Jakea222

That is funny - naming the wounds - you will run out of names. Get the book baby names and you still will run out. We had several serious accidents. The most was where we had a brazilian guy - great guy - fell off the top bunk in the dorm and broke his wrist. Yeah - go figure. Another guy slipped on a wet spot in the basketball court and broke his arm. Really. We had lots of cuts and burns. The vac sealer on for stock bags was always an issue. If it did not seal that liquid well - it would blow the bag and send hot stock everywhere. Had it go down my apron into my shoe - that sucked. One guy that I certainly won't name because he was lets say - a pain - caught his hand in the big hobart mixer and almost ripped his finger off - I have no idea how with the guard closed - but he did - you know it is a dangerous place. I burn more than cut. Nothing like the smell of burnt arm hair or whats left of it. I have blister scars all over my arms and didn't name them but know here the big ones came from. I am short so have some issues on that top convection oven sometimes. You were asking about the line cooking part - I guess I hate it too, when these young guys can move and deal so much better - but I am looking to move aways from this part of it to some other things in the food industry - lots to do.

You can say organic all you like - but like the farmer said 6 of 60000 go out in to the pasture. People just just don't get farming - the real deal. I think using shi-- to fertilize is better, but has some risks too. WHole foods has a gret variety of products though. Bell and Evans - everywhere I have been - this is what we used. Great product.

The CMC test was on tv. I think that it was Into the Fire that had a segment on it as well as the kithcen at the Greenbrier. I know local tv was up there when I was there to do a segment on the exam.

We rinsed off chicken everywhere I have been, mostly to get the blood and slime off. Making chicken stock I always rinse the bones. But I have heard both ways as well. I think it is up to whomever makes the recipe method.

I am a career changer that went to CIA - it moves very fast and honing skills is a very hard thing to do. I had 5 CMCs as professors and trying to soak in all they say is hard. Write everything down you can and try to refer back on"down time" ha. I still look back at notes and books just to keep the textbook way of doing things fresh. All places have different ways, and I found that the foundations are tested sometimes just to get things done or out - but my high level of fine details are still in tact.It was hard not to be excited at the CIA - so much going on all of the time. You could certainly tell the people that wanted to be there and the people that mom and dad forced to go....suggestion I worte a diary - it was very short some days, but high lighted what I did for the day - it is fun to go back and look. I especially liked on day 2 where I think everyone cut themselves on the mandolin in a timed cooking - I taped myself shut and went right back at it - we all did. I had perfect attendance it 2 years - thats how excited I was

Thanks - I have never heard of that - is it a self or restaurant proclaimed title...oh well they are all pretty good cooks - too much drama for me

I still want to know what a MASTER COOK is, can anyone tell me - NOT a MASTER CHEF - it is driving me crazy

any news on the french place at the intercontinental?

TomC must not hang in the kitchen too much any more -more drama in kitchens than an entire years worth of soap operas. Everybody doing what they have to do to make an end. Personality, emotion, heat and maniac chefs demands all lead to people being strange and weird, closed off. So throwing these caliburs of people together actaully was better than I thought it would be for drama. All they needed was a couple fast food cooks. a lawyer and a secretary to really add to some drama!

Sorry he says MASTER COOK not Master Chef - he is not even close to that prestige - Only 60 or so in the world and Marcel - NOT

I wear whatever - I have to were something becasue I sweat like a waterfall. In school I wore a toque and a womens hairdo white band so I did not go through the coffee filter hats everyday. At the club - the paper toques don't last long. I typically will go through 2-3 every 3 hours depending on my station. If you are in a people area Toques have to be worn - in the back hats with the company logo were the thing. The Exec Chef and Sous chefs did not wear hats - and we had a couple line guys that wouldn't - still - I have more of a chance of my arm hairs falling in the food then my head

Yeah I saw that one and thought another drunk person ona reality show attacking another person - it must be in the script as I was flipping cahnnels last night and (Bad Girls) had the same thing - MArcel has lots of great ideas but his character makes him very dilikable - but no reason to be attacked for a prank. But I have to say of the places I have worked alays had a couple of people that were a pain for some reason or another and you know they all had a sense for the madness. ONe guy - banquet chef was a maniac - he was a jerk - the dishwashers hated him so much they would not bring him the things he needed and has they walked awys would cuss him out in creole. It was a show I thought for the most time - I learned a lot from him - BUT when I worked for him - the dishwashers felt sorry for me and gave me whatever I needed. Poeple all have different charaters and personality - I thought that some of the other people on the show were irritating too in different ways.

I want to know what a master cook is - I have not heard that one before. I think the show is sad. Give me No Reservations, Giada and American Choppers any day. At least the arguments on Choppers isn't a bunch of whiners like everyone say how great the food they bad is good. You next cahllenge - make something from a vending machine - make ice cream out of crap - did anyone tell those chefs that people were actually going to eat that crap - hey lets make pepperoni ice cream with chocolate and cherries - duh - come on. The reality craze is crazy.

I don't care too much for her - but she has some ideas once and a while - she is great for NON culinary people - She is making a LOT of money and I say GO GO GO while you can - BUT the talk show - well that is a bit much - she should have stayed to the Food Network and Books - but Go Go Go make the maoney now!

My class consisted of: Surgeon, Teacher, Social Workers, Computer Dot Comer, Police officer, communications director (ME), and so on - I was lucky in my class draw and it is better to go in on an "off time" I started in March. If you start in August of Jan you will have your "kids" so mention that you are a "non-traditional" student - that is what they called us old guys. We had one person in the baking program that was older than our "doc" - she was in her 60s and I heard was one of the favorites of the students....

Hey CIA - I graduated last December and have been out I the world for over a year now. I loved the CIA it was the only choice as far as culinary schools. The minute I stepped out of my car I said Oh my God its Hogwarts! (the school is an old monestary for those of you who have never been - the main dining hall is the old chapel and the ceiling is painted like the sky) anyways beside looking for Harry Potter once and a great while the friendships I made with the faculty and the meetings with countless big name chefs is why I chose the school. I had 4 CMC including Andrieni - as I left for Extern - he took the test! I had Roe, Coyak, Pardus, Scappin (Caterina), Rascoll, Higgins all great teachers and mentors. I still email Roe. He is a big time up and coming CIA teacher his goal was the CMC but as new dad I think his prioroity may change for a little while. I loved everything about the school - except the career/extern office that I thought were really lacking in lots of areas. Take lots of pics while you are there. I have a couple of books that I carry with me everywhere and the CIA grads that I interview with all love to see the school and the food. I am still looking for my dream job but it is amazing the CIA grads out there. I interviewed at a club only to find out the F&B Mgr was also a grad - they both loved the pics and it is a great conversation part of the interview process. PLUS I have never had to explain my choice, but only if I enjoyed the school. CIA sets the standard no matter what anyone says - more text books - more grads that have published - the home of the CMC exam becasue of its excelence in the quality and the facility - I hold my head high with no explanation to anyone.

Honesty - especially in closing time. Like someone said - Clear the entire table - drinks flowers everything - hopefully the check was already and the opportunity for that servewr to bid them goodnight is always a good one. At the CIA in Service class at the E room we would leave around 3-330 after reset and decompression - but I had agroup that lingered forever - BUT felt comfortable enought to present the check and slowly start removing things and after that and 300 after they say for 3+ hours I spoke to Mr Fisher (Our Professor) and said to them that I hoped they enjoyed everything and that I said goodbye.....I was one of those "wreck" students that was scared to death of the front - I got along with the guests just fine and did not drop anything even though I found the bartenders filling up the martini glass to the top a sick joke - but it worked adn they left - you always want people to come back - that is your money - so you gotta be nice - the ripping one - I know a guy that would ahve set the smoke detectors off - so probably not a great idea

Gordon has a new book out - something like "Standing the heat in hells kitchen" - well that was the restaurant name in the show - BUT Hells kitchen is an area in NYC - I believe if I remember right it was the Irish area of Ny - like China Town etc....don't mind being corrected there if I am wrong. But he has an interesting life - can you tell if he is an ass by the book - yeah he is pretty demanding - but if anyone knows a soccer player - he was a pro soccer player -who are the best actors - get tripped and act like someone cuts your legs off flapping around on the ground to draw the foul and when you don't get up and start running the next play - but he is a brilliant chef - I have been reading BBC/UK culinary magazines for a couple fo years now - -Olive, Delicious and Good Food where he is always in there somewhere. I heard Mario was tough in a kithcen from a classmate and you did not dare "touch"him - But I also had the same conversation with a frioend that externed with Emeril - lots of don't even look up when he is in the room stories. Insecurity if you ask me. If I was as good as those guys I would want to be involved with everyone - because people move on and what great thing to say - I worked for X at X he/she taught me a lot and now look at me!

Wolf chef said it for me - I worked a very high end club where we actually ahd food -not on the menu for the members that flew in- anyways the servers would do eveything but wipe the person down after going to the restroom - but they made a ton and kitchen staff knew why they were working harder or demanding because the name of the memer was right there on top - asking for things not on the menu or perparations that threw us off - my favorite was the formal restaurant had a 6 top that had a 9pm reservation - now this is a club so time is money - so by 930 no people - the club a Matre D calls them - they are at the club hellipad coming in for the airport. They arrive at 945 - but the other 4 are not with them - 10pm now we have 5 chefs on the line and full service staff. The club did not cut staff as the day went due to members - it was FULL service all of the time. SO we are standing around - I had cleaned my reach in counters prepped for the next day as we all did and we were standing around. Maitre D comes in and says they will be back - HE SENT THEM HOME FOR ATTIRE VIOLATION! They were the only ones in the building but us! So 1030 the TWO come back and start wine and we are wiating on the other 4 - they call at 11pm from a midwest airport saying they are snowed in! This was a Florida Club!!! The Sous chef fired two of eerything we broke down and left - the server the next day said he got a 500$ tip! Now was that right. He meaning the server should have giving the ktichen people 5$ or something!

Hey I always tip the service staff - But I also understand that the food is not their fault - now if my drink glass is empty and I need more bread etc --- then yeah I tip what I think it is worth throwing out the % crap - I have never left a penny like some I know merely to send the message - but I have left a handful of change. Buffet - still work to do - drinks, clearing old plates, incidentals - not as much as the 15-20% but still something

oh yeah I like the one Pizza Pie as a southern boy (38yrs old) I learned a lot moving to NY to attend CIA - NYC the foods all over the place were amazing! Some were named like that - it was fun to see what Americans or (blank -insert nationality) Americans call the same thing in different regions - how cool is that -!!

Andrew B - CIA is now offering the whole thing in Greystone now - it just started a few months ago. I class mate of mine siad in California all you had to do was mention CIA and you were the star....he said it added a ton of pressure to produce the standard all of the time - no fowl ups. BUT - as someone said earlier - programs are programs and you can make the most of it --- CIA had more opportunities I would have never met - Anthony Bourdain - Michale Ruhlman - Kevin Zraley - The EGO or Rocco - who really is a brilliant chef - industry chefs - corporate chef - hell the executive chef for barilla pasta! That was cool. Tom Keller - Mary Donovan - Marcel Desaulniers (who I cooked for in VA) - Patrick O'Connell - the wine and beer folks were real nice! Daniel Boulud, and these are just some off the top of my head...where they either gave formal talks and a light discussion after - BUT several people are right. The programs at Hotels are great - The Greenbrier - it is INTENSE with CMC Chef Timmins who recruits heavy for CIA students to help his students make up the difference. The US Military - I don't think I was at the campus that I did not see a military group doing cont ed there. They were always nice and the Navy Ship Chefs were always cool to talk about the volume and how they did it....so it is what you make it. I had to do CIA becasue I needed an advantage because of my age - the cost - they were all about the same CIA was actually 3rd in my list cheap wise...NECI and another were a little more - but big deal.

I front of the boss' wife - that is crazy. BUt I will tell you the real world has lawyers looking and I was called several times as depositions were constant. I can say that the tone at the CIA was changing. Some professors were old school and you could tell they had to hold themselves back from comments and afew did even slip - it was general statements - not directed towards anyone. BUT I worked for an old school CIA and he was a jerk - aged me 10 years in 6 months. Used to pride himself on making people cry or the servers cry - that was always tough - as I got to play bartenders and dry the eyes and push them towards work. I can say as a career changer - I will NOT follow that kind of crap nor allow it to happen when and if I get to a point. I treat everyone wiuth respect and dignity and yelling and degrading or feeling up certainly does not psychologically build up people to perform at 100% - so you guys saying suck it up - that is BS and for 10$/hr that really is BS - you pay me 2-3 or 4 times that then I will let you vent and I will take the vent for the employees too - people are valuable - good people are hard to find. Sorry about your situation it really pisses me off to think about it -

Shrimp - Scampi == with Scampi being (Italian for shrimp) So Shrimp-Shrimp!!