Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Culinary school, day two.

What I learned on Day Two:

1. There are many of us that have the same three classes on Tuesdays.

2. There are few who are serious culinary students. If the rest make it that far, I do not see them surviving an internship. Especially not in a restaurant with real line cooks. It's a bummer because the department head said they turned away 40 people already this semester. All the classes are full.

3. I have fantastic chefs (professors) with tons of experience. They are tough, they don't baby anyone and they expect you to follow the rules. I love this. I hope this washes out at least a few of the "students" that view this program like a Williams-Sonoma cooking class.

4. There are only two or three of us who have any knife skills. Most of them appear to have never held a kitchen knife before.

5. In spite of my excellent knife skills, I need to practice the tournee cut.

6. We have a reach-in cooler with left over food the students can eat. I can't wait to dig in.

7. I can't wait to learn more, but I have a feeling this semester is going to go too fast.

8. In my Baking I lab on Friday, I'm going to make baguettes.

9. We are encouraged to bring a camera to labs.

10. I am absolutely positively in the right program. I don't see why I can't get the internship I want and after graduation get a job at a Michelin starred restaurant.

11. I am one of very few students to wear a uniform to class. My chefs have noticed. So have the other students.

12. I finally learned how to tie my neckerchief.

13. Safety and Sanitation is going to be necessary but only occasionally interesting.

14. I need to hit the ILC (Individualized Learning Center) for math help. I had no problem with differential equations at NCSU, but fractions make me cry.

15. I have a lot of homework to do already. A lot of it is memorizing stuff. I need to make flash cards.

7 comments:

Kristina P. said...

It sounds like this is a perfect fit for you! Especially that dig-in cooler!

tchaike said...

Dig at the Willy notwithstanding, excellent news! Glad it's going to be ... educational!

Shoshanah Marohn said...

All goes well, then! Nice.

It's funny how some people just sort of go to college for no particular reason. I've never understood that.

Waiting for more updates...

FoxyMoron said...

I'm so glad you have found the place you're meant to be right now.

Kathy B! said...

AWESOME!

That dig-in cooler would be a problem for me. I have zero self-control

slanted.enchanted said...

I'm so jealous! that sounds amazing. Congrats on being uber professional, even learning to tie a neckerchief! that's impressive: ) Let us know how the baguettes go, cause that sounds superyum!

peewee said...

That sounds so fun. On some level I SO miss being in school. But mostly just for buying all new stuff and being teacher's favorite.

i can't wait to say "I knew you when..." (even if I don't KNOW you.. technicalities)