One student's description of the jump between levels in culinary school was perfect: Level 1 is like preschool, Level 2 is kindergarten and Level 3 is high school, she said.
It's amazing how much the pace has changed in the last three days. When times are written on the board, the class as a whole seems more focused on getting the job done. I'm guessing it has something to do with accountability.
For me, one of the most interesting things to observe is who is and isn't a team player. I'm all about helping others because of that little thing called karma. Who's gonna help you if you haven't lifted a finger for them?
Speaking of teamwork, my group had an awesome performance today with our amuse bouche. We toasted bread rounds and made tiny sandwiches with roasted brussels sprouts and red peppers, sauteed shiitake mushrooms, crisp bacon, and mascarpone with thyme. They were almost too cute to eat.
I was patissier for the rotation, so I made the apple tart. After all my freaking out about having to make the pate brisee dough, I was rather pleased. While my top apples could have used a bit more time in the oven, my whipped cream quenelles had a nice shape. Thank you Broadway Panhandler for your abundant supply of inexpensive tools. (FYI, there are so many things I want to buy there that I don't need, such as a ceramic dish with a photograph of a strip steak and a wooden meat and cheese board in the shape of a pig.)
The school hosted a career fair today after class, which I attended. It was a good opportunity to meet face to face with top restaurants, speciality markets and food-related magazines, nonprofits and more. I wasn't expecting a job out of it—at least not immediately—but I hoped to gather a small list of contacts for future reference.
The fair did its job.
Your amuse bouche looked wonderful as did that apple tart! Now I am really hungry and want some. :)
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