My Rollercoaster Ride

Wow, it's only been 2 days in culinary school and I think I've gone through every emotion possible...

Adrenaline waking up on the first day.
Anxiety before entering the classroom.  
Excitement receiving my knife kit and my uniform with my name embroidered on it.
Confusion trying to orient myself in a huge, wholly unfamiliar kitchen. 
Uncertainty tackling the first menu item on my own. 
Amazement tasting food prepared by the chefs.
Complete and utter disappointment as my onions turn into mush and fail to caramelize, compromising the integrity of my soup.  
Jealousy as a classmate's soup turns out perfect.
Triumph as my quiche dough rolls out seamlessly.
Empathy as a classmate doesn't experience the same luck.
Panic as it's almost time to serve lunch and I have yet to start my salad preparation.
Gratitude when someone lends a hand.
Relief once the meals are served.
Exhaustion once cleanup is complete.
Surprise at how much I've  managed to learn in such a small amount of time already.

It sounds cliche but it really is like a rollercoaster ride... you're just going with the flow, not sure of what turns are up ahead... wondering if you'll end up climbing or plummeting next.  But by the end of the day, you're left with a feeling of relief, exhilaration, and accomplishment.

Anyway, more details on culinary school coming... as well as an update on my Christmas break.  For now, let's all celebrate the fact that tomorrow is Friday!

oo,

Booked Up

Some of you may recall an earlier post where I planned to double the number of books I had read up to that point last year (14 books).  Well, now the year is over and I am just shy of my goal.  But that's OK.  I'm not going to cry about it.  In fact, I have a whole new list of books I plan to read in 2011 with the intention of doubling last year's total.  That's right.  When I fall off the horse, I get right back on.  (If you know me well, stop laughing).

So here are the 12 books I did manage to read:

★★★★★ The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Beautifully written book about a boy raised by ghosts in a graveyard.  It's a cross between Casper the Friendly Ghost and The Jungle Book.
★★★★☆ Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany by Bill Buford
Interesting auto-biographical account of a writer who works for free for a year in Mario Batali's restaurant and then travels to Italy to learn the art of pasta-making and butchery.  
★★★★☆ Becoming a Chef by Andrew Dorenburg and Karen Page
A compilation of successful chefs' experiences and their advice on surviving as a cook, offering an inside perspective on what it means to be a chef.
★★★★☆ Fire by Kristin Cashore
A prequel to the book Graceling.  It transports you to another world entirely-- one too complicated to explain in a simple tagline.
★★★★★ The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The moving story of a little girl who turns to books to escape the hardships of Nazi Germany.
★★★☆☆ Artemis Fowl: Book 1 by Eoin Colfer
A quirky and humorous book in which an evil boy genius plots to steal treasure from fairies.
★★★★☆ The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Cute and cuddly.  These are the classic Winnie the Pooh tales that make you smile and want to reach for a jar of honey.
★★★★☆ Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan
Offers simple yet clever guidelines to help steer you towards healthy, wholesome eating.  This is eating as it should be.  
★★★☆☆ Kaimira: The Sky Village: Book One by Monk Ashland and Nigel Ashland
A futuristic story in which a Chinese village made entirely of hot air balloons floats precariously over a war-torn world where beasts and machines fight for dominance. 
★★★★☆ The Giver by Lois Lowry
A boy raised in a utopian society gets his first dose of pain and suffering after being named Receiver of Memories and discovers that his society may not be perfect after all.
★★★☆☆ What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell
A collection of interesting articles (some more interesting than others) addressing various conundrums and phenomena in our society, all written by Gladwell for the New Yorker.  
★★★☆☆ Shanghai Girls: A Novel by Lisa See
The story of two sisters and their arranged marriages to Chinese American brothers.  It offers a historical look at China from the Japanese Occupation through the Cultural Revolution and its effect on the immigrant Chinese community in Los Angeles. 


Looking back, I realize now that I read a lot of really great books in 2010.  I can't choose a favorite, but I will say that the books I probably read the most obsessively were the Hunger Games/Catching Fire/Mockingjay series (even though they did contain their share of flaws).

Now onto tackling my first book of 2011, which looks like it's going to be Julia Child's My Life in France.


oo,

Top Ten of 2010

I meant to have this post up before the New Year, but alas, it's already January 2nd.  My family is such a distraction!  (more on that later)

Anyway, although it has already passed, I want to give the proper reflection and goodbye to 2010.  And since I am and always will be a list person, here is my--

TOP 10 MOMENTS OF 2010    


10. Snowpocalypse

It hit DC hard.  For some, electricity was out for days.  Grocery aisles were emptied (check out these photos to see what I mean).  Metro rails were shut down.  The federal government closed for 5 days in a row.  And I beat the entire game of Donkey Kong Country (the old school version) on my own.

9.  Moving to the 'burbs

I got a working kitchen with actual countertops, a balcony with a lovely view overlooking a construction site, temperature control, and proximity to all the Korean food I could want.

8. National Geographic Explorer: 25 Years
It was an honor to work on such a long-running, highly regarded documentary series, and earlier this year I helped "Explorer" deliver their 2 hour long 25 Year Anniversary special, highlighting some of their most memorable shows.  Patrick and I also attended the premiere party where former host Lisa Ling was a guest speaker.  Here is a music video I found on their webpage that gives a glimpse of some of the shows featured in the special:


7.  Chuseok in Korea

It was great returning for the first time since I taught there in 2007.  But my grandmother called me out on not studying Korean at all since I left.  So my New Years resolution this year will be to study Korean!

6.  Family Reunion in Colorado
Every year Patrick's (maternal) extended family vacations together.  This year we were in Breckenridge, CO where we participated in feeding frenzies, white water rafting, endless games, and a beautiful bike ride around this lake--

5.  The Shuttle Launch  

Earlier this year I traveled with Patrick and his parents to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida to watch the Space Shuttle Atlantis launch for its final mission (actually there are talks that they might launch it again pending the decision from Congress to fund it).

4.  My Parents' Visit to DC  
I've already said plenty about this here and here.  My favorites have to be the Natural History Museum dinner and touring the White House for the first time.

3.  Jordan and Lindsey's Wedding  

I got a new sister-in-law this year and couldn't be happier for my big brother!

2. 1st Anniversary in New York  
Patrick and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary with a trip to New York where we visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, had dinner at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, saw Promises, Promises on Broadway, and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.

1. Applying to Culinary School
Although I don't start culinary school for 2 more days, it will always be this year that I finally made the decision to don an apron, trade in my pens and stapler for a set of knives, and leave my cubicle to hang out in a kitchen :)

Who knows what craziness 2011 has in store for any of us?  For now, let's all enjoy the New Year!

oo,