The end of the formal adventure...

The day has come and gone, which means the year has literally come and gone. What seemed at times to be an eternity and something that would never end, or something I didn't want to end, has finally passed. It started with a tiny book on wine, that led to some passionate thoughts, which led me on the adventures of culinary school. Embarking on the adventure led to this blog and the blog has been my canvas to capture my thoughts and experiences through it all. Do I think I'm a full-fledged chef? No. Could I have learned what I learned in culinary school by cooking through recipes found in the mountains of cook books that are neatly arranged on my cherry wood bookshelf? Maybe. Some people ask me if it was worth it to go through culinary school and I believe it was. I think the relationships you build and the camaraderie that develops is something unique. I started in a class of 33 aspiring chefs, and ended with 13. People rotated in and out, and within the six months we went from classmates cooking shoulder to shoulder over hot gas stoves to a bit of a family as we teamed up and finally really appreciated each other and our strengths during our three weeks at Bleu.

So what did I learn? Well, I learned that I could dismantle a squid - and very well I might add. I learned to get adventurous with what foods passed my lips: tripe, headcheese, offal anyone? And I know for a fact that has caused my palate to mature. I know what tastes good now and I'm much more of a discerning food critique because of it. I can tell how things were cooked. I can pick out ingredients like ground ginger, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and hints marjoram in dishes, and to me that is what makes it so fun; to taste it without knowing what went in it, but then being able to dissect it by notes of this or that.

There are two additional things that I learned, though, that stand out the most. Number 1 is Endurance. There were some nights that I didn't think would end and some weeks, too. Night after night, five nights a week, nonstop for months and you just keep going. And it's rough. It's physical. I've never had my back just ache all the time. It is NOT glamorous. It is NOT the high style of the Food Network with perfectly finished finger nails, freshly styled hair and not a drop of sweat on the brow. (No offense to FN; I am a fan as it's usually playing in the background as I work!). It is hard work. It's heat. It's sweat. It's going home from class smelling like the fish you spent hours filleting, and the meat you spent the evening grinding into sausage. It's spilling hot tomato sauce all over yourself and wearing those clothes for the rest of the night. And the dishes. It is stacks and stacks of horrifically soiled pots and pans and dirty water and clogged drains and no one is going anywhere until it is pristine for the morning rotation. It was intense studying with two-to-three tests per week. And you're so tired and it's so quick and there is so much information to absorb, but you just keep going. In all honesty, I think the endurance I learned in culinary school has allowed endurance to fit into other areas of my life. I can spin with the best of them in spin class. I'm running again. You just get in this mind set to keep at it and never stop. And I know it will prove to be an inspiration once again as I embark on the after life of culinary school; becoming a successful freelance food writer. Being self-employed is a dream, but at the same time it is absolutely frightening. Right now I'm currently a freelance pr professional and food writer with no clients and no writing projects in the que. So my days are spent just going and going: networking, pitching those story ideas, reaching out to local boutique pr firms offering to help and racking my brain to come up with that next great idea that all those other food writers (and there are thousands of them) haven't thought of yet. Endurance.

The second, and quite possibly most important thing I learned, was from one of my favorite chefs, Chef Tina. I was sad to learn at graduation that she is no longer with the school, but she did move on to a fabulous position at a culinary school on the Oregon coast. I've recently gotten back in touch with her and I am so glad. She is such an inspiration and SUCH a GREAT chef. And I think I immediately latched on to her as she changed her career and decided to get into the food world at the ripe young age of 32; same age I was when I decided to do this. We were in lecture one day and we had to do a quick review the U.S. Constitution. I think this was a school requirement. Anyway, she was asking us for our opinions about laws and the amendments. I've never been one to speak up. Anyone who's been in a meeting with me knows that. I usually just sit back and let others talk. She asked me a question, my opinion on something. I don't remember exactly what it was, but I started out with, "Um...I don't know...". It was then that she said something along the lines of, ' for all of you 18 or 19-year-olds out there just getting started in the world, you still have a lot to learn. But for those who are older, maybe 25, 30, and above who have had a bit of life experience, it is your job to speak up, to have opinions about things, and to start teaching what you've learned.' And that has stuck with me since. Now I'm not afraid to speak up, and am not afraid if my opinion is not the popular one. I actually quite like when my opinion doesn't coincide with the majority. I've always remembered that class and what she said and I'll never forget it.

So now on to the real stuff of making this new life happen. I had a panic the other week about money and finding work and started applying back to agencies and some corporate jobs even though it made my stomach flip. And then I just realized that I can do this and make this life of being self-employed that I want happen. I just need a little endurance, a lot of confidence, and some good food to keep me going.

Some pics from graduation...

Me and David. David and I were partners throughout just about every class. We first met up at a President's luncheon just before school started. I immediately knew he looked familiar. Turns out we both worked at an old job years ago together! This world is tooooo small.

My chefs from Bleu: Chef Gurr, Chef Jackson, and Chef Luke

And, of course, dear Chef Jackie, my French Chef! "Just add more buerre and a little more cream!"

Onward and upward.

Cheers,
~JF

The finale awaits

I'm embarrassed to say that I nearly forgot what the first week of May would bring, and I don't mean Cinco de Mayo. The end of the journey through culinary school seemed to wrap up so quickly after our stint in Bleu. FOODday came and went and voilà, the journey is over and I'm thrown back out into the real world, so to speak.

But the end of this week marks the official wrap-up of it all. Spring graduation for WCI will take place at the Oregon Convention Center on Saturday, May 3 at 12 p.m. A reception will following back at the school with food prepared by the school's master chefs...yum!

I'm looking forward to seeing my cooking school cronies and can't wait to catch up and see what they're all up to. For anyone who's ever been interested in going to culinary school and wants to see what it's like, the school does sell additional tickets to the ceremony now through Friday at Café Bleu, or at the convention center, for $20.

Cheers,
~JF

Could it become an obsession?

I have an issue lately with flour. No, I don't have a hard time eating it and I have nothing against it being an ingredient in many delicious foods, but I find myself so perplexed by the varieties. Why so many? How did all of these different types of flours come to be? Whole-wheat, all-purpose, gluten-free, pastry, cake, white whole-wheat, semolina, durum, and the list just keeps going.

Right now I have five different types of flour in my pantry and I'm not even an avid baker. And as much as it hurts, I'll admit that even after my three weeks of pastry and baking with Chef Krieg and friends, I still have not absorbed what type of flour I should use for what or what types can be equally substituted in baking.

So on my journey (which I'm still unsure if I totally want to sign up for) of exploring the endless world of flour, I ran across an article posted on Culinate today that was a good start to breaking it all down: http://www.culinate.com/articles/culinate8/flour_power.

For any of you interested in this chameleon of an ingredient, it may be an interesting read for you. Thanks to the author for the overview. It's a starting point for delving into the subject.

Cheers,
~JF

Back to Writing: A tribute to FOODday

Yes, as I constantly say, I just don't get here as much as I'd like to anymore. I'm finding myself spending the majority of my time back in the PR world doing some freelance work for a local agency. It is good, and what I need to be doing right now, but I've begun to feel a bit blue as I realize I'm just not carving out time to write.

So thank goodness for the editor of WCI's Food Writers' Club newsletter. I promised her a recap of my externship at FOODday. I almost bailed on the assignment, but with a little nudging she got me to turn something in. I thank her as I did enjoy looking back on my 13 weeks at the paper's test kitchen and was able to express what I hope are some entertaining words on the adventure.

I've pasted it below. It's sort of my 'day in the life' at FOODday. This is the version I just handed in, unedited, so we'll see what the in-print version will look like.

Happy reading!

Cheers,
~JF

A Day in the Life of an Extern
By Jennifer Fields


As many of my fellow students were gearing up to head off to well-respected dining spots around town to embark on their culinary school externships, I was set to work in a kitchen unlike most kitchens we’re used to. Tucked away on the fourth floor of the northeast corner of The Oregonian building in downtown Portland is a tiny kitchen similar to one you’d find in your own home or apartment. There is no wall full of endless gas stoves, and no 8-foot long, steel tables holding industrial-sized cooking equipment. Instead, this kitchen is designed to most closely resemble the kitchens of the 700,000-plus readers of the paper’s weekly food section, FOODday. The test kitchen at FOODday serves as the place were recipes are tested and retested, and ingredients and instructions are scrutinized and perfected day in and day out for both FOODday and MIX magazine.

So what’s it like in the test kitchen simply following instruction on recipes that come in each day? Anything but ordinary. As I arrive for my shift at 12:30 p.m., my job is to get the kitchen ready for the day’s testing. I turn on the computer, which usually takes 10 minutes to warm up, and then unload the dishwasher putting all the pots and pans and cooking utensils neatly back in their designated spots. I log into the computer and check my email. As usual, nothing of any significance. I’m the extern, why would I have any email? By 1:00pm, Linda, the test kitchen director and my supervisor, arrives with the groceries for the day’s recipes.

“Hello!” she says in her usual, cheery and energetic way. “Ok, go ahead and unload what’s in the bags and I’ll go check in with Katherine [Miller, FOODday Assistant Editor] to see if anything has come up today that we should know about,” she says and scurries off. I unload the bags and try to decipher what items will be washed, sliced, diced, sautéed, etc. in today’s leisurely day of working through cooking instructions.

“Well, it looks like there is a change of plans,” Linda says as she walks back into our tiny space. “Martha [Holmberg, FOODday Editor] is in today and wants to do a photo shoot of some of the recipes we did yesterday for edition.” For edition means for the issue that will come out the very next Tuesday. It is Thursday, which means the photos need to be shot today, placed into the graphics layout, finalized and approved for press on Friday. “I need you to do a quick ingredient list of the items we need and run up to the store to get them. I’ll get working on the other recipes that need to get done today,” she says. Throwing off my apron and putting my coat, scarf, and gloves back on, I grab the list and head one block north and three blocks west to the nearest grocery venue to grab the goods.

Arriving back around 2:30 p.m., I find Linda well into the other recipes. I unload my new purchases and begin prep immediately as Martha wants to shoot no later than 4:00 p.m. “Oh, and Sara (a local freelance writer) will be in today to do a taste testing for canned tomatoes,” Linda mentions as I try to survey the kitchen to figure out where exactly all of this cooking and picture taking and taste testing will take place. As I’m chopping my vegetables for my side dish—something comprised of asparagus, eggplant, and roasted red peppers—Linda peaks over and says, “Now are those one-inch pieces? The recipe calls for one-inch pieces and if they’re off Martha will be the first to point that out.” I look at her expecting a light laugh or something that will resemble that what she just said was meant jokingly, but no, she’s serious. I head over to the drawer located under the computer to reach for the ruler. At this time my mind is hijacked back to Culinary Skills I where my fingers are trembling as I hold my chef’s knife in hopes of finally getting a perfect julienne-sized cut out of my 10th carrot that will make Chef Jackie and Chef Stephanie weep. So we really do use those little rulers tucked in our chef’s coats, even out in the real world; amazing. Back to reality, I grab the ruler and head back to my cutting board. It looks as if my previous eye-balling got me pieces that were slightly over one inch. By the look on Linda’s face I figure I’m good and won’t lose the externship over the fresh-cut stalks. I continue with the eggplant and red peppers, and sauté just as instructed.

By 3:30pm my dish was close to done when Linda asked me to take her two dishes out for “food parade”—the walk from the test kitchen, through the photo department, past graphics, and over to the FOODday section for tasting and judging by the discerning writers and collaborators who develop each week’s issue—while she helped Sara get everything in order for the tomato taste test. “Mmmm, I like it,” Katherine says, “But I wonder if it could use a little more salt.” “Oh wow, it’s delicious, but yes, a bit more salt and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice,” adds Danielle Centoni, food editor. “What’s in it again?” asks Leslie Cole, FOODday staff writer. “Um, I’m not for certain. Linda actually made this dish,” I say with a look as if to communicate, ‘I just can’t recall what’s in every dish!’ “Hm. It’s a bit one-note for me,” says, Martha, possibly the most discerning of them all. “I don’t know, it’s a bit bland, it still needs something.” Mind you, this recipe was provided by one of Portland’s hottest chefs, but that never halts her from making certain the end result that home cooks will receive is flawless, which in the end is the overall bases behind having the test kitchen in the first place.

So back to the kitchen I go with notes of everyone’s feedback in my head. “Katherine liked it, but wants more salt, ditto with Danielle and add a bit of lemon juice. Leslie asked what was in it, but come to think of it I’m not sure whether or not she liked it. And Martha says it’s bland and that it needs something,” I ramble to Linda who is now surrounded by paper bowls full of whole, canned tomatoes. “So do we need to do it over again?” She asks. “Um. I’m not sure,” I say looking thoroughly confused. “Well that’s ok,” she replied. “We’ll just ask when Martha comes back here.”

By 4:00 p.m. we move on to tomato tasting while, simultaneously, Mike Davis, photo editor, is preparing for the shoot of the day. Who knew there could be so many different tastes of canned tomatoes? Some were absolutely horrid and caused a couple of those critiquing to simply spit them out. By my 10th taste, I was certain that I can no longer tell the difference between a high-end canned tomato from Italy and a generic, domestic store brand.

At 4:30 p.m. on the nose, Martha was finished with her portion of the tomato tasting and was ready to move on to the photo shoot. Linda had platted up the dish, which I envied as I had begun to really get into the food styling aspect of the job, but such is life, it was tomato taste test clean-up for me that day. As the photo shoot wrapped around 5:30 p.m. and we began cleaning the kitchen for the day, Martha came back with some prints of the pictures that were taken moments ago and thanked Linda and I for getting all that needed to be done, done. The pictures turned out great and it was fun for me to see food that I cooked stylized and ready for print to be included in the next issue. As we were closing down, Martha looked closely at the items on the plate in the photograph. “Were those one-inch pieces of asparagus or one-and-a-half?” I got out the ruler.

In Print

Are you still there? It seems like it's been so long since I've signed in and hit "New Post" on the blog screen.

Things have been well. Culinary school is officially done, but I'm still interning a few days a week at the FOODday test kitchen. So of course I had to post today to say that my name is finally in print in the award-winning weekly foodie section of the paper! No, it's not officially an article written by me, but I had an idea for a quick meal that made the cut with the discerning critics in the FOODday deparment and was given the green light to be posted in the paper's Shortcut Cooking section. If you try it, let me know if you liked it!

Such a quick post, but I do have to run. I'll be back soon to share more of what's happening in the adventures of exploring the culinary world in the coming days.

Cheers,
JF