What a whirlwind of a weekend it was! As I look back, I can confidently say I’ve survived an incredibly exhausting yet profoundly rewarding few days. My Saturday was spent recharging, knowing full well that Sunday and Monday would plunge me deep into the demanding, exhilarating world of culinary arts. From high-profile food festivals to intensive culinary school sessions, every moment was packed with learning, challenges, and incredible flavors. It truly was an immersion into the diverse facets of the culinary profession.

An Unforgettable Experience at Cochon555 DC

Sunday morning saw me making my way to the heart of downtown DC for an event I had eagerly anticipated: Cochon555. This prestigious culinary competition and festival is a vibrant celebration of heritage breed pigs, bringing together five exceptionally talented chefs who each prepare a whole hog in various creative ways. It’s a true spectacle for any food enthusiast, let alone a culinary student like myself. The atmosphere was electric, a buzzing hive of culinary innovation, exquisite aromas, and enthusiastic food lovers. I ended up staying until approximately 10:00 PM, completely absorbed in the vibrant energy and the incredible array of expertly crafted dishes.

Working Alongside a Winning Chef: A Priceless Opportunity

Perhaps the most unexpected and thrilling part of the day was the incredible opportunity to work alongside none other than Chef Scott Drewno from The Source, who ultimately emerged as the winning chef of the Cochon555 competition! It was an absolute privilege to witness his mastery firsthand, to observe his precision, creativity, and the seamless coordination of his team. Contributing, even in a small way, to his triumphant presentation was an experience I’ll never forget. The entire day was a dynamic flurry of activity, filled with an abundance of delicious, albeit sometimes quite *unusual*, food. Beyond the intense kitchen work, the event also offered a rare chance to be in close proximity to, and even meet, many renowned chefs whose work I deeply admire. The passion and camaraderie within the culinary community were palpable, making it an invaluable networking and learning opportunity.

A Taste of the Unexpected: Blood & Chocolate Ice Cream

Among the many innovative dishes I sampled, one particular creation stands out for its sheer audacity and unique flavor profile: a **blood & chocolate ice cream**. Yes, you read that correctly – a daring combination that challenged all my preconceived notions of what dessert could be! This unusual delicacy was presented on a chocolate-dipped cracklin (pork fat) cone, adding another layer of intrigue. The ice cream itself offered a surprisingly complex blend of savory and sweet notes, with the subtle, earthy undertones of blood complementing the rich bitterness of chocolate in a way I never would have imagined. It was bizarre, certainly, but undeniably intriguing and remarkably well-balanced, a true testament to the chef’s culinary adventurousness. While I personally wasn’t a huge fan of the cracklin cone’s texture, finding it a bit too fatty for my preference in a dessert context, it certainly added another layer of unconventionality to an already audacious creation. Experiences like these at Cochon555 are truly invaluable, pushing the boundaries of what I consider edible and expanding my culinary horizons in unexpected and exciting ways.

The Path to Externship: A New Offer and Tough Decisions Ahead

After an exhilarating but utterly exhausting day at Cochon555, I arrived home and immediately collapsed into bed. I knew I needed every minute of rest to prepare for the rigorous “stage” I had scheduled for the following day, which spanned from noon until 11:30 PM. For those unfamiliar, a “stage” (pronounced “stahj”) is essentially an unpaid internship or a trial period in a professional kitchen. It’s an indispensable part of a chef’s training, providing aspiring cooks with real-world experience, the chance to learn specialized techniques, and the opportunity to demonstrate their skills to potential employers. Often, a successful stage leads directly to formal externship or employment offers.

I am absolutely thrilled to share that my efforts paid off significantly: I received another externship offer! This is a momentous milestone in my culinary journey, representing a tangible recognition of my hard work, dedication, and potential within the industry. While I’m incredibly excited about this new prospect, I’m still committed to exploring all my options by staging at a few other esteemed restaurants before making a final decision. Each professional kitchen offers a unique learning environment, distinct culinary philosophy, and different mentors, and I want to ensure I choose the path that best aligns with my long-term career goals and deepest learning objectives. The process of weighing these incredible opportunities, considering everything from kitchen culture and menu style to potential mentorship and future growth, is both thrilling and a little daunting. However, time is of the essence, as the deadline for making my decision is steadily approaching on May 22nd, adding an element of urgency to this exciting phase.

I am eagerly looking forward to sharing more details about these ongoing staging experiences and the ultimate decision-making process in upcoming posts. Stay tuned for deeper insights into the professional kitchens I visit and the invaluable lessons I learn along the way as I navigate this pivotal period in my culinary training!

Back to School: Early Mornings and New Culinary Collaborations

Waking up at 5:15 AM after getting home past midnight the previous night was, to put it mildly, a significant challenge. There have been very few times in my life I’ve looked forward to going to school *less* than that particular morning! The initial hours felt a bit hazy, a struggle against the lingering exhaustion from a jam-packed weekend. Yet, as the day progressed, and the familiar rhythm of the professional kitchen took over, things started looking up dramatically. By the time service ended, the day had proven to be far more productive and enjoyable than I had anticipated, reminding me of the sheer dedication required to thrive in this demanding field.

A notable development was the assignment of our new partner for the next month. I’ll be working closely with Blanca, and I’m genuinely excited about the prospect of this new collaboration. It’s always an interesting adjustment to work with different individuals in a high-pressure environment like a professional kitchen, adapting to new communication styles, workflows, and individual strengths. This is especially true after getting used to a particular dynamic with a previous partner. Despite this change, I’m pleased to report that our service ran remarkably smoothly, which is always a positive sign and a testament to our adaptability. A harmonious and efficient kitchen, even with new pairings, is absolutely crucial for maintaining both quality and speed under pressure.

Mastering Classic Techniques with a Modern Twist in Culinary School

Refined Eggs Benedict: A Culinary Evolution

Our first course for the day was a beautifully refined interpretation of the classic **Eggs Benedict**. While we’ve tackled Eggs Benedict in Phase I of our program, this version represented a significant leap in technique, presentation, and ingredient selection. We meticulously shaped the English muffins into perfect, uniform rounds, elevating the aesthetic appeal of the dish considerably. Instead of the traditional Canadian bacon, we opted for thinly sliced pancetta, which we crisped to perfection in the oven. This substitution not only added a delightful savory crunch but also introduced a deeper, richer umami flavor profile. To introduce a fresh, aromatic element, we also incorporated perfectly pan-roasted tomato slices, which provided a subtle acidity and a touch of sweetness, harmonizing wonderfully with the richness of the hollandaise sauce and the perfectly poached eggs. This dish truly showcased the progression of our skills from basic foundations to more sophisticated culinary execution.

The Elegance of Salmon Millefeuille: Layers of Flavor

For our main course, we created a stunning and intricate **millefeuille of salmon**. The term “millefeuille,” meaning “thousand layers” in French, usually brings to mind delicate pastry, but in savory applications, it refers to a dish constructed with many thin, alternating layers of ingredients to create both visual appeal and textural complexity. Our rendition was a delicate yet robust composition featuring layers of vibrant, perfectly cooked salmon, savory blinis, and expertly sautéed spinach and mushrooms. The entire dish was brought together with a luscious and aromatic lemon and dill **beurre blanc** sauce, providing a creamy, tangy finish.

• The Blinis: These traditional Russian savory pancakes, often served as an appetizer with crème fraîche and caviar, formed the foundational and intermediate layers of our millefeuille. To make our blinis truly special and infuse them with additional flavor and texture, we enriched the batter with a vibrant medley of finely chopped spring onion, sweet roasted corn kernels, a hint of spicy jalapeño for a subtle kick, and fresh chives. This combination added complexity, a delightful textural contrast, and a bright, herbaceous freshness that truly elevated the dish beyond its traditional form.
• The Salmon: We carefully pan-seared thinly sliced portions of salmon to achieve a tender, flaky texture on the interior with a beautifully crisp, golden exterior. Precision in slicing and cooking ensured each delicate layer was cooked to perfection, contributing to the “thousand layers” effect.
• Spinach and Mushrooms: Lightly sautéed until just tender, these vegetables provided an earthy and slightly sweet counterpoint to the richness of the salmon and blinis. They added both vibrant color and essential nutrients, creating a balanced flavor profile within the layers.
• Lemon and Dill Beurre Blanc: This classic emulsified butter sauce, renowned for its rich, velvety texture and tangy profile, was infused with bright lemon zest and juice, along with the aromatic freshness of dill. It served as the sophisticated and complementary element that seamlessly tied all the individual components of the millefeuille together, enhancing their flavors without overpowering them.

As a final touch and elegant garnish, we fried some incredibly thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms until they were perfectly crisp. These not only added an appealing crunch but also imparted a wonderful umami depth to the dish. Though I’ve often mentioned my personal reservation about dill as a dominant flavor, this particular dish was an exception. It was exceptionally well-executed, proving that when expertly balanced and thoughtfully incorporated, even ingredients I’m not traditionally fond of can shine brilliantly and contribute to a truly harmonious culinary creation. The sophisticated harmony of flavors and textures in this salmon millefeuille was truly a testament to advanced culinary techniques and thoughtful ingredient pairing.

A Sophisticated Dessert: Fresh Fruit with Red Wine Sauce

To conclude our elaborate meal, we prepared a delightful and sophisticated dessert: an elegant assortment of fresh fruits—succulent strawberries, perfectly segmented orange suprêmes (where all pith and membranes are meticulously removed for a clean presentation), and plump, sweet raspberries—all bathed in a warm, aromatic red wine sauce. (Please excuse the slightly blurry photograph; it hardly does justice to the vibrant colors and appealing textures of the finished dish!)

The creation of this sauce was a fascinating lesson in building complex flavors through reduction and infusion. We started by combining a quality red wine with a touch of sugar and a medley of carefully selected aromatics: fragrant black peppercorns for a subtle spice, exotic star anise for its licorice-like notes, sweet raspberry preserves to enhance the fruit component, and a warm cinnamon stick for depth. This mixture was gently brought to a boil and then allowed to slowly reduce, which concentrated its flavors beautifully and thickened it slightly to a perfect nappe consistency (thick enough to coat the back of a spoon). Just before serving, a small amount of port wine was added, imparting an extra layer of richness, a deeper fruit note, and a touch of fortified sweetness. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from a warm red wine sauce served with fresh fruit, but the result was surprisingly exquisite – a beautiful balance of sweet, tart, and elegantly spiced notes that married wonderfully with the fresh fruit.

To add a final, unexpected touch and a burst of herbaceous freshness that brightened the entire dessert, we garnished it with a delicate sprinkling of basil chiffonade (finely shredded basil leaves). The aromatic basil provided a surprising yet delightful counterpoint to the rich sauce and sweet fruit. And of course, no sophisticated fruit dessert would be truly complete without a generous scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream, providing a cool, soothing contrast to the warm, spiced sauce and the vibrant freshness of the fruit.

Anticipating Tomorrow: Pork Belly and the First Wine Education Class

The afternoon session in the kitchen was dedicated to preparing for tomorrow’s menu, which promises another exciting culinary challenge: **pork belly**. This incredibly versatile ingredient requires meticulous preparation to achieve that coveted balance of incredibly crispy skin, succulent, tender meat, and perfectly rendered fat. I’m eager to delve into the various techniques involved in preparing pork belly and to discover what creative dish we’ll be constructing around it. The complexities of working with different cuts of meat, understanding their characteristics, and transforming them into exquisite dishes are always a highlight in our ongoing culinary training, pushing us to master new skills.

Adding to the excitement, tomorrow afternoon also marks our very first **wine class**! As aspiring chefs and future culinary professionals, understanding wine pairings, recognizing regional varietals, and appreciating the nuances of different vintages is just as crucial as mastering cooking techniques. It’s a fundamental aspect of creating a truly complete and elevated dining experience, allowing us to expertly guide guests through food and beverage harmonies. We are all incredibly excited to begin this new, sophisticated facet of our education, which will undoubtedly broaden our horizons and deepen our appreciation for the art of gastronomy. This class represents a significant step towards becoming well-rounded and knowledgeable culinary professionals, ready to curate unforgettable dining moments.

Rest and Reflection: The Life of a Culinary Student

In a sincere effort to finally catch up on some much-needed sleep after this incredibly demanding yet profoundly fulfilling weekend, I’ll be cutting this post a little short and heading straight to bed. The life of a culinary student is a constant juggle of intense learning, creative execution, and essential recovery, but every moment, even the most exhausting ones, is a valuable step closer to realizing my passion and achieving my culinary dreams. The journey is rigorous, but the rewards are immeasurable, encompassing new skills, unique experiences, and a deeper understanding of the world of food.

I hope everyone else had a truly great and relaxing weekend, perhaps with a bit less culinary intensity!