Well, here I am back in Reno, trying to decide what it is I am going to do with my new education. A friend told me he thought I should summarize my school and European education, so I will give that a try, lol. I surprised myself in that I thought I learned the most in my Garde Manger rotation. I learned how important good stock is to the complexity of a dish. I learned charcuterie, even though I had no idea exactly what it was at the beginning! I learned how to make a terrine, how to roast veal bones for the maximum amount of flavor. I also learned the importance of tasting as you go, so that the finished product tastes so good, nothing more needs to be done to make it better. And I learned when to stop and let a dish sit so the flavors could meld, so that you did not over season it. I learned something in every rotation, but GardMo is still my favorite. Going into the program, baking and pastry was my favorite, so I surprised myself. I still enjoy baking, don't get me wrong!
I can carry on an intelligent conversation about wine. While visiting my friend Betty, we were out with her husband, Don, for dinner and I was teaching Don about wine flights. Our waitress came over and was so impressed with me, I had to laugh. I almost thought she was talking about someone else! I had to tell her I just finished culinary school, and that seemed to explain everything! Who'd have thought?
So now, I need to decide what to don with my education. Work in a restaurant, or a bakery, start my own business, work for someone else, or take the internship in St Thomas? Not sure yet. As soon as I know, I'll pass it on!
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