Practicing for the midterm... taking the midterm...

Last week marked the half way point of culinary school. I can't believe that I am half way through with something that I've been planning and dreaming about for SUCH a long time. These past months have FLOWN by. We had our midterm on Monday of last week, but after our knife skills test 2 weeks ago, I was not nervous. There's no "cramming" for a cook test, no knowledge to study and master, it's simply about knowing the recipe and using the things that we've learned over the past few months. I had a "practice" meal with some of my friends from bible study to make sure that I had at least done each component of the test - a salad, a creamy soup, and a poached pear.
Given the choice of butter, potatoes, or rice to thicken and cream our soup, I chose to use rice. This seems like an odd choice, but after weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each option, I decided that this was the best choice. Rice is light and fluffy, providing an airy quality to the soup. It also does not affect the flavor of the soup as much as potatoes, and only a small amount of rice is required. The biggest motivation, however, for using rice, was the health benefits. Though butter lends a rich, luscious texture and flavor, I felt that rice offered the same creamy texture, without the added fat and heaviness. My goal in cooking is to use the healthiest, freshest ingredients without compromising any flavor or integrity of the dish - but I avoid butter at most any cost (besides that fake stuff).

Creamy carrot soup with sage and apple garnish

Wonderful friends eating my practice dinner at our "kitchen table"

Honestly, to have been in culinary school for 2 1/2 months and to only be tested on these elementary skills seems to a bit amateur to me, but after the test, I understood the depth of what we were being tested on - time management, technique, skills, movement, communication, sanitation, etc. etc. We had 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete the meal - as I ran around the kitchen, scenes from top chef played through my head. The intensity and pace of working under such a time constraint adds drama and stress to the kitchen, which surprisingly, didn't throw me off too much (I thought it would). I simply focus on my work, thinking only about what I am doing, not allowing any distractions to enter my mind.

As I had planned, I first prepared my pear and put it on the stove to "poach" in a spiced apple cider liquid. After this, I mis-en-placed for the soup, sweated my onions, and began to simmer the carrots. I felt a little bit disoriented with so many tasks running through my head - a list a mile long and only a short time to get it done. Trying to keep my station clean while juggling 5 or 6 different prepped components was definitely a "heat of the moment" learning experience.

The dishes that I turned in:
1. Radicchio and boston lettuce mix, toasted pecans, and maple nutmeg vinegraitte
2. Creamy carrot and ginger soup
3. Cinnamon apple cider poached pear with mint and raspberry garnish

After I turned in my last component, I breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to relax a little bit. As always, I am my own worst critic, but all in all my dishes came out well, and I was pleased with the presentation and flavors of each component.