Heart It ∞ My world, my joy!: The joys of a 'To be' Chef - 25.07.14 Follow @loadsofjoybg

Friday 25 July 2014

The joys of a 'To be' Chef - 25.07.14

Well, before I start this new thing on the blog, I should explain everything.

Like I mentioned before, I failed a subject on my last year of school - the big year, the one that you have to make the REAL decisions for your future. And by the end of the term, and before exams, I have decided to do International Relations, but I felt like I wasn't so sure about it, and since I was going to do Foundation, I felt like I still had another year to decide, and in fact I had another year to decide, because I failed an exam. At the beginning it was really bad, I now realize that I was quite depressed, I just wouldn't leave home, unless I really had to, I kinda stopped talking with some people and I become not my usual self, like someone that was always judging the others.

But luckily things changed for me, I became friends of people that I never thought I'd be and I began to worry about more important things, such as my future and my career. And one day I saw an ad  on the newspapers about a group of hospitality school, that was going to have a presentation in town and I went there, and  I LOVED everything about the school. And I realized what I wanted to do, Culinary Arts.

Which leads to this post. Since my big decision, I did everything to convince my parents about the course, to conclude 12th grade, to achieve good grades, and most of all, to became a better person, and I managed to do it all. Because I had a long waiting period of wait before I go t o university I decided to do an internship, to learn more and occupy my time. I am currently at Radisson Blu, working on the kitchen. It has been about a month, and I am loving it. Of course is quite a stressing job, a bit hard and has some things that really suck. E.G : STANDING FOR ABOUT 8 HOURS PER DAY! I only felt the pain like 3/4 days after the first day.

Of course I am not either a professional cooker nor a chef, but I feel so powerful in that kitchen, like I have the power about what you're going to eat! I DECIDE HOW ARE YOU GOING TO EAT! But at the same time is very comforting knowing that others are enjoying something that you did or helped doing it.  And that the joy of hospitality.

Today, as soon as I got there, my current supervisor told me that I had to do some salads for the buffet. I was so nervous at the beginning, because I had nothing to do and there wasn't a thing going through my mind, but then I had an idea and she told me that there was already some pasta cooked. I did 2 salads.

Salad Number One : Penne, cheddar cheese and cherry tomatoes.
 For this salad, you will need to boil a certain amount of penne - you can use another kind of pasta - cut the cheese in cubes and the tomatoes in half and then roast them for a tinny bit.
As soon as everything is done, you mix them together. I made a sauce using olive oil, salt, pepper a tinny bit of Dijon mustard and 1 lemon juice and I mixed it all together. I putted some chopped parsley on top.

Salad Number Two : Green beans, cherry tomatoes and chicken breasts cut in stripes.
 First, you will need to cut the tomatoes in half as well, cut the tips of the beans and cut the chicken into stripes. Then, you boil or steam the green beans with some salt and garlic and while you're doing that, season the chicken stripes with salt, pepper and chopped garlic. When the greens are done, sauté them with some garlic and then sauté the chicken too. Season the tomato with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast it for another tinny bit. As soon as everything is done, mix everything together and season it with some olive oil and vinegar. I personally like this specific salad a bit sharp - as in with a good portion of vinegar.

After the salads being done and doing the same usual, the executive chef put me in charge of doing some special plates. Which consisted on pita crisps with a tomato on top of a small amount of basil pesto and a funky stripe of balsamic vinegar reduction. I did it. And everyone seemed to like my work, I even got some compliments. That felt a bit like a reward, which felt great.

I love the fact that they ( the REAL kitchen crew/staff ) trust me with quite big things. I mean, cooking for someone is already a responsibility, imagine cooking for a full house? Or for someone important.

But the most important thing about it, is that I am really loving what I am doing, I feel like I am doing it with my true heart, in such a way that I've been complimented on that.

First month is done, let's see how the next 4 months go! Fingers crossed.
  - p.s : sorry for the lack of photos and the bad quality of this one, I still haven't had the time to get a new charger.

4 comments:

  1. Hmmm macarrons!!
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  2. Oh my!! Love macarrons!!! When u do anythink with ur heard is the best. Lov ur post. When u have time visit us.
    Xoxo!!

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  3. I REALLY liked this post, and im loving the blog!
    Keep up the good work, you have an amazing blog right here :)

    ReplyDelete