Reflections from my last 16 weeks of culinary school

I made croissants for the first time—one of my life goals!

As I start the second half of my second semester of culinary school, I wanted to spend some time reflecting on my last 16 weeks of classes, which differed significantly from the first 8 weeks (read more here). I took my first two baking and pastry classes, a class about breakfast foods, and a customer service class. The baking classes were my favorite. The incredible Chef Jenni Shouppe taught both classes. She is hilarious and so talented and knowledgeable. It was truly a joy to learn from her.

The two classes I took were Introduction to Baking and Classical Pastries and Chocolate. 

The first class, Introduction to Baking, was exactly what it sounds like—an introduction baking course. Here's a list of some topics we covered: custards, mousses, donuts, pâte à Choux, pies, crepes, cakes, and yeast breads. The Classical Pastries and Chocolate class focused more on classical French desserts. We made meringues, laminated dough, tarts, tortes, candies, cakes, and cheesecakes.

There's a cafe at the school, and in my breakfast class, the students were responsible for making the breakfast orders that came into the cafe. I practiced flipping eggs, made French omelettes and American omelets, prepared souffles, and learned how to make fluffy waffles.

For my customer service class, I learned the important roles of the front of house staff in a restaurant (non-kitchen staff) and how they must work with the back of house (kitchen staff) to provide the best experience possible for the customer. There's also a full-service restaurant on the top floor of the school, and for this class, I practiced serving. Working as a waitress is tough, and I have a newfound respect for anyone who provides good service and makes it look easy.

For the last 8 weeks of this semester, I'm taking a class about yeast breads (one week in, I've already learned so much and consumed a lot of delicious carbs) and a class called garde manger, pronounced gard man-zhay. Historically, the garde manger chef prepared the cold foods in a restaurant, like chilled soups, fruit, salads, pates, caviars, and some cold desserts. In my class, we will also learn how to make sausage and prosciutto and how to smoke fish and pickle vegetables.

I'm going to share a few things I learned that really stood out to me. And if you have ANY questions at all on any of these topics, please feel free to reach out to me, and I would be happy to answer your questions. And if I can't answer it, I will contact one of the chefs at school and ask them!

Culinary school during a pandemic means masks plus face shields

Mousses

• If your mousse calls for gelatin, you must "bloom" it in cold water. The gelatin absorbs the water and softens so it will easily dissolve when combined with the rest of your ingredients. Bloom gelatin in five times its weight in water. 
• Gently warm the gelatin to dissolve it before adding it to your recipe. But do NOT heat the gelatin above 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

This cake is called a Charlotte. It's made with lady fingers and Bavarian cream. I made it for the final in my Classical Pasties and Chocolate class.

White chocolate mousse cake with raspberry gelée

The outside of the cake

Chocolate mousse cake

Custards

• Stirred custards are cooked on the stove, and you have to be really careful because they will curdle at 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Common stirred custards are pastry cream, crème anglaise, and lemon curd.
• Baked custards, like cheesecake and crème brûlée, should be baked in a bain marie (a water bath). A bain marie provides gentle, uniform heat to delicate foods like custards. It also stops the top from drying out and cracking before the inside is cooked. 
• Use a roasting dish with high sides for your bain marie, and pour the water into the roasting dish after it's already in the oven so you don't have to worry about accidentally splashing water on top if your custard while placing it in the oven. The water in your bain marie should go halfway up the sides of the dish.

Custard for crème brûlée before it was torched

Crème brûlée, final product

We made ice cream with crème anglaise

Pâte à choux

• Pâte à choux in itself is not sweet. The texture is soft yet crisp. This is the dough used for éclairs, cream puffs, and my new favorite dessert, Paris-Brest (pronounced paree bray).
• The choux dough is first cooked on the stove. You know it's done cooking when it leaves a little skin or film at the bottom of your saucepan.
• The only tricky part about it is determining the number of eggs that will go in the dough. The number of eggs in the dough is NOT consistent, and you may NOT use all the eggs listed in a recipe.. Humidity and the size of the eggs create inconsistencies. You will know that you've added enough eggs when the batter is thick, shiny, and a pipeable consistency. When you lift up the beater on your mixer, the batter should slowly slump down into the bowl.

Choux dough piped into eclairs

Baked eclair shells

Eclair shells filled with cream and covered in chocolate

Paris-brest (pronounced paree-bray) is my new favorite dessert. Pâte à choux is piped into the shape of bike wheels and topped with almonds prior to baking. Afterwards, each wheel is cut in half and filled with praline cream. It is divine and my new favorite dessert. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the final product.

Pies

• I had only made pie dough a few times in my life, and I never really felt like I knew what I was doing. There are so many tips and tricks available online—it's overwhelming. The pie dough we made has just 5 ingredients, and we mixed everything with our hands. 
• There are two types of pie dough you can make using the same recipe: flaky pie dough and mealy pie dough. The only difference between the two doughs is the size of the pieces of butter. 
• In mealy pie dough, the butter pieces are very small. This creates a crust that is good at repelling moisture, which is necessary when making fruit pies or custard pies, like pumpkin. No one likes a soggy bottom crust. 
• In flaky pie dough, the butter pieces are larger. So when you bake the crust, the butter melts and creates tender, flaky layers. This crust is best for the top crust of double-crust pies or for no-bake cream pies.
• When blind baking crust for cream pies, it is important that your pie weights come all the way up to the top of your crusts for added support to the sides. It's a little confusing because most pie weights are sold with only enough to cover the bottom of the pie. You need to either buy multiple containers of pie weights or use dry beans.

This is a Linzer torte, a traditional Austrian pastry. The crust is made from flour and ground hazelnuts and almonds. The filling consists of raspberry preserves and citrus zest.

This was another new favorite dessert!

Apple galette

I made an apple crumb pie, soft yeast rolls, and chocolate chip cookies for the final in my Introduction to Baking class.

Crepes

• Unlike pancakes, there should be no lumps in your crepe batter. For the silkiest smooth batter, use a blender.
• After making the batter, allow it to rest 30 to 60 minutes (or keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days). This gives the gluten a chance to relax and creates more delicate crepes.
• Use only 2 to 3 Tablespoons of batter per standard 8-inch pan.

A dozen crepes stacked together to form a crepe cake.

Different flours

• There are many types of flours, and the difference in the types is the protein content. Higher protein means more gluten, which means more strength.
• Cake flour has the lowest protein content of all flours at 5 - 8%. This means less gluten and softer, more tender baked goods. It's best for cakes and muffins.
• Pastry flour falls between cake flour and all-purpose flour with 8 - 9% protein content. It's a good choice for pie crusts and tarts.
• All-purpose flour is a staple in most kitchens. It has 10 - 12% protein content. We can use it for any number of baked goods: cookies, pancakes, etc.
• Bread flour's protein content is the strongest at 12 - 14%. It's great for yeast breads because the gluten is necessary for making the bread rise properly.

Challah

Using a peel to retrieve baguettes from deck oven

Baguette with poolish (a pre-ferment) straight out of the oven

Eating bread straight out of the oven is absolutely heavenly.

Foccacia

Soft yeast rolls

Laminated dough

• Puff pastry, croissant and Danish dough are called laminated dough. Fat is incorporated through a process of rolling and folding, producing alternating layers of dough and fat. 
• The fat must be kept cold and not allowed to melt into the dough during the lamination process. Laminated doughs get their flaky texture because water from each layer of butter steams up, creating separate layers.
• Making laminated dough is a LOT of work, especially if you do it by hand. And it takes a LOT of time because you have to refrigerate it between folds to ensure the butter doesn't melt into the dough.

Croissant dough

Very excited about making croissants for the first time

Apple tarte Tatin made with handmade puff pastry. It's much prettier once it's flipped over, but sadly, I didn't get a picture of it.

Cheesecake

• One of the worst things that could happen to a cheesecake is cream cheese lumps in the batter. I don't know why, but it really is terribly gross. Avoid this by first letting your cream cheese come to room temperature. Beat it by itself with a mixer before adding any other ingredients to the bowl. Then add just the sugar and beat it really well. The sugar granules will help cut through the cream cheese. Make sure to scrape down the bowl well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Once it's smooth, add the rest of the ingredients.
• You'll want to bake the cake in a bain-marie, which is a water bath, in a low oven. The water bath ensures even heat distribution. The ideal baking temperature is between 250 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• It is imperative to not over-bake the cheesecake. Once the surface appears to “jiggle as a whole,” it is done and must be removed from the oven. It will continue cooking outside the oven.

Waffles

• To create the fluffiest waffles with a crisp exterior, start by separating your egg yolks and your egg whites. 
• Whip the egg whites, either with a whisk or with an electric beater, until they form stiff peaks. Set aside and prepare the rest of the waffle batter as normal, but without the egg whites. Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter with the rest of the ingredients, being careful to not over-mix so you don't deflate the egg whites. 
• Proceed with the rest of the recipe as normal!

Sachertorte is a chocolate cake with apricot filling. The baker must write Sacher in chocolate on top of the cake. It was invented by Austrian Franz Sacher.

Strudel dough is stretched to the size of a table.

Lemon pound cake

There was a time in my life in which I ate ice cream with lemon curd and lemon pound cake for breakfast.

Dense, fudgy brownies

Pumpkin muffins

Eggs over easy

The ultimate soup guide

I've always loved soup. It's my favorite comfort food. I love that it can be made with the finest, most expensive ingredients or last night's leftovers. 

Since I started culinary school, I appreciate it even more. I spent five hours every day for half a semester taking a class called Soups, Stocks, and Sauces. I learned the variety of ingredients, seasonings, and garnishes for soups is endless. 

I've been making "good soup" for years, but even I was surprised by how much better the soup I make now tastes after learning so much about it in school.

That said, I wanted to share my soup knowledge with you all. If you've ever wondered why restaurant soups taste so much better than the soups you make at home, this post is for you. 

Stock vs. broth

Stock and broth are very similar, but they are not the same. Stock is made by simmering bones, mirepoix (onion, celery, and carrots), and sachet d'épices (herbs / aromatics) in water for upwards of 6 to 8 hours. As the bones simmer, they release collagen and gelatin into the liquid, and it develops body and flavor. It isn't seasoned. 

Broth is made with meat, not just bones. The meat can still be attached to the bones, but it doesn't have to be. It is also made with mirepoix and sachet d'épices, but it is simmered for significantly less time—only about 2 hours. You can make broth with stock or with water. If you make it with water, it will be a lot thinner and it won't have as much body and depth of flavor. This is because there isn't enough time for the bones to release their collagen and gelatin. 

Also, broth is seasoned, and stock isn't. So broth is tasty by itself, whereas stock is not. Because stock isn't seasoned, it makes a better base for soups and sauces. 

In class, we made stock every day. We made white stock, brown stock, fish stock, and vegetable stock. If you want to make stock at home, you can save leftover bones in your freezer or you can purchase bones from a butcher. This may sound odd, but if you want to make the best stock, use chicken feet. They're very gelatinous. If you're in the Indianapolis area, I've seen them for sale at Asia Mart, which is an Asian grocery store on East 86th Street in the Castleton area.

If you prefer to buy stock, purchase a high-quality, low-sodium stock like Kitchen Basics or Swanson.

At first glance, the recipes for white stock, brown stock, fish stock, and vegetable stock look nearly the same, but there are a few big differences. I will include the stock recipes at the end of this post.

Mirepoix 

Pronounced meer-pwah, mirepoix is crucial for flavoring soups, stews, sauces, braised dishes, etc. When in doubt, start with mirepoix. Mirepoix is a mixture of 50% onions, 25% carrots, and 25% celery by weight. So if your soup has 8 ounces of onions, it should have 4 ounces of carrots and 4 ounces of celery. 

I get so incredibly frustrated with most recipes online because the measurements aren't listed by weight. Instead, it's written as 1 carrot, 1/2 diced onion, 2 stalks celery, etc. But vegetables come in all sizes, and your onion may weigh 12 ounces, whereas my onion weighs 6 ounces. So the only way to get consistent results is to measure ingredients by weight. That is why all of my recipes show ingredients' weights. The best thing you can do for yourself is get a scale to measure the weight of your ingredients! I own the Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale. It's less than $12, and it works great.

Caramelizing vs. sweating

Before you add liquid to your soup or stock, you must sweat or caramelize the mirepoix. This is the first step in building the flavors of a dish.

To sweat mirepoix, cook it in a pot over low heat with butter or oil until everything softens and releases moisture. This helps to concentrate flavor. The flavor remains concentrated even when you add liquid to the pot later. No browning occurs when you sweat mirepoix. The flavor profile of the vegetables will not change.

As you probably guessed, when we caramelize mirepoix, we brown (but NOT burn) the mirepoix. When we do this, the "maillard reaction" occurs. When mirepoix is heated to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and above, the sugar breaks down and caramelizes. The sweetness of the vegetables deepens and intensifies, and the flavor profile changes.

To caramelize mirepoix, cook just the onions and carrots over medium low heat with butter or oil. As the vegetables cook, they will soften and release moisture. Once the moisture evaporates, the onions and carrots will start to caramelize. Make sure to stir every so often so it doesn't burn. When the onions and carrots are evenly brown, add the celery. Celery doesn't brown in the same way that onions and carrots do. Celery is low in sugar and has a lot of moisture, which can prevent the onions and carrots from adequately caramelizing. That's why it's added last. Once the celery softens, add your liquid to the pot.

We decide whether to sweat or caramelize mirepoix depending on whether we want the sweeter flavor. In my experience, it seems best to sweat mirepoix in recipes with white stock and caramelize mirepoix in recipes with brown stock, but this is not a rule of thumb.

Thickening agents

Soups can be thickened any number of ways. Traditionally, there are two kinds of thick soups: cream soups and purée soups. Generally, cream soups are thickened with a roux or other starch, whereas purée soups rely on a purée of the main ingredient for thickening.

A roux is equal parts by weight fat and flour. A roux is a good thickening agent because the starches in the flour expand to absorb the liquid. Gluten-free flours don't work well when making a roux because they don't have the same starches that flour with gluten has.

There are two ways to incorporate roux into a liquid without causing lumps: cold stock can be added to a hot roux while whisking vigorously, or room-temperature roux can be added to a hot stock while swhile whisking vigorously.

Cornstarch is a gluten-free thickening agent. Use it to make a slurry by whisking a tablespoon of stock into a tablespoon of cornstarch in a separate bowl and thoroughly mixing until there are no lumps. Then slowly pour the slurry into the stockpot. This is not a good thickening agent to use if you plan to freeze the soup.

Using heavy cream to finish a soup is another easy way to thicken it, however, it isn't the healthiest option.

Two other thickening agents I like to use that are healthier are cashew cream and pureed cauliflower. Make cashew cream by soaking 1 cup of raw, unsalted cashews in water overnight or at least 6 hours. Drain the cashews and dump them in the basin of a high-powered blender or food processor with 1 cup water. Blend on high until very smooth.

For pureed cauliflower, cut the florets from a head and boil them until they're very tender, or about 20 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to the basin of a high-powered blender or food processor and blend on high until it's very smooth.

For both the cashew cream and the pureed cauliflower, stir them in the soup when it's almost done.

Boiling vs. simmering

This may seem like a no-brainer, but I think there is a common misconception as to what constitutes simmering versus boiling. 

When a recipe wants you to simmer the soup, it means cook the soup over medium-low heat as small bubbles and gently break the surface every once in a while. Boiling is done over high heat. You'll see lots of big bubbles over the surface of the soup.

You may be wondering why a lot of recipes ask you to "bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer." The answer is twofold: First, it can take a lot of time for soup to reach a simmer at medium-low heat, and second, you can control the temperature of your soup better if you know what its boiling point is.

Most of the time, it's best to cook your soup over a simmer. If you cook it at a boil, the ingredients in the soup will jostle around too much and break apart. Also, too much liquid will evaporate before the flavor can develop.

Sachet d’epices

Sachet d’epices is herbs and seasonings tied together with twine in cheesecloth. It's used to add flavor to soups, stocks and sauces. A standard sachet consists of peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley stems, thyme, cloves, and garlic. The amount of liquid determines the exact quantity of each ingredient.

Spices vs. fresh herbs vs. dried herbs

It is best to add spices and dried herbs to your soup toward the beginning so the flavor has time to develop and infuse the soup. I like to saute the spices and dried herbs with the other ingredients for about 30 seconds before adding the liquid. Stir fresh herbs into the soup right before serving it to maximize flavor. If you add fresh herbs too soon, the flavor will be subdued, and you'll lose all benefits of using fresh herbs.

If you need to substitute dried herbs for fresh herbs, use half the amount in the recipe. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme. This is because dried herbs have a much more concentrated flavor.

White stock

Yield: 1 gallon

Ingredients

• 1 pound mirepoix, small dice (8 ounces onion, 4 ounces carrot, 4 ounces celery)
• 7.5 pounds chicken bones, rinsed and cut into 3 to 4-inch pieces
• 1.5 gallons cold water
• 1 Sachet d’epices (1 bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon crushed peppercorns, 4 parsley stems)

Equipment needed:

• Large stockpot
• Ladle
• Strainer
• Cheesecloth

Directions

1. Place the mirepoix in a stockpot and sweat until onion is soft and translucent.
2. Add bones to stockpot and cover them with cold water. No bones should be above the surface of the water.
3. Bring the water to a boil, skimming off the scum that rises to the surface. 
4. Reduce to a simmer and add sachet to simmering stock.
5. Continue simmering stock and skimming scum for 4 to 6 hours.
6. Strain stock with strainer lined with cheesecloth. Cool stock and refrigerate or freeze it.

Brown stock

Ingredients

• 7.5 pounds bones, veal or beef, rinsed and cut into 3 to 4-inch pieces
• 1.5 gallons cold water
• 1 pound mirepoix, small dice (8 ounces onion, 4 ounces carrot, 4 ounces celery)
• 1 Sachet d’epices (1 bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon crushed peppercorns, 2 crsuhed garlic cloves, 6 parsley stems)
• 4 ounces tomato paste

Equipment needed:

• Roasting pan
• Large stockpot
• Ladle
• Strainer
• Cheesecloth

Directions

1. Place bones in roasting pan, one layer deep, and caramelize them in a 375°F oven for about 1 hour. Turn the bones occasionally to brown them evenly.
2. Remove bones and place in stockpot. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan and reserve it.
3. Deglaze the roasting pan with part of the cold water.
4. Add the deglazing liquor and the rest of the cold water to the bones, covering them completely. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
5. Add portion of reserved fat to roasting pan and sauté mirepoix until evenly caramelized. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking until the tomato paste and mirepoix are a deep brown color. Add the mixture to the simmering stock.
6. Add the sachet to the stock and continue to simmer for 4 to 6 hours, skimming as necessary. Strain stock with strainer lined with cheesecloth.
7. Cool stock and refrigerate or freeze it.

Vegetable stock

Yield: 1 gallon

Ingredients

• 2 fluid ounces vegetable oil
• 2 pounds mirepoix, small dice (16 ounces onion, 8 ounces carrot, 8 ounces celery)
• 1/2 pounds leeks, white and green parts, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 ounces fennel, small dice
• 2 ounces turnip, diced
• 2 ounces tomato, diced
• 1 cup white wine
• 7.5 pounds chicken bones, rinsed and cut into 3 to 4-inch pieces
• 1.5 gallons cold water
• 1 Sachet d’epices (1 bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon crushed peppercorns, 8 parsley stems)

Equipment needed:

• Large stockpot
• Ladle
• Strainer
• Cheesecloth

Directions

1. Heat oil in large stockpot. Add mirepoix, leek, garlic, fennel, turnip and tomato, and sweat for 10 minutes.
2. Add wine, water and sachet. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 45 minutes, skimming stock if necessary.
3. Strain stock with strainer lined with cheesecloth. Cool stock and refrigerate or freeze it.

Fish stock

Yield: 1 gallon

Ingredients

• 2 fluid ounces clarified butter
• 1 pound mirepoix, small dice (8 ounces onion, 4 ounces carrot, 4 ounces celery)
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 10 pounds fish bones or crustacean shells
• 5 quarts water
• 1 Sachet d’epices (2 bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon crushed peppercorns, 4 parsley stems)

Equipment needed:

• Large stockpot
• Ladle
• Strainer
• Cheesecloth

Directions

1. Sweat mirepoix in butter in large stockpot until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms, fish bones, and water to stockpot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 45 minutes, skimming stock if necessary.
3. Strain stock with strainer lined with cheesecloth. Cool stock and refrigerate or freeze it.

Culinary school FAQ: A recap of the first 8 weeks

I wanted to take some time to update you all on a huge life change I made earlier this year. At the end of August, I left my job at FOX59 and CBS4 to become a full-time culinary student. In order for you all to better understand this decision, I'm going to rewind about seven years and share a little of my life story.

I had always wanted to be a journalist, and I thought I was on the right track after getting a job at FOX59 following my graduation from Indiana University. I didn't land my "dream job" out of college by any means—I was hired as an overnight assignment editor. But I previously interned at FOX59, and I loved all the people there. Also, I liked that it wasn't far from home. Indianapolis was only a two-hour drive from my parents' house in Fort Wayne. Most journalism students mentally prepare to work in a very small town in the middle of nowhere for their first job, so I felt pretty special working at a station in a top 25 market.

Unfortunately, my body could not adjust to working overnight, and I couldn't sleep. I was so exhausted by the end of my shift that I would fall asleep as soon as I got home at 8 a.m. But I wasn't able to stay asleep past noon.

Because I wasn't sleeping, I had a lot of free time, and I needed a creative outlet. So I started cooking and baking. I had never really done much of either, so I taught myself by reading articles online and watching YouTube videos. I shared a lot of my baked goods with my co-workers, and they seemed to really appreciate it. At that point blogs were becoming popular, so I decided to start my own as a way to document my progress and keep track of the recipes I made. I chose the name "Kylee's Kitchen" simply because I like alliterations. My blog launched in April 2014.

The more time I spent in the kitchen, the more I enjoyed cooking and baking. I loved working with my hands and putting my creativity and love of food to use.

At that time, there were several regular FOX59 morning show food guests, and I decided I wanted my own segment to share recipes. The thought of it makes me laugh now. I had no idea what I was doing, but somehow I convinced our news director to let me on TV. My first segment was less than stellar. I shared a recipe for cooking salmon in a foil packet. I'll never forget one of the first "mean" comments I received. Someone posted on the FOX59 Facebook page that I looked like I lived in my dad's basement. As far as mean comments go, that's actually pretty tame, but I remember it really upset me. Regardless, they kept allowing me back on TV, and it pushed me to be better.

During this time, my role at FOX59 changed. I became a web producer and fortunately worked more normal hours. I liked the work, but I didn't love it. And I knew I was never going to love it. But I knew I loved food. I loved being in the kitchen, and I dreamt of going to culinary school. However, I had no desire to work in a restaurant or a bakery. So I explored other careers in food, and I became interested in becoming a registered dietitian. I spoke with several dietitians and shadowed one for a day, and I found it very interesting.

I met with an academic advisor at Ball State, and I learned to become a registered dietitian would require me to basically earn another bachelor's degree because the prerequisites for getting into a didactic program differed greatly from the classes I took as an undergrad. It was a LOT of science. But it didn't deter me, and I enrolled in my first chemistry class. Throughout the next few years, I proceeded to take several more chemistry classes, anatomy classes, and physiology classes. I did that while working full time at FOX59 / CBS4, producing Kylee's Kitchen segments, running my blog, and planning a wedding. Honestly, it was exhausting. 

During my annual meeting with my academic advisor in 2019, I learned the Commission on Dietetic Registration elevated the entry-level RD education to graduate level, and in order to take the examination to become a dietitian I would have to get a masters degree. I didn't feel good about the situation. In fact, it devastated me. But after talking with my husband, I realized that wasn't even my dream. Culinary school was my dream. So I started exploring what it would look like for me to go to culinary school.

We live just about one mile from Ivy Tech in downtown Indianapolis, which is a top-20 culinary school in the United States. I took a tour of the facility, and I immediately felt like I belonged there. I enrolled to start in August 2020.

Since I just reached the midpoint of the semester, I wanted to share a little about my experience thus far!

The two lab classes I've taken are Basic Food Theory and Soups, Stocks, and Sauces. The amount of knowledge I've learned in such a short time is truly mind-blowing, and I can't wait to share more with you all (I already have a soup master post in the works!). I don't even know how I was cooking before taking the classes. I also took several online classes: Sanitation and Safety, Nutrition, and Human Relations Management. I'll finish the semester with Introduction to Baking and Classical Pasties and Chocolate.

I’ve compiled a few FAQ to share all the fun details of my experience thus far!

Trying on my uniform for the first time

Why are you going to culinary school? Don't you already know how to cook?

Food is always on my mind—I love talking about it, experimenting in the kitchen, and dissecting recipes, and I truly want to learn everything I can about it. Even though I am a proficient home cook, I only know what I've been able to teach myself, and I am really excited to learn from industry professionals. Also, I feel like this is a great investment in myself since cooking is obviously a skill I will use my entire life.

What is your class schedule?

I go to class Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and I start a new class every four weeks. We spend the entire time in the kitchen. As far as schoolwork goes, there's a lot of reading, and I've had several research projects about industry topics.

Are you doing the culinary arts or baking and pastry program?

I'm currently enrolled in the culinary arts program, but I plan to do both! There are quite a few classes that overlap, so when I finish culinary arts, I'll pick up the remaining classes necessary for the baking and pastry program. I decided to pursue culinary arts first because I thought it would better provide me with a well-rounded culinary education.

How long will it take to complete?

I will finish the culinary arts program next fall, and I hope to finish the baking and pastry program by spring 2022.

Do you like it?

I love everything about it. I truly feel like it's where I belong. The classes are really small (there were only four people in my last class), and I'm getting a lot of individual attention and instruction. Also, the instructors at Ivy Tech are some of the leaders in the food industry in Indianapolis, and I feel like I'm making a lot of great connections.

What happens to the food you make?

We eat it! It's a learning experience to try each other's food. Any leftovers go to the cafe. Ivy Tech has a full-service cafe run by students.

What are your exams like?

The exams are a bit nerve-racking. During my most recent exam, I had to fabricate (cut up) a whole chicken into two breasts (one airline and one boneless, skinless), two thighs, two legs, two wings, and the carcass had to be cut into four pieces to be used for stock. I then used the carcass to make chicken stock. I was also randomly assigned a soup to make. Also, I had to cook the two chicken breasts with a randomly selected cooking method and sauce. I was assigned to make pan-fried chicken with cream sauce. I had to serve it with pan-roasted brussels sprouts and rice pilaf. We were allotted two-and-a-half hours to finish.

What are your plans for after culinary school?

I would love to combine my love for food and journalism. Food publications need culinarians as writers, critics, recipe developers, and food stylists, and all of those options excite me. My dream is to some day write and publish a cookbook.

Final prepared dish for my last practical exam:
pan-fried chicken with cream sauce, brussels sprouts, and rice pilaf.

Parmesan tomato soup with parmesan crisps on top

Cream of carrot soup

Cream of mushroom soup that kind of looks like winter sludge

Shrimp bisque! This was my first time flambéing.

Beef consommé. It's a clear soup that's a pain to make and not all that enjoyable.

New England Clam Chowder—I also had to make this for the practical exam.

French onion soup

Beef vegetable soup

Poached chicken with béarnaise and rice pilaf

Fabricating a chicken

Eggs benedict

Cream of broccoli soup

Submerge poached whitefish with beurre blanc

Shallow poached whitefish with hollandaise

Roasted chicken with pan gravy and potatoes

Cheddar and leek soup

Grilled steak with cabernet compund butter