Joseph Bayot

My first piece of advice is to simply call or e-mail to clarify. If you can't get in touch before your workshop, I would absolutely stick to black pants and black non-skid shoes. You can definitely save black pants for later use. A good pair of heavy black work boots are also invaluable in case you do any kind of heavy duty work later. I would also wear a plain white tee shirt with perhaps a sweater or button-up blouse over it. This way, you won't look so foolishly overdressed in checks if everyone else is dressed down. Also, in case they give you some kind of jacket, throwing it on over a white tee would be no problem. Also, if they don't give you some kind of jacket, white is a very traditional color for a French kitchen. Even if you aren't doing a stage or looking for employment, my feeling is that you're their guest no matter what, even if you are paying a big sum to be there. If anything, maybe you can just bring a change of clothes?

I went to JWU a year ago (transferred the next year because I switched my major) and we got some pretty nice F. Dick knives. I wrote about them here: http://josephbayot.blogspot.com/2008/03/jo...ard-issuee.html I still use my chef's knife because I like the balance and length (had to rework the edge) and my offset spatula, but all the rest is in a toolbox somewhere in case i get nostalgic later in my life.

Blue Hill Stone Barns Tour On friday, I went to Blue Hill Stone Barns Farm with a professor from my school, Johnson and Wales, and two other students. We have a student doing his externship there who gave us the tour. The place is amazing. Feel free to ask any questions on this topic about what you see, and I absolutely love people who leave comments. =P Enjoy =) -Joseph Bayot

Sorry to resurrect this post, but I've been wondering what kind of clogs Thomas Keller wears (ever since reading the Reach of a Chef.) Does anybody know? Over here at Johnson and Wales, the standard issue for shoes is a pair of Grabbers, a leather shoe. I gotta say that they're pretty comfortable, although I've never tried anything else. I just ordered a brochure from Dansko and might try them out a little bit, but unfortunately, you have to wear the standard issue shoes in class.

Definitely popcorn for me. I'm a culinary student with no access to a kitchen. We usually eat in class (1:30-7:30pm) sometime in the middle of it, so I have a bag of popcorn right before class to hold me down between breakfast and class late lunch/early dinner.