finally, for the foodie in me

If I exhibited the same attitude and enthusiasm when I was in college, I would’ve been summa cum laude (this blogger was an average student). You see, I came prepared to my new class today, brimming with excitement that would’ve equaled to having 10 shots of espresso—directly to my vein. For weeks I’ve been thinking about this day, the newspaper ad clipping tucked in my bag, ready to be read again and again whenever my heart calls out to it.

Finally, the foodie in me took the plunge and enrolled in a Basic Culinary Arts course. After weeks of scouting for the right school, I eventually found the one that fit my schedule, budget and desired outcome. So for four days, today included, all eighteen of us culinary enthusiasts will be listening to Teacher Chef Andy Canete explain the basics of stock preparation, methods of cooking, hygiene and sanitation, nutrition and health, meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, herbs and spices, and everything else in a cook’s kitchen (excuse the long sentence, the editor in me is in half-day hiatus).

After two hours of lecture today, we were ushered into the commercial kitchen (after we’ve been divided into three groups).The challenge was for the groups to prepare five dishes: appetizer, soup, main dish, rice—tuscan rice, and dessert. “Do I have to peel the zucchini?” No, just dice it. “Can you taste this and check if it’s just right?” More salt. “Oh no, we have no dipping sauce? We still have time to make some.” No recipe? No problem. No cook should be ever without imagination and bravery.

And so we all survived our first day at class today. For dinner, we each had a taste of what we’ve prepared though we had to take it standing up, right next to the counter where we peeled, diced, sautéed, mixed.

All in all, it was a pleasant experience. If my class today were a dish, I’d say the portion was just right—not too much to make me feel bloated, not too little to keep me wanting. And yes, I should mention, tasty and delicious.