i am going to post about my entire week, but i really want to tell you about today while it's still fresh in my mind. to start, you need to know that yesterday evening i was not a happy camper. i had volunteered to stay after class to help with some prep for a couple of events the school is part of, because i felt that i should, which resulted in my leaving school at 6. I should explain that part where i felt like i should: we can volunteer for a number of different things throughout the term, foodie classes taught at the school in the evenings, weekend events, etc. i had initially signed up to assist in 2 foodie classes, but once i realized how much homework there was each night, i took myself off the lists b/c there's no way i could do both in one evening and doing well (or my best anyways) in the course is number one for me. so that's why i felt i should help with something. anyways, also today was another menu development day and i was responsible for a canape (bite sized appetizer) and an appetizer (smaller version of a full sized dish), and they had to be vegetarian. and i had to have pictures and descriptions and instructions ready for class this morning. AND thursdays are life group (bible study) nights. so there was a lot going on, and i was feeling very down about everything; not knowing/remembering enough, how i don't think i want to work in the industry, having to give up what i want to do in favor of what i should do (for class),etc. quitting isn't an option anymore, it's just still really hard for me. OH and i was worried that the dish i had in mind would be rejected as too simple and not technical enough. but i was too tired to put my brain through trying to come up with another idea.

against my instincts, i did get up and go to school :P it's funny how the body can actually overpower the mind. anyways, my partner and i did the necessary planning for our (combined) 2 canapes and 2 appetizers. We had about an hour to prepare and plate the canapes, and then another 45 minutes each for the appetizers. Our canapes were finished in time, and they looked like this:


The one on bread is a vegetarian chili on crostini with fried julienned carrot for the garnish, and the other is a profiterole stuffed with leftover romesco sauce (we made it the day before) and steamed zucchini. They were both a collaberation between the two of us.

Next we did my partners dish, which also went well and got plated in time:


Quinoa and Red Bean Cake with Red Pepper Salsa and Herb Salad.

And lastly was my dish.


I thinned the romesco sauce using leftover water from cooking the wheat berries (you'll see), and then heated it and finished it with cream (and a bit of water to get to the right consistency). The zuchinni (somebody tell me how to spell that word!!!) was filled with a mixture of: onions, garlic, wheat berries, red pepper, steamed squash, swiss chard & chard stems, and parmesan; and then roasted in the oven for about 20 minutes. And i garnished it with a parmesan crisp. and it was YUMMY. what made it really awesome though, was how one of my instructors didn't really stop talking about the sauce for the rest of the day. he called it our "sexy sauce" cuz he likes to refer to things as having a "sexy sheen", particularly sauces. he's very entertaining :) i also heard him talking about it to other people, and when we were cleaning up he came over to our station and ate some more right out of the pan on some bread :D this was a good day.

one of the other things that was getting me down yesterday was that i was overhearing my classmates who have waaay more experience than me talking about their ideas, and they are much more complex than mine, case in point:


i don't remember exactly what the sauce is, but this guy MADE his own tortellinni. like the dough and everything! but what i have to remind myself, is that my instructors are probably not holding me to the same standards as that guy, which i kind of wish they would've mentioned a long time ago :P

anyways, to sum up, i was dreading today and it went 1000% better than i was expecting, and i was even really excited after we had finished executing our final dish (mine). also, the pastry class made donuts and they were AMAZING, which may have helped. OH and right at the end of class we prepared some pizza's (not your boston pizza pizza) for an event on Saturday: pizza dough topped with Soubise sauce (bechamel with...onions? yes, onions, i just googled it), then sauteed chard and onions, sauteed potatoes, flaked roasted salmon, and goat cheese. oh how i wish i could taste that! but have no fear, i will make it someday :) ok i think i'm done now.