quote:

Originally posted by Muffin's sister:
....we're learning boarders and script and making the butter cake into a pretty happy birthday cake.

From what I've seen, you could teach that portion of the class.

Too bad about spelling--it seems weird that they would care about that. I can understand being concerned about not being messy, because it's creepy if you think that the person doing your food prep isn't clean. But flour on your shoes? That seems uber-picky to me.

Thanks Nina

I completely understand the not being messy part. But how are you supposed to roll out bread or whatever without being messy? It's a messy process! Then you clean up your mess immediately after.... Oh well. Now we just have to be really careful since we only have one practical and one exam left in the last week. Meaning our only grades until then are our station grades and I bet that'll be based on our produced product and uniform/cleanliness during production!

Last night was a disaster! My partner didn't show up so I was on my own. We had a TON to do and I got stuck with the small mixer bowl (most of them are ~9qts and there's 4 or 5 that are ~7qts) so I didn't make his product (a couple different buttercreams, usually if your partner isn't there you should pick up their slack... but he's a jerk and the one that decided not to show up and I could barely keep my head afloat just me). I was so swamped. We were supposed to make a couple buttercreams then use one of them to ice/decorate our Black Forest cake (we baked the cake the class before). By the time I had one cream made and part of the other one scaled out to be mixed the whole rest of the class was onto decorating their cakes. I got reamed out by Chef and a snobby student and was just so overwhelmed and in the weeds. Had a little anxiety attack. One of the guys in my class that just doesn't get that I'm happily married took me out in the hall for a minute and helped me chill for a minute. That helped a lot. Went back in and slopped together my cake. I could barely see I was so flipped out. I got a B and didn't bother to take pictures of it when I got home. So disappointed in myself but just couldn't do it anymore. Doesn't help that no one can leave class until the whole kitchen is cleaned and I was just starting to work on my cake while other students were mopping up so they all stood and stared at me until I was done.

Thankfully the nice guy that doesn't get that I'm married helped by taking care of all of my dishes so they didn't all just stand there and do nothing.

Tonight was a little better. My partner showed up. All we had to do was make/bake lady fingers for tiramisu tomorrow and fill/decorate our butter cake. Our lady fingers got a little too brown since they only took literally 4 minutes in the ridiculous ovens and we got distracted. Then we spent the rest of the class fighting with the cake Chef makes it look SO easy. I didn't have any crumbs in my icing but my edges weren't "square" and my script needs a LOT of work . But I managed an A! Surprising.

I'm starting to feel dragged out. I'm really excited about working on Saturday but that's all day and then Andrew and I have plans to go to the zoo with a play group on Sunday, all day. Wish I had a little time to just lie on the floor and not have to do anything than play with toys with my kid. Maybe next weekend!

Today went great my partner didn't show up. Again. He shows up ~75% of the time it seems. I work better when he's not there, I'm more stressed and have a lot more on my plate...but I also get more space to work (I like to spread out ) and get dibs on a electric burner thingy so I don't have to fight to use the stove.

We made chocolate glacage (g-la-ssage like massage) to pour over the cheesecakes we baked earlier in the week. Plus we made lace tuile cups and cigarette paste garnishes to work on our platings.

Here's a picture of my plating I got a 98! Miss Snipy hovered over my station half of the class. She informed me that it was too simple and that Chef was going to make me redo it etc etc. I was soo close to telling her to shove it and go back to her station. But Chef was always around when I thought about opening my mouth.



She got an 85 on her crazy plate. I only got a 98 because one of my chocolate dots wasn't in the center of the raspberry dot. Then I told him that I did the raspberry dots with a squeeze bottle and the chocolate dots with the chocolate dripping off a spoon because I didn't want to spend the time washing the squeeze bottle . Then he said I kicked ass and took names by getting that neat that way. And in one shot . But I still got a 98 because he already wrote it down. Darn.

That's really pretty.
Can I eat it now, please?

Some chemistry dude once told your aunt, after watching her conduct a quality control audit, that she kicked ass and took names. It must run in the family.

Glacage...gas chromatography...it's all the same.

Knock 'em dead, sweetie.

That's one of my favorite sayings. I was thrilled when my kids got old enough that I could use it around them.

Last night, in her last high school volleyball game, for example, my daughter kicked ass and took names. They won their first game 25-3.

Nina - Go Ninette!

I stopped by the registrar's office today to register for the bread class. I got in! It was announced online this morning (has to be registered/paid for in person) and I got the last seat of 25 people at 3:30pm. I ran from my car all the way there . I beat out some guy that took the elevator .

I know the registrar pretty well by now since my schedule has been all funky since I tried to start classes in January. While I was signing up for the class she asked if I noticed who my next instructor was. I hadn't looked yet, it's my first chef . When I first had him I hated him....then I got chef #2. and I really really miss chef #1. The kicker is chef #1 asked to teach MY class. and that he really enjoyed having me as a student. REALLY cool to have a certified master baker enjoy having you as a student.

I'm taking a 6 week course devoted to bread next. Plus my bread workshop is right before Thanksgiving break so I'll be doing even more bread! Yum.

I went to a Foodies group tonight. They took over a Scottsdale recreational culinary school and we learned how to make pasta. It was a lot of fun, I got to meet some other people. Made some awesome networking contacts! The lady that runs the group is also running the Guy Fieri (sp, guy from Food Network's Diners Drive Ins and Dives) show in December. She said she might need some behind the scenes help and asked for my name/number since I have "qualifications" Ha! The sad thing is that event is the last day of my classes for this up coming term. Meaning I probably have a final that night. So unless I can do it early I probably can't do the event if she calls....but networking is nice anyway!

I bet Bobby Flay will be there if I don't go.

quote:

The kicker is chef #1 asked to teach MY class. and that he really enjoyed having me as a student.

But of course...

He knows a pretty face when he sees one!

He knows your hubby is a cop and he has a set of knives!

He knows a good student who has a small child, home to care for AND does well to get all her work done AND is a top student who will be famous one day!

Thanks LL! I don't think I'll ever be famous but I don't mind rubbing elbows with the famous at events

Congratulations! You must be on cloud nine to hear that Chef #1 specifically wanted you.

And I'm chortling at the image of you racing past the guy waiting for the elevator, and leaping up the stairs. All that time spent chasing after SM undoubtedly kept you in peak condition.

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:
Congratulations! You must be on cloud nine to hear that Chef #1 specifically wanted you.

And I'm chortling at the image of you racing past the guy waiting for the elevator, and leaping up the stairs. All that time spent chasing after SM undoubtedly kept you in peak condition.

Totally on cloud nine!

SM has trained me well. I took the stairs 3 at a time like I have to do to catch him when he gets a head start. I can also turn on a dime and sprint in another direction without losing much speed Take that elevator guy.

Today we worked with chocolate! Yum. My partner didn't show up, like usual on Mondays. First we made chocolate bonbons, I made chocolate and orange with orange zest steeped in the cream then strained it out and used an orange liquor both in the ganache filling (they call it ganache but it's not 1 part chocolate 1 part cream...so I don't know what it is really called). I also used a little cocoa butter with coloring (orange) and a little white chocolate just for aesthetics on the top. Chef said they were wonderful and chocolatier shop quality .

Then we had another demo on chocolate garnishes. During this demo a fellow classmate decided to show up. He's always late but rarely shows up after missing the first hour. I have zero respect for drug users and absolutely zero tolerance or patience. Guess who gets stuck with the guy that just shot up outside? Yup since my partner was MIA. UGH.

So we temper more chocolate and I lay it out to make our chocolate cigarettes. It has to set so I told J that I was gonna go wash the bowl and stuff and that he can make his when it sets and I'll make mine next. I was in line for the sink for a minute, washed our stuff, yadda yadda. I come back, he has his cigarettes kind of half-ass done....and scraped the rest of our beautifully tempered chocolate into the trash. Gee thanks.

So I melt more chocolate to temper. I really have to use the bathroom so I ask J please keep an eye on the chocolate. He flips out. Yelling that I ask him to do everything and that he's not a babysitter. So I take the chocolate off the heat, go to the bathroom etc, and come back to just start over.

J disappears for a good half an hour. No clue where he is.

I get my garnishes done and working on doing my hand rolled truffles. J appears out of thin air and starts apologizing for being short with me. I just say okay and keep doing my work. 5 minutes later I pop the center of my truffles into the freezer and go back to temper more chocolate since J won't help me keep it in temper and I'm not skilled enough to do it all myself yet. J flips out because I washed him spatula for him and I didn't "do it right" Whatever. Chef is finally in the room and wants to know what the deal is. I just shrug and do my best to do my work and let J do his. I explained to Chef why I'm having to temper all of this chocolate by myself and now J is supposed to do his own.

About an hour later (this is a 5 hour course) J comes up to me and insists that we go out to the smoke deck. I don't smoke. I have no desire to go to the smoke deck ever unless I'm looking for someone (like my partner). He kept insisting that we had to go NOW. I kept telling him I don't care what you do but I have work to do, I don't smoke, I'm NOT leaving. He grabbed the bowl of freshly tempered chocolate and poured it all over the table (we do table chocolate to get it to temper but it was already in temper....) and on me from the waist down. WTF??? Chef kicked him out. He wanted to kick me out because I was filthy but all of my classmates were like uh WTF not her fault she's covered in chocolate. So he let me stay.

But now because of all of that crap I didn't get to finish my chocolate truffles. So that means I have to go in early tomorrow and finish them or I'm tanked on my practical tomorrow. My friend that I use as a babysitter if needed broke her leg this morning (she had knee reconstructive surgery in the spring and the healing has been rough. She still uses a walker and is careful and all that but she just keeps falling) so now I'm trying to find a way to get to class early without spending $$$$ for the sitter service that doesn't show up on time half of the time.

is right.

Wow. Who are some of these losers they have put in this class? I'm happy to hear he got kicked out, and that your classmate stood up for you.

I saw your desperate plea for a babysitter on Facebook. That might be the only thing that could make me wish I lived in too-sunny AZ! Spending a few hours with adorable Stud Muffin and helping you out at the same time? What's not to like!

I hope your next round of classes are less frustrating people-wise!