Friday, October 1, 2010

September 24, 2010
CULN 270
Reflection 5

In my second reflection in this competition course I wrote about the idea of the Chinese word weiji, which I saw as opportunities gained within danger or challenges. I couldn’t have predicted what exactly my challenges would be. But, as it turned out one of our challenges would be the relationships building within our group.

During the first few weeks there were definitely differences of opinions when we were given tasks that required creativity, and there were issues about work habits. Eventually, the group was split in half because of comfort levels between our four members. Those differences finally built up to an inevitable fracturing point. Personally, I would’ve ignored it, and remained quietly frustrated for the next four weeks, until the end of the module; a trait I should consider dealing with if I’m going to manage people one day as a chef. But, thankfully one member came forward and expressing his frustrations. I believe his frustrations were exactly what we were all feeling, but not being completely upfront about it – we were not the team we needed to be just yet.

On the first day of the following week we agreed on a team meeting with Chef Alan. Initially it was a little uncomfortable, but Chef’s calm personality set the tone. It was a great conversation, and everyone got to speak their heart. My contribution to the conversation was that relationship building is always challenging, and as a group that’s randomly put together, the chances of conflict is almost a guaranty. We fell into a comfort zone where we were comfortable and clique-ish with one team member, and we needed to break through that comfort zone. I’m reminded of a quote from Pastor Groeschel, and that is, “The path to your greatest potential is straight through your greatest fear.” To even start being a better team we had to face those fears of connecting to someone that we were uncomfortable with, or felt that we didn’t relate to.

I’m thankful, that we had that meeting – it broke that communication barrier, and it opened each of our doors to a greater potential. In due time, because this week was the first week of our skills salon and cooking phase. Honestly, I wasn’t completely prepared – due to the “turn and burn” of my school and work schedule. And if our team didn't pull it together we could have bombed in many ways. We may have been able to pull off similar scores, but our biggest success was how we bonded as a team as our efforts, patience, and hearts opened up to each other. It was awesome!

A personal success for me was spiritual. Three minutes before we had to start our first attempt at the cooking phase, I offered a huddle and a short prayer. I'm very touched that our team was open to that. I feel that God was speaking to me to not only look to Him for my own personal goals, but that there was an opportunity to honor Him and look toward Him for the success of our team. Honestly, that was uncomfortable for me to do, but I’m always reminded of that clip of Chef Lance Nitahara praying with his kitchen team on the Food Network show Chopped. At that second, I broke through that fear, and everyone huddled up. Awesome! And on day two of our cooking phase we did it again! We huddled up, shoulder to shoulder, with our heads and hearts bowed. I said a prayer thanking God for blessing us with this passion and ability to cook, and asked that he give us wisdom, patience, and speed. God is good, and so was our scores! Praise the Lord!
September 17, 2010
CULN 207
Weekly Reflection 4

Coming into the fundamentals of competition I was under the assumption that competition was about cooking; flavor profiles, skills, and technique. Of course it’s all that, but there’s a whole component to it that was quite vague to me – the whole set of skills that’s involved in producing a cold platter.

The skills needed to develop a cold platter for competition is of course the most important skills necessary in this industry, and that is to cook. But the cold platter takes that to a whole new level. Not only do you need to understand the fundamentals of cooking, but you also need to be creative to the point of pushing the bar, and very, very critical of yourself. And personally, despite all the necessary skills and attitudes of a team, what’s ironic is that what’s least necessary in a competition team is a competitive nature.

The cold platter that our group was in charge of was to create a salmon “teardrop “terrine with accompanying garnishes and salad. When we chose the protein among the other proteins (reindeer and red snapper being the other choices) it seemed challenging enough for our group. (And out of all honesty, I don’t think I could’ve handled much more that that personally and as a team.) I honestly didn’t understand the concept of the particular teardrop terrine; I didn’t understand how we were to do it, or what exactly we were doing with it. I was quite oblivious to the whole concept of this section of competition. After our task was explained more in depth I better understood that not only would we be doing this preparation as a competition skill, but that we’d also be doing this for our Ho’okipa function to actually be cooked, served, and eaten.

So, the first step was to create flavor profiles; what was going to work with salmon? This was not only a challenging task, but it was also educating. The resource we relied on for flavors was the book The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary by contributing authors Andrew Dornenburg, Karen Page. This is an excellent resource that I could get just as lost in as I did in Escoffier. In the end of our team’s research we came up with: a salmon teardrop with a scallop and chive mousseline center with a champagne vinaigrette, an arranged salad of asparagus, artichoke heart, and red onion with a grapefruit vodka vinaigrette, and lastly pineapple compote in a lavosh cup garnish.

After the developing phase we were happy with the results – everything came together and flavors worked well. The next step was the “glazing”. Now, I’ve heard of this term being used, but I didn’t know the mechanics of glazing. So, this was a completely new skill I learned this week, and any additional knowledge (even though this particular end product is inedible) will impact of my overall success in life as a cook and chef. I realized this when I took my camera to work and showed Town Restaurant cook Mark Noguchi and Chef Dave Caldiero; they both new of this aspect of the culinary industry and had helpful critiques of it, and then they both joked and asked how it tasted.

Although neither of them got fully engaged in competition they obviously are aware of the skill, and I’m sure if needed they could pull it off as well. What would’ve really changed my view of the competition course and it’s relation to the industry is if they had no idea of what terrines, and the skill of cold platter and glazing was. But now knowing all the skill, creativeness, understanding of flavors, and extreme attention to details it takes in competition, I have a newly developed understanding and appreciation to the culinary competition industry.
September 10, 2010
CULN 270
Weekly Reflection 3

Structure; everything needs it; conceptually and physically. Obviously, food and recipes need structure. Without appropriate structure a sauce may break because the roux wasn’t developed enough, a dish may taste off because the flavors aren’t balanced, or if a recipe isn’t properly performed it just will not work. Life needs structure as well. One can’t simply work hard all their life – rest, exercise, nourishment, relationships, and spiritual sustenance are also necessary in life. As I journey through my culinary education and career, I’m constantly stumbling, learning, and reflecting on how I can make all these things work. This semester I decided to push myself by taking 20 credits. I did this for a few reasons. One is because I’m in school on borrowed time and it’s being funded with borrowed money. I don’t have the finances to be in school for as long as I’d like, so getting it done with as fast as possible is important. And the funds are coming from the graciousness of others. And if I decide to continue my education at the Culinary Institute of America, more time and more funds are needed. But another question is if time and funds are available can I honor it academically? One thing that I need to constantly be aware of is structure. Structure and organization in my life allows for me to be healthy while still being successful in school. I can honestly say I don’t have it down, and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to regain it – something here is definitely falling short. But, this semester is all about challenging myself and my faith, and of course, I don’t plan to slack on the integrity of either.

Structure is an important element in team work as well. During this week’s activities, our teams work successes took a step in two different directions. In reflection, I notice that when creativity is required, such as with the Escoffier dish, and the canapé dish, it’s an episode of Head Bangers Ball. However, when there was the task of cooking the hot appetizer and composing the salad, the team was able to function much better. It just goes to show that in our situation, the structure was the idea, dish, or particular task given – the creativity was already taken care of. All that had to be done was the work.

Understandably, everyone has their own ideas and relationship with food. However, just like the week before when we had to create the Escoffier dish there were too many opinions, indecision, and emotions involved. When there was another task to create something – this time it was the canapé – I could it see it all happing again. It’s definitely challenging being put in this random group. I have no reason to hold my ground just so that my ideas have the chance to shine. In this particular group, it’s necessary to me that I give my input, but it’s also important that everyone get’s a chance to have their idea’s and skills challenged or given a chance (unless of course their idea is salmon, strawberries, and shoyu?). As I continue to work with this group throughout the next few weeks, I will continue to take this stand of being fair to others ideas while still giving my ideas a chance as well. Working as a team is no doubt, a challenge – I see the challenge come to real life at work all the time! But, it’s inevitable, and I feel I need to always remain humble and respectful of those around me.
September 3, 2003
CULN 270
Weekly Reflection 2


One thing that I was reminded of at the end of this week was the Chinese character 危機 (weiji). Wei means danger and ji means opportunity. There’s a lot of translations and understanding of this word and its translations, but I was reminded of this because of it’s general understanding (or misunderstanding) of the word. When I think weiji, the combination of danger and opportunity, I believe there’s always opportunities where ever there are challenging times – even times where there could be actual danger involved.

Competition is obviously challenging in many ways. Personally, I see it as more than a competition between two or more parties; competing to see who’s smarter, faster, and stronger. Neither do I see it as an avenue to fuel an adrenaline rush, gain notoriety, or even a gold medal. Given, that all exixts in there, but more importantly I see competition as an opportunity – an opportunity to expose weakness’, to bring out the better in others, and most importantly for me, to honor God. It’s my belief that real opportunities aren’t just handed to you – you walk through some of the greatest challenges before they present themselves.

This week presented a few opportunities to specifically gain knowledge and skill as the future 2011 competition team develops – whom ever they may be. A few things that came to me as a challenge this week was dealing with the different personalities, different skills, different knowledge, and temperaments. Whew! I tend to take things as they come, try to flow with it, and maintain the peace – that’s my personality. One person is more verbal and directive, one person is sensitive, and one person is seemingly non-directive. None of these alone are particularly better than another, they’re just what people are made of, and I think that it’s what a team will be made of to create some kind of balance – as unbalanced as it sounds. And truly in a real work place there’s going to have a mix of personalities, and everyone can either learn to deal with it appropriately, or quit and learn absolutely nothing in life. In our Escoffier dish team those personalities and reactions where definitely present and healthfully flowing. Most times we disagreed; sometimes we just had to agree to disagree. In the end, however, when our dish was on the plate, it was a pretty good accomplishment considering the challenges including the team, time, and our resources. More importantly, the class as a whole brought together all of their own teams frustrations, whatever they might have been, and we brought together a greater accomplishment of creating a team oriented dish. Although, I’ve still got my own personal preferences on the dish, it’s still awesome to think that the knowledge and experiences of twelve individuals helped create the dish that will go to nationals. That dish I hope will continue to evolve and become perfection, but again, I know that will not be achieved without conscious effort and the inevitable challenges along the way.

But, sometimes God just blesses you with a great day! A day such as when we figured out the daunting task of removing the tendons of the chicken leg! For me, this was a reminder that humility and patience will be rewarded. That particular day was exciting for me because of the fact that we’d be deconstructing chicken. Ever since taking Chef Dale Thomas’ butchery class last fall I always get excited when I have the opportunity to butcher any meat whether it be chicken, fish, pig, beef – whatever. But, chickens the cheapest to play with and the most available, so I’m always trying to get better at cutting chicken. At work I deconstruct chickens when I can a case at a time, so I may have a little more experience than most of my peers, but each time I’m trying to understand my way around the chicken with my knife.

When I first picked up my chicken I was eager to put my training to the test. I thought it would be an easy task – despite the issue with removing the tendons. But, whenever you think you know something, you quickly find out you don’t know as much as you think you know. The tendon situation brought my momentum to a halt. It was frustrating to say the least, so all I could do was take my time. But, as I worked on that chicken leg that was turning warm in my hands, I just stopped to think it through. I knew the tendons moved up through the leg, it started at one end, and ended at another. I just had to figure out how to get to it. And eventually I did! I was able to share the information with the class, and ultimately assisted in figuring out that darn chicken leg for the 2011 KCC competition team!
August 27, 2010
Culinary Competition I
Weekly Reflection 1

Coming into Culinary Competition with Chef Alan Tsuchiyama was pretty exciting. The whole idea of competing, being at the center of attention, crowds, judges, and medals are pretty exciting. But in all honesty, the thought of all that gives me a little anxiety attack. But, after taking a breath, it’s of course all still pretty exciting. But none of those “wow” factors come without sacrifice and a lot of hard work. So, ultimately I came into Culinary Competition to humbly research this idea of culinary competition.

I all honestly wouldn’t have registered for the culinary competition class if it weren’t for the encouragement of Chef Frank Leake, and the befriending of Chef Lance Nitahara. Maybe these chefs recognized my appreciation of high standards, maybe it was my belief that your only as good as your fundamental skills, or maybe God’s giving me an opportunity. Whatever the end outcome is of this next fifteen weeks, I’m here to see where this boat takes me.

This week we got a sneak peak at what an ACF salon is like, what caliber of personal skill you should attain for, and what is required of a team like this. The American Culinary Federation’s Skills Salon has several components to it, but this week we naturally started out with knife skills – julienne 4 ounces of potato, small dice an onion, tournée eight carrots, and concassé two tomatoes. I’m always my worst critic, and I think that’s good – it just pushes me to better myself – but my few performances frustrates me. Although I sometimes improved a little after each trial, I was still frustrated because I know it’s those little fractions of a point, one goal, a few seconds, or a few millimeters is what some teams loose to. At the moment it’s hard to find that balance of patience (allowing time to practice and develop) and having that feeling of “yes! I got it!” But, as Chef Alan says, “Only perfect practice makes perfect.”

I think that some of things that I should take advantage of while practicing my cuts is to utilize my ruler. All this week I insisted on not using my ruler because I stubbornly wanted to “get it” on my own. But, to my frustration, I was always a few millimeters off. So, I should probably back up, use my ruler while I can, and retrain myself how to gauge a true 2 inches, ¼ inche, and 1/8 inche. And even though I may be able to get away with it in a competition, why settle for mediocre? And just as Chef Alan mentioned, the KCC team always strives for the highest standard possible.

At the end of this first week we watched the movie Miracle’s – a movie about the USA hockey team that won the Olympics in 1980 against the dominate Russian team. This movie really made me think about the sacrifices made to attain something you want badly. Not only that, but also the importance of communicating your goals to receive the support that’s needed. The movie showed me that a great team isn’t just made of individual talent, but of talented individuals that are homogonous, they are able to ebb and flow, they push each other as well as carry each other, and they share a common goal – that makes up a great team.

Week one has gone by fairly quickly, but there’s a lot to learn in the next seven weeks, and skills to continue to develope I look forward to the next week as my team mates Eddie Mafnas, Brad Nagasako, and Brandee Meinell develop our Escoffier menu, learn how to work with each other, and find that ebb and flow.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Reflecting on Hawaiian Values from Managing with Aloha by Rosa Say

The following writing is probably the main reason why I decided to take HOST 290 - Hospitality Management - whether I pursue my Certificate of Achievement or Associates degree at Kapiolani Community College. Growing up in Hawaii you hear a lot of these words, but unless you're actually surrounded by Hawaiian culture (which I was not) you really don't know the true meaning. I think all I was familiar with was phrases like aloha, mahalo, malama ka aina, and kokua. (Funny story about "kokua" is that people who were new to the island used to think kokua meant trash because it used to be printed on a lot of garbage cans (back when garbage cans were actually cans). However, kokua actually means to care. And it was printed "please kokua" meaning please care for our environment by putting the trash where it belongs.)
But, I love how a Hawaiian word is more than it's simplest meaning. The author Rosa Say says that Hawaiian words are less words to have more meaning - meanings that are rich and valuable to all cultures.
I hope that as I write my reflections on these Hawaiian values, people who happen to be reading (who I hope it's not because you have nothing better to do) are able to see what these values mean to them, and are able to honestly translate it to their life or culture.
(This assignment will be written in three installments of six values each. Enjoy, and a hui hou (untill we meet again)! :D )

Aloha
• Aloha is love; like the kind of love shared between two people. It’s unconditional, unbiased, and it should be shared with all the life that surrounds you - from people like you and I, and to the environment we live in as well. It’s unselfish kindness, and gentleness, its compassion, and it shows respect for life. When I think of aloha, the first thing that comes to my mind is my grandmother. She was full of aloha. Because of her natural sense of aloha toward family, friends, and strangers she had a life that is to be admired and one to aspire to achieve.
• Aloha is important in the hospitality industry, or any business for that matter, simply because it is the business of relationships. Aloha is necessary so that a homogenous work place can exist where everyone from the bottom line to the top line can work together toward a common goal. Aloha is also necessary when meeting new guests or making new business partnerships. There are many others offering similar services or products, but people will always return for those that serve or produce with genuine aloha.


Ho’ohana
• When we ho’ohana we work with passion and the intention of fulfilling a purpose. When we find something we’re passionate about we work to make a difference. The difference could be big or small. It could be applied to a short or long term goal. But the difference between just doing a job, and doing it passionately will always be because it was carried out with ho’ohana. When I returned back to school to pursue a culinary career my goal at the time was to be a chef and have a restaurant. But, as I began to see more opportunities in this industry I began to realize that I can do more in this industry than just cook. I realized that with my passion and talents I can live a more fulfilling life by making a difference – possibly helping my church, my community, and those in need.
• Ho’ohana is important in the hospitality industry because when you work with intention and with meaningful purpose you will enjoy your work – and as they say, never work a day in your life. It’s also important as a manager to motivate and teach people to come to work with this an attitude of Ho’ohana, so that they too can have satisfaction in their work.


‘Imi ola
• ‘Imi ola is to make the best out of ones life. ‘Imi ola is a value found when you have ho’ohana. When you find that one thing that you’re passionate about you don’t want to settle for the lowest quality of that – instead you want to make it the best it can be. We are all given a special life to do the most we can with it. My friend’s father passed away recently – an amazing man who lived a rewarding life after living through the great depression, war, 3 pneumonia’s, and lung cancer. One of the grandsons spoke at his funeral of all the stories and lessons he learned from his grandfather. One lesson he emotionally spoke of was his grandfather telling him, “Don’t smoke. It’s a waste of time. Don’t waste your time. Make the best out of your life.” Words from the wise, ‘Imi ola.
• ‘Imi ola is important to the hospitality industry because it drives us to do our jobs well – on a daily basis as well as on a long term basis. If we do jobs well daily – technically as well as sharing aloha with guests and our fellow workers - we are making the best out of our day. Inevitably a good attitude and sound choices will deliver equally valuable opportunities.


Ho’omau
• Ho’omau is the value that teaches us to persist and continue on. Even where there is passion and ho’ohana (purpose) there will still come a time where you face challenges, and you’ll have to ho’omau, or courageously and faithfully push yourself to through. The same day I ready the chapter on ho’omau in “Managing with Aloha” by Rosa Say, I also watched a message delivered by Craig Groeschel of Life Church on the internet. Pastor Groeschel’s message was titled “The path to your greatest potential is straight through your greatest fear.” I thought that that was so true, and while listening to the message I was reminded of that Hawaiian value that I had read earlier – ho’omau. Challenges are difficult for most normal people like myself, but if you’re passionate about something, you gather up your courage, and ho’omau! Eventually, you find out soon enough that the rewards you receive through your experiences are well worth the hard work. The value of ho’omau also reminds me of a quote I wrote on my mirror from “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. It reads, “The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They are there to stop the other people!”
• There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by where I’m working in the kitchen, and I’m not challenged. Sometimes the challenge lasts a few minutes, and sometimes it’s the whole evenings service. But, in a heart beat I’m quickly reminded that this is the path that God’s blessed me with, and that gives me the strength to ho’omau. Even as I worked as a server for ten years, we’d get hit with the similar service “rush”, but I’ve always had the work ethic to put on that smile and ho’omau. And as always, day after day, and night after night, the rush would pass, service would end, and the rewards of our persistence would pay off – not only monetarily, but as a whole restaurant coming together as a team.


Kulia i ka nu’u
• Kulia I ka nu’u is the value that we strive for to be our personal best. When we strive for our personal best it brings together all the values we learned of previously. When we give and receive aloha, love, we’re given the gift of ho’ohana, purpose, in which we can live with imi’ola, the best life intended for us. When we find imi’ola we don’t want to settle for less than we’re capable of, so we ho’omau, persist, and kulia i ka nu’u, strive to do our personal best. I believe kulia i ka nu’u is something we should practice daily in everything we do whether at home or at work. It brings things such as honor, discipline, and self respect to yourself. In return when people recognize your kulia i ka nu’u they will honor that as well – continuing a circle of influence.
• I believe that people who choose to be in the hospitality industry should include it in their work ethic to kulia i ka nu’u because of the constant human interactions and relationships being built in the industry. When people go to a restaurant or hotel they are looking to experience something special - such as an appropriate standard of service for the particular business. If there is one team member not being the best they can be at work the guest will be able to sense their lack of aloha. Giving the best service and doing your personal best work will not only please your guests, co-workers, and managers, but it will be something that you can take pride in as well.

Ho’okipa
• Ho’okipa is genuine hospitality. It’s ingrained in all of us who have chosen a career in the hospitality industry because we have the desire to share our aloha with others. Ho’okipa is what’s in us to want to welcome every person to our island of Hawaii, or maybe, the hotel or restaurant we work at, or maybe even our own home. The restaurant I work at has a great sense of aloha and ho’okipa. When I first started working there my chef was welcoming me to the ohana. He said, “We’re all passionate about food here, but we believe it’s more than just the food. We really just like to cook for people.” When you look at cooking as more than merely creating product it becomes more personal. It says to a guest, “Please enjoy this food in which I prepared for just you.”
• It’s important that ho’okipa is genuine in the hospitality industry because just as kulia i ka nu’u, ones personal best, will be sensed by a guest, so will their ho’okipa. One of the first important steps in any business in the restaurant and hospitality industry is the initial greet. Not only is it important that you engage with each guest in a timely manner, but that you do it sincerely so that they feel welcomed and relaxed. But, it doesn’t stop there. It must continue on with each employee that the guest encounters. For example, in a restaurant, it’s everyone’s kuleana to express ho’okipa – everyone from the reservationist, hostess, seater, server, sommelier, bar tender, food runner, busser, dish washer, cook, and chef. Even as a cook I honestly believe that I need an attitude of ho’okipa and aloha – even if the guest never see’s me, they will taste it. My food will say, “I’ve cooked this for you. Please enjoy it. I’ve prepared it with aloha!”

‘Ohana
‘Ohana is family. We learn the importance and functions of the ‘ohana we’re born into. We learn important values such as unconditional love, togetherness, sharing, strength, forgiveness, and support. Anyone beyond the ‘ohana circle we’re born into are our chosen ‘ohana. This includes the friends we make, the company we decide to work for, the employees we hire, and the community we become a part of. Those same values we learn within our ‘ohana can also be applied to the work place and our community as well.
Growing up in Hawaii, I’ve always had the sense of ‘ohana where ever I may have spent a lot of time – school, church, a neighborhood, and of course my place of employment. The first few jobs I got as a teenager were merely because I was told I needed to work. But, as I got older and experience more, I would begin to consciously choose the companies I’d work for. I began to realize that I’d spend a lot of time with these people developing, again, another ‘ohana. I would look for companies I could identify with in their product, service, employees, and the guests that would I’d serve. My choices were not always perfect. In those cases I quickly usually moved on when I realized this was unfortunately not an ohana I could be apart of. But their have been some ohana’s that I’ve been a part of for a good length of time. I’ll always remember and appreciate those people that have blessed me with their friendship, and the experiences I learned while there.
Everyone has different expectations and needs within a work ohana. But, there’s a fit for everyone in the hospitality industry – possibly many fits. It’s important that you be proactive in finding that great fit so that you can find ho’ohana, or purpose in your time spent at work with your work ohana. Everyone needs to receive that weekly paycheck to pay for those necessary expenses, but I believe everyone has a greater purpose for being at work – it just takes a little extra ‘imi ola to find the best choice for ourselves, and in this case the best possible ohana.

Lokahi
Lōkahi is teamwork. However, the deeper understanding of lōkahi is the action of making a conscious effort of striving to unify a collaborative effort. Lōkahi takes all the separate energies of each member of an ‘ohana, brings them together as a cumulative force to reach a specific goal.
Working in restaurants in both the front of the house and the back of the house I know that each team, in its own, need to lōkahi to successfully create a great service for the guests. But, I am a true believer that it’s important that both the service staff and the kitchen staff also need to lōkahi for a truly smooth service, and great experience for the guests. I’ve worked at one particular restaurant where the feeling was not one of ‘ohana or lōkahi. After six months I finally decided I couldn’t work for them anymore when they implied that the front of the house service was not nearly as important as the “great food” coming out of the kitchen (the chef was also the owner’s son). Since then I’ve always looked for a restaurant with not only great food, but equally great service as well. Also, where I can sense the ohana and the value of lōkahi is important. A restaurant cannot thrive on the service or the food alone – the strength of everyone from the host to the stewards, and everyone in between is required for success.
Lōkahi and teamwork is a common word often used in the restaurant hospitality industry. But, it’s often forgotten when we get too caught up in our own tasks which is why it’s important that managers instill lōkahi in their employees to pursue the common interest of an operation. It’s a manager’s duty to encourage and direct all the efforts and talent to work as one functional unit. You could relate this role of a manager to a bread baker. A baker can’t merely give raw flour and water to a customer and say it’s bread. The bread baker (or manager) has to select all the right quality ingredients (or all staff). He has to understand the recipe and know how to form the dough so it is consistent each time he bakes a loaf of bread (consider this the training and the forming of a teamwork atmosphere). And the baker’s got to be proud of the product that’s being produced so that customers will enjoy it and come back for more. This attitude of ownership is how a profit is made.

Kakou
Kākou is the use of language that signifies the unity of ‘ohana. Kākou means that as one, we are better and stronger. In ‘ohana, kākou is necessary to maintain a strong house hold, and ‘ohana is also a perfect breeding ground in our understanding that strength lies in unity. Later in life we’re able to translate kākou in business to reflect that we alone cannot accomplish a job without the assistance of every business partner involved.
When reflecting on the concept of kākou I’m reminded of a quote from my friend Chef Lance Nitahara in Chef Frank Leake’s book Coaching Culinary Champions. Chef Lance wrote, “I am the product of the sum of every great chef that has shared with me his or her passion to create.” Chef Lance Nitahara credits all of his strengths as a chef by honoring all of his past chefs and their knowledge in which they imparted to him, kākou. I too have always believed that I wouldn’t be who I am without the kākou of my ‘ohana, and all the people I’ve met throughout my life. And one day, I too will be a chef of talent, not of my own, but through kākou of all my family, friends, educators, and chefs.
Kākou in Hawaii blooms beautifully in the hospitality industry. In a restaurant, for example, kākou is the magical thread that binds all the team members together as one ‘ohana to work with lōkahi. However, this doesn’t only pertain to the team members within the restaurant, but to the people we build relationships with outside the walls of the restaurant such as the farmers, vendors, banks, and business partners. For example, lōkahi and kākou is created between the chef and farmer who are both dedicated to serve dishes with locally grown produce.

Kuleana
Kuleana is ones personal responsibility of ones actions. When a person accepts their Kuleana they are self-motivated, diligent in all they do, and have a sense of personal integrity. This is an essential value to have in order to develop one’s character.
Growing up my step father Mario would often give me lectures on work, relationships, and money. One of those lectures came from Steven Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Steven Covey has a concept of living life with the end in mind. He has an exercise where you imagine you’re sitting in the pews of your own funeral. What would you want people to say about you? Mario would say, “You don’t want to be the guy where nobody speaks of because there’s nothing to say about you – because you’ve done nothing with your life. But you also don’t want to be the guy that everyone’s bitching about because you were a jack ass.” (Mario has a simple way with words.) To this day, every place that I’ve worked at since then, I always work with the end in mind. I’ve always accepted my jobs kuleana and I’ve done it with integrity even if I wasn’t always satisfied with my job. I make it my goal to be a great employee, so that when it is time for me to move on my employers would have only good things to say about my work ethic and character.
In the hospitality industry everyone has a specific job to do, but it’s their kuleana to do it with integrity. The lōkahi of ‘ohana is brought together with the strength of kakou, but it’s every single member’s kuleana to carry out their task with integrity that really make the ohana function at its best.

Ike loa
‘Ike loa is the value that encourages us to learn. By continuing to feed our minds with new knowledge we are able to broaden our spectrums on things, reflect, and be inspired.
In 2008 I began to toss around the idea of pursuing a culinary career. I could’ve started my career like many chefs by starting off at the bottom, learn while on the job, and make my way up the line in the kitchen. But I’ve always had this inhibition of doing things confidently if I didn’t understand the fundamentals. And there was another hurdle to get through. After a thirteen year hiatus I was naturally fearful and hesitant to actually follow through with the return to school. But, for Christmas in 2008 my girlfriend Jodi gifted me a book by Michael Ruhlman called The Soul of a Chef. Once I started reading the book I couldn’t put it down. When I was done with that I read followed by “Heat” by Bill Buffort, then “The Devil In The Kitchen” by Marco St. Pierre White, then “Setting The Table” by Danny Meyer, and finally “The Making of a Chef” another book by Michael Ruhlman. It was the most I’ve probably read in my life, and I couldn’t stop. By reading I saw that there was so much exciting things to learn, places to see, and impact you can have on people. I experienced the value of ‘ike loa – my spectrum was changed, I was inspired, I learned, and I was excited to learn more.
In the hospitality industry it’s ones kuleana or responsibility to ‘ike loa if one’s goal is to pursue a career that’s ‘imi ola. The opportunities to ‘ike loa is as endless as the industry itself from managing, sales, photography, food, wine, and farming.

Ha 'aha'a
Ha’aha’a is the value of humility. When you’re humble you’re open to receive knowledge from others, while at the same time recognizing your own achievements. Ha’aha’a allows you to be internally confident in your own self as long it’s absent of outward overconfidence. A old friends father phrased ha’aha’a in a nutshell by saying, “You’re no better than anyone else, but no one is better than you.”
I’ve been involved in a particular marital arts for sixteen years now, and ha’aha’a, or humility, was one of the many values I learned early on in my training. A lesson of humility was usually attained through long strenuous, drills and exercises. If I ever thought I trained hard enough or got pretty good at a particular skill, I could quickly find out I was wrong. I would be humbled by either the instructor telling me I needed to work harder, or by simply getting beat up by another student. Humility can also be attained in other ways. As an instructor now I constantly urge students to put aside their macho attitude, and be humble, so that they may allow themselves to learn. Even though martial arts is about physical combat it’s ironic that when I have two students fighting with each other (or not working with each other during a drill) they reduce they opportunities to learn – they’re solely focused on who can “win.” Instead they should be humble, work with each other, so can learn and develop their skills through proper coordination of movement, focus, and breath.
Cockiness within the industry is not a favorable trait to have in the industry. It’s a sure way to give your business away to those who are ha’aha’a. Restaurant and hospitality business’ that reflect ha’aha’a in their demeanor are confident in their product and service, but are aware that there is a customer for every product out there. Just like the lesson to my student’s , if a chef thinks he’s the best chef out there in the industry, he’ll never become better because he already thinks he’s the best. By being ha’aha’a, sharing his knowledge and receiving the knowledge of other chefs he’ll surely better himself in return.

Ho’ohanohano
Ho’ohanohano is to treat others with dignity and respect. It is a truly unselfish action of treating others with malama and aloha. When you ho’ohanohano you do so with integrity so that you do more than touch another person positively, but you touch them spiritually as well. Ho’ohanohano is not only seen, but more importantly, it’s felt. One doesn’t ho’ohanohano to receive anything in return, but by doing so with integrity you bring honor to your own spirit.
There have been times at work where I believe I’m performing with ho’ohana and kuleana, and for there to be balance on the team I expect everyone to do their job with as much integrity as I have. However, maybe do to a lack of ha’aha’a, humility, I get frustrated when team members don’t meet my personal expectations. During times like these, I’ve found myself acting less Christian than I’d like, and not even thinking twice about it. I once disrespected a co-worker in front of the rest of team because I didn’t approve of his work ethics. Everyone chuckled and gave me a thumbs-up in agreement, but little did I realize that this action would leave me feeling guilty for days. After a few days of the guilt eating at my soul I eventually called him and apologized. He claims he completely forgot about the incident, but never-the-less he was thankful for the call. This is obviously an example of a lack of ho’ohanohano, but it show’s how robbing someone of their self-respect will rob you of your own dignity.
As a manager in the hospitality industry your role shouldn’t be seen as an opportunity to hold a position of power, rather it’s a opportunity lead, coach, and mentor. Ho’ohanohano is important for this role because in order to gain that kind of respect you have to show respect to all those above and below your position. It takes a special attitude to be such a great manager that you ho’ohanohano and malama for those you manage, so that you can bring out the ‘imi ola of people and their full potential and capabilities. The work ethics and ho’okipa of the hospitality industry is so beneficial to all those that spend time in it, whether it’s their chosen career, or even a temporary experience, and it takes a great manager to ho’ohanohano and bring out there best.

Alaka’i
Alaka’i is leadership. Being a manager is not necessarily a being a leader – rather, a leader is an excellent manager. A leader is someone who knows their job and business well, understands people well, is respectable, and is able to bring it all together with passion. They encompass all the Hawaiian values that have been discussed in their own homogenous and balanced mixture.
I, along with the author, believe that being alaka’i is something you’re born with. You could be a great manager or person with alaka’i qualities, but not necessarily a great leader. I believe great leaders are rare. I’m personally not a natural born leader, but I do have the passion to lead people, teach, and inspire people, which is what I hope to do in the culinary industry; be it in the form of a chef or an educator of some sort. One day, I will be in the position where I’ll be looked upon by others as a chef, and not merely a cook. It will be my kuleana (responsibility) to ho’ohano (intently) uphold my ‘imiola (purpose) in life, be kakou (all encompassing) with my aloha (love), be able to create a ‘ohana (family) with lokahi (unity) and ha’aha’a (humility), have ho’ohanaohano (respect for others), inspire others with my alaka’i (leadership), and kulia i ka nu’u (personal excellence)
The hospitality industry needs people of great alaka’i. Most people, including myseft, are not naturally driven. A manager will tell you how to do your job, and even do your job well with kuleana. But to inspire you to be great at your job is taking it to the next level – giving it purpose, creating ho’ohano. Hawaii and people native to Hawaii have a uniqueness of having grown up with these Hawaiian values, and it’s our kuleana to uphold these and share this as we venture out into the wold.

Mālama
Malama is to care for all things –people, our work, the earth, and even our own selves. It’s is kakou of all things. When we malama, it is a conscious effort, and not some half hazard act. It’s not an innate act, so, for some, it takes a bit of effort to work at it, and it’s essential that we do because we all need aloha and malama to sustain us as human beings. When we receive aloha and malama we recognize its significance in our life. This gives us the opportunity to reciprocate it and share it with others as well. When we malama in the work place, we work with kuleana and with a sense of ownership – we care for all aspects of the business as if it were our own. We treat our customers, the people within the company, and our resources with malama.
To me malama is the act of aloha. If I love someone, I will show you I love you by the way I care for you, protect you, and honor you. However, malama isn’t limited to the people I love, but I also share my malama by simply respecting things. Working in the restaurant industry I make it my kuleana to make the effort to take care of the restaurant that I work in whether it be in the tools, machines, supplies, the actual property, and the food. I take care of it as if it were my own. I feel this is important for all employees because of the high costs of running a restaurant. A lot of times employees lack all respect and care for things that are not theirs – they misuse equipment, throw away food, or even steal – yet they selfishly expect to get paid never-the-less.
When it comes to food, it’s almost a joke with how I’ll stuff myself, just so that food isn’t wasted. But, I was raised by a single mother who made very simple food because money was scarce, and we always ate leftovers. Till this day, I’ll eat left over’s as long as it’s not spoiled, or make a new meal out of left over’s just so that food isn’t wasted. And when food has to be thrown away, it really upsets me. In the culinary industry it’s important that we have malama for the foods, utilize as much as we can, and whatever has to be thrown away is recycled or returned to the earth as compost. It’s not only trying not to be wasteful, but caring for the food that was once the life of a living animal, or the hard work of a human being that went into harvesting that food. For this same reason, it’s important to malama in our industry. Because malama doesn’t only affect the people and things immediately around you, but it affects the people and places far beyond one’s reach. When a person leaves our restaurants, hotels, or islands they with should feel sincerely cared for because we shared our aloha and malama. And when we ho’ohanohano, respect and honor, a farmer or rancher’s hard work by taking pride in preparing their products everyone will work with mahalo kakou of each others kulia i ka nu’u, or achievements.

Mahalo
Mahalo is a word commonly used to say thank you, but more importantly it is meant to be truly thankful of one’s life. Far too often, and far too easy is it to wish for things we don’t have. That way of thinking could lead us to be very unhappy. But when we appreciate all the many things that we do have, we realize how blessed we really are, and we malama for that which we have.
One of my grandmother’s simplest life lessons to me as a child was to always be thankful. She would always tell me, “It doesn’t cost a penny to say thank you.” Not only did she say thank you often, but she also lived mahalo – she was always outspoken of her appreciation to the Lord, family, and friends no matter how small or big.
I once worked for a restaurant that practiced respectful communication amongst crew members. If you had to communicate with a crew member, whether it was to the front of the house or the back of the house, you were required to say, “Order please, (and their name and your request).” And there would always be a thank you at the end. Although, there may have been less sincere moments between two crew members, there was a habit that was created amongst the staff to be appreciative of each other. During my time there I found my grandmother’s lesson to be very applicable. I found appreciation for that kind of ho’ohanohano and mahalo, and it’s something I continue to do wherever I work.
Mahalo is an important value to truly understand since it’s said so often – we say it to our guests and we say it to our co-workers. With a true understanding of mahalo we sincerely appreciate our guests, their business, and the opportunity to serve them. This deeper understanding of mahalo will give us true ho’ohana in our industry of ho’okipa.

Nānā I ke kumu
Nānā I ke kumu means to turn the source of who you are to find your intended path in life. This means to look to your past, such as your elders, and your history, and ‘ike loa, or seek knowledge, from that source. The knowledge and values learned throughout life is the inner truth within yourself, and it makes up who you are. Nānā I ke kumu is to look to that source, let it inspire you, and live it to ‘imi ola with ho’ohana to kulia i ka nu’u – or live it to your best with purpose with perseverance to achieve personal excellence. When you nānā I ke kumu you will be enriched and blessed with pono (balance) of well-being.
When I nānā I ke kumu, I look at my personal “source” as the collection of values I’ve acquired through life, my experiences (good and bad), family history, personal passions, and, above all, my heavenly father and his son Jesus Christ. It’s a culmination of all these things that keep me optimistic as it guides me to walk a certain path in life. There’s never really a time in my life where I’m completely certain of my next step, but with faith and reasoning there’s that inner truth that guides me with each step – as I take a step with the left, God guides my “right step,” and we continue forward with that walk together. There’s a lot of stumbling that goes on as I try to take my own “right step” alone, I’ve even fallen hard, but His aloha is awesome, and we ho’omau kākou (persist together), so that I may ho’ohana my life to ho’ohanohano Him.
Nānā i ke kumu is important for everyone, and not just those in the hospitality industry. I think it’s what drives us to live our lives everyday – to wake up, go to work, share our aloha and ho’okipa, and treat everyone with ho’ohanohano as if they were our ohana. Some days it’s more, or less, or maybe on a bad day not at all, but we nānā i ke kumu and we are re-energized. Nānā i ke kumu could be a big transitional phase in your career such as moving up in from a cook to sous chef – where you have to analyze yourself. Do I have the strength and courage to take on such a responsibility? Is this really my calling? And nānā i ke kumu could also be as unintentional and unnoticeable as taking a breath, and triggered by a guest sharing their own aloha with you – giving you a sudden renewed self. Either way, we all nānā i ke kumu, and the more aware of this inner self, the more we can utilize it to ‘imi ola (live a purposeful life), so that we are sincerely mahalo of the gift of life.

Pono
To be pono is to have balance in life; when you’re balanced your mind, body, and spirit are in-tuned with each other and all is right in life. When you are pono you are content in life. People you are content with life tend to be quite optimistic, and they are hopeful to what the future has in store.
When I think of pono, and having a balance, I automatically think of my martial arts training. You often hear the cliché of martial artists developing a balance of mind, body, and spirit. Just like martial arts, life isn’t balanced without a bit of falling first. Take a kick for example; before you’re able to deliver a quick and powerful kick you have to understand the mechanics of a kick, how to physically balance and counter balance your weight on one foot, how to focus that kick into a specific target, and the correct use of breathe when you deliver the kick. It’s challenging at first, it hurts, maybe you want to give up, but you ho’omau and keep training it until it’s natural and you no longer have to think of all the steps before you confidently deliver a smooth and powerful kick. Similarly, pono is achieved after some falling, experience, and hard work. If you ho’omau and nānā i ke kumu balance and rightness will find it’s way into your life.
Pono is important in the hospitality industry because as people of Hawaii we are the vessels of aloha to our guests. If we are not pono we are opposite of that; we are pessimistic, have a negative attitude, and are unexcited. As managers we have to be able to lead a committed team carry out our mission and goals. If we aren’t pono ourselves, the team that we lead will not be either. But, if we are leading with optimism, confidence, and excitement they will too.

Ka lā hiki ola
Ka lā hiki ola is a Hawaiian phrase which translates to the dawning of a new day. With every new day given to us, we have the opportunity to do it again – another chance to show more aloha, or love, to ‘ike loa, seek more knowledge, an opportunity to kulia i ka nu’u, do our personal best – or whatever you may personally draw from your nānā i ke kumu, your inner truth, on that new day.
Sometimes the end of one chapter of life means ka lā hiki ola. Just like this book, although I’ve come to the end, I can now see with a new perspective. I have a different awareness on how I will manage people with sincere ho’ohanohano. And more importantly, I now have a improved understanding of the values of a culture which I’ve lived amongst but never truly appreciated – once again showing that when you ‘ike loa, seek knowledge, you develop ho’ohanohano, respect and honor, for our kama’aina kakou, all of us and the people of this land.
Again, being vessels of these unique values it is our kuleana as kama’aina in ho’okipa to ho’omau with every new day, ka lā hiki ola, the aloha and generosity. And as future managers we need to alaka’i, be a leader, to develop more leaders of these values; instilling it’s importance within their nānā i ke kumu, inner source, whether it’s in Hawaiian, English, or any other language – it’s all based from the fundamental human understanding of aloha.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Mission Statement

I just started summer session course this week - Hospitality Management (HOST 290) with instructor Mrs. Rosalie Fernandez. What a great and passionate teacher! So far I'm enjoying this class, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it for the rest of the course as well. Although this class isn't necessary for the associates culinary degree, I actually don't need this class because as I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm cutting my KCC associates degree short, so that i can hop off to the CIA. But, I heard that there would be some writing in this class, and although it's not much, it gives me the chance to write and reflect on things pertaining to my life and career. So far it's doing just that. My first assignment is to write a mission statement based on some Hawaiian values that we're reading about in one of our text books Managing with Aloha, by Rosa Say.
So, I've completed my first draft. I'm sure there will be times in my life which this will change, but for now, I think this is it:

Mission Statement July 2010: Mark Enomoto

“My mission is to ‘Imi ola, or to seek the best out of life. I am driven to do the best I can with this life given to me so that I can positively touch the lives of my ohana and community.”

Aloha & Mahalo (Love & Thankfulness)
I want to share love and thankfulness to God and everyone that surrounds me.

Ho’ohana (Intent & Purpose)
I want to live each day with the intentions of doing work that is positive – for those around me, as well as for myself.

Kuleana (Responsibility)
I want to be a responsible leader, husband, father, and human being.

Ha’aha’a (Humility)
I want to always remain humble so that my heart and mind are open to receiving the gift of knowledge.

Pono (Rightness & Balance)
I want to live a balanced life between health, family, and career.

"That's how you cook a fish!"

Town restaurant (in Waialae) cook Mark Noguchi cooking up a fresh fish caught by one of our crew members Ali'i. Mark went out front picked a couple ti leaves from our plant and hooked it up Hawaiian style! The fish was served as part of our family meal for the evening. Lucky ah?!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

1 nights dinner...

This post originally started as a short text and a few pictures of things I've made at home lately. I wanted to post some pics because a buddy of mine from school gave me some rosemary and lychee. (Thanks Reid Root! I made use of it.) But as I started typing it turned out something totally different. I began typing about my reflection of experiences at TOWN. So here it is...
At TOWN I work the pantry station, where I produce the salads and desserts. I prep all the dressings, and components of my salads, as well as some of the desserts (but not all. Chris Sy is the designated "pastry chef" there.) I normally don't put out any hot foods, but just recently got the opportunity to work the hot appetizer station when Mark Noguchi had to go home to the Big Island for a wedding. But, for the most part pantry is my station. The work is amazing! I like the food they produce their at TOWN, as well as their philosophy towards food. It's hard work, but it's rewarding because I honestly know I'm learning.
I actually wanted to work at TOWN before I got into KCC's culinary program. I applied, but I luckily was unlucky and didn't get the job - instead my parents agreed to help with schooling, so I applied and started school in the fall of 2009. And now, I'm working at my restaurant of choice. Sweet!
There was one night after a busy service that I was packing up my station. I smile came upon me. If a by stander caught me I'm sure I would've looked silly. But there I was, dirty, tired, I probably messed up here and there during service, and was still an outsider (in respects to being the newbie of the crew). But, I was happy. I was happy that I was doing what I wanted to do, and that's all that mattered.

But, this is just the beginning, and there's a long road ahead, I know. Another year at KCC, and then off to CIA. So, I KNOW, I haven't even touched the surface of what there is for me to learn and experience. Mark Noguchi told me on my very first night at TOWN, "Make sure you learn something every night." I've never forgotten that (and I actually remind myself of it daily). Because it's not like being in school where it's someone's job to teach me something. Don't get me wrong, the chef and other cooks teach me things often, but we've all got tasks of prep, service, and clean up to do every night. So, I have an obligation to myself to learn something every night. I've learned things by doing things wrong or inefficiently (otherwise known as the the ever so popular humbling moment), I've been given the opportunity of a new responsibility, I've worked another station, and (probably the most often) I've learned simply by observation. Other ways I've learned is through words of advice (even if it wasn't toward me), or maybe even listening in on a food trend the others were chatting about. If I were to give advice to another culinary student, I would say that there are so many opportunities to learn in the kitchen, so work while you're in school! It's also important to be humble, and open to receiving those lessons. (which reminds me, what the heck is pad-tha-shu? google... google... google... oh, PATE A CHOUX. A cream puff dough. Chef Ed used it to make gnocchi's for a "wine down" course. He also called it "choux cream.")

One way I like to learn is by imitation, or I guess you would call that a visual learner. I watch, then I go play at home. And I have enough abilities to comfortably cook at home or for my family. As Chef Dave said when I told him about trying to make a porchetta at home, "Good! You gotta just put yourself out there."
If there's some produce or cooking technique i see being utilize at work, I'm always eager to go home and test it out on dinner for Jodi and I. On Saturdays we'll head down to the KCC farmers market, and I'll pick up some produce from some of our vendors such as Ma'o Farms (awesome greens and roots veggies!) or Ho Farms (delicious tomatoes!). I'll also pick up some fresh fish from Donqi's (Don Quijote), or butcher some whole chickens from Costco. I'll put something together a few dinners sometime during the week. Some people think it's fancy... but it's really not. Cooking at home gives me a chance to practice things that I either do at work, or what I see the other chefs doing. It's just fun!
Just last night after making dinner using some lychee which we got from a friend on the way home from running, Jodi gratefully said, "Honey, I can't see you NOT cooking. I can't believe I get to eat like this at home. You need to share your talent." I'm not blowing smoke up my butt over some chicken I was playing with for dinner. It was okay. But, it was enjoyed. That makes me so happy. After I got hired at TOWN, Chef Dave said to me, "Sure we're all passionate about food. But, it's simpler than that. Here (at TOWN) we just really like to cook for people."
I think I'm in the right spot (at town) at the right moment (in my career).
Praise the Lord. :D

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Wellspring Fundraiser - April 17, 2010

Goodness... Sorry guys, I'll have to reorganize my blog because I'm posting all out of order. You know what? I take that back. Summer session starts in a week and I don't think I'll have the time to do all the switch-a-roo of things.

A few posting's ago I mentioned a fundraiser that I was asked to take part in for my church Wellspring Covenant in Honolulu. I paired up with another member from the church, Faye Furumoto. Faye asked if I'd be interested since I participated in a little friendly competition we had at church called "The Sandwich Showdown." Happily, I pulled the win for the Enomoto family with a tuna bruchetta.
Faye and I took this challenge of heading the food portion of the fundraiser on with all the faith in the Lord that we'd be successful as long as we kept Him in focus. There were, actually, so many people involved in this fundraiser, and just like it is in a restaurant, teamwork was neccessary for it to be the success that it was.
To say the least it was stressful for both Faye and I, as we were both busy with school and work as well. I warned Faye in the very begining that I was merely a first year culinary student, and if she still had faith in me I'd be willing to help out.
Right from the get go I created a simple menu that would hopefully be good for our budget and something I was familiar with. Every dish was something I worked on in my Fundamentals to Cookery course with Chef Leake. A few other menu ideas were tossed around, but in the end we came back to what I had envisioned from the beginning.
It was a big task. I knew I'd need help. So I called all my buddies from school with whom I trusted - also called Brigade 818. They were Allana Cullen, Georgina Cruz, Reid Root, Jordan Chang, Regina Hinkle, and Eddie Mafnas. Although the majority of them never did anything like this I knew without a doubt they would be awesome help - they'd work hard, smart, passionately, and without me having to supervise them. What was most amazing was that, upon asking they agreed to help me without hesitation. They also gave monetary donations, supply donations, and Regina Hinkle donated sheets of her wonderful almond cake for our desert. Naret & Sheryl Sihavong of Phuket Thai also generously donated tons of produce, and Chef Lindsey of Nobu's saved me from huge agony by letting me use some Cambro warmers. Amazing friends I've been blessed with.
In addition to the brigade, we got support from our church member as well.
Menu planning, food ordering, organizing with ot her fundraiser members, menu testing, organizing... (gasp!)
It was inevitable that we'd run into some bumps and challenges, but in the end it couldn't have been more rewarding. The fundraiser was a success, the brigade was so proud of their efforts, and the Lord's house was blessed! Hallelujah! :D

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park

The last stop of our vacation was in Hyde Park, New York. I was blessed with many connections & opportunities to make it to Hyde Park for an open house.
Hyde park is a small town with one road running through it. And it seems that the main attractions of the town was the Franklin D. Roosevelt Estate and The Culinary Institute of America (oh, and maybe the drive-in theater).
I was a little anxious when Jodi and I actually got on campus. To me, it was initially huge. Maybe not in size, but definitely as a goal. It was most amazing to be on a campus where all the students had one thing on their mind... food. I recalled two students walking out of Roth Hall and talking passionately about some greens. That was awesome. The kids there were well behaved and quite hospitable. When looking for the Caterina I asked some students for directions. They addressed me as sir, gave me directions, and told me to enjoy my dinner. Cute, but very proper, and professional.
Unfortunately I couldn't take pictures during the open house tour, but I'm glad to have had the opportunity to be there with Jodi, so we could both have an idea of where we would be and what to expect when we get. It was also unfortunate that I wasn't able to meet up with Lance Nitahara. It would've been great to be able to meet him in person and chat with him about his experiences of CIA on CIA. But, (if you get to read this Lance, we'll do it next time!) Never-the-less, by visit was absolutely awesome!
I wish I could go immediately, and get this dream started, but I'll give myself some time to accomplish a few things with KCC. I find it a little challenging to keep the same educational drive that I had when in Chef Leake's Fundamentals class. But, learning in an actual kitchen with such talented chef's at TOWN restaurant (chef's Dave, Ed, Alika, Mark, Chris, Noah, Eric, and Keenan.) One of my first lessons was from chef Mark, and that was to learn something everyday that I work. I try to keep that in mind when I work,and occasionally Jodi reminds me, "Have fun at work, and don't forget to learn something..." That's love eh?
My CIA journey has started. I've visited. I'm made the decision. Next up is to write that essay to go with my application. I've written quite a bit in Chef Leake's class, and I've had many opportunities to reflect on my career.
It's time. Fire that course!

San Francisco 2010

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

CULN 130 Intermediate Cookery

3/31/10

This week Cory, Philip and I were given the salad station with aunty Momi. Aunty Momi is really what you think an Aunty Momi would look and be like. She's a big (not fat) Hawaiian lady, that's soft spoken and kind. She doesn't apply the "hotel walk" in the kitchen because there's no need to - everything she does is well ingrained and meticulous.
Our first day was strange for me. We got into class at 8am, she gave us a list of thing that had to be done, and sent us of to do it. No designations, no recipes. Just go and do it, and have it done by 10 am. Of course whenever I had a question she would answer it, but after the first couple of tasks, I realized I was on my own. The tasks I took on was to make a roasted vegetable pasta salad and a simple potato salad.
So I went on to steam off a hotel pan of russets, as well as 6 eggs, cook my penne, and roast off some peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, and onions. Aunty Momi gave me some frozen pea's and imitation crab for the simple potato salad - "Jus add dis. Make um simpo wit eggs, celery for crunch, and mayonaise. Simpo, but people just love um, yeah." Mmm, okay...
I played with the oven roasting like I saw the crew over at Downtown did with a lot of their vegetables. Just watched and learned. A good trick I learned by watching Jimmy, the pastry chef at Downtown, was a quick outline of pan spray on the sheet pan before laying down the parchment paper. Much quicker and cheaper than using butter. I also learned to use the timer. Why chance forgetting about the oven? And lastly, turning the pan during the roasting process because the oven fan will sometimes brown one side faster than the other.
Anyhow, the first day was a little odd in that I wasn't exactly sure about what we needed to do, but our little 3 man crew got through it. For the next three days we would have to prep the salad bar, make 5-6 salad specials, and produce 40-50 simple boxed salads.
Sometime in the middle of Monday, Momi got a visit from some man who was probably DOE employee telling her that she needed to take Tuesday off. So, on Tuesday team #5 would fly solo. No prob...
I brought up an idea to my team mates Cory and Philip. What do you think about doing regional themed salads for the next three days (Friday would be a Good Friday holiday)? Mediterrannean, South-east asian, and American? I already new I wanted to play with Mediterrannean flavors that I experience at Downtown and the Persian theme we did at the Art After Dark, my spicy lemongrass vinaigrette dressing, and maybe some BBQ type salads or cole slaw.
After some discussion and confussing comments from Chef Eddie I gave up the whole regional theme idea and just did what ever.



On Tuesday I made Roasted Vegetables in a tomato vinaigrette over mixed greens, and a Tomato Cucumber Provolone salad with a Basil Vinaigrette.
Before leaving on Tuesday however, I made my spicy lemongrass vinaigrette dressing (lemongrass, shallot, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, sambal, dijon mustard, and salad oil). At home I've made it with some almost ripe mango, tomato, cucumbers and red onions. But because we had left over chicken mango penne that Cory made, I didn't want to add more mango to our spread. I figured something else would be just as good - roasted eggplant, tomato, and onion (Jodi's favorites) and crispy fried tofu. I think it was the first to sell out at lunch. I didn't get to take any home to Jodi so I'll have to make her some at home. Sure thing hun...
We needed one more salad for our salad spread so I quickly made a potato salad again. This time I baked off a quick sheet of bacon! Despite the imitation crab, it was quite delicious - mayo, garlic powder, dijon, s&p, red potatoes, imitation crab, bacon, and hard cooked eggs.
Chef Eddie told us today that he wants us to practice making dressings, so since I need the practice in making blue cheese dressing for the Wellspring fundraiser I just knocked out a third pan of dressing (recipe from Chef Eddie's book), thank you! And it was delicious! I downed two spoons fulls! Tomorrow, I wanna do some cole slaw, so before leaving class I made a cider honey vinaigrette from Chef Eddie's recipe book and added a pint of mayo. Tomorrow I'll cut some white and a little red cabbage, julienned carrots, snap peas, and granny smith apples. Hope that comes out. I'll also be doing another tofu salad since we need to get rid of the tofu before the weekend, so we're doing some crispy tofu salad with spicy peanut dressing. Chef Eddie said this is a favorite of Chef Leakes.

Lastly for the day, I have to mention this. First off, when Chef Leake and I first started talking about the idea of me going to CIA he told me to start planning now (then) because everything I did, everyone I'd speak to was going to affect my future. That couldn't have been truer to the "T"! (what's "t" stand for??? tip? top?) In speaking with Chef Leake, I've landed a gig with Downtown restaurant, a job opportunity with Town restaurant, working with Mark Noguchi (a CIA grad), a tax refund that will allow me to check out CIA's May 21st orientation, other thing's with Wellsprings fundraiser (donations, volunteer help, etc.), and now...
... during class Mark Noguchi left me a message saying that his friend Lance Nitahara wanted to get my number to have a chat. I was wondering, do I know Lance? Why does that name sound so familiar? I called Mark back and said sure. How awesome is it that someone in New York happened to see this blog and wants to get intouch with me?! What about? I don't know, but it seems like, as Jodi said, I'm still on the right path.
By the way, Lance Nitahara is a Chef from CIA that has a quote in Chef Leakes book Coaching Culinary Champions. His words of wisdom are very significant to me. Jodi and I were actually at Lanikai beach one afternoon reading the book and discussing this. It was something that I decided to reflected on in my writings:
"... A line that sticks out from Chef Nitahara’s writing is, “Every conscious decision I make has behind it a face from my past, which calls to me to make the right decision.” This relates to me personally because I have always thought that I am a culmination of every one I have had a relationship with - whether it be family or friends, good or bad. And one day I can only wish that my food is both inspired by my past, as well as an inspiration to others in the future."
Until this very moment, and I'm sure there will be may moments like this in the future, I feel that I'm living within this very concept of life moving, living, learning, experiencing, and reflecting.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Yay, I got the job at town restaurant! I'll speak with Chef Dave Caldiero sometime this week about scheduling. After my meeting with Mark Noguchi Jodi and I had some wine and lunch at town to celebrate my new job! :) I'm so happy the food is so awesome there and something I can be passionate about cooking. And the crew there was so welcoming and amazing - I already feel like family.

Maybe this is a small step in my career, but I just can't help but feel blessed. It feels that every step I've taken in the past year (or maybe even longer than that) is leading me in the right direction. I've met Jodi - the most beautiful and supportive girl. I've gone to school with the support of my parents and family, met Chef Leake, made new friends, gone back to church, met new friends there as well, and the list goes on...

A few things spoke to me at church on Sunday. The first came from a woman who will be auctioning a piece of her artwork at the church. Although she claims to not be a professional artist (or even an artists, period) she showcased her art, a task that was difficult for her. Her message to me was that, there are things in life that are not always easy, or comfortable. But, sometimes we just need to take that leap of faith. It may leave you vulnerable, but by doing so God may also open doors, or opportunities to do God's work.
The second woman spoke of how she became a Christian. Her message to me was that unfortunately people will eventually let you down. Not necessarily because they're bad people, but because we're human, and we make mistakes. But always keep God as your focus because God is perfect, and He will never let you down. So true. And I think that ever since I've allowed Jesus back into my life thing's are just that much brighter - not necessarily easier by any means, but I have faith that he's leading me in the right direction as long as I let him lead me.
Lastly, was Pastor Dales part 2 of his Easter message about how I can rise to CARE for others. (Acts 9:36-43) The three points were 1) Dedicating myself to letting Jesus lead my life. 2) Dedicating who I am to serving others in Jesus' name. 3) Dedicating myself to responding to His strength when I am down.
Each point reminded me that Jesus is watching over me and leading me with each new experience in my life and career.
Praise the Lord! :)

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Spring Break has started! But there's still much to do next week.
Just a recap on what happened this week... There are five groups in our class, and each is assigned a specific station which is lead by a chef. The five stations are entree, deli, steward, short order, and salads. Each group has five students, except for ours. I'm in group 5 with Cory and Philip. This week we were assigned to the short order cook station with Chef Eric. We ran the grill, flat top, and fryer stations. We fried straight and curly fries, grilled burgers, and did daily specials. Mostly everything was par cooked, except for some eggs which we used for loco moco's. Besides loco moco's we did fish taco's, fish and chips, Chicken Quesadilla's, Chicken Chow Mein, and Ciopiono (from PM Fundamentals - which looked and tasted different for the AM class).

Interesting week, i must say. Three weeks ago I was in Fundamentals learning one way, and now in Interediate I'm learning another way. No qualms though. I understand we're in a different setting under different chefs, so we do what we gotta do. I'm persistent however to remain professional, safe, and clean.
One thing funny I found yesterday though was that a box of trash under the counter was left over night. I'll take the blame for that since I put that there. It was easier than running back and forth down the line to throw trash away. At the end of the day I made sure I threw it away and didn't leave it for anyone else to take care of. Also, there's apparently a "burger cemetary" behind the grill. During our clean up I was wiping up the grease under the grill and found all the burgers that had fallen in the past week (or who knows when).
Sometimes I wonder if there's some kind of conspiracy - a test almost - on who's going to do things right and who's going to do thing wrong, and there's secret camera's tucked away in the kitchen watching all us kids...

Anyway, before my imagination gets carried away, I'll mention a few things REALLY going on in my culinary life. My church, Wellspring Covenant, is having a fundraiser and Faye, who helps run the food committee, asked if I'd be able to assist her. So, I along with a small group of Brigade818 will be participating. I thought it would be fun to do things we learned in Fundamentals. As of now we have a five course progressive menu from a soup to dessert. Here's the menu so far:

- "Peas & Carrots"L Chilled Spring Pea Veloute with Carrots Vichy and a Mint Whipcream
- Iceberg Wedge with Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing
- Ratatouille with Creamy Polenta
- Classic Boeuf Bourguignon
- Strawberry Shortcake: Vanilla Almond cake with Grand Manier Drunkin Strawberries and Sweet Whip Cream

And more new news: On Friday during class Mark Noguchi a talented cook who's worked for Chef Mavro, and currently with Chef Ed Kenney and Chef Dave Caldiero came to see if I'd be interested in working at town restaurant in Kaimuki! I've actually been interested in working for Chef Ed Kenney's restaurant's (and mentioned this to Chef Leake which is why Mark Noguchi came up to see me), and the opportunity has come my way (I actually applied there before applying for school). I'm very excited! One book that Chef Kenney recommended somewhere was "Setting the Table" by Danny Meyer. Reading that book began to change the way I looked at the restaurant industry, and a book I've encouraged other industry friends of mine to read as well.
Chef Kenney is all about local, organic, and taking care of the environment. I'm looking forward to many new things to learn!
And next Thursday and Friday I'll be working with Chef Susanna Ok, Chef di Cuisine at Downtown (Ed Kenney's second restaurant) with their monthly Art After Dark event. Whoohoo! :)
Let y'all know about all this later. Gotta go work now. Shoots!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

CULN 130 Intermediate to Cookery

Yesterday was the first day to a whole new set of learning objectives, learning outcomes, and humbling moments - the first day of Intermediate Cookery with Chef Eddie Fernandez. And of course I can't ignore the challenges and failures I'll face as well - for without those, life's everyday lessons would never be worth it.
Starting this week Kapiolani Community Colleges' Culinary Program is undergoing a renovation up until next fall (which is what I've heard). Up until November all of the programs reach-in's will be replaced - a much needed renovation. So, where our class would usually be in the 220 Grill, we've been relocated to the school cafeteria. Not what I'd expectedbut hey, you gotta work with what you've got. Besides, it is for the better of our culinary program.
Chef Eddie is from Kauai, and a KCC graduate. As far as I can tell from his local/filipino/pigin accent, he's of filipino decent, and he commands all 5 feet. We were pair up with Group 5 and put into Deli and Stewarding section. We helped the sandwich cook finish prepping the tuna and egg salad sandwiches. We later moved onto a vegetarian sandwich, and then did some prepping for tomorrow - roasted vegetable sandwich with an asian pesto. I did some side prepping for other stations and then clean up time came soon after that.

Today I also sat in CULN 115 - Menu Merchandising - class with Chef Henry Holthaus, which I've already had the pleasure of taking my Sanitation & Safety class from. I sat in the class hoping to pick up his class in the case of any drop outs. One of our projects will be creating a menu for. Sounds like fun. I think I already have the name of the restaurant for my project: Motar & Pestle. I thought it was a good name because of it represents traditional, hard work, and skill. I'm thinking the food will be comfort Italian with local. We'll see...

Fundamentals Spring 2010 Survivors

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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Course Reflection: Level #3

Fundamentals of Cookery

Name: Mark Enomoto Date: March 4, 2010

Philosophy:
My philosophy entering this course was to learn the fundamentals of cookery – just as the name of the course simply explains. That philosophy hasn’t changed. I’m still a firm believer that real skill development is only as good as the fundamental skills that it’s built upon. From the untrained eye the fundamentals are the boring stuff, the tedious stuff, the pain in the butt stuff. But any experienced person will always see past the flair, and straight into the fundamental skills. If you never learned to walk, you wouldn’t have learned to run, skip, or jump.
Goals:
It’s amazing. I now realize that if you take full advantage of the experiences that life gives you, things can change in a huge way.
In the summer of 2009, after a temporary hiatus, I realized that I belonged in the restaurant industry, and if I was going to make it a career I wanted to cook. So, I began looking into culinary schools. Preferably, I wanted to leave home and experience a new life away from the comforts (or discomforts, at the time) of home. But, figuring out how I was going to fund it looked impossible. But, with God’s blessings my family stepped forward and decided that I was never given a real chance at school, and that they’d help me out at Kapiolani Community College. To this day, I get emotional about it. It’s truly a blessing, and an acknowledgment that I’m heading in the right direction.
My goal in my first semester back in school was to get the best culinary education I could. I had thought of schools like the Culinary Institute of America, Le Cordon Bleu, and the Art Institute, but they seemed unreachable to me – especially the Culinary Institute. I asked an instructor about her thoughts on me looking into the C.I.A., but her advice was to finish KCC and start working because it would be too hard at my age.
But, as my initial goal led me into Chef Leakes CULN 120 – Fundamentals to Cookery – it in turn, opened up a whole new goal. Being a C.I.A. graduate as well, Chef Leake encouraged me to go despite any fears I might have had. But, all I needed was a little encouragement, and I was requesting a packet from the C.I.A., not in California, but from Hyde Park in New York!
So, my next goal… New York!
Expectations:
The expectations I had coming into Fundamental to Cookery were high. From what I had heard from other students was that it was hard, that you had no life, you did a lot of writing, and you have to be in class extra early. In all truth, they were right. But, in all honesty, that is why I took the course. From my past experiences, I know that the industry is hard – that is why I left it behind me in the first place. So, with that understanding, if real life work is hard, why start off easy? I wanted to be blanched and shocked! And if I could handle it, and still be passionate about a culinary education and career, I knew I’d chosen the right path for myself.
I will probably receive an “A” for the course, but it wasn’t without mental, physical, and emotional challenges. But, in return I believe I’ve developed in those areas as well – mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Reflection of Experiences:
Funny, I must be an adult now because I loved and appreciated all my time in this course – from being disappointed to receiving unimaginable compliments. Each moment was a learning process. I was relieved to hear Chef say today that the things we experienced can’t be learned over night, but in know in my heart that they are things that I need to continue to work on.
One experience I have mentored visiting students on is that, besides teaching fundamental cooking skills, this course will teach you the importance of time management. I’ve shared them my challenges and failures in the class, so that they can mentally prepare themselves to be challenged as well. My time management skills were challenged up until the very last few minutes of “mystery basket” exam day. So, in reflection it’s a good reminder that it’s a skill that I need to continue to sharpen.
Positive Experiences:
I think my most positive experiences in this past eight weeks were my worst. Some that come to mind are soups, stocks, and sauces. Then, there was what I called the “three strike brown rice.” And finally, breakfast cookery.
There was so much to learn from these experiences, and for the most part I did learn, and that’s always a plus. Had I not learned, it would have ended with it just being a bad experience and nothing more.
The first few weeks of this course went fairly well, with very little disappointments at all. But, that would all come to a halt when I started soups, stocks, sauces. But the lessons I learned were these:
• I control the heat.
• Develop an eye for reduction.
• Patience with others is an opportunity to develop two at once.
“Three strike brown rice” was my worse day of the course. Frustrated, I kept saying to myself, “I can’t even make rice!” But, at the end of the day, putting the frustrations aside, there were lessons to learn. A few were:
• Don’t take simplicity for granted.
• You may not know what you think you know.
• In every failure there’s opportunity.javascript:void(0)
And in breakfast cookery:
• How to manage my failures by staying positive and not giving up.
• Try again.
• Do it better than the last time.
Besides turning bad experiences into positive ones, I’ve also had experiences that were just purely great. Making new friends is definitely one. I’ve befriended some positive people, who are good influences to me while in school, and possibly in the future as well. In the book ”Coaching Culinary Champions: You, the Team and Competition” by Chef Frank Leake, I believe Chef Lance Nitahara said it best, saying, “I am the product of the sum total of individuals whom I have met throughout my life.”

Humbling Moments:
“Mark, this is one of the most amazing Practical Finals that I have ever read. You are thorough providing essential details for all your tasks. You are methodical, have excellent skills, a positive attitude and you are honest. These positive attributes are reflective throughout your final plan as they are in all that you have pursued during this class. I would like to have your permission to use your plan for teaching and learning of future students enrolled in my classes. Your final plan will provide a new level of learning to these students. Your permission please? Excellent work!” –Chef Leake
You would think that a praising comment like this would put me up on a peddle stool, or boost my confidence through the roof. But, every positive comment I received from my Chef floored me. Initially I’d be confused thinking, “I don’t understand?” Maybe it’s because it’s I know I’ve got so much to accomplish and learn. Maybe because I know confidence is shattered as fast as it’s built. Or maybe it’s hard to except because I know that expectations will be higher when I go to the C.I.A. where I’ll be amongst the best of the best. What ever it is, it stirs up emotions I can only believe is that I’m carrying what I’m suppose to do in life, and people believe that I am capable of doing it. I’m thankful for it, and I respectfully accept these compliments from my mentor Chef Leake. Thank you Chef.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Weekly Reflection, February 18, 2010

Weekly Reflection: Fundamentals of Cookery
February 18, 2010
by Mark Enomoto

Goals:
With the final coming around my goal is to use every opportunity to practice for the final, whether it’s in class or at home. The final is going to have a completely different flow from a regular class. There will not be any breaks for a demo, time to use the restroom, a chance to look too long at my final plan notes, or possibly breath. The mentality I’m taking is: the tour bus drops the guests off at 7am, and the breakfast rush is going to last four and a half hours until 11:30am. Better be ready.
I’m hoping to make some money this weekend at work so that I can go to the market and buy some practice materials to work with – luckily Jodi’s willing to help out as well. Using my “Final Draft” outline, I’ll take a series of tasks and do a run through, so that I have a better idea of where I’m really weak.
In class I want to remain focused, organized and clean during the production portion of class. I need to work on hustling and getting my work done ahead of time, and move forward onto the next task at hand. Besides competing with myself, I could try to have my own personal competition with my classmates; who’s doing great work, and getting done first? This could be a way to push myself to another level. Competition to me is more about personal development, but the competition with others shouldn’t be disregarded because, that too, has it’s developmental benefits.

Expectations:
I have two expectations for next week. The first is that next weeks breakfast cookery module will be extremely challenging. However, I still look forward to breakfast cookery, despite the fear that’s been instilled in us. Eggs are one of those seemingly harmless items, but from this week’s experience with rice, I know not to discount it. I look forward to learning some of the classical skill that Escoffier mentions in his chapter on eggs in his book “Le Guide Culinaire”.
My second expectation is that next week will fly by and hit me like me right hook. Each week has picked up in pace faster than the previous week. With school, work, and homework I’ve been getting more and more exhausted. I think it probably looks like school gave me two black eyes some days when I get home. But, it’ll all be over soon before I know it.
Despite the challenges I have no regrets or complaints about where I am, what I’m doing, and what I’m trying to accomplish in life. And I still believe, like Chef Lance Nitahara, that I am an accumulation of all the people that have affected me, and of all of my past experiences.

Reflection of Experiences:

The experience that left the biggest impression on me is my three stike brown rice. It showed me that even the seemingly easy most recognizable tasks can be challenging. The learning experience that was presented to me is, among other things, this: never underestimate simplicity. My other learning experience is that I can’t cook brown rice in a pan – but I do know how.
“Never underestimating simplicity” is not a new thing to me, but its being revealed to me in a different context. This idea definitely has place when it comes to the culinary world. Everything that we think is new has already been done before. It’s just being presented differently because someone knew the basics of something simple.
If I learn to make a decent quarter cup of brown rice in a small sauté pan one day, maybe I’ll be able to serve it as something special as well.

Positive Experiences:

Teamwork and camaraderie were necessary for my personal development this week. I experienced really great camaraderie this week when I met up with Reid to discuss our final drafts. Before meeting up with Reid, I just couldn’t figure out where to start. I don’t know why, but it was as if I was standing in front of a brick wall. But with a little discussion and referring back to our notes, I was able to get a little kick start in a decent direction and I could go on my own from there.
In many aspects our industry is at it’s best when teamwork is involved, as well, whether it’s two people who work side by side, or two industries that work with each other to generate business. Ultimately, we want to be able to work independently, but it’s a great investment to have a school, work, or personal relationship that is reciprocal when it comes to sincere teamwork.

Humbling Moments:

My humbling moment for the week was mismeasuring, burning, and not being able to cook a decent ¼ cup of brown rice. This reminded me that everything I’m doing should be looked at as something new, and I should receive all this information as though I’ve never done it before. This is probably why, some students who may not have made risotto before may have scored higher than me – they came to the task as an empty vessel and received the information without any preconceived ideas.


Of the things that I learned this week, I am best prepared to demonstrate to someone else? (list in bullet form)

• White Rice
• Wild Rice
• Navarin of Lamb
• Pasta
• Risotto
• Polenta
• Baked potato
• Whipped potato
• Blue cheese dressing
• Filleting a roundfish
• Buerre noisette
• Shuck clams and oysters
• Clean shrimp and squid
• Ciopinno

What feedback did I receive from my instructor and how did I use the information to improve my performance?

On my disastrous Tuesday rice day, the feedback I received from Chef wasn’t any particular words, but facial expressions. I never want to cook food that causes people to convulse from over salted food, nor do I want a guest to pick through their food with a “what’s going on here?” expression. Of course Chef gave me constructive feed back, but sometimes nothing stings more than a facial expression. But this is how I learn. The next time I made chicken stock, I tasted it. And the next time I measured vinegar and it didn’t look right, I double checked and triple checked.