Skip to main content

Catch My Breath (Not By Kelly Clarkson)

I wish today's pop singers wouldn't use cliché phrases in their songs, because it looks like I'm copying them when I use it as my blog post title!

A new school term began for me just after Memorial Day, and let me just say, the change of pace was desperately needed.

Much of the foodservice we do in line cooking, last-minute, á point preparation.  Much of that is reactive, as unexpected things (although they should be expected) are thrown at us often.  We have been involved in some events through the school that are proactive: catering, scheduled events and such, but more often that that, we're reacting to whatever our chefs want us to do.

Those of us who crave intellectual stimulation and academics in our workplaces have been hardly able to formulate coherent thought about food, much less have good conversations about it.

Until this new term.  The way the program is laid out, students in my track (roughly 15 of us) are taking a two-term break from the chef side (the high-profile, but breakneck, side) and moving into bakery.  Our baking classes (a lab and lecture) started about a week and a half ago.

What a different world.

We move slower in the bakery...and that is not a bad thing!  Our first two weeks was spent on bread-making, and we had the time whilst we waited for dough to mix and rest and proof to talk about the process, the results, etc.  The bakery is a great place to be for those who are self-motivated, but I'm beginning to see that there are both pros and cons to the chef side and bakery side...something I hope to discuss here at some point.

When I started this program, I really had no idea what I wanted to do.  I still don't (sort of, although the picture is coming together), but I thought I'd gravitate more towards bakery because of my experience with bread.  While I like the steady, sure pace of bakery, I find myself missing the frenetic, got-to-be-sharp-always pace of the hot kitchen.  I also suspect that as we move more into cake decorating and the "fancy" stuff...I might like bakery less!  (Not that I don't like it, but I'm not very good at it.)


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

(She) Blinded Me With...Citrus

Excuse my attempt at tying today's blog entry with an iconic Thomas Dolby song.  What a terrible pun-ishment. Har har har. So, we're on the backside of Winter Vacation/Christmas Break/Holiday Hiatus here.  The kids return to school tomorrow, the freshman and I start back to our respective colleges next Monday. The clock is ticking and suddenly, I am whipped into frenzy to Get Work Done.  I suspect this phenomenon happens to many, many educators who try to avoid that panic-stricken night before they go back to work. And believe me when I say, I had the deepest, most earnest of intentions to write lesson plans, write quizzes, and generally prepare for the restart of my classes next week.  Like, really. And then...I was distracted by...citrus.  This happened. Okay, so....the lemons on the far right are no big deal.  They're available year-round.  But Meyer lemons...MEYER...I only find around here in the winter.  I first read about them i...

Spaghetti Cake

Yes. You read that right.  Keep reading, friends, it's about to get good. Photo by Brent Nelson...who doesn't quite know about shadows and things in photography. Photo by your trusty author, who doesn't quite know about taking knockout food pictures. So, the caboose (Elliot) was in charge of meals this weekend...as part of his requirement for one of his Boy Scout badges.  Even though we'd be eating meals easy for a 12-year-old to put together (usually not healthy), I was totally ready to hand over the reins for the weekend. Saturday night's dinner was supposed to be simple.  Spaghetti.  But then, I remembered I had Justin's Chapple's Mad Tips article for Pasta Bundt Loaf .  I handed that over to the Boy Scout...and things just got awesome. The ingredients here seem to be a cross between those of a lasagna and an alfredo.  One pound of spaghetti noodles is cooked, and to which a bunch of cheese, milk, eggs, and seasonings are added.  All...

Booze for Thought

So.  Every now and then, I feel compelled to talk about something else besides food here at TTOSBF. Today, the topic is alcohol. I enjoy it.  Probably more than I really should, if I may lay the truth out there at my dear readers' feet. Sometimes it's a clever craft beer or a comforting gin and tonic.  I've realized lately that I often reach for the bottles in the liquor cabinet when I'm a.) bored b.) stressed c.) in a boozy social situation or d.) feel like I need a little reward for surviving (thus far) this Trump presidency. Huh.  As it turns out, most of my life these days moves within the realm of one or more of these four conditions. So, I was drinking often.  Every day. And here was the big epiphany: once I started drinking, my productivity went in the toilet.  Don't jump to conclusions, I hardly ever drank myself into a stupor...but I'd get the strong buzz going for sure.  Then, I was near useless.  I wanted to eat everything i...