HOLY BLOG BATMAN

Well Aloha to you Blog, its been so long...

Where did I leave off... Oh in January, thats right. Oy vay it's been TOO long. Lets see if there's a short version, since January I have...

Completed the first half of my culinary degree which has culminated into an 18 week long externship in Honolulu Hawaii at Azure, a restaurant located in the luxury Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Welcome home to me! I got a job at a local winery while still in California, Rubicon Estate, a Francis Ford Coppola Winery in which I was lucky enough to participate in an event with Mr. Coppola himself! Cooking a birthday dinner, "Francis's Favorite Meals" for his birthday in April. An assortment of all of his childhood favorites, some odd, yet all delicious. Let's just say the man is mega-amazing.. When I return to school, I will be returning to this glorious job, complete with labels, organization, and cleanliness. I popped my passport cherry and traveled abroad to the deep and stunning landscape of Vancouver, British Columbia. I had even had my two very best friends in the world come and stay with me. Let's just say they left with an understanding of what and why i'm doing this, and extremely tight pants. (Sorry girls!) I have completed Skills 3 development, Cuisines of the Americas, Cuisines of Asia, Breakfast Cookery, Lunch Cookery, and Garde Manger; notably breakfast class with Chef Tom Wong, and Garde Manger with Chef Lars Kronmark are my two favorite classes so far. The amount of information these two people have to share is unremarkable, and they are incredible teachers teaching an incredible art.

In more recent times, and as I stated before, I am currently holed up at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for an 18 week culinary externship beneath Chef Jon Mastubara. Azure is a seafood based restaurant that focuses on local and fresh seafood that is hand selected each morning as the boats come into dock. While here, I will rotate throughout all of the stations in the Restaurant as well as the hotel. My externship is unpaid, but it does provide uniforms, housing, meals, and the experience of a lifetime. Who wouldn't want to come and learn about local cuisine, revisit their birthplace, and eat some of the freshest fish possible? Table for one please. At Azure we typically offer four to five of the fresh catch of the day, depending upon the quality of the fish at market. Options vary day by day but may include: Ahi, Ono, Opakapaka, Hapu'upu'upu, Monchong, Opah, Mahi-Mahi, Kahala, Onaga, and Moi. I got a chance to take a tour of the fish market at pier 38, observing the fresh fish, quality differences, size, and the bidding process.Let me just say oh man, watch out; not only are the fish fierce, but the bidders are too. Oddly enough, its not a loud and obnoxious process; silent and deadly apparently wins the race.

The most unique thing that most people don't realize is that while logistically I am an extern for Azure, the kitchen itself handles the orders for all food outlets within the RH Hotel. this includes the restaurant itself, the Mai Tai Bar, Surf Lanai, Pool, Room service, and banquet work in the main kitchen. I've been here about 5 weeks so far, almost 1/3 of the way done, and I'm loving every day. So far, I've been put on the Pantry/Garde Manger/Cold station which handles all of the appetizers, salads, desserts, pupu's and what not for the outlets. Within the past two weeks I have moved onto the Saute station, which handles all of the vegetable cookery for the restaurant as well as many seafood components like our Sake Steamed clams, or the Kona Coffee Barbecued Ribs with Kiawe Smoke. For the past two days i've been moved onto a day-shift, observing and working the breakfast and lunch shift with our morning sous chef, William Taylor. While the kitchen is extremely unique given it's size, and involvement in the Union, it has been and will continue to be an unbelievable experience for me.

I'm so happy to be home and can't wait for my family to join me! Oh did I forget to mention? My gorgeous mother will be joining me for her grand 60th birthday, accompanied by my lovely sister. Who doesn't love a family reunion? I'm so lucky to have visitors trickling in throughout the summer, and welcome any and all who would like to visit.

While I have forgotten numerous important things i'm sure, it's no one's fault but my own and I sincerely apologize. If only I had some genius excuse to validate my lack of input to this blog! Alas, I do not. BUT, I have pictures. Enjoy:

Stay tuned dear friends for there is more to come.

Xo

Welcome 2010, prepare to be conquered.

Hello and a belated Happy New Year to all!

I'd like to take a moment to sincerely apologize for my lack in updates; the run of the mill excuses apply, plus copious amounts of food-induced laziness, good wine, family, and friends. What's a girl to do?

So in the past 2.5 months since my last post, I have successfully and thoroughly completed TWO, I repeat, TWO, Skills development skills. Hurrah for me, eh? Skills I: stocks, sauces, and soups, and Skills II: introduction to starch, protein, and vegetable cookery, were both extremely successful. Both of those classes focus on individual work, rather then a team effort. Bechamel, Chicken Fricasse, Fish Veloute, Jardiniere Vegetables, or Braised Short Ribs anyone? Just a few of the things that both classes covered, amongst a myriad of other classical french recipes. Upon completion of both of these classes, I returned home to sunny Arizona, arriving to a 75 degree sunny environment and the comfort of family and close friends. Although it was an awesome trip, I was anxious as usual to get back to class and my third Skills Development class.

Skills III, is a class that builds upon the past two classes, in that it takes the fundamental cooking techniques and recipes and utilizes them for larger production. Instead of cooking for two, you cook for twenty. Also, this class is totally team based; team prep, production, effort, and team grade. I've been fortunate enough to work with skilled classmates, learning and growing from each experience; this class is running as smooth as buttah.

Externship Update: Many of you may know, I have been extremely interested and dedicated to pursuing an externship abroad in Italy to study with Chef Salvatore Denaro, of Il Bacco Felice (the chef I worked with during Worlds of Flavor 2008). Unfortunately, contacting my food and wine loving lazy italians is extremely difficult, so I've been looking into alternatives. How does Honolulu, Hawaii sound? Or lovely Vancouver, Canada? Just two locations i'm interested in.

In other news, another conference is taking place at school this week: World of Healthy Flavors Conference... No cooking has even occurred, and I'm in heaven already. Oh how the healthy meals soothe my soul.

Some pictures to calm the mind;

Much Love to all,
Izzy