Bug Off

Days 102-104

Slowly but surely, I'm feeling better.

I spent the majority of the weekend resting so that I would walk into class today revived. I'm not completely restored, but I do feel a helluva lot better than I did last week. Thank God for Z-Pak, muscle relaxants and 800 mg Motrin. Oh, and comfort food.

Yesterday, I made chicken paprikash with spaetzle—a family recipe that reminds me of my mom. I had hoped it would put a smile on my face. (It did.) It also put a smile on Ryan's; it's one of his favorite dishes. I knocked it out of the park. Of course, my mom's is still the best.

The decision to make the dish came to fruition after I inherited six chicken legs and six chicken thighs. On Friday, my chef allowed students to split up food that would likely spoil over the weekend. I jumped on the all-natural Murray's chicken as well as a freshly cooked (and killed) lobster. I'd say I fared well.

Friday marked the last day of garde manger; today, I re-entered poissonnier. I worked on the cod dish, which features chorizo, clams cooked in white wine, saffron potatoes and kale sauteed with garlic. Despite the fact that I'm somewhat turned off by cod (please refer to my Nov. 4 post about worms), the dish looks amazing. I'd like to try it at home with a different type of fish.

I'm gonna give it my all this four-day week. I know it's going to be a busy one, as people are in town for the holidays.

Time to spread some cheer.

Cabin Fever

Days 97-101

In the ultimate culinary student move, I just took my temperature with a meat thermometer.

I spent the second day of Level 6—the final chapter of culinary school—in bed. I spiked a fever of 101 and decided it was best to stay home. Unfortunately, students are docked five points from their grade when they miss class. This is tricky, I think, because students don't want to miss in fear of a lower grade when, really, they shouldn't be serving food if they can contaminate it—and other students.

I'm pretty sure I got sick from someone at school, so I'm staying home because that's what they should have done. (Does this sound bitter?) Maybe it will mean one less person getting sick.

Either way, adios, zero absences.

On top of my fever, my back is on the verge of going out. So not only am I sweating profusely, I can't walk.

OK, enough of my sob story. Here's some good news: I found out that I aced my menu project. That put a smile on my face. The overall winner will be announced during graduation.

Writing this consumed most of the energy I had today. I'm going to kick back and watch some "Top Chef All-Stars."

Goat for it

Days 95 and 96

I'm not one to gloat. Today, however, I'm gonna gloat about goat.

On Tuesday, I decided to go for it. With limited pastry knowledge, I presented a special dessert to be served during lunchtime. The highlight was my rosemary goat cheese ice cream—a recipe I concocted for my menu project that turned out amazing. And with a much better machine in school than my $99 KitchenAid Stand Mixer attachment at home, the ice cream had an even creamier consistency.

Per the chef's suggestion, I served the ice cream with a butter cake, dunked in rosemary simple syrup, as well as pomegranate seeds and orange supremes. (For my menu project, it stood alongside cabernet sauvignon-poached pears and a reduction of the red wine.)

I'd say it was a hit, considering the pastry chef asked me for my recipe. That's not every day that happens.

Tomorrow I'm trying my hand at another lunch menu special—this time an entree. I can only hope that it goes half as well as the first.

Getting a Rise

Days 93 and 94

Maybe it's just me, but one of the most thrilling things about making pastries (and bread, for that matter) is the way a souffle or dough puffs up when baked.

I have little knowledge of both pastry- and bread-making, so it's even more gratifying when an unfamiliar procedure goes as planned—and equally dissatisfying when there's no doubling in size. I'll admit I cracked a smile during my pastry rotation when I opened the oven and perfect golden-brown domes were staring me in the face. Whoa, wait—did I make those? Yes. Yes, I did.

The domes were baba, small yeast cakes that, post-bake, were soaked in a rum/simple syrup mixture until they couldn't absorb any more liquid. It's pretty much a sweet, doughy shot the restaurant serves cold; I prefer it warm.

Chestnut ice cream (which I made today) is served with the baba, along with pine nuts, chestnut puree, an apple chip and chocolate drizzle. The second pastry recipe for Level 5 is a pumpkin souffle with eggnog sauce.

I'd give the latter a hug if I could for tasting so good.

Free Fallin'

Days 91 and 92

According to economic principles, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

But when I'm munching on prosciutto di Parma and sipping a Roman wine provided by an acclaimed Italian chef at a

student-only demonstration, it's easy to forget the exorbitant amount I'm paying for school. That moment is short-lived, of course, but it still feels like I'm getting something for free. Sometimes there's even a bit of exclusivity surrounding it—like when the demo features a James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award winner or the chef has at least an eight-

week waiting list to get into his restaurant.

This week I took advantage of the "freebies," attending a demo yesterday and the day prior. On Tuesday, French chef Andre Soltner of The New York Times four-star rated Lutece (which closed in 2004 after more than 40 years) presented a three-course tasting menu. Lucky me to get a private meal from a famed chef and restaurateur. The dishes comprised potage au potiron (pumpkin soup), joues de boeuf braisees au vin rouge (beef cheeks braised in red wine) and bavarois aux poire (Bavarian cream with pears).

Yesterday, I enjoyed a sampling of imported Italian meats, cheeses and wine. All were handpicked by chef Cesare Casella, owner of Salumeria Rosi in Manhattan and dean of my sister school's Italian Studies program. Nothing puts me at ease more than dry-cured ham and a glass of vino.

I'm ready to attend the long list of demos scheduled the next month-and-a-half I'm in school. Free or not, I rarely turn down an opportunity to eat.