Salad Day in Buffet & Catering Class at Le Cordon Bleu Was Scary

photo 1 (1)Tuesday was the first production day for buffet & catering class at Le Cordon Bleu. I arrived almost one hour before school started to make sure my spot for the next six weeks would be located on the end of the back row, which is beside none other than— the oven. Please do not tell anyone, but I was terrified of that fateful day, which is also known as— salad day.

Who is afraid of salad day after one year in culinary school? This is a travesty to culinary schools everywhere. Being afraid of salad day is pitiful and should come with mandatory punishment. I felt sorry for my partner because I was her partner. She actually switched classes the very next day. We both had to make two salads and then help make two of the third salad, which mathematically means we were to end up with a total of six salads. I was in charge of the Cobb salad while she worked on a warm spinach & bacon salad. The third was a Nicoise salad.

Things I had to do in order to finish two tiny Cobb salad plates should boggle every culinary  mind in our galaxy. It wasn’t like throwing a Caesar together with some croutons. Do not underestimate the terrific amount of terror experienced from all the work necessary to complete this salad before prompt presentation at 12:30pm.

There were 37 ingredients in the Nicoise and  Cobb salad process the other day. A vinaigrette had to be made, roquefort dressing, sherry vinegar dressing, seared tuna, all sorts of cutting this and that, along with the fluff that goes with the now massively overrated Cobb salad. Mr. Cobb has officially hurt my feelings. And why is someone saying roquefort? What is up with that? I had to sneak under the table to talk to Google about this. Throw a bone. And P.S. — avocados make me sad. Getting tutoring in all things avocado is in the near future. I thought dealing with artichokes was a bother. Avocados that aren’t quite ready will quickly let everyone know.

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If anyone saw a copy of my sheet-protector-protected production schedule, I’d go into hiding for as long as bears hibernate. Not only is it in a larger font than it should be, it lists things everyone should already know. Who has to be reminded to start boiling water? There are eggs and potatoes and one tomato. Come on. When is the confidence arriving? It’s like an explosion of scariness around my area of the classroom and kitchen.

My production schedule was spastic. This should take the fright out of sight. After one year of culinary school this is seriously serious. It would be great if people remember I never cooked until three weeks before school started. Waiting tables and bartending will never make anyone a kitchen winner.

I saw my long lost friend, Hannah, in the hall five minutes after salad day and quickly felt that telling her salad day scared me was the right thing to do. She was baffled beyond belief. “Why are you scared of salad day?” I mean,  she even likes me and was wondering why anyone’s afraid of salad day at Le Cordon Bleu.

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Tomorrow is sandwich production day. My chef teacher asked everyone to volunteer for a dish today. Notice the lame things my name is pleasantly placed beside. Who does this? Me, that’s who. Eww. My coleslaw slash mixed green salad slash vinaigrette production schedule for buffet tomorrow is the bomb if you are in Foundations I class. All I want for Christmas is a little more confidence in the kitchen. That’s all.

 

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