I have now been through three classes of my my Culinary Basics class. I am so excited and motivated to do the reading, and now, work in the kitchen lab.
The first two nights of class were spent in the classroom talking about safety, rules, tools, basic cooking methods and we got a tour of all the kitchens in the school. Uniforms are on the way. Most everyone purchased from a uniform store that came in to class and charged outrageous prices. I went to a local one, where they happened to be having a clearance sale and got 2 sets for about $70. I am supposed to have three uniforms, but I will see how often I have to wash the two. The store that came in charged about $260 for three uniforms!!!! I’m glad that I talked to another student that found that store! I did have to order hats from the expensive store, but that price is the same all around, internet, them, and the clearance store. I have enlisted the help from my mom to hem the pants and embroider my name onto the jackets! Mine will be ready for Monday while everyone else waits for next Wednesday. Wednesday we actually got a chance to get in the kitchen and start cooking! We made a simple recipe of pie dough in teams of five. We made 6 lbs. of dough! Yes, I said 6 lbs! It needs to chill, so we didn’t get a chance to start rolling it out. Tonight, Thursday, we will make apple pies, and we will all have one to take home! Just one of the many perks of being a culinary arts student! The recipe for the pie dough is called 3-2-1 dough.
- Three parts pastry flour (which is 50% all purpose flour and 50% cake flour)
- Two parts fat (we used 50% shortening and 50% butter)
- One part liquid (we used water)
- One ounce of salt for every 12 oz dough
