Recap!!

Phew! I am SO sorry! It has been way too long and I thought I could keep this up. It's funny, because I had been reading other blogs from fellow CIA students and they would have huge gaps in their blogs and I would get so frustrated. Now, I get it. :)

Anywho, things have been happening so fast so let me bring you up to speed.

I finished my 15 weeks fundamentals course along with my 'Baking Ingredients and Equipment Tech' class, First Year Seminar, Culinary Math, and Gastronomy classes.

Then we jumped into the culinary world, in Cafe Savory for 3 short weeks. In this class we made stocks, broths, and soups from scratch (i.e. boiling a chicken carcass with herbs and veg in water to create a stock.) We made sandwiches, pastrami (sooo good), salads, dressings, vinegarettes, smoothies, stuffed burgers, and so much more. This class was pretty nuts. We had our ups and downs adjusting to a new Chef and a new field. Everyone (myself included) was happy to get out of that class.

During this class and the next class we took Intro to Management and Menu Development. Menu Development is a class that we are supposed to take after we return from our externships, but a few of us decided to take it early because we had transferred out of College Writing, so we decided to take it early. It was a tough tough class, but I pulled it off and learned a lot. I, and my two teammates built a business plan, labor costing packet, and a prototype menu for a Wine & Dessert Bar we created. It was so great to learn the steps in creating a business.

Our next class was Principles of Design (3wks). This. Is. NOT. An. Art. Class..... Guess what kiddies, it's an art class. We came in, put sweatshirts on, plugged in out headphones and worked on 'design' projects by either: drawing, coloring, airbrushing, cutting and gluing paper, or sculpting. It was awesome! The Professor was an interesting character but aside from that, it was great. I love being able to sit down and do what I do best. My two favorite projects were to sculpt out of clay a little figure that could be used to make a chocolate truffle. I made a baby Hedgehog and named him Frankie <3

My other favorite project was the Menu Design project. The idea was that you picked a theme of your choosing and created four desserts for that menu. I decided on 'A Christmas Story' Theme: it is both my and my boyfriend's favorite Christmas movie. The front I hand drew Ralphie with his Red Ryder Rifle. The inside I drew Ralphie in his pink Rabbit pj's and named the dessert 'Aunt Clara's handmade strawberry Panna Cotta with a Cotton Candy Top', Flick's tongue stuck to the pole with a 'Tongue numbing Christmas Spice Ice-cream' with an orange-cranberry compote, Ralphie spilling his dad's hubcap screws with 'Fuuuuuuuuuuuudge' shaped like Oldsmobile hubcaps, and The leg lamp with 'The Fra-gee-lay' a Tiramisu layered in a wine glass. I unfortunately forgot to take pictures of the inside, but I gave it to my boyfriend, Tom so I know it is safe. :)

Basic & Classical Cakes (3wks): This is our first class back in the Bakeshop in 6 weeks! We were dying to get in there and do what we came here for. We have been making cake after cake, tarts, pithiviers, eclairs, cream puffs, etc etc. I have been refining my cake frosting skills and getting much more confident in my abilities. Our Chef is 85 and was born in the Alps; he knows everything. He is a great instructor and I have learned so many tricks of the trade from him.

What's next? Individual Pastry Production and Hearth Breads & Rolls. I have found my Externship site at Max Downtown, in Hartford CT. I will be living with my boyfriend and in father during that time. I am so excited to get that started :) :) :)