Kitchen Confidential #3

In the section The Third Course, Bourdain experiences life in several different restaurants.  There are a few commonalities amongst them.  What are the things that these restaurants had in common (discuss two)?

The first section of Dessert, called A Day in the Life, is Bourdain's very honest (some would say raw) description of what he daily life is like as the chef of a restaurant.  What tasks or events sound enjoyable or interesting to you?  What parts of a chef's life sound less than appealing?

The chapters Sous Chef and The Level of Discourse...in some ways, the special "vocabulary" of the kitchen that Bourdain describes, as well as the character portrait of his sous chef, Steven, have their analogs in our own kitchen.  Either describe some of the vocabulary that has evolved in our own kitchen (keep it PG!) or write a character portrait of one of the sous chefs in our own kitchen (keep it nice...well, nice enough).

Well-Sweep Herb Farm

We visited the farm on Tuesday and took a tour with Mr. Hyde, who shared his vast knowledge of herbs and plants with us.  What were some of the most interesting facts you learned?  Were there any particular plants you liked?  What did you think of the farm?

Kitchen Confidential #2

Bourdain offers a lot of advice about what not to eat at restaurants in the section entitled "From Our Kitchen to Your Table."  Detail at least two of the caveats he gives.

In the chapter "How to Cook Like the Pros," Bourdain talks about the tools of the trade.  Which 3 new tools does he discuss that you've learned to use so far this month?  What's a tool he mentioned that you haven't used but you would like to experience?  Why?

Who is Bigfoot, and why is he so important to Bourdain's career?  What is your favorite Bigfoot story?

The Trail

We got lucky - 3 days up at Munsee with no rain!  We also prepared 10 lbs. of baked ziti, 8 cakes, 15 lbs. of Alaska burgers, and an obscene amount of hot dogs.

What did you find challenging about cooking in such large quantities?  Were you surprised by anything?  Considering that catering operations have to deal in even larger quantities, is that something that seems fun to you or a huge pain?

Please comment on the previous questions, and add your overall reflection about your time cooking for the backpacking staff.

Kitchen Confidential #1

Anthony Bourdain talks about when he first realized that "food was something other than a substance one stuffed in one's face when hungry."  What roles has food played in your life beyond just being fuel for your body?

The restaurant kitchen Bourdain described in P-town was rife with characters and behavior that may be viewed as less than professional.  Why do you think an environment such as a kitchen might attract such characters or breed such behavior?

$7 Food Challenge

While the entire cooking class took a trip to shop rite for our cooking supplies, Mrs. Tuorto introduced the class to the $7.00 food challenge. Mrs. Tuorto provided $7.00 for each of us to get get a meal that contained a drink, something with protein, carbs, and something that was healthy. I decided to combine my $7.00 with one of my classmates Marco.After struggling to follow all the requirements that we needed to met the challenge, we ended up getting two Snapple drinks,one watermelon and one sweet tea, Marconi& cheese,collard greens and asparagus which counted as something healthy, chicken which counted as protein, and cornbread which was considered as our carbs. For desert we decided to get a box of Sara Lee's chocolate chip cookies/brownies which we shared with the rest of class. This challenge helped me think about all of the greasy, unhealthy food I have been eating over the months, and how much money I spent on it. It also made me think about how I could implement more things in my meals that are healthy and contain protein so that I can live a more healthy lifestyle.

$7 Lunch Challenge

Lunch was on me the first day of class, with a few caveats:
$7 limit
Must contain something to drink
Must contain at least one healthy item
Must contain carbs and protein

I got a frozen dinner of red curry chicken (protein) with water chestnuts, steamed kale (healthy), and jasmine rice (carbs), with water and a plum, for $6.  I was surprised to get something delicious, and to have a decent amount of food that wasn't junk food, for such a cheap price.

What did you get?  Did you pool your resources with others?  Did this exercise help you think differently, in any way, about how you choose food to eat or how you spend your food dollars?