Hello all! I have been working hard lately and have been unable to post about my exciting adventures. But I did warn you on my previous post that this could happen so you can't get mad :)
I have completed my first 3 weeks at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and feel great. Next week, a new batch of students will be starting so I am no longer the newbie! Here is the low down of what I have done at the CIA thus far:
Week 1: Orientation.
So if you ask most if not all CIA students about orientation, they will warn you that your ears will be talked off and you will drown in a sea of information. Yes, this is true, there is A LOT of information. HOWEVER, it is information that you will be glad that you have so listen up! It is mentally draining to listen to several speakers for eight or so hours a day, but believe me, you will get past it. :) Day 1 involved some pre schedule testing and registration. We got out ID cards, parking permits, mailbox keys, etc etc.
Our ID card is very important! This card allows me to get into the gated parking area, lets me into the Rec Center, AND is my meal swiper. Through my tuition, there is a mandatory meal plan you must pay for. This pays for 2 meals a day, which you use your ID card to get. You get your meals from a student kitchen in Roth Hall (The main building). I always use my 2 swipes for lunch and dinner because they have a continental breakfast every morning. This is like the breakfasts you find in hotels (yogurt, bagels, muffins, cut fruit, whole fruit, cold cereal, waffles). This is PLENTY for me, so I don't waste my swipe for breakfasts.
Here was the meal plan during orientation week (M-F) Breakfast was optional; being off campus I decided just to have breakfast at home until I learned of the AMAZING continental breakfast my second week. Lunch and dunner were both in the East Dining Hall. This is not the typical dining hall the students eat in. We eat in Farquarson Hall; a HUGE room that looks like the dining hall in Hogwarts (not kidding). The East Dining hall is in another building and is a 3 course meal. This dining hall is actually a class for students to learn to waitstaff. To ensure that the students have people to practice on, they have the orientation students come in. The service takes up to 2 hours so you have to be patient, but my god it is worth it. I remember my very first appetizer and I will never forget it. The appetizer was a puff pastry with green beans and mushrooms in a mushroom cream sauce. At first I was very skeptical because I am not a fan of mushrooms; I love them now. I could have eaten everyone's appetizer it was so good! A main course follows, and then a dessert. The meals were very nice and the service was promising.
Now back to Day 1: After lunch we partook in 'Team Building'. This was a very summer campy part of the orientation but pretty fun. I connected with a few of my fellow baking students and some culinary students. Afterwards we recieved a time to gather out loaner jacket and the rest of out uniforms. My loaner jacket was HUGE so they fit me in a smaller size for my embroidered jackets that I would recieve on week 2.
Day 2:
A lot of lecture and a lot of food :)
Day 3:
For Baking students, this was a day off. Culinary students had Friday off.
Days 4 & 5:
I am FINALLY in the kitchen! I meet my Chef, Chef Utera. He is a great guy and I am looking forward to learning as much as I can from him.
WEEK 2:
Week 2 is actually considered the first week, because I am actually in my classes. I am taking: Culinary Math, First Year Seminar, Baking Ingredients and Equipment Technology, Food Jobs, and Baking and Pastry Techniques. The first week of classes is basically an introduction. 'Hi I'm ____, I've been in this industry for X years. This is what we'll be doing....' Don't get me wrong though, I have already had a TON of homework, but it's been a lot of fun.
Baking and Pastry Tech (BP Tech) Week 2: This is my kitchen class, so this will be the one you'll be interested in :)
We started by learning the creaming method (if you want to know what it is, look it up or pay an arm and a leg to come learn it ;) haha). Our first project was chocolate chip cookies. We are teamed up into pairs; my partner's name is Eunhye, but she goes by Jasmine. She and I are a great team so I hope we don't get switched up later on. Jasmine is fairly new at baking so I really enjoy showing her step by step how to do something. This helps me retain the information even better than I had it before. We made approx. 45 cookies but only baked 15 each (30 in all). After baking, we were told to take 12 home for homework... haha sure, homework ;) Don't worry, I shared!
Week 3:
This week is a short week because of the Holiday weekend so we have Friday off. Because of this, we put two days into one for BP Tech. Today (Thursday) we continued our creaming method practice by making Marble Pound cake, Steusel Pound cake, and blueberry muffins. We also touched on the Blending method by making corn muffins. Jasmine and I did very well and finished our baking before dinner time! After dinner Chef went through each team and cut into one of each muffin and each pound cake to critique the insides. Our corn muffins had a bit of tunneling (air trapped) and the blueberries weren't completely distributed evenly, but all in all we did well :)
For one of our homework assignments we have to pipe using piping gel. Our first assignment was to pipe 10 straight lines, 10 wavy lines, and 'Happy Birthday'. This sounds easy, but you'd be surprised. We also had to make a marzipan rose. This is due at the beginning of every class (thurs and fri).
So far I am holding on and am not overwhelmed. I am having a lot of fun and am learning so much. Also, I have been expanding my palate by trying new things during lunch and dinner. Since I've been here I've tried: Duck, Duck Confit, mussels/clams, and some other things. It's been great so far so I am excited to see what's next!
Sorry about the lengthy post! I am trying to give as much info as I can!! :)
Megan
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
The Evening Before it all Begins...
Hello all,
Yes, I know it has been very long since my initial post; but guess what? It is May 6, and my program starts on May 7! I just reread my first post on this blog and I feel like I have accomplished so much already! I don't like talking about finances, so I will simply say that that is taken care of for now. I am currently sitting on my couch in my New York apartment; it's been a lot of fun living on my own.
My mom took the cross country trip with me to help me get settled. That trip took about 4 1/2 days, which really wasn't that bad. But I was very glad when we finally made it to my apartment. I had a lot of issues with U-Haul and their U-box shipping container not arriving when they said it would. My mom had to fly out before the box could arrive so I was left to deal with that on my own (but we did hire a couple of movers to haul the heavy stuff). After being in my apartment for almost two weeks, I finally was able to unpack and make my apartment feel like home. Here is a couple of pictures:
I am very happy with the space I have, and am glad that I chose to live off campus versus on. Marissa (my 16 year old cat) also loves the space and being the only cat. She has free reign of the water, food dish, and litter box which makes her pretty content.
I really enjoy being in New York. For those of you who don't know, this is the farthest east I have ever been. I didn't really research the area before moving here so expected New York to be this highly urban area with no trees or grass, graffiti everywhere, and gunfire at night. Yes, I am aware that this is a stereotypical view, but that is what I expected. When I got here, I was genuinely shocked at how green it was. Being a Northwestern native, I feel I know green, and I felt that no where else in the United States could even compare. Oh God, I was so wrong! It is so beautiful here, and not nearly as much rain! So, I get the same green as I had in the Northwest, but without the depressing and constant downpour. :)
The environment has been my first comment when I am asked how New York is. Here are a few things I have noticed since being here that I feel I should mention :)
In my observations, I have noticed that no one checks their blind spots when driving. I have had many close calls with some people (knock on wood that my luck continues) throwing themselves into my lane without stopping. Being here, I have had to learn to be extra quick on my feet and to not be afraid to honk my horn. I've never been one to honk unless it was completely necessary; it's always necessary here.
Speed limits aren't used unless there is a cop blatantly in sight. I drive on Route 9 (the main highway I use) and the speed limit on the main stretch is 55 and then 45. If you go these speed limits there will be a train of 30 cars on your behind and they will not switch lanes.
Gas pumps don't have those little plates that hold the gas pump for you and clicks shut when you're full. I know this is a weird one, but I am used to it doing it for me; now I have to hold the gas nozzle and guess how much gas I need (I am always a little under so no overflows yet) :)
Apparently, I have an accent! I went to the pharmacy and gave my street name and pronounced Albany with an A as in apple. He asked me where I just moved from and afterwards he told me that no one pronounces it that way; they say it with an A like Auto. The New York accent is definitely all over, but there are different levels. My neighbor has a pretty typical New York accent (like the ones in the movies), but a lot are very slight.
There are a TON of graveyards. I see at least two no matter where I drive! I suppose if you think about it, the East is a lot more established, therefore more dead people. The headstones are all very old and many are very large and ornate. I guess this would be cool; and it is, but it still creeps me out. There are also a LOT of Funeral Homes. Not even exaggerating, there are two funeral homes on the same street one block away from one another.
Aside from the eerie aspects, Hyde Park is beautiful. Apparently it is a historical town, which I like a lot. Franklin D Roosevelt's home is here, and the Vanderbilt Mansion. (Both have group tours). There is a drive in theater, and a small, old theater called the Roosevelt that has $5 Tuesdays for brand new movies! Both my mom and I saw The Hunger Games for $10 all together! There is a roller rink (have not been yet) and a cute breakfast cafe which I know I will be a regular of.
Being from Washington (home of Starbucks) I am used to having several Starbucks within walking distance of one another. Over here, that is Dunkin' Donughts. My closest Starbucks is about a 10 minute drive, and the next one is another 10 minutes from there. I actually enjoy coffee stands and am not tied down to Starbucks, it is just totally different than I am used to.
Being in a historic town, there is no graffiti. The place is well kept and feels like a quaint small town, which is great.
That's all I have for you for now. I have orientation tomorrow at 7:45 am until 5:30 pm so it'll be a long day. I will be taking a Math Challenge Exam of 25 questions to see if I can transfer my college math class for Culinary math, which they just started doing. I don't mind taking a math class, but I like the idea of being exempt from it if I take and pass a 25 question test. This wouldn't lessen my tuition costs but would open up my schedule. For this Semester, I know I have transfer credits for Food Safety and Nutrition, which is two classes (tests and homework) I won't have to worry about, so adding math to that list would be nice for my first semester here at the Culinary. We will also be registering vehicles, probably touring the campus, etc etc. tomorrow. Orientation lasts for four days, so I'm sure I'll be well informed by the end of this week!
I will keep you posted as much as I can. I have read blogs from other students and have noticed that they get too busy so miss a couple of weeks of posting so please be patient :)
Megan <3
Yes, I know it has been very long since my initial post; but guess what? It is May 6, and my program starts on May 7! I just reread my first post on this blog and I feel like I have accomplished so much already! I don't like talking about finances, so I will simply say that that is taken care of for now. I am currently sitting on my couch in my New York apartment; it's been a lot of fun living on my own.
My mom took the cross country trip with me to help me get settled. That trip took about 4 1/2 days, which really wasn't that bad. But I was very glad when we finally made it to my apartment. I had a lot of issues with U-Haul and their U-box shipping container not arriving when they said it would. My mom had to fly out before the box could arrive so I was left to deal with that on my own (but we did hire a couple of movers to haul the heavy stuff). After being in my apartment for almost two weeks, I finally was able to unpack and make my apartment feel like home. Here is a couple of pictures:
I really enjoy being in New York. For those of you who don't know, this is the farthest east I have ever been. I didn't really research the area before moving here so expected New York to be this highly urban area with no trees or grass, graffiti everywhere, and gunfire at night. Yes, I am aware that this is a stereotypical view, but that is what I expected. When I got here, I was genuinely shocked at how green it was. Being a Northwestern native, I feel I know green, and I felt that no where else in the United States could even compare. Oh God, I was so wrong! It is so beautiful here, and not nearly as much rain! So, I get the same green as I had in the Northwest, but without the depressing and constant downpour. :)
The environment has been my first comment when I am asked how New York is. Here are a few things I have noticed since being here that I feel I should mention :)
In my observations, I have noticed that no one checks their blind spots when driving. I have had many close calls with some people (knock on wood that my luck continues) throwing themselves into my lane without stopping. Being here, I have had to learn to be extra quick on my feet and to not be afraid to honk my horn. I've never been one to honk unless it was completely necessary; it's always necessary here.
Speed limits aren't used unless there is a cop blatantly in sight. I drive on Route 9 (the main highway I use) and the speed limit on the main stretch is 55 and then 45. If you go these speed limits there will be a train of 30 cars on your behind and they will not switch lanes.
Gas pumps don't have those little plates that hold the gas pump for you and clicks shut when you're full. I know this is a weird one, but I am used to it doing it for me; now I have to hold the gas nozzle and guess how much gas I need (I am always a little under so no overflows yet) :)
Apparently, I have an accent! I went to the pharmacy and gave my street name and pronounced Albany with an A as in apple. He asked me where I just moved from and afterwards he told me that no one pronounces it that way; they say it with an A like Auto. The New York accent is definitely all over, but there are different levels. My neighbor has a pretty typical New York accent (like the ones in the movies), but a lot are very slight.
There are a TON of graveyards. I see at least two no matter where I drive! I suppose if you think about it, the East is a lot more established, therefore more dead people. The headstones are all very old and many are very large and ornate. I guess this would be cool; and it is, but it still creeps me out. There are also a LOT of Funeral Homes. Not even exaggerating, there are two funeral homes on the same street one block away from one another.
Aside from the eerie aspects, Hyde Park is beautiful. Apparently it is a historical town, which I like a lot. Franklin D Roosevelt's home is here, and the Vanderbilt Mansion. (Both have group tours). There is a drive in theater, and a small, old theater called the Roosevelt that has $5 Tuesdays for brand new movies! Both my mom and I saw The Hunger Games for $10 all together! There is a roller rink (have not been yet) and a cute breakfast cafe which I know I will be a regular of.
Being from Washington (home of Starbucks) I am used to having several Starbucks within walking distance of one another. Over here, that is Dunkin' Donughts. My closest Starbucks is about a 10 minute drive, and the next one is another 10 minutes from there. I actually enjoy coffee stands and am not tied down to Starbucks, it is just totally different than I am used to.
Being in a historic town, there is no graffiti. The place is well kept and feels like a quaint small town, which is great.
That's all I have for you for now. I have orientation tomorrow at 7:45 am until 5:30 pm so it'll be a long day. I will be taking a Math Challenge Exam of 25 questions to see if I can transfer my college math class for Culinary math, which they just started doing. I don't mind taking a math class, but I like the idea of being exempt from it if I take and pass a 25 question test. This wouldn't lessen my tuition costs but would open up my schedule. For this Semester, I know I have transfer credits for Food Safety and Nutrition, which is two classes (tests and homework) I won't have to worry about, so adding math to that list would be nice for my first semester here at the Culinary. We will also be registering vehicles, probably touring the campus, etc etc. tomorrow. Orientation lasts for four days, so I'm sure I'll be well informed by the end of this week!
I will keep you posted as much as I can. I have read blogs from other students and have noticed that they get too busy so miss a couple of weeks of posting so please be patient :)
Megan <3
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