The "Hatting" Ceremony

Well, I graduated.

The ceremony was sweet, short, tasty, and hilarious. I graduated on March 3rd and it was a very memorable evening. It began with my class arriving to the kitchen at a very early 7 am starting time, dressed and ready to start cooking the day away for our Grand Buffet later that evening. My partner, Marina, and I had a very organized plan and time schedule to make sure we had everything done calmly and effeiciently with enough time to at least brush our hair for the ceremony :)

For our menu, we chose a simple sauteed chicken breast with a delicious port wine reduction sauce. We paired our protein with an Italian salad with garlic infused vinaigrette dressing. My personal speciality of the evening was a roasted garlic gnocchi pasta with creamy goat cheese sauce- YUM. It took me sooooo long to make and I ended up with 4 big sheet trays filled with pasta but Mmmmmm it was amazing! Finally, we ended our menu with a wonderful and citrusy lime curd tart. Here are some pictures from the evening:

* Our soon-to-be-sauced plate. Simple but delicious.

* Our Lime Curd Tart (This was mainly Marina's doing... hints why it looks perfect)

* Wohoo! I got my hat! It looks great BUT it's made of paper. Really ICE?? Can't you afford some cloth to make my first chef's hat???

* My wonderful culinary class. I am really going to miss these people.

* We were officially named the "back table girls." Us four always rushed to the back table to work together whenever possible. We worked as a well-oiled machine. 

* My roommate, Cristine, and my closest friend since 7th grade, Kate. I was so happy they were there to support me :) 

Overall, it was a wonderful evening and I feel so blessed. I am so lucky to have gotten to pursue what I am truly passionate about- the food industry. It is a tough business but overwhelmingly rewarding. The Lord has been so good to bring me here. Now, even though school is coming to a close, this blog will continue because the culinary industry is an ever-changing market that demands documentation. I am currently continuing my internship with the restaurant consultant (a job that I am LOVING) and I start as an editorial intern at Bon Appetit on March 17th! There is so much in store. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive. 

Happy Eating!!!