Day one at Culinary School

So 15 hours ago it all began! It has been a long day (just got done at 9pm) but a really good one!

We started the day at orientation that started at 6:00am, shortly after we went into our first lecture. Learning about the week, going through the syllabus and getting ready to hit the kitchen. So they handed us our Chef's outfits-hounds-tooth pants, a chef jacket and a chef hat-they then gave us 15 min to get ready and meet them in the Kitchen. Yes, we look very professional!

So it begins....

We did knife skills training for most of the day. Today is the only day we are not making our own lunch, every morning we are assigned a menu to make for the entire class.

Tomorrow is...

Chopped Steak House Salad with Crumbled Maytag Blue Cheese & Red Wine Vinaigrette
Fried Catfish
Macaroni and Cheese
Braised Greens
Sweet Corn Bread with Honey Butter

That's just what my team is making, there are four other teams. We will have Wiener Schnitzel, Chicken fried steak, Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura, along with many other things. That's just lunch! A little overwhelming-you bet, but very worth it.

Did I say how amazing this place is. Try to wrap your mind around this...80 kitchens on site, 2,500 students, they go through 1,500lbs of butter every week, 4,000lbs of meat every day and $34,000 of fish every month. The Institute started in 1946 and in 1970 moved to its current campus, which was a Jesuit Seminary before they took it over.

Over the past 40 years this place looks totally different. It truly is a beautiful campus.














Our Chef is Micheal Skibitcky or "ChefSki" is what we call him. He started his career in London and then moved to the United Nations where he serve 40,000 every day (not by himself obviously), and currently has been an instructor at the CIA for the last 15 years.


Its getting late, so I will end here tonight. Here is to tomorrow!