Week 1 Day 4 - The Sink

Today at school it was much of the same routine that we have had all week. We got some good time in studying and reviewing for our ServSafe food safety test tomorrow. I am starting to feel a bit more confident about it. But, I would not be honest if I said I was not nervous. I can't even recall the last time I did an exam. It was THAT long ago! When Chef mentioned that he would supply a "#2" pencil I laughed. The last time I did such a test we called it an "HB" pencil. For those who don't know what that is, it was the next writing instrument after a rock and chisel.

After a workout at the nearby gym and some studying I decided it was time to not rely only on King Soopers or Safeway for my dinner. Boulder is known as one of the "foodiest" cities in the USA. If I am working on a culinary program I had better get out and try some of the local food. After an extensive internet search (Yelp, Urbanspoon, Google, and the Food Network web site) I figured that a place recommended by Guy on "Diner's Drive-ins, and Dives" was worth my time and what little money I have.

So I found myself at "The Sink" - a true college dive. The atmosphere is truly for the college-aged -- low ceilings where you can write your name, cool artwork from the 60's on the walls, lights covered in stickers, an extensive bar, funky and fun-loving servers, loud music (there is NO way I know the bands), CU Buffs logos everywhere, and me (old enough to be the father of everyone else here). But, you do not have to be young to appreciate the place. The food is great and the place is fun for all ages.

Guided by Guy, I chose the Cowboy Rueben (a grilled sandwich with brisket, cheddar cheese, and their special BBQ sauce). The meat was tender and tasty and the sauce (a Kansas City style BBQ) had a nice balance of heat and flavour. This came with a tangy and refreshing cucumber slaw and sweet potato fries that were nice and crispy on the outside and soft interior.

It did make me think about what makes a good and memorable meal. What is better: A fancy "fine dining" experience with white table clothes and $25-$40 entrees that serve 200 covers on a Friday night OR a lovable college dive and $10 entrees that serve 800 covers on that same Friday night? It is somewhat unfair and, in the end, pointless to compare them. They are offering different things to different clientele. Granted, the skills and techniques needed to bring you an excellent froi-gras are significantly more than grilling a sandwich and fries. But, one has to appreciate a restaurant that has been in business since 1923. A location down the street has seen many many "fine dining" places come and go over that time.

One offers fantastic ingredients, creativity, and artists expressing themselves through food. The other gives us simple comfort food cooked by college students slaving away to pay for their education who may have only learned the fry station a week ago. One is accessible by only those with enough disposable income to spend $100 per person on a meal. The other is frequented by rich, poor, students, professionals, or those in the midst of a career change and struggling to follow a dream. In the end, both offer an atmosphere where friends can gather to laugh, enjoy time together, feel served and cared for, and where the food (whether fancy or comforting) is something that offers a shared experience and can be considered good and memorable.

I know that I am gifted - and spent many years - at serving people and creating "spaces" for young and old to retreat, to be refreshed, to fellowship, and to be renewed. I pray that over the next six months I develop more skills, techniques, and passion to serve people and creating good and memorable experiences with good and memorable food.

(c) Charles Neil Riley - 2012

Week 1 Day 2 - Pathogens, Bacteria, and Toxins, oh my

There is so much to learn about food safety. It is surprising that there are not more food-borne illness outbreaks across the country. In one week we have to learn about food-borne illnesses, food safety, temperature controls, food services personnel personal hygiene, the FDA food codes, local and state regulations, and on and on and on .... We spent a lot of today going through the "ServSafe" for Managers certification material in preparation for a big test on Friday.

The hard thing is that we all just want to get into the kitchen! We are itching to start working with food. Chef Greg tried to alleviate the pressure by giving us a brief tour of the kitchens. He also said that a 747 airplane uses half of its fuel for a trip in the takeoff; we also have to put do a lot before we start cooking food. The metaphor was not comforting and we were not really appeased.

We did spend some important time getting to know one another. The sixteen of us couldn't be much more different. There are so many varied stories and backgrounds represented in our little class. There are those who have worked in the industry and those who haven's seen the inside of a professional kitchen. There is a single parent, one who lost his girlfriend to a sudden death only a few weeks ago, a young guy who got laid off from teaching after only a couple years, a girl who spent many years growing up in Dubai, a massage therapist, as well as an assortment of fresh out of high school "kids". We are kinda like the cast of the TV show Survivor! Only we are hoping that each of us stay and make it through to the end, rather than trying to vote each other off.

We did a fun little exercise to help get us to know one another. We used a series of questions to interview another and then share what we have learned with the group. We have a great group of students. It will fun getting to know each others stories.
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Ten Commandments of a Chef - Daniel Boulud
• keeps knives sharp
• work with the best people
• keep your station clean and tidy, be organized
• shop wisely; use everything
• season with precision
• master the heat
• learn the world of food, try everything and anything
• know the classics (techniques and ingredients) and the basics
• accept criticism
• keep a journal of your recipes, successes, failures, and what you have learned

(c) Charles Neil Riley - 2012

Week 1 Day 1 - It Begins

I was quite aware of my attitude and feelings as I headed to, and arrived, at the first day of culinary school. It has been a very very long time since I've gone to classes. I was surprisingly both excited and calm. I was looking forward to the day and I felt a general sense of peace in my spirit. There was no need to hunker down in my car and watch people arrive and build up the confidence to get out of the car and pack my self over to the classroom. This felt right. I was doing the right thing and I truly sensed that I was in the right place. Deep down I knew that I am being directed and watched over by God.

Mind you, I am under no illusion that this is going to be a breeze. At 49 years old, with a herniated disc, hardly enough financial resources, and not having nearly the culinary experience that would have been optimal to start a culinary school, I am not so naive to believe that everything will be easy and that a sense of calm will always be there. This is going to be intense and tough; I get that.

Even after the brief introductions at the orientation of that last week I could tell that all the students were arriving and trying to figure out who was going to be along side them for the next 6+ months. I was doing the same. Who was that person with the lip ring? What kind of person was the quiet girl in the corner? How old is that woman? The woman who had now arrived for class clearly was closer to my age - whew! I was not alone. I was not the only person who was the age of most of the student's parents!

But, even more pressing than what our fellow students were like. We all wanted to get to know more about our Chef Instructor. Who was our leader, our guide, our drill sergeant, our teacher? Who was going to regiment our lives (actually only from 7am until 1pm; Monday to Friday). Who was going to mold us into a chef? After arranging tables and carefully choosing our spots and who we were daring to sit beside we were finally introduced in a much fuller way to Chef Greg. To my surprise and delight, we found out that he is a friendly, lovable, and funny goofball! =)

It became clear that he is interested in seeing us doing our best and helping us to find out who we are, discover our passions, and grow in our knowledge and skills in the culinary world. There was little evidence that he wanted to stand over us with a large wooden spoon waiting to whack us when we get things wrong. Chef Greg is all about teaching us by walking along side and encouraging us. He does not come acress as a drill sergeant. He is an educator and a mentor. Again, whew!

He has a wealth of experience serving great numbers of people. He has served a few from the line for an evening and served thousands and thousands over a weekend. His experience includes being the executive chef at the Pepsi Center overseeing many different food services. He has done Bill Gates wedding, the DNC convention in Denver, been a regional chef for a large corporate oraganization, opened Google's corporate offices' restuarant, fed crowds at golf tournaments, fed dignitaries, and meals for thousands that required a convoy of semi-trucks full of food. I loved hearing all this. I am excited to be learning under a chef that has plenty of banquet, buffet, and convention experience. This is the type of thing I would love to do (obviously at a smaller scale). He is a master organizer - I like that too.

But, in the end, he cares about our little group of sixteen aspiring chefs. He wants to insire and encourage us to do our best, learn, and have fun doing it.

"Learn the techniques of cooking. At the same time, have fun. Fun makes good food" - Chef Greg

(c) C. Neil Riley
April, 30, 2012