A Week in the Life of a Culinary Student

I know, I know - you're probably like "What, you start culinary school and then disappear off the face of the planet?" All I can say is...take a look at what my weeks look like now!

Monday

Monday is one of my big work (I've started freelancing)/study days, since class doesn't start until 3pm. I usually wake up around 7, send Mountain Man off to work, and enjoy my coffee and eggs with some HGTV. Around 8:30, I get out my computer and work for about 4 hours. I usually make a light lunch and catch up on some homework while I eat. Since school is about 45 minutes away and parking is generally a mixed bag, I leave around 1:30 to give me plenty of time to get to class. Baking lab is 4 hours long, just long enough to give us some time to proof bread (in a fancy proofing machine) and get a quick lecture on different types of flour. I get home around 8, make a light dinner and spend some quality time with Mountain Man before going to bed early to get ready for Tuesday.

Tuesday

Tuesday is my toughest day. My Culinary Fundamentals lab starts at 7am, so I usually leave my house at 5:50 without showering but definitely with coffee! This is good experience for next semester, when I have to spend half of the semester on campus from 7 to 1 every day, so I don't mind too much. The lab is part demo and part hands-on work and it's generally very busy. So far we've learned two ways to cook chicken (roast and saute) as well as stir-fry and potstickers.

After lab, I usually head over to a cafe in town and study for 3 hours (last week, I studied foodborne illnesses for that length of time) and have about 4 cups of coffee. I then spend a couple of hours walking around Santa Barbara and running errands. My Sanitation lecture class is Tuesdays at 5, so I usually try to stay in town instead of spending time and gas driving back-and-forth. Sanitation is over at 7, and I head home, hope that Mountain Man surprises me with dinner, and crash relatively early.

Wednesday

Wednesday starts similarly to Monday - with a bit of work or studying. My Pantry lab is at noon, and parking is always difficult at this time, so I leave the house around 10:30. In case you were wondering, a class on "Pantry" is a class that covers salads, sandwiches, and egg dishes. Today we spent about an hour and a half trying to identify salad greens. Out of the 20 or so we were presented with, I got all of them except for one that not even my French chef-instructor (who grows his own food, composts, and is quite environmentally friendly) could recognize.

Lab is usually over by 3 or 3:30 so I head home and do a little work or homework. I am the interim choir director for our church choir, and rehearsals are Wednesday evenings, so I head over there around 6:30 (Mountain Man sings in the choir). At 9, I head home, we have a late dinner, and head to bed.

Thursday

Thursday is for work, homework, and errands. I don't have class, so I try to catch up on everyting else, including lunching with friends and doing some baking. Believe it or not, I don't sleep in on Thursdays - I usually have so much to do that I wake up and start working.

Friday

Lecture day. I have two lecture classes (Culinary Fundamentals and Intro to the Food Profession) from 11-4 with a break in between. My new friends and I go to the student-run cafe on campus for lunch (where we'll be working in our 3rd semesters). The lectures are both huge classes, with everyone who's in first semester (about 75 students) and the teachers do their best to make them interesting and interactive, but it's hard on a Friday afternoon! Needless to say, we usually get out early. I head home around 4, and the weekend begins!

Saturday and Sunday

We've been busy the past few weekends, but have talked about trying not to book ourselves solid over the weekends. Part of that is just to spend some quality time together doing something fun, but it's also time for me to cook and practice what I'm learning and to work on recipes for the future. We've actually set aside a weekend in March to just have our families over for dinner and do nothing else except what we want to do in and around the house. I can't wait!


So that's why you haven't heard from me in a wile, but I'll be back. The first few weeks were difficult, just trying to get into a groove that worked, and I was actually pretty exhausted for the first few weeks. But this week was great, and I still have plenty of energy for the rest of the week, so it seems that I've got it figured out!

Prepping for School

I spent a day in Santa Barbara a couple of weeks ago, ordering my uniform, knives, and buying my textbooks. I was, apparently, SUPER early on everything - there was still a full stack of books in the bookstore (I was lucky enough to get a couple of mine in good used condition - even if it gave my little textbook-publisher heart a little ache), and the guy who helped me order my uniform let me know that I was one of the first to come by (he said that there are always a few students that show up the day before classes start and freak out at him). I also got impatient while waiting behind a bunch of confused teenagers in line to get my student ID card - most of them were in line to get help registering for classes, and I decided to call to someone behind the counter who wasn't doing anything and asked him if I could jump the line. I think I got a couple of evil stares for that, but it was worth it - the line hardly moved while I was there.

All of that made me realize I am one of those older, non-traditional students, who go back to school for a career change or for self-improvement, and who are eager, interested, and early with everything. I used to mock those people when I was a teenager - I remember a couple of women that I went on a study-abroad trip with. Before we became good friends, I would sneer at them when they took seats at the front of a lecture, or followed a tour guide around like puppies. But now, I'm one of them! A friend noted that since this is something I want to do, something I'm passionate and interested in, I'm going to take it more seriously than I took my education when I was younger. And all of the younger people might end up mocking me this time around. Which is probably what I deserve.

Here are my knives. I personalized my case with some fabric my mom brought me from Lebanon. I also have edge guards for everything, so I'm not walking around with knives that will stick me at any point!

I got my name embroidered on my chef's jacket, a requirement of the school, but cool nevertheless. Incidentally, the pants that are required are not made in women's sizes, so I had to buy some that run large so that they would go over my hips! The waist is a bit large as a result, and I had to cut off about 4 inches off the pant legs and hem them so I wouldn't trip over them. The zipper is about a foot long, which makes it look as though I'm sagging in my chef pants. AND everything is 100% polyester, which seems like a silly choice for clothing that is to be worn around fire.

And finally, my textbooks. The editor part of me went through them and checked out the pedagogical features, the reviewer list, and the design, but the cook part of me just wanted to look at the pictures of food and start trying techniques!

I'm very excited to start classes on Monday, but also really nervous. It's going to be hard work (especially my 7am lab on Tuesdays), and I'm going to want to be really good (like, top of the class) so will have to push myself. And there's that age thing - I'm turning 30 just 2 days after I start classes, and there's a part of me that's quietly stressing out about that - I mean, shouldn't I have had this figured out before I turned 30? What if this is a little age-related crisis? But I try to squelch that voice as much as possible, and be understanding of the competitive side of myself, and be realistic about the hard work. And in the end, I'm really blessed that I can do something like this (a big thank you to Mountain Man for his support) and I know it's worth it to be able to do something I love.

No Meat Meaty Pasta Sauce

I'm an avid reader of the Chocolate and Zucchini blog written by Clotilde Dusoulier - she writes about food and different techniques (bread baking, pasta making, etc), along with a bit on French language and food idioms that may not make sense to those of us that only have some college French under our belts. Her blog eventually led to a cookbook that is simple and lovely - the recipes are not exactly what you think of when you think of traditional French cooking, but there is a strong reliance on fresh ingredients and very tasty meals - something that always makes me think of the little bistros I eat at when I'm in France.

One of my favorite recipes in the book is called Poulet Mijoté à la Moutarde - Mustard Chicken Stew. It's so rich and satisfying, and doesn't take much to put it together - just chicken, purple onions, tomato sauce, herbs, and grainy Dijon mustard. Once you eat all the chicken, you end up with some leftover sauce that is great over pasta. I realized, after making it one day, that mushrooms would be perfect in the leftover sauce, so I emailed Clotilde and asked if she'd ever given that a try. She responded (and quickly) that she hadn't, but that she'd be interested in hearing how it turned out.

So I reheated the leftover sauce and added some sliced mushrooms, and it was fabulous! The mushrooms add an extra punch of meaty flavor and make it seem like a true pasta sauce - not a leftover sauce with mushrooms in it.

The mustard chicken stew has now actually turned into a new favorite pasta sauce that I make often. It's great for when you don't want meat (or are feeding a vegetarian) but still want something "meaty". See below for the recipe!

Mushroom and Mustard Pasta Sauce

Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of "small" pasta, such as fusilli or penne
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb. (2 blue cartons) white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cans diced tomatoes OR 6 Roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1/2 can tomato sauce (freeze the rest and add it to soup at a later point)
• 2 pinches kosher salt
• a few grinds black pepper
• 1 pinch aleppo pepper (optional, but it adds a spicy kick - you could also add crushed red pepper)
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 Tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard (to taste - use 2 Tbsp if you want it extra mustardy, but drop it to 1 if you want a more subtle flavor)
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped basil

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook until they're brown and shiny. Add the canned or fresh tomatoes and the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic.

Stir in the mustard and bring the sauce to a boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. You can make a green salad during this time, if you want.

Turn off the heat and stir in the basil. Serve over pasta with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, if desired.

Merry Christmas!

It's the morning of Christmas Eve, and I wanted to send a little note to wish you all a Merry Christmas!

I've been MIA the last couple of weeks, since I've been working at closing out my time at PubCo. I didn't have a ton of work to do - mostly some research projects - but my brain had officially checked out by the time I registered for classes. It started to feel real - that I would be leaving, and that I would be starting on this new career path...and I just wanted to get started! So I said my goodbyes and my "let's have lunch" promises to people I wanted to keep in touch with, and that was it!

I only cried a little on my last day, and it was for the people I would miss seeing every day. And since my last day, I've been a little more emotional than usual, because my grandmother passed away. She was an amazing, strong Christian woman who took care of her family and was madly in love with my grandfather (who passed away a couple of years ago). She had Alzheimer's and we were expecting that things would get progressively worse, but it was still sad when we heard the news. But our joy is that she's hanging out with her husband in heaven!

So it's been a mixed bag this year for me for Christmas. It's been hard getting into the spirit of things with everything else going on, but there are little moments that are helping a lot. I taught a cooking class last week that ended with Christmas cookie decorating and it was silly and fun and I laughed until I cried. We put up our Christmas tree (which we named Bjorn), and it is completely lopsided. It rained for 5 days straight and even though I was absolutely sick of it by the end of it, I loved seeing my friends' pictures of the rainbow that happened on the last day of rain - everyone was so overjoyed that the sun had come out!

And this little thing - the lemons on my dwarf lemon tree decided to finally ripen this week. They'd been hanging out for a couple of months, waiting for just the right time, and they're finally ready. So I made a lemon glaze for some Christmas cookies and will be making lemon-walnut biscotti for New Year's. It's funny to me that when I'm supposed to be making spice cake and gingerbread (neither of which I'm a huge fan of), I've got these bright yellow orbs to cheer me up instead.


Next week, look out for a recipe for a new pasta sauce I've developed - it's perfect for a cold night in when you don't want to work too hard. For now, I'm off to finish my Christmas baking (Mexican Wedding Cakes and a Caramelized Apple Pie), and I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

I'm In!

After a night of very little sleep and a morning of refreshing the page every 15 seconds or so, I was finally able to register for classes a week ago! I got everything I need for my first semester which I'm thrilled about, even if it means that I have to take a 7am lab since all the other sections were full. My class list is as follows:

Sanitation
Intro to the Food Profession
Culinary Fundamentals (lecture and lab)
Basics of Baking Lab
Basics of Pantry Lab

And then I have to do 27 hours of catering every semester to get that practical experience I need.

For the next 8 days, I'm still at PubCo, trying to finalize some projects and leave on good terms. I'm planning another cooking class for the evening of my last day and have three new interested people to add to the mailing list. Between December 18 and January 24 (when classes start) I'll be doing some projects around the house that I've been needing time to do, buying my uniforms, knives, and textbooks, practicing recipes, and getting mentally prepared for this major life shift. It will be really strange to not come into the office every day, but so wonderful as well!

A Turkey Tutorial

With Thanksgiving a couple of days away, I thought I'd send along some turkey directions. My sister just made her first turkey for an event her church group hosted at a retirement home, and wanted step-by-step directions on what to do. It's no Butterball Talk-Line, but she told me it made the process really easy. AND, once you know how to make a turkey, you basically know how to make a roast chicken (you'd just need to shorten the cooking time).

If you're making a turkey this year, good luck and have fun. If not, I hope you'll try it (or a roast chicken) in the future, and let me know how it turns out! Happy Thanksgiving!

A Turkey Tutorial:

First, make sure your turkey is defrosted. If you get your turkey a few days before Thanksgiving, you'll want to leave it in the packaging and in the fridge until the day of - that's the best way to defrost. However, if you don't plan ahead and get your turkey a day before or the day of (too scary), you'll want to defrost it in water in the sink. Place the turkey in the sink, cover it with cold water, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Drain the water, and do it again and again and again until the turkey is defrosted.

Plan backwards from the time you need the turkey to be ready. See the grid below to plan:









So if you have a 22 pound turkey and you're not stuffing it, you'll need 4 - 4 1/2 hours for it to cook, and you'll want to leave a little time for the juices to settle. If you need to have it ready to eat by 5 pm, plan on taking it out of the oven at 4:30 - so plan on putting it in the oven at about 11:30 to be sure it's done in time.

Preheat the oven to 450, and then drop it to 350 when you put the turkey in. That makes for a nice brown skin.

To prep the turkey, first you'll need to take out the gizzards. These will be in a little plastic bag in the cavity of the bird. They might have also put the neck in the little hole on the other end of the turkey instead of with the other (smaller) gizzards (there should be a flap of skin covering the hole). If you want to use these to make a stock later (which is also really easy), put them in a ziploc and put them in the freezer. You might also find some twine in a little plastic baggie on the outside of the turkey wrapper - this is to make a little carrying case for the turkey, so you can transfer it to the serving plate from the pan. Keep that for later.

Get your roasting pan ready. If you have a pan with a rack, it would be a good idea to brush down the rack with some olive oil, so the skin doesn't stick. If you don't have a roasting pan, and are using a foil pan, put it on a baking sheet so that it's stable (the foil pan isn't stable enough on it's own).

At about 15 minutes before you need to put the turkey in the oven, get it out of the fridge (or water, if you're doing it that way and really let it drain). Take some paper towels and pat the skin dry. This will help you get a nice crispy skin (the more water on the bird, the less crispy it gets). Once the turkey is nice and dry, put it on the pan or rack, with the legs pointing up - that's breast side up. You'll want to take that twine that came with the bird and wrap it under and around the bird so that it forms a little carrier at this point - test it out to make sure it works. As well, if you have kitchen twine, wrap the legs together - that way, the inside will cook evenly (instead of letting all the heat out of the gaping hole) - if you're stuffing the turkey, stuff it before tying its legs together.

If you're stuffing the bird, you'll do it at this point. Make sure your stuffing is COOKED and COOLED. Putting uncooked stuffing in a turkey will make the stuffing cook, but it will also make the stuffing expand and you might end up with an exploding turkey. Putting warm stuffing in a turkey will just breed bacteria. Your best bet is to make your stuffing the day before, and to leave it in the fridge until you're ready to use it.

When you're stuffing your turkey, you want to make sure that whatever spoon you're putting inside the bird isn't touching your "clean" stuffing - that is, the stuffing that you'll serve alongside the turkey. So, use one spoon to move some stuffing into your "dirty" bowl, and then use another spoon to move it from a "dirty" bowl into the turkey. That way, you don't contaminate your "clean" stuffing.

Once that's all done, take some olive oil and brush it on the bird with a pastry brush. That will ensure a crispy skin. Try to get under the bird as well. Remember that anything that touches the bird should not be put back into an original container - so pour some olive oil into a small bowl and use that. Then, put some salt and whatever other seasoning you're using in a bowl. Take a half a lemon and mush it around in the spice mixture, and then use that to rub the bird. You want to get as much of the bird with this rub as possible, so keep putting the lemon back in the mixture until it's all covered. It doesn't have to be thick, but you want to make sure it's covered.

Then the turkey goes in the oven. Remember that it's preheated to 450, and you should drop it to 350 when you put the turkey in. You'll want to keep it uncovered until you get a nice brown skin. Once it's nice and brown, baste it, and then cover it with foil. That will make sure that all the moisture stays in. I usually baste every 20 minutes to half an hour, and just start at the top and let the liquid run down.

When you've got about a half hour to go, stick a meat thermometer in one of the thighs (that's the darkest part of the meat, which takes the longest to cook) and see what the temperature is. Make sure the thermometer doesn't touch the bone, as that will throw things off. The thigh should be around 180 - and that's when you'll want to take the turkey out, get it nice and covered, and let it sit to juice up some more.

And that's it! Easy, right?

For a roast chicken, you probably wouldn't stuff it, but you'd do everything else the same. Your roasting time would be cut to about 1-2 hours.

Pro Pastry Class - Weekend 2

A few photos of this week's pastry creations (the ones I actually worked on)...

Chocolate Angel Food Cake with raspberries and creme brulee topping (and yes, I got to use a flame thrower to toast the top of the cake)

Chocolate peanut butter cups, which were so easy to make, it's not worth it to buy Reese's anymore.

Pecan pie, which I normally don't care for, but Mary's is so not sugary sweet that I actually like it a lot.

Salmon en croute, which is a large piece of salmon dressed up in (homemade - not store bought!)puff pastry and baked, and which is absolutely delicious.

Our final spread on Sunday afternoon. In addition to some of the items I made, there's also lemon meringue tarts, caramelized apple pie, three differerent chocolate cakes, a lemon chiffon cake, tiramisu, and a few other items.