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e
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On fire! |
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179
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Thank God (or whoever controls your universe). today we had or written exam and first part of the practical exam in my lab class and our first aid exam in my sanitation class. I think I aced the first aid test, it was pretty easy. I probably got a B on the written for my lab, but I KNOW I didn't do so well on the practical. It was "knife cuts" which is one of my weaknesses. I don't practice them enough and am not too consistent with the size of the cuts. Today I think my consistency was ok, but I didn't do well on size.
I could have done better. but it was a Murphy's Law type of day (whatever could go wrong did). It started last night. My wife "accidently" parked in a parking lot where she had to leave her keys. the lot closed before she got off work so she couldn't get her keys. I got a call that interrupted my studying at 12:30 AM requesting that I come and get her. She was in East LA (not a good part of town). I went. She wanted me to take her home, then bring her back this morning to pick up her car and her keys. NOT POSSIBLE, unless I wanted to fail my class at school. Instead I called AAA and they sent a locksmith to make new keys. I didn't get home until 3:30 AM. Then I overslept and didn't have enough time to finish a term paper due today, a homework assignement, and study. I completed the papaer, but that was it before class. If she had tried, she couldn't have come up with a better way to undermine me. the school is VERY strict about final exams and assignments. If you fail the class, there is no such thing as an "incomplete" that can be made up later. You have to re-take the class. Period. And you have to pay for it again ($4,200). I'd have to wait until January (or maybe February) to start again because the November classes are full. I also can't afford to pay for it again, nor can I take that much time to remain in school as it would be more than 2 years since I quite work before I complete school if I had to start over. Failure would mean dropping out. But my wife doesn't get it. Now she's upset at ME because I got upset about not getting any sleep the night before finals and not having enough time to study and complete my assignments because SHE wasn't thinking.
Tomorrow we cook. I pulled my menu today and have most of tomorrow to organize my production schedule and learn the recipes. we aren't allowed to use recipes though we can have a couple index cards with some hints. However, processes, ingredient lists, and quantities are strictly forbidden. Seven items, four hours, including prep. I should do ok. the only thing I'm worried about is my mother sauce. It's Esagnole and we didn't do it in class so I've never done one before. I also don't like the idea that my pasta is ravioli. There's too much that can go wrong.
Friday is breakfast day. We cook eggs and potatoes. God help me. I'm either reallly, really good on some dishes, or really reallly terrible on others. I hate doing boiled eggs. There's no way to tell if they are done correctly until they are broken open. You just have to time them and hope they are done correctly. I also have trouble with French Omelets. They are either under done on the insde, or get a little color on the outside. Both are bad things. but I'm killer on fried eggs and poached eggs and scrambled eggs and most of the potatoes, except Pommes Anna which always seems to fall apart when I make it in class, but comes out perfect at home when I'm practicing.
Think good thoughts,
e
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I really-really hope you do great! *nice soft {{{hugs}}}*
No color on French omelettes? Are they supposed to be like scrambled-eggs-pale they say? Because I can tell ya, the ones I had in France sure had color, that I am dead certain of!  They were deliciously golden-brown, not excessively so, but enough for it to be plainly visible, and they were a little creamy on the inside so not fully cooked through either which was extremely yummy (let's hope the hen didn't have salmonella, brrrr!). Maybe they're *supposed* to be the way you do them huh? 
More {{{hugs}}} for you!
-L
"But he that hath the steerage of my course,
direct my sail."
-William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act One, Scene IV
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I bet you will do great on the cooking part, then get some sleep!
Best of luck,
Kevin
"Be excellent to each other, and, party on dudes"!
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e
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On fire! |
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179
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I don't think I've ever had an omelet without at least a little color either, except those I've had since I started class. The school teaches the classical French methods (sometimes with slight adaptations due to differences in product quality). The classical French omelet should be yellow, with no brown on the outside. The inside should be a little creamy, but fully cooked. "Fully cooked" doesn't mean "hard." In a restaurant setting where you are producing hundreds per day, no one is going to complain about a little color, especially if it is not a "fine dining" establishment where they are charging a small fortune to their clientele.
{{hugs you back}}
Think good thoughts
e
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On fire! |
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179
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I hope so. I'm gong to start preparing now.
Think good thoughts,
e
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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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I make an omlet with 2 eggs, about 1tbs both finely minced onion and red bell pepper, three tbs cream.
mixed well with a wisk, frothing lightly.
heat the pan (i use a 10 inch french saute) and drop in 1 tbs butter.
Allow the butter to melt and ready the mixture to add just as it begins to brown slightly.
At the last second, wisk 1/2 tsp baking powder into the egg mixture and pour into the center of the pan.
Turn heat down and slowly cook, turning once.
Makes a nice omlet, light as a soufflé.
Yummy
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e
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On fire! |
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179
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For better or for worse, my exams are over. I think I did pretty good on the written, though I know I missed a few. The practiclas weere the killers. Knife cuts are boring and tedious, but I think I did ok. The second night's menu was a tough one. We had to make a schedule for our dishes and stick to it. we had to present them right at the time we put on the schedule or lose points. We were delayed by the instructor from the very beginning and I was 15 minutes late presenting my first dish, but caught up by the third one. I had to present my fourth dish early because the sauce was starting to solidify and I didn't want to lose more points for that. The rest were presented on time, though. My ravioli was killer, but I accidentally threew away the sun-dried tomatoes I had reserved for the sauce. I hope I didn't lose too many points for that. The last night was eggs and potatoes and blanched veggies. I got broccoli with Bernaise sauce, boiled eggs, and Pommes Anna. We never did bernaise sauce in class and we weren't allowed to use any notes so I hope I did it right. At least it didn't break. My Pommes anna was good, but the eggs sucked. I hate stuff that has to be timed and can't be judged until it's on the plate. My soft boiled egg was underdone, the medium was overdone, but the hard was perfect. Oh well. We find out our grades on Monday.
Think good thoughts,
e
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Guest
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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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good thoughts & well wishes for monday when you get your grades! i'm sure you did just fine.
h.
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...So here are many many nice warm huggles for you:
{{{{{{{{{huggggs}}}}}}}}}
...in hopes that you'll get great grades!
Glad your bearnaise didn't break. That probably means you did it right. Best of luck to you for tomorrow my friend.
More hugs:
-L
"But he that hath the steerage of my course,
direct my sail."
-William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act One, Scene IV
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e
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On fire! |
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179
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For the support. I checked the Bernaise recipe and I used the proper ingredients, so it probably did pretty well, though I think it tasted too much like Hollandaise. Since it didn't break, it shows I used the proper method and that is the most important thing in the grading process. I'm figuring that I got a B for the course and that is fine. How much I learn is more impoortant to me than what grade I get, though grades do tend to reflect learning to some degree.
{{HUGS}}
Think good thoughts,
e
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Yesterday I had one of the best dishes I have had in a long time. It was a sauteed lake perch with a crab based cream sauce. Ay the time I thought to myself "I wonder if 'e' is in the kitchen"?
I asked the waitress to send my regards to the chef, and since I felt so strongly about it I stopped the owner on my way out the door to praise the chef, the kitchen, and the dish as fabulous.
I figure, what does it hurt to tell someone they did a good job? Didn't hurt me a bit. ::-)
To all and to borrow from a friend,
Think good thoughts,
Kevin
"Be excellent to each other, and, party on dudes"!
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e
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On fire! |
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179
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I KNOW I do when someone tells me they like my cooking. ::-) Saturday night we had a birthday party for my granddaughter (she's 2). I made these really weird pies (might have mentioned them here before), cocnut and oatmeal. My wife and daughter requested them because they liked them so much the first time I made them. I took four to the party. One of my sisters in law took a whole pie home after she hid it from everyone so it wouldn't get eaten. I've also been told to make more for Thanksgiving dinner. Seems that everyone really liked them.
{{{HUGS}}}
Think good thoughts,
e
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Guest
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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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Now you know the rules....
Each new dish is to be accompanied with it's recipe.
The pie sounds really good.
Puh-leeeeeze send it.... please, please, please, pretty please.
Anxiously awaiting.
Now, has anyone ever heard this one? A good friend told me about it the other day.
You take one cake mix and add to it one 12oz bottle of whatever flavor soda you choose, mix and bake.
I've gottsta try that one.
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e
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On fire! |
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179
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I don't have enough time tonight.
Think good thoughts,
e
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e
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On fire! |
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179
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I got a solid "B" for the entire class and the score on my final over all was an A-. I only got 80% on the practical portion of the exam (the cooking part). My knife cuts were not precise and I screwed up the bernaise sauce because they changed the recipe in class so it was different than the one I studied. The day they did it in class was the day I was absent so I didn't know. Those two things hurt my grade more than anything. What helped was getting a 99% on the written exam. ;-D I missed three questions, but got two of the three extra credit points. Intro 2 starts tomorrow.
Think good thoughts,
e
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I sure think so, so WHEEEEE!
HUGS for the strong showing! Too bad about the bearnaise, but you couldn't know... You used the right technique after all, which shows you know how to do it even if you didn't use the exact recipie they wanted you to. That's a victory for you I would say, even if it doesn't show up on your grades.
Take care and knock 'em dead come next term. ;-D (Um, not *literally*, hehe!)
More hugs:
-L
"But he that hath the steerage of my course,
direct my sail."
-William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act One, Scene IV
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hey, that is AWESOME, e!!!! "only an 80%" ? please!! that's an amazing grade, and if you were gone when they switched the recipie, you can't help that, right? and AMAZING JOB on the written!!!
good luck on intro 2, though i doubt you need it!
my void does not want.
-- 2.13.61.
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e
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On fire! |
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179
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Afterall, I keep telling myself that I am not in this for the grades. I'm in it to learn. But I've always been too much of a perfectionist to accept anything less. I suppose I would be happier with my grades if they had been the same, but the written and practical portions switched. I'd rather be a good cook and not know as much than to know it all and not be as good at it.
I'm not so disappointed with the bernaise sauce as I am with the knife cuts. Knife cuts are very important in French cooking. It's got to LOOK good. I just need to keep practicing. At least I'm becoming more consistent it that all the cuts are close to the same size. That's more important than having them be the right size.
Oh well, Intro 2 starts today.
{{HUGS}}
Think good thoughts,
e
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ohhhh, can i empathise with you on the perfectionism. logically though, you (and i) should know there is nothing shabby with these grades at all.
hope today went well!
h.
my void does not want.
-- 2.13.61.
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e
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On fire! |
Location: currently So Cal
Registered: May 2002
Messages: 1179
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The book where I foiund the recipe called it "Anna's Pie." When I described it to my chef instructor she called it "Orgasmic pie." I think I like her description better.
Orgasmic Pie
2 eggs, beaten
1c sugar
1/2c butter, melted
¾ c milk
¾ c light corn syrup
1 c flaked coconut
¾ c old fashioned oatmeal
2 9-inch pie shells
Preheat oven to 350F
Beat eggs until light. Whisk in sugar, melted butter, milk, and corn syrup. Stir in coconut and oatmeal. Pour into pie shells. Bake until set and golden brown on top. Cool. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Think good thoughts,
e
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"Finals" sounds scary... 
Isn't this worth a "WHEEE!", you think?! 
) 
