mary eats

Week four has been a week of firsts, my first math test, my first time as sous chef, and my first culinary test. If it’s a reflection for what’s to come, I’d say I’m in a good spot. Most of my classmates are too. I’m so impressed by their dedication and how seriously they take their tasks. Personally, I think we have the bravo TV show Top Chef to thank for this. Strangely, each one acts as though we feel like we might be told to “pack our knives and go,” if we slip up. The competition right now is at a good pace. Mostly everyone is trying to compete against themselves, rather than each other. Without a Marcel in the class it’s hard to hate anyone just yet.

Now that the pace has picked up we are starting to get heftier assignments. Our first is a spice assignment, where we have to describe the look, aroma, and taste of 36 different spices. Not wanting to taste the contaminated samples in class (I thank my sanitation teacher for that. She’s big on pointing out diseases spread by lack of hand washing and barehanded contact with ready to eat foods), I stopped by PCC to buy a small amount each in bulk, and now with 30 odd little baggies spread across my coffee table I feel a little like a coke dealer, or that could be the potent aroma of all the spices going to my head. As long as I just remember to simply smell them, not cut them into lines and snort them…

My knife skills are still shaky and slow. We were taught to tuck our fingers under so that the knife falls against our knuckles. And while this instrument of sharpened steel glides down my bare flesh, I’m to keep my middle three fingers on top of the item I’m cutting while my thumb and pinky precariously hold the sides. HA!. Honestly, I really do start off trying, but it just isn’t comfortable, my hand starts to cramp up in this unfamiliar position, so I eventually resort back to my old ways until I hear or spot Chef G. Then, faster that you can say chopped off finger tip, I have my knuckles back up there by my knife, and my cuts go from consistent to uniformly challenged

Student lunch, on the other hand, has gotten increasingly better. Every day that Kevin picks me up from school (yes, I have a personal chauffer) I take delight in watching his facial expression turn to jealously when I describe the eight or ten gourmet choices put on the hot line.
“Mmm. Today I had Wiener Schnitzel.”
“Really? Is that actually a food, I thought it was a joke. What is it?”
“Oh, its delicious. It’s pounded veal cutlet, breaded, then baked and topped with anchovies, lemon, and minced hard boiled eggs. Oh, and I had a slice of apple cake too, and some braised red cabbage, and the best part was the Mexican hot chocolate. Mmmm. It was amazing, rich and chocolately with hints of cinnamon and spices. Dang it was good. So…whatd’ch have for lunch?”
“Nothing.”