New Kid. . .

[Kidaly]

Hi Everybody!

I'm new to Chef Talk as of a few days ago. Since I'm new to these forums I apologize in advance for being unsure of some of the lingo. (I'm sure I'll pick it up soon enough, but please be patient with me in the mean time

A little background on why I'm doing this - I've worked out my dream and the plan to go to culinary school (and applied) so I've been reading everything I can find that's anything food related


I am truly overjoyed to be on the road to doing what I love to do best. I'm also thrilled to have found this site where there are so many other folks out there that have this passion for food! (I thought I was a freak

I have lots of questions so I'll stop my babbling for now!

Cook On!

- Kim

[Jim]

Welcome aboard, Kim! This is a great place full of passionate people, like yourself, to learn from. Ask away and have fun~

[Mezzaluna]

Hi Kim,

I'd like to add my welcometo you to the Cafe! Please meander around the site. Be sure not to miss the great articles at ChefTalk; the archives; and the search ***nction, which will help you locate previous conversations on topics of interest.

I know a bit about Naperville, having student taught in that area some years ago. Isn't Chicagoland great?

Please fill us in on what you like to cook and what your culinary interests are.

Regards,
Mezzaluna

[Kidaly]

Thank you Jim and Mezzaluna for the warm welcome!!

As for my location, I think Chicagoland is awesome - you can go from urban city area to the country-boonies in less than a 1/2 an hour (if you drive like I do anyhow) and you can never run out of things to do, places to go, different foods to eat Mezzaluna could you tell me which area you student taught in?

Talking about food - I just don't know where to begin. . . so far, I've been able to experiment the most with my baking (cursed/blessed with a curious sweet tooth!) though I've been working on branching out. I've perfected a few different cookie recipes, my bouche de noel is a hit every year - a tradition at least , and my homemade vanilla pudding recipe has been the base of many a dessert I'm inspired to create, but I'm always looking to try making new things (and find new guinea pigs to taste test for me! My husband doesn't have a sweet tooth in his body. . . I'm working on him though!)

I haven't quite hit on what my specific culinary interests are though. . . I'd like to try it all out before I try to decide since I've not experienced enough just yet. I did the Baskin Robbins thing for a while in high school, though my experience of 8+ years at a software company hasn't done much to prepare me for kitchen life as I've learned from my reading. Though, I'm no stranger to hard work on top of hard work, I'm still not pretending that I know what to expect and what will be expected of me.

As for my culinary aim - some day if I'm ever worthy I'd enjoy being a line cook or maybe a sous chef in a decent place that makes extraordinary food. I don't think I could ever be a Super Chef rock star or anything, but I've always found joy and comfort in cooking/baking and eating so this is where my interests have led me.



I'll look forward to more 'forum surfing' since I'm still checking to see if there are answers to any of my newbie questions before I start posting my redundant babble questions. I'll see you around though! Thanks again for your responses!!

Sincerely, in the name of Food - Kim

[mike]

welcome kidaly

dont forget to read kitchen confidential
blood sweat & tears & a bit of shouting occasionaly & lots of beer

[Mezzaluna]

Kim, I student taught in Downer's Grove 29 years ago, so it's been a while. It was a great experience! My brother and family lived in Villa Park for a while, too. I grew up reading the Chicago Sun-Times, and had a freakish interest in Cook County politics for a while. Now, I'm cured!

[Kidaly]

Hi everybody,

I wanted to follow up to say that I just finished Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain (2 days worth of almost solid reading! Couldn't put it down

Thanks Mike for the recommendation (I've also seen it talked about in many other places on this forum as well). It blew me away! I'm even more intrigued about the restaraunt business!! There's so much more to think about than just knowing that 'I Love Food'. . .

Mezzaluna - it's a small world! My part of Naperville was a cornfield back then (as it was 6 years ago too!), but Downers Grove is really close to home!

I'm doing what I can to get my hands on whatever food related books I can. If you guys have any other reading suggestions I'd love to try them.

Have a great week!!! - Kim

[Pete]

Welcome Kim. I was in Chicago for a few years cooking and cheffing, but am now in Wisconsin. I love Chicago and try to head back every chance I get. My wife is from the Chicago area also with her Dad living in Villa Park, over by Oak Park.

So what culinary school did you apply to? Staying local or heading out of the area? Kendall (in the area) has a great culinary program if you haven't checked them out yet.

[Kidaly]

I've applied to a brand (spanking) new program just started at Robert Morris College Culinary Institute.

Why am I going there? I'd decided a few years ago after my first son was born that 'sometime before I die' I wanted to work with food, though I wasn't in a place in my life where I could afford to go back to school. Just after my second son was born (almost a year ago) I figured that if I didn't do it now that I'd end up working at the same software company I've been at for 8 years after the boys go to school themselves. Kind of a strange little twist - A few days after I'd made up my mind that I would attend cooking school at night sooner instead of later - I received a postcard from RMC about their new culinary school - some kind of freaky ESP somewhere!?!

I was originally aiming towards CHIC, though I'm only able to take evening courses right now since I take care of my 2 little boys at home during the day. The late night commute (probably by train) into and out of the city would have been murder!
Kendall was one that I did some research on too actually along with College of Dupage.

I realize there are pros and cons to going through a new program though I'm thinking of it as a new 'frontier'

I love Chicagoland You can never get bored out here! Wisconsin is great too though! A few times a year my family takes day trips up to Wisconsin and I have to admit - it would be nice to live in a state that wasn't so flat. . . !

Sorry, I just reread this thing and I've written a book again - I get so excited that I ramble on like a novel!!!

Have a great day!! - Kim

[Isa]

Welcome to Chef Talk Kim!

[mike]

hi kim

glad you enjoyed the book try down & out in london & paris by george orwell...based on his own experiences in large hotels at the early part of the last century.its probably the best book ever written on the industry.

chow