Day 14 of CCT – Day Two of Finals – The Good, The Bad, The What the Hell?

Ok so we’re all waiting in the main dining hall for Chef who will issue our written exam. I’d rather have a root canal. *breathe*

And we’re off…Ok so far the questions seem pretty straight forward. There were a couple I drew a total blank on and of course remembered them AFTER I had turned in my test. A few were extra credit questions. Like what does FIFO mean? I immediately think “Fee Fi Fo Fum…” and you know the minute something like that gets in your head you’re doomed. You’ll never think of the answer then. But I tried…hhmm FIFO… Federal Insurance…no no…get your mind way from work..it’s cooking related you dolt. The Jeopardy music is playing in the back on my mind. Sorry Alex no clue. The correct response should have been “What is First In, First Out” DOH!

See why I hate tests? Oh but there is so much more…off to the class room for yet another test. Here’s your sheet, now go identify those 20 random objects, herbs, cheeses and liquids. Feel free to feel, sniff and taste. (Yeah taste…riiight - already I start having flash backs to the cheese incident.) Some are easy, and yet others very tricky. I must make a note to review the proper names of things. I can see me now doing my externship asking someone to pass me “Hole-ly spoon thing” rather than perforated spoon. There were, I recall, 4 items we could taste – Marscapone cheese, kirsch (which I thought was the crappy vodka we use to cook with. I mean seriously folks, how I am to sample what I am cooking with when it’s a lower grade than lighter fluid?! And what about the saying ‘If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it?), dextrose (which I thought was powdered sugar) and duck fat. (I wonder how many people did the taste test on that one haha. No I didn’t, I smelled it and knew what it was)

So it’s time for the Good – One of my partners is Eddie. YEAH!! Ok the panic feeling is ebbing away. I now that secure feeling of having a teammate I can rely on.

The Bad – There’s only 3 in our team, the other two teams have 4. So we have extra effort we have to put into getting things done. However I look at this as a challenge.


The What the Hell? – We found out that last night when we did the two salads and sandwiches and got out at 9:30?... well turns out the rest of the class didn’t leave till 11pm. So we’re like WTH? It was 2 salads and a sandwich and a cheese platter. Also it wasn’t like they had to do a lot of clean up. We cleaned that entire kitchen before we left. The sinks, the walk-ins (hell we even re-wrapped everything), the counters (not in use), the cages. So all they would have had to do was clean their section and their dishes. We’re still doing the math. If all dishes must be turned in by 10pm no later (as is the way with finals) that gives you 1 hour to clean up. And it’s not like they had to clean the kitchen or do any of their nightly duties as we did them.



Karma comes a knockin! You know what they say, you put out bad vibes you get them back. Case in point, tonight it was us that didn’t leave till 11pm. Because we were one down we didn’t get our terrine as early as I would have liked. And you can’t rush something in the oven. It’ll reach that 165° when it’s damn good and ready. 10:45 DING! It’s ready. Luckily we had everything clean and ready so we just had to put the finishing touches on it – a brick. (yes a brick to weigh it down and make it flat) In the walk-in and we’re on our way.

Tomorrow we do our presentation. Oh I forgot to mention one of the items – Mystery Canapé. Chef we can use any ingredients. (Never give me that much leeway – evil smirk) The only thing that keeps me in check is this a team production and while as joke I’d take a few ding points to make something totally outlandish I won’t jeopardize my teammates.

I’m going to go look for decorations for our presentation. And remember, if anyone here in my office presses charges for me pilfering things off their desk I ‘was with you’ the entire time!

Until Tomorrow!...