Vacation almost over

I have been anything but Idle on my Vacation. I've been a busy boy. Doing you ask...well...

My previous post talked about my great opportunity to work with a caterer's kitchen and loved it...this week...I got to cook dinner for the Elks and I volunteered to help at a fundraiser event.

The Elks Lodge in Redlands was hosting a dinner event for all the lodge heads for the Inland Empire...One of our students, is a member and cooks for them and she offered some of the students an opportunity the help her with this formal dinner event. Several of us went in to help out and have some fun in the kitchen...boy did we have a great time.

The menu:

Side salad...yeah...nothing to exciting there...I mean, we made it pretty and all...but really...its lettuce and stuff.

Entree - We made rice pilaf, that had more of a risotto consistency...very yummy, with an apricot glazed chicken breast with grilled asparagus.

Dessert - chocolate cake with a vanilla Grande Marnier filling, with a whip cream frosting with ground pecans and orange Zest.

I mean...it wasn't too fancy...but for us...it was a blast to make and plate. We had the young marines come in and take the plates and server the guests and bus as we kept the flow going in the kitchen.

It was non stop busy once they sat down but it was a serious blast!!! the Elks members all loved it and we have an open invitation to come and cook for them anytime...WE WILL BE BACK!

Also, today ACF had the honor of making some small appetizers for a fundraising event to help underprivileged kids with a foundation that focuses on providing training in the Culinary field. Its called the Axis foundation. Great people and the fundraiser seemed to be a success.

I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying this...even if some of these events are free...I'm meeting lots of people and learning a lot that will help me later in life as I get my career started.

Monday is coming...and I can't wait...time to get started on my next semester...I really need to get practicing on my knife skills...that and invest in lots of bandaids...LOL

On Vacation...sort of...

So...Its Thursday and I'm into the first week of 2 weeks off...but hardly sitting around idle.

The Executive chef for a local catering company called me and asked if I could help him with a big party he had. Some of his Sous chefs were not available and he needed help prepping for a party of 400 along with some other smaller parties for Tuesday and Wednesday...and of course i said YES!!!

Romakie, stuff mushrooms, cookies, brownies, sandwiches, fruit, lemon bars, bacon wrapped scallops, drinks, break, spinach dip...and lots more other stuff were in the works the past few days.

I had a blast...at first, I was completely out of my element. He would hand me a recipe and say, "make it to yield 400 or 500" and I took it from there. Thank you Chef Emily for making sure I knew how to convert yields in freshman class.

No language barrier as I was able to keep up with all of the spanish speaking staff...at some point they wanted me to start singing with them with the mexican music that was playing all day long...good thing they didn't have Styx or chicago on or they definitely would have kicked my ass out...LOL!!!

It was a nice size kitchen, the staff was great, and the Chef was awesome in showing me what his standards were and teaching me a few things here and there about catering shortcuts.

I can't wait to help him out again when he has more larger parties. Thanks Chef Rick Santana!

Now...I can't wait to start up school again.

A fellow classmate works at the Elk Lodge here in Riverside and she contacted me today saying that she confirmed that she could use some help and I could get some work experience working at her place...I said...LETS DO IT! So hopefully I will be cooking for the Elks here pretty soon as well.

Its all about getting out there and making some contacts so that when I'm ready, I can possibly have some gigs lined up and hit the ground running...and I can't wait to get in a kitchen full time and start to whip stuff out.

Its funny...you'd think I would be enjoying the time off...in actuality...I'm ready to get back to school!!!

Hope all are doing well and more to come...

I'm a Junior!!

So...last friday was my last day being a Freshman.

I passed with a 98%...WWWOOOOOO!

I have the next 2 weeks off before I go back as a Junior...and I can't wait. I will actually get into the kitchen and start to cook and prep!

During my time off..I will be practicing knife cuts and some basic food prep so I can get a leg up on it for next semester. I've heard that the next chef instructor is pretty meticulous so I want to make sure I do well.

I'm going to be on the hunt for some good knives though...my cutco are ok...and the ones they make us buy are...well...crap! time to get serious with some cutlery that will last me my lifetime and make this job a little easier.

Time is going by very quickly..which I like...I can't wait to get what skills I do have honed and tuned and learning some new ones will be extra helpful..."would you like fries, batonet, with that"...LOL

one more week!!!!

Just one more week and I will be done with my Freshman year!!!!

Last week was soooooo long knowing the coming of this next week...although last week was still pretty good.

A lot went last week.

At the beginning of the semester, we were put into groups and ask to select a topic and organize a field trip and prepare to do an hour long presentation at the end of the semester on this topic...our group had Organics...we had to give our presentation this last Wednesday.

By the way...after having had a tour of an organic farm, and learning everything I did, and everything I tasted...its very, very hard to buy produce from the store now.

In any case...we gave our presentation and it went very, very well. We were able to get organic produce donated and we did taste tests against store bought food and clearly the organic won...I also made a fresh salsa with the organic produce...WOW...it was great and nothing was left!

Also, on Tuesday, we had an opportunity to attend and help with the national ACF convention. the whole freshman class got to go and help in various areas of the conference. I got to assist Chef Della Gosset... http://www.frenchpastryschool.com/ ... in her demo of pastries in front of over 100 chefs from around the world...SHE WAS AWESOME!!! Click on the link and her picture is on the homepage. I learned so much working with her...and she gave me a hat for helping her.

the conference was pretty good...a sea of white chef coats all over the place. Got lots of free stuff from the trade show too...if anyone has been at a trade show...you will know what I mean.

Now...upcoming weeks events:

CPR training on Monday
Two more days of service
Thursday - help with Senior graduation
Friday - Final.

Overall, things are going real well. I will be studying hard for the final and then looking forward to having two weeks off before returning as a Junior.

As a Junior, I will get into the kitchen and actually start cooking...basic stuff of course...I will have a semester of "Competencies" where I need to cook a series of items to the Chefs standards. Sauces, cooking rice, knife cutting skills...etc. I will be practicing some of that stuff during my two weeks off...just to get a head start.

But, as a Junior, I will be on Breakfast line...so come on in in September and get some great breakfast cooked by us...if you like it...its cause I was making it...if not...then i wasn't my shift...LOL