Happy Halloween!

I love the smell of a bag of Halloween candy. You know, Halloween candy really is the best.

As my friends and I dumped out our candy treasure tonight on the lounge floor we traded and made candy pictures out of our sorted candy. The candy pictures was new but the trading was good old fashion fun. We reminisced about our days of convincing our friends that by sheer volume our lesser candy was worth their better candy, e.g. 10 smarties for your king size Snickers. Somehow, we always got away with it.

I also remembered the days when I was only allowed to eat a certain amount of Halloween candy per day. My mom used to hide our candy on the years we were really out of control with our candy intake and as I sit here on my dorm floor, this is one instance when I'm glad she's not here. I could eat all this candy tonight if I wanted. I won't but the thought that I could is thrilling.

I hate reaching into my bag of Halloween candy and finding old wrappers in there, because first it tricks you into thinking you still have a watermelon Airhead when really you were drooling so much you just ate it right away and second it reminds you that your gargantuan candy stash is in fact diminishing. And that's a very depressing thought because unlike fruit cakes at Christmas, Halloween Candy should really last all year long. As I said before, its just the best.

In true Halloween fashion, candy was the first thing I ate this morning and the last thing I'll eat tonight.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Should I get out of bed today?

Yes. I know that out of all the decisions we make in a day, getting out of bed is often overlooked but I think its an important decision because nothing else would happen if you didn't say yes to that first question. Today was one of those days where I was particularly glad I said yes. I was feeling especially tired after a week of working at the CMC exam in the morning and going to class in the afternoons.

What made me particularly glad that I got out bed was that I got the opportunity to work with Chef Dan Dumont as his apprentice. This meant gathering his ingredients, measuring ingredients, cleaning, and any other task he assigned me. It was such an honor. Not only was it amazing to be trusted with the responsibility of measuring ingredients for the Certified Master Chef exam, but it was an honor to work with Dan Dumont. I was excited by his attention to detail, organization, and good sense. As he made a green apple mousse, he took two spoons to taste, one for himself and one for me. He didn't ask for my opinion or need anything from me, he was just sharing. Not only can Chef Dumont cook delicious food but he takes delight in sharing it with other people and I love that.

Sharing food continued as my class served Trout Almandine with sauteed squash and tomatoes, green beans, and tourne potatoes as one option. We also had Chicken Fines Herbs (tarragon, parsley, chervil, chives), fresh noodles, green beans, and baby carrots. There was also a delicious Lentil Soup and Red Wine Soaked Cherry Salad... mmmmm those cherries were yummy.

Also, thank you Danny for stopping by my kitchen earlier this week. Your moral support is greatly appreciated :)

cooking and lyrics

My past two chefs have said "Clean your counter, you wouldn't play on a dirty piano right?!? CLEAN YOU KEYS!!!" when they wanted us to clean the area right in front of the stove top where food drops, grease builds up, and liquid spills. But the connection between cooking and music doesn't end there. Last night there was an Open Mic Night to raise money for Breast Cancer Research and it was a fabulous display of talent. I didn't realize how badly I needed to hear live music and that's such a good feeling when you are submersed in the music and it just fills your body. I hadn't felt that way in a while and its similar to the fullness I get when I'm around food but it fills a different part of me. Tonight, Chef was playing the Alma Mater over the kitchen speakers, which he likes to do while we tourne. A tourne is a 6-7 sided shape, 1 inch wide by 2 inches long, carved down and very, VERY classical French. Its actually pretty outdated in the restaurant world but tournes are alive and well here at the CIA. So when we tourne, we also listen to the Alma Mater. Its a lovely combination. Seriously :)

adaptation's the name of the game

That's what I've figured out so far. My classmates and I have been frustrated by our lack of understanding these past two days as we adjust to a new class, new chef, and new kitchen. You have to remember, we are the people that use the term mise en place ("everything in its place", traditionally referring to the set up of a station in the kitchen with all ingredients, equipment, recipes, order, and methods all organized and displayed) for any situation in life that would be made easier, faster, and more efficient by the presence of preparation. We like organization and we like preparation. Our Chef seems to purposefully give us a lack of both which is infuriating at first. He is supposed to lead us, guide us, help us out, hold our hand! But no. That's not what he's doing and I think we're better for it. We have to learn about how the kitchen works on our own, we have to pay attention, be aware, think on our feet, prioritize, organize, and prepare on our own. He's not holding our hands but he is taking away the clocks and turning them forward 30 minutes so we think we are severely behind schedule. This really freaked us out tonight because we had previously broken down our entire prep time into a 7 page game plan... 1 page for each minute we were late opening for service last night. Yeah you could get mad about it, stomp your foot and complain, but that isn't going to get the green beans trimmed or the beef seared. Take a deep breath and think. You're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggonit people like you.

dirty whites and side towels

I realized pretty soon after I started wearing whites that you could tell what kind of day it was depending on how clean your whites were... not sure if I've mentioned that before, but if I have today was another testament to that notion. A chef told my class that you can tell how a person cooks if you look at their side towels. If they are dirty then they are going to have dirty food, but if they are clean and fresh, you can expect the same from the plates they put out. My food was not dirty tonight, I don't care what the circumstances are I refuse to serve dirty food, but my side towels did pick up their fair share of grease. They look so grungy mostly because of the black residue on the exterior of most pans not because of any food I was handling, but they did look pretty gnarly by the end of the night and I felt they were also a good indicator of the mess I was feeling in my head as I cooked.

I entered my first production kitchen today producing 40 dinner plates for students and faculty. The menu tonight was Roasted Chicken, Pommes Puree (mashed potatoes), glazed carrots, broccoli, pan gravy, and Caramelized Onion Soup. While the food tasted pretty good, we were terribly unorganized in the kitchen. I guess that's Day 1 for ya! I have a feeling I'm going to see many a day like today in my future. But these struggles are part of the job/industry/experience and I have to roll with them. They are painful, as all growing pains are, but I know I will be better for them and that gives me hope. As my friend likes to say, "just another day in paradise".

these hands

I have a terrible case of what I call Ugly Hands-- the skin on my fingers is so dry that it has cracked and now the cracks are dark because I'm pretty sure there's dirt in there, even if I wash them 100,000 times. Its really gross. Now why do I tell you this? Because today I was washing dishes all day, thus perpetuating my case of Ugly Hands. Who's dishes was I washing you ask? The candidates' for this year's Certified Master Chef test. What an incredible honor it was to scrape their dishes and I'm not even kidding because I got to witness history taking place from two feet away and if exhibiting the worst signs of Ugly Hands is the price I have to pay, I'll do it gladly. These men are among the most talented in the industry right now. I'm not even going to compare them to their Hollywood, Bollywood, MTV, Food Network, Cartoon Network, Disney Chanel, CNN counterparts. Just imagine the best, and that's who's dishes I got to wash today. The test is a grueling 8 day test with a 90% fail rate. There are 61 CMC's in the world, many of them judging the test. I will be volunteering throughout this week and will do my best to report the amazing things I see.

The Hudson Valley and my Practical

As you can see the Hudson Valley is a lovely place. I rode my bike up to the post office in town today and saw so many wonderful things, these photos don't really do them justice. Now, I know everyone who takes pictures of places they love says that but I have put off posting pictures up to this point because I felt none of them were truly capturing the essence of the Hudson Valley's beauty. These photos don't either but I had to push my perfectionist aside and just share what I could gather with a point and shoot camera.

I have always lived in the same town, so when I moved to Hyde Park, NY this summer I was uncomfortable. I didn't know these people, I hadn't shopped in these grocery stores, I didn't meet my friends at these Starbucks, or go to these churches, everything was new and at first I didn't like it. I of course, loved my school and my campus, but as soon as I got off campus, things felt foreign. However, after seeing a movie at the Hyde Park Drive-In (pictured above) this summer, running at Vanderbilt Estate with the changing fall leaves, eating at the neighborhood Applebee's, shopping at the grocery store, and getting gas from the Sunoco, I am starting to feel more comfortable. As I passed by F.D.R.'s home on my bike ride, I read a familiar sign out front with the quote on it, "All that is within me cries out to go back to my home on the Hudson River", and for the first time I really understood why. Hyde Park is becoming home, and I really like that.

I'm really glad the CIA is located in such a good place, not only for living but also for food. There are farms galore, independent restaurants, and artisans passionate about particular foods. Local wheat, cheese, milk (especially Chocolate Milk in the dining hall), rhubarb, foie gras, grapes, pumpkins, and apples can all be found here. And that's just right now, but during the summer farmer's markets are full of beautiful fresh tomatoes, sweet berries, crispy lettuces, sweet corn, herbs and so much more. The Hudson Valley is an incredible place for food.

Now the final picture you see above is my plate for my final exam for Skills II, it is known as a practical exam, or practical for short. The plate consisted of:

Beef Tournedos (rounded filet mignon) with Sauce Chausseur
Broccoli Rabe
Onion Rings
Potato Gratin

Sauce Chausseur is referred to as a derivative sauce because it is a Mother Sauce with added ingredients: Espagnole, brandy, tomatoes, mushrooms, and tarragon. My filets were overcooked and my onion rings were too brown but my sauce, broccoli rabe, and potatoes fell into the "excellent" category, which made me happy. It would have been even better if everything had fallen into the "excellent" category, but that's why I'm here--to learn how to be better.

My sister's favorite word is Meliora, which in Latin tranlates to "always better". I didn't like that at first because I think we should appreciate small successes when we have them and not overlook accomplishments because we are so focused on always wanting to be better. But with the appreciation of what I've done so far, I still remember "always better".

its the end of the first semester :)

I literally feel like I just got here. I was walking through the Admissions building today and as I passed by the woman who answers the phone when you call 1-800-CULINARY I remembered all the times I had called her hoping she could help me get one step closer to my future. It's so neat to remember those phone calls and my sense of urgency and unsureness that I would ever actually go here because I am here now and this is my life. As I walked to my room and unlocked my door I remembered the first couple times I ever did that, and then the trip down memory lane got sweeter as I looked out my window and saw a view that resembled the photo that is famously reproduced to depict CIA. I kept a copy of this view in my backpack every day of my senior year to remind me where I hoped to be this year. It literally looks like that here.

I'm so glad I'm here.

this little piggy

I got tears in my eyes for the first time during a demo tonight. Chef was frying pork cutlets and it just seemed so perfect. The crispy, golden coating on the pork somehow called out to the deepest parts of my soul, I just wanted to eat it. My mouth was watering, my eyes were welling up, and my lips turned upwards into a smile. Breaded pork cutlets are like food nirvana. They are an enlightenment of the most simple kind. It is crazy that pork, salt, pepper, flour, egg, freshly ground up white bread, and chicken fat can make something so magnificent. There are no fancy ingredients and no special tricks, just pan fry the pork and eat it. It's pure bliss.

"You must have the courage of your convictions!!!"

She sang it out in only the way her sing-songy voice would carry such a phrase and encouraged Americans at home to get off the couch and into the kitchen. The courage of your convictions.

I think that is a most beautiful phrase because it is a stronger, deeper way of saying believe in what you believe in. Be convicted about things and form opinions.

Tonight, we made Trout Meuniere which can only conjure up images of one person: Julia Child. She credits this dish as being one of the most influential in her life. While she shared this meal with her husband Paul in France, she realized just how much she loved food. And I love her. Julia Child brought cooking to Americans in a way that was approachable, honest, and fun; everything I believe cooking should be. I smiled tonight as I cooked a dish I know Julia has eaten before and mused over the way food connects us through time and space.

remember when

I was thinking today about why I started this whole blog in the first place. I started it so that I could shed some light on the often confusing new ways a student has to learn when they first start classes here. Since I have started this blog, I have become immensely more comfortable with campus. I am by no means a campus guru or even a moderate expert, I just feel more comfortable in my skin here. However, I remember when I didn't feel this way and I want to honor that and include 10 knowledgeable pieces of information I have gained since being here.

1. For breakfast in the morning at k-16, if you go in the exit door anything from the second counter is free or no swipe, including the fancy fruit trays, muffins, scones, biscuits, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit salad, and fruit basket
2. There is a downstairs dining room and it's open to everyone (this may sound really silly but my friend confirmed the same fear I had when I first arrived here that the downstairs dining room was somehow exclusive, like for upperclassmen or something... good news: it's not.)
3. You can start getting food for breakfast as early as 4:45 a.m and as late 9 a.m. (I've never tried eating before 4:45 although it is very likely there's food, and 9 a.m. is the official breakfast ending time, although somedays the food lingers past then)
4. Desserts for lunch are brought into Farq Hall right around 11 a.m. and that is the best chance to get one... there are sooooo many
5. If you get to dinner in the downstairs dining room after 6 p.m. it is unlikely you will find dessert
6. You can take a piece of fruit from a fruit basket in any kitchen, just walk right in and grab it
7. The library does have non-food related books, they are located on the second floor on the opposite side of the book shelf immediately to your left when you walk through the door from the stairwell
   
8. The phone numbers of all the departments (Bursar, Registrar, Student Rec Center, etc.) and hours of several (Library, Rec Center, Mail Room, etc.) are located in the front of your Student Handbook Planner
9. You can always sharpen your knives in the Meat Room
10. You can cash personal checks at the Bursar's office

literally a lovely opportunity

This was how my Saturday started. I was riding my wonderful bike, Blue Thunder, over the Mid Hudson Bridge with the Chefs Sustaining Agriculture group and we were on our way to a farm.

The Hudson Valley is just a spectacular place this time of year. I repeatedly caught my breath in chest because I couldn't believe how beautiful the trees were, how nicely the sun was shining, and how blue the sky was. It was just a gorgeous day.

The CIA, like so many colleges, has oodles and oodles of opportunities, clubs, trips, and events to participate in. Saturday's agenda was as follows:

1. Meet at 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday
   
2. Ride bikes to Liberty View Farm- pick apples, talk to farmer, farm tour
   
3. Ride bikes to the Village Tea Room for lunch- eat
   
4. Return on bikes to campus

The whole trip was such an awesome idea and a great way to spend a beautiful October Saturday. I also met really cool people, slept really well Saturday night, and ate superb apples.

frickin fricasse

I love Chicken Fricasse. Now what the heck is that? Creamy chicken stew. Chicken thigh meat was white seared (hot enough heat to seal the meat but low enough to make sure the meat doesn't turn golden brown), onions and garlic are added, white wine is used to deglaze the pan, veloute (chicken stock+roux) is added, and bay leaf & thyme are added for flavor. The stew was then simmered until the chicken was cooked through and then cream, peas, carrots, and leeks were added right before serving. It was delicious.

Braised Short Ribs, Braised Endive, Polenta, Green Beens, Roasted Root Vegetable

To the ordinary person this just looks like a dinner plate. There's meat, starch, and vegetables. But to me, it's 5 recipes, 7 pots, and an accomplishment. I bring this up because when I look at the picture above I immediately imagine all the steps, equipment, and effort that went into making this plate. It's amazing the appreciation we gain for something once we've actually done it ourselves.

Braised Short Ribs
We heated a pan really hot with some butter then added the ribs, fat side down. We browned all sides and then removed the meat from the pan setting it aside while we browned the mirepoix (50% onions, 25% carrots, and 25% celery) in the fat left in the pan. The meat was returned to the pan and Sherry, wine, and a super rich beef stock were added. The mixture was covered and braised in the oven for 1-1 1/2 hours until the meat was fork tender.

Braised Endive
The endive was cut in half and placed on a bed of mirepoix and then covered 1/2 way up the sides with chicken stock, covered and braised. After the endive was tender, the cooking liquid was reduced to make a lovely sauce.

Polenta
The polenta was poured into a pot of boiling water while stirring constantly, trying to avoid lumps.

Green Beans
The green beans were cooked in boiling salted water until they were tender. They were immediately removed to a bowl and tossed with a small amount of whole butter.

Roasted Root Vegetables
I saved the best for last. Heat a small amount of butter really hot in a saute pan, add the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, then roast at 350°. Roast until tender and browned on all sides. These vegetables were so sweet and rich in flavor, it was hard to believe there was no meat on them, and I'm not referring to the ones swimming in sauce in the picture. We had a mixture of turnip, rutabega, and carrot that was just delicious.

letters from home

I received a letter from home today that just made my day. Not only is it great to know that someone is thinking about you and cares about you even when you're not with them, but it is even greater to know that they care enough to send you a letter. So if you have a college student or know a college student, send them a letter, it just might make their day.

Rosemary and Sage also made my day because they are so wonderfully delicious on potatoes. Today we made roasted chicken, pan gravy, broccoli rabe, ratatouille, and roasted potatoes. For the potatoes, we sliced them a little thicker than a 1/4 inch, and tossed them in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then we heated olive oil in a pan until it was really hot and took the potato slices and laid them into the hot pan that was immediately put in a 35o° oven and cooked until the potatoes browned on the bottom, then they were flipped over. Once the potatoes were fully cooked, we tossed them in chopped sage, rosemary, and 3 slices of garlic. The potatoes were returned to the oven for a few minutes just to warm up some more but not really cook much further. Then they were eaten. Every single last one.

Flouder Delice, vin blanc, saffron rice pilaf, glazed carrots, and sauteed spinach

Tonight we each received one fish (identical to the flounder on the right) and we made 4 fillets, it threw me right back into fish class 6 weeks ago and made me smile that the curriculum here so obviously builds upon itself. We took the 4 fillets and tri-folded (delice) them, then we set them atop a little bed of minced shallots in a pot and added a combination of fish fumet and white wine. The fish was then covered with a loose parchment paper tent and baked in a 300° oven. The cooking liquid was then reduced and combined with fish veloute and cream to make a vin blanc sauce. The Saffron Rice Pilaf was made exactly like how we made pilaf last week, except we added saffron threads. Carrots were cut in uniform little shapes, called obliques, then cooked in a saute pan with water, sugar, and salt until they were tender. The spinach was tossed in hot butter with a little bit of shallots until the stems were tender and the leaves were wilted.

Oh, Extern

"It's never too early to start thinking about your extern." I've been hearing that for a long time, but now I fully believe it because there is a whole heck of a lot of work that goes into this thing.

After your first 30-33 weeks here each student leaves to gain experience in a food service industry establishment. The sites range from cruise ships to farms and vary in locations all around the world. Guess who gets to pick where you go? You! That is both a blessing and a curse because you have the freedom to go wherever you want (Italy, Maine, Florida, Colorado...) but also the tremendous pressure of making the right decision. The good news: 18 weeks. That's the length of your externship. If you end up somewhere you don't like, you are only there for 18 weeks. So in reality, its not that much pressure because its really only for a short period of time. Right before I rode my first ever roller coaster, my sister told me that even if I hated it, which she was convinced I wouldn't, it would be over in 30 seconds. I realized that was really only a short amount of time... and 18 weeks isn't really that long either.

The CIA has thousands of contacts and connections around the country and even a fair share internationally that I am having fun exploring while trying to choose my own externship site. In order to go to a site it must be approved, which is a process that can be implemented by the student but there are already over 1,400 sites approved around the world. I am currently looking at several restaurants around the country that have an emphasis on farm to table eating because I love farming. I want to go somewhere cool and suggestions are welcome!

"You're not taking any prisoners, huh?"

I looked up. "You're not taking any prisoners," Chef repeated with a bit of a grin. I gave him a quizzical look. "You're eating it all," he supplied. Oh. He was talking about the fact that I was sopping up every last bit of egg yolk from the Eggs Benedict on the plate in front of me. He was darn right I wasn't taking any prisoners, there was no discrimination here, everything on the plate was getting eaten.

Today was what some refer to as the "dreaded" Egg Day. I loved every single moment and dreaded none. Today is dreaded by some because there was a lot to do (11 different recipes to prepare, several that culminated into a single dish) and cooking an egg properly is not easy business (which I totally agree with). We prepared hard boiled, over easy, over medium, over hard, scrambled, and poached eggs. We made Hollandaise sauce for the Eggs Benedict, a royale (3 eggs: 1 c milk) which is just custard, and bread pudding. The royale was cooked to understand how protein cooks and what happens when it is overcooked. When protein is overcooked it undergoes a process called syneresis which is when the protein molecules seize up so tight they start squeezing out moisture and creating small air pockets in the protein product. This is why overcooked meat is dry because the protein has squeezed out all the moisture.

As I was walking my plate to the dish room tonight I realized that I can tell how I felt about a certain day depending on how much of my food I ate. We serve a portion of our food to Chef so he can grade us but he takes one bite (with a clean fork) and what's left on the plate we can eat, and often do. I was very disappointed with my knife cuts on Beef Vegetable Soup day, so I ate very little of that soup because it just didn't feel right. However, today was my best Hollandaise yet and my poached eggs came out beautifully, so I cleaned my plate. Food is meant to be celebrated and my food today felt worthy of celebration.

Mama would be proud

My first job in a restaurant was at an awesome Italian restaurant where some of our pastas were fresh. I distinctly remember the first bowl of home made pasta I had from our kitchen. It was pappardelle with chicken and pesto. Pappardelle are long, wide noodles with a crinkly edge. I made them tonight in class and thought of my boss's mom, Mama. She would have appreciated the 4 large platters of pasta with 4 different sauces (Spinach Pesto, Tomato, Garlic Cream Reduction, and Spicy Meat) we made tonight and then ate family style because she loved feeding people in the restaurant. Each team in the kitchen was assigned a different sauce and then we all made 1 lb of pasta dough. We presented two ravioli, with mushroom ricotta filling, and 2 oz of fettuccine to chef but the rest of the dough was our's for "playing"-- which meant we could shape it however we wanted. We made mezze luna, tortellini (2 ways: from a round piece of dough and a square piece of dough), farfalle, linguine, and papparedelle.

rice, rice, rice

Rice Pilaf, Boiled Rice, and Parmesan Risotto. Yum yum and yum.

I had another awesome lunch today. For meals, students can choose from any of the kitchens which include Cuisines of the Mediterranean, Cuisines of Asia, Cuisines of the Americas, Skills III, or K-16 which is large scale food production and in terms of cuisine, its a good mix of everything. The kitchens are all operated by students who are currently in that class. My favorite kitchen so far is the upstairs (each kitchen besides K-16 has an upstairs and downstairs equivalent) Mediterranean kitchen for lunch because the food there is always on point. There is this yogurt sauce that has appeared on lamb dumplings, pita sandwiches, and casseroles that just makes me melt. It is so good and I don't even know why. I don't want to know why because I like the sense of mystery. It is pure white but outrageously packed with flavor, garlic and fresh tangy herbs dance around in your mouth and then send their magic all the way down to your toes. I just don't know what it is besides pure deliciousness.

p.s. I drank Coffee Milk a couple weeks ago and loved it so much I have wanted to re-create it since. I'm not a coffee drinker but today I mixed a small amount of hot coffee with French Vanilla coffee creamer, ice, and a lot of whole milk, and it reminded me of Coffee Milk... yum :)

"good people of earth"

My chef addresses us as such occasionally and I just love hearing him say that. It makes me feel so good about myself. I am a good person of earth, I like it.

Today was Day 1 of Skills II which meant purple/red vegetables and potato day! Glazed beets, braised red cabbage, Duchesse Potatoes, and Cocotte Potatoes were prepared today in the wonderful world of Skills II. We are still in the same kitchen with the same chef that we had for Skills I.

The Cocotte potatoes were definitely my favorite because they reminded me of really good french fries. For the Cocotte potatoes, we shaped potatoes into 7 sided tournes and then pan fried them in butter. They developed a crunchy exterior and a decadently soft interior, just like the best french fries. The Duchesse potatoes are simply a mixture of pureed potatoes, egg yolks, butter, and nutmeg, seasoned with salt and pepper. The smooth mixture is then piped into a small mound and browned in the oven until it is golden in color. They're pretty nice but they get kind of dry in the oven and I don't really like that, but they are beautiful. The glazed beets were a delicious combination of boiled beets with a reduction of fresh orange juice, honey, and red wine vinegar. Right at the end butter was added, which is so Classic French. The braised cabbage was sweet and sour and wonderfully fragrant. It retained its beautiful purple color because we cooked it in a combination of red wine and red wine vinegar, giving it a very acidic environment which is good for the purple pigment, anthocyanin.

my best friend my knife kit

As I stirred the tomato sauce in class tonight I realized that this same wooden spoon would stir a lot of things over the course of my time here at CIA. This spoon would stir the vegetables in a pot of boiling (well salted!) water, it would scrape out the burnt food that will inevitably occur in one of my pans, and it will stir the food I will serve for a final exam. It was just a cool thought I had. Maybe its not really that cool, but it made me look at all the tools in my knife kit in a different, more loving, light. They were mine and they would see everything I saw over these next four years.

For our final day in Skills I, we made a vinaigrette (you could choose what vinegar and herbs), pasta, and tomato sauce. I chose to use a mixture of balsamic and a fruity pear vinegar with chervil, tarragon, and basil for my vinaigrette. It was very sweet and light. I don't usually like vinaigrette but I liked this. Then the tomato sauce was just onions, oregano, and garlic sweated out in a pan with olive oil. Canned tomatoes were added and then tomato paste to thicken the sauce. It was simmered for 25 minutes and then run through a food mill. It turned out lovely.

I have been really proud of myself since becoming a student here because I've been expanding my palate (trying things I decided to hate like foie gras, caviar, and beets) and refining my tastes without becoming a snob about things. I still eat Doritos, egg rolls at the all you can eat Oriental Buffet, loaded french fries at Applebee's, ice cream from Dairy Queen, a cheeseburger from McDonald's, or any fried/processed/preservative laden foods I feel like. But tonight and I took one bite of the dried pasta I had cooked and I didn't want anymore. It made me really sad because pasta is one of the things I love to cook at home. It's one of the reasons I started cooking. My little sister and I love Alfredo sauce, being the determined person I am, I realized when I was younger that if I wanted Alfredo pasta I was going to have to make it myself because I couldn't go to Olive Garden every night for dinner. Mushroom sauce, tomato sauce, cream sauce, cheese, whatever we put it on it, I loved dried pasta. But I don't like it anymore. Maybe this will change. I hope it does before I go home again.