French anyone? This week, the students start to pick up a little French to sprinkle in their every day language. By the end of the week, phrases like Sache d”Piece, Bouqui Garni , Mirepoix and Chinoise roll off their tongues with ease. A phrase heard often in any kitchen is one we should all practice in our lives and the phrase is Mise en Place; Mise en Place means “everything in place.” If we have done our Mise en Place thenwe have all the ingredients, equipment and recipes at our work area before beginning any task. Anytime a group picture is taken, the students say, “Mise en Place” instead of “cheese.”
Tuesday of Week Three is Election Day and most of the class voted, many for the first time. Because of the misconception (sometimes deliberate false information) that a felony takes away one’s right to vote, many in the class didn’t known they could exercise their voting rights. We gave them a couple of hours to go to the poles and what a sight to see so many “I voted!” stickers coming back to the kitchen.
Friday the students were invited to take part in a huge food and entertainment show at the Washington Convention Center. Several Food Network stars were participating and all though the students didn’t get to see the stars, they had a ball at the event. I was impressed with the networking skills of the some of the class. Many collected cards from prospective employers and sought out people who could benefit our kitchen.
Chef Linda Vogler
