Back to School

So I've been back to school for a week now.  I've started my second semester with a completely different group of students, with the exception of my partner in crime Moira, whom I've grown close with and spend all my time with at school.  She is also 22, has been to University in Halifax (Dalhousie), and enjoys similar past times.  We have class at 8 am (meaning we have to be at school by 7:30) Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.  Wednesday we start at noon and Friday's we have class at 10.  This semester's schedule, therefore, is certainly more draining that last - a result of all the early mornings and no days off. 

To recap on last semester, I did pretty well on my final exam, and very well overall.  I got A's or A-'s in all of my classes, as well as one A+ in food theory! I was pleasantly surprised by my final grade in Culinary Skills (the practical lab), and was even happier by Chef Mac's comments on my cooking style and capabilities.  She wished me luck, and gave me the confidence I had perhaps been lacking throughout the semester. 

There is no doubt that my biggest frustration last semester was the lack of care and passion of other students.  It was hugely annoying to come to class and be asked constantly by peers what we were doing, what the recipes were, and whether they could borrow utensils they had forgotten to bring with them.  Unfortunately, this semester has been no better, and I fear that the next year and a half at George Brown will certainly test my patience when it comes to working with others.  A huge proportion of students in every class I have could not give a shit about their culinary work here, not to mention their complete learning experience.  I am beginning to realize this may never change. 

As a result of the severe irritation I often feel while in class, my inner bitch is progressively coming out.  I find myself angrily and sarcastically commenting on group members in my Banquet group who just have no idea what they're doing, and care even less about the final product they end up producing.  Moira is the same way, and the two of us have, on occasion, overheard other students talking about us and our "know-it-all" attitudes.  Honestly, I could care less what most students think of me, as I hope to never professionally work with a lot of them.  I just hope the next year and a half is still pleasant considering, and that some of the students who don't belong here get weeded out along the way. 

Anyways, moving on, in the first week of lab, we prepared squash soup and chicken bouillon.  It was a relatively easy lab, and I did pretty well.  My big mistake, which lost me most of my marks, was that the proportion of spy apples in my squash soup was slightly overwhelming and muted the flavour of the squash.  Although I followed the recipe exactly, using 1 1/2 apples, Chef Reid (my new culinary chef) said that my apples were larger than the recipe had called for.  I guess what I have to take from this is that I have to get better at trusting my own instincts when it comes to interpreting the menu. 

Next week we are doing a mushroom terrine with aspic.  This particular lab has a reputation for being quite difficult.  I will post next Sunday about how it went.