My grandpa says he only dated two women: an Army nurse and my grandmother. He actually met my grandmother while he was with the Army nurse and then the rest of that story is history.
...except that a few years after my grandmother died, my grandfather found the Army nurse (who was also recently widowed) and the two re-kindled a flame. I have wonderful memories of Christmas with my grandmother growing up but I have recent memories of Helen (the Army nurse) bringing bright, red santa hats from Columbus, Ohio for our annual family portrait at Christmastime. Each time she would fly out to visit my grandpa, she would bring Columbus' famous confection: Buckeyes. Helen has passed away and my family is no longer up to our necks in chocolate-coated peanut butter candies, but Helen and Buckeyes will always go together. She would have been proud of the Buckeyes we made in class today.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
miracle berry
Pomegranate?
Blueberry?
Acai?
d.) none of the above
The miracle berry is a small little tablet dissolved on the tongue that changes the perception of sour to sweet. Making food that should taste sour taste fantastically sweet! I had the privilege of enjoying this very odd and cool sensation with the Modernist Cuisine Club on campus. They made lime juice tastes like lime syrup and vinegar tasted like sweet and sour grape juice...orange juice was oddly sweet. The orange juice was actually funny because I had forgotten that the effects of the miracle berry lasted after I left the demonstration. I was drinking a class of oj in my dorm room and I almost spit it out because it felt so weirdly sweet.
Imagine the possibilities of this tablet for those restricted to low/no-sugar diets....
Blueberry?
Acai?
d.) none of the above
The miracle berry is a small little tablet dissolved on the tongue that changes the perception of sour to sweet. Making food that should taste sour taste fantastically sweet! I had the privilege of enjoying this very odd and cool sensation with the Modernist Cuisine Club on campus. They made lime juice tastes like lime syrup and vinegar tasted like sweet and sour grape juice...orange juice was oddly sweet. The orange juice was actually funny because I had forgotten that the effects of the miracle berry lasted after I left the demonstration. I was drinking a class of oj in my dorm room and I almost spit it out because it felt so weirdly sweet.
Imagine the possibilities of this tablet for those restricted to low/no-sugar diets....
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
eating lemon peels
....was delicious!!!
I never thought I would like eating raw (not candied or sugared) lemon peels but in lemon sorbet, raw chunks of lemon rind are sooooOOooooOOoOOoO deliciously refreshing. It's starting to get cold and summer is slowly slipping away, but today for 6 bites of lemon sorbet I thought it was hot outside and school was about to get out for summer break.
Lemons were juiced, mixed with water and sugar until a clean egg would float with only about a nickel size amount of shell poking out of the sweet/sour mixture. This fancy little trick works to measure the amount of sugar needed in a sorbet mixture because of the density of the sugar in the water against the measured density of a raw egg. For those chemistry folks, the egg acted as a make-shift hydrometer. How cool!!
The lemons that had been juiced, were chopped into 1/2 inch chunks and added to the sorbet mixture after it had been frozen in our ice cream machine.
Chef reminded us that we have 4 basic tastes--sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. The sorbet was already sweet and sour, so why not add another taste element---bitter? He was so spot on. The peel was a perfect addition to an already splendid food.
I never thought I would like eating raw (not candied or sugared) lemon peels but in lemon sorbet, raw chunks of lemon rind are sooooOOooooOOoOOoO deliciously refreshing. It's starting to get cold and summer is slowly slipping away, but today for 6 bites of lemon sorbet I thought it was hot outside and school was about to get out for summer break.
Lemons were juiced, mixed with water and sugar until a clean egg would float with only about a nickel size amount of shell poking out of the sweet/sour mixture. This fancy little trick works to measure the amount of sugar needed in a sorbet mixture because of the density of the sugar in the water against the measured density of a raw egg. For those chemistry folks, the egg acted as a make-shift hydrometer. How cool!!
The lemons that had been juiced, were chopped into 1/2 inch chunks and added to the sorbet mixture after it had been frozen in our ice cream machine.
Chef reminded us that we have 4 basic tastes--sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. The sorbet was already sweet and sour, so why not add another taste element---bitter? He was so spot on. The peel was a perfect addition to an already splendid food.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
modified food starch
You may recognize those three words from some of the food labels in your kitchen. As we talked about the history of baking in class today, I learned that MFS (modified food starch) was invented to thicken fruit juice in frozen pies. Also, cake decorating was originally intended to cover up mistakes. Finally, desserts laden with fat+sugar (both natural preservatives) were used to preserve ingredients through the autumn and winter.
Monday, September 26, 2011
being understood
I had a job interview with a Chef today and as we shook hands and parted ways, we also casually swiped tears from our eyes. Not sad or angry tears, but just straight emotion. The topic of how special the Culinary Institute of America brought us both to tears. This may sound goofy or corny, and maybe it is. But it was so honest and wonderful to know that someone else feels the same way I do about this place. This is a place full of tradition, passion, and excellence. That's how I feel anyway and he understands that.
Friday, September 23, 2011
knife tray
About a year ago, I was working on my knife tray in my Skills I,II, and III classes which consisted of a particular set of skills demonstrated on a variety of vegetables (onions, potatoes, etc.) Above is an example of knife tray that I recently submitted for an application.
On the far left of the tray, the potatoes shaped into tournes (7 sided, 3/4" diameter by 2" long) are not up to standard. So I have been practicing after class, as I did today, to make them better.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
my cool friends:)
How beautiful, huh? My friend MADE this!! Yup, with his own two hands. I asked if his was like the best in his class, he said no, most were actually better. I could only imagine the talent present in that classroom!
These flowers have a delicate shimmer on them (not conveyed in the photo) and they are meant to decorate a cake. Aside from the wire used as a stem, they are entirely edible and made of sugar. My friend didn't want them anymore, so now these striking flowers adorn my dresser.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
racquetball=fun.
My only regret about playing racquetball today was that I didn't discover it sooner! I was laughing out loud like a fool as I whacked the ball all over the court today.
Ceiling, wall, floor, ceiling, wall, other wall, run, jump, laugh, wall, floor, bounce, hit, wall, wall, smile, swing (hit nothing), laugh, run, slide, wall, ceiling, door(!!), wall, ceiling, SMACK!
So fun. If racquetball wasn't available at the Rec Center (which I pay for in my tuition) I wouldn't pay for a gym membership to discover I love this game. However, three cheers for utilizing my campus' resources! HOORAH! HOORAH! HOORAH!
Ceiling, wall, floor, ceiling, wall, other wall, run, jump, laugh, wall, floor, bounce, hit, wall, wall, smile, swing (hit nothing), laugh, run, slide, wall, ceiling, door(!!), wall, ceiling, SMACK!
So fun. If racquetball wasn't available at the Rec Center (which I pay for in my tuition) I wouldn't pay for a gym membership to discover I love this game. However, three cheers for utilizing my campus' resources! HOORAH! HOORAH! HOORAH!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
my classes' food memories
As I mentioned, we didn't have class yesterday and instead we had an alternate learning assignment (beside my self assigned apple picking). The assignment was to make or buy a candy, cookie, or confection that had a significant impact on your life and tell the story while sharing the food with the class. Above is the box of food memory samples including a family recipe brought from Greece over 100 years ago, a variation of a childhood summertime favorite, and a weekly family breakfast tradition (with the accompanying coffee!!).
Food has an incredible capability to tell a story in a language that everyone speaks. How cool it is that this is my life.
Monday, September 19, 2011
apple picking
Nom nom.
Today is a Special Project Day, so my friends and I took our education to the fields and picked apples. It was a beautiful, delicious, and wonderful day. This place is about 25 min from school and a bag (that should fit about 10 lbs) for apples was $14.
I will make my mom's apple crisp recipe tomorrow night. It'll probably make me miss home more than I already do, but for this apple crisp I'm okay with that.
Friday, September 16, 2011
pumpkin, coconut, banana cream, chocolate custard, lemon meringue, Key Lime pie
Over the past 3 days we have been learning about pies and today we finished our pie studies with a tasting of the aforementioned pies. All I can say is that I didn't hate it one single bit. In fact, I don't think I could even register the emotion "hate" while those six slices of goodness were in front of me.
My chef also shared his grandmother's trick to use up leftover pie crust. Spread cinnamon sugar (sugar+cinnamon, to taste) on the counter and roll out the leftover pie crust until about 1/4 inch thickness. While rolling out the dough continue turning, rotating, and flipping dough as you would normally. Gently roll the dough into a log and wrap in foil. Bake in a 325°F until cooked through. While still warm, unwrap dough roll from foil and slice 1/2 inch thick spiral slices. Share them, or don't.
My chef also shared his grandmother's trick to use up leftover pie crust. Spread cinnamon sugar (sugar+cinnamon, to taste) on the counter and roll out the leftover pie crust until about 1/4 inch thickness. While rolling out the dough continue turning, rotating, and flipping dough as you would normally. Gently roll the dough into a log and wrap in foil. Bake in a 325°F until cooked through. While still warm, unwrap dough roll from foil and slice 1/2 inch thick spiral slices. Share them, or don't.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
3-2-1
I ate the best pie crust I've ever eaten today.
According to my chef, butter is good. But how much better is butter when it's browned? It's sweet, nutty aroma steals my heart everytime. So pie dough (flour+butter+water) that has a brown crust is essentially an indirect form of browned butter, and how good might that be?
So incredibly good. The best I've ever had, in fact. The icing on the cake? I'll never forget the recipe and I'll start proving that I know right here, right now.
3 parts flour (soft wheat flour-- "soft" flour means there is less gluten in the flour which is what becomes tough if it is overworked, so soft wheat flours are less likely to be overworked and create tough finished products. An example of soft wheat flour is pastry flour)
2 parts solid fat (butter tastes best is most natural)
1 part water
1/2 oz salt/ 6 lbs dough
Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the cold butter in small cubes, toss them in the flour and squish them flat until they are the size of nickels, dimes, and quarters. Be very careful not to squish them too small. You want visible chunks of butter. Then add the water, and start roughly folding the dough over from the outside of the bowl to the center. Each time creating layers and combining the dough. Once the dough has come together in a solid piece (still with large chunks of butter) wrap it in plastic, parchment, or wax paper and store in the refrigerator until firm and cold (1-24 hours). Roll the cold dough out to fill a pie tin. Prepare the pie according to the filling and then bake at 425°F in a thin, reactive pan in order to create a crispy brown butter crust.
It's love. Truly.
According to my chef, butter is good. But how much better is butter when it's browned? It's sweet, nutty aroma steals my heart everytime. So pie dough (flour+butter+water) that has a brown crust is essentially an indirect form of browned butter, and how good might that be?
So incredibly good. The best I've ever had, in fact. The icing on the cake? I'll never forget the recipe and I'll start proving that I know right here, right now.
3 parts flour (soft wheat flour-- "soft" flour means there is less gluten in the flour which is what becomes tough if it is overworked, so soft wheat flours are less likely to be overworked and create tough finished products. An example of soft wheat flour is pastry flour)
2 parts solid fat (butter tastes best is most natural)
1 part water
1/2 oz salt/ 6 lbs dough
Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the cold butter in small cubes, toss them in the flour and squish them flat until they are the size of nickels, dimes, and quarters. Be very careful not to squish them too small. You want visible chunks of butter. Then add the water, and start roughly folding the dough over from the outside of the bowl to the center. Each time creating layers and combining the dough. Once the dough has come together in a solid piece (still with large chunks of butter) wrap it in plastic, parchment, or wax paper and store in the refrigerator until firm and cold (1-24 hours). Roll the cold dough out to fill a pie tin. Prepare the pie according to the filling and then bake at 425°F in a thin, reactive pan in order to create a crispy brown butter crust.
It's love. Truly.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
fudge brownies
Today, my classmates made brownies. The kind that melt as soon as they hit your tongue, inducing a deep moan followed by your eyes rolling back in your head. The kind of satisfaction that makes you believe. Believe in world peace, a cure for cancer, or promised happiness. You know that each time you eat that food, even though it's not, everything in the world will feel right.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
bakeshop sweet bakeshop
That was a very tired attempt at a rendition of "home sweet home". That I'm explaining it is an indicator that I should press backspace and just delete my lame attempt at humor, but I'm just too tired and happy to care. So there it is, bakeshop sweet bakeshop.
I got back into my whites today, unrolled my knife kit, and tucked my hair into my toque. If the day had ended there, it would have been good enough. However, my day went on to include fresh bread, strawberry shortcake made with buttermilk biscuits, peanut butter cookies, a cute lady who knew my hometown, and a wonderful community.
I started Baking and Pastry Skills Development this morning bright and early at 5:45 a.m. This is the only baking/pastry class I will take here as a culinary arts student. My classmates produce the bread served in Banquets (the required 3 course meal for new students) and of course we needed to taste test the product... of course! Rough life, I know. We also had to taste our strawberry shortcake dessert that was made for the faculty dining room. Needless to say, these were not difficult tastings to handle, they were in fact beyond enjoyable. My team made peanut butter cookie dough that was wrapped and refrigerated. I assume it will be used later this week--- more to come on that mass of butter, sugar, and peanutty love. I am training to become a tour guide and a sweet lady with family in my hometown happened to be on the tour I was shadowing. I enjoyed hearing her wildly compliment the place I grew up. Finally, tonight a club I am leading with my friend had a successful meeting complete with fantastic company and home-made caramel apples. It was truly a lovely day.
I got back into my whites today, unrolled my knife kit, and tucked my hair into my toque. If the day had ended there, it would have been good enough. However, my day went on to include fresh bread, strawberry shortcake made with buttermilk biscuits, peanut butter cookies, a cute lady who knew my hometown, and a wonderful community.
I started Baking and Pastry Skills Development this morning bright and early at 5:45 a.m. This is the only baking/pastry class I will take here as a culinary arts student. My classmates produce the bread served in Banquets (the required 3 course meal for new students) and of course we needed to taste test the product... of course! Rough life, I know. We also had to taste our strawberry shortcake dessert that was made for the faculty dining room. Needless to say, these were not difficult tastings to handle, they were in fact beyond enjoyable. My team made peanut butter cookie dough that was wrapped and refrigerated. I assume it will be used later this week--- more to come on that mass of butter, sugar, and peanutty love. I am training to become a tour guide and a sweet lady with family in my hometown happened to be on the tour I was shadowing. I enjoyed hearing her wildly compliment the place I grew up. Finally, tonight a club I am leading with my friend had a successful meeting complete with fantastic company and home-made caramel apples. It was truly a lovely day.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Awesome #435 and 532
One of my favorite blogs/ideas in the whole world is appreciating the little things in life that are actually Awesome. One groovy guy has compiled a whole list of Awesome things in the form of a blog, which I naturally think is Awesome.
I have running list of Awesome in my head (with numbers assigned in no particular order), and two things got added to the list today:
#435: recognizing the right answer on a test
You are checking over a test after you have bubbled in all your answers on the scantron sheet, (that my third grade self used to anxiously wonder "did I bring a #2 pencil today?!?!" I was always relieved to find that I had. I'm pretty sure 99.9999% of pencils are #2.) and recognizing the right answer like a sunflower in the dessert of a question you had previously doubted. But now you see the correct choice, clear as day. This happened to me today during my Costing Exam final. Love me some right answer(s).
#532: finishing L-block
Usually Awesome things are daily occurences we can all relate to. I understand most people have not been through L-block, so I'll compare it to finishing a marathon and finally getting that bagel you were running for the whole time, or eating a whole box of cereal to get to the toy at the bottom, or writing a whole novel so you can sell millions of copies, or tightening the last screw on your antique model car so you can drive around town and pick up hot babes--- whatever your goals are, it feels good to finish one part and start reaping the sweet success of your hard work. That's how I feel on this Friday night. Yes, I am one step closer to graduation, but what really tickles my fancy right now is that I've finished my classroom time and I'm back in the kitchens. Cooking in a kitchen is my new toy at the bottom of a cereal box, it's been good so far but its only about to get better.
I have running list of Awesome in my head (with numbers assigned in no particular order), and two things got added to the list today:
#435: recognizing the right answer on a test
You are checking over a test after you have bubbled in all your answers on the scantron sheet, (that my third grade self used to anxiously wonder "did I bring a #2 pencil today?!?!" I was always relieved to find that I had. I'm pretty sure 99.9999% of pencils are #2.) and recognizing the right answer like a sunflower in the dessert of a question you had previously doubted. But now you see the correct choice, clear as day. This happened to me today during my Costing Exam final. Love me some right answer(s).
#532: finishing L-block
Usually Awesome things are daily occurences we can all relate to. I understand most people have not been through L-block, so I'll compare it to finishing a marathon and finally getting that bagel you were running for the whole time, or eating a whole box of cereal to get to the toy at the bottom, or writing a whole novel so you can sell millions of copies, or tightening the last screw on your antique model car so you can drive around town and pick up hot babes--- whatever your goals are, it feels good to finish one part and start reaping the sweet success of your hard work. That's how I feel on this Friday night. Yes, I am one step closer to graduation, but what really tickles my fancy right now is that I've finished my classroom time and I'm back in the kitchens. Cooking in a kitchen is my new toy at the bottom of a cereal box, it's been good so far but its only about to get better.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
dones-oh!
I am finished with Introduction to Management and Nutrition, which means 2 more classes (Costing and Menus) and I'm done with L-block!
Not that I didn't like these classes, I'll be honest, I did. I think they were beneficial because they taught skills we don't learn in the kitchen and gave names to the experiences we have. For example, in Management I learned that when a supervisor treats you as though you are inherently lazy and is always surprised when you finish a task to their specified standards, they posses what is called Theory X Leadership. This Leadership theory includes the belief that work is unnatural to people, people are lazy and will avoid work, and finally they need to be threatened, coerced, or bribed in order to get work done.
I'm also a little more than excited to get back into my whites and carry my knife bag to class on Tuesday morning.
Not that I didn't like these classes, I'll be honest, I did. I think they were beneficial because they taught skills we don't learn in the kitchen and gave names to the experiences we have. For example, in Management I learned that when a supervisor treats you as though you are inherently lazy and is always surprised when you finish a task to their specified standards, they posses what is called Theory X Leadership. This Leadership theory includes the belief that work is unnatural to people, people are lazy and will avoid work, and finally they need to be threatened, coerced, or bribed in order to get work done.
I'm also a little more than excited to get back into my whites and carry my knife bag to class on Tuesday morning.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
time-out.
I got a pedicure today and it was wonderful. Three of my friends and I snuck away in between classes and sunk our toes into a warm water bath, let automatic massaging chairs wiggle us around, and absorbed the sweet sounds of John Mayer over the salon's radio.
I'm grateful I still get to act like a normal college student sometimes even though my college experience is radically different than most college students. Its easy to get caught up in the differences when I talk to my friends at other schools because it's so difficult to relate to their experiences and their's to mine. Taking an unexpected break in the middle of the day to get away from it all is something I think we can all relate to. It's the small things, I suppose.
I'm grateful I still get to act like a normal college student sometimes even though my college experience is radically different than most college students. Its easy to get caught up in the differences when I talk to my friends at other schools because it's so difficult to relate to their experiences and their's to mine. Taking an unexpected break in the middle of the day to get away from it all is something I think we can all relate to. It's the small things, I suppose.
Monday, September 5, 2011
friends you can cook with
My older sister gave me a book the day I left for college titled 101 Things a College Girl Should Know From an Big Sister Who's Been There, and even after one whole year of being at college I still keep her little words of wisdom close by.
One piece of advice the book gives is to make friends you can hug. I thoroughly agree with that but I think it should say friends you can hug and cook with, because those are the best kind of friends. I spent time with my friend tonight who I can both hug and cook with. We made Crab Boulettes, Chicken Kiev, Cheesey Cauliflower, steamed broccoli, and funfetti cupcakes. Food and hugs make this faraway place feel a little more like home.
One piece of advice the book gives is to make friends you can hug. I thoroughly agree with that but I think it should say friends you can hug and cook with, because those are the best kind of friends. I spent time with my friend tonight who I can both hug and cook with. We made Crab Boulettes, Chicken Kiev, Cheesey Cauliflower, steamed broccoli, and funfetti cupcakes. Food and hugs make this faraway place feel a little more like home.
Friday, September 2, 2011
inspiring people
Reason #2 why I came to CIA: the people (students, professors, chefs, alumni)
I like to believe that every person in this world has something to offer every other person. Its people like two of my friends here that give me reason to believe I might be right. Today in particular, I was inspired by two of my stunning classmates.
Inspiring Friend #1 has a beautiful blog complete with lovely words, poignant photography, and mouth-watering recipes. Check it out here!
Inspiring Friend #2 was talking about how as we get older we tend to lose our sense of wonder with the world. She said, "I wish I could love everything the way a five year-old loves everything." And I couldn't agree more. Her comment made me lean in close to the saute pan this evening as butter sizzled and melted into a bubbling pool that sauteed a steak for my dinner. When I was a child, solid fat that melted into liquid was as close to miracle status as anything I had ever experienced. Remember the things that impressed you as a 5 year-old? Allow yourself to be impressed again.
I like to believe that every person in this world has something to offer every other person. Its people like two of my friends here that give me reason to believe I might be right. Today in particular, I was inspired by two of my stunning classmates.
Inspiring Friend #1 has a beautiful blog complete with lovely words, poignant photography, and mouth-watering recipes. Check it out here!
Inspiring Friend #2 was talking about how as we get older we tend to lose our sense of wonder with the world. She said, "I wish I could love everything the way a five year-old loves everything." And I couldn't agree more. Her comment made me lean in close to the saute pan this evening as butter sizzled and melted into a bubbling pool that sauteed a steak for my dinner. When I was a child, solid fat that melted into liquid was as close to miracle status as anything I had ever experienced. Remember the things that impressed you as a 5 year-old? Allow yourself to be impressed again.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
memory lane
My front door the day I moved into my house
My bedroom window
Late afternoon winter bike ride
An early spring day
Three months ago, I was on extern not quite believing that I had less than a month until my extern was finished. Time plays the funniest tricks on us and I remember taking these pictures as if they were yesterday.
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