So, ok.. I'm not the most patient and I can live with that! I have learned to have a lot of patience though!!! I am rounding out the cuisine part of my culinary training, and will soon become a wine expert... well, maybe not soon but definitely within the next 5 years .. or 3! or 2! Is 1 possible?
Looking into Condo living with a gourmet kitchen. I like having lots of people around me and being close to shopping and all that! But, here in Houston things are so spread out. That's why I love the Heights area, close to downtown with a small town feel! People are nice there, act like their Christianly even if they're not. Big plus, most of Houston acts like they are spawns from hell!
A gourmet kitchen, if it doesn't come in the condo then it's going to be my project. I am excited, good things are going to happen for a lot of people. Just keep your faith, and never give up trying!
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Friday, October 24, 2014
A Taste of New York in Houston TX.
My friend, son and I decided on pizza for tonight's dinner. Hey, it's a Friday, we've all been working hard in school and well, we normally don't even care to come up with a reason to enjoy time together so aforementioned aside, we went to NY Pizza Co. in Willowbrook. It's over by Buffalo Wild Wings, AMC Theatres and World Market, you know they're all in that area and close by.
As we approached the establishment I noticed one of the signals I receive from previous misadventures when it comes to eating out. You know, there's no one here, and why does it look sooo empty plus there were sooo many cars around there. The place is full of restaurants. We joked around a little and once we reached the door I was certain this one going to be another one of those not-so-good ideas.
Inside, there was an Italian-looking gentleman carrying some food to a table. It looked like maybe they were family. The table was the only occupied one. The place is small and so are the tables. I thought it was both sweet and aggressive. A family-run restaurant in a young, fast-paced area with bunches of franchises everywhere. And here they are, NY Pizzaco. We were greeted by a nice young lady behind the counter as we were deciding upon which one of their many types of pizza to order, I mean they even have pizza for those who are 'heart-healthy'; I thought that was a nice niche but it really echoed they're ambition to cater to the clientele in the area. I glanced over at the soda machine. On it, hand-written on a piece of paper... "No refills if you share a drink". And just in case you thought it was a prank or the management is unawares, they placed another sign saying the same thing on the soda fountain. Hmmmm... Seeing as how the large sodas which really aren't that large, are over-priced at $2.75 I believe it was, ummm I pay for my drink. When I get to my table, I believe it's my right to share with whomever I please. But, being as thou it may a, what I believe to be, family-run restaurant I grumbled a little at the signs that made me think of the old days when my auntie would write a reminder sorta, telling me and siblings to pick up our clothes, wash the dishes, and you know stuff you know you didn't want your friends to see when they came over. "If you share a drink, No refills!!!", come on NY Pizzaco., we're grown here!!!!
Needless to say, the pizza we ordered was fab, hold the black olives. Next time we'll tell them to hold the tomatoes too, my friend is allergic to them. His fault for not telling them. Oh, and hold the jalapenos next time as well, a bit to spicy for my son. Who's fault is that for not telling them?
All-in-all we had a good time, it had a small tv mounted near the ceiling where we watched sesame street count pumpkins and Dora the Explorer count to 5. The pizza was delicious, did I mention that already?! Thin crust, almost cracker. Use the plastic knives to finish cutting the slices or else you'll pull the crust and leave all of the toppings on the tray, a word to the wise! The drinks were good, not watered down. I drank a root beer and it had that nice sting at the back of my throat.
The only other disappointment was the Cheese Steak sandwich we ordered. On the menu it said it had steak, mozzarella, onions. There was more bread that meat and I didn't or taste see any onions. The meat was unseasoned. The bread however was buttery, hot, soft and very tasty. The outside was crusty and the inside was as soft as fluffy cloud. It was good, just it couldn't make up for what the sandwich lacked as a whole.
So, I would recommend this place if you are ordering out or are on a date or on your way to the AMC Theatres. The price point is not bad also, for a 28" party pizza that has 16 slices, it's only $27.99.
As we approached the establishment I noticed one of the signals I receive from previous misadventures when it comes to eating out. You know, there's no one here, and why does it look sooo empty plus there were sooo many cars around there. The place is full of restaurants. We joked around a little and once we reached the door I was certain this one going to be another one of those not-so-good ideas.
Inside, there was an Italian-looking gentleman carrying some food to a table. It looked like maybe they were family. The table was the only occupied one. The place is small and so are the tables. I thought it was both sweet and aggressive. A family-run restaurant in a young, fast-paced area with bunches of franchises everywhere. And here they are, NY Pizzaco. We were greeted by a nice young lady behind the counter as we were deciding upon which one of their many types of pizza to order, I mean they even have pizza for those who are 'heart-healthy'; I thought that was a nice niche but it really echoed they're ambition to cater to the clientele in the area. I glanced over at the soda machine. On it, hand-written on a piece of paper... "No refills if you share a drink". And just in case you thought it was a prank or the management is unawares, they placed another sign saying the same thing on the soda fountain. Hmmmm... Seeing as how the large sodas which really aren't that large, are over-priced at $2.75 I believe it was, ummm I pay for my drink. When I get to my table, I believe it's my right to share with whomever I please. But, being as thou it may a, what I believe to be, family-run restaurant I grumbled a little at the signs that made me think of the old days when my auntie would write a reminder sorta, telling me and siblings to pick up our clothes, wash the dishes, and you know stuff you know you didn't want your friends to see when they came over. "If you share a drink, No refills!!!", come on NY Pizzaco., we're grown here!!!!
Needless to say, the pizza we ordered was fab, hold the black olives. Next time we'll tell them to hold the tomatoes too, my friend is allergic to them. His fault for not telling them. Oh, and hold the jalapenos next time as well, a bit to spicy for my son. Who's fault is that for not telling them?
All-in-all we had a good time, it had a small tv mounted near the ceiling where we watched sesame street count pumpkins and Dora the Explorer count to 5. The pizza was delicious, did I mention that already?! Thin crust, almost cracker. Use the plastic knives to finish cutting the slices or else you'll pull the crust and leave all of the toppings on the tray, a word to the wise! The drinks were good, not watered down. I drank a root beer and it had that nice sting at the back of my throat.
The only other disappointment was the Cheese Steak sandwich we ordered. On the menu it said it had steak, mozzarella, onions. There was more bread that meat and I didn't or taste see any onions. The meat was unseasoned. The bread however was buttery, hot, soft and very tasty. The outside was crusty and the inside was as soft as fluffy cloud. It was good, just it couldn't make up for what the sandwich lacked as a whole.
So, I would recommend this place if you are ordering out or are on a date or on your way to the AMC Theatres. The price point is not bad also, for a 28" party pizza that has 16 slices, it's only $27.99.
Friday, September 19, 2014
One and a Half
Well, it's so unbelievable that I with the rest of my classmates are reaching the end of level 1 in cuisine. I have definitely had my downs, grown tremendously from them. Actually, I'm being really unfair with myself, I shouldn't call them downs but instead; maybe, points where I felt like I had to crawl. I am now feeling as though I am at the point of almost standing, probably slunched over a bit. But, once I fix my posture then there is no doubt in my mind that I will be a celebrated chef. Is Master Chef-dom in my future. That takes years of experience in the kitchen. Actually, not for everybody. At least not so painstakingly that it seems to rival Christ, at least that's the way people make it out to be. But no, in my Career Explorations class I've come upon some great, who I call Master Chefs, who have definitely been in the culinary field since childhood but their steps to stardom so-to-speak was rather natural. It just came with the territory as they went about their daily lives. Like breathing, their love of cooking was natural and inspired and they just ended up in this wonderful place in their lives. So you've got Master Chefs who have worked their hands raw to the bone to get to where they are, no sleep, no social life, all sacrifice mingling with Master Chefs who went from an Easy Bake Oven to just having fun cooking anywhere, wherever the Universe sent them and maybe a few sacrifices along the way but it was all their choice, in their control and sometimes not even a necessity or not thought of to be. In other words, their goal was not to be a Master Chef, it was just to cook, to showcase something that was sentimental to them, to pass-the-time, to just simply entertain. Failure wasn't an option because a huge success wasn't their goal. So while the same caliber of Chefs had to walk on hot coals to achieve success, sign their name on the dotted line in their own blood at tribal rituals called over-worked, under-paid and under-appreciated, others went a very different route.
And, I'm not saying that people should go the easy route. There is no easy way into this field, and laziness will get you nowhere no matter which route you take. I am just talking about the mind-set going forward, and how you can become a Master Chef with great effort, very hard and often thankless work and how you can also achieve it by purely loving to cook, entertain. My goal in culinary school is to become a great food writer, I want to put; and please excuse my verbage here, sex on a plate in words and in pictures. But as I draw near to the end of Level 1.5, I find that maybe, possibly, as I'm achieving my goal I could be one of those Master Chefs that happened upon the status of Master Chef inadvertently. I can hear the interview now with Food & Wine magazine;
FW: So, did you always know you would become one of the world's most celebrated Master Chefs?
Me: No, I just knew that I loved to write, I love to take pictures, and I love science, eating and cooking. I really had never cooked for a large crowd. I went to culinary school, that's where I learned technique, skill, mastery, patience. I already had dedication, heck I had that before I entered the military, oh-ummm in '97 so over 16 years ago. I stayed in for 8 years, but my love, understanding of food started as a young child and never left. So, after culinary school I began writing more, cooking & entertaining my friends and family more. I got some cool catering gigs and then decided to go bigger. Just to see what would happen. I just wanted to test my own limits in that way, and this is where it brought me. I have been blessed to be surrounded by my family who all love to entertain and eat, I love entertaining and I come from a family of chefs, and foodies. So, it was definitely a natural, and totally enjoyable progression for me. But, I wouldn't be here, doing this if it wasn't fun. It's not my career, it's just what I love to do!
FW: What is your greatest dish that you have cooked?
ME: Potage Saint-Germain. It's a puree'd green pea soup. I received accolades from the most discriminating of palates (French Chefs who are palate experts and culinary students who are palate experts in their own way). I received an 'Excellent' from Mr. LeNotre who owns the school I went to. He is a great, celebrated French Chef as was his father. My instructor, who is also a great French chef, was quite pleased as well! Of all the 3 or 4 dishes from my class, many from International Cuisine, and Baking & Pastry of which I am certain were all delicious. My Potage Saint-Germain was the first to go! Everyone loved it. It was my first time cooking it. We'd never even heard of it before. So, I'd say the girl who started off the one most likely to Not have fried chicken on her menu because it takes too blanked long to fry it, is a lot better at this thing called cooking than I ever even thought. And, the one thing the Potage required of me, mostly because of my perfectionism, er-ummm discriminating palate is .... patience! Yes, the girl who had none, is the girl who has a lot now. I never had patience, then enlisting in the military full-time was a perfect fit for that because I used that and my determination, perfectionism, passion to have fun, and get me through it. Then after I got out, my mindset was still there, I didn't know how to 'relax' and enjoy my roses. Just a little later on in my life I met my friends, who'd tell me to relax, sounded like some unidentified foreign language to me. I didn't realize how frantic my day was, for no reason. Or; even, how uncomfortable I was even at rest. Now, I am delicately approaching each day, each moment and enjoying it every second of every day. My culinary education at the school I attended has taught me something much more than cooking, or even technique. My education, the chefs that was handed the Holy Grail of teaching and doing it expertly well, my classmates of whom we've learned so much from each other has all taught me to Become which is a beautiful set of skills. The Potage Saint-Germain that I cooked has taught me that now, in my skillset, I have patience. Something I could never get my hands on because it just always seemed so elusive.. like trying to hold smoke in my hands.
So, this post isn't about the steps different people take to become a Master Chef or about the Potage Saint-Germain, it's about reaching the end of Level 1.5 in cuisine at the culinary school I attend. It seems like we just started! I had more fun, more accomplishments in Level 1.5 than I did in Level 1. It's not an uphill battle, I don't see roadblocks to painfully stub my big or pinkie toes on, and I don't see ever-increasing battle scars developing either. In fact, it's getting better! Better than better! A natural progression in something I love that may take me to Master Chef level or maybe being a Master Chef in my own backyard with my family and friends. Either way is highly desirable to me because it's not about the title but the joy of cooking.
Culinary Institute LeNotre is a school where you are full hands-on in a chef instructor hands-off environment. The foods, ingredients we cook with and eat are all on the fine dining caliber. The Potage I cooked would cost you more in a restaurant than you'd probably be willing to pay for a meal.. that's the level I am learning at. I also love that when we present what we cooked, everyone sits down to eat, yes even guests to the school, we can take meals home. But here's the cool part, we pay only $5 for however much we can fit into the take-out container provided, which is a very generous size. This money goes to help fund the school scholarship that helps struggling students to fulfill their dreams whether they are enrolling or are already enrolled but need a little help. My school does fundraisers and all sorts of things and it offers lifetime career placement which is awesome because it meets the caliber of what we've become accustomed to at this school. So, whichever direction I take after this level I know I have lots of support in getting there and getting through to the next.
And, I'm not saying that people should go the easy route. There is no easy way into this field, and laziness will get you nowhere no matter which route you take. I am just talking about the mind-set going forward, and how you can become a Master Chef with great effort, very hard and often thankless work and how you can also achieve it by purely loving to cook, entertain. My goal in culinary school is to become a great food writer, I want to put; and please excuse my verbage here, sex on a plate in words and in pictures. But as I draw near to the end of Level 1.5, I find that maybe, possibly, as I'm achieving my goal I could be one of those Master Chefs that happened upon the status of Master Chef inadvertently. I can hear the interview now with Food & Wine magazine;
FW: So, did you always know you would become one of the world's most celebrated Master Chefs?
Me: No, I just knew that I loved to write, I love to take pictures, and I love science, eating and cooking. I really had never cooked for a large crowd. I went to culinary school, that's where I learned technique, skill, mastery, patience. I already had dedication, heck I had that before I entered the military, oh-ummm in '97 so over 16 years ago. I stayed in for 8 years, but my love, understanding of food started as a young child and never left. So, after culinary school I began writing more, cooking & entertaining my friends and family more. I got some cool catering gigs and then decided to go bigger. Just to see what would happen. I just wanted to test my own limits in that way, and this is where it brought me. I have been blessed to be surrounded by my family who all love to entertain and eat, I love entertaining and I come from a family of chefs, and foodies. So, it was definitely a natural, and totally enjoyable progression for me. But, I wouldn't be here, doing this if it wasn't fun. It's not my career, it's just what I love to do!
FW: What is your greatest dish that you have cooked?
ME: Potage Saint-Germain. It's a puree'd green pea soup. I received accolades from the most discriminating of palates (French Chefs who are palate experts and culinary students who are palate experts in their own way). I received an 'Excellent' from Mr. LeNotre who owns the school I went to. He is a great, celebrated French Chef as was his father. My instructor, who is also a great French chef, was quite pleased as well! Of all the 3 or 4 dishes from my class, many from International Cuisine, and Baking & Pastry of which I am certain were all delicious. My Potage Saint-Germain was the first to go! Everyone loved it. It was my first time cooking it. We'd never even heard of it before. So, I'd say the girl who started off the one most likely to Not have fried chicken on her menu because it takes too blanked long to fry it, is a lot better at this thing called cooking than I ever even thought. And, the one thing the Potage required of me, mostly because of my perfectionism, er-ummm discriminating palate is .... patience! Yes, the girl who had none, is the girl who has a lot now. I never had patience, then enlisting in the military full-time was a perfect fit for that because I used that and my determination, perfectionism, passion to have fun, and get me through it. Then after I got out, my mindset was still there, I didn't know how to 'relax' and enjoy my roses. Just a little later on in my life I met my friends, who'd tell me to relax, sounded like some unidentified foreign language to me. I didn't realize how frantic my day was, for no reason. Or; even, how uncomfortable I was even at rest. Now, I am delicately approaching each day, each moment and enjoying it every second of every day. My culinary education at the school I attended has taught me something much more than cooking, or even technique. My education, the chefs that was handed the Holy Grail of teaching and doing it expertly well, my classmates of whom we've learned so much from each other has all taught me to Become which is a beautiful set of skills. The Potage Saint-Germain that I cooked has taught me that now, in my skillset, I have patience. Something I could never get my hands on because it just always seemed so elusive.. like trying to hold smoke in my hands.
So, this post isn't about the steps different people take to become a Master Chef or about the Potage Saint-Germain, it's about reaching the end of Level 1.5 in cuisine at the culinary school I attend. It seems like we just started! I had more fun, more accomplishments in Level 1.5 than I did in Level 1. It's not an uphill battle, I don't see roadblocks to painfully stub my big or pinkie toes on, and I don't see ever-increasing battle scars developing either. In fact, it's getting better! Better than better! A natural progression in something I love that may take me to Master Chef level or maybe being a Master Chef in my own backyard with my family and friends. Either way is highly desirable to me because it's not about the title but the joy of cooking.
Culinary Institute LeNotre is a school where you are full hands-on in a chef instructor hands-off environment. The foods, ingredients we cook with and eat are all on the fine dining caliber. The Potage I cooked would cost you more in a restaurant than you'd probably be willing to pay for a meal.. that's the level I am learning at. I also love that when we present what we cooked, everyone sits down to eat, yes even guests to the school, we can take meals home. But here's the cool part, we pay only $5 for however much we can fit into the take-out container provided, which is a very generous size. This money goes to help fund the school scholarship that helps struggling students to fulfill their dreams whether they are enrolling or are already enrolled but need a little help. My school does fundraisers and all sorts of things and it offers lifetime career placement which is awesome because it meets the caliber of what we've become accustomed to at this school. So, whichever direction I take after this level I know I have lots of support in getting there and getting through to the next.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Yummy Burritos-I mean absolutely yummy!
We went to eat at a place we haven't been in a while, it's a Food Truck here in Houston's northwest side. Right on West Rd., over by an auto color store, and a gas station. I ordered the chicken burrito, my son had one and my baby had a beef quesadilla and a beef taco. Let me tell you, this must be the best Mexican food truck on this side. The last time we went there a gentleman was grilling pork tacos on mini round corn tortillas. Now, today... There is a huge generous hunk of meat on a spit, upright, that they shaved off as it cooked thoroughly and then grilled it. We didn't get the meat from the spit but I must say, the meat today tasted more juicy, and more flavorful than the already flavorful flavors we enjoyed the time before.
They even have a big screen tv to watch, but that's always been there. I need to tell you that in my burrito was cheese - queso fresco and plenty of it! Plenty! Plenty of meat, it passed my 5-finger test with juice running down my arm. My grilled onions were juicy, enough of the juice pooled in the foil that enclosed the onions. They were tender, but not too tender. Perfect! The parking is a little tight but well worth it, they do cash only as many if not all of them do. But if you need cash, then the gas station in the parking lot has an A.T.M.
from May 15, 2014
They even have a big screen tv to watch, but that's always been there. I need to tell you that in my burrito was cheese - queso fresco and plenty of it! Plenty! Plenty of meat, it passed my 5-finger test with juice running down my arm. My grilled onions were juicy, enough of the juice pooled in the foil that enclosed the onions. They were tender, but not too tender. Perfect! The parking is a little tight but well worth it, they do cash only as many if not all of them do. But if you need cash, then the gas station in the parking lot has an A.T.M.
from May 15, 2014
Beaumont Bound!
I really enjoyed my day yesterday. Myself, my friend Richard and my son Mica went to Nederland, TX, which is about 1.5 hours north of Houston where we live, to see my Nephew, Niece and my Great-niece who live there. Marques is a Youth Minister @ Golden Triangle Church on the Rock. I am so very blessed to be so close to family. My sister, Niece and Great-niece came down to Beaumont from Dallas and so we got to see everybody. Then later that night we saw my other sister and Richard's brother when we got back into Houston. We've been trying to make that happen for so long!
Maybe next time, hopefully soon, we can all get together. Before I felt like I was walking on air when I saw my family, now I feel like I'm soaring!
We went to get some lunch, (we had just ate like 2 hours before we got there), my sister wanted fish... like homemade in someone's kitchen. Nederland is a small town in southeast Texas, near the Gulf. We didn't realize how close we were to the Gulf until we returned to Marques' house. We tried to find a fish a/or seafood market and Richard was going to fry it for her. Well my nieces, and my Great-niece Arianne went to the Chicken house to get some chicken, since my sister couldn't get a hold of me (my phone was on vibrate lol!), she went ahead, told them to get her some fish from there. This is how I am, I don't like to get fish from the same place that serves chicken. Every now & then you get chicken that tastes like fish from being introduced to the same oil the fish was fried in and vice versa. But I *seem* to be the only person who feels that way about restaurants like that. So, me and Rich get to Sartin's which is a seafood restaurant. The food portions, at least mines were small, and Richards was a nice size. I ordered stuffed Jalapeños which were stuffed with ooey gooey cheese, and breaded, then deep-fried. I also had grilled shrimp, grilled chicken and tad bit of rice.i had like 5 pitiful looking shrimps and even more pitiful looking chicken strips of which there were three. I also had the cole slaw, that was absolutely divine!! I loved it, but I wouldn't pay $23 for it to have it again. Richard had a nice side salad, with thickly sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and of course lots of lettuce. I forget what else he had, oh.. he had 3-4 nice size pieces of catfish (fillets), fried. I think he had fried shrimp, something else. I really wouldn't say the prices are expensive because I see the same thing in Galveston, TX which is an island right outside of town, Clear Lake, Houston, Pearland, etc.
Maybe, if I can get my family down here we can go to NASA, to Kemah Boardwalk. If we go to Kemah, Richard can fry Lisa some catfish right on the beach! That'll be a real nice way to help encourage her new vegetarian diet. She's 2 weeks strong so far. I'm so proud of her. I'm going to teach her to make the Russian salad we made at school last week.
Maybe next time, hopefully soon, we can all get together. Before I felt like I was walking on air when I saw my family, now I feel like I'm soaring!
We went to get some lunch, (we had just ate like 2 hours before we got there), my sister wanted fish... like homemade in someone's kitchen. Nederland is a small town in southeast Texas, near the Gulf. We didn't realize how close we were to the Gulf until we returned to Marques' house. We tried to find a fish a/or seafood market and Richard was going to fry it for her. Well my nieces, and my Great-niece Arianne went to the Chicken house to get some chicken, since my sister couldn't get a hold of me (my phone was on vibrate lol!), she went ahead, told them to get her some fish from there. This is how I am, I don't like to get fish from the same place that serves chicken. Every now & then you get chicken that tastes like fish from being introduced to the same oil the fish was fried in and vice versa. But I *seem* to be the only person who feels that way about restaurants like that. So, me and Rich get to Sartin's which is a seafood restaurant. The food portions, at least mines were small, and Richards was a nice size. I ordered stuffed Jalapeños which were stuffed with ooey gooey cheese, and breaded, then deep-fried. I also had grilled shrimp, grilled chicken and tad bit of rice.i had like 5 pitiful looking shrimps and even more pitiful looking chicken strips of which there were three. I also had the cole slaw, that was absolutely divine!! I loved it, but I wouldn't pay $23 for it to have it again. Richard had a nice side salad, with thickly sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and of course lots of lettuce. I forget what else he had, oh.. he had 3-4 nice size pieces of catfish (fillets), fried. I think he had fried shrimp, something else. I really wouldn't say the prices are expensive because I see the same thing in Galveston, TX which is an island right outside of town, Clear Lake, Houston, Pearland, etc.
Maybe, if I can get my family down here we can go to NASA, to Kemah Boardwalk. If we go to Kemah, Richard can fry Lisa some catfish right on the beach! That'll be a real nice way to help encourage her new vegetarian diet. She's 2 weeks strong so far. I'm so proud of her. I'm going to teach her to make the Russian salad we made at school last week.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Jack aint Jack!
Two Jack-In-The-Box restaurant's, both on N. Shepherd, one down by Jo-Vee's and the other one is close to Pinemont. Of course there's more than 2 in Houston but these two really bear mentioning, and not for good reasons. The one down by Jo-Vee's had a particularly unfortunate night, so maybe it's not fair to include them on this but I don't want the one on Pinemont to feel singled out. Their unfortunate night was that they had to fill drinks from soda bottles. You gotta do what you gotta do right? Hmmm from a food safety/sanitation stand point that just invites too much trouble especially since they left the caps off the bottles. Not to quickly fill several cups at once, there were no caps on any of the bottles. Oh, and need I mention no ice either. So that's it for that one! Now for the one on Pinemont. This is a recurring issue, like everyday. They get your order wrong, then tell you its right until you prove that it isn't. And just how do you hand someone a cheeseburger with no top bun, no cheese, and no vegetables. Nothing. It was an open-faced dry-ass concoction. Richard is not a mean person, he was very understandable and I don't think the fact that they "seemed" to have trouble understanding/speaking English had anything to do with it as I told him. He was trying to make the better of the situation, but how can you do that in this one. Really? He took the burger back up there, and she asked him if that is how it was handed to him? That was more recent, let's step back a few weeks, I go there to get Richard some lunch. How about, 3 or 4 people are all frantically working the drive-thru... and about 8 or 9 people, including me were abandoned as we awaited someone to help us. Oh they knew we were there, they made eye-contact with us several times. We were never acknowledged us or told they'd be with us in a moment. People started walking out. They saw them leave, and ignored the fact without even batting an eyelash. No sense in asking for the manager as she was just a part of the debacle. There weren.t that many cars in the danged drive-thru and if you've been by this store before then you'd know that not many cars can even fit in the drive-thru, let alone the parking lot. Just not many people were there that day. The space is a little cramped. Each time we go there, it's something. As I told Richard, it's not because they speak Spanish and cannot understand English. A burger is a burger is a burger.. is a burger! This is Jack-in-the-Box. Come on Now!
On My First Day In A French Kitchen!
Yesterday was my very first day in a French kitchen, I don't know why I'm referring to it as a French kitchen. Maybe, because it is. It's in a, might I say, legendary French culinary institute. But it was my first day in any commercial-type kitchen. When Melinda, she is an awesome lady that works at the LeNotre Culinary Institute and truly there aren't enough word to express the magnitude of gifted staff there or their passion, approachability, and friendliness who really does want you to succeed.. Really! I mean that and am not pitching them or the school, sorry if it sounds like I am but that's just me. I tell you how I feel! I write what I feel! Getting back on track here, when she took me on the tour of the Institute I could see, sense, smell of the sweet, seductive confections wafting from baking kitchen, the savory scents of the cuisines that smelled so good I nearly passed out!
I had my first day in a large kitchen, my instructor is Chef Jean and yes he is French, with a heavy French accent. And let me tell you, I am so happy I am in his class. I don't know how many Level I instructors there are or if he is the only one and I am certain I'd be in good hands with any one of their Chefs but he is an older, well seasoned Chef. From the old school. To me, those are the best when you are first starting out. But like I said, that's me. I like the old world viniculture practices. I prefer to learn the way things were meant to be.. from the beginning because that gives you the best base to work from. It's why our grandmothers foods were so good, legendary throughout our families. Your grandmothers probably taught your mothers whose cooking could win Michelin Awards. I am an avid researcher, so as Chef Jean teaches me these most essential skills, techniques, basics, mother sauces, etc. I am going to add my own twist from my heritage. That's how you learn to cook. You glean what you need and you make it your own.
With all the above being said, my first day was a huge success. It's where all my past struggles in my life since January of this year has carried me to. I know that wasn't a long time ago, just a few months. But this school carries you fast. That's why you have to show up, for everything in life. So that shouldn't be too hard huh! You also have to be present. Don't show up and not be present, you cannot absorb anything with an inattentive mind! Then as we learned, Practice Practice Practice. Taste Taste Taste. You have to apply what you've learned. Apply it everywhere, at school, home, someone else's home, work. Everywhere. It helps to know a little French. It's all really simple. You know it's said that for things to be retained by the mind it needs to be said 3 times. Some people, it takes only once. I'm like that sometimes. But here, the recipes, the techniques are introduced to you in written form at least 3 times. I noticed this as I was perusing through my class materials last night. Chef Jean told us he does not want us to write down the recipes, he wants us to remember them in our hearts, and in our minds. Which is all gravy, and I love gravy! But I'm a writer, I learn by writing. Maybe that's why I appreciate how the coursework is presented. I'm not dumb, or weak-willed, I'm a writer. My mind's light is always turn on! Literature is it's beacon! In my coursework, I can make all kinds of notes, and adjustments, and become inspired when I see the same recipe, with the same instructions written differently. In one book it may just be all words, in another it may.have colorful pictures and illustrations, etc. I can research on how to put my own cultural spin on it, even keeping it French at times. All of this is giving me goosebumps. Yes, writing to me is as close to sex as anything can get! Writing is sexy. It's an aphrodisiac. I think, like in exercise it releases endorphins! Have you ever eaten a lamb dish or anything that was so good it made your mind do somersaults? Did y'all see my post about the Lamb dish I ordered at Kris Bistro? Uuuugh! So danged yummy! Absolutely no gaminess!! And I can't wait until Friday, but I must. Because it's the last day of the $20 deal and the only day me & Rich can go there together. I think I'm going to get me a locker today, so I can go to class on Friday right from the Bistro and change my chef suit just before.
I didn't mean to keep you all so long. But by now, y'all should probably know (if you're regular readers) that I get excited often! Lol!
Today, I have class and am very nervous. I don't like to be put under the radar, but I have to be. It's my 2nd kitchen debut. My "knife skills" test. The test I didn't put in parenthesis because that's not what I'm worried about. It doesn't need stressing. I'm real good at taking tests. It's the knife skills part that's nearly got me breaking out in hives! I have no knife skills. I know to curl your fingers when your slicing, dicing, chopping. But seriously that takes too long. And these knives are friggin' sharp! Soooo as everyone is moving along like well oiled machines, I will be by the first aid station like every 5 minutes while trying to coordinate proper finger placement and chopping technique. I'll tell y'all how it all actually turns out, and I do hope and will definitely pray to my Almighty Father in Heaven that it turns out much better than I envision. I think I need a new vision. A vision of success and not failure. I'm 4.0 in academics and hopefully 4.0 in the kitchen. Richard gets home from dialysis just before I leave to go to school. I might be able to see him for 30 minutes. I wish I could stuff him in my pocket and take him with me. Oh listen to me! I sound like a whimp! I got this! And if I don't perform so well, next time I'm certain I'll be much much better! I'm gonna be Suma Cum Laude remember!
Tomorrow at school we will be prepping for presentation, critique in the dining room on Friday.
You know what, you guys are awesome listeners! Lol! Thank You for that and for tolerating my little panic attack. Do you know what a panic adjustment is? I just thought of that term, don't know yet if the term is even real or not. But it would be when you adjust your panicking from one thing to another. I'm going to do everything in my power to avoid that today! Lol!
I had my first day in a large kitchen, my instructor is Chef Jean and yes he is French, with a heavy French accent. And let me tell you, I am so happy I am in his class. I don't know how many Level I instructors there are or if he is the only one and I am certain I'd be in good hands with any one of their Chefs but he is an older, well seasoned Chef. From the old school. To me, those are the best when you are first starting out. But like I said, that's me. I like the old world viniculture practices. I prefer to learn the way things were meant to be.. from the beginning because that gives you the best base to work from. It's why our grandmothers foods were so good, legendary throughout our families. Your grandmothers probably taught your mothers whose cooking could win Michelin Awards. I am an avid researcher, so as Chef Jean teaches me these most essential skills, techniques, basics, mother sauces, etc. I am going to add my own twist from my heritage. That's how you learn to cook. You glean what you need and you make it your own.
With all the above being said, my first day was a huge success. It's where all my past struggles in my life since January of this year has carried me to. I know that wasn't a long time ago, just a few months. But this school carries you fast. That's why you have to show up, for everything in life. So that shouldn't be too hard huh! You also have to be present. Don't show up and not be present, you cannot absorb anything with an inattentive mind! Then as we learned, Practice Practice Practice. Taste Taste Taste. You have to apply what you've learned. Apply it everywhere, at school, home, someone else's home, work. Everywhere. It helps to know a little French. It's all really simple. You know it's said that for things to be retained by the mind it needs to be said 3 times. Some people, it takes only once. I'm like that sometimes. But here, the recipes, the techniques are introduced to you in written form at least 3 times. I noticed this as I was perusing through my class materials last night. Chef Jean told us he does not want us to write down the recipes, he wants us to remember them in our hearts, and in our minds. Which is all gravy, and I love gravy! But I'm a writer, I learn by writing. Maybe that's why I appreciate how the coursework is presented. I'm not dumb, or weak-willed, I'm a writer. My mind's light is always turn on! Literature is it's beacon! In my coursework, I can make all kinds of notes, and adjustments, and become inspired when I see the same recipe, with the same instructions written differently. In one book it may just be all words, in another it may.have colorful pictures and illustrations, etc. I can research on how to put my own cultural spin on it, even keeping it French at times. All of this is giving me goosebumps. Yes, writing to me is as close to sex as anything can get! Writing is sexy. It's an aphrodisiac. I think, like in exercise it releases endorphins! Have you ever eaten a lamb dish or anything that was so good it made your mind do somersaults? Did y'all see my post about the Lamb dish I ordered at Kris Bistro? Uuuugh! So danged yummy! Absolutely no gaminess!! And I can't wait until Friday, but I must. Because it's the last day of the $20 deal and the only day me & Rich can go there together. I think I'm going to get me a locker today, so I can go to class on Friday right from the Bistro and change my chef suit just before.
I didn't mean to keep you all so long. But by now, y'all should probably know (if you're regular readers) that I get excited often! Lol!
Today, I have class and am very nervous. I don't like to be put under the radar, but I have to be. It's my 2nd kitchen debut. My "knife skills" test. The test I didn't put in parenthesis because that's not what I'm worried about. It doesn't need stressing. I'm real good at taking tests. It's the knife skills part that's nearly got me breaking out in hives! I have no knife skills. I know to curl your fingers when your slicing, dicing, chopping. But seriously that takes too long. And these knives are friggin' sharp! Soooo as everyone is moving along like well oiled machines, I will be by the first aid station like every 5 minutes while trying to coordinate proper finger placement and chopping technique. I'll tell y'all how it all actually turns out, and I do hope and will definitely pray to my Almighty Father in Heaven that it turns out much better than I envision. I think I need a new vision. A vision of success and not failure. I'm 4.0 in academics and hopefully 4.0 in the kitchen. Richard gets home from dialysis just before I leave to go to school. I might be able to see him for 30 minutes. I wish I could stuff him in my pocket and take him with me. Oh listen to me! I sound like a whimp! I got this! And if I don't perform so well, next time I'm certain I'll be much much better! I'm gonna be Suma Cum Laude remember!
Tomorrow at school we will be prepping for presentation, critique in the dining room on Friday.
You know what, you guys are awesome listeners! Lol! Thank You for that and for tolerating my little panic attack. Do you know what a panic adjustment is? I just thought of that term, don't know yet if the term is even real or not. But it would be when you adjust your panicking from one thing to another. I'm going to do everything in my power to avoid that today! Lol!
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