One Tough Week

This has been a very trying week. We've had a LOT of work to do in our Banquets and Catering class. We put together a beautiful event Monday for our Career Fair at the Academy. We had a beautiful ice carving centerpiece that had the words SLOW FOOD etched in the ice and there was a ice vase on top of it that held Fall colored flowers. It was pretty cool. (slight pun intended)

The term Slow Food is becoming quite popular. It started in opposition to Fast Food. The slow part also means that you choose your foods grown by local growers and use organic and sustainable products. It is also meant to bring the family back to the table together to eat whereas fast food is done with everyone on the run going their separate ways. Its a nice concept.

As a class, we had to develop the food menus for both events which meant cooking for two days for each event to prep everything. The Career Fair was for 40 people and the event today offsite at a home for the elderly was for 100 people. Today we heated and preped as much as possible in class then transported it all to the site in hot boxes. The Career Fair was easier since it was all at the school in their restaurant The Careme Room.

Today's event was themed after National Hispanic Month so we had a mexican chicken soup; a mango/pineapple and jicama salad with cilantro and jalapeno's and lime juice; followed by the entree which was a breakfast burrito with chorizo, eggs and red bell peppers wrapped in a spinach tortilla served with rice and beans; and dessert was fruit empanada with a fruit topping and lime accented whipped cream.

I don't know why anyone wants to get into catering. Its way too much work! After the lunch was over there was the tremendous cleanup process which was made harder because half the class had to leave to go to their day jobs or whatever. The few of us left were real grumbly. We were in a cramped space, had tons of dishes, glassware, flatware and pans to empty and store for transporting back to school. Then unloaded it all and distributed it in appropriate places. Ugg!

I'm pooped. I can't wait till this class is over. I worked in what is termed the Back of the House meaning that I never even got to see the people enjoy their food. Its kinda funny though what goes on in the kitchen and what everyone says while we're working. We laugh, complain, eat, joke around and I have no idea how everything got done on time. Pretty amazing. I don't want to do it again though. Its a tough job. My feet hurt.