Hallelujah, Hollandaise

I survived my first practical exam!

What exactly does a practical exam entail?  I, too, was burdened by this mystery.

My apprehension was unmistakeable the night before the test as I dreamed the same dream I always dream whenever I am anxious about something:  I am back in high school, I've forgotten my locker combination, and I have no idea what my next class is and where it is located.  (And then once I do somehow make it to class, I have not completed any of my homework.)

Pathetic, I know.  Actually in my defense, I heard on the Today Show that this is one of the most common recurring dreams that people experience.  It is because of this dream that I always choose padlocks that require a key and not a combination (including the one I have on my culinary school locker right now).  But I digress.

I knew for the exam we would be tested on our skills in the kitchen.  The chef would write certain menu items on the board that we would have to complete by ourselves within a certain timeframe.  What I couldn't predict was how successful I would be at executing them.  Let's be honest-- at this infantile stage of my culinary career, the success of a dish is quite hit or miss.

At least with written tests there is a reasonable distinction between a right and wrong answer, and I can usually gauge the likelihood of an answer being correct.  And at the very least, I am confident in my ability to wield a pencil and form complete sentences.  But with cooking, taste is more or less subjective and it is often a challenge trying to identify a "right or wrong" taste.

This stock requires another bay leaf!  Really?

Also, there are so many variables to consider (timing, taste, temperature, texture, technique, proportion, presentation, seasoning, etc.) and far too much that can go wrong.  The real issue I have is preparing all items to be served at exactly the same time -- ensuring that hot items stay hot but don't overcook, cold items stay cold, and emulsified items stay emulsified.  Any misstep (like a forgotten ingredient or the wrong temperature setting) can ruin an entire dish.  And frankly I still quietly fear for myself and those around me while I am handling a knife.  Just kidding, not really.  But yes, kind of.

So you can imagine all these thoughts running through my head the day of the exam.  For some reason, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking slightly as I attempted to tourne my potatoes (i.e. cutting them into a football shape with 7 equal sides rotating around), despite the fact that I had practiced with a 5 lb bag over the weekend.  Here is what they are supposed to look like:

And just as it had done again over the weekend, I was sure my Hollandaise sauce would morph into an irreparable sludge the moment I stepped away from it.

Well, in the end, everything turned out OK.  I finished on time (just barely) and the worst criticism I received was that my rice needed more salt and my carrots needed to be squared off.  In the broad spectrum of things that could have gone wrong, I can certainly live with under-seasoned rice and crooked carrots :)

The most glorious moment of the day -- my Hollandaise sauce received nods of approval.  The emulsion did not break, the seasoning was fine, and it was served warm as it was supposed to be.  While I played it cool, not gonna lie, I was silently rejoicing.

oo,