Week 5 and 6 Rolling Through the Puches

 The past two weeks were about more about experiencing the pitfalls of college (not that it was horrible or anything.) I'm just experiencing some of the hardships that college has put for other students as my self. It happens all over the world from every college and any student such as myself. Here is a list of what has gone wrong in terms of working so hard and losing my mind.

•  My computers hard drive was broken and I could not blog or type anything for a while. (I want to also thank my dads I.T guy for fixing my computer to make this blog post possible.)  
• I had a hard time sleeping for the past few nights. (It could be I'm overworked and drank too much coffee. Then again, it could just be me.)
• Sometimes I cant seem to focus and I keep forgetting things. (Then again, it could be the sleeplessness.)

  All of those reasons are proof of some of the challenges of college life. Its not really like national lampoon, where its party, party, party all the time. There are students out there, where they work day and night to get where they want to go today. I am one of those students who have devoted my time to reach my goal as a chef. True, I lived a life of eight to three school schedule for all my childhood but it I have been through my first year of college with stamina of a bull and wisdom of the night owl (no pun intended).

  Right now I'm at U of I with my brother and my parents to see my first live college football game. To me, it was exciting to see the campus and watch football with my family. For now, I'm just glad to get out and get some work done and get some sleep. For now, I bid you a-do.   

Semester 3, Week 3 A Thought about Life

    This week was about pain and thought. During my baking class, I cut my finger with a serrated knife and I have to go to the nurses office to get it bandaged. I did not need stitches or anything, I just need to keep it easy on my left hand index finger for a while. After that day, I thought about if I truly wanted to be a chef for the rest of my life. I still want to be a chef, but I also want something more.

 What I truly want is to travel, write and cook just like Anthony Bourdain. I do not  want to copy him but, I want to experience the life of cooking and food writing as he did. True, I'm not exactly the best writer, but I do have a passion for food and people. I want friends, family, and people who are fascinated by food to read about why food is special to people just as myself.

  For my plan of action, I'm going to write more about my life, my passion and people who inspire me to keep going and to not only fulfill my dream of becoming a chef, but to travel and write as the heroes of the restaurant business had. I'm not exactly sure, what I'm going to write about but I will write everyday what life is and was.
  As for the rest of the week, the classes were all about planing, preparing and practicing for the opening day of the restaurant and the bakery. As my life as a student continues, I keep on cooking and writing.   

Semester 3, Week 2 A New Start

    After a time thinking about my life, I decided to resign my position as buffet cook. It was a tough decision, but I think education is a little more important right now. I'm still going to find a job but I'm taking a break to focus on my studies for now.There is one thing I did learn from the casino; that is if I wanted to succeed in the business, then I need to bring it up a notch and keep cooking until the end.

   My second week at the college was more like a continuation of the first week in regarding to safety, sanitation, and how everything works. I have to give a presentation of how a Buffalo chopper works. For people who don't know, a Buffalo chopper is a machine that chops large amounts of food into pieces.(more like a giant food processor) So if you have a big amount of peeled carrots and needed to get it done right away, all you do is attach, lock, let it run and feed it into the bowl. It is a really useful tool if you needed a large amount done in a short amount of time.

    After that week, I can truly relax for a while and focus on completing my work for the week to enjoy the weekend. So for now, I will bid you a-do.

Semester 3, Week 1 The Pressure is On

 It was the first semester after a summer of working at the Casino and exploring the Canadian Wilderness. So far, I have been taking classes on Accounting, Appreciation to Music and English three times a week. It some one of those classes that doesn't really relate to the culinary arts (in terms as practical experience) but I really like to have a variety in classes to see what college life is like during the day.
 
   I also have some practical classes such as Food Prep 2, Specialty Baking, and Garde Manger. So far its mostly lecture classes about safety and what we are going to do during the semester. So far, things have been calm during my first week back in the states with my old companions and the normal tasks of day to day life at the college. I still have to work at the Casino but I will try my best to keep up with the work flow of serving food and writing papers.

  That is all I'm going to say for now. I have to get ready for my day at the Casino. For now, I bid you a-do.

My Return

 After a summer of working at the casino and spending three weeks in the Canadian wilderness, I return to Chicago to continue my education. After my time in the wilderness, I realized how powerful my passion for cooking can really be a big factor in my life. True, I'm not as professional as the seasoned chefs you see on T.V, but I defiantly will keep cooking until the very end. 

 My first class starts this morning with a few classes regarding in accounting, writing, and appreciation of music. There not really culinary classes, but there part of the experience at the college. I'm also taking some other classes that are culinary, but I will also include the other class in my writings to tell you about my experience in the college.

 For now, I must bid a-do for I have to get ready for my first class.

My Training to Glory

 As for the past week and a half, I have learned more about the culinary profession then I thought possible. I was still the novice but I believe I can grow and prosper.

 What I was actually going to do is that I will write the Casino Chronicles in an autobiography I'm currently working on. There is no title but I think it would have a look in the life of a culinary arts student, a buffet cook, and a person who over came challenges to make it where he is today.

 I haven't really done much anything else, but I will keep you updated more in the fall and give you updates about my book in the sometime future. For now, I bid you a-do.

A Change of Plans

  About a few weeks ago, I actually got hired to work at a new casino opening up in July. So far, I went through the usual paper work for getting hired and I am about to go training on Monday for my first job. The reason why I am writing about this is because I have to cancel the summer classes in order to go through the training before the casino opens, but don't worry I will still go to the fall semester with more stories from the campus and beyond.

  I also want to inform you about my newest segment on the blog. Instead of calling the segment The Summer Chronicles, I decided to call it The Casino Chronicles for all of the new stories about my time as a buffet cook in a casino. There would be everything from tales of the backstage kitchen to the front lines where I will be serving from time to time. There would also be new characters and more stories of me surviving the big world of the culinary arts.

 I am still going to Canada for three weeks if you are also still wondering about it, but from that time I cant really access through the Internet so I would be able to make more blog posts until I start the fall  semester.

  So I just wanted to update whats going to happen in the future and hopefully get through without being trampled by the hordes of cooks and chefs alike to make it to the top. For now I bid you a-do.

Bistro Night 1

   Over the past two weeks, I tried to prevent myself from being bored to death by looking for a new weekly ritual to fill the void of action I was getting at home. Recently, my dad got me this cook book from the very famous Anthony Bourdain about his methods of cooking in a New York city Bistro known as Le Halles. When I opened that book, I felt like a kid in a candy store with all the stews, steaks, and appetizer recipes  that is top quality in restaurant standards. My first dish from that book was his beuof bourguigion, a classical french stew which involves stew meat, red whine, and some other french goodies. The interesting thing about this stew is that you don't need very expensive wine to make this stew amazing. My parents actually got this red wine at Whole Foods for only three dollars for a bottle and it tasted a lot more better then any other stew I had ever ate.

   Of  course the new tradition of Bistro Night first started out last night when I made a beer braised pork shoulder with mushrooms and mushroom soup. It might sound a little redundant but it worked out pretty well in the end. While I was preparing dinner, my sister was having a "giving her stuff away" party and a few of my younger cousins was their. When I finished making the soup, one of my cousins came in and wanted to sample it. I gave her a sample and she was in haven.  She also wondered if I wanted to cook at her house sometime and I was pretty amazed that a girl from middle school wanted to eat bistro quality food. I always thought that students from middle school to high school just wanted American style food (just like my brother) but after I gave her that sample ,I believed that the American teenager diet is starting to change into a more sophisticated matter that I didn't think was possible. Besides that it was fun to cook for the family, but I must warn you that it took forever to make it. In fact, it took me about four hours to sear the shoulder, braise it and bake it too get the right crust and the right temperature. It was moist, tender, and somewhat satisfying to eat with my family after so many hours on the stove top waiting for the pork to cook.

   I am also planning to go up to Canada at July 30th for this camp program to teach me how to live on my own. So after July 30th, I would not be able to post more blog posts until the fall but its only for three weeks so it would not be too long.

  Thats all I have for now. Until next time, I bid you a-do.

Semester 2, Final Week and My First Year of College

  As of May 11 at 7:30 P.M, I have ended the second semester with flying colours and high expectations. I have also finished my first year in college. With that in mind, I acctually learned something truly magnificent.

  What I learned was that the culinary arts is like music. There is ingredents as the notes, cooks as the musicians, chefs as the composers, and resturants as the stage as the shift is going on like a sympany concert in a grand hall. I also know now whey there is so much pressure on satisfying the customer and how you can fix a problem with better results. I just wish I have a chance to truly experience what it means to be a cook but for now, I would focus more on with the next year and beyond.

  Durring my final week, I have went through trials just like the Indeana jones did and thats because there was a lot of action involved with cleaning and finishing projecs at the last second. On monday, I have to clean the oven of terror and when I mean "oven of terror," I mean an oven that has not been clean since last year with grease and surgar from the entire year. As I scrub in the maw of the beast, I was scrubing out all of the things I saw inside. I truly belive in that moment that I was tested to see if I have the grit or mental toughness to live this life. I think I passed nut I still need a lot to learn.

 Tuesday has more insight than anticipated because we saw a film known as enemies, a "play" about a waiter and a guest who talk about there life's and how the waiters life is better then the guests. The reason being is because the waiter has a happy family with a piano and owns about twenty percent of the profit the restaurant is making. As for the guest, he was a successful business man until he was out of the job because of a heart attack and his twenty-year old sons took over his business. Now the reason we watched this was because most people think that servers have a very poor life and stuck at that dreadful job forever. The truth is that servers can have more then one life. In fact, when I read the book "Waiter Rant" I realize that serving can be tough on the mind and body, but it can really satisfy the server inside of us.  

  Wednesday was my biggest adventure yet. When I arrive at the college, I was told by a friend that I needed a menu to pass the improvised final project. With my laptop at the ready, I brought out my best recipes and typed it faster then a caffeine crazed poet on a sugar buzz. As I looked for a computer with a workable printer, I rushed to library as fast as a could and printed it out as fast as I can go. When I returned to the dinning room, I went to the storage room where serving trays marked with nail polish was drying all over the floor and I jumped, ran, and carry heavy equipment all over to make the most elaborate table setting I can think of. The most astonishing thing to me is that I did this on the fly and I made it through with high marks of praise.

   As my first year of college comes to a close always wonder if I really can make it out there in the world of the restaurant. I believe I got a good start, but I still have a long way to go until I truly can unleash my best work. As for next semester, I think it would be a little tougher but more interesting as I go. I am also going to be in summer school in about a month, so I would start a new chapter known as the Summer Chronicles with adventures in barbecue, rederic English, and more serving. So for the final time until the Summer Chronicles start, I bid you a-do.

A Weekend of Homemade Jelly

  Recently this past Saturday, one of my followers invited me to make jelly ,with her mother, to teach me the art of making jelly. Now for some readers who don't know what exactly is the difference between jelly and jam; jam is made from the whole berry or fruit crushed in and jelly is only made from the juice of the fruit. What we made was actually from her backyard, literally the freshest thing I have seen in the Chicago land area.

  As we discuss about what I do at the college and what life of a culinary student is like, the sweet smell of grapes cooking on the stove top like a sweet garden in the summer sun. For those who don't know how jelly is made, I would tell you about the experience I had of making is very simple and very delicious thing creation. The first thing that they do is that they warm up the frozen juice (that has been frozen for sometime for proper storage) and heat it up until the liquid is nice and warm. Then they add the juice to the stock pot on a high heat and add surgar until incorporated. Then after a minute of a roaring boil, we added a gelitinizing product known as pectin. After we added the pectin, we wait for another minute of roaring boiling, we take the pot from the heat and remove some of the foam for presentation. Then we added the jelly to glass jar, when it was sanitized in hot water for about an hour. We poured it into individual jars, seal them and lid them. After they cool off for about fifthteen minutes, the jelly is ready to serve.

  In the end we made two batches that adds up to fourteen jars of jelly and with the cost of all the juice, the lids ,and jars at under $2.00; it is the most economical and most pure tasting jelly I have ever tried. So if you need jelly, the best thing to do is make it and it is worth it after all that hard work. The taste is just pure sugary, berry goodness. It is almost impossible to resist its fruity aroma and firm texture as you bite in with a piece of bread smeared in fruity goodness. The best part about this is that the jelly can last for about a year. So you can make one batch and be set on jelly for an entire year, give or take the amount of jelly used daily. In the end, I would highly recommend making your own jelly and try it for yourself.   

Semester 2: Week 13 & 14, As the Clock Ticks Down, I Prove My Worth

   For the past two weeks, I have been working nearly non-stop to finish my projects. I was writing papers and making presentations to get the grade I so dearly wanted.

   On the Monday of the first week, I was in a predicament where I couldn't cut the carrots right and I felt like I was failing miserably. Luckily the soup was OK, but I felt really embarrassed afterwords. So after a few days, I started to cut a whole bag of carrots in to peels, sticks and small cubes to re-master this technique and the next Monday, I have finally realized what I had to do. The problem was not the carrots, but it was the organization of how everything was executed. I was disorganized and I needed to take the job one task at a time. When I started to take one task at a time, I realized that I have reached perfection in preparing the chicken with precision and speed. So now I know that to cook professionally, its all about execution. If you take it one task at a time with enough speed, you can truly survive in the world of the restaurant business.

   Tuesday on the second week was where I really shined because I made and gave one of the most intense presentation I have ever done. The presentation was about this tea product I made from a made-up company known as Kyle's Tea House and I made this blend to not only sharpen the mind but to also wake-up with mental clarity. After many weeks of testing, typing, and drawing a story board; it was the night I give my presentation. The other students in front of me really had there facts down with profit values, locations, and all these details, and I was getting worried if I did my project right. So when it was my turn, I gave t all I got and explained my product, demographic and meaning of the company with so much movement and passion that it was like reading poetry from Robert Frost. When I was finished and answered all the questions, everyone applauded and I took a bow, like an actor who done his best performance of his life. Then my teacher came up to me and said "congratulations" and I went back to my seat. I felt so tiered afterwords, I fell right to sleep when I got home and slept in until ten o'clock the next morning. In the end, I knew that i truly did something that really meant meaning for me and others about what I did up there that night.

  Wednesday of the second week was truly a test that really prove my worth as a server. There were two tables with the families of two very important teachers to the school and I was there server. I meant to serve three tables but the other two families where there at the same time and I was forgetting things and I was afraid that this night would be my down fall. Then a team member from the wait staff deiced to serve the third table because of the magnitude of the other two tables really was really big and she wanted to help me. I went though the two tables with a few mistakes but there were happy and I truly think that I have done everything that really redefined myself as a server and as a person. At the end of the night, the women server who took over my seat was wondering if I wanted the tip from that table. I said "I want you to have it because you really saved my hide tonight." So then she splits the tip with me instead and right there, I knew that with serving tables, sometimes two people are better then one and I wanted to thank her for that.

  Next week would be my final week of the semester and after that one week, I will complete my first year of college. When the next week come I will share with you what I have learned during that year.   

Semester 2: Week 12 Looking for a Food Supplier

This week was all about pulling out a miracle out of a hat for this one project I have. This project was about food distribution and I was paddling up a steam without a paddle. It all started on Sunday, when I stop by this cheese company right by the college. I asked around to see if I can see a sales representative for an interview, but they were not there on Sunday, so I had to wait the next day after one of my classes to get a quick word with the sales representative but unfortunately he was busy and I was running out of time since my project is due on Thursday. after waiting for 2 days for the sales rep to call, my dad suggested this other food supplier who is a good family friend and I had to make a difficult choice. Do I stick with the cheese company or this unique food supplier from San Francisco. Since I was running out of time, I deiced to interview Dave Miller, the president of the company and my dads friend. He gave me a lot of information and I was able to write the paper in time. When I served on Wednesday night, my dad came up to me and told me that the sales rep from the cheese shop actually called four times when I was gone and I felt so bad for not returning his call that I decide to interview him for extra credit on my report. So after the entire week of trying to finish the paper, I finally got through with no problem and  got it in time to e-mail Chef Ched the report.

As for the other two classes, i manage to impress my chef during my Monday morning class with my improvisation skill. I just finish this carrot and raisin salad from the cold area, when Roland, one of the other chefs at my Food Prep class told me to look up a recipe from the Internet for ranch dressing and I started to look up the ranch dressing recipe with my laptop. Then me and Roland decided to reinvent the recipe from the ground up. As we build the dressing my gears were turning as I reach for random herbs and spices to complement the dressing. When it was complete then it was one of the most perfect and unique dressings I have ever made and it was perfect. 

Wednesday night was a very important night for the restaurant because some of the college alumni and the president of the college was eating there for a very important dinner. I actually got a chance to meet with one of the executives during the shift and he said that a lot of people were expecting a great meal. Luckily it was buffet for that night, so we didn't have to go back and forth as much but we stood there for hours on end to get through the shift. To add on the pressure to that, only five of us where out there serving so we had to keep moving or we were toast. Luckily, the dinner was a success and we made a good impression on the executive and the presidents table.

For now I must bid you a-do since I have to write a paper for my next class. So I bid you a-do.    

Semester 2: Week 11 Papers, Papers Everywhere

As you may know, my second semester is almost up and finals are coming up. I do  have one test but instead of that I have papers for nearly every class. You see the difference between the finals at major universities and the finals at my college is that my college is more like "semester projects" which gives me a little more creative control. so for the next few weeks I'm going to be typing away paper after paper until my fingers come off. Some of the subjects that would be associated with these papers would involve my experience as a server, exotic berry suppliers, and other possible blog topics I have written in the past.

For Monday, I was in a "duo team" with my good friend Mark-Anthony in making stuffed pork chops with corn bread stuffing. While Mark was making the corn bread stuffing, I was working with chef on the pork chops. To tell you the truth, this was the first time I have to handle raw meat in a professional setting with my sanitation licence, so I was being very carefully on how I touch the meat and cleaning my work area. I tried to make sure I didn't cross-contaminate any other food, so I washed my hands constantly and try not to touch my face. After many hand washes, searing the pork, and stuffing the pork until they look like big meat tacos; I cleaned out some of the tables and I found some interesting equipment. I found a buffet heat lamp board (where they carve the meat at buffets) and a 1990s food dehydrater. I wanted to ask to see if the American Pickers would come in and take a look at them but I realized that chef is still probably still using them, so I just put them back where they belong.

Wednesday was good day for serving for me, because after last weeks episode, I felt more confident then ever to serve. I had a little trouble with "juggling tables" but it was a smooth night. I also heard that some people still say I look like really nervous, even though I am really relaxed about the service. I guess it takes time to rebuild reputation as a server after a big melt down.

I also landed an interview on Thursday with the zoo for a new line cook position and when I came in for the interview, it was better then what I expected. For one thing, the General Manager is really nice and calm about the interviews. She also explained a lot about our job were about to get, her job as a manager and how she wants to be "the fun boss." Now to me who never had a job before, it sounded like the best first job because when you have a boss who is friendly but at the same time expect the quality of the food from an exclusive restaurant, you could learn a lot more about the business then just working on the field for years. After the interviews, we took a little tour of the bistro where she runs it in the zoo. Now the bistro used to be a concession stand where people usually get snack food like nachos and hot dogs, but she "re modify" the stand into a working kitchen. The more we went through the group discussions, the interview, and the tour; the more I wanted to get started.   

Before I bid you a-do, I do want to tell you that all my lecture classes are off for vacation (why the practical classes are still on, I'll never know.) So I'm going to be spending more time on my papers and projects. So if you have any other comments them keep on coming and for now, I bid you a-do.

Semester 2: Week 10 Unleashing the Power of the Automatic

This week was more about sheer terror and enlightenment.

 The week started out just any week when I made the sauce for the Chicken Marcela for the Wednesday's banquet. Everything was going OK until my hat wouldn't fit on my head due to the fact that I have a gigantic head. It was also the first time I was working with wine. Luckily the sauce was better then imagined and through the day with accomplishment, even though I looked like bo peep in a chefs coat.

  The next day, I actually reevaluate my life a little bit. I thought about how after 19 years living in Chicago of why I was still here. I mean if you were in college, you actually go to another state or another city. So after all that time growing up here, why am I still in the same spot. The simple answer is people need me here. They need someone for inspiration and that person is me, because if I wasn't around, Chicago could be a dark, lonely place with no guidance to move foreword. So I would stay here for a while but I'm not sure how long. It just depends of how long I can go.

 Wednesday was practically was one of the most cataclysmic event of my whole culinary career so far. There was a big "etiquette" banquet that night and I was terrified. As I was serving up the salads, I forgot which way I was supposed to serve and people were telling me I was doing it wrong. I went to the back with a splitting headache and I break down like an emotionally damaged child who didn't know what to do. I felt so horrible but yet people said I did an amazing job of doing every thing. After talking to one of the instructors of the class, named Dave, he told me the reason I keep on panicking was because I think too much of how everything should go. That's is when it hit me, "good quality service is not about preventing disaster, its about control the situation and making it better." After that I realize that I have to just let it flow or as Anthony Bourdain once said in his Back in the Fire special "riding the wave." When I came out to the floor and just let my procedures go on automatic, I felt like a big weight has been taken off my shoulders and felt happy serving for once. After that night, I felt like I have finally understand how a truly great server becomes the best. Its not how "nothing was wrong" but it was about "how the server took care of the situation and made it better."

 I still wait for the time I graduate from college and move on with my life. For now though I will just stick to what I do best and keep on going.      

Semester 2: Week 9 Just Me, My Bro, and a Cup of Joe

This week, my parents went a trip to Mexico for there 25th anniversary and I have to house sit and make sure my brother doesn't burn the house down while I was at school. So for the past few days, we snacked on pizza, sandwiches, and pumpkin bread until we got sick of it. I also took my friend from high school (Cory) and took him to the dining room at the college and he loved it. I hope I can show my other friends from the past this amazing restaurant/classroom. Who knows, it could be the next big thing in student dining.

As for the week it's self, lets just say that things were simple but not as easy as you think. On Monday, I blanched green beans, now blanching is simple on a small scale, but it takes real concentration to take it large scale because of all the large batches you have to watch. As I was stemming green beans at the speed of light, I thought to myself that this would be easy until I realized I have a time limit of 1 hour to complete this task of blanch. Now blanching is when you cook the vegetable until tender and "shock" the vegetables in a container of ice. Now I don't have any problem with that in a small scale, but when its a couple of pounds at a time, then I get a little scared. Luckily, the green beans turned out perfect and I got through with no problems.

Wednesday was the first night of semi-al le cart service (soup and salad bar with table side entree service.) On the floor, I "acted' cool and collected but in the back, it looked like I was about to have a heart attack because I did not have any experience doing this kind of service. There were bread baskets, complimentary appetizers and I don't have any clue of how do this in the right way. I was really afraid to make someone really angry or if I was unpleasant. Luckily, My friends from the front and back of the house helped me out with what to do and everything went smoothly that night.

On Thursday, the unexpected happened. I was just about to get ready for class until I was asked to teach the class. I forgot to read the chapter for that week so I went up there and tried my best. After about the first 10 minutes, they told me to sit back down and I was relieved for surviving after that social disaster. Actually, my class mates liked my attempt to teach the class but I'm not sure if I'm willing to try again until I'm ready.

So then my parents came home and everything was right in the universe yet again. For now, I'm just going through with my school life, home life, and everything in between. So for now, I bid you a-do.

Semester 2, Week 8: Getting Back into the Swing of Things

 It was the week that I got back to class after my spring break. I was a little dazed after spring break but I got back on the horse with little or no complications.

 On Monday, Things were starting to get going but there was a problem though. The produce truck didn't show up due to mechanical problems and since my assigned dish I was supposed to prepare was eggplant parmesan, I could not prepare my dish. The good news was that class was dismissed early and get some extra free time. Later on that day, I also went to Mr.M's class and I got 3rd place for this contest/project. Ill try to post it up so people can see it in the sometime future.

  As the week goes by to Wednesday, I was serving the last buffet night at the dining room and moving up to Semi-al le cart. I was actually scared  at the thought, but I believe I would do beautifully on the semi- al le cart with my politeness and knowledge of the culinary arts. I am also going to learn more about the server lingo such as "Firring" or "Go'in out." In fact, I was thinking about starting some dictionary so that readers such as yourself can understand the lingo that would be discussed as the year goes on.

 So far things have been a little quiet at the college but soon things would start to pick up as the semester comes to a close. For now, its just me and my life as a culinary student. So now, I bid you a-do.  

Hey Everyone: The Newsest Artical is in.

Hi everyone, this is Chef Kyle and I got a new article out called "The Server and the Served." If you want to check it out, its in the Chefs Specials Tab just up above. I also want to tell you that my classes start up again tomorrow so there would be more weekly updates and other posts in the future.

That's all I have to say for now. I will be posting again really soon and I bid you a-do.

Semester 2, Week 7: Into the Jungle

Last week was like going into the fray of the jungle because there was discovery and uncertain risk. On Monday, I actually left 2 hours earlier to go to a job fair in this zoo in my neighborhood but I was only there for 5 minutes because it was only there to turn in applications and I already finish mine 2 days earlier. I thought there was going to be interviews but I only needed to turn in my application. I felt a little bad afterwords because I left 2 hours earlier from one of my classes and was only there for 5 minutes.

The next day, the executive chef from that same zoo came into my hospitality supervision class to talk about the job offers at the zoo and how to be successful in there. I'm not sure if its a positive or negative because at the job fair I was wearing a nice shirt and dress pants, but at my class, I was wearing a Indiana University t-shirt with a leather jacket and jeans. Tell you the truth, I almost choked on my iced coffee to here he was here to talk about the job offers. Luckily the chef said that I have a good chance of getting hired but the job is very intense and might involve me to work as late as 2:00 a.m. Luckily I have the drive to go to the limit of my full ability to fulfill my job as chef/server/cook.

Wednesday was my first time to take care of 3 tables at once. It was a little calm but still busy because we were short handed. During the service, I was taking  drink orders and ,being the over confident server as I am, I attempted to memorize the orders. Unfortunately,when I got to the back, I forgot what the all four of them ordered. Suddenly, I started to panic about what I should do. So I did the one riskiness moves in the industry, I picked up the 3 orders I knew what they wanted and serve the 3rd drink to the guest I forgot to see if i got it right. When I served it to them, I was right and got the fourth drink out with no problem. I was relived and lucky but from that point on, I write down every order I take. So the morel of that story is to write everything down even if you don't want to.

After my Thursday class, I have officially started my spring break, so there wouldn't be anymore adventures from the college this week. Luckily, I am working on a new article, so there would still be more dinner in the dorm goodness. I will also be working on my cooking show project for those who are curious were I'm at. As soon as I figure out how I can upload videos to YouTube, I would probably get started soon. So for now, I bid you a-do.

Semester 2, Week 6: Week of Redemption.....Sucess!!!

   This week was all about redemption from the week before and I have finnally achived my goal. This week I have redeemed myself from last weeks poor performence.

  For monday, I made mushrooms from potatos. Now some people will think that would be imposible to do but I managed to make 100 mushrooms in one morning and I did it with an apple corer and a small paring knife. In fact I think I will show you in C.C.S when it gets up on youtube. On wednesday, I served the chefs table at the dinning room and I was going around like a worrisom tornado of service by clearing tables, serving drinks, and explaining the menu. I felt like mush as I decended on to my bed that night but felt good after a good nights work. To my luck, I also didnt have my class on thursday and that gave me extra time to get my things ready for my project.

  I'm also starting to play guitar again and I was thinking about writing my own song for this project Im doing for one of my classes on monday. Im not the best but I did had some great works from the past so I can have a good chance that it will rock.

  So that is all for now, but I will bring you more news of my progress and other future events. I bid you a-do.

Semester 2, Week 5: A Week of Reflection

 First off, I want to apologize for updating so late. I was just preparing for getting this internship at Brookfeild Zoo. I was also trying to recover the week I had earlier.

  The reason I called this "The Week of Reflection" is because ,when I look back, I wanted to do everything a little better. An example of this was when I made the gumbo for Tuesdays service and I messed up on my mise en place with the timing on when every thing was supposed to go in the oven and when I'm supposed to take things out. Luckily the gumbo was a success and I got it done but next time I will take time as a factor for my next class.

 I also served for the second time and I felt pretty proud of my self....until the end of the service. Now I don't know what happened but some one was goofing off or something and my instructors were disappointed with the crew about cell phones or something. I'm not exactly sure how this works but I am going to redeem my self and try to do better next time. In fact, I want next week to be "The Week of Redemption" because I want to redeem from my mistake's last week.

  That's all I have to say for now and I also want to say thank you to one of my readers for helping me with my resume and giving me some pointers on my cover letter for Bookfeild Zoo. So for now, I bid you a-do.

Opportunity Knocks in Many Different Directions

 Around last Friday, an old friend of mine from high school (Mike) ask me to volunteer at my local community center for this program called "Opportunity Knocks." Opportunity Knocks is a program where they give kids with disabilities a chance to do some cool things like Archery, woodworking, cooking etc. When they I came into the community center, it was there last day of the baking class and I was the special volunteer guest for the day. Everyone was very impressed with my equipment and how I know so much; and I also got a chance to have great helpers from the class for making such great treats for the organizations first anniversary from when they started. In fact, they were so impressed with today, they gave me an application to see if I can volunteer for demonstration's how to cook and other set's of skills. I'm still thinking if I should do it, but I think it would be good experience for if I want to be a cooking teacher.

 I also got some information about an internship at this hotel. I'm still trying to get my introduction e-mail edited and check for grammar. I think I got the right "gusto" to get going and I also heard that the best place to start a career in the hospitality industry is at a hotel business because hotels feature everything from the front desk, to the restaurant, to the room service and beyond.

 Today, I took my grandmother out to lunch at the dinning room at the college and she loves it. I also saw some of my friends from the other classes and Chef Dorosess from yesterdays class. I also tried some of the Gumbo I made from yesterday and it was simply amazing. It felt a little weird at first eating at the place were I work but I felt just like the everyone else, happy and full.

   For now, I bid you a-do because I have my next class soon. Keep sending in the comments and be marry.          

Semester 2, Week 4: Introducing.... Kyle the Server

  This Wednesday was the first day I served at the dining room and I was nervous. It was the first day of opening for the semester and the one thing that was going through my head was "Don't Screw up, don't screw up." Luckily I had just one table and it was slow so I was able to ease into the serving game. It was also buffet style so I mostly served drinks and clear plates. In the end, I learn that you need to be attentive but with courteously because if you are too attentive, the guest would feel uncomfortable. As the night goes on, I was just doing my job and after my shift, they told me I did a good job. Just like that, I feel like a great lift was lifted from my soldiers. So my first night of service was more enjoyable as it ever was.

  The next night, I saw this film in my food purchasing class called "Food Inc." For those who don't know, Food Inc. is a documentary of how the food industry has changed and the ugly truth about how our meat and companies are breaking up ethics by recruiting illegal immigrants, treating animals in a cruel and unforgiving setting, and how it effects us. Luckily things have changed since this movie was released at 2008 but, it does make me think about how foods used to have different seasons but suddenly, its all year round. So I deiced to make a goal for myself to eat foods more seasonably because I want to taste the foods that are best for that season. I also want to support the "slow food movement" by going to the farmers market in the spring and buy the produce there.

  So from there I would say a-do for now and I hope that next week would be better and less nerve wrecking. I also want to ask "Do you known what the slow food movement is?"

Mastering the Blade

  Yesterday was Valentines Day and to a single guy like me, its a real torment for me to see other couples getting it on in front of me. There was one thing that really made my day though. In my Culinary Food Prep class, we started production for cooking things ahead of time for Tuesdays lunch and I made the best tomato  sauce I ever made. In fact my chef said it was so perfect, it didn't need any seasoning. I felt so accomplished and so happy working on the line, I forgot my Valentine's day blues and felt a soreness in my legs telling me that I did a great job. It just comes to show you that cooking can really help people feel good about the life they have and to have a sense of accomplishment that you made a product that its wholesome and delicious.

   I am also getting ready for my first "lab" on Wednesday night, where I get to serve. So far I am only going to serve drinks so far, since the first 3 weeks are buffet style. Its not as exciting as serving  but I think its a good start for me who is new to this experience.

  There is actually a reason why I'm starting as a server then a cook at the back-of-the-house. As a server, I get to see the entire operation from the front-of-the-house and the back-of-the-house. As I go about serving, I can see how everything is combined together into this big production and what to expect as I work my way up to the back-of-the-house. For now, I am a server but I will work my way up to go into something greater to come.

   For now, I bid you a-do and I hope to see some familiar faces on Wednesday nights.
     

Semester 2, Week 3: Super Bowel, Training to Serve and the True Meaning of Coffee

    This Sunday was the Super Bowel and I made some of my famous "Oven-Roasted" Buffalo Wings for the game. ( I will put up the recipe later this month.)   I also made some special sandwiches for the two opposing teams that participated this year. For Pittsburgh, I created the "Steakhouse style" Permaniti sandwich, stuffed with oven baked steak fries, chuck steak and pressed between two Panera baguettes. For the Green Bay Packers, I made a cheesy creation known as Green Bay Sub where I heat up the turkey slices and melt the cheese with chicken broth. I placed the turkey cheese combo on french bread with lettuce and tomato and pressed for only a second to get that cheesy creation.

   Aside from that, I was also preparing myself for serving in the dinning room. We had to learn how to walk with trays, being curtious to the guest, and all the other things that would scare a first-timer like myself.I just keep to saying to myself "you can do this. You can do this," and "don't fall, don't fall, don't fall." So hopefully nothing would fall over, overfill or my table would be disappointed.

   As you may know, I am a big espresso fanatic where I order drinks that some people think its from the moon but one day, I tried the regular coffee to just drink it for kicks. As I took that first sip, I remember why I loved coffee. It was a reminder that when I was going to school that is 2 hours away from where I live and where I rode the bus early that morning. When I started to drink coffee, I always carry a big canister of coffee and drink it on the way there. It made feel like the world would improve itself and a new day just started. That is the true meaning of coffee, to be awake for the future and to stay awake for every precious moment in life. So from now on, I would drink the original but ever evolving hot coffee.

   On that note, I would bid you a-do but before I do, I encourage everyone to comment on the website or e-mail me about anything because I love feedback and suggestions for me to do things. So keep the comments coming and I will post something new soon.     

Semester 2: Week 2 (Snow-megedon edition)

 As you may know, there was a big blizzard in Chicago and school was cancelled for 4 days straight. Luckily the storm came before Monday, so I was able to get to my first two classes and get some work done before my "week" off. During the storm, I was able to avoid cabin fever by reading books, playing World of Warcraft and preparing the super bowel party for Sunday.

 There is a little game we chefs love to play were we talk about our last meal before we die. As I was predicting that I was about to freeze to death or go into madness, I went to the store before the storm hit and I got myself a whole wheat french bread and some really good cheese. Now you might think that bread and cheese would not be the ideal for a final meal, but to me I think its the one thing that is truly the one thing I could die happy without regret. Its the simplicity that truly becomes part of me and can tie in to all the good times I have with food. So if you have a problem with that, then I ask "what would be your last meal?"

 In fact, since I haven't ask a comment question for a while, I ask my readers "what would be your last meal?" It could be anything (as long it is edible) So for now I bid you a-do and I would keep you updated on the super bowel and other experiences to come.     

The Circle of the Restaurant Life

   After two days of compiling my thoughts, I will tell you about why I have asked that question in my last post. Before I continue, I would like to tell you about a place that was close to me.

   About 2 months ago, there was an Italian coffee house called Lidos. I used to go there during my high school years after my guitar lessons and get a good cup of tea or coffee. It used to be a sanctuary were young artist come and share ideas, music, and laughter. When I was last there, everyone was happy and prosperous. Then two months later, after my trip to Aspen, I was walking down the street and it was gone. I was shocked because last time I was there, everything was going great and now it was gone without a trace. After that, I started to think that my home town is starting to lose its originality. I was afraid that soon, there would be nothing left but big brand names and greasy food imported from out of country.

  That was why I ask if anything was original anymore, because I wanted to know if there is still hope for the independent restaurant.

  There was one thing that did give me an understanding about what I call "The Life Cycle of the Restaurant." As another legend and childhood memory was opened for the last time. I see all these people waiting in line for about an hour or more to get there last hot dog or Italian beef before they close there doors. The owners were retiring and they are very happy that they were open for about 26 years. That's when I realize that there is a life cylce to a business. If one place close down, then another goes up and if that business was open for sometime and business was good in every way, then there was no regrets. True there are places that stay open for 20 or 100 years more but with every different owner, a new life of the restaurant opens up. Its almost like reincarnation; when an old life fades from existence, another life comes into the world. With that in mind; I can say that as long as people are willing to open up there own restaurant, coffee shop or any other place, I will support them until the end.

Semester 2: Week 1

   I have just started off my first week of classes with no problem and no hassle. It was pretty easy for the first few days (since it was mostly about what the classes are about). I also know a little pattern in my classes and that is in every class, I recognized at least 2 or 3 people from my last semester. I think its just coincidence or just some chain of events leading up to that "conclusion."

  I am also starting out my service class and in about 3 weeks I would start to serve in the dinning room. I'm really excited to start out my "restaurant career" and I hope you would come and check out the dinning room on Wednesday nights if possible. I am also learning more about leadership in Hospitality Supervistion and starting a business in Hospitality Marketing. I also cant wait until I can start cooking in Culinary Food Preparation and learn more about how to "buy" food in Food and Beverage Purchasing.   

   I also want ask who ever is reading this a  question of curiosity. That question is "Do restaurants in your town original as the town itself?" If you want know why I ask that question, I will post it next time to write all about it. For now, I would say I would see you until the next update and I hope to see you around sometime.   

Let Semester 2....Begin!!!

 After a long break I have finally got to my first class of the semester. My first class was actually at night and I met up with my new teacher for food & beverage purchasing known as "Chef Ched." I had him for a substitute and he is a chef with a good sense of humor and open to other opinion from other students. To me, I think its a good idea to have a students opinion on the material he/she is learning from because teachers and students can learn through feedback.

 With that in mind, I felt more confident and excited about this new class. There was one hitch, came form nowhere. The book we were using was out-of-date and confusing, so now we needed to get new books. Luckily, I still have the old book and the new book would come on Tuesday or Wednesday on the latest.

  Aside from that; I don't start my other classes until Monday, so I still have one weekend left with my brother until his semester starts. I also some time to work on Operation: Virtual Star and read some "Medium Raw" to get some new ideas. For now I bid you a-do until next time.   

Getting Back into the Swing of Things

   After about a week of reading and doing nothing culinary, I started to prepare to get back to school. I don't return to school until next Thursday, but I am practicing for whats ahead. In fact, I recently catered for this book club my mother holds once a month and I still have that magic touch. I made Betty Davis Eyes (red seedless grapes covered in goat cheese and crushed pistachios) and My own version of Brushetta with a lime marinated herb and tomato topping. Everyone at that book club loved my cooking so much that they ask me to cook again at the next book club meeting next month.

  With that in mind, I can surly say that I still got it but it would take more then just cooking to get back into it. I am also reading this new book I got called "Medium Raw" by Anthony Bourdain. This book is kind of a newer version of "Kitchen Confidential" but more detailed of how he got his start. So far he just tells about how messed up his childhood is and his time in Caribian where he almost killed himself. Now you might be wondering how this is related to cooking, that is because for some people; cooking is a second chance to make up for what they done wrong in the past. Take Anthony Bourdain for example, he used to be a drug addict and an alcoholic; but then he became the Executive chef for Les Halle in New York, a famous writer, and a travel host for an amazing show on the Travel Chanel. So to put it in perceptive of a culinary student, cooking can be a long, rough road to glory and satisfaction.

 For now I bid a-do until a new chapter unfolds.  

As Time Goes On and On...

  Today I have received my books for my second semester and this time its a lot lighter then the last (which is a good thing for my back.) The books are more like about the business portion of the restaurant industry then the practical part but I am going still going to work in the dinning room in the kitchen and some other cooking skills along the way.

  I have also finally finished my article in Aspen,so check it out in the Chef Specials for the inside story.

  I'm also working on recipes for the show and other then that I'm just relaxing and preparing for the semester ahead. So for now, I will bid a-do.

Im Back!!!

  Yes, I'm finally back in Chicago from my trip toColorado. It has taken me 2 days but me and my family got back safely.

    I am also announcing that I will commence Operation: Virtual Star. Operation: Virtual Star is the planning, developing, and premiering my very own YouTube cooking show. So far the show is called "Cooking College for Students" or C.C.S for short. Thee concept of the show is to show other college students to make amazing and simple meals to make with what they got inside the refrigerator, pantry or any other source where students can find usable food items on a limited food budget. So far I have some ideas for the recipes I might premiere in the spring but what I really need to do is to find more people to help me out. I would probably ask around the college or some of my old high school friends but other then that I'm just going to enjoy my 2 weeks of vacation left before my second semester starts. That's all I have today but I will keep updating as much as I can. For now, I will see you again sometime soon.