My arm hurts.

Today, we beat the hell out of eggs. I don't mean we scrambled eggs. I mean that we used a whisk and beat the ever loving hell out of the poor little guys. At lest the yellow parts.
I'm talking about hollandaise and mayonnaise. We were showed how to do it yesterday, so I gave mayonnaise a shot last night, failing miserably. I don't know the exact science about it all (Gotta find that Good Eats episode), but it has something to do with the proteins (?) in the egg yolks binding the water and fats into that lovely schmear. I started off by beating the hell out of the egg yolk. You gotta break up all those chains and get some air in the mix. Then add some mustard powder. Then beat it some more. Then slowly drizzle the oil into the egg while you beat the hell out of it. I think this is where I went wrong last night. I was a little quick on the pour. It 'breaks' and no amount of shaking will bring it back.
Today, we worked with partners, so one person could make their arm numb, beating it like Michael Jackson and the other could slip in the oil like BP. (Too soon?) Then switch! It took us about 25 minutes, but we managed to get the ONE egg yolk and teaspoon of vinegar to absorb and get along with the entire CUP of oil. That's right. One egg yolk to one cup of oil. I don't think I can eat it anymore.
Hollandaise is similar, but instead of oil, we used clarified butter. And instead of simply beating the eggs, we had to heat them too. So, now we are worried about our arms falling off, the building burning down AND the eggs turning from the lovely custard texture into scrambled eggs. Ours was perfect.
And next time, I'm using the damn mixer.

The BS Chef

Pastry

I was walking down the hall after class today and passed by the pastry classes. Man, maybe I should have gone that way. Luckily, I had my camera on my, so you can see what culinary school is like. My classes are kind of like this, only with more knives and fire.

Check out the Pastry Chefs!


The BS Chef

One Week!

Well.... I made it through the first week of school. They warned us that the first six weeks would be the hardest, but I'm pretty dang sure I will make it.
I have only screwed up once too! I missed the shoe delivery, because I wasn't in the general education class when the truck showed up. Then I missed the 411 about the second delivery. So I'm shoeless, but I will get a pass on it.
The knife kit is pretty sweet! I'll try to post pictures when I have a little time to take some good pictures. It is basically a 20 pound kitchen in a bag!
So far, what we have learned (or been taught at least)...

Some basic knife cuts. It is really hard to cut a carrot into 1/16 inch cubes, but apparently it is very important to be able to. We also cut shallots into transparent slices and garlic into paste. I think it is neat that all the stuff we are cutting in our beginning class gets carted away to other classes to use in actual cooking stuff! And the scraps get fed to pigs. It is a circle of life and all that jazz. The biggest problem I'm going to have is all the damn French words for everything. I have enough problem remembering what things are called in English! Sheesh. Julliene this.
Safety and Sanitation class is pretty much a huge Fox News scare tactic class. There are millions of things in food that can kill you or make you poop yourself. Or if you cook them, and someone else poops themselves, they will sue you and you will be mocked by the culinary industry forever. I have discovered that I am a face toucher and need to wash my hands all the freaking time. I rub my eye, wash hands. I scratch my ear, wash hands. Whew. I think all that water saved on organic farms is going to wash my dang hands...
So there we go! I'm remembering how to be in school. I had one minor freak out about homework and papers and research, but got through it just fine. I have almost 100 note cards already and one paper written in my head. And I haven't cut myself. Yet.

Until next time!

The BS Chef

First Day!

Well, today I had my first day of school. I saw the world at 6am, and it actually wasn't too bad. The trees weren't on fire and the monsters must have gone to sleep already. We will see if they keep that up...
Anyway, as with most first days of schools, the first day was a bunch of "HI! Here is what to expect!" I'm sure tomorrow will be a little more interesting.
I'm hoping that having a college degree isn't going to hurt my binding with fellow classmates. I stole a peek at my neighbor's schedule, and she was booked for 2 or 3 more classes, while I left after 2. I'm not complaining, but networking seems to be dang important... I'll just have to hang out in the library more often or something.
I did manage to secure a theatre connection already though. One of the ladies in my classes went to school with one of my fellow backstage crew members way back in the day. She also had worked at the Ren Fest and mentioned not to eat the food there. It can't be THAT bad, right? Er.... One of the Chefs also mentioned that he once worked in a pickle factory and said we should never eat relish. Eat the big pickles, but never, ever eat relish. I may ask him to elaborate on that sometime. Could that be the reason relish and hot dogs go so well together?
Also, we got our other 4 uniforms today and learned how to tie the cravat. We were given every book we will need at once (the bag weighed at least 60 pounds) and were told we will get our knives tomorrow. I am excited for tomorrow!
Until then, I will read my 2 chapters of homework and try to remember how to retain knowledge.

The BS Chef

What I was

In a week, I start school. Last night I tried on my uniform (or at least the parts I have) and it was pretty cool. I looked kinda silly, to be honest, but that could be that I'm used to wearing black. Or I could just look silly.
I've also been having interesting dreams, as of late. Some have been test anxiety
dreams, but there have also been plenty of theatre dreams. Most have been where we have to evacuate the patrons because of severe weather or the like. And my friends have been in them. These photos are a mix of what I was, and who I was with. Because that is what I am leaving behind.

The top photo is the crew from Pippi Longstocking. The shows are always changing, and we are all pretty used to that. Because you never know where you might be tomorrow, or who you'll meet or what you'll see or where you'll go.

The next photo is Seussical, another one of my favorites. I still don't know if the show was that good, or if the experience was merely fun as heck. Regardless, the Whos down in Whoville all turned out all right.

And this 3rd photo is from my last show at the theatre, Mulan. More specifically, Disney's Mulan Jr. We just called it Mulan backstage...



Being backstage, I had a lot of opportunities to work with so much talent. From actors to crew to stage managers to designers and directors and every one else it takes to make a play.
This picture is obviously for bragging rights. I don't have the room to put photos of everyone I worked with, but I did get a chance to shake this dude's hand. And he even remembered my name 5 hours later.

But of all the people I worked with, I have to say I will miss the young ones the most. They (you) keep the magic of life alive. If the world were filled with only adults, there would be no sparkles in eyes. There would be very little jumping in puddles. There would be no hide and seek backstage or random giggles or tears. The world is black and white, and all the children are the crayons (or colored Sharpies) that make it shine. Thank you!

Here we go!

A lot has happened in the last week or so. First off, the basement got quite a bit of water flowing into it from the rain. Of course, the easiest place for the water to flow was right under my computer, so I have been off line for a while.
Now...last Friday was my last day at the theatre. It really wasn't as weird as I thought it would be. I know I will be in contact with all those people and will enjoy going to see all the wonderful plays they will continue making. I turned in my keys, grabbed the rest of my stuff and walked out to my car. That chapter ended and I turned the page to find the next chapter, which starts Monday.
This week, I am working at the local University being a chaperone for an intensive theatre camp. There are 20 students who will be going to college in the next couple years and I have to make sure they are good at night.... So far, so good! It is really great seeing the energy of the next generation of theatre people. They are fresh eyed and have the drive I know they will need. They pace the halls, muttering lines to themselves. Really, it is making me quite happy.
Monday, I have orientation for my new school. I really don't know what to expect. I hope they have decided I don't need to take generals, being that I have a FRICKING DEGREE, but so it goes... I hope I get my knife kit, so I can get to know them all. I also have a large gift card to a nice kitchen store from my friends at the theatre, but I want to see what is in the kit before I go shopping. I'm sure it will be something sharp, and I will post pictures!! Yay!
Nothing deep here. I'm merely floating inbetween gigs, in a near freefall. I know I will land pretty much on my feet, 'cause that is how I roll....but I just don't quite know when or how.

Peace out

The BS Chef

Sense of Loss

Last night was a tough one for me. I knew it would be special, but I really didn't know how.
We often take our senses for granted. Whether you believe you have five or six, they are all integral in our daily lives and we just assume they will be there tomorrow. Theatre relies on two of these pretty heavily. Sight and Hearing. We have been known to incorporate Smell into some plays, but that is probably another story... How do people enjoy the storytelling of theatre if they have lost one of these important, taken for granted abilities?
Deafness is probably most commonly thought of. We have all, or most of us, have seen ASL interpreters at various functions. Graduations, Inaugurations, Other-ations. We have them in plays too! Usually, they stand at the edge of the stage and assist in telling the story. Some merely interpret the words, but usually, they get into it! I find it very fun to watch! I have also seen a Theatre for the Deaf show, where the actors are using ASL and the speaking interpreter is the one dressed in black talking over the play. Also a great experience, if you ever get the chance.
Blind people can also enjoy plays! We have an audio describer come in on a few shows. She sits in the cry room or the light booth and speaks into a microphone, describing what is happening. The blind patrons wear headphones, hearing the actors and the describer. I would love to try this sometime!
After the Audio Described show (some theatres do this before), we have a "Touchy-Feely" tour. We could probably think of a better name, but meh. We set out costumes, props and scenery to let the blind patrons explore and see what was described. Last night, K came to see the show. We met her 2 years ago wen she came on her first touchy tour. She saw the winter show that year, and then lost her eyes to cancer. I have seen her from then a couple times a year. She has gone from bandages to protective glasses to having a beautiful pair of glass eyes. She is fascinated with exploring backstage and always is wearing a grin. Her mom said she talks about these tours for months. She told me last night that pink is her favorite color.
As I am leaving the theatre, I had to say goodbye to her in my mind and soul. It was harder than I thought. Seeing her grow over the last 2 years brought out the uncle in me. I know she will have a wonderful life, and I pray she continues seeing theatre. I hope she always knows that pink is her favorite and that her smile will always bring that sparkle into her eyes.

The BS Chef

PS: I know this is long, but I thought of another touchy-feely tour story. A couple years ago, we were giving a tour to a young boy of maybe 8 or 9. He was exploring some mouse puppets with an intense look on his face. Suddenly, he looked up with the biggest smile and said, "Oh!! So THAT is what a mouse looks like!!"