Sugar High

Day 52

Who knew a classic culinary arts program would involve so much pastry?

When I signed up for the course, I knew we would at least cover it. In Level 2, there were two intense weeks. In this level, our rotations require that we make a dessert at least once—if not twice—a week.

So here's the thing: I like dessert when I can make it on my own

time. And most often, I prepare pastries that don't involve making a crust. I guess if anything, all this practice will make me more prone to bake tarts and pies without cheating by buying a pre-made shell.

Today I made the apple tart, which, like the chicken grandmother-style, seems like I've made it 40 times. It turned out OK—personally, I think it could have been a bit more caramelized on the top. I also made cream puffs with pate a choux dough and filled them with creme chantilly, and I was happy with the results.

Of course this won't be the last time I make pastries in culinary school; next week I'm bound to have at least one to tackle. It's also probable I'll have to make a pastry dish for the practical (lemon tart was the hint).

I need some sweet relief.

Sprouting Up

Day 43

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.