Cooking, Catering, and Certification

Friends, it has been busy around here! It has been 6 months since I last sat down to share some of the happenings and goings on around here. I cannot believe how much time has passed and how much has happened in the past few months. If you have a few moments, I will try to touch on some highlights and share a few photos. So glad to have you back with Muffin and me! We have been busy!

Folks, I am finally certified in Culinary Arts! After wanting to do this since I was 19, I cannot believe I am finally on my way. First year all over and done, and if I may humbly toot my own horn to say that making the Dean's List both of those first semesters makes me giddy and proud. I guess this old brain works sometimes after all. No way can I do this by myself, so let me please thank God, all of my awesome friends, family and the amazing staff of Chef's at Nashville State Community College, for nudging me and challenging me. It has been an amazing ride and it is far from being over yet!

At Generous Helpings Event for Second Harvest Food Bank (yes...these events make me happy)

Interning with the Culinary Program and following Chef Tom around campus and Nashville on shopping trips and errands for the program was great fun! The only frustration with it would be that I love to browse in "foodie" places and that was hard to do. He is a Very fast shopper. Me? Not so much. My eyes will zoom in on something new or yummy and I go into a "zone". The reality of the wallet full of butterflies brings me quickly back to reality fairly quickly, but a girl can dream, right? There is a marvelous new place in Nashville called, Restaurant Depot. The first time a foodie or enthusiastic culinary student like myself walks through those doors, it is a jaw dropping experience. Happy, happy, place! I could write an entire blog about the joys of Depot shopping, but I will resist the temptation. 

I was surprised and blessed by an article about my culinary journey being published in The Tennessean, our newspaper. How about that? Of course, the fact that I had to get old to have this recognition is not lost on me. But that does not take away from the gratitude for it all. It was pretty cool!


http://www.tennessean.com/print/article/20120513/WILLIAMSON01/305130016/Culinary-school-lays-path-second-career


Catering opportunities are coming up here and there over the summer and so are internships. With the cupboard being bare and the wallet being empty, this is a Good thing! One internship was a short-lived one at a Vegan kitchen and now a new one at a fabulous local bread kitchen, Purebread Bakery. The latter is more up my alley, so things do work out as they should. As focused as I am on trying to eat as healthy as I can as often as I can and eating organic as much as possible, I do love making decadent treats and tasty starches and proteins. I am happy to have learned about a new cuisine, but now I am back to the stuff that makes hungry people Oooh and Ahhh! It is going to be an interesting and busy summer! I had the opportunity to cater a private dinner at an amazing home last weekend and fly solo. I was very nervous, but had a fabulous time. When you are working for fabulously nice people in a setting that takes your breath away, how can it can wrong? Well, it certainly could have if the food didn't turn out, but I think it was all pretty good. It was awesome! Take a look at this view!

Now take a look at the Lime Mousse Cake and the Hungarian Cherry Soup. I was happy to see them get eaten up!

I guess it is time to get some sleep. Meeting my study buddy and amazing "Chef To Be" friend, Joshua Christmas, tomorrow morning at The Depot to shop for amazing food for an event I am assisting him with. Remember "The Roasted Lime". This is Josh's business and he is rocking this deal! Until next time, Eat some tasty food and please keep reading. You folks make it all worthwhile and keep me going! TGIF!

Long journey to now...

It has been a long time since Muffin and I have posted updates to the blog. I wish I could pinpoint what has kept me from posting, because I have surely been cooking up a storm, but I cannot find one single reason out of all of the lessons, experiences, and weeks, that would explain my neglect to the blogging I so enjoy. So let's just say, Good to be back!

Over the past few months, I have gotten into and out of a relationship, fallen in love with Peppers and Adobo sauce, and have gone back to school. After many years of yearning to learn how to cook like a professional, I have finally enrolled in Culinary School. Before going to get my BSW many years ago, I wanted to pursue this degree after I got my AA, rather than going the traditional route of a four year degree. But with someone else holding the purse strings and making some decisions for me, that was not to be. When I found myself laid off, laid up, and cooking and baking for extra money, I began searching for my path. One day, I found myself applying for financial aid and enrolling in Nashville State Community College and going after my dream. It all fell into place before I knew what happened! I have finished my third week and 3 tests so far, and it is just getting started! I wish it was all cooking, baking, stocks, and garde manger, but it also requires "Book Learning". Getting back into studying and cramming for tests is going to take some getting used to, but I am So Ready!

The first week of classes, my back went out. The second week of classes, 2 of my ceilings fell in due to a leaky roof. The third week, I fell and hurt my back again. But "what does not kill us, makes us stronger", they say, so soon, and after the past year of challenges, I fully expect you to see me leaping small buildings in a single bound, because I Ain't Dead Yet!!! If I can get back in the groove of studying again and balancing life, this will be an amazing journey!

My plans for the weekend? Cutting potatoes and carrots into little, uniform pieces and shapes, all with fancy, French names. I cannot wait!!! I will keep you all posted!!