-David Dunham
Well hello knife cuts from weeks ago, how have you been? They have been hanging with all the other things I did in school and didn’t post about. Six weeks go by like eating a taco. You’re all like that was the best taco (six weeks) ever, I devoured that taco (culinary information) so quickly, and savored every second of that spicy meat (class), did I just eat (take) four (20+) tacos (quizzes, tests, and practicals) that fast (that fast)?
We took one field trip down the road to a Filipino supermarket, made hollandaise, mayonnaise, an impromptu soup in 20 minutes with no meat or broth, made hollandaise, grilled salmon, had half an hour to mess around with plating non- edible food, had trussing demos, chicken butchering, squid, sole, and salmon filleting demos, made gazpacho with only brunoise cuts (which is even less satisfying when you are going to throw it all in a blender), had stock, roux, and bisque, and mother sauce demos, made a roux, oh and all the while sanitation was boring the hell out of me. A whole book of Serv Safe, and the most important thing I learned is wash your hands. Seriously, it’s the answer to most of the secrets of the universe. Oh, and terrorists are one of the saboteurs that will try and jack up your food. Terrorists, people.
It’s a new feeling for me to look forward to going anywhere everyday. Every day. I get fidgety. Not here. The first six weeks was a lot of introduction, but also a chance for me to find out little details about things. It’s weird being in a class with people who don’t know who Anthony Bourdaine or Thomas Keller are, but then I never filleted a fish. We all have different knowledge, which I love most of the time (except for some venison butchering that came up once too much, there is a creep limit, buy a book, or google it). Of course there are a tiny few poky people, and what I like to call culinairheads, but for the most part we have a really great class. Being at the top of my class with people who are friends is pretty great too. It’s so nice to be able to talk about food and food nerd-related things, and not have to worry when you have to stop (at least I hope so).
I need to hustle more, and with zero knife skill practicing at home (I know, I know), I need to make cuts way faster. I do have less waste with my cuts. Yay me. My hand torture, I mean made mayo and hollandaise, is tops, but I look forward to you food processor mayo, my wrist does too.
This is just a fraction of the last six weeks, but just imagine the other parts being just as positive and smile inducing. Monday I start Culinary II, and no sanitation. Did I mention no sanitation?
All in all it’s been a marvelous six weeks filled with pasta, fried rice, sandwiches, and breakfast for dinner. I did finally get to cook this weekend. That will have to hold me for six more weeks 🙂
8 responses to ““Efficiency is intelligent laziness.””
Monet
February 16th, 2011 at 19:41
You paint a great picture of this experience. It is tinged with humor, beauty and the day-to-day drudgery of attempting to do anything well. I wish I could come over and cook some food for you! I can only imagine how it must feel to come home to a kitchen after being in one all day. I would make a big pot of French Onion Soup (because you know you aren’t going to want to touch a knife) a fresh loaf of sourdough bread, and then a chocolate brownie sundae with a lot of caramel sauce. Yum. Then we would eat, talk food and literature, and feel like we were the queens of the world.
Evelyne@CheapEthnicEatz
February 16th, 2011 at 08:39
I love living this course vicariously through you. I love the part where you say we are food nerds, that never occurred to me but you are so right.
A Canadian Foodie
February 15th, 2011 at 06:25
While I will never be “good” at the tiny – what is the tiniest dice called ? – but I LOVE the mouth feel of that cut. It is brilliant and I do appreciate it. I remember telling you this when you first wrote about it – I love the photos of the cuts.
🙂
Valerie
The Lonely Radish
February 15th, 2011 at 08:49
Ah yes, the brunoisette. A tiny mistress.
Boulder Locavore
February 14th, 2011 at 04:36
This is so fascinating learning what you are doing in school. One doesn’t stop to think that even those celebrity chefs who verge on TV icons started here. ‘Knife skills’ is a phrase thrown around now with all the cooking shows, to consider all the practice a new chef must go through really makes one take pause. Bravo to you and thanks for taking us along for your journey! Your dish looks delicious too.
The Lonely Radish
February 14th, 2011 at 05:20
Thanks for reading 🙂 I always appreciated the work that went in to making my food, but I am appreciating it on a whole new level now. The production expected of one is enormous. I think it’s one of the few jobs where most of the people want to go to work everyday. That definitely makes it special.
Belinda @zomppa
February 14th, 2011 at 04:27
I gotta be a better chopper….what a lot covered in such a time.
The Lonely Radish
February 14th, 2011 at 05:16
I know, but I love to learn at a fast paste. So far 🙂