I walk into the restaurant at the beginning of each week not knowing what to expect, which direction Chef Colin will take with the ingredients available. The countertops will be hidden under piles of vegetables, nuts and oils and spices splayed out, the lovely aroma of stock simmering on the stove. After I stash my bag/grab my apron & knife, I try to take it all in. Try because a lot of the time Im looking at vegetable varieties I have never seen before, smelling spices that are completely foreign to my senses.

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Am I inspired? Yes…but also completely befuddled. How does the man do it? Week after week Chef Colin creates menus that ultimately just floor me. How does he come up with these beautiful foods, these baffling combinations of flavors? Seemingly its almost effortless on his part. Colin simply reads through the weekly produce lists that come in from local farmers and dishes begin to take shape- that, my friends, is his creative process. Impressive eh? Sounds as though the menu practically writes itself.

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This place really is magic. It just absolutely kills me how damn proud of it I am. Truly, working in this restaurant is a pleasure, no no, its more than a pleasure- its bliss. The hours pass so unbelievably quickly that I find myself reeling at the end of the night staring, mouth agape (smiling all the while), at the clock. One minute Im putting on my apron and the next, it seems, Im plating and folks are flooding in. Prep time simply melts away and by eight o’clock I realize that I havent used the bathroom in 6 hours…and Im okay with that- surprised, but very much okay.

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4. More. Days. Well, really 3 more since today is done & over with. Incredible eh? Three measly days of school left. Hallefuckinglujah. Classroom hours are finally coming to an end and the start of externships are just around the corner. At long last I will be free of uniforms, quizzes, practical exams, paper writing, lectures and of course (maybe best of all actually)- no more commuting! Back to the bicycle. Fuck traffic and the anxiety of navigating highways. Ugh. Good goddamn riddance.

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Well, not a mystery “bag” exactly, more accurately it was a bain marie. We were to reach our hands in and draw a slip of paper…and on that lil’ slip of paper? An ingredient with which to compose a main dish (this was our midterm practical exam mind you, big points at stake here folks- BIG). I drew “barley”…barley? Hmmmm. I scoured the refrigerator and gathered my ingredients- bacon, mushrooms, stock, thyme, rosemary, onions, garlic, blue cheese, parmesan, white wine, green beans. Based on the goodies collected, I decided to cook up a rich creamy bacon mushroom risotto using barley instead of Arborio rice. It turned out lovely.

Mexico is, and always will be, my second home. I lived down there for quite some time and to this day own a small farm on the outskirts of a tiny (yet increasingly popular) surf town. The place is magic. The food, the folks, the land, the culture in general…its all lovely and lively and simply put, its paradise. Todays lesson brought me back- just the smells circulating about the kitchen had me dizzy with memory.

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My favorite lunch in the summer- hands down no contest: Fresh Spring Rolls. When its hot out they truly are the perfect food…all fresh and crunchy and light and whatnot. I love the soft rice paper wrappers and their tasty colorful fillings: sweet basil, bright mint, fragrant cilantro, crunchy carrot, tender rice noodles, savory tofu, refreshing lettuce.

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Beginning in the Southern US of A- Hush Puppies, Cornbread, Funeral Grits.

Dipping further down- Mexican Corn, Salsa, Guacamole, Corn & Flour Tortillas.

And a little deeper even- Arepas with Carnitas.

Gotta love Southern food, whether it be native to Louisiana or Venezuela…it dont matter- its all just fucking delicious.

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We’ve been hittin’ grains something fierce this week. Yesterday it was a hop through Europe as we cooked up polenta, barley and farro (oh and lasagna as well…not so much a whole grain but nonetheless). Today, we skipped into the Fertile Crescent and made bulgur (in the form of Tabbouleh), quinoa (in the form of a salad), rice (in Indian Coconut rice, Rice Pudding, Gosht Pulao/spicy lamb stew) and semolina (in Harsha/flatbread).

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This weather is kicking my ass. Seriously, I love me some sunny weather but damn, this is ridiculous. When its too hot to be outside you know youre in trouble and thats where Im at- hiding away in the house, unwilling to brave even the backyard shade. 

Hot weather= cold food….well, if you’re lucky. This kind of sunshine calls for sandwiches, popsicles, bright salads, cold watermelon and…sushi? Sure. Yep. Spent most of class on prep- julienned a billion vegetables, made rice, cut up fish etc. We then went to work constructing our sushi. I kept mine fish-free opting instead for a refreshing veggie roll.