Week 7: On Fire!

Saturday was our last class of Mod 1 – we are supposed to know by now sanitation, meat fabrication, stocks, and sauces. I say suppose because everything right now seems a blur, if you gave me a chicken to fabricate it would take me a while, I would turn it this and that way, and eventually get it done, but I still have a long way to go.

The Chef reminded us what would happen on Sunday: final written exam, final practical exam, bring 2 potatoes medium diced, 2 shallots minced, 1 head of garlic minced and parsley minced. An essay on sautéing (done!) all of our recipes typed (done!) and our notes also typed (done), in a nice folder. I was ready, I had typed and printed everything since Thursday. However the Chef decided to ask one of the girls to show us her folder so we could see what he was expecting. Ok this was not a simple folder; this was a binder, with every single page in a sheet protector, dividers, and labels, what the hell??? I hate overachievers; of course I started to panic, mine would look like crap compare to this. So I did say to the Chef: what is your expectation? A folder? A binder? And of course he answered: you give me the best you can do, this will be a reflection of how much you want this and how much you care. Right in the gut! So yes I went to staples got a binder, and sheet protectors – which did make sense for the recipes- and. …That’s it. I included my notes – which had pictures by the way!- and put the essay in a separate – nice- folder!.  I really was not in the best of moods.

Sunday came and I was ready, I had studied my sauces, and was ready to make mayonnaise, medium dice potatoes and prepare broccoli soup. As usual (and not because I am a genius) I finished the written test pretty quickly and went straight into the kitchen to do my work. It was great to have the kitchen for myself; I could work at my pace and not get distracted, this didn’t last long, 20 minutes after others started coming in. I presented my food and got great reviews from the Chef, gave him my binder and my homework. According to him I started in Venezuela with my potatoes, he said I was in Cuba now, I was getting there but still had to practice more, I swear I can’t do a straight cut!

And just like that we were in Mod 2. New Chef, new pace, new methods. The Chef came in very quietly provided her expectations, gave us her background (she had worked in many high ranked restaurants and at Pixar studios running the cafeteria!) and started the class. Finally we were going to do some “real” cooking:  chicken and beef sauté with a pan sauce. The first Chef had taught us to chop in the middle of the cutting board, this new Chef wanted us to chop in the corner of the board so you could angle your knife at a straight angle and get better cuts ja! Who knew? Chef 1 did not believe in rushing, he wanted us to take our time and make our food perfect; Chef 2 gave us specific time windows.  We were asked to chop potatoes by using her method, of course I was taking my time, and then I heard “who am I waiting for to show me their potatoes? Oh just you? (Looking at me) you have 1 minute to finish, and she smiled. – aaaaaah! Talk about embracing change!

After the Chef finished explaining and demoing she wanted each of us to sauté 3 chicken breasts and 3 flank stakes and present the one that we considered the best, in an hour and 15 minutes jajajaja was she kidding me???? Thank God she realized it was too much and said just one chicken and one steak each. Any way it was madness, some of my classmates could no figure out that the recipe was just for reference and you should follow your instincts, for me that meant not doing my entire mise-en-place in little containers and labeled. I started doing my chicken and steak; I have to admit I am good at seasoning, so I knew I had this. Little did I know, my sauces burned, flame was too high and I left the pan too long on the stove, of course whose kitchen had big flames twice – mine! I had to do the sauces all over again, while my chicken and steak were resting and getting cold. I was supposed to check the temp on the steak, 145 for medium rare, I was so rushed that I went with my gut and touching the meat. Suddenly I heard you all have 3 minutes to present, what????? I ran like a chicken without a head, got the plates, mine were missing so I stole from another pile, burned my hand, pour my sauces in each plate, sliced my chicken, sliced my beef ( the wrong way! – let me explain: flank steak is a great cut of meat, however it has this lines, and you have to cut it against the lines, if you don’t the meat will be very chewy, if you cut it right it is very very tender – I have known this for a long time, I have cooked it before many times- anyway at that point there was nothing I could do. She liked my chicken – although I used to much butter so it was almost fried instead of sautéed- my sauce was good but was missing a tiny bit of salt – I hadn’t even had time to try it – steak had a good sear but was a bit rare in the middle – again I did not use the thermometer I couldn’t find in my big bag! – The sauce was very good but it could’ve been reduced a bit more, and of course the meat was cut the wrong way.  Agh! What a day, what a difference, we were going into this headfirst. At the end of the class one of the girls couldn’t find her side towels, and started crying! Like a baby! I totally understood she was just overwhelmed and tired, but there is no crying in baseball so….

So is a new Mod, a new Chef, and a new way of working, no fear! – Like Julia Child said. And as always I can’t wait until next Saturday.