Bon Voyage Level 3!

After tonight I will have completed level 3, appropriately titled: "Discipline: Skills For Consistency And Refinement."

Though I haven't written much about this level, I will say that it has helped me produce more consistent and refined food. Whether my dishes are consistent and refined this evening during the midterm evaluation is another story, but I'm starting exam day with some confidence. I've written task lists for the possible recipes that I'll have to duplicate and I've practiced each of these dishes several times over the past two months.

Basically what will happen is this: My class will arrive to the kitchen this evening and we'll take a short written exam before we learn what two dishes we'll have to make for a panel of judges out of the 16 recipes we've been practicing. Lucky for us, our chef narrowed the selection to eight recipes. It may be rumor on the street, but most classes have to memorize all 16 recipes and be ready to prepare any of them. Needless to say, we're all pretty grateful.

The possible combinations I'll be making this evening:

Filet de Orata Américaine & Pots de Créme
orata filet in a white wine sauce with mussels and shrimp & vanilla custard with a cookie straw


Aile de raie á la Grenobloise & Tarte aux pommes
sautéed skate wing with brown butter, capers, lemon and croutons & apple tart


Ofeufs poché sur macédoine de légumes, Sauce Hollandaise & Poulet rôti, grand-mére
poached egg on a bed of diced vegetables with hollandaise sauce & roast chicken, grandmother-style


Consommé Prinatiere & Cotê de porc, sauce au poivre vert
beef consommé & sautéed center-cut pork chop with green peppercorn sauce


Our chef will pick two of these combinations and half the class with produce one set and the other half of the class will produce the second set. We'll make four plates of each dish so the judges can see just how consistent and refined we cook/plate. I'm comfortable with all of the recipes, but I'm hoping that we make the skate dish with the apple tart and the consommé with the pork chop.

Once we know what recipes we'll be making, we're given two and half hours to present the first dish and about 40 minutes to finish the second dish. This seems like a lot of time, but it's a chunk of time that really goes by quickly when you're busy at work. You can't simply focus on one recipe because the recipe that's due after the first one requires prep time, and in some cases it's a lot of prep time. There's butchering to be done, stocks to be reinforced, vegetables to be cut, and a lot of actual cooking time to factor into the equation.

We've been practicing for this test for awhile now. We've had mock midterms, producing two dishes each for chef's approval. This has usually gone well, but tonight will be the first time proctors will be in the kitchen observing how we cook. They'll examine everything from our uniforms to the edges of our knives. They'll watch to make sure we're working in a logical sequence, and if we're working cleanly. Each misstep is a point off, and each misstep could potentially harm the overall dish, which would mean an additional loss of points when the dish is being judged by a panel of alumni. The timing, the temperature of the serving vessel, the temperature of the food, the presentation of the dish, the consistency and flavor of the overall product — It will all be judged.

"Once you have mastered a technique you hardly need look at a recipe again, and can take off on your own." I hope you're right, Julia Child. I hope you're right.

I have a big project due in a couple of months and chefs have advised that students start early, so I've been thinking a lot about my project concept. The assignment is to plan and budget a four course meal for eight people. The menu needs to have a focus and it needs to reflect what we've learned about planning menus so far. I don't have to actually cook for eight people, but I will need to make each dish and take a picture. It's not a requirement to write my own recipes, but I'm interested in testing my recipe writing abilities.

The honey selection at Kalustyan's, 123 Lexington Avenue

Every since I visited the Union Square Greenmarket for the first time late in the summer I've been intrigued by the variety of honey available in the city. My intrigue grew when I visited Kalustyan's speciality fine foods market several weeks ago.  I've never seen so many brands and flavors of honey! They even had truffle honey! At $17 a pop, I didn't buy it, but I wanted to... that's for sure. An idea that I've kind of settled on for this project is using a different honey for each course, showcasing a different technique for each segment of the meal. To narrow my focus even more, I'd like to research and develop a Mediterranean menu with seasonal ingredients, which only seems appropriate since I work at a Mediterranean restaurant and I'm already exposed to some of the flavor profiles.

Fresh branzino

Tonight I borrowed an idea from the restaurant and purchased a whole branzino (a Mediterranean sea bass) and roasted it with lemon, thyme, and olive oil. I went to Whole Foods, picked out my fish, and cleaned it at home. I wanted to incorporate the raw clover honey I also bought, so I decided to serve a salad with honey-candied pine nuts, Kalamata olives, red onion, and feta cheese. I made a honey balsamic vinaigrette to dress the salad and roasted some potatoes with garlic, thyme, and olive oil for a side dish.

 

I'm going to continue to experiment with honey and write about my research. Hopefully my project will be pretty well documented by the time it's due. If anyone has suggestions or recipes they'd like me to try, please email me your ideas at laurenbhendrick@gmail.com.

Living On The 6

"Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself."

-unknown

My life consists of four subway stops, luckily all on the same line. Now that I've started my internship at Food Arts Magazine, my schedule is a bit chaotic. Monday through Friday I arrive to my internship at M. Shanken, also home to Cigar Aficionado, Wine Spectator, Impact, and Market Watch. I spend around six hours acting as a editorial assistant. So far the job consists of fact checking stories, some copy editing, and running errands around the building. After interning, I either go straight to school in SoHo or directly to work in Midtown East. My day starts at 8 a.m. and usually ends around midnight. I'm exhausted by the end of the day, but I'm enjoying the productivity. This is exactly the kind of schedule I envisioned. 

                  View Lauren's life in a map in a larger map

One of the main reasons I came to New York City was for the editorial opportunities. Many of the country's publishing company headquarters are in Manhattan. I knew culinary school would familiarize me with the industry and increase my overall knowledge of the culinary arts. As a new intern, I'm realizing my thinking was absolutely correct. In order to fact check stories and recipes, you have to be able to step inside the writer's head. You have to double check everything and you have to consider each word and its use. The copy editor for Food Arts, as well as several other staff members, are FCI graduates, and their desks are piled high with cookbooks and reference materials. I can tell they're always increasing their culinary knowledge and learning everyday, which totally excites me. 

There's a certain comfort I get when surrounded by cookbooks. I really love them. I wish I could spend hours at the FCI library, and luckily the cookbook library at Food Arts is pretty impressive too. I spent one of my breaks last week researching Polynesian food for my next level at school. In level 4 part of the curriculum is organizing buffets with themes. Ever since my first trip to Maui I've been very interested in island cuisine, so I submitted several recipes to Chef last week that reflect Polynesian concepts. I love that I can pick a dish or culture, and within minutes I can find several researched books with information. It's so awesome. One day I hope to house an impressive library.

Goals for 2011

(These goals are little late...)

1. Graduate from FCI on June 17th, 2011.

2. Find a job where I'm using both my culinary training and my bachelor's degrees.

3. Create an appetizing, well-researched, and aesthetically pleasing menu for my level 5 project. Theme: local honey

4. Learn more about wine, which naturally means drink more wine. This goal also includes a trip to California.

5. Be a great intern.

6. Convince someone to treat me to dinner a Per Se...

7. Read more books. Write more often.

8. Eat more vegetables.

9. Start running more.

10. Yoga. Yoga. Yoga.

11. Practice patience.

12. Become a master butcher. I need a new boning knife first.

13. Cut perfect cocottes.

14. Improve this blog.

15. Take photography more seriously. This includes learning more about Photoshop.

16. Make better Thai food than I can find in my neighborhood, which shouldn't be difficult.

17. Take advantage of valuable opportunities and network.

18. Find a place I want to call home.

19. Learn Spanish and pick up some French too.

20. Give back to the community.

My life, according to a palm reader

She grabbed my hand as she took a drag from her cigarette, scuffing her house slippers on the faded carpet.

"You will have a long life," she said, smoke pouring out of her mouth. "I can see that you were an actress in a previous life. You were also a dancer." I looked at her wanting to burst into laughter, hoping my $25 would grant more than a glance at the broken life line on my right palm.

"You are confused. Your are struggling to find your creative energy." A child knocked on the door behind the woman. It was 2 a.m., was there really a child back there? Unphased, she continued to stare at my palm, then back into my eyes, translating my hand scarred from kitchen heat. Thirty minutes before this moment, the same hand held a Manhattan cocktail at The Jane Hotel. It was the same hand that pointed to the sign that read, "Palm Reading" on the walk home from the bar.

"You will find your energy, but it is hard right now during winter months. You are a person who feels very high and then very low, but you will see clarity soon." Though these visions seem overly general as I soberly reflect, I was genuinely impressed. Afterall, I have been feeling rather tired and unmotivated to write. It was making sense. I continued to listen.

"You will move to the West coast," she said, asking me if I'd been there. This was also odd because I had been discussing how much I'd like to experience living on both coasts. She continued to hold my fingers, feeling my "energy" and glancing at my palm.

"Are you in a relationship?" When I told her I was not, she smiled. "You will be soon. Someone is trying to get close to you. Let them." I sighed, thinking about the little time I have to devote to anyone but myself.

"You will volunteer a lot of your time between the months of March and June," she said. This was also strange. I'm starting an internship tomorrow that will end in March, and my hope is that I'll have another lined up in March.

"You need to meditate," she stated. My feeling is that this piece of advice, sober or not, really is true. I need to figure out what I want.

I then asked her, "How do I know what I want? I struggle between the idea of cooking or going back to my initial plan of taking my culinary background into writing or publishing."

"I honestly feel you will cook," she said, without any hesitation. "Meditate."

If this is the case, why am I so hesitant? Friends and family have been asking what it is I see myself doing after graduation, and the truth is, I don't know. I really don't. I wish I did. The repayment on loan for school is going to kick in as soon as I graduate, and New York City isn't exactly affordable.

I do feel lost. I don't see anything when I look ahead to June. I'm not used to these feelings. I like knowing where I'm going. I like having a plan. I don't go a day without making a 'to do' list, feeling satisfied whenever I'm able to cross something off the list. The feeling of uncertainty drives me nuts.

Do I decide what is it I want to do or where it is that I was to live? I feel like location plays a bigger part than it maybe used to. I'm dying to feel closer to my family. I can't wait to look at my window and see more than cars and concrete. I'd like to go to a supermarket and not feel like I'm getting elbowed in the aisles. It would be nice to not hear sirens every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day.

But this city is amazing. The energy, the variety of people and place to visit, and most importantly- THE FOOD. This is a foodie paradise! How could I not be completely happy here? I mean, I am happy. I have fun every day... but something is missing. I'm in New York City, I have great friends, a fantastic roommate, a flexible work schedule, and I get to go to school and cook. What a life! Something is still missing though and I can't put my finger on it.

Love? Is it a sense of pride? I know I'm tired of serving for a living. I'd like to put my degrees to use. I'd like to have evenings off once in awhile and understand what it means to relax on a weekend, but then again those aren't things I've ever expected. I knew going into this industry that free time would be a sacrifice.

I keep telling myself I'll just figure it out as I go, but then the pressures of the future come into sight. Where to live, who to live with, how to repay the loan... It all scares me.

Can I just have a sign? The feeling you get - an emotional pull, if you will. I'm not looking for a shooting star or real answers from a palm reader raising a family in the back of her spiritual room. I just want a hint, even if it's tiny.

A Winter Reflection

I’m watching snow fall in Colorado, thinking about what I’m missing in New York. After one canceled flight and three attempts to reschedule, I’m beyond caring if my flight tomorrow morning is canceled. I’ve tried to go back to the place I’m temporary trying to call home for the last week. Atleast I’m stuck in a place that really does feel like home. A place where my mom still covers me with a blanket if I fall asleep on the couch- a place that HAS a couch. My sister makes me tea and we laugh about the silly stuff. My life feels more simple here. I sleep. I feel healthy. I have real conversations with people. I’m myself here, at this place I call home.

The cat I grew up with is making an elderly cry and vanilla tea steeps at my side. Each finger of heat escapes from the cup, crawling towards my nose. Winter is here after weeks of waiting. Christmas arrived without snow, but it didn’t fail to bring my loved ones together. It had been six months since I last seen my family. Wrapping my arms around my grandpa after visiting him in Houston, where he’s undergoing treatment at MD Anderson, was a hug I had been waiting for — a hug I had really hoped for. Seeing my dad after months of late-night phone calls was instantly comforting, and seeing how much my little brothers have already grown since August was remarkable. Time goes by and life changes, but the love of my family does not.

My grandpa. He's amazing. :)

New York City has opened my eyes to possibilities and taught me more than I could have imagined. I’ve only been living in the city for six months, but I already feel stronger and more capable. One of my friends told me that living in New York City is like a bootcamp for life, and I couldn't agree more. I already feel more street savvy. More secure. Driven.

I came here to go attend one of the best culinary schools in the country and I've already accomplished so much more. I arrived with enough money to support myself for a couple months without a clue of where I was going. I landed a serving job within three days and quickly gathered enough courage to navigate the subway system on my own. I wandered. I got lost. I cried the first time a foreigner yelled at me. My manager told me it would take three months before I would start to feel comfortable. I tried to stay optimistic even though I felt like the city was kicking my ass. I continued to put myself out there and did my best to connect with people.

I'm happy to report that I now have friends. I still have the job after five months of watching other employees come and go. I'm already in level three of my culinary program! I can't believe that. The five flights of stairs leading to my apartment aren’t nearly as challenging as they used to be and the subway system no longer feels overwhelming. Working doubles doesn’t exhaust me and lunch shift under 250 covers is a cake walk. I'm getting the hang of it.

The city has also taught me some important lessons. In a city built and run by thieves, you're the only person you can really trust. It took a $400 pick-pocket, the theft of an iPod, and the lose of a phone to realize that, but I've learned my lesson. Even though I feel on constant guard, the city will occasionally surprise me. I lost a camera and my ID on New Year's Eve and a man sent me a Facebook message on New Year's Day saying that he had found my belongings and would gladly mail them to me from Westchester. I was completely surprised.

New York City has also given me a small glimpse of world. I walk down the street in my neighborhood and I sometimes hear up to five different languages. So many cultures are represented here. Most people speak atleast two languages and usually three. Living here has put the rest of the world in perspective for me.

It's only been five months! Crazy.