I'm now half-way through Course I in Kitchen Academy's four course (and externship) program. I think I've learned a few things that may be useful to future students. Of course, this is just my experience and every class will be different, but these hints and tips should be useful.

Read on to continue ...

Intangibles - Teamwork, Attitude and Dedication

First, the intangibles. Teamwork, attitude and dedication are critical. It's not so important the first couple of days, but if you aren't working with your station mates and classmates to get things done, there is a good chance you'll always be operating in the weeds. For example, in making crepes, Arturo and I were an assembly line. While I got the flour and other dry ingredients ready and blended the final product, Arturo shelled the 24 eggs we needed and melted the butter. We were nearly finished with our fourth batch before I heard the sound of another blender. Another example: yesterday we had to make more clarified butter and each of us was given a pound of the yellow stuff. We could have clarified it individually (as others in the class were) but what a waste. We've already done that, it wasn't being individually graded (or graded at all), so why not cut the blocks up and toss all four pounds in a large sauce pot and do it together? So that is what we did. Made the skimming and ladleling off easier as well.

Dedication should be pretty obvious. You're paying good money for this education; you ought to make the best of it. Missing class time (though sometimes it is necessary) means you're missing out quite a bit as the classes move extremely quickly.

Finally, a positive attitude is important. It's a critical component of teamwork and it also will affect how you do when things start to get hectic and you're frustrated because you've broken the fourth or fifth yolk trying to flip a gosh darn over easy egg.

Preparation aka Mise en Place

All the teamwork and positive attitude in the world isn't going to help you if you're not organized. Mise en Place may be the most important thing you learn in Course I.

Good preparation has to start well before class. Every evening, for example, you should review the recipes for production the next day. Read the recipes closely, even if they seem pretty darn simple. Pay attention to the ingredients (and proper prep for them), the equipment and techniques necessary.

Frankly, the recipes in the textbook are often poorly formatted with the instructions in one single big block of text. When you're trying to glance at the recipe the next day you can't scan the darn thing easily. I've found my review to be much easier if I reformat the recipes and print them out one to a page. This requires extra effort, but the rewards seem worth it.

Reformating the recipes is also advantageous in the class because you don't have to flip through the textbook to find the recipe you need. I also put my printed recipes in protective plastic sleeves so I don't have to worry too much about the splatter and spills that accompany cooking. Here is a sample of the recipes I've reformatted: Course I - Week 3 - Recipes [WORD DOC].

Something else that is extremely useful is the inhouse shopping list, which will have all the ingredients necessary, their amounts and how they should be prepped (i.e. Onion - 6oz - 3oz small dice - 3oz sliced thinly). Such a list makes it much simpler to prep all the ingredients you'll be using that day. I simply go down the list. It also has been quite handy in making sure we have everything. More than once I've taken a look at our sheet pan of ingredients and noticed things missing (not enough carrots, no thyme, etc.) and brought it to the chef instructor's attention. Here is a sample shopping list of mine: Prep 01-27-06 [EXCEL XLS]. (Props to my brother for the spreadsheet format).

I haven't found production schedules to be particularly useful. I'm never sure in what order we will be doing things the next day, depending on lectures, demos and etc. I just try to be very familiar with what we're supposed to produce that day and deal with it as it comes up. By being very familiar with our scheduled production, I'm usually able to prioritize on the fly.

All of the above can be done the night before. But a lot of prep will take place in the morning.

Arrive early! I like to be in class at least 15 minutes early, and sometimes as much as 30. Why? You don't want to waste class time taking care of certain things that need to be done everyday. For example, priority number one is always inspect your station and make sure it is properly equipped. There is a standardized list of equipment for every station and the recipes and production schedule assume you have it. Chances are, you won't.

Every morning I arrive to find that we have four of the two-quart saucepans and no one-quart saucepans. Or, we have four 8-inch saute pans, but none of them are non-stick (as two of them should be). Wooden spoons? Lucky is the day that there are two at my station. It usually takes a good five to ten minutes just making sure your workstation is properly equipped.

Next, make sure you have any special equipment you need. Going to need a Bain Marie that day? Grab the hotel pans you'll need for it. Going to give something an ice bath? Get the ice and toss it in the lowboy refrigerator. Making soup? Grab a couple of soup bowls and put them on the warming rack on your oven.

It sounds basic, but it'll keep you from wasting time once the lecture or demo is over.

Equipment

Yeah, sure, you were issued uniforms, bar towels and a knife kit. You can get by with just those items, but some additional personal equipment will prove useful.

• Peeler - There aren't enough good ones to go around. I've found the Messermeister Serrated Swivel Peeler to work quite well, and you can get one for about $6.
• Bench Scraper - You're going to be dicing, mincing, finely chopping and otherwise turning vegetables into little bits. A scraper is an excellent way to pick things up as well as quickly clearing your cutting board. You'll also find other uses. For example, today I knocked over a mise cup with an unshelled egg onto my bench. Gently using the bench scraper I was able to return the yolk and white to the cup without breaking the yolk.
• Nylon Pot Scraper - You're going to be doing a lot of pots and pans. Unfortunately, stuff is going to be burned to the bottom of them on occasion. Getting the burned gunk off with a green scrubbie can be an exercise in frustration. A nylon pot scraper can make the job much easier.
• Bar Towels - You're supposed to bring two a day. I bring ten. You'll be using them for all sorts of things. They'll get torn and, if you're unlucky, scorched. They're cheap too. I get 24 of them for $7 at Sam's Club.
• Pocket Knife - Nothing fancy necessary, but it is handy to have a knife in your pocket so you don't have to walk around with one of your good ones.
• Digital Scale - You're going to be measuring stuff all day long. Unfortunately, there aren't enough scales to go around. Rather than have to wait to measure something, it is very handy to have one right at your station. You can get a good compact one for about $30. Well worth the investment. Honestly, probably the most useful thing on this list.
• Plastic Spoon, Knife and Fork - You'll be using these for tasting. They'll often supply them, but better to make sure you keep one of each in you breast or shoulder pockets. The plastic knife comes in surprisingly handy when you don't want to (or shouldn't) use your steel knifes.
• Tupperware - Why waste the food you prepared and are spending tuition on? Bring some good tupperware so that you can take it home. I like the gladware with the screwtop lids, I'm less worried about accidental spillage.
• Sports Timer - Well, you could use your watch (I've seen some students use their cellphone), but I prefer something with a bigger readout as well as timing/alarm functions. You'll need to time things on a daily basis (like boiled eggs, and how long your rice pilaf has been in the oven). For $15-20, a water resistant sports timer seems to do the trick very well.
• Small Plastic Ruler - Last but not least. You're going to be doing a number of knife cuts of specific dimension. You can simply eyeball it, but I find putting a plastic ruler down on the cutting board helps to keep my eye calibrated.

You've got to take care of yourself (and your appearance), right? Herewith some other recommendations:

• Hand Lotion - Your hands are going to frequently shift from extended water immersion (dish washing) to dry heat conditions over a hot burner. This is going to take a toll on your skin. Get some good lotion and use it everyday. I generally make sure to apply some right after class and in the evening when I remember.
• Good, Safe Shoes - You're going to be spending all day on your feet, even during most of the lectures. You'd better be comfortable. You'd also better be safe. Non-slip and composite toe are a good bet. And, if you do invest in good shoes, take care of them. Clean them and brush polish them daily. They'll last much longer that way.
• Laundry Detergent and Stain Fighters - Your uniforms are white. They're going to get stained on a daily basis. I've only had a couple of days where I didn't get at least a minor stain on my uniform. So, first thing I do when I get home is use a pre-treatment on the stain and later launder it with a good detergent. So far, it has worked.
• First Aid Kit - Everyone should have one of these at home anyway, but culinary school students really do. Chances are you're going to get a minor burn or cut sometime. Of course Kitchen Academy has excellent first aid kits, but you'll appreciate not having to run to the local drug store for supplies when you get home for the weekend after a minor accident.

Kitchen Academy does supply what they promise: a culinary education focused on the practical and not the academic. But additional culinary knowledge is very useful. While you'll get the basics in class, I've found it very useful to do outside reading, particularly on the science of the kitchen. I would highly recommend the following outside reading:

• Escoffier: The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery
• Larousse Gastronomique
• On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
• What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained