Life in a Blender

Today was the hardest day of my schooling. The CCA hosted local politicians to a luncheon buffet which included Mayor Newsome and probably Jerry Brown showed. I don't know since I was busy trying to avoid my nervous breakdown from all the work we had to do.

Other classes were also involved, since it was a special event for Election Day. We had pastries from the Baking Classes, all the terrines, gallantines, sausages, and cold specialties like huge-mungeous fruit and cheese platters from the Advanced Garde Manger classes, and then there was the hot buffet items that our class, Restaurant Production, made. Mind you, there are only 7 of us in this class. We prepped a ton of food yesterday and had a ton more to cook today.

I had to prep Salmon, Cod, Trout, and Sea Bass. A lot of it. My hands still smell like fish. I also prepped a full huge ham yesterday and made a garlic-ginger sauce for it from the bones in the ham, I wish my hands smelled like ginger. I sliced up two full big cooked turkey breasts, hacked up some baked chicken legs and thighs and refilled chaffing dishes and empty platters to return to the buffet line. There was a leg of lamb cooked and sliced, pork chops, NY steaks, chicken breasts and veal roasts; we had vegetables, mashed potatoes, lasagne, pasta with sausage sauce, and on and on.

In the end, the Chef said we had 450 guests between 11:30 and 1:30!! I cannot believe it but my back and feet really believe it. It was amazing. 7 of us cooked hot foods for 450 people during 2 hours. We should get some kind of award or something for even showing up for this event. It was really madness at its finest. I had no clue I could do such work and I don't want to do it again! Our Chef is absolutely incredible. He had to think of all the things we had to do and every 15 minutes someone was calling for him or asking instructions. I don't know how he does it but he truly deserves his title of Master Chef. I'm in awe of him.