So just before holiday break there were some changes made at Le Cordon Bleu allowing Certificate Students the option of adding classes "a La Carte". This was great news because three classes ... Cost Control, Wine & Beverage and Buffet & Catering... were ones not in my program but of interest. I made arrangements to add a few more hours of my day at the school and add on Cost Control this current term. The other two I would hold off on until my final session.
The Cost Control class is instructed by a very interesting gentleman with many years of experience in the "front of the House" as a Maitre 'd and Waiter/Server. He has a wealth of knowledge that he is eager to share everyday! Wednesday's always include a review of the New York Times Food section and Thursday's he covers the Atlanta Journal Courier Food section. Many of the students find him to be odd and somewhat of a bore. I personally think he is hysterical! He has some funny quirks like clearing his throat incessantly and always referring to the fellas in the class by their last name while the ladies are always on a first name basis. This one sort of rubs me as a bit sexist but I honestly don't think he even knows he does it. Perhaps he fancies himself as a "ladies man" and is attempting to be endearing?
The National Restaurant Association provides the text and there is some really good information and learning's to aid us in understanding the business side of this industry. I have discovered over the years that I am a bit of a nerd and I like analysing the numbers. Generating spreadsheets to assist in making decisions and understanding what is happening. Thank you Corporate America for that geeky side of my development!!! So obviously reviewing Profit & Loss statements has been interesting and understanding how to calculate the "cost of food sold". Not to mention drilling down to identify the balance of sale % by item. I LOVE this stuff!! My classmates... well, some seem to get it while others have difficulty converting fractions into whole numbers...!
This group of characters in my Cost Control class are a whole new crop for me. See, my fellow classmates in the Production class took Cost Control in the last rotation. BEFORE the school decided that Certificate students could "add a la carte". I now understand what it feels like for kids who change schools in the middle of a term or half way through high-school. Everyone knows one another, the groups and cliques are formed and you (I) am the outsider!!
Meet my new group of friends.... If you have seen the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil then you will likely recall Lady Chablis ~ The Doll. Well, he (she) is in my class! The rail thin body, the long braids, the tail-swing of the walk. I KID you NOT it's him! And the "Good Morning Mr. Instructor" each day during line-up, with all the Southern drama of an award winning performance, just sends my mind into a fit of laughter and fascination!
Sitting in front of me is the Knower. He Knows all about running a restaurant, he Knows he doesn't need to learn this because his uncle is his accountant, he Knows his funding is secure for his future restaurant. Funny thing is he often turns around to see what my answers are in the workbook.... Humm?
The fella who sits in from of the Knower is Jolly. Jolly is shaped sort of like Santa and he has bright red cheeks. Everyday he is quick to inquire how my morning class has gone and then share some detail regarding his life. This week it was that he is very close to locking up his externship with Princess Cruise Lines!! The phone interview went well and he is feeling pretty good about it! Last week he indicated that his room mates were trying to have him kicked out because they didn't like him. Yet, through all of this he remains Jolly.
And next to me... J.J.Walker himself... Mr. DY-NO-MITE!! This kid cracks me up! It is absolutely uncanny how much he reminds me of the "Good Times" character! Anyway, DY-NO-MITE is a tender soul and has a good deal of difficulty with the math. I help him out and quiz him on ounces per pound conversions and such. He came up to me in the hall way Friday and put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a hug. It didn't matter or click with him that I was in the middle of a conversation with someone else that he was interrupting. He just wanted to let me know that he had finished the work problems I had put together for him in class the previous day. And to tell me he thinks he is getting it....
All of this brings be back around to a larger more perplexing question. What is happening in our elementary, intermediate & high-schools across America that kids are not grasping the concept of 8th grade math? That's what this class is. It's basic addition, subtraction, multiplication & division. The problems are set in a series of story problems and require a few critical thinking skills to figure out the answers. If you can't get past how to do the math.... how can you grasp the broader overview of business management and inventory control? I honestly don't know how some of these individuals received a high-school diploma. I also question how they were so easily admitted into this seemingly prestigious culinary school. This is likely the largest most disappointing realization for me. The No Child Left Behind act went into effect in January 2002 & likely didn't begin implementation until the 2003 school year. The majority of my fellow students were in middle-school at the time. It was too late for some of these kids as some were in fact left behind. All this got me curious about the average ACT (American College Testing Program) scores nationally. If you are interested in doing some investigation on your own you can check out www.act.org/news/data/09/states.htlm. There are some eye-opening statistics regarding the percentage of students who take the test and where each state ranks. Nationally only 45% of all 2009 graduating seniors took this college exam. I applaud states such as Michigan and Colorado who have 100% student participation in this testing program! Indiana shows that only 24% of students participated and Georgia shows a 40% rate. These two states scores were right at the average score for the nation. My gut tells me some things need to be changing here....
Well it would not be a blog if I didn't share a recipe!! So, fresh from the New York Times food section this week.... A DIP for the big game!
Spicy Molten Blue Cheese Dip
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
2 garlic cloves
1 pinch kosher salt
1/4 cup heavy cream of half & half
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (more if you want!)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces blue cheese (= about 1 cup crumbled)
2 Tablespoons chopped chives
Celery Sticks, Chips or Chicken wings for serving
1) preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2) Place cream cheese in food processor and pulse to soften
3) Mash garlic & salt together making a paste (mortar and pestle works well)
4) Add paste, cream, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce & pepper to food processor. Mix until smooth.
5) Add Blue cheese & chives. Pulse until just combined
6) Scrape mixture into a small gratin dish or baking pan. Bake until dip is melted and bubbling (about 30-35 minutes). Sprinkle with some extra sauce and serve warm.
I'll be enjoying this dip along with some baked chicken wings for the game today. While I am thrilled for the New Orleans Saints to be there, mainly because the quarterback is Drew Brees, a PURDUE Boilermaker.... I am all for the COLTS today!! Wahoo!!! Bring that trophy to INDIANA Boys!
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