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...

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,...

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...

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...