Day 25

I am burnt out and I haven't really studied for this final. today we made poached salmon w/ a buerre blanc sauce and rice pilaf. and some sole dish I have no energy at all. At the beginning of this class I wanted to complete it with a high GPA but now I just want to pass this final exam and sleep in for the next 10 days. I am not the fastest or most consistent person in the kitchen, but I gave it a good shot at doing my best, although my best wasn't good enough,  I could have done a lot better. I have been writing these journal in my sleep, so there has been a lot of miss spelled words, dates have repeated them selves on occasions, and at best just to keep up has been a challenge. I can do this cooking thing and now I need to go from having a passion to keeping a burning desire for this dream I have. I wake up at 4:45am and don't go to sleep until 11:00pm, I have been plagued with migraines and loss jobs, so if this is what I want to do then I need to live myself into this new way of life. No one said it was going to be easy and yes this is getting fun but at the end of the day like now (10:17pm) is it all worth it? my answer is yes it is but damn it! this is no walk in the park. Tomorrow starts our 3 days of final exams and the cooking shouldn't be a problem and the written should either but I am human so I am now doubting myself. I am going to pray about it and sleep on and be ready for what ever to have in class tomorrow. Good Night I am drained, burnt out and...
So until tomorrow peace out.

Day 24 a

I ate this up before I left the lab today as well. my plating presentation is getting better. I really with it were duck and boy I really love duck. Again I am good with the knife on butchering things that sole was easy for me to fabricate and cook I just needed to have a lot more sauce to go with it other than that it was a good day and today i did sweat in the lab again today. This is becoming fun!

Day 23

Stuffed chicken breast wrapped in the lining of pig fat, that was crazy, only in France, but it tasted remarkably great. I can do that again and get very creative with the filling too, dried fruits and cheeses my mind is running wild with ideas about this. I am very impressed with this and ate all of it before I left the lab today.

Day 22 6/16/11

Game Hens! What are you serious. All I can say is that I kilt it. Fabricating I can do this well, just stay close to the bone at all times.

Day 21 6/15/11

Ok so now I was sweating my but off today and my back and knee was even hurting. Today I pulled it off though. I was reluctant to serve my pommas puree because they were not up to my standards and they were made in a way that my 17 year old son could have made a better batch of pommes puree (mashed potatoes) then what I presented. I kept my head up and served it anyway, but never again.

Day 21 6/14/11

Fish and Chips. I was kinda disappointed with this item because I wanted to make the traditional fish and chips that you would get in London, but its ok I now know how to fry fish using panko bread crumbs. My fries was not crispy though so I will be working on making a better presenting and tasting french fry.

Day 20 6/10/11

Today we made Navarin od Lamb, which is a braised lamb stew. I did ok but I mixed up the step on adding the flour. I added it to the meat and not to the mirepoix mexture in the pot. Though it did come out good. We also made Beignets de gambes which simply means deep fried shrimp. Wwe were instucted to make a curry manonnaise, I did make my sauce but it had way to much curry. So next time only put in a hint of curry to the mayonnaise and it will be perfect in taste.

e is tied at 2 points for the hollandaise saucd and 2 poinys to me. But it could have been alot thinner though.

Day 19 6/9/11
Ok so today I madr eggs benedicts, a french omlette, a western omlette, and over easy eggs. I wasted 4 eggs on the over easy, because I cou

ld not get my flip right. I do know now what I am supposed to do with this technique.

Oh yeah I did now brek my hollandaise sauce today so now the scor

Day 17 B 6/8/11

So somewhere along the lines I got a date mixed up because of that holiday we were a day off so when reading take not that day would have actuallyy been Monday may 30 but it was a memorial day so no school on that day.

Day 17 6/7/11

Pasta Pasta Pasta! I love making pasta. I have a large cup that I use at home to make pasta noodles. I be rolling away at it with love so to use a pasta maker, just boosted my pasta game up a notch. BRING ON THE PASTA! although the italian name is Paste. This homework is kicking my butt. No guts no glory I guess.

Day 16 6/6/11

I have always been told that I could make a good salad, but these were salads I have need heard of for the most part. I do like that may perspective on food has grown a bit. I feel that my enthusiasm has dwindled quite a bit and I don't like that. I should be overly excited ever day I wake up because not to many people can say that they have jumped (sauteed, hahaha, cooking joke) off the tread mill and are doing what they love to do. Sometimes I can really be ungrateful, but that stops now.

day 15 6/3/11

The Practical Exam day! I killt it thank you. I just need to work on my timing, and to stay consistant.

Day 14 6/2/11

Ok! so chef Storms did the grading today and I he wasn't that intimidating as I thought he would be, but all I can say is great critique, because all the dishes were first time makes and the critique he gave showed me that I am making the right decision to become a Chef. I hope Chef Sutton is alright I wish she could have been here to critique me as well, although I did think she was going to pop in on us but she didn't.

Day 13 6/1/11

So yesterday I was not in so I could not made my hummus, but today I did make my tabbouleh and I liked it, although Chef said that it was a little over cooked. My wheat berries were the bomb. I never tasted wheat berries but I am going to incorporate these into my diet because it is high in protein and very easy to make and I could make it for children and they would love it. I am iimpressed with me today.

Day 12 5/12/11

I was out on this day and I am a bit upset because there was no reaseon for me to take the day off. I think the only reason why was because I got fired on friday and I was feeling extreamely down about it, but that still is no excuse for my absence today. GET OFF THE PITTY POT RASHID!

Day 11 5/27/11

Today was very easy going riz pilaf, string beans, carrots vichy, and one of my favorites risotto, and yes it came out great. I always can improve though.

Day 9 5.25.11

So 3 more soups were made today and to me it was the same results I just need more practice, training, and commitment to my craft.

Day 9 5.25.11

Well what happened today 3 soups that I was not satisfied with and one of which I will be graded on on Friday. This is a ball field I've never been on before so I guess I am doing good being that this is pretty new for me.
How do I get better by practicing my craft more often.

Day 7 5.24.11

We had a practical today and I had a few problem but I overcame them, and the results are in for the hollandaise battle hollandaise 2 and me 1. I kicked that butter and egg made but today. I am feeling ok and I always can improve on my technique and speed but today was a minor victory on this 6 week war in foundations II. Now homework!

Day 6 5/23/11

The beginning of day 6 and my weekend was ok. My son turned 17 on sunday May 22, and the world was supposed to end on saturday May 21 hmm! "Ok" So today again the hollandaise won and I am really not liking that at all. What the f@#! can I do? just jump back in there and not like in sauting (to jump) but fighting for my hollandasing life. I don't know what I'm trying to say I guess that today was a frustrating day but tomorrow I will be back at it AGAIN! Someboday pray for me please

Day 5 5/20/11

Thank God it's Friday and finally this week is over. The hollandaise massacre! Today I broke my hollandaise sauce 3 times and I did not understand why. was it me or my technique, the moisture in the room, the equipment I was using or what? I blame or me. This is a sauce that has taken me awhile to learn how to make and now that I know how, then why? I only can guess that even the best chefs will make mistakes once and awhile so I really should give myself a break. The sauce hollandaise isn't the easiest sauce to make, because it is a emulsion (an emulsion is a uniform mixture of two unmixable liquids) and its going to put up a fight and today I threw in the towel. But, I'LL BE BACK!!!!!!!

foundations II Day 4 5/19/2011

Ok so I am breathing and giving myself a break. I fell short today but it is ok. The Demi-Glace (Glace de Veau, modern) could have been reduced by another 1/4th. The Sauce Marchand de Vin could have also reduced by another 1/4th and then it would have been perfect. The Sauce Chasseur was on point but I forgot the concesser tomatoes to the finish, my bag. The Tomato Sauce was loose and the Spanish sauce was to thick and border line too spicy. I will be better prepped with my "mise en place" for now on as well as pay close attention to the DETAILS. All of these mistakes could have been prevented. Game face on and I will see you in class tomorrow. I still am loving each day in class and even at home making these sauces as well.

Oh yeah the classroom drama was really classic and very high schoolish. But hella funny.
Peace!

Foundations II day 3 5/18/2011

Today I was on my game hella hard and rocked out a 100% on both my sauces. The Mornay excellent and the Allemande was spot on. I see I need to bring it like this every day. If I fall short I will give myself a break and breath. Very good job!

Foundations II Day 2

Hello all today was fun and busy from start to finish. We made 3 Roux's (rue) A Blanc (colorless), A blond (peanut butter color), and ten A Brun (brown). Then we made clarified butter and I didn't know it was that easy to made, I will be making that more often. Finally, we made a fish fumet and the aroma that was coming off of this stock was great. I got all of my assignments down today with a lot of time to spare. Though I was upset with the way that my brown roux came out because it started getting thick, and burnt, and bubbling. That wasn't good though I did present my roux's before it got out of hand. To improve watch the fire and keep it turning.

Tomorrow I will focus on my recipes and helping anyone who needs help. It's a team effort from an individual stance. The only person I am in competition with is myself. Note to self get ahead and stay of the curve.

Foundation II Day 1. 5/16/11

Today was the beginning of a whole new game for me and it was a challenge just to keep up with making stock and I make at home all the time. I just could not get it together today, but it's ok! Because I get to go home and make my chicken stock again tonight and do my homework so I can be ready for the game and my positon that I put myself in can change for better or worst but its you to me to be about the change. I will bring my a game.

Hi I am RashidM1 and this is my blog. My feelings, experiences, growth, strengths and weaknesses are all in here. This is for me to tell myself that I can and will complete this course. As of now I have a 4.0 GPA and I have never been late to school and never missed a day in class or even an assignment. La Cordon Bleu's experience so far has been surreal and a it's a dream come true. Foundations I and my servsafe classes was the beginning of my journey. These courses were at times a challenge but I over come weaknesses and started to develope my strengths.