Whirlwind Week

     What a week it has been!  I have learned so much, my head is about to explode.  In the past 3 weeks, I have thought about quitting just about every day.  I cry tears of exultation daily at getting through another day.  I am so out of my comfort zone in that big kitchen with all this industrial sized equipment.  I keep hearing my mom's voice telling me to stay away from the hot stove.  Culinary school is different from academia.  I can read text books and regurgitate like nobody's business.  But this is all practical application.  Most of my classmates have worked in the industry and are much more at home than me.  Just when I'm about to quit and retreat back to the comforts of my old career, Chef Bob, my instructor, tells us that it's ok to feel over whelmed and that it will get better.  It's like he saw me tossing and turning at night!  That was just the encouragement I needed to soldier on.  What doesn't kill me will make me stronger.
     On Monday we had a knife practical for which I maimed a pound bag of carrots practicing my cuts.  Even though I sweated bullets over it, it only counts as .03% of our total grade.  The next day we had a quiz that was more like a test as far as the breadth of coverage.  Again, only counting .03%. One day we made four sauces: Hollandaise, Veloute, Bechamel, and Buerre Blanc.  We usually pair up in the kitchen and depending on who your partner is, it can make for a very good or bad day.  Well, my partner that day is one of two people who has already dropped out.  So, you can imagine how my day went.  After making two sauces pretty much on my own, my brain checked out.  The next day we made three soups: a cold Vicchyssoise, consommé, and shrimp bisque.  I am proud to say that my Vicchyssoise was approved by my peers unanimously.  Wednesday, we made potatoes 5 ways.  That was a bad day because I was in charge of making Bechamel for the Gratin de Pommes de Terre a la Dauphinoise and it didn't turn out.  I over compensated from the last time I made it which was the consistency of spackle to hardly any thickening at all.  It was demoralizing.  I think I slept 2 hours that night.  Yesterday was a good day, we made pasta from scratch.  I am in love!  I can't wait to get a pasta machine and cut my own linguine.  Today was another good day.  We made rice.  I know, you are wondering how hard could that be?  Turns out, I have been cooking it all wrong, using way too much water, cooking way too long, and stirring way too much.  Chef said my pilaf was the best!  

Vicchyssoise

     I am already a much better cook.  I can't wait for next week, Chicken Week.  Bring it on, I'm ready!