Goodbye CIA and 2009

I finished my classes today for the year! I completed my baking for culinary class and got to take home a few treats for the fam as well. LOVED that class, but I would never consider switching over to the baking program...but I know now that I do enjoy baking.
I found out who my chef is for the Cuisines of the Mediterraneans when I return to school next year.....the hardest lady chef of all time!!!!!!! Great. We shall see how that goes I guess....should be interesting, especially since I have never cooked with this group of students before. Keeping a positive attitude!

B is for Baking, its good enough for me!

Last week, I started the class called Baking for Culinary. It is a 3 week class designed to teach culinary students the basics of baking--breads, cakes, cookies, doughs, pies, tarts, MMMM. Every day we have tastings of what we made that day. I can feel the pounds being packed on. But I am really enjoying the class. Learning a lot, and baking makes more sense. I now understand the complexity of some of the things we eat (and science). But I have realized that some things that seemed near impossible to do really are not that easy (pie dough...not that hard!) There is definitely an exactness to baking, as we have already seen by mismeasuring things. And directions are crucial, especially when making pastry cream. It is so different from cooking because if a mistakes is made when cooking, it can often be fixed...baking, not so much.
Right now, my homework consists of making a marzipan rose every night and piping out 21 designs. Talk about easy homework! I get to bring food home often, which makes my roomie and my friends quite happy!