Culinary_Life
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Country: United States
State: Sacramento
Birthday: 6/4/1973
Gender: Male


Interests: Food
Expertise: Food, eating of course! Cooking hopefully soon!
Occupation: Operations
Industry: Hospitality


Message: message me
Website: visit my website


Member Since: 5/7/2004

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Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Wow has it really been a month since I have updated? Well that's because I have been hecka busy/tired/uninspired these last four weeks. Alas I am closing this site. I am going to combine my regualr Xanga entries with my mundane/superhero life entries. I do not have the willpower, manpower, money, time and imagination to keep two separate pages.

Thanks for visiting and see you soon!

From now on visit here ------> Rander


Friday, August 27, 2004

New Module:

Baking is finally over. Our class and I did very well. We covered hopefully most of the basics. Our final day we made eclairs and strawberry and chocolate chiffon pies. They turned out pretty well.

I thought baking was kinda cool, I might even get a Kitchen-Aid mixer. The thing I hate about baking is that everything is HIGH CARB and HIGH SUGAR. I think I gained 5-6 lbs during the five weeks of class. If I did not have a sweet tooth, being pastry chef would be kinda cool.

While I was at the restaurant I was talking with the Sous and asked him for evaluation. He basically said I was doing well, except for my smack talking ability?!? I was like what?!?

I have plenty of smack talking ability as illustrated by my nickname RTS. "Rander Talking Shit" Since I am the lowest on the totem, I was just doing as I told no questions asked. I guess now I will have to shift it into first to gain a little more respect.

Now that we have our first skills class, the chef said. "Good, now you can do all the family meals" I was like ?!?!?!? Well at least I will get some practice cooking what I learn in school.

Carpe DM


Tuesday, August 24, 2004

I got this rant from http://www.chef2chef.com:

Thank you for applying, you want to be a cook huh?

No you say, a chef?

Ok then, here's the MINIMUM BASICS I expect you to know. Each of these skills you will be required to perform rapidly, under pressure, within a set time frame, in a team enviornment with minimal supervision. You must work in a safe, organized, clean and sanitary fashion with little to no waste. These skills I expect you to perform with complete competence and understanding of proper technique and procedure.

Ability to dice, slice, chop, julienne, carve, brunoise, peel and turn standard fruits, vegetables and proteins.

Knowledge of grading, butchery and cooking techniques of beef, pork, poultry, fish and shellfish.

Ability to bake, broil, boil, saute, braise, blanch, grill, steam, stir fry and roast primary cuts of beef, fish, shellfish, pork, poultry and vegetables.

Know what can be baked, broiled, boiled, sauteed, braised, blanched, grilled, steamed, stir fried or roasted...and what can't.

Know when a food is cooked enough.

Know when a food is cooked too much.

Know how long a food is to be cooked.

Knowledge of dairy products, fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and pastas.

Stocks, demi's, remi's, fumes and glace. The how's and why's.

The 5 mother sauces and those that aren't; purees, coulis's, jus's, essences, foams, ect.

Sanitation and hygiene: Safe temperature zones, holding times, cross contamination, basic foodborne illnesses, receiving and storage applications, pest control.

Knowledge of nutrition.

Full service, working experience of ala carte pantry, grill, saute and expedition.

Knowledge of salads.

Knowledge of salad dressings - vinaigrettes and emulsions.

Ability to prepare steaks and roasts to desired doneness by internal temperature, time or feel.

Service of hot food hot, cold food cold, and all that implies.

Strong garde manger skills to include but not limited to hot and cold buffet/platter presentaions, center piece art work and hors d'oeuvres.

Basic baking and pastry skills.

Write, execute and delegate mise en place and prep lists.

Menu development, costing, testing, training, set up and execution.

Read, create, write, calculate, adjust and tweek recipes.

Knowledge of basic first aid.

Safely operate and maintain slicers, mixers, robot coups, buffalo choppers, convection and conventional ovens, tilt kettles, flat tops and steamers.

Interview, hire, train, evaluate, organize, lead, discipline and motivate a staff of your peers.

Understanding of food costs, inventories, scheduling, payroll, P&L statements, marketing, ordering and receiving.

Understanding of labor laws to include equal opportunity employment, workmans comp, sexual harassment, employee discipline and termination procedures.

Let me ask you, did a book give you this knowledge? Yes, some you say.

Did your 2 year AOS give you this knowledge? Yes, some you say.

Great, please go over in detail your experience and expertise in each area I've listed that qualifies you for the chef's position.....

I thought so.

So endth the rant. lol.

Not to be taken too (cough) seriously.


Saturday, August 21, 2004

 

If you are looking for a shoe school or work at a restauarnt, I have done some research. I wore each of these shoes two weeks 5-12 hours a day. I tested slip resistance on marble tile at school, at the restaurant, and on the linoleum floor at home. What I have found if you obtain a great arch support insert like the Lynco Orthotic System that one can obtain the comfort of a clog in a regular shoe. The Doc Martens review and Steel Toe defender include the use of the Lynco orthotic system.

 

Brand: Dr. Martens

Model: 7A12 Series 

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/472955/c/6471.html  

 

Foot Comfort: B+

Knee and Back Comfort: C

Slip resistance: C

Cost: $$$$

Foot Protection: A (steel toe)

 

Pros: A good-looking shoe that is comfortable. Wearing these, for me, was like wearing clog with steel toe protection.

 

Cons: This shoe is expensive. The one-inch sole and steel toe make for a heavy shoe. The first few hours are great, but after walking around the weight is noticeable. Decent, but not great slip protection. Not too much slippage on a greased/wet marble floor. More slippage on a linoleum floor.

 

 

Brand: Danskos

Model: Professional Clog 

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/1046995/c/11369.html          

 

Foot Comfort: B+

Knee and Back Comfort: D

Slip resistance: F

Cost: $$$$

Foot Protection: C+

 

Pros: Great arch support, initial comfort.

 

Cons: Poor shock absorption, non-existent slip protection.  (It was like ice skating on my linoleum floor with just a little oil, the marble tile test the clogs did not fare much better). The heel base is narrow also; this can lead to a serious ankle sprain.

 

I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me, but C’est la vie. One reason I think that a lot of people love clogs is the Dansko’s have a very good arch support system. Most shoes do not and most people do not replace stock insoles with new ones.

 

Brand: Shoes for Crew

Model: Steel Toe Defender 

http://www.shoesforcrews.com/          

 

Foot Comfort: B+

Knee and Back Comfort: B+

Slip resistance: A

Cost: $$

Foot Protection: A (steel toe)

 

Pros: Comfortable, great slip resistance, not a bad looking shoe

 

Cons: Could use an air sole like Dr. Martens.

 


Friday, August 13, 2004

Julia Child R.I.P.

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Julia Child, whose warbling, encouraging voice and able hands brought the intricacies of French cuisine to American home cooks through her television series and books, died in her sleep three days before what would have been her 92nd birthday.



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