It's been over a week since I first walked in to King + Duke in Atlanta. Tonight will be my 6th shift in a row without a day off, and while I'm ready for a day to myself, I am also very happy with my position. I thought, by now, I would be raging and foaming at the mouth because I've been working for almost a week straight, but I'm not. I'm HAPPY. I have never worked in a restaurant where everyone is happy. There is not one sour face in that place! Everyone wants to be at work, and if they don't, at least they remain professional and put on a good smile for their entire shift. It's amazing.
Now, no place is perfect. I have, during my time at King + Duke, spent about half of my time plating desserts, and the other half washing dishes. For whatever reason, we only have one dishwasher when we are supposed to have AT LEAST two. I think the ideal amount is four, but nothing is ever ideal. I have stayed at work for several nights until around 1:00 AM washing dishes with the rest of the line, but let me tell you, even when we get done serving 300+ people and we step off the line to wash dishes, we are all still laughing and joking around. It's not even a bad time when we're having to bust our asses to clean up a station that is not ours. I am so surprised with everyone's attitude at this place, and I hope it lasts.
Also, we do SO MANY COVERS. (A cover=a guest). On Saturday, the first time I was by myself for more than a few minutes, we did 400+ covers and made $24,000. We were only open from 5:30-11 PM. I am not kidding when I tell you that I have only ever been that busy a few times in my life, and I have chosen not to remember them. The most people I ever plated for at Restaurant Eugene was around 120, so I stepped into a situation where I'm plating for 3x that many! However, I hope you guys don't think I'm complaining. This is the exact opposite of that, actually. I am so proud and excited to be a part of this restaurant group. People love our food and our service, and I am so stoked to be providing them with awesome desserts to finish off their time in the restaurant.
Things at home are great as well. Daniel and I are LOVING our new apartment, we don't have any complaints so far. Any time we have had a problem, maintenance comes right over to fix it. For example, when we moved in, our dishwasher was busted. I called the office manager and he put an order in. The maintenance men came to check it out the next day, and ordered the new appliance as soon as they left. We just had it installed a few days ago, and it is awesome. Speaking of appliances, my dad also drove up from Jacksonville to deliver our washer and dryer! He also installed it, and saved us a lot of time and effort. Our house is becoming a home!
So, to conclude, everything is awesome. I am so excited and happy about my decision to come back to Atlanta, and I hope that my enthusiasm for this place continues to build as time passes. I hope all of my readers get a chance to come visit me, if they can. I would love to have some guests to show around! Much love, everyone.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
First Atlanta Update
We're here! We're settled in, with the majority of our boxes unpacked and disposed of. I am sitting comfortably on the couch, watching television, waiting out a nasty cold, and waiting for Daniel to get off of work. He started today, while I just had my orientation with Rocket Farm this morning. I start my new position at dinner service tomorrow.
Orientation today was very enlightening. It started with a 3-hour talk by a man who has lived all over the world, and trained the employees of many types of restaurants and resorts. He gave a lecture about the proper way to give great service, and used several very inspirational stories from his past. It left me feeling very excited and ready to work for this company. At first, I was a little annoyed with having to do this orientation, but after it was all said and done, I felt relieved. I feel like I work for an ACTUAL company, not just some thrown-together organization that only deals with problems as they arise. This company has policies in place to deal with every day kitchen problems like sexual harassment, drugs, alcohol, and even vacation days. I never thought I would fit in well with a "restaurant group", but I'm happier than ever. The Rocket Farm Group cares so much about their employees, and I'm excited that my first job in the real world is with them.
I haven't started work yet, and I'm sure once I get there, I will discover things that I don't love about this place. Until then, though, I am very impressed with their policies and expectations of their employees.
Now, as promised, I will leave you guys with a few pictures of our finished apartment!
There ya go! This is our new life, starting now. I am so ecstatic that Daniel is here with me to share these experiences. So now it's time to start! Here we go! I'll update as life starts progressing!
Orientation today was very enlightening. It started with a 3-hour talk by a man who has lived all over the world, and trained the employees of many types of restaurants and resorts. He gave a lecture about the proper way to give great service, and used several very inspirational stories from his past. It left me feeling very excited and ready to work for this company. At first, I was a little annoyed with having to do this orientation, but after it was all said and done, I felt relieved. I feel like I work for an ACTUAL company, not just some thrown-together organization that only deals with problems as they arise. This company has policies in place to deal with every day kitchen problems like sexual harassment, drugs, alcohol, and even vacation days. I never thought I would fit in well with a "restaurant group", but I'm happier than ever. The Rocket Farm Group cares so much about their employees, and I'm excited that my first job in the real world is with them.
I haven't started work yet, and I'm sure once I get there, I will discover things that I don't love about this place. Until then, though, I am very impressed with their policies and expectations of their employees.
Now, as promised, I will leave you guys with a few pictures of our finished apartment!
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| Bedroom #1 |
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| Closet Space |
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| Upstairs Hallway |
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| Full Bathroom |
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| Staircase |
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| Second Bedroom |
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| Living Room from the Staircase |
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| Front Door |
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| Kitchen |
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| Kitchen! |
Friday, February 14, 2014
Georgia on my mind.
Well, I'm here.
Daniel and I drove to Atlanta in the midst of a terrible ice storm, but we made it. Not only did we make it, we pulled into our apartment complex and promptly unloaded the entire 17' U-Haul by ourselves. Our new two-story apartment went from completely empty to chock-full of Erin and Daniel within a matter of hours. We're still working towards organizing the final few boxes of miscellany, but we're almost done.
It feels strange, but it feels amazing. I'm here, I'm home. I love this city, despite it's HORRENDOUS drivers, and the slower pace that comes along with living in a southern city. Our apartment is great, our new jobs will be great, and the people we have already spoken to since we got here have assured us that we will feel welcomed and happy throughout our entire stay in this place.
I want to thank my parents, mostly, for our success in getting here. Without their financial and emotional support through all of the crappy stuff that kept happening to us, we never would have made it. Literally, they paid for the truck that housed all of our stuff. They never cease to amaze me when it comes to supporting their children, and this is just one testament to how much they want to help us succeed. Mom and Dad, you guys are seriously the best. I could not have asked for better parents.
I will be sure to post pictures of our apartment when everything has a place, but until then, I hope everyone has a Happy Valentine's Day. Much love, everyone.
Daniel and I drove to Atlanta in the midst of a terrible ice storm, but we made it. Not only did we make it, we pulled into our apartment complex and promptly unloaded the entire 17' U-Haul by ourselves. Our new two-story apartment went from completely empty to chock-full of Erin and Daniel within a matter of hours. We're still working towards organizing the final few boxes of miscellany, but we're almost done.
It feels strange, but it feels amazing. I'm here, I'm home. I love this city, despite it's HORRENDOUS drivers, and the slower pace that comes along with living in a southern city. Our apartment is great, our new jobs will be great, and the people we have already spoken to since we got here have assured us that we will feel welcomed and happy throughout our entire stay in this place.
I want to thank my parents, mostly, for our success in getting here. Without their financial and emotional support through all of the crappy stuff that kept happening to us, we never would have made it. Literally, they paid for the truck that housed all of our stuff. They never cease to amaze me when it comes to supporting their children, and this is just one testament to how much they want to help us succeed. Mom and Dad, you guys are seriously the best. I could not have asked for better parents.
I will be sure to post pictures of our apartment when everything has a place, but until then, I hope everyone has a Happy Valentine's Day. Much love, everyone.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
The Final Countdown. (Complete with radical guitar rift.)
Well, I've been waiting for the right moment to start posting again, and it seems like I have picked today. The last time I wrote in this blog was LAST SEPTEMBER, and so many (and yet, so few) things have happened since then.
In retrospect, all I really went through in the past four months was a few different class schedules. I finished modern cakes with a good grade, and moved through breads class like a breeze. The schedule for breads was the worst part, simply because I had to adjust my whole life for three weeks. I respect bread bakers so much after that class, I would have a terrible time existing on the opposite schedule as the rest of the world. I guess there is an upside, however, if they ever flew around the globe, they would be significantly less jet-lagged than the rest of us. After breads was Chef Coppedge's "Advanced Baking Principles" block, then service class with Mr. C, as well as the ominous wines class with Professor Kolpan. I did not dread wines like some of my classmates, and I did quite well. I discovered early on that the people who fail wines are the people who don't study properly. I went to a University before coming to the CIA, so preparing for exams was not an issue for me. (Plus I really, REALLY like wine.) After wines was Apple Pie, which was the most trying experience I have had at the CIA.
Apple Pie is operated and managed by Chef Ballay, who, if you remember, was my chef for Individual Pastry Production. You may also remember, that IPP was not my favorite class. I did moderately well, and walked out with a B, but chefs never remember your moderate days, they remember your worst ones. As it turns out, the only memory Chef Ballay has of me was the day when I dropped his gingerbread house on the floor. Mind you, this was ONE BAD DAY I had out of an entire three-week block. But of course, he doesn't remember me for all of the times I produced nice product, showed up on time, and busted my tail for him, he only remembers the sound of that cookie house smashing to bits on the tile.
To continue, Chef Ballay is in charge of putting students on their stations for the three weeks we spend in Apple Pie. His favorites get put on pastry with him and his MIT, the ones who want breads get put in the bread kitchen, and the screw-ups get put in savory (unless you request it). Savory position entails: frying french fries, prep work, plating salads, and occasionally plating specials. I got shafted to savory. I got placed on the hot line for three solid weeks because of ONE bad day.
I will say, in retrospect, that working savory was by far the best option. Pastry students ended up having to stay for 13-hour days on occasion, but I was always tapped out right at 1:30. Breads students loved what they did, but they had to be at school at 11:45 PM, which would not have worked for my work schedule (or my life). I didn't learn much working on the hot line, as I feel that apes could plate salads or fry french fries, but I definitely had a better time than a lot of the people in my class.
Since Apple Pie, however, I have seen the light at the end of the tunnel. I did very well on the expediting station in the front of house of Apple Pie, and I did even better in Chef Knaster's Plated Desserts class. It was during my time right before Chef Knaster's class that I made progress in the real world...I got a job.
During Christmas break, Daniel and I went down to Florida to visit my parents. While we were there, we made a short trip to Atlanta, where I interviewed for a position at King + Duke as "head plater". I got the job that day. I start on February 18th at the restaurant, and Daniel and I move into our new apartment just a few days before that. I cannot wait.
Being so close to the end has been such a strange experience, I'm wrapping up my time here in the best way possible: I'm working on the pastry station with my all-time favorite chef, Melissa Walnock in American Bounty. She was my fundamentals teacher when I first started school here, and she is now the last chef I will work with at the CIA. I knew that finishing up with her would be amazing, and I was right. Mary and I work the prep shift, so we arrive at class at 6:30 to put away the food order and begin our work. We have family meal at 10:15 (it's always SO GOOD), and then we work until 1:30, or until all of our list is completed. I love our little, happy, pastry family that we have in Bounty. Chef Walnock is a forever inspirational, understanding, and empowering leader. She has worked hard to achieve what she has, and you can see it in the way she carries herself. All of her desserts not only look wonderful, but taste delicious, and I am honored to call her my chef.
Walking around the halls of this place even feels different. I don't feel as egotistical as I thought I would, instead I have been humbled by this experience. I feel so small, but so very big at the same time.
I went to speak to a newly-begun fundamentals class the other day with a few of my classmates, and it was very surreal. I was telling MYSELF the things that I wish someone had told me when I started. I recapped, in one sentence, what I wish had been emphasized to me since day one: Make the chefs tell you everything they know, and take full advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. I have no regrets from being at this school; I met the love of my life, I made the best friend(s) I will ever need or want, and I formed unbreakable bonds with some of the most amazing chefs I will ever encounter. I do, however, wish I had been more involved from the get-go. I wish I had shaken the tree of "Chef Knowledge" from the day I walked into the building for the first time, and that I had been unrelenting in my quest of knowledge from these teachers. Since I returned from externship, I have made it my mission to ask every question that comes to mind, and be exactly the person I want to be in my professional life. I only wish I had started earlier.
Graduation is in two weeks, and I could not be more ready, but not, excited, but nervous, or ecstatic, but devastated. I will never know another group of people like the ones I have worked with at this school, and saying goodbye to them will be harder than they will ever know.
I'll keep you posted. Until then, I hope everyone is doing well, and has not missed me too much ;)
Here's a link to the restaurant I will be working at in Atlanta:
http://www.kinganddukeatl.com/
In retrospect, all I really went through in the past four months was a few different class schedules. I finished modern cakes with a good grade, and moved through breads class like a breeze. The schedule for breads was the worst part, simply because I had to adjust my whole life for three weeks. I respect bread bakers so much after that class, I would have a terrible time existing on the opposite schedule as the rest of the world. I guess there is an upside, however, if they ever flew around the globe, they would be significantly less jet-lagged than the rest of us. After breads was Chef Coppedge's "Advanced Baking Principles" block, then service class with Mr. C, as well as the ominous wines class with Professor Kolpan. I did not dread wines like some of my classmates, and I did quite well. I discovered early on that the people who fail wines are the people who don't study properly. I went to a University before coming to the CIA, so preparing for exams was not an issue for me. (Plus I really, REALLY like wine.) After wines was Apple Pie, which was the most trying experience I have had at the CIA.
Apple Pie is operated and managed by Chef Ballay, who, if you remember, was my chef for Individual Pastry Production. You may also remember, that IPP was not my favorite class. I did moderately well, and walked out with a B, but chefs never remember your moderate days, they remember your worst ones. As it turns out, the only memory Chef Ballay has of me was the day when I dropped his gingerbread house on the floor. Mind you, this was ONE BAD DAY I had out of an entire three-week block. But of course, he doesn't remember me for all of the times I produced nice product, showed up on time, and busted my tail for him, he only remembers the sound of that cookie house smashing to bits on the tile.
To continue, Chef Ballay is in charge of putting students on their stations for the three weeks we spend in Apple Pie. His favorites get put on pastry with him and his MIT, the ones who want breads get put in the bread kitchen, and the screw-ups get put in savory (unless you request it). Savory position entails: frying french fries, prep work, plating salads, and occasionally plating specials. I got shafted to savory. I got placed on the hot line for three solid weeks because of ONE bad day.
I will say, in retrospect, that working savory was by far the best option. Pastry students ended up having to stay for 13-hour days on occasion, but I was always tapped out right at 1:30. Breads students loved what they did, but they had to be at school at 11:45 PM, which would not have worked for my work schedule (or my life). I didn't learn much working on the hot line, as I feel that apes could plate salads or fry french fries, but I definitely had a better time than a lot of the people in my class.
Since Apple Pie, however, I have seen the light at the end of the tunnel. I did very well on the expediting station in the front of house of Apple Pie, and I did even better in Chef Knaster's Plated Desserts class. It was during my time right before Chef Knaster's class that I made progress in the real world...I got a job.
During Christmas break, Daniel and I went down to Florida to visit my parents. While we were there, we made a short trip to Atlanta, where I interviewed for a position at King + Duke as "head plater". I got the job that day. I start on February 18th at the restaurant, and Daniel and I move into our new apartment just a few days before that. I cannot wait.
Being so close to the end has been such a strange experience, I'm wrapping up my time here in the best way possible: I'm working on the pastry station with my all-time favorite chef, Melissa Walnock in American Bounty. She was my fundamentals teacher when I first started school here, and she is now the last chef I will work with at the CIA. I knew that finishing up with her would be amazing, and I was right. Mary and I work the prep shift, so we arrive at class at 6:30 to put away the food order and begin our work. We have family meal at 10:15 (it's always SO GOOD), and then we work until 1:30, or until all of our list is completed. I love our little, happy, pastry family that we have in Bounty. Chef Walnock is a forever inspirational, understanding, and empowering leader. She has worked hard to achieve what she has, and you can see it in the way she carries herself. All of her desserts not only look wonderful, but taste delicious, and I am honored to call her my chef.
Walking around the halls of this place even feels different. I don't feel as egotistical as I thought I would, instead I have been humbled by this experience. I feel so small, but so very big at the same time.
I went to speak to a newly-begun fundamentals class the other day with a few of my classmates, and it was very surreal. I was telling MYSELF the things that I wish someone had told me when I started. I recapped, in one sentence, what I wish had been emphasized to me since day one: Make the chefs tell you everything they know, and take full advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. I have no regrets from being at this school; I met the love of my life, I made the best friend(s) I will ever need or want, and I formed unbreakable bonds with some of the most amazing chefs I will ever encounter. I do, however, wish I had been more involved from the get-go. I wish I had shaken the tree of "Chef Knowledge" from the day I walked into the building for the first time, and that I had been unrelenting in my quest of knowledge from these teachers. Since I returned from externship, I have made it my mission to ask every question that comes to mind, and be exactly the person I want to be in my professional life. I only wish I had started earlier.
Graduation is in two weeks, and I could not be more ready, but not, excited, but nervous, or ecstatic, but devastated. I will never know another group of people like the ones I have worked with at this school, and saying goodbye to them will be harder than they will ever know.
I'll keep you posted. Until then, I hope everyone is doing well, and has not missed me too much ;)
Here's a link to the restaurant I will be working at in Atlanta:
http://www.kinganddukeatl.com/
Monday, September 9, 2013
Second-Stream
I have a lot on my mind as I begin my next class at the CIA.
What sucks about this forum is that I can't openly express myself out of fear of offending my classmates, my school, or the chefs that I work with every day.
Regardless of that, I want you all to know that I have finally found the thing that makes me want to cry every time I have even the slightest trace of alcohol in my system. I was never the person that cries when they drink, but dammit, I am now. Even sitting here by myself, having had my nightcap, I am on the verge of tears because of an issue at school.
All I will admit is that it has to do with a chef that I nearly idolize, and a blatant disregard on his part (or maybe it ISN'T a disregard, which would make this situation even more upsetting) to invite his most loyal student to work on a large-scale project with him and a group of other students. Instead, he invited one of my classmates to work with him. Maybe I'm being immature, maybe I should be happy that this certain classmate got the opportunity to build something amazing with such an inspirational chef. The reality is, however, is that I'm upset. I'm more than upset; I'm devastated. I feel like I have never come in first place for any position on any team, and this realization coming at me from all sides is almost too much to handle.
On top of all of that, I have been invited to work with a chef that I respect less than any other chef on campus. Oh, quit your complaining, you say, you at least got invited to work with a chef, you say; she at least trusts your judgement. I was a second-stream pick. She would not have even invited me if the other person was unavailable this week. I was a second-stream option for a less-than-reputable chef.
How does that make YOU feel? Knowing me, knowing how low my self-confidence is to begin with, how do you think I feel about all of this?
If you can't answer that question, I will answer it for you. I am down in the freaking dumps. I want to cry every time I think about this. When I'm not thinking about how I've been rejected by someone I hold to such a high esteem, I can't ever seem to smile. Nothing I do truly uplifts me, because I know, in the back of my head, that I am never going to be a star player in any team, because I barely ever get off the bench.
I can't wait to get out of this place, to get into the real world where someone like me isn't ignored by chefs. I'll never be submersed in a group of people who are this much better than me ever again. Or maybe I will. Maybe I will always be less-than-the-best. Maybe I made a terrible life decision. Maybe everyone I ever knew is right. Maybe I should have taken a desk job after college.
I am so sick of doubting myself. All I want, in my entire life, is to be accepted by my colleagues as an equal, and to not be viewed as that ginger weirdo who sticks out like a sore thumb in a bakeshop. I'm not sorry for who I am, but I am sorry that only a select few people can accept me.
Anyway, I'll share some pictures from my Contemporary Cakes class with you now, because I think the cakes I made were decent. They were better than decent, they were pretty. I like them. And I hope you like them too.
So there it is, my last class wrapped up in a photo series. I'm on to the next class, which is Specialty Breads with Chef Welker. This class is going to be exhausting, mostly because it starts at 5 AM. I'm excited to take a class from a CMB who truly has a passion for his career, and I'm excited to move forward with my education. I just hope to walk out of this class less disappointed than I was last Friday.
What sucks about this forum is that I can't openly express myself out of fear of offending my classmates, my school, or the chefs that I work with every day.
Regardless of that, I want you all to know that I have finally found the thing that makes me want to cry every time I have even the slightest trace of alcohol in my system. I was never the person that cries when they drink, but dammit, I am now. Even sitting here by myself, having had my nightcap, I am on the verge of tears because of an issue at school.
All I will admit is that it has to do with a chef that I nearly idolize, and a blatant disregard on his part (or maybe it ISN'T a disregard, which would make this situation even more upsetting) to invite his most loyal student to work on a large-scale project with him and a group of other students. Instead, he invited one of my classmates to work with him. Maybe I'm being immature, maybe I should be happy that this certain classmate got the opportunity to build something amazing with such an inspirational chef. The reality is, however, is that I'm upset. I'm more than upset; I'm devastated. I feel like I have never come in first place for any position on any team, and this realization coming at me from all sides is almost too much to handle.
On top of all of that, I have been invited to work with a chef that I respect less than any other chef on campus. Oh, quit your complaining, you say, you at least got invited to work with a chef, you say; she at least trusts your judgement. I was a second-stream pick. She would not have even invited me if the other person was unavailable this week. I was a second-stream option for a less-than-reputable chef.
How does that make YOU feel? Knowing me, knowing how low my self-confidence is to begin with, how do you think I feel about all of this?
If you can't answer that question, I will answer it for you. I am down in the freaking dumps. I want to cry every time I think about this. When I'm not thinking about how I've been rejected by someone I hold to such a high esteem, I can't ever seem to smile. Nothing I do truly uplifts me, because I know, in the back of my head, that I am never going to be a star player in any team, because I barely ever get off the bench.
I can't wait to get out of this place, to get into the real world where someone like me isn't ignored by chefs. I'll never be submersed in a group of people who are this much better than me ever again. Or maybe I will. Maybe I will always be less-than-the-best. Maybe I made a terrible life decision. Maybe everyone I ever knew is right. Maybe I should have taken a desk job after college.
I am so sick of doubting myself. All I want, in my entire life, is to be accepted by my colleagues as an equal, and to not be viewed as that ginger weirdo who sticks out like a sore thumb in a bakeshop. I'm not sorry for who I am, but I am sorry that only a select few people can accept me.
Anyway, I'll share some pictures from my Contemporary Cakes class with you now, because I think the cakes I made were decent. They were better than decent, they were pretty. I like them. And I hope you like them too.
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| Raspberry Entremet |
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| Chocolate Peanut Butter Entremet |
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| Interior of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Entremet |
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| Interior of the Lemon Basil Entremet |
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| Macaron Deco |
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| "Take Five" Entremet |
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| Modern Carrot Cake Entremet |
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| Interior of the "Modern Carrot Cake" Entremet |
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| Pea Crisps, Modeling Chocolate Peas, Quenelle of Whipped Cream Deco on the Peas and Carrots Entremet |
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| Peas and Carrots Entremet |
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| Interior of the Peas and Carrots Enremet |
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| Praline and Chocolate Bombe |
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| Strawberry Coconut Marshmallows |
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Kitchen Bullies
I have something to say.
I have something to say that will most likely upset people.
The people who will most likely be upset are the people I see in class. Every. Single. Day.
You guys are rude and egotistical. You think that whatever you have to say is more important than what anyone else is saying; having a conversation with you people is like trying to scream over a bullhorn. Being interrupted at this school is like breathing, in that it happens at least every 15 seconds. It's just about as easy as breathing as well, it occurs naturally and without resistance. I have ceased trying to prove any point, even when I feel very strongly about it, because, well, you wouldn't care anyway. By the time I gather my thoughts and find the courage to speak up, you've moved on from a conversation about the proper consistency of pastry cream to the tragedy of lemmings leaping to their death off of cliffs.
That's just the beginning.
In class, there are very few people who know how to act like professionals. Rolling your eyes, spouting off unnecessarily sarcastic quips, getting angry about a few dirty dishes left in the sink, raging out not only on your fellow classmates, but people you call your friends...all of these things are unacceptable. At first I believed that the six months of experience required to attend this school was to make sure that you knew what you were getting into, but now I think it is absolutely necessary to teach individuals how to work closely with their peers. If you are at work and you speak to your co-workers or your boss the way that some of my classmates speak to each other, you would be fired. I don't care where you work, you will always have a boss. If you own a place and speak to your investors improperly, they'll stop funding you. If you work in a restaurant as a Chef and speak to your owner in a sarcastic manner, you're going to get fired. If you're working at a pastry station in a hectic kitchen and a line cook catches you talking shit because he left a dirty pan on his grill for longer than you liked, you're going to get yelled at.
The worst part about all of this is that I feel bullied. I feel that the people who speak so terribly to my peers have no business doing so, as we are all on the same level. Some of us may be able to decorate a cake better, some of us might like chocolates, and some of us might want to teach later on, but regardless of our different aspirations, we are all the same. We are all in the same class, paying the same money for the same semi-disappointing education. We have our good days and we have our bad days, but in the end, we're all in this together. Being surrounded by these people has made it harder and harder for me to remember this. I am here to learn, and my learning is being impeded by the terrible attitudes floating around the classroom. It's hard to squeeze every bit of knowledge out of a chef when you're being screamed at by someone. It's extremely difficult to build lasting relationships with people because you are never sure whether or not they're going to like you the next day. I understand you're tired. I'm tired! I'm so tired! But you know what, I truck through it.
This rant does not apply to everyone I have met at this school. And even the people it does apply to, it does not always concern you. I believe, in my heart, that everyone here is genuinely (at the very least) a decent person, and that we all want to learn to be the best chefs, cooks, pastry chefs, confectioners, and bakers that we can. That's what you're paying for, right?
So check yourself at the door. Follow the best advice I have heard from any boss ever and leave your grievances at home. Don't bring them into the kitchen. If you can't check your attitude for your own sake, at least try to think of the people who are trapped in the room with you for a constant 6 hours. We don't have a choice but to listen to you bully us. Please know that what you say affects everyone in your proximity. When one of my classmates treats another one with disrespect, it makes me feel awful inside, but saying something is damn near impossible without feeling the wrath myself.
I don't want anyone to think that what I'm saying is about any one person. It's about all of us. I know there are times when I could be more respectful to people, I will never deny this. But dammit, I'm trying. My goal for life-after-extern was to work on my attitude. I didn't want to belittle anyone; I didn't want to be a bully anymore. I want to find a way to take this school for granted and get so involved with the chefs and educators here that I might actually get my money's worth. I wish that everyone felt the same way that I did, because if you all did, I wouldn't walk out of class every day feeling like a shriveled shell of a person.
I know there are those of you out there who are unhappy because of more than just our most recent chef. I want to apologize on my behalf, and on the behalf of anyone else who has made you feel like you're any worse than anyone else on this campus. Who are we to judge you? We're all just students ourselves! If you ever feel like this, search deep down inside yourself and decide whether or not you have the passion to continue. Do you? Then remember the wise words of Chef Schorner when he said, "I can teach skill, but I cannot teach passion."
To conclude this seemingly never-ending rant, I just want to encourage everyone to at least try to be a professional in our bakeshops from now on. Even when life is hard, put a smile on and dig your hands right into that bread dough, or that sugar, or that buttercream. Remember what you're here for. It's not to strut around the kitchen and make everyone else feel inferior to you, it's to learn. If you aren't here to do that, then please leave; you're getting in my way.
I have something to say that will most likely upset people.
The people who will most likely be upset are the people I see in class. Every. Single. Day.
You guys are rude and egotistical. You think that whatever you have to say is more important than what anyone else is saying; having a conversation with you people is like trying to scream over a bullhorn. Being interrupted at this school is like breathing, in that it happens at least every 15 seconds. It's just about as easy as breathing as well, it occurs naturally and without resistance. I have ceased trying to prove any point, even when I feel very strongly about it, because, well, you wouldn't care anyway. By the time I gather my thoughts and find the courage to speak up, you've moved on from a conversation about the proper consistency of pastry cream to the tragedy of lemmings leaping to their death off of cliffs.
That's just the beginning.
In class, there are very few people who know how to act like professionals. Rolling your eyes, spouting off unnecessarily sarcastic quips, getting angry about a few dirty dishes left in the sink, raging out not only on your fellow classmates, but people you call your friends...all of these things are unacceptable. At first I believed that the six months of experience required to attend this school was to make sure that you knew what you were getting into, but now I think it is absolutely necessary to teach individuals how to work closely with their peers. If you are at work and you speak to your co-workers or your boss the way that some of my classmates speak to each other, you would be fired. I don't care where you work, you will always have a boss. If you own a place and speak to your investors improperly, they'll stop funding you. If you work in a restaurant as a Chef and speak to your owner in a sarcastic manner, you're going to get fired. If you're working at a pastry station in a hectic kitchen and a line cook catches you talking shit because he left a dirty pan on his grill for longer than you liked, you're going to get yelled at.
The worst part about all of this is that I feel bullied. I feel that the people who speak so terribly to my peers have no business doing so, as we are all on the same level. Some of us may be able to decorate a cake better, some of us might like chocolates, and some of us might want to teach later on, but regardless of our different aspirations, we are all the same. We are all in the same class, paying the same money for the same semi-disappointing education. We have our good days and we have our bad days, but in the end, we're all in this together. Being surrounded by these people has made it harder and harder for me to remember this. I am here to learn, and my learning is being impeded by the terrible attitudes floating around the classroom. It's hard to squeeze every bit of knowledge out of a chef when you're being screamed at by someone. It's extremely difficult to build lasting relationships with people because you are never sure whether or not they're going to like you the next day. I understand you're tired. I'm tired! I'm so tired! But you know what, I truck through it.
This rant does not apply to everyone I have met at this school. And even the people it does apply to, it does not always concern you. I believe, in my heart, that everyone here is genuinely (at the very least) a decent person, and that we all want to learn to be the best chefs, cooks, pastry chefs, confectioners, and bakers that we can. That's what you're paying for, right?
So check yourself at the door. Follow the best advice I have heard from any boss ever and leave your grievances at home. Don't bring them into the kitchen. If you can't check your attitude for your own sake, at least try to think of the people who are trapped in the room with you for a constant 6 hours. We don't have a choice but to listen to you bully us. Please know that what you say affects everyone in your proximity. When one of my classmates treats another one with disrespect, it makes me feel awful inside, but saying something is damn near impossible without feeling the wrath myself.
I don't want anyone to think that what I'm saying is about any one person. It's about all of us. I know there are times when I could be more respectful to people, I will never deny this. But dammit, I'm trying. My goal for life-after-extern was to work on my attitude. I didn't want to belittle anyone; I didn't want to be a bully anymore. I want to find a way to take this school for granted and get so involved with the chefs and educators here that I might actually get my money's worth. I wish that everyone felt the same way that I did, because if you all did, I wouldn't walk out of class every day feeling like a shriveled shell of a person.
I know there are those of you out there who are unhappy because of more than just our most recent chef. I want to apologize on my behalf, and on the behalf of anyone else who has made you feel like you're any worse than anyone else on this campus. Who are we to judge you? We're all just students ourselves! If you ever feel like this, search deep down inside yourself and decide whether or not you have the passion to continue. Do you? Then remember the wise words of Chef Schorner when he said, "I can teach skill, but I cannot teach passion."
To conclude this seemingly never-ending rant, I just want to encourage everyone to at least try to be a professional in our bakeshops from now on. Even when life is hard, put a smile on and dig your hands right into that bread dough, or that sugar, or that buttercream. Remember what you're here for. It's not to strut around the kitchen and make everyone else feel inferior to you, it's to learn. If you aren't here to do that, then please leave; you're getting in my way.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Catch-Up
I wanted to start with, "As you all might know, it is past my bedtime..."
But that's no longer true, none of you know what's going on with my life because I am simply too busy to maintain this blog. I'm going to try to do better with it, however, because I want to be able to look back at it to reminisce as much as you guys want to know that I haven't perished in the ovens of my bakeshops.
But that's no longer true, none of you know what's going on with my life because I am simply too busy to maintain this blog. I'm going to try to do better with it, however, because I want to be able to look back at it to reminisce as much as you guys want to know that I haven't perished in the ovens of my bakeshops.
Since I got back from externship, I have:
- moved into an apartment with my boyfriend
- moved into an apartment with my boyfriend
- completed my first Cakes class with Chef Cavotti
- completed Chocolates and Confections with Chef Peter Greweling
- begun Contemporary Cakes with Chef Rossomando
To begin, I will discuss our apartment situation. When we first moved here, our apartment predicament was tragic, at best. Now we live in a decent place with a great landlord. We might live in a really terrible part of town, but all of our appliances are new, our hardwood floors had never been lived on, and we don't pay an exorbitant amount of rent. All in all, we are happy with our place.
Cakes class was a blur. I took it as soon as I got back, and I loved it. Chef Cavotti is the most laid back chef in the entire school, so taking her class allowed for a lot of creative license. My partner Kara and I made a really amazing cake, and since then I have been recruited to make at least two wedding cakes. I couldn't be more excited to work on these projects.
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| Mine and Kara's Orchid Cake |
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| My individual (obviously) cake project. Totoro! |
Chocolates and Confections was the best class I have ever taken, throughout all of my college experiences. Chef Peter Greweling is a Certified Master Baker, and his title is well-deserved. He is not only intelligent, but that man matches and exceeds my level of cynicism in the most delightful way. I felt like I met a chef that I could communicate with, even after I was done with his class. In fact, I went back today to finish a project I had left to crystallize over the weekend, and he was nothing but welcoming and excited that I had actually come back to finish what I had started. I think, after taking his class, that I may want to pursue a career working with chocolate and creating confections. After this class, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I have always loved chemistry, and with chocolates, I have finally found a way to work with science and food in the same field. I discussed a few places to apply to with Chef Greweling, and he said he would love to discuss other places with me if I found some to share with him. I was so fortunate to have him as a chef. Here are a few pictures of the things I made in his class!
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| Passion Vanillas |
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| Coffee flavored Poodle Truffles |
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| Pumpkin Caramel Truffles |
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| Lemon Logs |
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| Toasted Hazelnut Mazipan |
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| Peanut Butter Meltaways |
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| Cashew and Cardamom Turkish Delights |
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| Sleeping Beauties AKA Milkyways |
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| Mint Julep Shell Truffles |
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| Looking rough at the Graduation Buffet |
To conclude, I just want to apologize. I know that some of you (mostly my family) follow this blog quite closely, and that I have not been living up to my expectations. I will try to keep you more updated with the events in my life, and especially with the things that I am creating during my remaining time at the CIA. I am currently in Contemporary Cakes, and I will be able to post pictures of my products soon.
As always, thanks for reading!
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