Week 28
My practical was on Monday and I passed with flying colors. I got the lamb medallions with mustard and calvados sauce, duchess potatoes, and glazed carrots, fish course was rolled sole fillets with veggies and sauce vin blanc. Sooo I was more than a little nervous but I managed to get everything done with a whopping 10 seconds to spare. I also managed to cut my hand pretty badly. I'm all healed up now and ready for my next class, only two weeks left! I only had class for two days this week so there isn't much to say, Wednesday we ate dinner at the restaurant at school and the rest of the week we were off.
This week is Techniques of Healthy Cooking, and next week is Advanced Culinary Techniques, which is getting ready for the graduation reception. I can't believe it is almost over. We've started packing and most of our furniture has been claimed by people we know. Two weeks to go!
Lots of love to one and all
Abby
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Week 26-27 of Culinary School
Week 26 of school was the end of our Asian class. We put on a lunch that we could invite guests to, which was fun. David came, of course, and got to have a delicious Japaneses meal. I was the executive chef, so I got to run around and trouble shoot for everyone and make sure everything got done.
Here are some pictures from our Japanese meal.
Week 27 you could cut the tension with in the air with a knife. Our final practical exams started Tuesday. Some people passed and some people didn’t and get another shot at it on March 4th. The test is the same format as the last semester practical, we draw our menu 30 minutes ahead of time, and have 2.5 hours to cook a fish course and a main course with veg. and starch for 4 people. Mine is on Monday, ie tomorrow, and I’m pretty much in a mild panic at all times. I have been having strange dreams and I think it’s the stress coming out in my sleep.
The class we have been in is Food and Wine Pairing for Chefs. We had presidents day off, and had a field trip (wine tasting in Sonoma) on Friday o we have really only had three days of class. We cook food to go with specific wine, and have a lot of lecture. Next week we have 2 days of class, and then a dinner on Wednesday at the restaurant at school. We get Thursday and Friday off! I cant wait to be done with my practical and have a few days off to recover! I’ll post on Monday PM or Tuesday and let everyone know how I did.
Lots of love to one and all
Abby
Here are some pictures from our Japanese meal.
Week 27 you could cut the tension with in the air with a knife. Our final practical exams started Tuesday. Some people passed and some people didn’t and get another shot at it on March 4th. The test is the same format as the last semester practical, we draw our menu 30 minutes ahead of time, and have 2.5 hours to cook a fish course and a main course with veg. and starch for 4 people. Mine is on Monday, ie tomorrow, and I’m pretty much in a mild panic at all times. I have been having strange dreams and I think it’s the stress coming out in my sleep.
The class we have been in is Food and Wine Pairing for Chefs. We had presidents day off, and had a field trip (wine tasting in Sonoma) on Friday o we have really only had three days of class. We cook food to go with specific wine, and have a lot of lecture. Next week we have 2 days of class, and then a dinner on Wednesday at the restaurant at school. We get Thursday and Friday off! I cant wait to be done with my practical and have a few days off to recover! I’ll post on Monday PM or Tuesday and let everyone know how I did.
Lots of love to one and all
Abby
Feb 16--The Ocean
Last Saturday Abby and I got up, packed a picnic lunch, and headed over to the coast for the day. We went to Bodega Bay, which is where Hitchcock filmed The Birds. We drove out onto Bodega Head and found a picnic table overlooking the water. We had a great view of the seals playing in the surf while we ate. After lunch we hiked around the head and took a few photos.
Next we drove up the coast to Fort Ross, an old Russian settlement from the 1800's. It had exhibits about the settlers and the local Indians. It was a cool place to walk around. Here's Abby by the well.
On our way back down the coast, we saw a bunch of seals sunning themselves on a beach next to the road, so we stopped to check them out. It was nice and windy there, so we decided to fly our kite, too.
All in all, it was a great way to spend a Saturday in the middle of February.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Week 23-25
Week 23-25
Week 23 was the end of B and P. We made some fancy decorated cakes and prepared for our practical. The practical consisted of baking 36 rolls, in two different shapes, 2 sponge cakes, 12 chocolate éclairs, and 1 pie crust. We had to make all of this and present it in 4 hours. I finished in 3 and got a 86% which was one of the highest grades in the class. This was the first practical that some of our class didn’t pass, so it was pretty intense. The girl taking the test next to me did her piecrust 3 times and didn’t have one that she wanted to turn in. She didn’t pass the test…Yikes!
Week 24
Week 24 – 26 will be my last real class, cuisines of Asia. Monday we went on a field trip to a Sake factory in Oakland, Oakland China town, and an Asian mall in Berkeley. Tuesday – Friday we did Chinese, Japanese and Korean food. The food was fun and we all really enjoyed eating all of the different foods.
Week 25 we did one more day of Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. I helped my teammate Cara kill a live crab, which was pretty interesting, and delicious when she coated it in yummy chili paste and stir-fried it. Some of the ingredients are a little weird, like dried whole itty bitty fish, dried itty shrimp, shrimp paste (which needs to be toasted before used which smokes and smells up the entire kitchen. EEwwwww!!!) and last but certainly not least fish sauce! Fish sauce is like Asia’s ketchup. It is one of those things that is ok until you find out how it is made. They take millions of whole little fish and pack them in giant open top barrels in between layers of salt. They let this ferment for 1 year bringing it outside to sit in the 95 degree heat of Thailand until it becomes juicy (eeww) and then they drain off the juice and you have …fish sauce! My chef, Chef Ken, had us make a dipping sauce for our Vietnamese food. The sauce was made from fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, chili peppers, and raw garlic. We made this sauce at 7:02 in the morning. Pre-coffee fish sauce tasting is not fair!
Besides fish sauce I was elected to be the executive chef for our last day of class restaurant project. Next Friday we are having a Japanese restaurant at our school during lunchtime. Sushi, hibachi, and tempura galore. It should be really fun.
Only 5 more weeks of school and we're selling our furniture to our co-workers. We're already thinking about the move home.
I’m off to make crepes for David for our faux Valentines Day. We made a big steak dinner last night and crepes with strawberries this morning. We both work on Thursday so we thought we would celebrate early.
Lots of love to everyone, and I cant wait to see you all soon!!!
Abby
Week 23 was the end of B and P. We made some fancy decorated cakes and prepared for our practical. The practical consisted of baking 36 rolls, in two different shapes, 2 sponge cakes, 12 chocolate éclairs, and 1 pie crust. We had to make all of this and present it in 4 hours. I finished in 3 and got a 86% which was one of the highest grades in the class. This was the first practical that some of our class didn’t pass, so it was pretty intense. The girl taking the test next to me did her piecrust 3 times and didn’t have one that she wanted to turn in. She didn’t pass the test…Yikes!
Week 24
Week 24 – 26 will be my last real class, cuisines of Asia. Monday we went on a field trip to a Sake factory in Oakland, Oakland China town, and an Asian mall in Berkeley. Tuesday – Friday we did Chinese, Japanese and Korean food. The food was fun and we all really enjoyed eating all of the different foods.
Week 25 we did one more day of Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. I helped my teammate Cara kill a live crab, which was pretty interesting, and delicious when she coated it in yummy chili paste and stir-fried it. Some of the ingredients are a little weird, like dried whole itty bitty fish, dried itty shrimp, shrimp paste (which needs to be toasted before used which smokes and smells up the entire kitchen. EEwwwww!!!) and last but certainly not least fish sauce! Fish sauce is like Asia’s ketchup. It is one of those things that is ok until you find out how it is made. They take millions of whole little fish and pack them in giant open top barrels in between layers of salt. They let this ferment for 1 year bringing it outside to sit in the 95 degree heat of Thailand until it becomes juicy (eeww) and then they drain off the juice and you have …fish sauce! My chef, Chef Ken, had us make a dipping sauce for our Vietnamese food. The sauce was made from fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, chili peppers, and raw garlic. We made this sauce at 7:02 in the morning. Pre-coffee fish sauce tasting is not fair!
Besides fish sauce I was elected to be the executive chef for our last day of class restaurant project. Next Friday we are having a Japanese restaurant at our school during lunchtime. Sushi, hibachi, and tempura galore. It should be really fun.
Only 5 more weeks of school and we're selling our furniture to our co-workers. We're already thinking about the move home.
I’m off to make crepes for David for our faux Valentines Day. We made a big steak dinner last night and crepes with strawberries this morning. We both work on Thursday so we thought we would celebrate early.
Lots of love to everyone, and I cant wait to see you all soon!!!
Abby
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Weeks 21 and 22, Leigh, Jelly Belly, Whistler
It has been so so long since we last posted that too much has happened to tell you everything. We are going to hit the high points, include some pictures and promises to do better for the tail end of our time in Napa.
First off school – I’m in baking and pastry class (weeks 21-23). My home work consists of piping whipped Crisco into frosting borders on a sheet of cardboard. Now we have advanced into writing Happy Birthday in chocolate on the board. When Leigh came out she referred to it as my “board of fat” for the whole weekend. My group for this class is great, Joel and Doug, my boys, so I’m happy. My Chef’s name is Stephen Durphy, and he was the original pastry chef of the French Laundry (The super fancy place where we ate dinner in the fall)
Next off Leigh!!! - My Leigh –Anna came out to Napa Jan 10-13. We had a blast hanging out, watch Gilmore Girls (sorry David) eating pizza and drinking tons of wine. We went wine tasting at a few places, one of which Sterling Vinyards, we got to ride their tram to get the tasting room. It was very fun to have her here to hang out with. We both really missed her when she left on the 13th.
In no particular order – Jelly Belly factory!!
We went to tour the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield Jan 3rd, which was on our list of things we wanted to do before we moved. It was a fun tour watching the jellybeans being made. We bought a ton of belly flops, which are the reject jellybeans, which we are sending out to people to share.
Finally Whistler – Abby was sick and it was chilly, but was still had a great weekend. We met Wade and Ali’s friends Jason and Kaitlin at the SFO airport and flew up to BC with them. The 8 of us had a blast. We celebrated both Dad’s and Kaitlin’s Birthdays over the weekend and skied a ton.
Enjoy the Photos and love to one and all
Abby
First off school – I’m in baking and pastry class (weeks 21-23). My home work consists of piping whipped Crisco into frosting borders on a sheet of cardboard. Now we have advanced into writing Happy Birthday in chocolate on the board. When Leigh came out she referred to it as my “board of fat” for the whole weekend. My group for this class is great, Joel and Doug, my boys, so I’m happy. My Chef’s name is Stephen Durphy, and he was the original pastry chef of the French Laundry (The super fancy place where we ate dinner in the fall)
Next off Leigh!!! - My Leigh –Anna came out to Napa Jan 10-13. We had a blast hanging out, watch Gilmore Girls (sorry David) eating pizza and drinking tons of wine. We went wine tasting at a few places, one of which Sterling Vinyards, we got to ride their tram to get the tasting room. It was very fun to have her here to hang out with. We both really missed her when she left on the 13th.
In no particular order – Jelly Belly factory!!
We went to tour the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield Jan 3rd, which was on our list of things we wanted to do before we moved. It was a fun tour watching the jellybeans being made. We bought a ton of belly flops, which are the reject jellybeans, which we are sending out to people to share.
Finally Whistler – Abby was sick and it was chilly, but was still had a great weekend. We met Wade and Ali’s friends Jason and Kaitlin at the SFO airport and flew up to BC with them. The 8 of us had a blast. We celebrated both Dad’s and Kaitlin’s Birthdays over the weekend and skied a ton.
Enjoy the Photos and love to one and all
Abby
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Jan 2nd 60 degrees and sunny
Today David and I both had the day off of work, after working 5 days straight at D and D. I know that most people work 5 days in a row every week, but the holidays in retail is no fun at all, and we were more than ready to get out of there last night.
Today started with David and I making a delicious breakfast of homemade biscuits and sausage gravy. Then we were off to target, to do some shopping and continue on our registering quest. Then we had a lovely burrito lunch, which we ate out side in the sunshine. Then we came home and played a little tennis, again outside. I know when I was home I said I missed the snow and cold, but man was it fun to play outside today.
Tonight we are grilling a little pizza, and then our friend Ricardo is coming by for a glass of vino (how very Napa).
Lots of love to all, and I hope everyone is keeping warm in the Midwest.
xoxoxoxoxoxoox
Abby
Today started with David and I making a delicious breakfast of homemade biscuits and sausage gravy. Then we were off to target, to do some shopping and continue on our registering quest. Then we had a lovely burrito lunch, which we ate out side in the sunshine. Then we came home and played a little tennis, again outside. I know when I was home I said I missed the snow and cold, but man was it fun to play outside today.
Tonight we are grilling a little pizza, and then our friend Ricardo is coming by for a glass of vino (how very Napa).
Lots of love to all, and I hope everyone is keeping warm in the Midwest.
xoxoxoxoxoxoox
Abby
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