Thursday, October 29th

The bad news: We were not able to log onto the website that administers our sanitation test this evening so we have to wait until Monday to attempt to take it...

The good news: I got a 98% on my exam today! Baguettes (yet again) and my Challah!!! Sorry for the funky angle. You will also see the mini challah's I made with the left over dough as well as the Epi I made. We also piped for the first time in chocolate today.

I have scanned my test and posted it below so you can see what they look like, although I'm not sure you'll be able to see it... For the two breads we were graded on texture, flavor and recipe knowledge. The Chef makes comments to the right. Each catagory is worth 15 points.

Wednesday, October 28th

Happy Lee Butcher's Birthday Day!!!

Thank you to everyone for expressing such sincere sadness caused by not getting to read my blog for the past two days (and when I say "everyone" I mean Sue... my sister). AHEM...

Before you start working in a "real" kitchen you are required to be certified by SafeServe in Sanitation so Monday and Tuesday evening were spent in a class room from 6pm-10:30pm (after a full day in the kitchen) of learning not to cut veggies on a cutting board that just had raw chicken on it, not to put your hands down your pants and then prepare food, and that if you have diarrhea, you shouldn't come to work because you could potentially give someone a very serious disease like jaundice... I have to stay after class again tomorrow to take the actual test which has 90 questions on it. To quote my mother "Oh joy. Oh bliss."

Monday we made whole wheat rolls with a honey wash which I found to be totally boring so I gave mine to Kimberly to take to her church group meeting that night.

Yesterday we made Ciabatta bread which was SO good. Its totally messy to make, but completely worth it. We also made a pre-ferment (part of a dough that must sit overnight or sometimes longer in order to obtain flavor) for our fruit and nut bread (with currants, raisins, pecans and hazelnuts) which we baked today.

After the fruit and nut bread (which I unloaded at Rhea's doorstep on my way home tonight), we made Pain de Campanion which I found to be boring as well so I gave that to Kimberly for her PTA meeting tomorrow morning (and she manages to be peppy and friendly EVERY DAY!)

And then we made what Monica HOFFBERG and myself, Maryn SILVERBERG (the only two Jews in the class) like to call Jew Day in the Le Cordon Blue baking program: we made Challah and Rye Bread. The rye bread wont be baked until tomorrow, but we did the challah (mine was a bit under-proofed which means that I didn't let the dough rise enough before baking it. The main sign of under-proofing is splitting which is what mine did down the middle). Tomorrow we will be tested, yet again, on baguettes as well as the challah. By the end of the day tomorrow, I will have taken three tests this week which seems like a lot...

Friday, October 23rd.

Well, we had our first practical yesterday: baguettes and pain au lait. I won't know how I did until next week but I manged to unloaded all the bread on Mel and Julie because if I even consider eating one more piece of bread, Gail will fly out here and pull me out of school.

And while I managed to slice open my thumb on my right hand with a rather sharp serrated knife and singe the finger prints off my left pointer finger, Chef neglected to give us the equivalents test... P to the H to the E to the W.

Thursday, October 22nd

So... black pepper and asiago cheese bread sticks aren't as easy to make as I thought they would be... But soooooooooo addicting. After making those, and receiving what feels like 18 degree burns on two of my fingers, we made a loaf of white bread and with the dough that we had left over, some rolls.

Tomorrow we have our first test of the module - baguettes and pain au lait. Oh, and Chef decided to add a section on equivalents because she doesn't think we know them. Aaaaaaaand shes right.

Who wants bread? Seriously. I'm almost on carb overload.

Wednesday, October 21st

Dear Bread,

Two things:

1. I adore you.

2. Could you please not go directly to my arse? I would really appreciate it.

Love,

Maryn

Today we made wheat pita and Pain Au Lait which translates into "milk bread." Both were very good - the pita puffed up and was nice and crisp on the bottom and the pain au lait came out golden brown and shiny.

Tomorrow and Friday we have Chef "Cooking Vessels" Cook and I'm stoked not just because she will be our substitute, but because we are going to be making black pepper asiago cheese sticks. Jigga what?!

I have yet to meet a carb I don't like...

Tuesday, October 20th

Happy Rosemary, Onion and Olive Focaccia day!!!!

In my haste to get out the door this morning to start making what I do believe to be the tastiest Focaccia ever made in the history of focaccia, I forgot my camera so please excuse the mobile photos...

Yesterday we had lecture and made our baguette dough. Today we learned how to cut it, measure it (each baguette is about 13 ounces), roll it out (too much futzing with the dough and it will tighten in which case you have to let it rest), then actually let the dough rest or "proof" so the dough can rise, cut the slashes in it (they must be long, not too deep, and done quickly with a serrated knife), flour it, bake it (20 minutes in a still oven), brown it (about 10 minutes in the convection oven), and take the breads temperature (it has to be at least 200 degrees)...

Yep. A thermometer... In the bread.

And you thought it was as easy as going to Ralph's and picking up a loaf.

In the picture you will see two classic baguettes and then Epi baguettes which I prefer because they are pretty and crunchy.

The Focaccia... Oooooh, the focaccia. I used more olives than I was supposed to and a little more olive oil we were supposed to and Y to the U to the M. Its almost indecent. After the dough is made, you have to let it rest in a warm area (but not too warm because at 138 degrees, yeast dies), form it in your pan, add the remaining toppings, let it rest again, then bake.

So far, I think this module is going to be the most dangerous. Cream Puffs? Meh. Eclairs? Okay. Devil's Food Cake? Sure. ROSEMARY OLIVE FOCACCIA?!?!!? GET OUT OF TOWN AND COME RIGHT BACK!! I think I have to make it again but this time with a little Asiago or Parmesan on top. I'm just sayin.

Friday, October 16th

On Friday, my first module came to an end.

The past three weeks have been totally eye opening. Its been stressful, fun, different, and totally new, which has been strange, but completely awesome.

Friday we cleaned for two and a half hours straight. Gooooood times. Then, Chef returned all of our homework, practical final exams and written exams...

On both the written and the practical, I got a 94%.

Overall in the class, I received an A (they don't give A+'s at Cordon Bleu).

HURRAHHHH!!!

On Monday I begin the second module, PBK 111: Introduction to Baking Principles and Ingredient Function.... Mainly, we are going to be making different kinds of breads... Needless to say, I can't wait... We will be making French Baguettes, Focaccia Sponge, Rosemary Olive Focaccia, English Muffins, Pita, Pain au Lait, Sourdough, Black Pepper Asiago Breadsticks, Rye Bread, Ciabatta, Braided Challah, Bagels, Brioche, Cinnamon Swirl Bread... I meeeean.

Am I the only one drooling?

P.S. I have some CRAZY AWESOME news to share that had me crying after seeing Couples Retreat today in the middle of the Grove's movie theater lobby - but I'm not allowed to tell ANYONE until tomorrow, so stay tuned!!!!