Calm before the storm...

Long week.

It started on Monday.

We took our ServSafe test...the big one...the one that tests us on all the safety and handling of food in the kitchen. I studied hard for it hoping to get 100% on it...we shall see...we don't get the results for two weeks. I have no doubt I passed it but you all know me.

Then, as the week progressed, we had a power outage during one lunch service...we had a large group come in three days in a row about 10-15 minutes before we closed...and when I say large, I mean like 20 and up...and they got all upset they we ran out of stuff...REALLY!?!?!?...we are a teaching academy...not your local applebees!! so don't get all upiddy when we don't have your stuff!!!

We also had a super fancy banquet to serve in a conference room in the back for 30 people...that was fun...having to coordinate our staff between the floor and serving them was a chore...no biggie...I was Captain for two of the days and when you in charge, you have to make sure people are covered when they take breaks and make sure everything is taken care of...bummer was I had to nix breaks on Friday cause of how busy we were and a lot of our staff/students had to help with the banquet...some of the students were mad that I didn't let them take breaks...but such is life.

Funny statement made to me...one of the students was joking around with me and said something to me about not reading the book on "how to make friends and influence people"...I just responded that "I have plenty of friends thank you!" LOL.

Oh well...overall a good week though.

We are touching upon menus now...recipe conversions...pricing out a recipe...determining menu prices...stuff like that...pretty cool stuff.

Next week promises to be a little crazy. We have our large fundraiser next week on Friday. I also have my first official general meeting of ACF as Junior president on Monday night...and all during the course of next week we will be preparing for the fundraiser on Friday...promises to be quite hectic...but from what I've heard, should be a fun event.

Monday early, I have to help pick up blocks of ice for the ice sculptures for this event...pretty cool, huh...get it...cool...I made a funny there..cool...ice...oh nevermind!!!

anyway...going to relax and study on sunday...going to practice making poached eggs...I've never done that before...so should be fun...I hope...going to have some bacon with it...anyone want to come over and taste my progress!!??!?!

Ok...so...sorry for the delay on the blog...been a crazy, crazy week.

What we have been doing is a lot of studying for our ServSafe test. The purpose of this test is so we don't kill people we cook for...I swear...I'm not ever eating and a family picnic again!

The Value of this certification is huge! It has been said that many a culinary student that comes into an establishment with this ends up cleaning up the place of their work cause of all the issues and violations the place has. Plus...it does make us more marketable.

Next Monday is the actual test where we see if we get our certification...so I will still be doing lots of studying for that...actually...I'm really confident that I will pass the test...so far...I'm running almost perfect scores on the quizzes...but if any of you know me...I strive for perfection...so I'm shooting for 100%...I need to beat my chefs's instructors score of 99%.

Working the front of the house has been quite boring now...we all have it down now and we kind of look around for more to do. I think the best duty is washing of the pots and pans...reason...when it gets slow back there, we can watch the demonstrations from the chef instructor as he teaches the seniors...yeah!!!

OH...and no one is immune to getting cut in the kitchen...Chef but himself pretty bad that EMT's had to come in and help wrap it up...I almost went up to him and handed him a plastic knife and said he may want to use that...common sense prevailed and I just SHUT UP! LOL

I'm going to be sneaking in as much studying as possible...also working on the next few chapters of the next book we are on now...Wayne Gisslen's Professional cooking...great book by the way.

The menu this week is pretty cool and creative...the restaurant has been pretty slow...maybe people are still recovering from the long weekend...I told the chefs that we needed to have someone on the street with a sandwich board to get some business in the academy...and then she said, go ahead and do it...then I just shut up again...LOL

Our class is all getting along real, real well..its kind of scary...even our chef says we are a boring class by comparison to the drama she has had with all the other classes she had...oh...a prank is in the making...boring we are not...just calculated...MUAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! Does Duct tape come out of hair...oh well...we will see...

ok...back to work...another update this weekend I think.