapas at Zuzu; foie gras at Bouchon; Fish and sake at Go Fish; and a tour of the Culinary (time to transfer?!)... Whoo-hoo! Back from spring break and back into classes.

I gotta share my food trip over spring break. I went to Napa Valley and had a BLAST! The food...the wine...the FOOD! Heaven! Tapas at Zuzu; foie gras at Bouchon; Fish and sake at Go Fish; and a tour of the Culinary (time to transfer?!) Time of my life! (and no...couldn't get into the French Laundry in case you were wondering! :lol: )

This week for basic, we did some tasty beef dishes. Our team made beef stroganoff. Sadly, however, we were forced to use FILET/TENDERLOIN! Have mercy! Don't get me wrong...it was the best stroganoff you could ever have due to the tenderloin meat. But it was equivalent to seeing a Porsche hauling around plywood strapped to its roof. Gets the job done...and gets the job done in STYLE...but somehow you know deep down, it was just wrong. But still very tasty.

For Garde Manger, we finally got to see our cheese roulades that we made two weeks ago. And we also made various items for hors d'oeuvre. We made salmon roulade, wild mushroom tartlets, and artichoke bottoms with herbed cheese. Pretty tasty stuff. Although we didn't make this cake, I have to mention the Roquefort cheesecake that another team made. It was such a unique dish and flavor that I just had to mention it--even better with the balsamic reduction.

So, one week of food followed by a good week in classes...What a great fortnight! LOL...vocab word I learned from 3rd grade or so. Cheers! :beer:

Wild Mushroom Tartlets:


Hors d'oeuvre Platter with Salmon Roulades, Mozarella Roulades, Artichoke Bottoms with Herbed Cheese, Roquefort Cheesecake With Balsamic Reductions


Platter II
]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/106-week-9.html http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/84-week-8.html Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:21:21 GMT Another interesting week.

In Basic, we had a quiz, then a midterm, and then a pretty full kitchen day scheduled. Of note, is the fact that this was the first time in basic that we cooked any real dishes--so the idea of getting into the kitchen later than normal didn't seem very effective and seemed to place us all on edge. Would we get through everything AND our quiz and midterm on time? doubtful.

So far in basic, as far as cooking goes, we have only done sauces, stocks, and soups. But this week we had some real entree recipes to perform. My team had Chicken mole. Mind you, I am latino. And so I was looking forward to making this dish. BUUUUUUT I also knew that our Basic chef is also the international cooking chef over mexican cuisine. So not only was I expecting the book's recipe to be different than what I am used to, but I was also expecting chef to diverge from the recipe in the book at the last minute. I was correct on both counts.

As far as the mole results go...in my opinion...wrong color, wrong flavor, and wrong seasonings.

If you have ever had mole, it is a chicken in a chocolate sauce--not really sweet...just chocolatey. Well, this mole tasted like a christmas dessert recipe (cinnamony; nutmeggy; clovey; almost gingery; ). Chef said other than the color (which came out bright red due to us not having the right chiles to begin with) the flavor was proper.

Again, I'm not expert nor a chef....I am only a latino who grew up eating mexican food EVERYDAY of my life until I learned how to cook non-mexican foods. However, this mole WAS NOT MOLE. But our chef was insistent that this is the "traditional way" of preparing it. This left me, my teammate (also part mexican), and two other females in the class who are also mexican, just nodding in agreement--our minor conflict of opinions weren't worth any battles with our chef.

Oh...and we didn't make it out of class on time as expected. Our team, however, finished WAY in advance and helped other stations. I wish I could take pictures of the food we made, but we don't do presenting in this class, so the pics would not look very appetizing.

As for garde manger, it was cheese and egg cookery week. Nothing mind blowing here either. We made omelets, and a leek/squash frittata, and worked with making cheese. We were done pretty early compared to our full kitchen days. But sadly, since many of our cheeses need to set up for a few days, we won't know the results until two weeks from now (next week is spring break). And maybe its just me, but having worked in the professional world for a while, Spring break just seems like a delay to completing the semester--not partytime. Ah...to be young again. :roll:

Anyways, for our cheese, we made a mozarella roulade with prosciutto and basil. We started with fresh mozarella curd, heated, and shaped it, and rolled it. It was pretty easy.

So again....no pics this week.

Oh...and to respond to Mezza's question re the job interview: I decided to not interview just yet. It is such a good opportunity, but it would definitely be a major distraction from cooking and would likely (and maybe permanently) sidetrack me from pursuing a culinary career.

So now I just gotta make sure that I apply for some really good cooking jobs/internships so that if I ever get another job interview from my old career, I will have less reason to consider it. I guess its time for spring break for this geezer! :beer: ]]> BenRias http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/blogs/benrias/84-week-8.html