After a fun-filled and restful winter break, I'm finally back in the classroom and the kitchen. Even though this is going to be a long stretch (35-40 hours a week of class for the next 6.5 months straight), I'm really looking forward to the rest of this semester.
We got off to a running start today during our first post-break Baking Ingredients and Equipment Technology class. Chef Isaac lectured for about an hour on the properties of sugar/sweeteners and the most common varieties found in the bakery, and then we followed him into the kitchen for a sugar tasting. This was one of the coolest things we've done in class so far. Chef brought out a sample of all the different sugars we have in stock at the CIA, and we all got to smell and taste them. I had NO IDEA how many different types of sugar there are. There were all the familiar ones like granulated white sugar and powdered sugar and light and dark brown sugars, but then there were also these varieties:
pearl sugar
doughnut sugar
powdered glucose
muscovado sugar
turbinado sugar
dark cane sugar
demerara cubes
date sugar
powdered maple sugar
sucanat
tamarind
piloncillo
jaggery
Who knew there were that many types? And they all tasted different too, which was the coolest part. The best ones were Indian Jaggery (smelled earthy and musky, tasted bittersweet), Organic Dark Sucanat (an unrefined dark sugar that smelled like incense and tasted like pure molasses), and tamarind (a gummy, sticky brown block of fruit pulp that tasted like sour candy).
Days like this make me feel so lucky to be here.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Accidental ciabatta and scaling a mountain
Friday marked our first official day in the teaching kitchen. We had worked in there before, but only as part of our orientation activities, so this was the first time we worked in teams to execute recipes start to finish.
My teammates are Emily and Pablo (poor kid, he's the only male in our baking and pastry section), and they're both really great to work with. We were responsible for making 5 loaves of bread plus two lemon pound cakes each. The pound cakes turned out really well - golden in color, dense and crumbly. Here's a photo of our finished product:
The bread, on the other hand, was not so great. Or rather, it was delicious, but not what we had set out to make. We were attempting to make a lean dough French bread, but after scaling out our ingredients Chef decided that the dough was looking a little dry and poured excessive amounts of water in each of our mixtures. So instead of a structured, moldable dough, we ended up with a drippy doughy mess. We did our best to roll them into boules and batard shapes, but as soon as we put them all on the canvas to go into the oven they flattened out like pancakes. As the entire class was bemoaning our failure, Chef informed us that we had actually, accidentally, made the perfect ciabatta loaves. Because of its loose cell structure and flattened shape, ciabatta needs a high water to flour ratio. So even though we didn't end up with the product we had planned to bake, we came out of class with some delicious bread to take home and enjoy.
It was really fun to spend a whole day working in the kitchen for the first time, but it was definitely a little chaotic. Nobody in my class has figured out where the ingredients/equipment are located, and we haven't quite gotten the baking routine down yet. Everyone was running around like crazy all day. Hopefully we'll start figuring it out soon and it'll become easier and more organized.
On Saturday I went on a hike with a group of my friends from my dorm. We went to Mount St. Helena and climbed to the top of the southern peak, which was about 8 miles round trip. Parts of it were difficult and it was definitely tiring but it was totally worth it, especially when we got to picnic on the top of the mountain. This photo was taken on the way up:
My friends, from left to right, are Andrew, Shandell, Natalie, Katie, and Michael.
Everyone showered and rested when we got home from the hike, and when we came back downstairs to the dorm common room, we found Michael in the kitchen cooking us dinner. He's from Nigeria and he cooked us the most amazing Nigerian fried rice with shrimp. It was probably the best meal I've had since I got here, which is crazy because Michael is in my class and just got into the teaching kitchen two weeks ago.
I had the most amazing weekend hanging out with friends, eating delicious food, and (occassionally) working on my homework. I'm a little nervous because I have my first CIA quiz tomorrow in my Baking Ingredients and Equipment Technology class, but I think I'll have enough time to study tonight so hopefully it'll be okay. And I know this week will go by really quickly because break is coming up on Friday. I love it up here, but I'm excited to come back home in four days. See you all soon!
My teammates are Emily and Pablo (poor kid, he's the only male in our baking and pastry section), and they're both really great to work with. We were responsible for making 5 loaves of bread plus two lemon pound cakes each. The pound cakes turned out really well - golden in color, dense and crumbly. Here's a photo of our finished product:
It was really fun to spend a whole day working in the kitchen for the first time, but it was definitely a little chaotic. Nobody in my class has figured out where the ingredients/equipment are located, and we haven't quite gotten the baking routine down yet. Everyone was running around like crazy all day. Hopefully we'll start figuring it out soon and it'll become easier and more organized.
On Saturday I went on a hike with a group of my friends from my dorm. We went to Mount St. Helena and climbed to the top of the southern peak, which was about 8 miles round trip. Parts of it were difficult and it was definitely tiring but it was totally worth it, especially when we got to picnic on the top of the mountain. This photo was taken on the way up:
Everyone showered and rested when we got home from the hike, and when we came back downstairs to the dorm common room, we found Michael in the kitchen cooking us dinner. He's from Nigeria and he cooked us the most amazing Nigerian fried rice with shrimp. It was probably the best meal I've had since I got here, which is crazy because Michael is in my class and just got into the teaching kitchen two weeks ago.
I had the most amazing weekend hanging out with friends, eating delicious food, and (occassionally) working on my homework. I'm a little nervous because I have my first CIA quiz tomorrow in my Baking Ingredients and Equipment Technology class, but I think I'll have enough time to study tonight so hopefully it'll be okay. And I know this week will go by really quickly because break is coming up on Friday. I love it up here, but I'm excited to come back home in four days. See you all soon!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
yummy
The culinary classes are in the middle of French cooking right now, so this is what I had for dinner tonight:
frog legs
coq au vin
escargots
cassoulet
bouillabaisse
sweetbreads
foie gras
petit gateaux
It. Was. Delicious.
And the pastry class above us is in the middle of their midterms, which means we get to eat all of the cakes and truffles that they're making for their final projects. I have never eaten desserts that good.
This, truly, is the major perk of culinary school.
frog legs
coq au vin
escargots
cassoulet
bouillabaisse
sweetbreads
foie gras
petit gateaux
It. Was. Delicious.
And the pastry class above us is in the middle of their midterms, which means we get to eat all of the cakes and truffles that they're making for their final projects. I have never eaten desserts that good.
This, truly, is the major perk of culinary school.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Rant
Generally speaking, I'm really glad that I went to a four-year college before starting the CIA. For one thing, Vassar was the traditional (and wonderful) college experience that I would have missed out on if I had gone straight to culinary school, because as much as the administration here refers to Greystone as a "college environment," it's really not very collegiate at all. And secondly, it's great that I got the rough college transition thing out of the way four years ago because it has allowed me to settle into Greystone without any homesickness or unease or complication. This is more than I can say for my friends, most of whom are 18 years old and fresh out of high school. Even my roommate, though she is the same age as me and has also graduated from college, is living away from home for the first time ever. I'm so glad that Vassar forced me to experience all of this and get over it before moving here, because it has allowed me to focus all of my thoughts and energy on my studies instead of my "transition."
But I'm starting to get the feeling that the CIA doesn't value previous college experiences as much as I do, because they have enrolled me in a class called "First Year Seminar." It is absolutely, without a doubt, the biggest waste of time I have ever seen. First of all, the point of the class is to get people accustomed to college life and teach them how to perform academically at a college level. Never mind that over half of us have completed at least some college in the past, and a few of my classmates are over forty years old.
It also happens to be the most patronizing and embarrassingly simple class I have ever sat through. Never have I felt more condescended to than in the hour and a half I spent listening to our teacher today. The professor spent almost 20 minutes explaining to us how to read a textbook. And then, because she assumed we still didn't understand, she felt the need to demonstrate by borrowing someone's textbook and reading aloud. For ten excruciating minutes. It was so useless that it actually made me angry. I can't believe I'm paying thousands of dollars to learn from a teacher who thinks it groundbreaking to say things like, "It might help you learn if you take notes during lectures," or "I think the best way to be successful is for you to attend your classes." I'm pretty sure I learned better study skills than this in second grade.
I just think it's completely ridiculous that I already have a Bachelor's degree and I still have to sit through a 15-week "what to expect as you begin college" course. Especially when it's taught by a woman who clearly assumes we're all stupid. Ugh.
But, in happier news, the rest of my courses are going pretty well. They've mostly been demo and sit-down classes so far this week, but we'll be baking in the kitchen for the entire day on Thursday and Friday. I can't wait!
My social life is coming together too. I've found myself a good group of friends (4 other girls in my class), and tonight we went out for ice cream after dinner and then got together in my room to watch a Christmas special on TV while we did our homework. I might be going into San Francisco this weekend with my roommate if we don't have too much homework. I'll keep you posted :)
But I'm starting to get the feeling that the CIA doesn't value previous college experiences as much as I do, because they have enrolled me in a class called "First Year Seminar." It is absolutely, without a doubt, the biggest waste of time I have ever seen. First of all, the point of the class is to get people accustomed to college life and teach them how to perform academically at a college level. Never mind that over half of us have completed at least some college in the past, and a few of my classmates are over forty years old.
It also happens to be the most patronizing and embarrassingly simple class I have ever sat through. Never have I felt more condescended to than in the hour and a half I spent listening to our teacher today. The professor spent almost 20 minutes explaining to us how to read a textbook. And then, because she assumed we still didn't understand, she felt the need to demonstrate by borrowing someone's textbook and reading aloud. For ten excruciating minutes. It was so useless that it actually made me angry. I can't believe I'm paying thousands of dollars to learn from a teacher who thinks it groundbreaking to say things like, "It might help you learn if you take notes during lectures," or "I think the best way to be successful is for you to attend your classes." I'm pretty sure I learned better study skills than this in second grade.
I just think it's completely ridiculous that I already have a Bachelor's degree and I still have to sit through a 15-week "what to expect as you begin college" course. Especially when it's taught by a woman who clearly assumes we're all stupid. Ugh.
But, in happier news, the rest of my courses are going pretty well. They've mostly been demo and sit-down classes so far this week, but we'll be baking in the kitchen for the entire day on Thursday and Friday. I can't wait!
My social life is coming together too. I've found myself a good group of friends (4 other girls in my class), and tonight we went out for ice cream after dinner and then got together in my room to watch a Christmas special on TV while we did our homework. I might be going into San Francisco this weekend with my roommate if we don't have too much homework. I'll keep you posted :)
Monday, December 5, 2011
Weekend Recap and Homework Woes
I survived my first weekend on the CIA campus!
Saturday was my day of fun - I went to the closest mall (which is still 45 minutes away) with my friends Katie, Shandell, Clarissa, and Natalie so that we could buy dresses for the winter formal that night. Then we had a getting-ready party in our room and headed off to the dance, which was held in the main campus building. The formal was AMAZING. The Greystone building, which already looks significantly like a castle, looked even more gothic and beautiful with all of the Christmas decorations up. They had candelabras on all the tables, dozens of fir trees and strands of twinkling lights, tables of amazing food (duh), and best of all a photobooth, which is where my friends and I spent most of the night. When I get a chance I'll post some of the ridiculous pictures we took.
We spent the rest of the night dancing with the other students there. The CIA is funny like that... there are only 250 students enrolled in the school and we all have classes at the same time, so you get to know everyone really fast. All of the baking and pastry students started off dancing in one small group but pretty soon everyone was dancing with everyone else. It's a really inclusive school. I've only been here for 9 days but I feel like I already recognize most of the faces.
After the dance my roommate and I and a bunch of our friends went to hang out in this kid Steven's room where we spoke in Spanish and listened to people play the guitar until like 3 in the morning. It reminded me a lot of a night I would have spent at Vassar, which was pleasant and nostalgic all at once.
Sunday was horrible. It turns out they actually assign a lot of homework in culinary school. Like, a lot. My roommate and I worked on homework from 10:30 in the morning until 8:00 at night, with only a short break for lunch, and only managed to finish our work for one class. Out of five.
And it's no different today either. Mondays are light class days - we only have one lecture to sit through from 7:00 AM until 9:00 AM, meaning I'm back in my dorm and finished with my day before some people wake up in the morning. This was great today because it gave me a chance to work on the endless piles of coursework I have for my other four classes this week (which I still haven't quite finished), but I'm kind of worried that if the workload keeps up like this I won't be able to finish it on the days when I don't get out of class until 2:00. I'm not sure what to do about this... I'm hoping everything will settle down once I get into the routine of things and I'll start to get a handle on how to manage my time better. And, on the plus side, this definitely beats the homework I was doing last year at this time. At least now I'm reading about food chemistry and recipe formation and things I'm actually interested in.
Saturday was my day of fun - I went to the closest mall (which is still 45 minutes away) with my friends Katie, Shandell, Clarissa, and Natalie so that we could buy dresses for the winter formal that night. Then we had a getting-ready party in our room and headed off to the dance, which was held in the main campus building. The formal was AMAZING. The Greystone building, which already looks significantly like a castle, looked even more gothic and beautiful with all of the Christmas decorations up. They had candelabras on all the tables, dozens of fir trees and strands of twinkling lights, tables of amazing food (duh), and best of all a photobooth, which is where my friends and I spent most of the night. When I get a chance I'll post some of the ridiculous pictures we took.
We spent the rest of the night dancing with the other students there. The CIA is funny like that... there are only 250 students enrolled in the school and we all have classes at the same time, so you get to know everyone really fast. All of the baking and pastry students started off dancing in one small group but pretty soon everyone was dancing with everyone else. It's a really inclusive school. I've only been here for 9 days but I feel like I already recognize most of the faces.
After the dance my roommate and I and a bunch of our friends went to hang out in this kid Steven's room where we spoke in Spanish and listened to people play the guitar until like 3 in the morning. It reminded me a lot of a night I would have spent at Vassar, which was pleasant and nostalgic all at once.
Sunday was horrible. It turns out they actually assign a lot of homework in culinary school. Like, a lot. My roommate and I worked on homework from 10:30 in the morning until 8:00 at night, with only a short break for lunch, and only managed to finish our work for one class. Out of five.
And it's no different today either. Mondays are light class days - we only have one lecture to sit through from 7:00 AM until 9:00 AM, meaning I'm back in my dorm and finished with my day before some people wake up in the morning. This was great today because it gave me a chance to work on the endless piles of coursework I have for my other four classes this week (which I still haven't quite finished), but I'm kind of worried that if the workload keeps up like this I won't be able to finish it on the days when I don't get out of class until 2:00. I'm not sure what to do about this... I'm hoping everything will settle down once I get into the routine of things and I'll start to get a handle on how to manage my time better. And, on the plus side, this definitely beats the homework I was doing last year at this time. At least now I'm reading about food chemistry and recipe formation and things I'm actually interested in.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Photo Post
It's time for a virutal tour of my life on campus!
This is Greystone, the converted Christian Brothers winery that serves as our campus building. It holds all teaching kitchens, lecture halls, classrooms, and even the student store and CIA restaurant. It's gorgeous right now because they've recently put up the Christmas decorations.
The pastry kitchen, called the Bakeshop, is where we have been working this week to make our breads. You can see the mixers against the far wall, the ingredient scaling station off to the right, and the giant hearth ovens over by the windows.
This is Greystone, the converted Christian Brothers winery that serves as our campus building. It holds all teaching kitchens, lecture halls, classrooms, and even the student store and CIA restaurant. It's gorgeous right now because they've recently put up the Christmas decorations.
This is beautiful St. Helena, home to hundreds of wineries. The vineyard in the forefront belongs to the Beringer estate, which is located on the same street as my dorm.
Vineyard Lodge II is the name of my dorm. You can see my window in this picture - it's the second from left on the top floor. We're located about a mile off campus, so a shuttle comes bright and early every morning to take us to breakfast.
The pastry kitchen, called the Bakeshop, is where we have been working this week to make our breads. You can see the mixers against the far wall, the ingredient scaling station off to the right, and the giant hearth ovens over by the windows.
I made this gorgeous French bread in class today. Chef Isaac taught us to mix and knead the dough, all by hand, to get the best possible results. A lot of love went into this bread - hand kneading, shaping, proofing, scoring, and baking. And yes, it is as delicious as it looks :)
This is the pastry tool kit that we received on our third day here. This backpack is full of over 100 tools and pieces of equipment hidden in the various pockets, and it is my new favorite possession. I am obsessed with these shiny new toys.
Meet some of my new classmates! My roommate Natalie is the one closest to the camera on the left, and behind her are Emily, Jodi (from La Cañada!), and Shandell. On the other side are Melinda, Katry, and Clarissa. I took this photo during break this morning as we waited for our bread to finish baking.
We're a cute little group :)
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