It All Comes Down To This

Chef Jason drops some knowledge on Michelle and Vera


Why must all good things come to an end? It's a stupid, stupid expression that I wish weren't true. I suppose if good things never ended you wouldn't be able to appreciate them and they wouldn't be worth nearly as much. I cooked last night at L'Ecole for the last time as a student and it was bittersweet. I'm ready for the next chapter, but I can't believe my days of sweating, minor cuts and burns,and causing mischief are over. Not to mention the fact that I may actually have to start paying for vanilla beans instead of swiping them from pastry. And parchment paper. And peppercorns. Although I'm pretty sure A La Grecque has stockpiled enough FCI loot through her knife kit smuggling system that I could call on her if I need a pastry bag.




Jamie (Farmer Chef), Susan, and Apphia (far right) pay attention while Linda (A La Grecque) is in typical form

Tomorrow is our final exam, which we've been anticipating for nine months, and the reality and finality of this whole experience is starting to sink in. I remember back in July when I was just finishing up Level 1, I volunteered along with a few classmates to help Chef Nic set up for his Level 6 class final. The final works like this: Each student draws a number (literally from a bowl). The number corresponds to a pairing of dishes, either a garde manger and saucier dish (appetizer and meat) or a poissonier and patissiere dish (fish and pastry). Each number also has two corresponding times, when you will present your first and second dishes to the judges. You're graded on how you work in the kitchen while preparing your food: Is your station set up correctly? Do you work neatly and efficiently? Are you demonstrating proper technique? Are you wearing gloves when plating your food? Is your food being held at the proper temperature? Did you walk out the kitchen door with your plates for the judges at the appointed time exactly? When it arrives at the judges table: Is your food the proper temperature? If it's hot food, are your plates hot? Is your presentation neat and clean? And then of course, is it cooked and seasoned properly and does it taste how it's supposed to taste? These are all things that have been drilled into our heads since Level 1 in preparation for this day. When I helped Chef Nic set up the final last summer, I remember assembling a tray for each student containing the ingredients they would need to prepare their dishes. I could not comprehend being able to make a pan roasted halibut and baked alaska all under the pressure of a time clock and the prospect of failure and not graduating. As we watched the Level 6 students file past the classroom windows on their way to draw numbers, they waved at Chef Nic with big smiles on their faces. They looked excited. I remember Jersey and I looking at each other like "How are they smiling?! I would be freaking out!".

And now here I am. Tomorrow, it will be me and my class, who I have grown to know and love, well, in some cases it's more like tolerate, but mostly love. But tomorrow will be our one day that this last year has been leading up to. A few hours to show what we've learned and make all the chefs who've taught us what we know proud. I'm excited, I'm sure I'll be nervous, but I'm ready to kick ass. Send me some of those vibes tomorrow night around 9pm Eastern time, so when my hands are shaking as I put the garnish on my plates (with gloves, of course) I know that there are lots of people rooting for me.


Me & Jen Brown (the only student who EVERYONE calls by her full name, or JB for short, I've also referred to her as Michael Phelps in previous posts)