Jakea222

The complete guide to Jello! It was one of those books handed down from my mom who sent in proof of purchase labels when I was a kid

facinating. You never know anymore what compounds are in things. Good for one is bad for another. How long did it take to pin down your specific reactions to shellfish and how long did it take for them to realize that the compound was in there even though not listed

So how are you doing with your "sell"?

I do a standard 3-1 but hit it with a burr and have no trouble...this is a good one. I like this post. So can anything be added to keep it from going solid?

I am a chef that is allergic to bell peppers. Yep the thing that graces 90% of things. An allergy skin test and then they take it a little further and then inject you - it sucks! But it does define it! You need to tell that person to identify it or it can kill you. Benadryl is hard to get down when you throat closes - EpiPens are a necessity - I carry them everywhere, just in case - I am very careful. most insuraces will cover the entire cost even though they are about 20$ or were...There is an online food allergy site and a lady in California was very helpful to me - I will try to find...

I have the new one. It is a little better. Some of the methods are different from the last one, some new photos. Wait for it to go on sale, somewhere. I have all of the CIA books, not because I am a crazy idiot grad, but because I have this crazy "book thing" my mother was a librarian and books somehow have become a hobby now. I have a larger collection than most Borders food and wine sections. Anyways, it is a little better. I have done lots of recipes. I write in the margins during my process...so if you want to ask about a certain one. I had a great chef for Garde class and a couple of them he changed the quantities on and method - I don't know why, and I have not looked to see if it was updated in this one YET.I did a lot of recipes in that book especially. The CIA soup book, most of them. Baking - it appears to be the same stuff that we had given to us in class. I rarely bake that kind of stuff. Prochef - seems to get better everytime they come out with one. The info is the same most of the time, pics change. All of the home books - grilling - vegetables and a couple others are all in ProChef it seemed.

I lived in Cold Spring while at the CIA - anyone know that maket in Yorktown Heights - Great place to get stuff - just wanted help remembering - also Harvest on the Hudson at Hastings - nice place the chef was excellent and great open air place great view.

My baker just sent me a letter - the cost is going up 13% starting May 1.

Here is a good story - I am working a huge banquet kitchen with rows of convections. I am short so that top freakin' shelf is a chore for big things...anyways the Exec chews the crew out for now saying "behind" or "Hot coming out" or whatever becasue lots of us were going from oven to table very quickly and we all knew what each other were thinking. So I am grabbing towels to take that top shelf, yell coming out hot and who in the hell do you think is standing at the table I am going to checking the products coming out - the Exec. So I pulled out and instead of dropping it down his neck, dead stopped, having the boiling liquid splash down the towel and give me a blister burn on my forearm the size of a tennis ball! He says "oh sorry" So I yell and look now and really make sure people are aware. That burn was the worst too. Never had another one like it and don't want it.

I guess all of you are right I am wrong. A harvard grad over a Jo Bob Tech means nothing. A culinary school with great chefs as oppoesed to the homes ec teacher that dopubles as the coach - you are all right - I find people that don;t have degrees from these name brand schools so defensive. Yeah I think a guy that has been cooking for 20 years in his family place knows how to do a lot more that say a 20 yr old kid out of a culinary school. I really could care less about you NOT thinking that it does not open doors,,it did open doors for me. I am living freakin proof that 90% of my interviews were for a couple of CIA reasons - first the Exec Chef themsleves were a grad - second - because they had some sort of affiliation with one of the very well known chefs - of the largest concentration of the best chefs in the world not to mention the CMCs, CMPC and CMBs or the author chefs that write most of the books outling the basic fundamentals... I believe that the CIA gives everyone that graduates somewhat of a heightened sense of pride. This can be bad to the people that are going to culinary schools for the worng reasons, but I didn't. The campus alone gives first time visitors a strange and overwhelming feeling. The people that work at the CIA and especially graduates call the best culinary school in the world, out of respect for the other schools it is probably a debatable topic. I can say that graduates have a huge step up on other chef training programs for one of the following reasons. Being a graduate myself I was instructed by some of the best chefs in the world in the short, 2 year program, time frame I was there. I was lucky enough to have 3 Certified Master Chefs and a Certified Master Baker in my rotation at the school. That is not to mention the European chef instructors that had certifications from the country they were once from. No other school can say that they have that kind of arsenal. While on extern I had the opportunity to work for a CIA Alum who had externs from all over the U.S. and the world. And while my 2 years flew by, I graduated before I knew what had happened. But the core values of a CIA graduate, sticks with you as soon as you start looking for a job. The first is the sense of perfection in everything that you do in a kitchen, which in turn affects all other parts of your life. The instructors at the CIA are perfectionists. The class recipes that are performed while a student are done perfectly, or not at all, or until you do it right. This mindset sticks with you every time you do anything. Second is the pride you have as a graduate. This sometimes can be seen in the world as ego, but I think it is taken the wrong way in some respects. Do I know I am a CIA graduate? Yes. Do I know that I got the best training that I myself paid for? Yes. Do I know that my education is as good as the other guy that graduated from some other program? Yes and I am making the most of it. Your education is what you make it over the long run. But I am humble and look to learn something everyday. The CIA made me think. Makes me question why that happened or how I can make it better, or answer questions and pass on the “by the book” education I received, so I can make where ever I am a better place. Last, the alumni. I join the ranks of many great chef, good chefs and graduates not even cooking anymore that have been a part of a great education at the CIA. SO you guys that run into CIA grads - sure some people get through by the skin of thei a-- -- I didn't. I push the boundary of food everyday. I throw new stuff to my crew daily to see reactions and criticisms. Constantly reading to see new techniques and so on. So it pisses me off to have you people that literally trash the CIA, J/W and FCI becasue you elected to go another route. IT is what you make it after you get out but if you think that those schols don't open doors, then the place you work is too closed minded for me, warn me if I ever do. I want to learn and I want to pass on things to the people I work with. Great Chefs have to start somewhere and the negativity towards culinary schools to potential great chefs is very alarming to me. Oh an by the way you bakers and non food people that are slamming culinary programs should be ashamed of yourselves. We need good people and to trash talk when you have no clue what it is all about - shame

It makes all the difference of where you go to school - I have had doors open to me as a CIA grad ONLY because of the calibur of the program - Yes some people get out of there not very "good" cooks - but the foundation is better than anyone - Yes an education IS what you make of it anywhere you go - business school, law school etc - but as a career changer myself coming from medical line - Harvard Med school grads got much more attention than other schools- so these people that slam the CIA and JW or some art intitute or FCI they are all f---ed in the head. Grads from the better schools will get in the door to places. Ask any law firm if they interview people from HArvard law school or a night class grad and see what they say - I learned from 6 CMCs - does the community college have that kind of pull - hell no. As far as the CIA - they have lots of endowed scholarships. Call them and ask. I was lucky enough that I made good money in my other job before I left that field that I did not have to take any loans. Also - ACF local chapters. Country clubs may have some help for you - don't give up - I am 38 yrs old - do not qualify for many things because I already have a bachelors degree - but they found a few things to help - they all do = call the places you want to go and ask...

Well - when any of you guys get into a situation where you have a non stop ticket machine and the pressure to get the food out quick and it goes on for hours and hours and the pressure and the heat of the line that reaches 110+ degrees, I think you can say whatever you want. You guys can justify the whys and why nots all you want - it is still ktichen talk. SOme may not have anything spoken or heard in a ktichen - some may have tvs or music. My kitchen we laugh, talk, play and cuss. Is it ever angry - no -

Hello CIA - oh those were the days. I just read an interview with GOrdon Ramsay the king of profanity. He sayd he hates cussing, but that it is the nature of the industry in a kitchen. He sais he rarely hits em off at home that he can switch it off like a switch. I have to say I can too, only let em fly when I drive here in Atlanta because people drive horribly and when I am very tired which is some times, because as some of you know and you non chefs don't it ain't the food network people. Work a line non stop for 7 hours non stop and then to have to go to the restroom to come back and hit it again for another 3. I said the people are on my crew are family - it is really a tight relationship that is not describable to someone that has not done it. Brothers in Arms is the closest I can say. My line guys and gals are my family and I would do anything for them as they would do anything for me - it never happened in my executive world job - before food!

One I am not your typical sous chef. I do like to have someone come in, appointments are great, showing up at rush is bad. Anyways - STORY - I had a lady this week come in right before rush. Says If I could have 90 seconds of you time I would like to show you something. In 90 seconds she showed me a cleaning product for grills, hoods etc that literally made me feel like one of those idiots on an infomercital going WOW. Because is was a pricey item I had to have the exec look and sure enough samer reaction and the staff same reaction. So my point is - if you are not going to do a face to face whatever you get better have a wow factor included. We bought 1000.00 bucks of cleaner in about 30 minutes because the face to face sell was good and the product was good. If you rope me in in the first couple of seconds, I will read or watch - you bore me with details, I have things to cook or chop - so knock em dead!

Ok first I would not call her an extern. If she did not know the basics of scaling and so forth that she may have misled you to her abilities. We had one as I said in a post that came one day - and we had her panning up sausage and bacon and cooking it off. Cutting a few things that did not need to be perfect and then we never saw her again. She called, we put her on the schedule and nothing. So the first part that she told you that she had not started - I would have the horns in my head saying WHOA! I took a risk with a guy on this forum who wants to see about job jumping into this life. And he was great and eager and I think very excited to come back next week. I do not know how the intership or what we called externship at the CIA works at other places - but the school did not let us go out to do the extern without knowing how to cook. SO good luck with your - more work than I think you wnated to put into it. I am always willing to teach, but, when it comes down to knowing the difference between flour and sugar or which end of a knife to hold - makes me kringe.

I will tell all of you right now - the food network is not the food industry. half the recipes they show won't work - most books have many recipes that won't work or are not practical. DooDad had the experience this week to work a BIG gig with us at the club. While he left as excited as he came in - we did not sugar coat our jobs at the club. I have been at the club for a little over a year and one girl that came in all gang busters, saw us 2 days really less than 10 hours and we never saw her again. So is it not glamourous. It is hot, and chaos is all over. Chefs are the control to the chaos. We are the air traffic controllers, cheerleaders and family to the crews that we call employees. Why do we do it - I have no idea. The hours suck, the home ife is strained. I am burned bruised, cut and worn. I love the results though. The job satisfaction is what you make of it. Now my knees are killing me I am going to get off this stupid machine - DooDad - you did great and we hope to see you on Sunday!!

I think the word shi- is international. I think F--k is becoming international. I also think that people that work in a kitchen on the line, 100+ degrees, working non stop for hours can muster a good - oh shi- they just keep coming, after 4 hours non stop. As i said earlier in a post I come from a white colar industry and while loud profanity was non common as it is in the kitchen, it is still there. As far as you guys that have not been in a kitchen to see the dynamic, go in one and watch the symetry between the line guys oh sorry and gals. I don't think I have seen it in anger in my kitchen directed towards one another - we all cuss at the ticket machine and wonder if any of our members eat anywhere else with profain jestures. Hell I am even teaching it to my spanish speaking employees as they are teaching me in whatever language they have! So give it a rest....if you don't like Gordon or cussing - go into another profession - say a library!

I am amazed by a couple things on this site. I have a guy that has just started shadowing me that is really IN to food to see if he wants to make a career jump into it. I read others on here that by reading what many say you would sawear they were cooks and chefs or someody in the grind of a kitchen, but the strangest things come from people that do not work in a kitchen. The topic is opened by a non chef - I find that very interesting. I am a CIA grad and yes I think the school is trying to project a more professional image and while it does in many things - as one poster above said - cooks are cooks and regardless of language everyone lets it out. I came into the food life by way of the white collar world - where no whistling at the girls, no comments, certainly no touching, no profanity for the most part like the kitchen. But here is my conclusion - people that work the lines remind me of the guys that go into war. They don't know each other to start and then become very very close. You say things to your family hat you would not say everyday - but a crew is different. I deeply care for my crew. As a Sous I take an interest and treat everyone as individuals and can see that horsing around talking smack puts everyone on the same page. Now I don't work a huge place so I am not speaking for those places. But my small crew where english is tough for some of them, letting out the F or saying it in many different languages eases tension and really we all pretty much laugh at whatever...it is very important to have that bond and laugh in a kitchen and if it means letting them go in whatever language then I say let em rip AS LONG AS IT IS NOT MEANT IN ANGER TOWARDS A PERSON! That is not acceptable - and throwing things - nope...

Please if you know about the island and have been there need some tips. I a chef that loves to explore other customs, but not to have to worry about survival - anyways - ideas would be great...g

Hey Josho - first I want to say that this forum drives me crazy when people call people names especially when you are asking a great question. as a culianry school grad and someone that changed careers to follow the food craze - I think when you ask questions it is a good thing. If things happen like "burning" or whatever - you are wondering WHY? The reason I went to CIA, one because I am old, but I wanted to have answers to questions like these. You continue to aks --- ok - and ignore the negatives. In a kitchen, you can learn something everyday - things never are the same twice. I am not sure who said it - but it was - you can never look at the same river twice - you think about it. Everything you cook will be different, it is applying all of the questions and answers you know or have asked to have a perfect result almost everytime! As far a roux. It does seperate after it sits. It can get some darker spots around the edges if you don't stir it. My favorite is making it for a gumbo that you alert the entire building that some burnt smells are coming. And that the exhaust is running well. cook that stuff down to a dark chocolate color - now some of the thikeing power is lost but the end flavor result is amazing!!! Keep on keepin on!

You guys have some good strories about places that roped you in on things only to find out it is so off the mark. Mine is just that scheduling mess. at least 6 days straight with out a day and I came off a 13 and needed a day away real bad or I though I was gonna hurt somebody. - your turns Issue is the lies that got you in their Door to work for Them and what you felt like once they started to bring up the mis state or left out altogether information about time off, sick time, closest ER for cutting somthing off is not covered by johnny balboa insurance man - so lets hear em"

Great topic - I work at a country club that these members don't read the menu much - they ask for specials and daily specials and still order the same old same old - we shook a few things up the last time but put a couple of new things that we knew were going to draw eyes and it worked, yes we still got complaints from the people that came in once in a blue moon, but the new stuff, well 2 things are not doing well, but the others, we added a sandwich that has just swamped us with trying to keep up with ordering the stocks to do it -

It is in fact Kellers recipe - I found the chefs email and asked - it was kellers recipe - the scissors did not gum up - this worked great as the squeeze and cut wore me down. I took them out when they floated, and drained well, they were bagged to a certain quantity and then finished - however - never saw that. We are going to use them on an evening menu as an app - tossed in a sauce of the week and served in small somethings - small cast irons or something don't know yet - still in the development stage...thanks for the info - great response

The ingredients I know that were in it had potato, and the Keller recipe does. Yes it is very hard to squeeze the bag and cut with a knife....I did that part just did not get to make the contents of the bag. I remember I was cussing the entire time due to the akwardness - I ended up for the secong huge batch using a pair of small scissors I kept in my bag - thanks for the keller recipe I will give it a shot and let you know -

I was in a restaurant somewhere and the chef had done a choux method for gnocchi and I have had no luck finding an idea on the quantites of ingredients and have no time to play - anyone done this and what is your method?