My internship here at my dad’s is coming to an end soon. It actually ends early may but I’ll be here until June. It’s been a great experience overall so far. Lots of caterings and bantering in the kitchen. Even though I haven’t been serving foie gras torchon I feel I’ve learned a lot. A lot about front of the house and all around restaurant business tips. I work with a great sense of urgency and always being productive. I already have my classes set up at IPFW for hospitality management. I’m so glad I finished my associates degree in culinary arts in 1 year rather than 1. I Know it didn’t teach me everything, but it has helped tremendously. Meeting master chefs and hearing stories of the trade were awesome. I have experience from attending Anthis Culinary arts, working at Vince’s, and working at the Orchard Ride Country Club. I want to take an internship at a restaurant that I highly respect, but I have to choose between a Job that I really need or an experience of a lifetime. Maybe I could have both, but I don’t know what prerequisites a great restaurant like that requires. I know I have the passion and the mindset needed. I already have a job offer where I used to work, but I don’t know if it’s what I want. Only time can tell what is to come.
Read an article today concerning the foundation of a signature dish. Stressing on points of being creative for the sake of being creative. Why try to be creative when sometimes the ingredient’s purpose is lost? It also pointed out that some young chefs are more concerned about spherification than carving a chicken. I feel that both are things to know and be educated on how it works. Although carving a chicken seems simple it may not be when it comes actually doing it. That is just a small example. On a larger scale I feel the chef was making a point towards young chefs forgetting about where food really began. Not using sodium alginate baths, soy lecithin, agar, Methylcell and other various new ingredients in modern applications. That there are more important things to know like how to roast a juicy chicken or how to prepare a great beef stock. Personally, I feel that cooks today have to be well rounded and on to the new thing while still being grounded to tradition. I used to think it was badass whenever I was making these mother sauces in my high school kitchen, but then I started learning of these crazy innovations in modern kitchens, which we as Americans are extremely late on. I felt that what I had learned was inferior to what was going on today. But I look back and think of the roux coming together and how good it felt to see the sauce thickened and full of flavor. At
Some point in time these were the techniques seen as modern and applied to all commercial kitchens. I started thinking and I realized that cooking is a lot like cars. Even though that 2012 Audi is freaking sick and has all these cool gadgets there’s still a 1970 cheville that even in 2012 is still highly regarded. Classic vs modern. There’s no true winner there. But if you familiarize yourself with both then you gain respect for the past and the present. I have recently been experimenting with various techniques like spherification and I’m not ashamed to admit it because with that I’m still tied deeply to traditional
Cooking and extracting the best possible flavor. In high school and even college they never taught us how to do these new techniques so its up to me to learn about them on my own and use traditional techniques to produce good food. Ill still respect the buerre Blancs, rouxs, and mother sauces forever, but if there’s a better way to get a cleaner flavor then I’m all for it.
Fresh tarts might sound good and look really simple to make, but when you’re busting out a bunch of minatiaure ones….not so fun. It’s like trying to get quaddruplets dressed when they have just learned how to use their legs. It’s all worth it in the end. I’ve slowly made my way onto the line due to making new dishes to soon future. I’m not only involved in the kitchen, but many aspects like closing and opening. We have caterings almost everyday for Pharm. Reps and also a few random caterings for funerals…weddings. It’s all great fast paced experience. I’m also helping develop the new website by taking pictures and learnign how to run the site which is pretty cool. I’m getting so much out of this internship. Not just food, but restaurant business. More to come.
These little guys take some time, but it’s worth it in the end. Gnocchi…the cool name and pleasing pasta is a treat to make and eat. There’s more than one way to skin a cat they say just like there are a couple ways to cook and make gnocchi . Some say to boil with skin on or some to bake. I’ve tried peeled and diced potatoes and taking them out before being water logged and also boiling whole skin on potatoes. I have experienced little difference. I then rice the potatoes to incorporate air. I ad various seasonings and some Parmesan cheese. For the restaurant I parboil them and then shock. I portion some out for the restaurant and the rest I freeze. We use them
Pretty fast so they dont really last. We let the guests choose what sauce to bake it in, but I like it with a Gorgonzola cream sauce and a nice crispy topping. Very simple, feel good food. I’m getting ready to start doing more experimental things and I’ll post that later. I like the idea of simplistic food like we have at my dad’s restaurant. A few ingredients go a long way.
Got my specials selling pretty quick now. Simple stuff like Creme brûlées, fresh fruit tarts, and tiramisu really sell. Our gnocchi is also getting well known now. My molecular gastronomy supplies is finally coming in as well. This has been a hell of a work
Week. Not slowing down though just speeding up. I need to
Post more in depth posts and and really explains what I’m doing. With time.
More desserts and entrees on the way for Marcello’s. Feeling like I’m not really part of the kitchen team since I’m mainly just testing out recipes, but soon testing will become entrees. I need to increase my kitchen endurance. I also want to get more creative.
Alright…Finally my dishes for my Dad’s restaurant have been making their way to guests. I already ordered a little kit that will help me build a foundation for experimental cuisine. I hope to make some trippy stuff to show my dad and family. More pics will be up soon! I know I barely have followers,but thank you for following me. I’ve been working a lot, but mainly I’ve been doing caterings and forming simple recipes. I’m happy to be surrounded by clanking pans and sizzling food. I havent talked to my girlfriend all week! She’s been on a mission trip in Nicaragua….I miss her. She gives me inspiration to be more and do more.
I have just been here a few days in Cali. Still settling in. I have been testing out various simple recipes with my
Dad to add to his menu. The food we have tested so far is just some calamari, caprese salad, and Arancini. I’m ready for more which is why I’m heading our to Sacramento tomorrow. New ingredients.
Phew! All finals are done now. I feel good about all of them except for leadership. I’m sure I didn’t do that hot at all. All in all I’m happy to have gotten the pleasure of attending one of the most highly respected Culinary schools in U.S, and even the world. I learned so much from the chefs here who are extremely talented. Culinary school is sometimes laughed at or looked and deemed as unnecessary. Although I’m not gonna remember every single thing
Mentioned here I will take what I do know and apply it to the real world. Culinary school is entirely different from working in professional kitchens. The
Food waste is the owners money in the trash, but here it was your own ha. Culinary school has exposed me to different cultures and foods. People feel that by going to culinary school you’re able to cook things perfectly every time, but it’s not true at all. Real work experience is what’s gonna set you apart. I feel I have a better grasp now in understanding food, but Im relying on working to expose me to more. I’ll never stop learning. I’ll continue to read and cook. My next step in the near future is to purchase Modernist Cuisine. Until then….”Welcome to the real world, homie; School’s finished.” - k. West
