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It's mid-term week.
The mid term in Management by Menu was easy. Mainly because Chef let us look at it last week and some of us (read: me) wrote down the questions. I was able to research the questions that I was unsure of the answer to. Plus, he let us use our notes. As soon as we were finished with the whopping 10 questions we were free to go! I finshed transferring my answers to the official test and was out of class by 7:30.
Next week in Management by Menu we are taking a field trip to a restaurant for dinner to critique their menu and food.
The mid term in Purchasing and Product ID was a two parter. For the first part we had to identify 14 various herbs and vegetables. The second part was a take home. We had to write product specs for 4 of the items from the first part. I rushed home and wrote my specs and loaded them up on the portal. This was a really good excercise for me because I had been putting off starting my product spec project. Now I was 1/10th of the way finished!
Our Product Specifications are due next week. In order to help me finish I am getting a netbook this weekend so I can work on my specs anywhere I am that I can get wifi access.
Until next week,
Ciao!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Culinary School - Week 5
Week 5 of this quarter is review for mid-terms. In Management by Menu we also handed in our lunch menus for our restaurants. We talked a lot about formatting and style. Do we want to use centered or left justified? Font styles and colors. There is some belief that a serif font such as times new roman is easier to read, however, I prefer in all things a sans serif font like arial.
In Purchasing and Product ID we discussed food grading. We also watched this video of Chef Jose Andres being interviewed by the yummy Anderson Cooper for CBS's 60 Minutes.
Chef Jose Andres discusses Molecular Gastronomy.
Next week, the dreaded mid-terms!
Until next week, Ciao!
In Purchasing and Product ID we discussed food grading. We also watched this video of Chef Jose Andres being interviewed by the yummy Anderson Cooper for CBS's 60 Minutes.
Chef Jose Andres discusses Molecular Gastronomy.
Next week, the dreaded mid-terms!
Until next week, Ciao!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Culinary School - Week 4
This week was an easy week at school. In Management by Menu we had to submit our breakfast menu. It didn't need to be in format or menu ready and I had already written up my breakfast and lunch menus so all I needed to do was enter it into word and load it onto the doc sharing portal. That has been done. On Saturday while I was out running around after my massage I stopped in at Scrapbook Island to get some ideas for my final menu. We need to present the teacher with exactly what a customer would get upon being seated in our restaurants. I found a 12" x 6" chipboard album with an acrylic cover that might work perfectly. Yay!
In our Purchasing and Product Identification class we made a field trip to Costco . We looked at different produces and meats comparing grades. It was a short trip and best of all, No Homework!!! Like I said last week, (i think) I need to start working on my product specs and purchasing manual. Those are going to be due before I know it!
We are at week 5 and according to the sylabus, it's midterm week. EEK!
Until next week,
Ciao!
In our Purchasing and Product Identification class we made a field trip to Costco . We looked at different produces and meats comparing grades. It was a short trip and best of all, No Homework!!! Like I said last week, (i think) I need to start working on my product specs and purchasing manual. Those are going to be due before I know it!
We are at week 5 and according to the sylabus, it's midterm week. EEK!
Until next week,
Ciao!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Culinary School - Week 3
In Management by Menu class this week our assignment was to write an 800 word paper on "Why Restaurants Fail". Egad, that's a lot of words! I struggled to reach the set limit and finally gave up when I reached 782 (including my name and the titles). I got an A on it! :) And I don't feel bad about not reaching the 800 word count because the guy that was sitting next to me tonight in class only wrote 293 words.
Our homework for this week is to write up the breakfast menu for our concept restaurant. I have already written it out, I just need to copy it into word and transfer it up to our doc sharing portal. :)
We didn't have any home work in our Purchasing and Product ID class but I do need to start working on my product specs. I have to do specifications on about 40 items. This needs to contain the following things:
Name of Product
Intended use
Brand or Manufacturer
USDA Quality
Size
Quantity or weight
Country of origin
Acceptable Waste or Trim
Package size
Type of Packaging
Processing, preservation and packaging methods
Degree of ripeness
Color
Shelf life
Preparation methods and procedures
Chemical standards
Cost parameters
Until next week,
Ciao!
Our homework for this week is to write up the breakfast menu for our concept restaurant. I have already written it out, I just need to copy it into word and transfer it up to our doc sharing portal. :)
We didn't have any home work in our Purchasing and Product ID class but I do need to start working on my product specs. I have to do specifications on about 40 items. This needs to contain the following things:
Name of Product
Intended use
Brand or Manufacturer
USDA Quality
Size
Quantity or weight
Country of origin
Acceptable Waste or Trim
Package size
Type of Packaging
Processing, preservation and packaging methods
Degree of ripeness
Color
Shelf life
Preparation methods and procedures
Chemical standards
Cost parameters
Until next week,
Ciao!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Culinary School - Week 2
This week in Management by Menu class, the teacher showed us this video (not for the faint of heart!). He said in a way, it involved food. Our assignment for this week is to write a paper on our restaurant concept, including hours of service, and target demographics.
In Purchasing and Product ID the next day we got to watch this video on the swedish super cows. These are some serious cows, people...
After our break we had a product ID test. The teacher had brought in 25 produce items and we had to try and name them. We all got the last one wrong. It was a Hubbard Squash, which none of us had ever seen. There were vegetables, fruits, and herbs. I missed one herb, oregano. I thought it was marjoram. And I confused the sweet potato and the yam. Although, looking at these now, I see that I didn't get them wrong, the teacher did! Hahahahahha! Anyway, I was the one that got the most correct. Because I guess the rest of the class can't tell the difference between Italian flat leaf parsley and Cilantro and I can! Our homework for this week is to write an 800 word paper on "why restaurants fail". UGH!
Until next week,
Ciao!
In Purchasing and Product ID the next day we got to watch this video on the swedish super cows. These are some serious cows, people...
After our break we had a product ID test. The teacher had brought in 25 produce items and we had to try and name them. We all got the last one wrong. It was a Hubbard Squash, which none of us had ever seen. There were vegetables, fruits, and herbs. I missed one herb, oregano. I thought it was marjoram. And I confused the sweet potato and the yam. Although, looking at these now, I see that I didn't get them wrong, the teacher did! Hahahahahha! Anyway, I was the one that got the most correct. Because I guess the rest of the class can't tell the difference between Italian flat leaf parsley and Cilantro and I can! Our homework for this week is to write an 800 word paper on "why restaurants fail". UGH!
Until next week,
Ciao!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Culinary School - Week 1
I am finally realizing the dream I have had for years. I am attending culinary school. I chose "The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of California - Sunnyvale".
I am enrolled in two classes this quarter. Because I am on financial aid, I won't get my chef kit until next quarter. Sadly, my classes this quarter are not food classes. My First class is called Management by Menu. Our project for the class is to create a restaurant name, concept and menu.
Since I don't eat meat on the bone, my restaurant name is "No Bones About It". Obviously, the concept is meat without bones. Once I have my menu set, I will post it here.
My second class is called "Purchasing and Product Identification". For this class we will be creating purchasing specs for every item on our menu and then creating a purchasing manual. I will be using my menu from my other class. I am the only student that has both of these classes this quarter so that will save me some work.
I am beyond excited at this opportunity! I can't wait until next quarter to get my hands on in the kitchen.
We have the opportunity to volunteer for events throughout the year. I did my first event on April 3rd when I worked at the school for a cooking class that we were giving four families from a local church. I had two mothers and two fathers in my group. All of our food was tasty and finished on time. The organizing chef complimented me on my skills. Yay! We earn hours by working at events. When we reach 75 hours we receive a special name tag for our chef coats. At 200 hours we get our name embroidered on our chef coats. That is what I am working for. I have five hours so far!
Until next week, Ciao!
I am enrolled in two classes this quarter. Because I am on financial aid, I won't get my chef kit until next quarter. Sadly, my classes this quarter are not food classes. My First class is called Management by Menu. Our project for the class is to create a restaurant name, concept and menu.
Since I don't eat meat on the bone, my restaurant name is "No Bones About It". Obviously, the concept is meat without bones. Once I have my menu set, I will post it here.
My second class is called "Purchasing and Product Identification". For this class we will be creating purchasing specs for every item on our menu and then creating a purchasing manual. I will be using my menu from my other class. I am the only student that has both of these classes this quarter so that will save me some work.
I am beyond excited at this opportunity! I can't wait until next quarter to get my hands on in the kitchen.
We have the opportunity to volunteer for events throughout the year. I did my first event on April 3rd when I worked at the school for a cooking class that we were giving four families from a local church. I had two mothers and two fathers in my group. All of our food was tasty and finished on time. The organizing chef complimented me on my skills. Yay! We earn hours by working at events. When we reach 75 hours we receive a special name tag for our chef coats. At 200 hours we get our name embroidered on our chef coats. That is what I am working for. I have five hours so far!
Until next week, Ciao!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Orange and Mango Jerky Review
I was recently asked to review Spencers Orange and Mango Jerky from Jerky.com.
I am a huge fan of beef jerky and consider it a mainstay of my go to proteins for on the go snacks. I was looking forward to trying these new flavors from Spencers. The packages are labled "sweet and spicy". As much as it pains me to say it, these just didn't do it for me. At first, when I opened the packages and got a wiff of the smell, my mouth watered but after one bite, the spicieness just overpowered everything else. I couldn't even taste the beef flavor. And after a few chews the beef kind of turned to a mushy paste in my mouth. I am sad that these, for me, did not live up to the other Jerky.com products that I know and love.
I am a huge fan of beef jerky and consider it a mainstay of my go to proteins for on the go snacks. I was looking forward to trying these new flavors from Spencers. The packages are labled "sweet and spicy". As much as it pains me to say it, these just didn't do it for me. At first, when I opened the packages and got a wiff of the smell, my mouth watered but after one bite, the spicieness just overpowered everything else. I couldn't even taste the beef flavor. And after a few chews the beef kind of turned to a mushy paste in my mouth. I am sad that these, for me, did not live up to the other Jerky.com products that I know and love.
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