My grandma would've killed me if...

She would've if I didn't get a Bolognese sauce correct. That little Italian woman could make some sauce with the best of them. I think I'm finally getting used to this NO recipes in class thing. With some extra searching and time I've learned to look up these recipes for picks and tips BEFORE I get into class. The extra tips are so worth it. A little searching on Google images can do wonders for plating, as well. No more lunch tray plating, pretty center of the plate presentation for me. Loved making fresh pasta in class. It's been so long since I've had it. Memories... Absolutely cannot wait until the KitchenAid fairy comes to my house, and hopefully she brings along her pasta making attachment friend, too!

Calling All Culinary Kids!

Later this fall, I have a friend who is being deployed. After talking with her, I know that mail or care packages always brighten their day. DING! Light bulb went off. I'm a culinary student. I love to bake. I love to feed people. And I love our soldiers. Why don't I gather some other students and start a "Cookies for Soldiers" program. The post office provides all the supplies for packing and shipping, we just need to make the goodies, and pay for them to get there. Come on, we can do this. If anyone is game for this, let me know! I'm doing it with or without you. Preferably, with you! Thanks everyone!

Sexy Chicken

Not sure why the prospect of roasted chicken for homework made me so excited, but it did. I am a chicken eater, any form of chicken, I'll happily eat it. So in class we "trussed" a chicken. I wish I knew of some reason I could do this over and over. Think I've mastered "chicken bondage". At home I did a very similar chicken to the one we prepared in class. Salt, pepper, lemon, garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, tied it up, and roasted it. Little over an hour later, brushed butter over the skin, let it rest, then carved it up. Yum, yum, yum! Foolproof, simple, and super tasty.

Rice makes me happy.

Week 3 was pretty exciting. The food was amazing (and plentiful). Learned that the ladies work very well together, just too bad we can't stay in this group forever. After enjoying a taste of many different rice dishes we were sent home to make risotto. After some driving around town to find arborio rice, i was on my way. I decided to make a Tomato Basil Risotto. Ended up much creamier than the one we made in class. Yum yum yum.