Thursday, May 26, 2011

I am in my very last phase of culinary school--my externship!  WOOHOO!!!  The last day of everything for my class is July 31.  Graduation is August 27.  With no experience (since I don't think it prudent to bring up Ernesto's) I wasn't able to even get an interview for a paid position so I am doing an unpaid one.  It's only ten weeks and I am on call for paid work with some catering companies and now I will have experience on my resume.  I am working at Oceano Bistro in Clayton, MO.  It's a very nice seafood restaurant.  I am the extra person in the kitchen so I do a lot of prep work.  That's good.  I would rather be given recipes to fix than work on the line.  I think they like that they can give me a recipe and forget about me for awhile.  I don't need much guidance but don't hesitate to ask questions if I'm unsure about something.  Everyone is cool.  The executive chef & I are the only two Americans in the kitchen.  I think my Spanish is improving faster than my cooking!

The one thing that I have been asked to do that I really hated was to clean these two dozen softshell crabs.  I was traumatized!  Seriously--couldn't go to sleep.  I kept seeing them when I closed my eyes.  Other animals are butchered after they are killed.  Not shellfish.  You just start cutting up these guys while they are squirming around in your hand!  They don't bleed, either, but have this yellow mustardy stuff and brown jelly stuff.  Don't tell the Fat Ladies, but I think I will be a vegetarian!

1 comment:

  1. oh I love seafood, that would be a nice and authentic made to be dishes.

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