A Diary Of A Life At CIA

[chiantiglace]

Just went to a beer tasting on wednesday nights, and I have been waiting for the pictures to come back to me. Was an awesome turn out, completely packed house in the Danny Kaye Theatre (about 200 people). Stone Brewing from San Marco California (North San Diego County) came in for a 9th Anniversary Beer tasting. They Just opened up a huge 32 ( I believe) brewery with a 1200 square foot, 350 seat restaurant.

The beers were all laid out when we got there in glasses. They started off with the Pale Ale, which seemed to be easiest to drink for the crowd. Next was their IPA (Indian Pale Ale). The speaker gave a little history on how the name came out and what and why the difference is between pale ale and Indian pale ale. Next up was their smoked porter. The idea for a smoked porter was very new to me a month of two ago but already it's become boring. I infact did not like this beer too much. The typical smoked flavor used for this one reminded me of too many things I don't like, for instance oyster sauce. I wanted to keep my buzz so a dropped it down quick. Fourth commer was the "arrogant bastard". This one seemd to be the speakers favorite just in his tone while he was talking about it. Apparently the story is that the manager or owner requested a beer simply for the employees to want to drink, a strong double brewed ale. So thats what the brewer did, and on test receipt the manage/owner took a sip and replied in a gasp, thats one "arrogant bastard" of a beer. 5th was a ruination IPA, I didn't get much of what the speaker said about this one because by that time I and everyone else in the room was having a "good time". Last but not least was the 9th Anniversary Ale. A little stronger than the pale and possibly a little crisper than the IPA. All in all they were very well made beers/ales but nothing I haven't had before.

Soon Stone brewing will be shipping to the east coast as the speaker said once they set up a distributorship. I may have a draft or two if I see it, but I won't go away to gather up some. I tried coaxing him into making lagers, but apparently its too difficult to brew a beautifully flavored lager .

By the way, I ran out of room for pictures, so I won't be able to put anymore on until I upgrade to a donor, which being a poor college student might be a little bit.

[chiantiglace]

2 hours ago we just had a presentation from Disney. Seems theres a pretty structured plan for extern. They have full dorm set ups with living room attachments, 2 person bedrooms. Seems well layed out. They have classes right by the apartments that you can take for free which is run by FSU. You get insane discounts and meal tickets everyday of the week. Everything is paid for plus 7 dollars an hour 10.50 over time. They constantly move you around the resort for training and you can qualify for management. Upon employment you are 1 of 55,000 "cast members". This is a damm good experience for anyone, too bad it doesnt do a thing for me.

Tomorrow is career fair. I spent 20 minutes today walking around the empty tables reading the placement labels. A lot of very good oppurtunities will be here. Several Ritz Carltons, a couple Casinos like Bellagio and MGM Grande. There will also be Hyatt Regency, Greenbriar, Charlie Palmer Steakhouse, and the one I am interested in currently, the Breakers. I am very lucky they are comming, of all the people that could come they will be here. I can't wait to set up an interview.

Hopefully Tomorrow I will upgrade and post some pictures.

[godito]

The breakers has a really good externship program, but it's kinda hard to get in, as they normally nlyneed help during certain times of the year (I know a lot of people that could't go because there were no "vacancies" during their externship periods)

And I wouldn't recommend going to Disney. Don't work for the "rat". They make it sound really cool, but my friends that went there all hated it. Just remember, when they talk about you being part of the "staff" thy're talking about exactly that. You must stay in character, because you are one.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

I'd also heard that when you Extern for Disney, you have to do whatever they ask of you ... which includes running the food kiosks at the parks. Out of everyone I knew who went there, only one person enjoyed it.

Anyway, you're working on this early, which is a very good thing! I know a B&P guy who did the Breakers a few years ago, and he absolutely loved it. When do you go? Where do you want to be?

[chiantiglace]

Breakers Interview seemed to go very well. They interviewed me right off the bat and was clean. I filled out an application within 20 minutes, gave them my resume and we were done. I am longing for the call from them. I may not be able to wait, quite possibly I will call them before they call me.

Also MGM Grande and Bellagio were there. It was very fun talking to these reps, almost like I had known them before. We discussed the sister relationships of the Casinos and how they work. We discussed Jean-Phillipe, Carlos Salazar, Claude Escamilla, and even Our own Neil (nightscottsman). It was very interesting to pull information that they may not have originally gave up unless I knew what to ask. I gave the Bellagio rep. a resume and he plans to go "refresh" Claude Escamilla's memory of me and my previous application. Very exciting news. So it may seem I have landed not only a great extern but very good grounds for future employment.

There were also a few people and many restaurants I was already aware of there like the Trellis in Williamsburg, The Sanderling Inn in Sanderling NC, and Gold Key Resort [2 Hiltons (one brand new) A pasta place Pizzaros, and a Ramada, seemingly number 1 restaurant in the Hampton roads area (eastern VA) plus another resort hotel with very nice and small restaurant called Rockfish]. The F&B for Mahi Mah's (Ramada Restaurant) Pulled me aside, I didn't even realize he was there. An old friend of mine, Rob Reper, who was introduced to me by my father. He graduated CIA a few years ago and has been doing very well in VA Beach, mainly because hes a very hard worker.

Anyways, I have a beer and food tasting tonight by Annheiser-Busch, in the, you guessed it, Anheiser Busch Theatre. Should be really interesting, and I will make sure and gather some pictures for that.

[nwyles]

Interesting read.

I had the pleasure of working with Chef Andreini for nearly two years on a restaurant project. ( It failed, but not becasue of anything the two of us did or did not do ).

It was like having two years of private lessons with a master chef. I will remember them fondly. As far as food went, there was not much he did not know, or know how to do, at least ten different ways.

I am glad he is doing well there.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

So, when will you know about the Breakers? Anything else interesting at the career fair?

[andrewB]

Breakers Interview seemed to go very well.  They interviewed me right off the bat and was clean.  I filled out an application within 20 minutes, gave them my resume and we were done.  I am longing for the call from them.  I may not be able to wait, quite possibly I will call them before they call me.

May i ask what interests you so much about The Breakers? Who's the chef in the dining room there now?

Do you know what it is you wanna do when you finish school? what culinary field are you trying to reach? This may be something to consider before choosing your extern. Do you see yourself doing the big hotel thing or resort deal? or do you see doing private dining? I did my extern at the Ritz, which was maybe a good thing. After that i learned i wanted NOTHING to do with that sort of life!!!

Edited February 9, 2006 by andrewB (log)

[FabulousFoodBabe]

I did my extern at the Ritz, which was maybe a good thing. After that i learned i wanted NOTHING to do with that sort of life!!!

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Where are you now, AndrewB? When did you graduate? I've got no interest in big, chain resort/hotel work, but found that 99% of the professors and chefs pushed us that way. Plus, all our post-externship speakers were with chain restaurants and hotels and the like. I know, I know, most of the jobs are there, but still.

[chiantiglace]

So, when will you know about the Breakers?  Anything else interesting at the career fair?

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I won't know anything about the Breakers for probably a couple weeks. If they don't call me I will call them.

Apparently it was the biggest turn out we ever had, but because it was my first I didnt notice. Dinex corp. was there (Daniel Boulud), as well as Charlie Palmer Steakhouse. I spoke to the "Foxwood" (Indian Casino in Conneticut). Apparently it is the biggest casino/hotel in the world, But quite frankly I thought MGM Grande was. Unfrotunately for the Grande it can only expand so much, the Indian casino is obviously on reservation land and they can expand for days on end, ha. I also had a chance to speak to the executive chef at Hotel duPont. he showed me some pretty cool pictures of the lifesize duPont stock car they made out of sheet cake and the process up to it. The Hotel+cuisine looked fantastic but I dont see myself going to Wilmington, Deleware or Conneticut for that matter. Even if Per Se was in Wilmington and I was on the top of the list to extern there I still wouldn't go. That's just how I am.

[chiantiglace]

Breakers Interview seemed to go very well.  They interviewed me right off the bat and was clean.  I filled out an application within 20 minutes, gave them my resume and we were done.  I am longing for the call from them.  I may not be able to wait, quite possibly I will call them before they call me.

May I ask what interests you so much about The Breakers? Who's the chef in the dining room there now?

Do you know what it is you wanna do when you finish school? what culinary field are you trying to reach? This may be something to consider before choosing your extern. Do you see yourself doing the big hotel thing or resort deal? or do you see doing private dining? I did my extern at the Ritz, which was maybe a good thing. After that i learned i wanted NOTHING to do with that sort of life!!!

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I've always Had an interest in Floridas Atlantic coast. I would really like to be in Miami but Palm Beach is 2nd best. The Breakers has always been interesting to me. Such history and beauty. The style they are is how I would like to live my life if that makes sense. Beautiful Italian Architecture combined with modern French fusioned food on a subtropic beach. Too me even though the Breakers is very sophisticated and upscale (5diamond AAA) it still seems rather relaxed and pleasant. Besides the images of food I have seen comming out of the kitchen on the discovery,history and foodtv channels is remarkable. I've also work with a couple chefs from Miami beach who spoke highly of it and one who actually interned there himself about 6 years ago.

What I want to do when I get out of school is take up what I was doing before then. Move around and enjoy my life. I want to experience everything that food has to offer. Does that sum it up for you or do you need more specifics?

I desperately want to drive the Team Pastry Competition as perfectly, if not better than Jean-Phillipe's team (Claude Escamilla, Chris Hanmer) did in '02. I would also very much get CMPC certified as soon as possible. Even though these goals are waaaay out there maybe even impossible I set for the highest. I'm not the kind of person that sets low so that when I pass I feel good about myself. I am the kind of person who, if there is no highest level I create a highest level to reach.

I also don't treat the kitchen live as vigorous or intense as the majority of people. I thrive on stress, literally, so that means small nor large bothers me. I look for what I may enjoy I don't run away from what could break me. If it doesn't kill me it will only make me stronger. I just state it like that because it's the overstated and easy to understand phsychological statement that describes me. Many people find me too competitive, thats just because I'm rearing up my momentum for something intense. This could take me days to accomplish, that's why some people don't understand the sudden change without the presence of stress, I am just preparing for what lies ahead simply because I love it. So I am not concerned about a life of hotel management that will make me hate the kitchen life becuase it just won't.

[chiantiglace]

Yesterday we finally got our hands dirty. We started culinary skills for bakers and it seems pretty basic. Part of this class requires 2 people to work the savory station for the apple pie bakery everyday.

The first two were me and our group leader Daniel. This was a good chance for me to get some one on one time with Daniel so she can be comfortable with me helping her. She seems 100% comfortable now, which is a lot more than I expected. We began the day doin basic prep work like cleaning and cutting roamaine for salads, cutting tomatoes and marinating them for panini sandwich, cutting mirepoix, cutting mushrooms. A lot of the stuff Daniel did was for the first time and she did well. She was very attentive and didnt jump into anything too fast. I helped her a slight bit breaking down a pineapple because the teachers assistant still seems a little inexperienced. Not to dimish the TA, I thought should was doing a pretty good job keeping up with everybody but she was hardly flawless. We put some extra tomatoes halved that were left over into the oven to be roasted and I had to remind her to pull them out. Things like that happen often, but it's just and observation for me. We started at 7 a.m. and were told we were done at 10:30-11, we didnt leave until 12:30. The rest of the day we threw together about 100+ sandwiches (roast beef with swiss, carmelized onions, and horsey mayo; Turkey sandwich with cranberry mayo and apple chutney on faccacia) and then cleaned for like 2 hours. Me and Daniel made sure that the kitchen was spotless and ready for our classes first day.

It was a treat to be the last person to class yesterday ( and I was 10 minutes early) to see everyone had their game faces on. We have three new classmates, all older, two between 30-40 I believe and one about my age. We are set up in groups of 3, 5 groups to be exact. I am in the only group of 4 because I don't really want to get in the way. I consider myself kind of like an extra, hopefully if I get my group to finish early everytime me and Daniel can walk around and help people struggling.

I noticed today some people didn't retain much from product knowledge. I had a few people hold up some items and ask me what they were. I'm glad they ask rather use the wrong thing though .

Our teacher Chef Klug, who use to be the Chef at American Bounty did about 5 demos today, and for me they just seemed to drag on forever. Probably because I had been up since 6 and only had an hour and a half sleep. We prepared a chicken stock as a class and vegetable stocks in our groups. We discussed proper ways to start a stock and when and why to clean, blanch, or roast. We discussed when and why to add the mirepoix and aromatics. We prepared the coarsley cut vegetables and each group prepared a sachet of aromatics(herbs and spices) to incorporate in the stock.

In one of the demos Chef Klug elaborated on the differences between a well prepared stock and "his" example of a ready made base, which was like a 20 year old Major granular chicken base. Apparently he didn't know anything about bases of today. If anyone knows me well I have mentioned my father is a Schreiber distributor and I have grown up in a spice and soup base warehouse. We had a 5 minute break in which I took the oppurtunity to have a non-affensive interesting conversation about the bases of today, apparently he was a little surprised with what is made today and didn't even know that the bases are, well, moist and paste like. A proper reduction of a real stock made in the factory. Then we had a conversation that the whole class should have heard because it was educational, the uses and acceptability of a stock or a base, when and where it should be used or avoided.

I must say before I end, a tragic thing happened yesterday. Someone took my knife along with a bunch of others over to the sink to be washed. thank god I was washing the dishes, or I would have flipped even more than I actually did if it had been washed. I then proceded to explain to everyone in class they should WANT to clean and protect there own tools. Everyone in the room looked at me as if I was speaking Greek, but I think I made to point of don't touch my knife unless you ask. Speaking of knives, they have become more lenient in the kitchen on personal cuttlery. I use my own Wusthof's and I have had some bad experiences with other people and my knives, so I am a little protective.

By the way, Grand Buffet ran again last thursday, sorry No pics, it was as good as last time.

[chiantiglace]

Finally I am actually paying to post here, and have the Images to show it. I wonder whats the record for image usage space, I think I am close.

Anyways, here are the belated images I wanted to post previously.

First is of the Career fair. A couple overview shots.

This is where some were sitting down for a break or even a quick interview. For me it was a full interview from the Exec. Chef of the Breakers, because they were only going one day.

Here is all the booths set up.

Next few slides are of the Anhiseur Busch Beer Tasting.

The gentleman in the light blue shirt is returning extern Jared, President of the the brew club.

This is a roasted Lamb Chop on rissoto with a "World Lager" demi, with World Lager in the glass. It was good, I had two glasses.

This is a cheese bread with a cheese sauce in the cup, plus an orange chocolate ganache. The beer was Amber Rock, first time I drank it, it was pretty good, not great by far though.

There was a first course with Budweiser and some Ahi Poke+ some smoke cheese. Both pretty good, but I didn't get a picture because I was hungry and thirsty.

The event dragged on in the beginning about the process and warehouse capabilities at the "Bud" plants but I learned a bit from it. I must say the beer was the best I've had from AB probably because it was made that day straight from the factory, aswell as perfect chill point (42degrees)

By the way I just received a call/message from The Breakers TODAY!!!! I am stoaked out of my mind right now, it took them less than a week to notify me. Tomorrow I'll call back, hopefully I got the spot, and if I do thats amazing for me. Apparently they only take like 2 or 3 during the season (which I'll be in) and had probably around 30 interviews last year. Last year they stayed both days, Michelle said it was a mistake because they were booke solid with interviews and this year wanted to shorten it up.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

I must say before I end, a tragic thing happened yesterday.  Someone took my knife along with a bunch of others over to the sink to be washed.  thank god I was washing the dishes, or I would have flipped even more than I actually did if it had been washed. 

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You've just hit on something that always drove me nuts -- when other people would break down my station and take my tools. Intentions were good, of course, but for chrissakes.

Terrific news about the Breakers. When does the Externship start?

[chiantiglace]

August 2nd

[FabulousFoodBabe]

August 2nd

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Hmm, right after the break! Well timed, chiantiglace! What are you doing with your time off?

I was thinking about the epsiode with your knives. When you go on the Externship, I hope you keep posting. I'd love to hear what the Externs at some of the bigger and more structured sites, are like. We had some doozies at my site (which shall remain nameless on these threads, PM me if you really gotta know). Some of these people had no work habits; a lot of them had zero kitchen experience. I'm still steamed over what happened with some of my stuff.

[chiantiglace]

Appologies for not posting recently, sometimes you just lose track of time. I have done and experienced countless things in the past couple weeks and I hope during this passage I will remember atleast most of them.

I am starting to see what my predecessors have been telling me about how much the scheduling changes throughout your term. A lot of my friends (mainly culinary) have been pushed back for all sorts of reasons. One failed B-block, even though he got an "A" due to absences because of a car accident and legal matters. Another failed skills 1 because he missed the last two days because his mother is just went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a disease or something that I dont even remember; something about a bad colon and intenstine. A bunch of people I started with went through A Block which made things a little wierd. The Baking and Pastry program is very much messed up. The two groups ahead of us had too many people and some of them were pushed up in the rotation. Now they have joined our group which is considerably low. We started in C block with 10 students, and we gained 5 new ones which brought us up to 15. Then in D-block we lost two and gained 3, so then we were up to 16. Now in E-block we didnt lose any and have gained 3 more. For bread (E-block) we are at a solid 19, unfortunately after this block the 3 we gained we will lose again, and supposively we are to gain 5 for F block. It's a mess.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed culinary skills for bakers. The entire group we had seemed to do very well and our chef was very tolerant. The final day he let my "team" go crazy because we were so ahead of the game. I made tortellini, which I meant to fry, instead he had us boil them because he didnt think I could pull it off in time. We also received a free lobster from upstairs. They said it had just died and couldnt sell it, but if we wanted to cook it for ourselves we could. The lobster was fun for the girls in my team to throw together, but when me and Chef Klug broke it down, you could tell the meat had broken down to shit. We came to the conclusion that the lobster had died much earlier than they had told us.

I just finished E block (Hearth Breads and rolls) and probably will never forget it. My German instructor Chef Temme (CMB) has many easily identifiable characteristics of a true food industry professional. He is very demanding and delegates work constantly at the same time keeping an upbeat sarcastic tone. You really wouldn't know if he was joking with you are really wanted to do what he asked. When he would go on his rants it was best for everyone to do exactly what he said even if he was blowing up just to get a rise out of us. He seemed to like me very much, but nobody else thought so. He rode me harder than I have been at school yet. The third day of class after a few verbal beatings he asked me if I have been doing this a long time because oh the way I act and work. I filled him in on a little bit of my life after which he stated to me I guess you know I'm am not being mean to you on purpose just testing your thick skin. Going home that evening I was very content with myself not aware what was waiting for me. From then on no matter what happened with the group I was to blame . I think he was trying his best to see if I would break down or lose it on him, which I never did. I, like usual with new chefs, turned everything around on him. I set myself up to burn him, and thats when the fun started. I started to get a feel for what would make him go off so I wouold deliberately stage a setting. For example, one time I knew he was going to get annoyed if I didnt have a container ready and greased for my dough once it finished mixing. So what I did was get one ready and put it on the side table just to the right of the mixer instead of on the rack infront. Sure enough he came over bellyacheing about me not having my materials ready. Once he was finished I didn't say a word and simply pointed right through him in attempt to turn is head directly behind him where my lexan awaited. He turns back around with his arms loosened across his chest, smiles and says, well done.

At the end of the block, after all the serades me and the chef played with each other, a kind of kitchen folk dance, he shook my hand and told me to take care. Previously the beginning of that day he had told me infront of the entire class that I was an "interesting character" and will be missed. That reinstilled everyones disbelief that we were friends, and at the same time made myself happy.

Would anyone like a pretzel?

If you look close you can see some very nicely made ones and some wrecks.

A sour dough loaf made from Chef Temme on day 12. In the picture you cant tell how big it is but its about 6 lbs I'd say ranging one foot and three quarters in diamter. He told us this was the first time he had made this bread at CIA. When he was young he had a job at a bakery in Germany where they made breads this big and sold them by the cut or quarter.

Here is the set of overns we used, our four deck electric "deck over" and our rack roll in over. Too me I thought they were both very nice but I think the Chef thought he could have better.

Here are some batards left over at the end of the day. Honey wheat, top and bottom, multigrain in the middle.

Our two spiral mixers and the small 20 qt mixer on the side.

Heres the chef plus me and two of my class mates rolling multigrain batards during dinner while the rest of class is away.

The batards lined in the couches. By the way this is our sourdough version of the multigrain batards, its not the standard everyday. The reason we were there during dinner was because the sourdough takes so long to rise it usually extended into dinner time. Me, the group leader and the two older gentlmen in the picture above were the usual candidates that came back from dinner early to help the chef.

Here is the baguette production. This is the 2nd batch for the day, after dinner. This is from a dough we practiced rolling out by hand. And if someone was absent or and extra dough hand to be kneaded, guess who the chef had do it . The bottom three are mine I believe. Baguettes were fun for me because people showed their humble sides when baguettes came around. I had plenty people ask help, and not to sound mean but some people reallly needed it.

These look great by the way because its just 5 or 6 students back early from dinner (the more experienced or deidcated) and also it was the last day and everyone has had plenty of practice.

Also a side note, whenever we made baguettes by hand it was much much easier to shape them then when they were kneaded in a mixer. You guys try and figure that one out and get back to me.

Here is the practice with the "epi" formation. This is a nut bread, or more simply kind of like a bread coffee cake. It is very good. People had fun with these, they really had to use their brain to shape them properly do to how to cut and lay the dough.

At the end of the last day, Baguettes (top), Honey wheat (second to top) Jalapeno Cheddar (Bottom left), Multigrain (bottom Right).

Here is simply baguettes in the proofer lined in their couches.

We made kaisers too, and at the end of final shaping I had some extra dough so I quickly made a kaiser flower. it turned out ok.

I hope everyone is having fun with this. I have plenty more to post just not enough time. Bye for now.

[Melanger]

You are so completely doing the right thing by skipping dinner, coming early, staying late, etc. That is where you gain the most valuable experiences and develop the strongest realtionships with the chefs and like minded students. It is like creating your own honors program.

I think that it is a shame that they have relaxed the entrance requirements to the point of not needing any experience. It creates such a disparity among the students, those who know this is what they want and those who think it is cute (an extension of high school), mainly to the detraction and general annoyance of the more dedicated students, at least that's the way that I saw it way back in '99. Does the phrase Cash In Advance still get thrown around?

Don't get me wrong, I love the school and continue to value my time there immensely. I just don't want to see the value of the education diluted by bloated class size achieved through reduced admission standards resulting in a lowest common denominator approach to teaching. Nevertheless...

Congratualtions on the Breakers and on your display of devotion to your chosen profession. It will serve you very well!

[godito]

I had chef Temme. Cool guy. He was my baking chef for culinary arts (I forget the actual name of the class). We did a lot of interacting during class and after class. If you see him around, tell him Carlos says hello... he might remember me... then again I graduated a year and half ago.

Also.. shifting groups and new people get worse after externship. Just get uased to it. The cool thing is you now have a lot of friends in other blocks and classes. I call that shared knowledge.

Good luck!

[FabulousFoodBabe]

First: Anthony, sounds like things are going really fast! Love the photos. So, it's the Breakers, eh?

I think CIA is doing themselves, and the students, a tremendous disservice with the "team" concept. I always felt like it should be mixed up every block. Keeps little cabals from being formed. (And I loved the people on my team.) But shoot, no one failed in my classes. Not even the kid who was meth'ed all the time and just lipped off at every single chef ... not the girls who didn't clean or took three hours to peel some onions and slice them on the slicer.

One thing I learned when I went back with a younger group is that the education is now being sold as "leadership training." Meaning, to many students, that they don't have to do the nasty stuff because they'll be in charge of people who will be doing it. You know, managing them.

Okie-dokie!

[Melanger]

I agree with FabulousFoodBabe:

"One thing I learned when I went back with a younger group is that the education is now being sold as "leadership training." Meaning, to many students, that they don't have to do the nasty stuff because they'll be in charge of people who will be doing it. You know, managing them. "

The best demo ever was Patrick O'Connell's. He is telling the students that he is going to show them the most important skill that they can have, something that most of them probably know little about.

The students are salivating at the though of gleaning this bit of knowledge from super successful chef.

He steps around the counter, dumps some rubbish on the floor, grabs a broom and says, I know most of you have never even swept a floor but you think you are all going to be great chefs, sounds like you have a lot more learning to do.

It was great. Great but true.

Edited March 28, 2006 by Melanger (log)

[FabulousFoodBabe]

The best demo ever was Patrick O'Connell's.  [snip snip]

He steps around the counter, dumps some rubbish on the floor, grabs a broom and says, I know most of you have never even swept a floor but you think you are all going to be great chefs, sounds like you have a lot more learning to do.

It was great.  Great but true.

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Love this story, Melanger. O'Connell's Externships start with two weeks of dishwashing. How great is that????

[godito]

I did a fair deal of dishwashing during my externship. It wasn't fun but it was a great learning experience.

And Fabby, you're right. Scools (in general) seem to be teaching their students how to be the boss. But, like one of our instructors used to say: everybody wants to be a chef. Too many chefs and the kitchen doesn't work. Nobody want's to work. Everybody wants to be the boss.

Isn't it time to put the cook back in the kitchen?

As with everything, though, school is what you get out of it. You can learn as much or as little as you want.

[chiantiglace]

speaking of which Carlos, I just got back from class and before it was over I noticed a very light day of work for my team t/m. Tomorrow all we have to do is make spritz cookies and pound cake while everyone else has 3-5 things to do. I asked the chef if the rotation schedule looked right and if he agreed that it was a light day with me I wondered if there was something we could get ahead on. Chef agreed and said that we (my team) could make doughnuts t/m and that we will be the only team doing it since t/m he is demoing it. Very happy with this decision I felt it necessary to share it with my 18 year old lack luster team member who apparently has an opposite view of education from mine. The second I told him we get to do doughnuts t/m he started ranting about absolutely nothing. His main complaint was that he wanted to get out early so he could drive home for the weekend (sure wish I lived close enough to drive home).

I tell you the bad attitudes that began a couple blocks ago have turned into horrible attitudes and the good ones are slipping. But I must say the 2 older gentlmen that I encountered much friction with from the start has softened to friendly notions. It's funny how to experienced prevail over time and the inexperienced gain friction sparking into flames.

By the way Chef Temme could said he could barely remember a year and a half ago and might be able to remember a Carlos.

[godito]

By the way Chef Temme could said he could barely remember a year and a half ago and might be able to remember a Carlos.

true that. LOL.

you always get people like your team member in your groups. Don't worry, it's his money he's wasting. And in the end, a few years after he graduates, if he's still in this business, he will understand that he could've done much better in school. Bad thing is he's probably gonna say he wished his school was better. Oh, well, whatchagonnado.

In any case, you have the right attitude towards learning, and that's all a Chef could want.