How just a little appreciation can turn a whole day around. I was having a perfectly wretched morning, everyone seemed to be yelling at me and I just couldn't go fast enough to keep up. I was ready to throw in the towel and look for something else, seriously. I don't get it when people have to act like such jerks so much of the time, just to be mean to someone for its own sake, it's like being back in high school, and that can really get me down. Like, I can't say or do anything right around them without them making some sarcastic remark. Then on the way out, the chef said to me "Good job today, Katie", and I felt better. Like, maybe I can do this again for another day. It doesn't take much to give someone the strength to not give up. It's a delicate balance, how much can we take, and how much do we need in return. It helps out a lot when other people seem to think I'm doing okay. Just to know that I'm appreciated. Hey, I keep showing up, don't I? I might not get through my task sheet in record time, but I stay till the job's complete, I don't give up.
Later...
I got done with my second half of work, which went so much better than the first half! We just had a party of 40 people, we had everything set up and ready to go in record time, so we all got to go home early. Chef John was in good spirits, my urge to slap people silly was considerably lower, it was a good end to the day.
I have an evening shift tomorrow, which are always nice because I get to sleep in! I might have time to get some baking in or put something together to have ready for supper when I get home. One of our night managers just quit, so I wonder what it'll be like with whoever they stick in in his place. I hope everything goes all right. I bet we'll be busy, which will be good, the time will go by faster. I've been doing all right on the line, I feel more comfortable up there than in the back doing prep. John seems to think I'm more suited to it, too. That's always good to get a vote of confidence.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Happy Halloween!! Wait, I'm early?
Okay, good news, the perceived pumpkin famine which threatened my holiday baking rituals is over! Pumpkin for everybody! I've whipped out my Halloween cookbook and I'm not afraid to use it! Now where to begin...I have the day off today and I'm in the mood to cook (imagine that). Another thing I'm going to try out today is a new recipe for pastry dough. It's supposed to be foolproof and it sounds really good. I found it in an e-newsletter I subscribe to, it's always fun to get a new recipe to experiment with, and this is a great way to find them! I love it when they come with pictures :-)
On Sunday, my mom and I finally got to see "Julie & Julia", I've been waiting to see that for a month and I finally got to see it. It was worth the wait! I'd just read the book earlier this summer, and I'm happy to say that the movie did the book justice, a rare feat! As many critics also say, I enjoyed the parts focussing on Julia. As a culinarian, it was fun to watch her journey through French cooking. I must say, that throughout the movie, everyone's "food-gasm" face was totally spot-on. It made me remember some of those moments I've had in the kitchen or dining room, where words fail and all is well.
On Sunday, my mom and I finally got to see "Julie & Julia", I've been waiting to see that for a month and I finally got to see it. It was worth the wait! I'd just read the book earlier this summer, and I'm happy to say that the movie did the book justice, a rare feat! As many critics also say, I enjoyed the parts focussing on Julia. As a culinarian, it was fun to watch her journey through French cooking. I must say, that throughout the movie, everyone's "food-gasm" face was totally spot-on. It made me remember some of those moments I've had in the kitchen or dining room, where words fail and all is well.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
End of Summer
The days grow short and cool, and winter looms before us once more. It's officially my favorite time of year. With the coming of autumn, people return to the kitchen for warmth and company, to reminice on seasons past, and to prepare foods to warm the body and spirit. I was doing my grocery shopping the other day when I saw a notice posted on one of the shelves: there was a bad crop of pumpkins this year, so we all must suffer for it. Those with the money to can buy the expensive organic canned pumpkin, but the rest of us must do without. That's one of my favorite things to cook in the fall and winter, normally reasonbly priced as well as versitile, but unless there's a late harvest of them this year I may have to go without. Maybe I can substitute sweet potatoes or acorn squash. With the right seasonings it could work. I've always loved this time of year, even the smell of the heater in my car makes me think of it.
I've been at my job at Champps for over a month now, and I think I'm getting along all right. One of my co-workers is off on maternity leave, so my duties have changed slightly to fit. I had been on the line for the past few weeks, on the salad station, now I'm back to preparing soups and sauces, plus the odd banqueting gig on the weekends. Still the hours are good and the tasks are enjoyable. For the most part. Last Saturday I had a bit of an accident, and hit my thumb really hard on the vegetable dicer. I'm only lucky that I didn't cut it against the blades, that would've really hurt! But with this device, even the handle can do some damage. I cut myself pretty deeply with it and ended up fainting! I was surprised that I reacted that way, I've never fainted at the sight of blood before, it's never bothered me. I think it was caused by a mix of being overtired and underfed, plus being scared that I was hurt worse than I was. Anyway, to make a long story short (too late) I woke up in the chef's office, feeling very disoriented and none too sure what had happened. It was all okay, though, I rested up for about 20 minutes, got my bearings back, and went back to work. Luckily, it was a split shift that day, so I only had to work till 2 to get a break, before coming back at 5 and working till 10. I was glad to get a little time off.
Over the next few days after the incident, I took a little ribbing from my coworkers, but apart from that, nothing noteworthy went on after that. This will be a short week for me since I needed time off to be maid of honor at a friend's wedding. Hopefully, my hours will pick up after the blessed event.
I've had little time for cooking for pleasure this month, with the new job and occasional double-shifts, but one thing I was pleased to have made was Oeufs a la Bourgigngoin. I'd sampled it in a restaurant in France, as an alternate vegetarian entree for one of my classmates (which she was good enough to share!) and from that moment I wanted to find the recipe for it. With my veritable library of cookbooks, I knew I must have it somewhere. There it was, in good old faithful Julia's "Mastering" Volume 1. I'll definitely be making it again soon, it was very easy and good!
I'm very glad to be back in a town large enough to have grocery stores that suit my needs. Too long have I lived in small towns where there's nothing besides the bare essentials. My first shopping trip resulted in discovering an ample supply of bone marrow! I can make enough bordelaise sauce to keep me happy all through the winter! And the wine departments--I found a bottle of chardonnay that I'd had on my class trip to France, I'm saving that for a special occasion. And the cheese counter, it's delightful! I'm glad to be back in civilized country :-)
It also occurs to me, that two years ago today I started culinary school at Indian Hills. The things that happened between then and now just amazes me :-) Thanks to all who helped me along the way: my parents, Chef Gordon, Mark, Mary, BJ, and everyone else. I hope I keep in touch with you all and have great stories to share along the way.
I've been at my job at Champps for over a month now, and I think I'm getting along all right. One of my co-workers is off on maternity leave, so my duties have changed slightly to fit. I had been on the line for the past few weeks, on the salad station, now I'm back to preparing soups and sauces, plus the odd banqueting gig on the weekends. Still the hours are good and the tasks are enjoyable. For the most part. Last Saturday I had a bit of an accident, and hit my thumb really hard on the vegetable dicer. I'm only lucky that I didn't cut it against the blades, that would've really hurt! But with this device, even the handle can do some damage. I cut myself pretty deeply with it and ended up fainting! I was surprised that I reacted that way, I've never fainted at the sight of blood before, it's never bothered me. I think it was caused by a mix of being overtired and underfed, plus being scared that I was hurt worse than I was. Anyway, to make a long story short (too late) I woke up in the chef's office, feeling very disoriented and none too sure what had happened. It was all okay, though, I rested up for about 20 minutes, got my bearings back, and went back to work. Luckily, it was a split shift that day, so I only had to work till 2 to get a break, before coming back at 5 and working till 10. I was glad to get a little time off.
Over the next few days after the incident, I took a little ribbing from my coworkers, but apart from that, nothing noteworthy went on after that. This will be a short week for me since I needed time off to be maid of honor at a friend's wedding. Hopefully, my hours will pick up after the blessed event.
I've had little time for cooking for pleasure this month, with the new job and occasional double-shifts, but one thing I was pleased to have made was Oeufs a la Bourgigngoin. I'd sampled it in a restaurant in France, as an alternate vegetarian entree for one of my classmates (which she was good enough to share!) and from that moment I wanted to find the recipe for it. With my veritable library of cookbooks, I knew I must have it somewhere. There it was, in good old faithful Julia's "Mastering" Volume 1. I'll definitely be making it again soon, it was very easy and good!
I'm very glad to be back in a town large enough to have grocery stores that suit my needs. Too long have I lived in small towns where there's nothing besides the bare essentials. My first shopping trip resulted in discovering an ample supply of bone marrow! I can make enough bordelaise sauce to keep me happy all through the winter! And the wine departments--I found a bottle of chardonnay that I'd had on my class trip to France, I'm saving that for a special occasion. And the cheese counter, it's delightful! I'm glad to be back in civilized country :-)
It also occurs to me, that two years ago today I started culinary school at Indian Hills. The things that happened between then and now just amazes me :-) Thanks to all who helped me along the way: my parents, Chef Gordon, Mark, Mary, BJ, and everyone else. I hope I keep in touch with you all and have great stories to share along the way.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Back in the workforce!
After months of fruitless searching, I finally got a job last month in my hometown of Dubuque, Iowa. Ever since I moved away when I was 9, I always wanted to get back to civilization, and here I am! It's a nice sized town, plenty of restaurants and businesses to keep me happy. Another good thing about moving back here is that I'm close by to my grandparents in case they need anything.
Work is off to a good start, I'm making friends among the ranks, and the chef tells me that I'm doing a good job. I've been placed on the salad station on the line, it sure gets busy during the lunch rush! I haven't seen it during dinner hours, but I will next week! It seemed hard at first, but after a few days it's becoming second nature to me. There are just so many different salads to remember. One day, Chef John was on the other side of the line, and he kept shouting out questions to me about the different recipes, and I was able to keep up, while making completely different ones! If I get backed up, the guy on saute is there to help me, so it's good to have someone there if I get a lot of tickets at once. Still, I'm learning a lot about working the line. It's hard work, but it can be fun, too. There's a feel to it when it gets hectic, I think I'll do just fine. On weekends I get put on the banquet side of things. The restaurant is connected to a hotel, so we have weddings booked up for the next few months. Last night was just 100 people, but we've had parties much larger than that, with prep to do for other events first thing in the morning, so working at the Bridge View Center was good preparation for that sort of thing! My first day there I was working a wedding, I remember feeling homesick for my old group at Bridge View, but I'm learning how this bunch does things. I already feel like I'm part of the team. I'm glad I took four years of Spanish in high school, most of the crew are Mexicans, and not all of them speak English. I remember some, enough to convey what's important "!Ayudame, por favor!" (help me please) "?Tiene usted un boligrafo que podria a usar?" (do you have a pen I could use?) Stuff like that. I'm sure it'll get better with time and practice.
Another thing I've gotten to do at work is make the many different soups and sauces that they use on the line. As with everything, it gets easier with practice. Two weeks ago, I was down to work that station, and had about 12 things to do on hot/cold prep. I felt like I barely got it all done in time! Then, the next week, I had probably the same size of list (and some of the same items) and I got it done with time to spare! Chef John walked by my station and asked me "What's left to do?" "Four batches of the white queso, then just sweep up." "Damn!" he replied, he must've been impressed :-)
I was lucky enough to find an apartment close to work. It's just a 5-minute drive, if I hit the stoplights just right. I'm on a street that's just one block removed from the main drag, it's nice to be in the heart of town (within walking distance from Village Inn!) Moving in was kind of rough, I needed to rally the troops. My parents, and my aunt and uncle all pitched in to get me squared away. It was obvious from initial inspection that the previous tenants didn't get their deposit back! They'd left quite a mess in the kitchen to clean up before it could be anything close to liveable. But after lots of time and effort, it's now a place I can call home. I even got my cat back! I'm not sure if he likes it, he's used to living at my parents' house, that's where he lived while I was in school. Their place is much larger and has a yard. He'll adjust, I'm sure.
So things are off to a good start, and I hope they continue going this way. When I was about to graduate, I was worried about making it in a real restaurant. Now I'm a real line cook! It says so on my timecard and everything, I feel like I can definitely do this!
Work is off to a good start, I'm making friends among the ranks, and the chef tells me that I'm doing a good job. I've been placed on the salad station on the line, it sure gets busy during the lunch rush! I haven't seen it during dinner hours, but I will next week! It seemed hard at first, but after a few days it's becoming second nature to me. There are just so many different salads to remember. One day, Chef John was on the other side of the line, and he kept shouting out questions to me about the different recipes, and I was able to keep up, while making completely different ones! If I get backed up, the guy on saute is there to help me, so it's good to have someone there if I get a lot of tickets at once. Still, I'm learning a lot about working the line. It's hard work, but it can be fun, too. There's a feel to it when it gets hectic, I think I'll do just fine. On weekends I get put on the banquet side of things. The restaurant is connected to a hotel, so we have weddings booked up for the next few months. Last night was just 100 people, but we've had parties much larger than that, with prep to do for other events first thing in the morning, so working at the Bridge View Center was good preparation for that sort of thing! My first day there I was working a wedding, I remember feeling homesick for my old group at Bridge View, but I'm learning how this bunch does things. I already feel like I'm part of the team. I'm glad I took four years of Spanish in high school, most of the crew are Mexicans, and not all of them speak English. I remember some, enough to convey what's important "!Ayudame, por favor!" (help me please) "?Tiene usted un boligrafo que podria a usar?" (do you have a pen I could use?) Stuff like that. I'm sure it'll get better with time and practice.
Another thing I've gotten to do at work is make the many different soups and sauces that they use on the line. As with everything, it gets easier with practice. Two weeks ago, I was down to work that station, and had about 12 things to do on hot/cold prep. I felt like I barely got it all done in time! Then, the next week, I had probably the same size of list (and some of the same items) and I got it done with time to spare! Chef John walked by my station and asked me "What's left to do?" "Four batches of the white queso, then just sweep up." "Damn!" he replied, he must've been impressed :-)
I was lucky enough to find an apartment close to work. It's just a 5-minute drive, if I hit the stoplights just right. I'm on a street that's just one block removed from the main drag, it's nice to be in the heart of town (within walking distance from Village Inn!) Moving in was kind of rough, I needed to rally the troops. My parents, and my aunt and uncle all pitched in to get me squared away. It was obvious from initial inspection that the previous tenants didn't get their deposit back! They'd left quite a mess in the kitchen to clean up before it could be anything close to liveable. But after lots of time and effort, it's now a place I can call home. I even got my cat back! I'm not sure if he likes it, he's used to living at my parents' house, that's where he lived while I was in school. Their place is much larger and has a yard. He'll adjust, I'm sure.
So things are off to a good start, and I hope they continue going this way. When I was about to graduate, I was worried about making it in a real restaurant. Now I'm a real line cook! It says so on my timecard and everything, I feel like I can definitely do this!
Monday, July 6, 2009
How I've spent my summer
It's been far too long between posts, it's not always easy to get the time to sit down and write when I want to. A lot has happened in the past few months: graduation, my class trip to France, and a seemingly endless job-hunt. First, the France trip:
On May 26, I woke up bright and early to head down to Cedar Rapids to catch my first flight. I got there good and early, and all of us from Indian Hills had time to get acquainted with the Kirkwood students. Just when I was getting impatient, it was time to go through security to the first gate. I'd packed my carryon well, with books and treats and a change of clothes, so I felt prepared for anything. I was really excited, this was my first trip out of the country! After saving up and working and breaking into my emergency Flee the Country fund, I was able to go on a trip of a lifetime! Even the mundane things like waiting for the plane had me so wound up I could hardly focus.
Our first flight was a puddle-jumper to Chicago, my group just about filled the whole plane. It was a very small craft, and I felt sorry for people who were taller than me, having to scrunch down to avoid a blow to the head. It took no time at all, barely enough time to make any headway in the book I was reading. We landed in Chicago and had a long layover there. A bunch of us took turns using Adam's phone, to call our families and let them know the trip was going well so far. We got lunch at Chile's, to celebrate the trip I splurged and got a margarita, and after that we were free to wander off on our own, as long as everyone got to the gate on time.
I looked at some of the airport bookstores, not really intending to buy anything, but just to kill time. After a few hours, we all were getting rather bored, and ready for the next part of the trip to start, so we found our gate and took our seats to wait. I put on my iPod on which I'd downloaded French lessons for the trip. When it was finally time to board, I was eager to get back up in the air.
As I've said before, I'd never made a cross-Atlantic flight before, I knew it would be long, and I wasn't looking forward to experiencing jet-lag. I'd resolved that I'd try to sleep for most of the flight so my clock wouldn't be thrown too far off. After dinner was served and cleared (not bad, all things considered), I tried to watch a movie on the monitor on the back of the seat in front of me. After a few attempts, and eventual loss of interest, I tried to sleep. Now, the seats in coach are not exactly designed for comfort. I kept shifting around, trying to get situated, but either my body or mind would not settle. Finally, I turned on my iPod and nested myself as best as I could. Somewhere between Phantom of the Opera and Pink Floyd I actually got some sleep. Fortunately, morning came, and so did the coffee cart, so I was ready to fuel up for another day.
May 27: We landed at Heathrow, looked for our point of departure, and took off! Up and down and across we ran through the city of an airport, and when we finally got down to the right level to catch the bus to our terminal, I realized I'd lost my passport! After a few seconds of incoherent screeching and sci-fi based swearing, I realized it must've fallen out of my pocket on the plane! Chef Gordon ran back up with me to the British Airways desk and explained the situation. In actuality, it didn't take very long for them to find it and return it to me, but it seemed to take forever, especially since I was afraid of either being left there or sent home! Sent home, at the beginning of the journey, before getting to see or do anything! That was not going to happen! Fortunately, I got my passport and ID back within half an hour of noticing either were missing. The downside was that by the time I got them back, Chef Gordon and I had already missed our flight and now had to wait till 3:45 for the next flight out. I was so grateful that he stayed with me. I would have been able to cope, but it's nice when one is stranded, that one has a friend along. It was a pretty good day, all things considered. I got to see the jumping fountains outside the airport, visit several shops, buy real Cadbury's chocolate and a small bottle of black truffle infused vodka, and just get down with my mall-rat self. Wasting hours at a time in a mall-like setting is still one of my favorite passtimes! We stopped for some lunch at a pub-like establishment and got to experience some of the local fare. I was still a little woozy from residual anxiety and the flight, otherwise I might have dared order the haggis. But I wasn't feeling quite that adventurous yet. Bangers and Mash, always a good decision :-)
Eventually, we found a place next to a flight board to take a quick nap. The frustrating part about Heathrow is that nobody knows their gate number until boarding time is practically upon them. Boarding was supposed to be at 3:30, and neither of us even knew what gate we should be heading to until about 3:00! In a massive place like Heathrow, I was worried about finding the gate on time, but as it turns out, it was actually quite close to where we were sitting. We got on board and were in Lyon before I knew it. We got our bags without any trouble, they were transferred to our new flight that morning when we missed our first one, and when we stepped through the doors, we were met by our guide Chef Michel. The evening traffic was quite thick, so it took a while to get to the hotel, and we actually had to bump back our reservation times at the restaurant we were going to, to give Chef Gordon and I a chance to clean up from our trip. Dinner was incredible: they started us out with champagne and a piece of foie gras as big as a deck of cards! If seen some at the shop at Heathrow where I bought my truffled vodka, and had wanted to buy some then, I was happy I waited! I'm not sure if anyone in my class likes it as much as I do, I know I helped someone else finish theirs. I wish I could've gotten a menu of what we had that night. For our main entree we had roundsteak in butter, it was divine! They kept filling our wineglasses, bringing out more food, everyone was just so happy to be there, that in the end we'd all made it in all right, it was one of the best meals I've ever had.
On May 28, I woke up, got dressed for the first time in my new chef's jacket, and went downstairs for breakfast. I love French breakfasts! There was brioche, and Nutella, and pain au chocolat, that's a great way to start any morning Once we all loaded up into the bus, we drove out to visit the Institut Paul Bocuse. I had been afraid Chef Gordon and I had missed out on that while we were stranded at Heathrow, but all we missed was a bus tour of the city. It would've been nice to see, but of all things I could've missed, I'm willing to take that loss. We were given a guided tour of the whole facility, the old castle as well as the new addition. I've never seen such beautiful rooms! We watched two cooking demos, I even got one of the chef's autograph! He had been on the winning team for this year's Pastry Wold Cup, and I'd heard of him already. I was happy that we were also given the recipes for what we saw them make. We had lunch there in the student restaurant, and had a very nice meal, and we'd be back to the Restaurant Saisons that night for dinner. After a flight of little appetizers, there was veal and polenta, a few different kinds of cheese, and an elaborate dessert consisting of cake, sorbet, berries, and pistachios. It was all very good, and I got to have my picture taken with the chef.
The next day, we headed to the covered market. We stopped for "breakfast" first off at a rather cozy eatery. First course was thickly sliced sausage, gratinned in a creamy sauce and dashed with green herbs. This was followed by a grilled steak and fried potatoes, also very good. It was a bit strange at first to have wine with breakfast, but after the initial surprise was over, we figured why not? There was even raspberry tart and ice cream for dessert. I think I could get used to this! I'd resigned myself to the fact that I was going to get fat, so why not enjoy it? Chef Michel then insisted that we finish our breakfast off with a shot of brandy (I think that's what it was, I'm not altogether sure). I shouldn't have done that. Enough said.
We then got to visit the rest of the market, we stayed together rather well. There were charcuteries, and chocolateries and fromageries and all kinds of specialized shops that you just don't see in the States. I could tell that food is much more important to these people, the time and care and craft that goes into it really shows.
After that, we visited a chocolatier that does everything there on site, right down to roasting and grinding the cocoa beans! They were even separated into sacks according to which country they came from. It reminded me a bit of the coffee shop I used to work at, we never mixed beans from other countries together. We'd roasted our beans on site, too, so that was a familiar thing to see. It's pretty much the same process. I was feeling wealthy, and in need of a treat, so at the end ouf the tour, I bought two of the tiny pretty cakes from the window. I didn't know what was in them, and I didn't care, they were both good though.
We had a quick tour of one of Paul Bocuse's restaurants, it was really awesome, like visiting a shrine! Then, to our surprise, an entire wall came alive in music and motion like something out of "It's a Small World" and we heard our own national anthem blast loudly into the room. For an encore, it could also play "Macnamara's Band". It served to dissapate any austerity in the area. It was a really neat place to visit, that I stood in that room where one of the culinary greats might tread.
Then we went to the village of Perouges, whose medieval architecture is well-preserved and quaint. We had frog's legs for lunch, a new favorite food for some, an old favorite for others! It was there that I first experienced fromage blanc, which is creamy and sour like yogurt, and is served with sugar and cream. The fromage blanc is so thick that you could hold a spoon of it upside down over someone's head and it wouldn't fall. At the end of the lunch, Chef Michel held a shaving-basin up to Jon, acting like he was going to shave him with fromage blanc or something, but then dropped thick cream into his mouth. A few got it on video, but I can only guess what titles it would appear under.
I found several gifts for people at one of the shops there. I found a little china doll for my grandma, it had reddish hair and a green dress, so I thought it was cute to find such an Irish doll in a French shop. I also found a dishtowel that came with a recipe for my mom. I'd asked her earlier in the month what she wanted for Mother's Day, and she said she needed a new kitchen towel, so I found her one here a little late! For me to buy a souvenier, it helps if it actually serves some useful purpose. The recipe was for a local specialty dessert, which we'd just had for lunch, and the directions on the card are so cute and old-world, like something from another time.
We were on our own that night for supper, but I didn't need anything, I felt like I'd done nothing but eat all day.
On Saturday, our first stop in the Beaujolais region was at an artisinal Huilerie, or oil mill. Their slogan is "One fruit, one oil", meaning nothing extra gets added in, just the pure essence of whatever olives or nuts are used. I bought a small bottle of hazelnut oil, I would've loved to buy more, but I had to make my money hold out another couple of days. From there, we went to a winery, whose entry looked like an old-fashioned train station. There was a museum, and a kind of creepy animatronic show, an educational video about different wines of the area, finished off with a *very* tasteful 3-D movie about winemaking :-) Seriously, it was kind of cute. Toursity, but cute. Lunch was another splendid affair, probably light by French standards. The pat`e was delightful! After lunch, I bought a bottle of wine in the adjoining store.
That afternoon we went toured the Hotel Dieu, a 500 year old hospital famous for serving wine to its patients. The architecture was amazing, with so many tall towers and spires pointing up all around, and the paintings on the ceilings. To think that it's stood for over 500 years is hard to grasp. Here, if a building is around for 20 years it gets knocked down and turned into a parking lot. Or they turn it into a nostalgia piece, as though a 50 year old building should be some kind of novelty.
For dinner, we went to a lovely restaurant called Loiseau des Vignes. Another excuse to get dressed up :-) I'm just glad that my dress was so forgiving, after being in a suitcase for so long, it came out without a single crease! Long live polyester! The amuse bouche was a small dish of the smoothest gazpacho I've ever had. It's normally served very chunky, almost like a salsa, but this was so fine I couldn't detect any texture at all. This was followed by a crab salad stacked in between savory tuilles, with a corn relish accompaniment. It was so good and so pretty and light, it just melted away. The entree was a supreme of pigeon! I'd never had pigeon before, it was served medium-rare like a duck, it was very good! The cheese course was goat cheese rolled in parsley and served with a balsamic vinegar reduction. We got to choose our desserts, I had something with a lot of chocolate! Some kind of mousse with a crisp shell, creme anglaise, and a chocolate hazelnut wafer. It was all very good!
On Sunday we visited the Grotte d'Oselle, caves with a long twisty path, and bats! I felt bad for Jon, who's claustrophobic, and Keegan, who is very tall. Squeezing into tight places isn't fun for either of these guys. The remains of prehistoric cave bears are on display near the end of the path.
Then we had a cooking demo with Master Chef Jean-Francois Maire, we all helped out either with prepping, stirring, or plating, and he was a pretty nice guy. We had asparagus with crab sauce, chicken with morels and the creamiest mashed potatoes I've ever had, and chocolate cupcakes with cherries and vanilla ice cream.
After lunch, we went on to visit the salt mines, it was pretty neat, I got my picture taken looking like I'm toiling away in the mines. Our tour guide led us to an underground fountain that dripped out water that was 30% salt. She told us all to take a taste on our fingers, so Chef Gordon drank a whole handful of salt-water :-)
That night we ate at the hotel, it was kind of nice to be in a more casual atmosphere after all the fancier meals we've had during our stay. I didn't even change out of my street clothes and had diet coke for the first time since I'd arrived.
Monday, June 1st, we visited two fromageries. One small-scale, one large-scale, and we all learned a new favorite kind of cheese, comte! We had a 12-month old and an 18-month old comte with bread and white wine, it was very good. It kind of reminded me a little of parmesan, a little of Swiss, in that it was delicate and salty and creamy. I wish I could find it here sometime.
For lunch, we had a local specialty: boiled potatoes with melted cheese on top. Who needs more than that? With ham, onions and pickles, it was a perfect lunch. From there we went to a smokehouse to see the way cured meats are supposed to be made! There I bought my dad some bacon, I thought he'd like that since it was smoke-cured, old-fashioned, and about as close to the source as you can get.
The best part of the day was getting to go to a farm, and taking a long carriage-ride over the grounds. We climbed a high hill and got to look over the edge, and the view was simply breathtaking. We had supper at the farm house, a simple vegetable soup of carrots, potatoes, and leeks. It was very snug and welcoming, the kind of atmosphere that set us all at ease.
June 2nd, after visiting an absinthe distillery and having a tasting of Jura wines, we had a remarkable dinner at Restauran Lea, a Michelin Star restaurant that decidedly earns the distinction! The appetizers, while I can't exactly remember what they were, were very good. It was something unexpected, one was some kind of spinach custard and the other was something with chicken I believe. The next course was a mousse of chicken stomach with a sumptuous crayfish sauce. All was beautifully plated, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The entree was a local luxury, poularde de Bresse chicken with morel mushrooms. I wish I hadn't been so full by that point, or I would've eaten more! For the cheese course I had fromage blanc, which was so rich and smooth, I want to find a place around here that I can find it here! Dessert was vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, orange-laced brioche and wafer cookies. It was a once-in-a-lifetime dinner, it hardly seems fair that the all the best meals I'll have in my life are happening within days of each other, and I know I'll never eat that well again (until I learn to make it myself!)
On the 3rd, our last real day of the trip, we visited a farm where poulet Bresse are bred. Their breeding follows exact specifications for it to have that prestigious label attatched to it. I knew that the AOC covered wine and cheese, but I never realized that chickens would fall in as well. It makes sense, now that I've thought of it, but it was something new to think about. We drove from there to Cerdon for lunch, we had a salad with pickled onions and gherkins and delicious pate. We went to a nearby copper mill where we got to see many copper items shaped and formed and ready to sell. I bought a 1.5 qt copper saucepan that I plan to treasure for years to come. That night we were on our own for dinner, but as before, I didn't really feel the need for anything.
Throughout the trip, I got to know the Kirkwood students, learned to play a new card game with the group, shopped, and enjoyed the varying scenery along our course.
The trip back was exciting, too. We got to the airport in Lyon a few hours early, which was good, because it took a very long time for them to get our boarding passes straight. I couldn't believe how hard it was for them to get that in order. You'd think that all of us having our passports, IDs, and numbers in order, it would be a snap for them to print out our boarding passes. Not so. Oh well. When we landed in Heathrow, we started breaking up. I visited a duty free shop and had a free sample of 12-year-old Scotch, which I've never had before but it's very good! After we regrouped at a TGI Friday's, we soon realized that one of the Kirkwood girls, Danielle, had lost her passport! Unfortunately, she wasn't as lucky as I was, I don't think she ever found hers. However, she was able to get in touch with the American Embassy, and they were able to rig up enough paperwork and so forth that would send her along easily enough. Again, yay for the efficiency at work! After another long flight (with a short nap), we landed in Chicago where I was praying that the customs officers wouldn't open my suitcase. Fortunately, they didn't, and everything made it though unbroken and untampered. As it was, going through security was enough of a hassle, that even though I hadn't gotten held up in customs I barely made it to the gate on time. I was running along at a full gallop, completely out of breath, feeling like I was about to die, when I made it onto the plane! I was so happy to be heading home. It was a great time, I saw and learned a lot, but it was great to be back. More about my summer in upcoming posts :-) I won't be as long, I promise.
On May 26, I woke up bright and early to head down to Cedar Rapids to catch my first flight. I got there good and early, and all of us from Indian Hills had time to get acquainted with the Kirkwood students. Just when I was getting impatient, it was time to go through security to the first gate. I'd packed my carryon well, with books and treats and a change of clothes, so I felt prepared for anything. I was really excited, this was my first trip out of the country! After saving up and working and breaking into my emergency Flee the Country fund, I was able to go on a trip of a lifetime! Even the mundane things like waiting for the plane had me so wound up I could hardly focus.
Our first flight was a puddle-jumper to Chicago, my group just about filled the whole plane. It was a very small craft, and I felt sorry for people who were taller than me, having to scrunch down to avoid a blow to the head. It took no time at all, barely enough time to make any headway in the book I was reading. We landed in Chicago and had a long layover there. A bunch of us took turns using Adam's phone, to call our families and let them know the trip was going well so far. We got lunch at Chile's, to celebrate the trip I splurged and got a margarita, and after that we were free to wander off on our own, as long as everyone got to the gate on time.
I looked at some of the airport bookstores, not really intending to buy anything, but just to kill time. After a few hours, we all were getting rather bored, and ready for the next part of the trip to start, so we found our gate and took our seats to wait. I put on my iPod on which I'd downloaded French lessons for the trip. When it was finally time to board, I was eager to get back up in the air.
As I've said before, I'd never made a cross-Atlantic flight before, I knew it would be long, and I wasn't looking forward to experiencing jet-lag. I'd resolved that I'd try to sleep for most of the flight so my clock wouldn't be thrown too far off. After dinner was served and cleared (not bad, all things considered), I tried to watch a movie on the monitor on the back of the seat in front of me. After a few attempts, and eventual loss of interest, I tried to sleep. Now, the seats in coach are not exactly designed for comfort. I kept shifting around, trying to get situated, but either my body or mind would not settle. Finally, I turned on my iPod and nested myself as best as I could. Somewhere between Phantom of the Opera and Pink Floyd I actually got some sleep. Fortunately, morning came, and so did the coffee cart, so I was ready to fuel up for another day.
May 27: We landed at Heathrow, looked for our point of departure, and took off! Up and down and across we ran through the city of an airport, and when we finally got down to the right level to catch the bus to our terminal, I realized I'd lost my passport! After a few seconds of incoherent screeching and sci-fi based swearing, I realized it must've fallen out of my pocket on the plane! Chef Gordon ran back up with me to the British Airways desk and explained the situation. In actuality, it didn't take very long for them to find it and return it to me, but it seemed to take forever, especially since I was afraid of either being left there or sent home! Sent home, at the beginning of the journey, before getting to see or do anything! That was not going to happen! Fortunately, I got my passport and ID back within half an hour of noticing either were missing. The downside was that by the time I got them back, Chef Gordon and I had already missed our flight and now had to wait till 3:45 for the next flight out. I was so grateful that he stayed with me. I would have been able to cope, but it's nice when one is stranded, that one has a friend along. It was a pretty good day, all things considered. I got to see the jumping fountains outside the airport, visit several shops, buy real Cadbury's chocolate and a small bottle of black truffle infused vodka, and just get down with my mall-rat self. Wasting hours at a time in a mall-like setting is still one of my favorite passtimes! We stopped for some lunch at a pub-like establishment and got to experience some of the local fare. I was still a little woozy from residual anxiety and the flight, otherwise I might have dared order the haggis. But I wasn't feeling quite that adventurous yet. Bangers and Mash, always a good decision :-)
Eventually, we found a place next to a flight board to take a quick nap. The frustrating part about Heathrow is that nobody knows their gate number until boarding time is practically upon them. Boarding was supposed to be at 3:30, and neither of us even knew what gate we should be heading to until about 3:00! In a massive place like Heathrow, I was worried about finding the gate on time, but as it turns out, it was actually quite close to where we were sitting. We got on board and were in Lyon before I knew it. We got our bags without any trouble, they were transferred to our new flight that morning when we missed our first one, and when we stepped through the doors, we were met by our guide Chef Michel. The evening traffic was quite thick, so it took a while to get to the hotel, and we actually had to bump back our reservation times at the restaurant we were going to, to give Chef Gordon and I a chance to clean up from our trip. Dinner was incredible: they started us out with champagne and a piece of foie gras as big as a deck of cards! If seen some at the shop at Heathrow where I bought my truffled vodka, and had wanted to buy some then, I was happy I waited! I'm not sure if anyone in my class likes it as much as I do, I know I helped someone else finish theirs. I wish I could've gotten a menu of what we had that night. For our main entree we had roundsteak in butter, it was divine! They kept filling our wineglasses, bringing out more food, everyone was just so happy to be there, that in the end we'd all made it in all right, it was one of the best meals I've ever had.
On May 28, I woke up, got dressed for the first time in my new chef's jacket, and went downstairs for breakfast. I love French breakfasts! There was brioche, and Nutella, and pain au chocolat, that's a great way to start any morning Once we all loaded up into the bus, we drove out to visit the Institut Paul Bocuse. I had been afraid Chef Gordon and I had missed out on that while we were stranded at Heathrow, but all we missed was a bus tour of the city. It would've been nice to see, but of all things I could've missed, I'm willing to take that loss. We were given a guided tour of the whole facility, the old castle as well as the new addition. I've never seen such beautiful rooms! We watched two cooking demos, I even got one of the chef's autograph! He had been on the winning team for this year's Pastry Wold Cup, and I'd heard of him already. I was happy that we were also given the recipes for what we saw them make. We had lunch there in the student restaurant, and had a very nice meal, and we'd be back to the Restaurant Saisons that night for dinner. After a flight of little appetizers, there was veal and polenta, a few different kinds of cheese, and an elaborate dessert consisting of cake, sorbet, berries, and pistachios. It was all very good, and I got to have my picture taken with the chef.
The next day, we headed to the covered market. We stopped for "breakfast" first off at a rather cozy eatery. First course was thickly sliced sausage, gratinned in a creamy sauce and dashed with green herbs. This was followed by a grilled steak and fried potatoes, also very good. It was a bit strange at first to have wine with breakfast, but after the initial surprise was over, we figured why not? There was even raspberry tart and ice cream for dessert. I think I could get used to this! I'd resigned myself to the fact that I was going to get fat, so why not enjoy it? Chef Michel then insisted that we finish our breakfast off with a shot of brandy (I think that's what it was, I'm not altogether sure). I shouldn't have done that. Enough said.
We then got to visit the rest of the market, we stayed together rather well. There were charcuteries, and chocolateries and fromageries and all kinds of specialized shops that you just don't see in the States. I could tell that food is much more important to these people, the time and care and craft that goes into it really shows.
After that, we visited a chocolatier that does everything there on site, right down to roasting and grinding the cocoa beans! They were even separated into sacks according to which country they came from. It reminded me a bit of the coffee shop I used to work at, we never mixed beans from other countries together. We'd roasted our beans on site, too, so that was a familiar thing to see. It's pretty much the same process. I was feeling wealthy, and in need of a treat, so at the end ouf the tour, I bought two of the tiny pretty cakes from the window. I didn't know what was in them, and I didn't care, they were both good though.
We had a quick tour of one of Paul Bocuse's restaurants, it was really awesome, like visiting a shrine! Then, to our surprise, an entire wall came alive in music and motion like something out of "It's a Small World" and we heard our own national anthem blast loudly into the room. For an encore, it could also play "Macnamara's Band". It served to dissapate any austerity in the area. It was a really neat place to visit, that I stood in that room where one of the culinary greats might tread.
Then we went to the village of Perouges, whose medieval architecture is well-preserved and quaint. We had frog's legs for lunch, a new favorite food for some, an old favorite for others! It was there that I first experienced fromage blanc, which is creamy and sour like yogurt, and is served with sugar and cream. The fromage blanc is so thick that you could hold a spoon of it upside down over someone's head and it wouldn't fall. At the end of the lunch, Chef Michel held a shaving-basin up to Jon, acting like he was going to shave him with fromage blanc or something, but then dropped thick cream into his mouth. A few got it on video, but I can only guess what titles it would appear under.
I found several gifts for people at one of the shops there. I found a little china doll for my grandma, it had reddish hair and a green dress, so I thought it was cute to find such an Irish doll in a French shop. I also found a dishtowel that came with a recipe for my mom. I'd asked her earlier in the month what she wanted for Mother's Day, and she said she needed a new kitchen towel, so I found her one here a little late! For me to buy a souvenier, it helps if it actually serves some useful purpose. The recipe was for a local specialty dessert, which we'd just had for lunch, and the directions on the card are so cute and old-world, like something from another time.
We were on our own that night for supper, but I didn't need anything, I felt like I'd done nothing but eat all day.
On Saturday, our first stop in the Beaujolais region was at an artisinal Huilerie, or oil mill. Their slogan is "One fruit, one oil", meaning nothing extra gets added in, just the pure essence of whatever olives or nuts are used. I bought a small bottle of hazelnut oil, I would've loved to buy more, but I had to make my money hold out another couple of days. From there, we went to a winery, whose entry looked like an old-fashioned train station. There was a museum, and a kind of creepy animatronic show, an educational video about different wines of the area, finished off with a *very* tasteful 3-D movie about winemaking :-) Seriously, it was kind of cute. Toursity, but cute. Lunch was another splendid affair, probably light by French standards. The pat`e was delightful! After lunch, I bought a bottle of wine in the adjoining store.
That afternoon we went toured the Hotel Dieu, a 500 year old hospital famous for serving wine to its patients. The architecture was amazing, with so many tall towers and spires pointing up all around, and the paintings on the ceilings. To think that it's stood for over 500 years is hard to grasp. Here, if a building is around for 20 years it gets knocked down and turned into a parking lot. Or they turn it into a nostalgia piece, as though a 50 year old building should be some kind of novelty.
For dinner, we went to a lovely restaurant called Loiseau des Vignes. Another excuse to get dressed up :-) I'm just glad that my dress was so forgiving, after being in a suitcase for so long, it came out without a single crease! Long live polyester! The amuse bouche was a small dish of the smoothest gazpacho I've ever had. It's normally served very chunky, almost like a salsa, but this was so fine I couldn't detect any texture at all. This was followed by a crab salad stacked in between savory tuilles, with a corn relish accompaniment. It was so good and so pretty and light, it just melted away. The entree was a supreme of pigeon! I'd never had pigeon before, it was served medium-rare like a duck, it was very good! The cheese course was goat cheese rolled in parsley and served with a balsamic vinegar reduction. We got to choose our desserts, I had something with a lot of chocolate! Some kind of mousse with a crisp shell, creme anglaise, and a chocolate hazelnut wafer. It was all very good!
On Sunday we visited the Grotte d'Oselle, caves with a long twisty path, and bats! I felt bad for Jon, who's claustrophobic, and Keegan, who is very tall. Squeezing into tight places isn't fun for either of these guys. The remains of prehistoric cave bears are on display near the end of the path.
Then we had a cooking demo with Master Chef Jean-Francois Maire, we all helped out either with prepping, stirring, or plating, and he was a pretty nice guy. We had asparagus with crab sauce, chicken with morels and the creamiest mashed potatoes I've ever had, and chocolate cupcakes with cherries and vanilla ice cream.
After lunch, we went on to visit the salt mines, it was pretty neat, I got my picture taken looking like I'm toiling away in the mines. Our tour guide led us to an underground fountain that dripped out water that was 30% salt. She told us all to take a taste on our fingers, so Chef Gordon drank a whole handful of salt-water :-)
That night we ate at the hotel, it was kind of nice to be in a more casual atmosphere after all the fancier meals we've had during our stay. I didn't even change out of my street clothes and had diet coke for the first time since I'd arrived.
Monday, June 1st, we visited two fromageries. One small-scale, one large-scale, and we all learned a new favorite kind of cheese, comte! We had a 12-month old and an 18-month old comte with bread and white wine, it was very good. It kind of reminded me a little of parmesan, a little of Swiss, in that it was delicate and salty and creamy. I wish I could find it here sometime.
For lunch, we had a local specialty: boiled potatoes with melted cheese on top. Who needs more than that? With ham, onions and pickles, it was a perfect lunch. From there we went to a smokehouse to see the way cured meats are supposed to be made! There I bought my dad some bacon, I thought he'd like that since it was smoke-cured, old-fashioned, and about as close to the source as you can get.
The best part of the day was getting to go to a farm, and taking a long carriage-ride over the grounds. We climbed a high hill and got to look over the edge, and the view was simply breathtaking. We had supper at the farm house, a simple vegetable soup of carrots, potatoes, and leeks. It was very snug and welcoming, the kind of atmosphere that set us all at ease.
June 2nd, after visiting an absinthe distillery and having a tasting of Jura wines, we had a remarkable dinner at Restauran Lea, a Michelin Star restaurant that decidedly earns the distinction! The appetizers, while I can't exactly remember what they were, were very good. It was something unexpected, one was some kind of spinach custard and the other was something with chicken I believe. The next course was a mousse of chicken stomach with a sumptuous crayfish sauce. All was beautifully plated, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The entree was a local luxury, poularde de Bresse chicken with morel mushrooms. I wish I hadn't been so full by that point, or I would've eaten more! For the cheese course I had fromage blanc, which was so rich and smooth, I want to find a place around here that I can find it here! Dessert was vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, orange-laced brioche and wafer cookies. It was a once-in-a-lifetime dinner, it hardly seems fair that the all the best meals I'll have in my life are happening within days of each other, and I know I'll never eat that well again (until I learn to make it myself!)
On the 3rd, our last real day of the trip, we visited a farm where poulet Bresse are bred. Their breeding follows exact specifications for it to have that prestigious label attatched to it. I knew that the AOC covered wine and cheese, but I never realized that chickens would fall in as well. It makes sense, now that I've thought of it, but it was something new to think about. We drove from there to Cerdon for lunch, we had a salad with pickled onions and gherkins and delicious pate. We went to a nearby copper mill where we got to see many copper items shaped and formed and ready to sell. I bought a 1.5 qt copper saucepan that I plan to treasure for years to come. That night we were on our own for dinner, but as before, I didn't really feel the need for anything.
Throughout the trip, I got to know the Kirkwood students, learned to play a new card game with the group, shopped, and enjoyed the varying scenery along our course.
The trip back was exciting, too. We got to the airport in Lyon a few hours early, which was good, because it took a very long time for them to get our boarding passes straight. I couldn't believe how hard it was for them to get that in order. You'd think that all of us having our passports, IDs, and numbers in order, it would be a snap for them to print out our boarding passes. Not so. Oh well. When we landed in Heathrow, we started breaking up. I visited a duty free shop and had a free sample of 12-year-old Scotch, which I've never had before but it's very good! After we regrouped at a TGI Friday's, we soon realized that one of the Kirkwood girls, Danielle, had lost her passport! Unfortunately, she wasn't as lucky as I was, I don't think she ever found hers. However, she was able to get in touch with the American Embassy, and they were able to rig up enough paperwork and so forth that would send her along easily enough. Again, yay for the efficiency at work! After another long flight (with a short nap), we landed in Chicago where I was praying that the customs officers wouldn't open my suitcase. Fortunately, they didn't, and everything made it though unbroken and untampered. As it was, going through security was enough of a hassle, that even though I hadn't gotten held up in customs I barely made it to the gate on time. I was running along at a full gallop, completely out of breath, feeling like I was about to die, when I made it onto the plane! I was so happy to be heading home. It was a great time, I saw and learned a lot, but it was great to be back. More about my summer in upcoming posts :-) I won't be as long, I promise.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Vito's Cafe
Tonight, I was in Highland Heights, KY, visiting my sister and brother-in-law. Molly, my sister, is performing in an opera scenes performance tomorrow, and so tonight, she and her husband took my mother and me to a very nice Italian restaurant for dinner. The appetizer, and I use the term loosely, was their infamous Wheel of Parmesean. Fettuccini, tossed in butter and cream, turned into a bowl made of a giant wheel of cheese! I had to force myself to slow down or I would've eaten it all in about 5 seconds! It was rich and buttery and just so good! It was prepared tableside by the owner of the restaurant, too. I spoke to him briefly, and dropped off a resume. He was a very gracious host, his food philosophy seemed to be on par with my own. Food is an art form, , one of the most savorable incarnations I can think of. For my main course, since I simply couldn't resist the temptation once presented to me, I had osso bucco. Tender, velvetty veal shanks in a smooth moat of herbed polenta. I've had polenta before that isn't very flavorful, not exactly bland, but still nothing to sing about. This, on every level, was a meal to sing about! As I scooped out the marrow from the bones with the tiny fork they provided, my sister asked "So, is it good?" I replied with a sultry sigh, "I think I need a cigarette." It was a mouthful of creamy, meaty goodness that simply cannot be adequately described in words.
In accompaniment to our lovely meal, the wait staff and some invited guests would come to the center of the dining room and sing. We were treated to musical theater staples (my guilty pleasures included delighting in selections from West Side Story and Man of La Mancha) and opera. Molly performed an aria from Rigoletto called "Caro Nome". It was so delightful, I could see her light up from the inside, she truly sparkled in her true medium. She sings the way I cook, the way I write, as though the act in itsself is its own reward.
Tonight we celebrated my birthday and graduation, as well as my sister's upcoming performance, so we made such a wonderful night of it. This was such a lovely dining experience on all fronts, it will be one I will remember for years to come.
In accompaniment to our lovely meal, the wait staff and some invited guests would come to the center of the dining room and sing. We were treated to musical theater staples (my guilty pleasures included delighting in selections from West Side Story and Man of La Mancha) and opera. Molly performed an aria from Rigoletto called "Caro Nome". It was so delightful, I could see her light up from the inside, she truly sparkled in her true medium. She sings the way I cook, the way I write, as though the act in itsself is its own reward.
Tonight we celebrated my birthday and graduation, as well as my sister's upcoming performance, so we made such a wonderful night of it. This was such a lovely dining experience on all fronts, it will be one I will remember for years to come.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
I'm not dead!
Okay, I know I've been off the blog scene for over a month, I can't believe how the time has just flown by. My internship is almost over! I've really enjoyed it, but I've been kind of homesick for school and my class. That includes teachers, too, Chef! It's a difficult transition, I'm not quite a student anymore, and I'm not technically in the real workforce yet, I'm kind of in-between. That's always a rather iffy place to be in life. I had a mild bout of depression during this period, just feeling lost and confused and wondering what's going to happen next. Plus, right after I was getting used to my classmates and everyone at Indian Hills I had to move! Moving in general always gets me down, but I came back from it. I wasn't sleeping well, I had no appetite, I went a month without even feeling up to writing. It's helped to call my friends and hear about their internships, looking forward to graduation and our trip to France. I've been feeling better lately, sleeping and eating normally again, and I was actually singing in the car again on the way to my job interview. It took a while to get out of that "bad patch", but I'm feeling normal (save the jokes, I can hear them from all the way over here!)
I've really enjoyed certain aspects of my internship, others could have been better. The owner of La Dolce Vita, Jim McCaffrey, is totally awesome. He's passionate about food, good service, keeping up with what the people want, all that fun stuff. His enthusiasm bouys me up when things aren't going so well. His son, Conor, is a decent guy, but impatient. Rather than have me do something and learn, he'd rather just do it himself because it's faster. I've been told not to take his attitude personally, he's just a tricky person to work with sometimes. Another cook, Mike, can be the same way sometimes. I was assigned to work with him on grill and saute my first week there. He was a bit more open teacher, he wasn't in such a rush, but he can be a real downer. He comes off as someone who's been broken on the wheel of life far too soon, very downtrodden. He hardly ever even speaks above a low mutter. There's another cook we all call Chile, probably because he's Mexican, who makes up for the other two guys. He's always a good guy to work with, we exchange barbs with each other, and there's mutual respect between us. He keeps things from getting too boring anyway. Then there's Fawn, the owner's stepdaughter, we work together a lot on the pizza assembly line. It can get really hectic when the tickets come flying in, but we get them all out in about a minute! My first night on that line, I balked a little at the sudden rush, but my old training from working as a fitting room girl at Kohls came to my rescue and I thought "It's just another Z-rack to blitz, we can do this" and we did, no sweat.
One really fun thing I get to do on Thursday mornings is bake bread with Jim. That's a riot, let me tell you! We're both such bread geeks it's not even funny. To date we've done baguettes, French rolls, ciabatta, and focaccia. This has all just started while I've been there. We'd talked a few times before I came on that he was toying with the idea of doing bread, and so I helped get that going! A few businesses in town have even gotten accounts with him to sell his bread to them! And he's the one asking me questions! It's weird to be teaching an adult how to do something, but I guess shouldn't think of myself as a kid anymore, since I'm almost 30. I love the smell of yeast, I could get high off of it, especially in a large-scale operation like what we're doing at work! I think Jim does, too, it's nice having someone around who gets the same pleasures from things that I do. We're both like a couple of kids: "Is the oven temperature right yet? Has the dough risen enough? How about now??" This week, Jim's gone, so I'll be baking with Fawn for my last baking day. She came along last week to watch and help out and get a feel for what we get up to when it's just the bread geeks running the kitchen. She didn't get scared away, I'll take that as a good thing!
Today I had a job interview at a nice restaurant up in Rochester, MN. The chef who interviewed struck me as a good guy to work for; although he stressed that there weren't any entry-level positions open, he encouraged me to look at some of the hotels in town and told me he'd keep my resume on file in case something appropriate opens up. I wore my dress uniform, I always like an occasion to whip that out. I think I look good in it, and I feel very professional. I've mailed out a few resumes to other businesses that have been advertising for help, so hopefully I'll hear back from someone who will hire me.
Next week is graduation, and a little over a week after that is our class trip to France! I've been getting French lessons on my iPod, so hopefully I'll learn enough basic phrases to get by. It's not only respectful and polite to do when visiting another country, it's fun! I like drawing the similarities between French and Spanish (I took four years of Spanish in high school, this is helping to bring some of it back), and just the fun of learning a new language is rewarding. In my family, I come from a long line of language-buffs. My grandpa was a cryptographer in WW2, so my code writing/breaking skills have some basis in heredity. He was primarily stationed in India. You know who else was with Intelligence, based in India during the war? Julia Child! I doubt the two ever crossed paths though, he was in Delhi and she was elsewhere, so not good chances. Still kind of cool though.
Okay, it's past midnight, so I'd better sign off and get some sleep. I'm back in action though, and it's good to be back!
I've really enjoyed certain aspects of my internship, others could have been better. The owner of La Dolce Vita, Jim McCaffrey, is totally awesome. He's passionate about food, good service, keeping up with what the people want, all that fun stuff. His enthusiasm bouys me up when things aren't going so well. His son, Conor, is a decent guy, but impatient. Rather than have me do something and learn, he'd rather just do it himself because it's faster. I've been told not to take his attitude personally, he's just a tricky person to work with sometimes. Another cook, Mike, can be the same way sometimes. I was assigned to work with him on grill and saute my first week there. He was a bit more open teacher, he wasn't in such a rush, but he can be a real downer. He comes off as someone who's been broken on the wheel of life far too soon, very downtrodden. He hardly ever even speaks above a low mutter. There's another cook we all call Chile, probably because he's Mexican, who makes up for the other two guys. He's always a good guy to work with, we exchange barbs with each other, and there's mutual respect between us. He keeps things from getting too boring anyway. Then there's Fawn, the owner's stepdaughter, we work together a lot on the pizza assembly line. It can get really hectic when the tickets come flying in, but we get them all out in about a minute! My first night on that line, I balked a little at the sudden rush, but my old training from working as a fitting room girl at Kohls came to my rescue and I thought "It's just another Z-rack to blitz, we can do this" and we did, no sweat.
One really fun thing I get to do on Thursday mornings is bake bread with Jim. That's a riot, let me tell you! We're both such bread geeks it's not even funny. To date we've done baguettes, French rolls, ciabatta, and focaccia. This has all just started while I've been there. We'd talked a few times before I came on that he was toying with the idea of doing bread, and so I helped get that going! A few businesses in town have even gotten accounts with him to sell his bread to them! And he's the one asking me questions! It's weird to be teaching an adult how to do something, but I guess shouldn't think of myself as a kid anymore, since I'm almost 30. I love the smell of yeast, I could get high off of it, especially in a large-scale operation like what we're doing at work! I think Jim does, too, it's nice having someone around who gets the same pleasures from things that I do. We're both like a couple of kids: "Is the oven temperature right yet? Has the dough risen enough? How about now??" This week, Jim's gone, so I'll be baking with Fawn for my last baking day. She came along last week to watch and help out and get a feel for what we get up to when it's just the bread geeks running the kitchen. She didn't get scared away, I'll take that as a good thing!
Today I had a job interview at a nice restaurant up in Rochester, MN. The chef who interviewed struck me as a good guy to work for; although he stressed that there weren't any entry-level positions open, he encouraged me to look at some of the hotels in town and told me he'd keep my resume on file in case something appropriate opens up. I wore my dress uniform, I always like an occasion to whip that out. I think I look good in it, and I feel very professional. I've mailed out a few resumes to other businesses that have been advertising for help, so hopefully I'll hear back from someone who will hire me.
Next week is graduation, and a little over a week after that is our class trip to France! I've been getting French lessons on my iPod, so hopefully I'll learn enough basic phrases to get by. It's not only respectful and polite to do when visiting another country, it's fun! I like drawing the similarities between French and Spanish (I took four years of Spanish in high school, this is helping to bring some of it back), and just the fun of learning a new language is rewarding. In my family, I come from a long line of language-buffs. My grandpa was a cryptographer in WW2, so my code writing/breaking skills have some basis in heredity. He was primarily stationed in India. You know who else was with Intelligence, based in India during the war? Julia Child! I doubt the two ever crossed paths though, he was in Delhi and she was elsewhere, so not good chances. Still kind of cool though.
Okay, it's past midnight, so I'd better sign off and get some sleep. I'm back in action though, and it's good to be back!
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