October 7, 2014

    Wow, it's October already!  I can't believe the leaves are turning colour and the temperature is dropping already.  Time sure does fly by when you're having fun in Culinary School!  The last couple of weeks have been very busy.  Our lab days are done, and we have moved on to the "big kitchens"!  There are 3 kitchens that make up the Okanagan College cafeteria, as well as the Infusions restaurant, and us students spend 6 weeks in each of them.

These "kitchens" are:

     

• Hot kitchen - which prepares the hot entrees for the cafeteria, as well as the lunch buffet for Infusions
• Cold kitchen - which does some of the butchery and prep work, as well as preparing the salad station for the cafeteria and for Infusions.
• Bakery - they're the ones that make the entire place smell like heaven with all the breads and treats they make.  I can't wait to get in there!
• Infusions - this is the fine dining restaurant at the college.  They have an amazing menu that us students cook to order Tuesday to Friday evenings.

Tilt Skillet

    I was placed in the hot kitchen first, which was pretty daunting.  I had visions of running around like a crazy person trying to get everything ready on time.  But, it isn't that bad so far.  I started on the veggie and starch station, and have enjoyed getting the dishes together and learning how the kitchen flows. I've definitely peeled my share of potatoes that's for sure!  I also learned how to use the tilt skillet.  Which is basically a massive frying pan, that has a crank on it to tilt the basin, which makes for easy cleaning and getting your finished product out.  I was terrified of this thing, at first. But after sauteing some veggies with what felt like a canoe paddle, I'm a pro now!

     Today we switched stations, and I moved to the protein station.  Yikes!  The pressure is now on!  It's definitely a lot busier and you really need to know your temperatures for cooking protein.  I made crab and shrimp cakes today and I was dying to try one, but I knew I shouldn't sacrifice a whole one to myself.  So I tried the tiniest piece that broke off while I was pan frying them, YUM!!  I'll have to make those soon!

     Oh, and not to toot my own horn, but Chef Bernard Casavant ended up beside me and was watching me pan fry the crab cakes.  He then said "your crab cakes are a thing of beauty."  OMG!  Thank you Chef!  I was honoured!  If you don't know who he is, he's a pretty big deal in the culinary world.  And, he is the director of the culinary program here at the college.  In other words, yay me!  (We couldn't keep the crab cakes in the serving tray today...they flew out of the place!)

     After a couple of stressful weeks and battling a cold, I think I am finding my groove.  I am learning so much and working with some great people.  And I'm making some pretty awesome food.  Of which I would love to show you all, but it's so busy I barely have time to have a snack during the day.  Which makes it tough being surrounding by all this mouth watering food.

     That's what's been going on with me the last couple of weeks.  A lot of learning and trying to rest up and get through this cold.

     The next recipe is:  Tomato Sauce!  So simple, so delicious!  I'll have that up in the next couple of days!  It's time for me to do some homework :)

Thanks everyone!

~Vicki :)