I am deep into chef & instructor training. Since this is the 3rd module, designed for us to be certified as Associate Chefs & Instructors, the pace has picked up quite a bit. Classes are starting earlier and ending later, with less breaks than before - so condensed in fact, that many participants are getting tired and grumpy - how about that! I am actually getting quite tired on my feet as well, but the information is all so fascinating and I have such a deep desire to absorb everything that I am still enjoying the class thoroughly.
In this module we are being trained in 2 major aspects - 1 is in a high level of culinary skill, and the other is in culinary instruction. They are 2 very different skills! You could say that while culinary skill is a fine art, instruction is more of a science in organization. The great thing is that we are being taught very comprehensively, even down to methods for organizing our filing and schedules, so much so that even a hair brain like me can become confident in organizing a class.
One of the highlights for us is our individual demonstration next week - each of us will be teaching the rest of the class a particular dish, just like the cooking shows on TV! There are hours of preparation behind each demonstration, and it gets us quite enthused about the opportunity to stage a performance. I will be teaching the class how to make Spinach Mushroom Quiche, and it is a dish that's generating a lot of excitement.
In the chef training, I am so impressed by the recipes that we are learning to make. Just about everything we've been learning has been taken to a new level of sophistication. It now dawns upon me that this really is a school of culinary arts rather than just a raw food school. Today Cherie demonstrated a linguine in a truffle cream sauce. The dish was completely raw, but the flavours were so outstanding that it was probably the best tasting pasta dish (cooked food included) that I'd ever had. Can one imagine that I now have the recipes and the know-how to make stuff like that as well? I can't! Woo hoo!
