Where's the beef? Oh...right there.

Less than two weeks of class remain in my second month of classes at *the* PCI, and I have still yet to cut myself (for those of you I've kept in suspense since my last post...waaay too long ago). I have burned myself a few times though...whoops.

That's to be expected in soups, stocks and sauces, I suppose. You're swirling around boiling liquids, fussing with combinations of flour and hot fat that can reach 400 degrees plus. And it's amazing how quickly you forget a pan that was just in the oven is indeed still hot. You probably just judged me...but believe me-- when it's hectic, hot metal = hot just doesn't click in your mind sometimes.

Also, people who put dishes near the sinks to be washed while they are still scalding hot should be executed immediately. That's what got me once. FAIL!

Waaay late-- hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was enjoyable in the sense of getting up early for once to help my mom cook. I stuffed my first turkey! We went organic this year too and it was delicious. Other than that I did some miscellaneous chopping and took over the mashed potatoes. Next year will be a bit more epic, probably. There's only so much you can do with knife skills and a loose take on a few culinary basics.

School has been delicious as of late. We're onto brown sauces (namely espagnole sauce). Espagnole takes around an hour and a half to do properly, but is well worth the wait. The demi glace that can be reduced from it is pretty epic taste-wise as well. Some of the small sauces derived from espagnole sauce are tasty too...namely Diablo. Even simply reducing by 50% and adding a bit of wine (we used port) can really change the taste in an awesome way.

With the brown sauces comes beef. Roasts, flank steak, swiss steak...omnomnom. Breakfast continues to be my best meal of the day, for sure. We've done spaetzle, risotto and duchess potatoes on the side-- mmm...trust me. De-licious.

Grades through 25% of points in Kitchen has me at a 96%. I'll take it. The big week (worth like, 66% of my grade) full of practicals and the final is next week. That will be interesting. Other than that...Math is still Math. 2+2=4. 2+2=4. It's the Barney fun-time hour. I think we're up to multiplying/dividing fractions? Fifth grade...good times.

Pens are getting healthy, and they're still near the top of the Eastern Conference/NHL. My first chance to see them live is fast-approaching. Dec. 15, Pens/Flyers. Can't wait.

There's a ton of people in town this weekend. Should be a blast. I'll get back to you about that...soon. I mean it. Really. Not almost a month later. I will post on the blog. Honest.

OK, later on.