Steak and Potatoes, Again!

Tourist Travel Culinary Guide to South American Countries: Mos of dees cuuntrees, dey eat lossa beef en pork en lam. Please be prepare to hab no-ting but a-lossa dis typa foods eff jew go dare. Eef jew don keer for ameat products den jew my wan to aboyd dis country.

I'm learning alot from our Chef who hails from Chile. I'm learning how to 'aspeak hiss lang-guich'. It was difficult at first but I'm getting a hang of it now. Actually, I'm starting to speak like him in my head! I'm listening to his lectures for 5 hours a day and the Lang-guich is sticking now. I'm beginning to almost unner-sand my instructor-chef now. (Thursday)

I'm not making fun since I come from a Hispanic background, I'm just noting the accent and trying to make sense of it. At times I'm fondly reminded of my dear departed Grandfather who spoke with a heavy accent as well, even after living the majority of his life here in the States. The Chef will say thing just like my sweet Grandpa would say and its like hearing from him again. Very sweet. I like our Chef. He's very organized and a serious Clean Freak. I LOVE that! Finally we get to a class that stresses cleanliness and organization! Our previous class was a riot of dirty dishes and messy tables. It was hard for me to work in that kind of environment. I can't begin to cook unless everything is clean. (guess I'm a neat freak too). Even though I really liked our previous Chef I could not stand the messiness and lazy student Chefs who sometimes would return a borrowed tool DIRTY! That was the last straw.

But I digress... It has been record HOT temps here in SF for the last week and more to come so that is another reason I have a hard time eating the food from these countries. Its Stews, hot spices, very little fresh Seggies, some salads, more beef, bacon, lard, (yes in this class we use LARD!), lamb and more beef. I can't do it. Its just too much. I need to head to a Spa somewhere for detox and massaging out the toxins (or whatever). I feel so sluggish.

So the bottom line is that I'm not really enjoying this class as much as the others. Maybe its the lard or the beef or the beef. I can't quite put my hoof on it. Plus, its so hot. Too hot for hot foods. I may have to move to Alaska due to global warming. I came to this City for the marine air and fog. I should get a discount on my student loans for this travesty!

Its early but I'm off to sleep now. All this "hearty" food has taken its toll on my nighttime hours. I'm offically an Old Fogey. Going to bed soooo early. Happily. That's the fogey part.

Troops Amass at South America!

In keeping with my little "conquering" theme, we docked our ships on the coast of Argentina yesterday and planted our flag in the middle of the Pampas where the beef do roam. I think the weather has the troops at a disadvantage since it seems the Argentinians are making 'stews' to weigh us down and slow us up in the current heat wave melting San Francisco. If it doesn't get below 75 soon I'll succumb.

Mission accomplished. I guess the South Americans eat herds of beef as the main staple in their diet. I don't. We've had a stew made with a handful of different meats and then again today as we duck-walked into Brazil. Yet another stew to face and overcome. I could not make my play-date today to play ping-pong as I've been so overwhelmed with beef that I can't move. I'm sluggish and don't want to face another stew tomorrow. I refuse to eat it!! Are they good, you ask? Yes! They are delicious and I've saved the recipes for WINTER when they should be eaten. I'll have to move to Alaska or Canada to enjoy them properly, but yes, quite tasty.

Our Chef is from Chile and I guess this stuff is fine with him since he told me today that he's been teaching this class for the last 5 years and has had the same food cycle EVERY 3 WEEKS!! Now that's someone who is either stuck in a rut or just plain loves beef! Five years. I can't believe it. I asked him if it always tastes the same and he said yes. But he did offer that one class could NOT seem to cook except to make rice so he did all the cooking for that class. There is precious little salads in this class. No raw foods but hecka beef, pork, bacon, lamb, more beef and then some shrimp and lobsters. I hate lobsters. Big bugs basically. So are shrimp and crabs but somehow Lobsters ruin it for me. Cheap date. (not, huh Joey?) [crab can be mighty 'spensive]

Its 8pm. I must retire to my nighttime post. Back to the wars tomorrow. Going to bed early cuza beef! blech. I'm tired.