Name that...
Wednesday, November 8
I'm heading to school shortly but wanted to write to say that my blog may be somewhat sparse over the next few days as I am immersed in homework assigments, tests, internship work, stewardship hours, etc. and am trying to catch up and stay afloat. But I promise I will catch up on my blog and keep you updated. I know I had the big mid-term exam last week, but I just finished a homework assignment on the development of a recipe yesteday and have a test today on identification. This is where they place 50 items in a room with numbers and you have to go in and identify them. This 50 could include fruit, vegetables, spices, herbs, food products like oils and vinegars, kitchen equipment, etc. and it won't be simple like identifying a carrot or apple but probably less common items like kolrabi, jicama, patty pan (small squash) and cherimoya... telling the difference between oils like canola, extra virgin, hazelnut, flax and vinegars such as brown rice, white wine, champagne, and ume... spices such as caraway, cumin, five spice,and chervil... beans such as black soy and black turtle bean (black soy is rounder and shinier), navy and great northern (both white but navy is smaller but don't know how you tell this if you only have one item and not both), millet, and quinoa... equipment like the pizelle maker (looks like a waffle maker for making small cookie like designs), chinoise, and different terrine pots. This should be an interesting test to say the least and it's not really possible to study for this too much. I went to health stores and tried to study, with strange and annoying glances from people who were busy after work doing their shopping.
Then, we head into two weeks of baking, which the teachers warn us will be quite the journey and we'll all get sick from eating too much wheat, sugars, etc. and see the first hand effects of too much carbs and sugars on the system, which can get ugly we are told. Also, we have the famous conversion class that is supposed to make us super wired by the end of the day. This is where we start to convert recipes, using ingredients that are not healthy, and gradually start to add and experiment with ingredients that are healthier, in order to examine first hand the properities of ingredients and differences they make in appearance, taste, texture, etc. This is one of the courses that certainly makes the school unique and the chefs say that no other culinary school does this. Also, this is the only time where we'll see and work with the so called forces of evil such as refined sugar, processed flour, etc. For example, we'll start with a traditional peanut butter cookie recipe with jarred peanut butter, refined sugar, etc. and then we can be creative to experiment with different elements to change the recipe and see what happens. For example, the use of agave syrup and real peanuts. It will be like a laboratory and at the end we will have made dozens of batches of cookies and a testing pan with all the laboratory samples identified. Also, at the end the teachers said that they are prepared for students being on sugar highs and totally full of giggles, low attention spans and general spaciness. So, I'm looking forward to this class but with slight apprehension as I feel like a mouse or guinea pig heading to the laboratory.
Election day yesterday but it's strange here that it is so calm and you would never know an election is on... no flyers, signs are rare, no canvassing by phone or in person, etc. I asked one of my classmates why this is and he said you have to understand that they know two years in advance when the election will be and the candidates have had this two year period to do their work. Also, by two years, people pretty much know what will happen with different areas. Also, I guess they are polled to death during that period and there is extensive media coverage. The one thing is that you must have very big pockets to sustain a campaign for that long and keep volunteers and supporters motivated.
Anyway, heading out for the game of name that x and for my sugar highs...
I'm heading to school shortly but wanted to write to say that my blog may be somewhat sparse over the next few days as I am immersed in homework assigments, tests, internship work, stewardship hours, etc. and am trying to catch up and stay afloat. But I promise I will catch up on my blog and keep you updated. I know I had the big mid-term exam last week, but I just finished a homework assignment on the development of a recipe yesteday and have a test today on identification. This is where they place 50 items in a room with numbers and you have to go in and identify them. This 50 could include fruit, vegetables, spices, herbs, food products like oils and vinegars, kitchen equipment, etc. and it won't be simple like identifying a carrot or apple but probably less common items like kolrabi, jicama, patty pan (small squash) and cherimoya... telling the difference between oils like canola, extra virgin, hazelnut, flax and vinegars such as brown rice, white wine, champagne, and ume... spices such as caraway, cumin, five spice,and chervil... beans such as black soy and black turtle bean (black soy is rounder and shinier), navy and great northern (both white but navy is smaller but don't know how you tell this if you only have one item and not both), millet, and quinoa... equipment like the pizelle maker (looks like a waffle maker for making small cookie like designs), chinoise, and different terrine pots. This should be an interesting test to say the least and it's not really possible to study for this too much. I went to health stores and tried to study, with strange and annoying glances from people who were busy after work doing their shopping.
Then, we head into two weeks of baking, which the teachers warn us will be quite the journey and we'll all get sick from eating too much wheat, sugars, etc. and see the first hand effects of too much carbs and sugars on the system, which can get ugly we are told. Also, we have the famous conversion class that is supposed to make us super wired by the end of the day. This is where we start to convert recipes, using ingredients that are not healthy, and gradually start to add and experiment with ingredients that are healthier, in order to examine first hand the properities of ingredients and differences they make in appearance, taste, texture, etc. This is one of the courses that certainly makes the school unique and the chefs say that no other culinary school does this. Also, this is the only time where we'll see and work with the so called forces of evil such as refined sugar, processed flour, etc. For example, we'll start with a traditional peanut butter cookie recipe with jarred peanut butter, refined sugar, etc. and then we can be creative to experiment with different elements to change the recipe and see what happens. For example, the use of agave syrup and real peanuts. It will be like a laboratory and at the end we will have made dozens of batches of cookies and a testing pan with all the laboratory samples identified. Also, at the end the teachers said that they are prepared for students being on sugar highs and totally full of giggles, low attention spans and general spaciness. So, I'm looking forward to this class but with slight apprehension as I feel like a mouse or guinea pig heading to the laboratory.
Election day yesterday but it's strange here that it is so calm and you would never know an election is on... no flyers, signs are rare, no canvassing by phone or in person, etc. I asked one of my classmates why this is and he said you have to understand that they know two years in advance when the election will be and the candidates have had this two year period to do their work. Also, by two years, people pretty much know what will happen with different areas. Also, I guess they are polled to death during that period and there is extensive media coverage. The one thing is that you must have very big pockets to sustain a campaign for that long and keep volunteers and supporters motivated.
Anyway, heading out for the game of name that x and for my sugar highs...
posted by Caroline at 4:55 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home