Baking For Patience

As I start my second year at the Midwest Culinary Institute I find myself faced with the evil I like to call Baking.  I apologize Chef Ketover, but as of Tuesday I have avoided baking like the plague... and I mean like a real plaque like Bubonic where have your probably going to die and stuff.  Not sure specifically why I have avoided it but I think it deals with my little problem with patience.  I have a slight problem with patience, more like I don't really have the ability to be patient. 

Up to know I have quite well in all of my cooking labs because its about being efficient and being quick.  I found out quickly on Tuesday , while making some petite apple pies, that rushing through them is not the correct approach.  So as the chef instructor examined my pies she noticed that they seemed rushed and could have used some more attention to detail.  Although I was told that it tasted very good.

So somehow I need to find some patience and make sure I have it in my knife bag for next week.

Any suggestions?

First Thoughts

When you wake up in the morning what is the first thing you think of, or what pops into your head? Maybe a priority list of things that needs to be done.  Or how many times you hit the snooze and how much time you have to get to work before you get fired.  Whatever it may be it probably  is about you, and what you have to do.  Not what you want to do.  Now this is not a bad thing really, I mean you made the choice to do what you do so to you it seems fine and it is I suppose.  I can remember some of my best first thoughts in the morning had to do with the night before and what may or may have not transpired.  Wondering who is Lisa and why do I have a number from her.  Who am I kidding I never got a girls number at a bar.  Oh well with age comes a different set of priorities and first thoughts.  Now normally my first thought is how can I get my damn wrist fixed so I can jump into this game of food for which I am decades behind.  Which leads me to the second thing I dwell on in the morning, how do I get a sweet cushy TV show all about me and my culinary perspective.  News flash, I don't have some special, cute and cuddly food perspective.  If I had to write one up for a Food Network talent agent I would say, "Making food is my last chance, without it I will surely dive off the ledge of a bridge."  Which would be followed by , "Now make a cute little show about that, Tuschman."  I can say all that without any worries because my face is more a radio one than a TV one.

Although seriously I am not kidding about the ledge of the bridge deal.  I know it sounds a little dramatic but I have reviewed the options for suicide and the bridge jump wins.  I believe that if I can't learn to cook in a restaurant I will be destined to a life of peddling cell phones in kiosk in a mall.  Which I have done before and its a blast.  When I say blast, I mean like being punched in mouth with a sledge hammer, twice.  So with the constant nightmare of the  sledgehammer punching it seems I have put a lot of pressure on myself to do well enough to call myself a working cook.  I refuse to use chef, others call you chef, I will always be a cook. This pressure is now with me everyday I walk into the Midwest Culinary Institute.  This, if you don't know, is where to go to school and it is where I am trying my best not to screw up.  So far not to bad, but I hear the heavy stuff comes later so I am looking forward to my first butt chewing session when the scallops are over done.  Now I seem to do well under pressure, and I think I look for it and need it to do a good job.  This may be the only reason I feel I might have a fighting chance at making it through culinary school and maybe landing a mediocre job in some restaurant.

So remember what you parents told you about yourself right?  Mine told me to be the best I could be and never to give up.  I work hard everyday to have those as first thoughts as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling.  Now I know parents don't always say the right things at the right times and well mine have said a lot things that have discouraged me more than encouraged.  This can never be used to blame them but to encourage yourself and to push yourself closer to what you know is right.  To help you have your own first thoughts and to not be defined by what others think but you or what you know to be true.  First thoughts of this wanna be cook boy...

"Run before you crawl and dive in with no water in the pool."

Fourth Term Done, So What Have I Learned?

I can't believe it but I have completed my four term at The Midwest Culinary Institute.  I can remember it was just a year ago when I made the decision to attend culinary school and become a wanna be Chef.  So nervous and wondering if I will even make it through the first term more less one year.  It was not what I expected, and exactly what I expected to be honest.  I can still remember my first class when the instructor asked what every ones culinary aspirations.  Almost half of the people said they wanted to be a celebrity chef of some sort on the Food Network.  To be honest I don't think most of them even made it through Cooking 1.  Myself I believe I said,  "That I hoped one day long time from now I hope I can feel confident in  calling myself a Chef."   That is still a long way away, don't let the chef hat fool you, because I think it will be years before I will ever feel ok with calling myself a Chef.

So what have I learned in one year?  Well I  have learned how to make homemade mayo, how to make a perfect Bearnaise sauce, and how to roast a chicken.  I have also learned how to accept the fact that you will cut yourself and it will hurt and you will burn yourself and that will also hurt.  This is a reality when you surround yourself by fire and knives. But it was fire and knives that attracted me to cooking as a kid, it made me feel grown up and it made me feel powerful.  I would have to say I still feel that power when I hone my knifes or flambe so high I don't have eyebrows for a week.  

It has certainly been a journey so far but I am making sure to enjoy the ride.

Now go cook something.

Never Second Guess

Movement of dream is depended upon how much you are willing to push yourself relentlessly towards it everyday.

Ever since I started Culinary school I have enjoyed every second of it, even when I nearly cut my figure off.  It has opened up to me so many opportunities and possibilities that I could never imagine.  It has already allowed me to meet some of the nicest and most talented people in food.  Despite that there seems to be a problem, something that is haunting me, a feeling that I can't seem to shake away.

If you know me or have read this blog for any length of time you know that I have a slight confidence problem. Even though most of the time I tend to hide it behind my sarcasm and humor it is still very much still with me everyday. Now I am no psychiatrist but this certainly can not be healthy.   Lots of times I can't see myself doing anything in the culinary world good enough to be accepted or liked.

This is a problem because confidence is everything, without it you will just always fail. Strangely that seems to be what consistently has happen in my life.  I find something I love and end up destroying it before I even get a chance to do anything worthwhile.  So how can I prevent this from happening this time at Culinary School? At this point I am not sure, I don't have an answer but to say I plan to not go down without a fight.

This concludes the incoherent babbling bull crap....

Creations Cooking Classes. Now This Is Fun!

Do you watch the food network endlessly?

Do you spend more time looking for new recipes than you do with your family?

Do you think your the next iron chef?

If you answered yes to one or all three of these questions then you may want to look into Cooking Creations Classes at The Midwest Culinary Institute sponsered by Krogers. This is a hands-on class and is a great way to have fun with friends and family. Learn all the skills and tricks needed to be an instant iron chef!

This past Monday I was able to help out as a student helper, and I must say it was a lot of fun and I can't wait to do it again. This is not for advanced cooks at all, if you love to cook and discover new recipes and flavors then you will fit right in with no problem.

Spring classes are filling up fast so make sure you follow this link to register.

If you use facebook click here for a super secret discount.

For more information call 513-569-1643

Greenhorn

So as my culinary journey continues it has brought me to my first job in a real kitchen. I am working along side Executive Chef Chris Ropp at the Kenwood Country Club. Chef Ropp was my Cooking 1 chef instructor at the Midwest Culinary Institute.

With this being my first job in a kitchen, there is not much room for screw-ups by the new guy. Last weekend was my first weekend, and the pace was crazy quick. Not only quick but long for a fat guy like me. Although I must say that when the adrenaline gets pumping there is, nothing more fun and I love it for sure. The flames, the yelling, and satisfaction of a job well done. Did I mention the yelling, I love it.

Not sure if anyone from work reads this, but if you are let me say thank you for your patience and understanding. Also thank you for keeping the hazing to a minimum.

Get out and eat the world

Rite Of Passage

Well it was bound to happen; yes, I cut myself in my practical final exam for cooking one. Don't worry I did fine on it, but I could've done without all the blood. Although, a friend of mine told me to look at it as a rite of passage as a chef, and I would have to agree with that insight. It seems a little cliché but somewhat cool in way if you think about it those terms. Trust me I could've done without the cut and pain but the blood was a type of baptism into this world of dangerous elements. Fire and sharp knives are what attracted me to this career change, I love to play with them and make fun and exciting food.


So Cooking 1 is done, onto Cooking 2 and so the journey continues. What will be next? I hope that no more cuts for a while at least.

Take care and get out and eat the world

Knowing My Don't Knows

So another week in Cooking 1 and I must say the nervousness is somewhat subsiding and I am finally learning my way around. Today I was the designated Sous Chef, which is not as glamorous as one may think, mind you. Actually you have to make sure all cleaning is done at the end of the class. You guessed it, if it is not done, you must finish the task. Now don't get me wrong, I am not complaining at all, as matter of fact I like the additional responsibility. This class is about stepping up to the plate and making sure you do your best. And all yeah, not screwing up, which I fully expect to happen to me, but as for now I am good.


This week we actually got to produce some salads and make some dressings. Somewhat real food....hooray! The first task of the day was to make mayonnaise. Sounds pretty simple right? I mean how hard it could be to make some mayo. Well the first attempt of getting my mayo to emulsify was not too successful. Not sure why, but it just wasn't, and I had to start over. Humbling for sure but I wasn't the only one luckily. This brought to mind a quote that my Dad used to say to me,

"You don't know what you don't know until you try."

This is very important, I think, to my success in this class and going forward. I shouldn't assume that I know what I don't know until I try. Just because it sounds easy like mayonnaise I should first humble myself then proceed to follow each step as if I have never seen or heard of them at all. I guess when you finally understand what you don't know you can start learning correctly.

I hope that didn't bore you too much. Although I must say I am learning more about myself right now than I am cooking. No offense Chef Ropp, you are a true Iron Chef, and I am sure you will teach me a ton about the Culinary Arts. But right now it’s more about me discovering and learning about me.

So until next time....

"May foods make you full, but may love fill you up."

Mise en place

Hello again from the world of the wanna be chef.


Yeah, it took a week but I have a firm grip on where I stand in the culinary pecking order. And that would be at the very bottom. After two weeks in my Cooking 1 class my head is dizzy with what I need to remember and learn. For instance, today we went to a class instructed by Chef John Kinsella, pretty much the patriarch of our culinary school, to check out some of the ovens and other cooking equipment covered in the chapter we were studying. It was an advanced cooking class and you could tell because they were cranking out food I could only dream of making one day. At first it scared me because the whole confidence complex I have with myself. But then I realized these guys and gals all started just like I did. This is a process built on a very solid foundation. This school is not the place if you want to be the next food network guru with your own catch phrases. They don't teach catch phrases here, nor will they teach you how to wear the Mr. T starter kit or how to wear your sunglasses backwards. No this place is for folks who understand that you have to respect the classic way of doing things because that is the backbone to all things culinary.

So until next time remember……”eat or be eaten”

Cooking 1...Day 1 My Thoughts

So the alarm went off this morning 5:30am and I willingly got up before the first snooze. Which is always the best and worst part of my morning? Oh, snooze thank you for my additional 5 minutes. Damn you snooze for ringing again and again. So why so cheery at such an early hour? Well today was the first real "cooking" class I have at the Midwest Culinary Institute. My first chance to prove I am the next Top Chef. I know I am laughing too...its ok ..its a joke. I am fully aware I am no where near were I need be and even if I thought I was I would still need years of experience. Besides this face is not made for TV.

So I arrived to the class 45 minutes early and to my surprise I was the third one there already. Looks like I wasn't the only one excited and extremely nervous. Speaking of nervous, I do something very annoying when I am nervous, talk a lot. For those who have known me for a long time you already know this about me. Although, Chef Ropp, the instructor didn't, and my first couple questions before class made me look like an idiot. Not sure what I was thinking but for a while I had a nice healthy case of vomiting of the mouth. Once I realized it I stopped immediately and sat as quiet as I could. Once everyone arrived, I noticed, for once, that I was not the oldest student in class...thank goodness.

By this time class has began and yes I am trying not to let my nerves show to everyone. The Chef Ropp began to go over some basic rules for the class. I could tell by the way he conducted the class that he was someone who was not going to tolerate an ounce of BS from anyone. In addition to that he seemed very organized again thank goodness. Believe it or not its hard sometimes to have an instructor who is organized. They drive me crazy.

I do not want to bore you with all the details of this six-hour class, which has no significance to you. For me, it was just another step on a journey to where...... I am not sure yet.. All I know is that it was a huge step to walk into that class and say to myself ......Yes, I commit to this and I have to succeed and ride this wave and not be afraid to get knockdown once and a while.

Good news though I did leave with all my digits intact!