Silence, and mis-en-place

Christina starts the Genoise sponge early in the evening so it can bake
while she prepares most everything else. 

“No talking!”

Chef Greg Singh is usually soft spoken, but his voice cuts across the thud of knives on cutting boards like the crack of a judge's gavel. I mutter my apologies to Chef and to the student that I have been chatting up, sinking back into silence as I snap photos of this part-time evening class. It’s their last week of studies, and the tension in the kitchen is near-tangible. The relative silence is both a blessing and a curse: There is no chatter to distract students from their mise-en-place; chopping, mixing, baking, preparing everything for their final, practical exam on Tuesday. But it also means they must rely on their kitchen bibles – the notes that they have kept throughout their hands-on lessons. No borrowing recipes. No last minute hints, tips or warnings of impending disasters. No talking!

Scott chops vegetables for soup, stock and main course. 

On Tuesday there will be no talking, no recipes, no kitchen bibles. The soon-to-be graduates will have to trust their memories and their own judgment to get them through the three course meal. They will need good timing and all the confidence they can muster, and it all starts today with silence, and mis-en-place.

For more photos, visit our Facebook page. 

Now for something completely different........

We like to focus most of our posts on our students and the ups and downs of their culinary training,

Nicole during pool training. She loves food, but it is her passion
for the open water that drives her. 

while the people that keep the school ticking along are usually in the background. Once in a while, though, we need to claim bragging rights on the talents of our staff.

Our fearless administrator, Nicole Mallette, is a multi-tasking, multi-talented woman with a heart of gold and an unbeatable talent for organizing. It comes as a surprise to many people, then, that her first passion is not fine food: it is competitive, long-distance swimming and her unstoppable drive to challenge herself on the open water.

This summer, Nicole and four other women – all of them long-distance swimmers – will challenge Lake Ontario in a relay swim from Kingston to Burlington to raise money for their favorite cause; Plan International’s “Because I Am A Girl” campaign.

This inspiring team, swimming under the 'Because Girls Can' banner, hopes to raise $300,000 in donations to support education and opportunity for girls around the world. In pursuit of that dream, they will set a world record with their 305 km. marathon. Their determination is compelling, and their cause is life-changing. We hope you will help us to cheer them on. 

To find out more about the swimmers and their cause, follow their progress on their blogs, Facebook page and website. 

Next stop....Chopped?

Chef-instructor Bill Sharpe appeared on CHCH's Morning Live show on April 3 to promote Catelli Pasta's Feed the Hope campaign.
http://www.chch.com/morning-live-blog/item/12812-under-$10-meals

Up to June 30, Catelli will donate one box of pasta to a Canadian food bank for every box of pasta you buy, and one serving of pasta for every 'like' they get on their Facebook page.

Nourishing body and mind …

Chantelle presented on Korea, and treated her
 classmates to fiery kimchi (spicy pickled vegetables)
 and galbi (spiced beef). 

Before our Cook Basic students head into the kitchen for the first time, they are assigned the task of highlighting a country of their choice – its history, geography, socio-political environment, and of course, its culinary traditions. Some people build their project and presentation around their own country of origin, while others use the opportunity to explore regions in which they have a keen interest. Recent presentations from Chef Bill’s morning and afternoon classes have taken students on a virtual tour of the world, from the far east to the Middle East, with stops in Europe and the UK too. Feeding colleagues was optional - a much appreciated addendum to the spoken word, and a chance for students to share their passion for cooking. 

To see more photos, visit us on Facebook.