Stewing...

Today we had an interesting course, one of many, on food for health and healing and the criteria for natural food selection, including whole food, organic, locally produced, and seasonal. In the afternoon, we were back in the kitchen to braise, puree, stew, pressure cook, and stir fry and ended up with a number of dishes to review and taste afterwards. After school, we had one of our first knife drills or camps. There were like the EMBA math camps but less painful and more interesting. Basically, we chop, chop and chop, with the chef guiding us, correcting us and giving us tips... keep the left hand in a "bear claw" position, don't hold the knife too tight, stand in the middle of the cutting board, keep the boards clear, use the back of the knife, follow through with our cuts, be mindful and present at all times, try for consisently in size and appearance... he brought out rulers for us to test in particular our 1/8 " brunoise cubes and matchsticks. In the evening, I went to the gym, starting Grey's Anatomy there and running back to the apartment to watch the rest.