Wouldn’t you know it? Two weeks ago, Chef Adam announced we would have a pass/fail midterm practical exam on Feb. 8 in my Fundamentals of Classical Techniques class and we would make mayonnaise.
Yes, the one thing I despise making. I guess the word “making” is an overstatement since I had never made it successfully. My prior attempts resulted in something runny and white that didn’t resemble mayonnaise.
The midterm also required making hollandaise and a chicken consommé and knife cutting skills.
Mayonnaise-making obsession
I admit I became obsessed about my mayonnaise-making failure.
If a stranger asked me how I was doing, I would likely respond with a diatribe about the difficulty level in making mayonnaise. I fretted about making mayonnaise and dreamed of failing the midterm practical and becoming a culinary school dropout!
Julia for inspiration
In my angst, I turned to Julia for inspiration and read her mayonnaise-making recommendation in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. In her distinct accent, I could hear Julia telling me to warm the bowl before whisking the egg yolk and to add the oil slowly. In fact, she suggested adding the first half of the oil drop-by-drop. She also cautioned that you needed at least two whisks per second and once you started you couldn’t stop whisking until you had about half the oil in the emulsion. She warned it’s not an easy task at hand; but Julia Child gave me hope.
The Friday night before my midterm, I stopped by the grocery store on the way home from work and stocked up on ingredients to practice the midterm practical. I unloaded the MKX and went straight for the kitchen with a great determination to conquer the mayo. I thought if I started early, that by the end of the weekend I would have developed a way to make mayonnaise.
I warmed up my bowl, measured my oil, prepared my lemon juice and cracked the egg and separated the yolk. I whisked the egg to look frothy and figured out a way to add oil drop-by-drop by using a spoon in one hand and continuously whisking with the other.
I started adding the oil while whisking. Oil. Drop. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Drop. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Drop. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Drop. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Drop. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Drop. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Drop. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk. Oil. Whisk. Whisk. Whisk.
My arm is going to fall off!
This process went on forever. After ten minutes it appeared all I had was a runny mess and an aching arm. I swear my arm would fall off before I had mayonnasie in the bowl.
Would I have the strength to see mayonnaise-making success? What would I do if I couldn’t figure out a way to make it before the exam? The panic started to overcome me.
But then I remembered Julia's words to keep on going. So, I did.
Whisking like a mad man I didn’t stop —adding oil drop by drop. After what seemed like an eternity of whisking, which was only about 20 minutes, I noticed the liquid was thickening. I started to believe it was going to happen. I had an emulssion and I was going to make mayonnaise.
Thirty minutes into it and with one exhausted hand and arm, I made mayonnaise. Finally! I had defeated the mayonnaise.
Still, the mayonnaise tasted as terrible as any mayonnaise I had ever tasted. How could something that takes so much work taste so bad? No matter if I like the taste or not, at least I knew I could pass my midterm exam.
Although I still don’t have the official results, Chef Adam indicated I successfully made every item for the midterm, including the mayonnaise. What a relief.
Down with the mayo!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
I had a breakdown
In my third week of culinary school, I had a breakdown.
Here’s how it happened. This week we made soups. On Monday night’s class in Fundamentals of Classical Techniques, my table was assigned to make French Onion Soup and Beef Consommé. All in all, I think it went well. The French Onion Soup was rather tasty.
All's clear
My Beef Consommé even came out clear and tasted good. A consommé is a stock or broth that has been clarified. It should be rich in color with substantial body due to its high gelatin content. A high-quality consommé will be perfectly clear with no fat.
To achieve a good consommé you have to make a clear meat, which is a:
• Mixture of whipped egg whites
• Lean ground meat, poultry or fish
• Mirepoix with julienne cuts to give the raft structure
• Herbs and spices, salt, and pepper sachet
• An acid, such as tomatoes, in a brunoise cut
• Cold stock
You basically simmer this concoction and the clear meat forms a raft because the albumen in the egg whites binds all the ingredients together. You do not stir since you’re clarifying as the liquid bubbles up through the raft. Then you have to carefully strain it after it cooks to keep the consommé clear.
I felt good about my first night of soup making.
On the second night, my table was assigned to make Roasted Corn Chowder and Chicken Waterzooi. We started on the corn chowder first since we were waiting for the chicken to thaw.
Chowder must have salt pork, potatoes and mirepoix to be classified as chowder. Each of us had to make our own chowder. We went through all the steps thinking all was going well. The salt pork was rendered, the mirepoix was added and then flour to make a blond roux. Then we added chicken stock and milk.
Little did I know that while as my soup simmered, my breakdown was developing. None of us thought our chowder was thickening enough. So we simmered a little longer, and a little bit more; hoping reduction would thicken it. Finally, we got to the point of where we needed to add the potatoes, pureed corn and corn kernels because we still had a chicken waterzooi to make that night and time was quickly getting away from us.
After adding the pototoes and corn, instantly it thickened up and Chef Adam told us each of ours was thickened just right. We finished seasoning and took our pans over to our table and Chef Adam began to taste our soups.
The breakdown
He uttered the words I dreaded to hear. I had a breakdown. In fact all four at my table had a breakdown. Oh the shame!
We apparently had put too much heat to the soups when attempting to thicken it and this caused the milk to separate or breakdown from the soup. Chef Adam warned us this could happen when using milk in a soup because of the water content. When looking across the soup in the light you could see little light reflections, indicating the breakdown. He assured us this was just part of the learning process and everyone experiences it.
The soups tasted great and the breakdown doesn’t affect the texture or flavor. But it does impact appearance which is one the quality standards for soup.
The night wasn't a complete failure. The chicken waterzooi-making went well.
But darn it, I didn’t want to have a breakdown. I wanted to be stronger than that!
Here’s how it happened. This week we made soups. On Monday night’s class in Fundamentals of Classical Techniques, my table was assigned to make French Onion Soup and Beef Consommé. All in all, I think it went well. The French Onion Soup was rather tasty.
All's clear
My Beef Consommé even came out clear and tasted good. A consommé is a stock or broth that has been clarified. It should be rich in color with substantial body due to its high gelatin content. A high-quality consommé will be perfectly clear with no fat.
To achieve a good consommé you have to make a clear meat, which is a:
• Mixture of whipped egg whites
• Lean ground meat, poultry or fish
• Mirepoix with julienne cuts to give the raft structure
• Herbs and spices, salt, and pepper sachet
• An acid, such as tomatoes, in a brunoise cut
• Cold stock
You basically simmer this concoction and the clear meat forms a raft because the albumen in the egg whites binds all the ingredients together. You do not stir since you’re clarifying as the liquid bubbles up through the raft. Then you have to carefully strain it after it cooks to keep the consommé clear.
I felt good about my first night of soup making.
On the second night, my table was assigned to make Roasted Corn Chowder and Chicken Waterzooi. We started on the corn chowder first since we were waiting for the chicken to thaw.
Chowder must have salt pork, potatoes and mirepoix to be classified as chowder. Each of us had to make our own chowder. We went through all the steps thinking all was going well. The salt pork was rendered, the mirepoix was added and then flour to make a blond roux. Then we added chicken stock and milk.
Little did I know that while as my soup simmered, my breakdown was developing. None of us thought our chowder was thickening enough. So we simmered a little longer, and a little bit more; hoping reduction would thicken it. Finally, we got to the point of where we needed to add the potatoes, pureed corn and corn kernels because we still had a chicken waterzooi to make that night and time was quickly getting away from us.
After adding the pototoes and corn, instantly it thickened up and Chef Adam told us each of ours was thickened just right. We finished seasoning and took our pans over to our table and Chef Adam began to taste our soups.
The breakdown
He uttered the words I dreaded to hear. I had a breakdown. In fact all four at my table had a breakdown. Oh the shame!
We apparently had put too much heat to the soups when attempting to thicken it and this caused the milk to separate or breakdown from the soup. Chef Adam warned us this could happen when using milk in a soup because of the water content. When looking across the soup in the light you could see little light reflections, indicating the breakdown. He assured us this was just part of the learning process and everyone experiences it.
The soups tasted great and the breakdown doesn’t affect the texture or flavor. But it does impact appearance which is one the quality standards for soup.
The night wasn't a complete failure. The chicken waterzooi-making went well.
But darn it, I didn’t want to have a breakdown. I wanted to be stronger than that!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Hold the mayo!
I’ve never cared for mayonnaise. After this past week, I despise it!
In my Fundamentals class, we tackled the mother sauces and emulsions in five hours of cooking. Everyone in the class was assigned to make a hollandaise and mayonnaise. Then, each one of us at our table was assigned a different sauce, and I had to make demi-glace.
This is easy! Or maybe not.
I started with my hollandaise first. Somehow, someway my hollandaise sauce came out perfect on the first attempt.
I made my reduction of diced shallots, cracked black pepper, cider vinegar and white wine. Then I began simmering my water and cracked eggs for the yolks. I cooled my reduction and whipped it in a stainless steel bowl with the eggs until frothy.
Then with the stainless steel bowl over the pan of simmering water I whipped the egg mixture until it formed stiff peeks to create figure eights I added clarified butter gradually and was able to create a creamy perfectly, textured hollandaise. Then, I seasoned it with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
I’d heard making hollandaise was difficult. But for me, it seemed easy. Maybe all those years giving 4-H demonstrations working with eggs paid off. I was on a roll!
Some of my classmates weren’t so lucky with their hollandaise sauces. Little did I know I was about to feel their frustration when making mayonnaise.
Before I could make my demi-glace I had to wait for the brown sauce my tablemate Bryan was making. Demi-glace is equal parts brown sauce and brown stock reduced to a velvety smooth texture.
A whipping
So, I started making mayonnaise. How hard could it be? I didn’t have the keep the eggs from cooking like with the hollandaise. Boy, was I wrong.
I whipped the egg mixture of vinegar and seasonings and then began adding the oil gradually and whipping like a mad man! I kept whipping and whipping and whipping and whipping. My arm felt like it was going to fall off.
Chef Adam said I had to whip harder. So, I whipped harder and faster. After 30 minutes it turned out creamy but never really thick. On the bright side, I got a cardio workout. But, I failed at making mayonnaise.
Instead of me whipping the mayonnaise, it whipped me! But, I’m going to practice at home. I will not let the mayonnaise beat me!
Oh by the way, my demi-glace came out delicious.
In my Fundamentals class, we tackled the mother sauces and emulsions in five hours of cooking. Everyone in the class was assigned to make a hollandaise and mayonnaise. Then, each one of us at our table was assigned a different sauce, and I had to make demi-glace.
This is easy! Or maybe not.
I started with my hollandaise first. Somehow, someway my hollandaise sauce came out perfect on the first attempt.
I made my reduction of diced shallots, cracked black pepper, cider vinegar and white wine. Then I began simmering my water and cracked eggs for the yolks. I cooled my reduction and whipped it in a stainless steel bowl with the eggs until frothy.
Then with the stainless steel bowl over the pan of simmering water I whipped the egg mixture until it formed stiff peeks to create figure eights I added clarified butter gradually and was able to create a creamy perfectly, textured hollandaise. Then, I seasoned it with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
I’d heard making hollandaise was difficult. But for me, it seemed easy. Maybe all those years giving 4-H demonstrations working with eggs paid off. I was on a roll!
Some of my classmates weren’t so lucky with their hollandaise sauces. Little did I know I was about to feel their frustration when making mayonnaise.
Before I could make my demi-glace I had to wait for the brown sauce my tablemate Bryan was making. Demi-glace is equal parts brown sauce and brown stock reduced to a velvety smooth texture.
A whipping
So, I started making mayonnaise. How hard could it be? I didn’t have the keep the eggs from cooking like with the hollandaise. Boy, was I wrong.
I whipped the egg mixture of vinegar and seasonings and then began adding the oil gradually and whipping like a mad man! I kept whipping and whipping and whipping and whipping. My arm felt like it was going to fall off.
Chef Adam said I had to whip harder. So, I whipped harder and faster. After 30 minutes it turned out creamy but never really thick. On the bright side, I got a cardio workout. But, I failed at making mayonnaise.
Instead of me whipping the mayonnaise, it whipped me! But, I’m going to practice at home. I will not let the mayonnaise beat me!
Oh by the way, my demi-glace came out delicious.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
All digits intact
After my first week in culinary school, the good news is that I have all my digits intact and I haven’t had to use a bandage. If you know my history with knives, you’ll understand my relief that I haven't made an emergency room visit.
Don't miss class!
On the first night of class, we sat through what seemed like hours of the formalities. During orientation and at the first of each class the instructors harped about attendance. They must have an issue with students skipping class; but I don’t understand that since it costs $474 a credit hour . Even if I have to walk 10 miles uphill in a blizzard, I’m going to be there at these prices. Plus, it’s not easy to catch up when you’re learning kitchen skills.
My Fundamentals of Classic Techniques class meets on Monday and Tuesday nights from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. and my instructor is Chef Adam Martin. This is strictly a guess, but I’m sure he’s younger than me. He graduated from Johnson and Wales and worked for several years as a chef at country clubs and resorts. Now he’s a full-time salesperson for a seafood company and instructs part time. He’s knowledgeable and easy to understand.
Learning knife skills
The first week I learned all about the different knife cuts. There are a lot, and I have not mastered any of them. If I went at the speed Chef Adam demonstrated to us, I would be in the emergency each time getting stitches. I’m hopeful with practice I can eventually julienne one carrot in less than 2 hours! Don’t be surprised if you drop by my house and I offer you chopped up carrots. By the way, a julienne cut is 1/8 inch x 1/8 x 2 inches.
As I expected, we would start making stocks: white, brown, fish. We used all of the vegetables we cut up while practicing our knife skills the first night to make the mirepoix for the stocks on Tuesday night.
What the heck is mirepoix?
Okay, if you’re like me, I had to first figure out how to spell mirepoix and then learn what it means. It’s the vegetables that go in a stock and usually is 50 percent onions, 25 percent carrots and 25 percent celery although Chef Adam never uses carrots because he says he doesn’t like the sweetness in his stocks.
Measure more than once!
We’ve also been warned that we need to know our measurements without thinking. For example a gallon has 128 ounces. So, just ignore the random measurements you might read from now on. I’m just practicing (6 teaspoons=1 oz.)
For the second night of class, we actually cooked. My team table, which includes Caleb, Bryan and Taylor, were assigned to make chicken stock and shrimp stock. We used the mirepoix from the night before to make 50 quarts of chicken stock. It was rather simple to do. The shrimp stock wasn’t hard, but everything required a mince. It was good knife skill practice, but it took forever to minced onions, leeks and more carrots. I'll have the same team members through the entire class and we rotate jobs each class period.
To make a good stock you need to:
We left the 12.5 gallons of chicken stock simmering overnight and put our shrimp stock in the cooler for later use after following all the proper steps. I’m not sure who took care of the chicken stock the next day since we didn’t have class. I guess I’ll find that out this week when I return to class on Tuesday night. We didn’t have class on Monday night to observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
I also started my Nutrition class the first which seems like it will be fairly interesting for a lecture class. Quincie Grounds is the instructor and she’s a registered dietitian.
Plus, I’m taking my online class for safety and sanitation. All I have to say about it is that it’s time-consuming and I’m sure I’ll explain more about it later, although it’s not nearly as entertaining as the cooking class.
To sum it up, I survived the first week; but I can tell it’s going to be demanding and I’m thinking 9 hours of classes sounds better the next quarter instead of 12 hours. (2 T=1 oz.)
We tackle the mother sauces in week 2! Oh geeze, more French words to learn and spell! (½ gallon=64 oz.)
On the first night of class, we sat through what seemed like hours of the formalities. During orientation and at the first of each class the instructors harped about attendance. They must have an issue with students skipping class; but I don’t understand that since it costs $474 a credit hour . Even if I have to walk 10 miles uphill in a blizzard, I’m going to be there at these prices. Plus, it’s not easy to catch up when you’re learning kitchen skills.
The first week I learned all about the different knife cuts. There are a lot, and I have not mastered any of them. If I went at the speed Chef Adam demonstrated to us, I would be in the emergency each time getting stitches. I’m hopeful with practice I can eventually julienne one carrot in less than 2 hours! Don’t be surprised if you drop by my house and I offer you chopped up carrots. By the way, a julienne cut is 1/8 inch x 1/8 x 2 inches.
Okay, if you’re like me, I had to first figure out how to spell mirepoix and then learn what it means. It’s the vegetables that go in a stock and usually is 50 percent onions, 25 percent carrots and 25 percent celery although Chef Adam never uses carrots because he says he doesn’t like the sweetness in his stocks.
We’ve also been warned that we need to know our measurements without thinking. For example a gallon has 128 ounces. So, just ignore the random measurements you might read from now on. I’m just practicing (6 teaspoons=1 oz.)
- Use cold water
- Simmer gently
- Skim frequently
- Strain carefully
- Cool quickly
- Store and label properly
- Degrease if necessary (1 pint=16 oz.)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
It's Official: I'm in Culinary School
W7SDBTNSQX4U
More than one of my friends suggested I blog about going to culinary school. So, I decided to give it a try. The challenge will be if I can keep it up once the crazy schedule starts.
Let me start by telling you how I find myself at age 42 going back to school to earn my third college degree. Could it be a midlife crisis?
How I got here
This past fall I went on a cruise with my family to the Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama. I had a great time and when I returned I started thinking about my major vacation plans for 2010.
For the past couple of years, I've contemplated attending a week-long culinary boot camp at the CIA...no, not the spy kind of CIA...the Culinary Institute of America...regarded as one of the top culinary schools in America. I've been thinking about it for the past three or four years, but a Grand Canyon rafting trip one year, and two cruises the following two years put it on hold.
I was all set to make the commitment. But, then I started thinking about the cost...more than $2,000 for the week-long course, plus a hotel, rental car, plane ticket...it all started to add up, and I wasn't sure I wanted to spend $4,000 for a week's vacation in the kitchen. But, I still had this yearning to become a better cook.
With that in mind, I surfed the Internet one evening this fall looking for less expensive options, and I stumbled upon The Art Institutes International-Kansas City. Not really thinking about going for a degree, I filled out the online form to see if I could take some classes to improve my culinary skills. I had seen commercials about the International Culinary Schools at the Art Institutes on The Next Iron Chef.
Greg Davis, assistant director of admissions, contacted me the next day and I set up an appointment after it sounded like something worth pursuing. However, I wasn't really serious about going back to college. I thought I'd see if I could take the introductory course.
The days leading up to my appointment, I surfed the Web some more and then it occurred to me: Why can't I go back to college? I had no real obstacles and I knew I needed something to jazz up my life. I have a great career, make a good living, and am really content. But, I don't do content very well.
I realized I wanted a new challenge and this was the one for me because it tied in well with my passion for cooking and my career at Seaboard Foods.
Since an early age I've loved to cook. I think it's because I had two grandmothers, although with different styles of cooking, who were excellent cooks, and my mom is one of the best cooks I know. I've always been amazed how she can whip up a quick meal whether it be for four or 20.
In my job at Seaboard Foods, I work with chefs and food service operators a lot. And, I've always felt my culinary skills have been lacking when communicating with chefs. The more I delve into the chef world, the more I fantasize about having the skills to be creative in the kitchen. I can follow a recipe, but I wouldn't say I'm an expert cook.
So, it seemed like culinary school might be for me the more I thought about it.
After my campus visit at AI, I knew culinary school was for me. I felt the excitement I haven't felt in a long time about tackling a new challenge.
Before I knew it, I had made the commitment to pursue an associate's degree in culinary arts. The best part is that my company, Seaboard Foods, is providing tuition support.
Getting clearance
Today, I went through clearance and I didn't know what to expect since at Mizzou, when I attended way back in the 80s, we didn't have such a thing. Clearance wasn't all that complicated. I went during my lunch break, since the campus is a convenient six minutes south of my office.
I met a friendly lady in the gallery and then went to the library to have my student ID picture taken. My new student ID is better than my driver's license photo, but that's not saying much. From there, I stopped by the registrar’s office to confirm I was all paid up and that's where I found out I still owed $100 for an online course that they failed to bill me for with the original invoice. I also received my class schedule.
My Winter 10 schedule
It's the schedule that might wear me out. On Monday and Tuesdays I have a kitchen class, Fundamentals in Classical Techniques, that meets from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Oh geeze! I'm usually in bed before 10 p.m. I may have to take Starbucks intravenously.
On Wednesday nights for four hours, I have a nutrition class. On top of that, I'm taking an online course in Safety and Sanitation for 5.5 weeks. All of my classes will be at night or online so that I can continue to work full time.
There goes my social life. Wait. I don't have a social life; so, I'm not really giving up anything.
Classes start Jan. 11 and end on March 27. The campus is on quarters.
Getting my kit
I also picked up my $1,400 kit. It included a knife kit with a lot of kitchen gadgets, three chef uniforms, a backpack, a book bag and some of my books.
So, now it's official. I'm going through my midlife crisis and I am a culinary student.
Tomorrow I go through student orientation!
More than one of my friends suggested I blog about going to culinary school. So, I decided to give it a try. The challenge will be if I can keep it up once the crazy schedule starts.
Let me start by telling you how I find myself at age 42 going back to school to earn my third college degree. Could it be a midlife crisis?
How I got here
This past fall I went on a cruise with my family to the Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama. I had a great time and when I returned I started thinking about my major vacation plans for 2010.
For the past couple of years, I've contemplated attending a week-long culinary boot camp at the CIA...no, not the spy kind of CIA...the Culinary Institute of America...regarded as one of the top culinary schools in America. I've been thinking about it for the past three or four years, but a Grand Canyon rafting trip one year, and two cruises the following two years put it on hold.
I was all set to make the commitment. But, then I started thinking about the cost...more than $2,000 for the week-long course, plus a hotel, rental car, plane ticket...it all started to add up, and I wasn't sure I wanted to spend $4,000 for a week's vacation in the kitchen. But, I still had this yearning to become a better cook.
With that in mind, I surfed the Internet one evening this fall looking for less expensive options, and I stumbled upon The Art Institutes International-Kansas City. Not really thinking about going for a degree, I filled out the online form to see if I could take some classes to improve my culinary skills. I had seen commercials about the International Culinary Schools at the Art Institutes on The Next Iron Chef.
Greg Davis, assistant director of admissions, contacted me the next day and I set up an appointment after it sounded like something worth pursuing. However, I wasn't really serious about going back to college. I thought I'd see if I could take the introductory course.
The days leading up to my appointment, I surfed the Web some more and then it occurred to me: Why can't I go back to college? I had no real obstacles and I knew I needed something to jazz up my life. I have a great career, make a good living, and am really content. But, I don't do content very well.
I realized I wanted a new challenge and this was the one for me because it tied in well with my passion for cooking and my career at Seaboard Foods.
Since an early age I've loved to cook. I think it's because I had two grandmothers, although with different styles of cooking, who were excellent cooks, and my mom is one of the best cooks I know. I've always been amazed how she can whip up a quick meal whether it be for four or 20.
In my job at Seaboard Foods, I work with chefs and food service operators a lot. And, I've always felt my culinary skills have been lacking when communicating with chefs. The more I delve into the chef world, the more I fantasize about having the skills to be creative in the kitchen. I can follow a recipe, but I wouldn't say I'm an expert cook.
So, it seemed like culinary school might be for me the more I thought about it.
After my campus visit at AI, I knew culinary school was for me. I felt the excitement I haven't felt in a long time about tackling a new challenge.
Before I knew it, I had made the commitment to pursue an associate's degree in culinary arts. The best part is that my company, Seaboard Foods, is providing tuition support.
Getting clearance
Today, I went through clearance and I didn't know what to expect since at Mizzou, when I attended way back in the 80s, we didn't have such a thing. Clearance wasn't all that complicated. I went during my lunch break, since the campus is a convenient six minutes south of my office.
I met a friendly lady in the gallery and then went to the library to have my student ID picture taken. My new student ID is better than my driver's license photo, but that's not saying much. From there, I stopped by the registrar’s office to confirm I was all paid up and that's where I found out I still owed $100 for an online course that they failed to bill me for with the original invoice. I also received my class schedule.
My Winter 10 schedule
It's the schedule that might wear me out. On Monday and Tuesdays I have a kitchen class, Fundamentals in Classical Techniques, that meets from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Oh geeze! I'm usually in bed before 10 p.m. I may have to take Starbucks intravenously.
On Wednesday nights for four hours, I have a nutrition class. On top of that, I'm taking an online course in Safety and Sanitation for 5.5 weeks. All of my classes will be at night or online so that I can continue to work full time.
There goes my social life. Wait. I don't have a social life; so, I'm not really giving up anything.
Classes start Jan. 11 and end on March 27. The campus is on quarters.
Getting my kit
I also picked up my $1,400 kit. It included a knife kit with a lot of kitchen gadgets, three chef uniforms, a backpack, a book bag and some of my books.
So, now it's official. I'm going through my midlife crisis and I am a culinary student.
Tomorrow I go through student orientation!
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