Kitchen Time

So I have been working for a month now, and its been a long and tiring month. But at the same time it has been good, this is an experience that I know will be great for me. Anytime anyone starts something new, there is a lot to adjust to, and that is what I am doing right now. Just trying to adjust to something I am not use to. I never wanted to work in a restaurant, but it just happened, I decided it was something to at least try. There is no harm in trying, just so much to gain!

So I started reading Anthony Bourdain-Kitchen Confidential, which I have not gotten far, but its already great, I love how inappropriate he is. I'm reading this book, and it makes you know someone understands you, that there is this society of people who understand what working in a restaurant is like, as well as just working in the food industry all together.

“ I’m asked a lot what the best thing about cooking for a living is. And it’s this: to be a part of a subculture. To be part of a historical continuum, a secret society with its own language and customs. To enjoy the instant gratification of making something good with one’s hands-using all one’s senses. It can be, at times, the purest and most unselfish way of giving pleasure (though oral sex has to be a close second). ” - Anthony Bourdain

True Life: I moved to New York, Oh and got a JOB

Start Spreading the News
I am leaving today
I want to be apart of it
New York, New York

Yes I did, I moved to New York, which many people thought I was crazy for this but I did it. I picked up my life, again, and just went for it.

Bought my one-way ticket, with no sure idea of what could happen.

I want a pastry job, so why not go to the best place there is.
And now Im here, and its been a little rough, but I think I may have finally found what I wanted.

This is for sure not the easiest thing I have done, its one of the hardest, but being in NY I have what I wanted.

I always thought I hated restaurants, I never wanted to work at one, but now guess what?? I am going to!! Its crazy, I mean I think this was my biggest fear, I was so against restaurants, but now its what I want to do!!

Ill be working at a restaurant in NYC, this is crazy, I mean everything I looked at they wanted people with all this NYC experience and guess what I have none, and my only pastry backgroud in School and guess what I did it!

I didn't think I ready for NY but I think now I am, and Im excited, I am worried and nervous at the same time, but I have always been ready for any challenge, so bring it on!!

If I can make it here.
I can make it anywhere!!!

Interns

I don't think everyone gets what it is like being an Intern, trying to tell people what was going on, or how things work people don't get it.

Working mostly 12 hours a day unpaid, doing things from dragging boxes of who knows what back and forth from storeroom to storeroom, making 180 jars of neutella, scaling out over hundreds of ingredients. There is just so much that is happening that you can't even explain.

But in the end of the day the people who understand it all are the people who went through it with you every single day. And even though we all had our ups and downs with eachother I will remember this group forever. I do hope down the road we all work with each other, and hopefully we are getting paid.

Its just not the same when your in the kitchen and there aren't all these different accents being thrown around. haha

Good Times!

New Year

Another year has gone by, and 2010 is a year I will never forget. I moved to Chicago to start my training as a baker/ pastry chef/chocolatier whatever my desire would be in the end. And those months of schooling, where ones I can never replace. I met the most amazing chefs during that time, and learned so much from them. It was day after day of going to school and just learning as much as I could, and taking in all that I could. I also met so many friends there, that I know I will always have. Those are the people that helped me though each day. I graduated from FPS and then stayed on to intern for the next six months, I got to work with the Chefs more and learned more then I already knew. It was a hard, tiring, stressful six months, but it was worth it, and the friendships I made with the other interns is something most people will never get. We all went through something that I think we will look back at and think did this really happen. Everyone had there moments, but we all got through it and towards the end we all started going our separate ways. At some point we were all going to find our next adventure to take and I’m still finding mine. I am heading to NYC to find my next adventure, and I hope this one is good. I am ready for what is coming next, I have a lot of nerves and I am scared for it all. But at the same time I am nervous, and I don’t know what could happen next.
Thanks for everyone who reads this; hopefully I can try to keep up with my blog.

Long Road

It has been a long road I have been on, and I can't even say its over.
It gets to a point where you have to decide what you want to do next, its like many other jobs you go through, you try to figure out your specialty. Now you don't have to figure out exactly one thing you want to do, but it is good to narrow down your options.
So once you really figure out what you really want to do, and narrow down your options well then you have to find a job...so thats the time now. Finding a job that will matter to me, make me happy, and make me realize that I did pick what I love to do.
We all pick our future plans but it takes awhile to really get where you want to be, but we have to try and try. So maybe my first picks aren't what I get, I am ready for anything, and I will do anything to get where I want.
I thinks somtimes we forget that the road to where we want to be takes awhile, and it can have some bumps and crossroads, but you have to have the patience so succeed.

Chopping

When you are chopping something such as fruit, or vegtaables on a cutting board the sound lets just say its soothing. I love the sound of chopping on a wood cutting board.

Sounds in the Kitchen

So I spend most of my time in the Kitchen these days which I love, but as time goes on you realize more and more. So lately I have realized more in the Kitchen, the one thing is the sounds. I love the sounds in the kitchen its so exciting to hear just the little things. One thing that I heard this week that I haven't heard in a long time, panning nuts.

When you are making candied nuts, you can put them in bowl and mix them around, the sound of nuts going around a metal bowl its so unique. But you can also put them a tumbler and let them go round and round. It is a great sound that I love hearing, and I hope to keep hearing more of it.