A New Beginning

It has been almost 2 years since my last blog post at culinaryschooldiaries.blogspot.com. Every day I think about the days I used to blog and the passion I had for writing about my culinary experiences. I have been down a long journey the past couple of years and have worked my way through 3 different jobs in the food industry. What I've learned so far? This industry is a tough one. An industry that you absolutely cannot be in if you don't have passion and a thick skin.

I worked as a line cook at a small restaurant/catering company and was quickly promoted to sous chef. While I enjoyed the work and the atmosphere, the hours were hard to handle as a 23 year old. I landed a job at a country club working in banquets and I felt like my title as a chef was severely downgraded (along with the pay). Here's a picture of salads plated for a wedding at the country club:

While catering was an interesting aspect in the industry, I truly just wanted a 9 to 5 job where I can combine my passion of food with the technical, analytical, and creative skills I have developed in my years of schooling. I finally landed the job I was waiting for: the assistant to the executive chef of a prominent catering company in the area.

As the "assistant" I am in charge of all R&D for the frozen entrees they produce for several different clients. In a nutshell, I test recipes and then do all of the "paperwork" behind it all, such as costing, ingredient specs, and formulations. Here is my test kitchen at work:
Example of some frozen entrees I have tested:



















I even get to still do some catering on the side:
Continue to follow me on this culinary journey as I document new experiences, recipes, and kitchen tips!