Class Evaluation

Overall, I really enjoyed the class this quarter. It was a great experience and I really enjoyed learning how to make a variety of meals. It also gave me a greater appreciation for what goes into running a restaurant and the time management it takes to cook foods for a large group in a set amount of time. I think the class itself was fine the way it was. I am not sure if this had been done but in case it wasn't, I would maybe suggest to take the first 15 minutes or so of the first class period to take a tour of the kitchen just to familiarize students with where everything is. I know the first few times in the kitchen it took me a while to realize where everything was located. The only other suggestion I would have is I enjoyed being able to have input on the menu, so maybe give the students one or two more lab periods where they can choose the recipes themselves.

11/6

This week we had a pretty busy week...We made extra recipes for both days...Wednesday fran came in to evaluate our cooking and to see if we had improved from the start of the quarter. I helped make prime rib, and cream of brocolli and spinach. I feel like the speed at which I work has improved over the course of the quarter and my efficiency has gotten alot better. I did a better job of cleaning as I go which helped save time. I finally know where most of the stuff in the kitchen is, but there are still some times where there is an ingredient missing and I have to ask for help. Looking forward to this final week where we get to make the recipes we chose.

chopped

This week I watched chopped again. One of the problems a chef ran into was she was cooking chocolate to make a sauce when it started to boil up. I learned that if you add honey to the chocolate and take it off the heat it will help settle the chocolate down, making it smooth again. I thought that was pretty interesting. Another problem the chefs run into is time, because they only give 20 minutes to cook and plate 4 meals that typically take longer to cook. You are at risk for undercooking meat which can be dangerous for consumption.

Week 6 classes

Monday's class I made italian sausage links, peppers and onions, however there was no italian sausage so I used andouili spicy sausage. The meal itself came out really well, the sausage was nicely seasoned and cooked to an appropriate temperature while the vegetables also came out good. I did a much better job of timing the meal this time, by doing the vegetables first since the meat didn't take as long to cook. I also helped with salad bar.

Wednesday's class was pizza day, where we made 12 pizzas (3 different kinds). It was pretty fun and I actually ended up going to the grocery store the following day to make my own pizza. Things went pretty smoothly but because of a lack of room in the oven it took longer then expected to make everything. Overall I have learned alot from this class and I am now trying to incorporate these recipes into meals for myself at home.

Man V. Food

I watched Man v. food and in the end there was a big food challenge of a giant 6 pound burrito. They went through the making of the burrito in which they sauteed the vegetables, floured the tortilla, added their secret sauce, and grilled the meat etc. While watching the show I learned that when you eat starches, it is best to avoid alot of water because the water helps the starch to expand in your stomach, leaving less room for you to eat. It was a pretty interesting concept which I didn't know before hand.

10/5

in class i made a beef stew. The beef itself came marinated in a bag and had to cook in boiled water for over 2 hours. I cut up the onions and potatoes, and we also decided to add some celery and carrots. What I learned from this class with Fran teaching is that it is often beneficial to do things in a certain order. I started with cutting up the vegetables, when really I should have started cooking the meat before hand since it took longer. I also made scalloped potatoes which I should have started a little bit earlier as well, granted it still made it out on time. I'm enjoying the class, and am getting the hang of everything in certain aspects but I still need to do a better job of being more efficient with my work.

10/3

Monday's class I made asian style french fries from scratch. I cut and peeled 10 potatoes, and learned that you need to keep them sitting in water until they are ready to be fried so that they don't brown. It was the first time I had actually used a friar to cook something in, so that was a good experience. I think they actually turned out pretty well. There are still certain items and ingredients where I forget where they are located and sometimes that slows me down. I still need to do a better job of going faster with my work.