Ramblings Of A Culinary Student

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

The G Is Dead, Long Live The G: The Fall of Beloved Maine Restaurant, Big G's

Literally yesterday, Big G's- a staple of Maine culture and cuisine- announced unceremoniously that they were closed for good. There had been no warning of this, no announcement- Hell, even the staff weren't told! But a giant in Maine gastronomy was gone quicker than it had appeared, with less pomp and circumstance than it deserved, with no closure for the community that had supported it, either.

Big G's started in 1986: a deli that could dish up a variety of sandwiches. The idea was lucrative: most sandwiches had the same fillings, so it was easy to compound a menu of 50+ different items without becoming a run-of-the-mill cafeteria. Their biggest claim to fame was not the large menu, however: it was the massive portions. 1/4 of a sandwich at Big G's was the equivalent of a whole, normal sized sandwich. These monstrosities were sold in halves and wholes, with sides if you wanted them. This was a serious claim to fame in the 1980's, and although large food became a staple of the American stereotype, the charm of the G's massive sandos, cookies, and portions never went away. To be able to order a sandwich named after your favorite actor/character/or even politician, in a portion the size of a toddler was always sort of charming to people, both Mainers and Flat Landers alike- so much so that Big G's gained world wide acclaim thanks to the likes of Food Network and Vice Food. People literally went on pilgrimage to get one of these bitchin' sandwiches, and rave reviews were plastered everywhere: from Yelp, to newspapers, to god knows where.

So, what happened?

There had been rumors that Big G's was not a good place to work: from accusations of harassment, to smoking in the kitchen, to a damning set of text messages from a fired worker, things were not looking too bright. There had been talk of G's underpaying staff, even promising livable wages and underpaying by $4. To make matters worse, with the quick closure and listing of the building, there was talk that there had been sanitation issues as well.

These are all heinous rumors, and if true, these problems should have been dealt with sooner.

And like many locals, I am pretty bereaved, but also very pissed.

So, no one thought to make an announcement of the closure, although the owners knew they were closing in a year? That is ridiculously rude to the patrons who have been coming to your restaurant for decades, and incredibly rude to your staff as well. People bought gift certificates the day before the closure because even the staff had no idea. One person I spoke to had gotten it as a birthday gift for a friend! That is heinous.

I do believe that this closure will taint the memory of Big G's forever, causing what should have been a fondly remembered legacy to be cast in a dark shadow. I don't think the memory of the food will stay pure for most of the people who ate there: I think the memories will mostly be of this disservice the owners did to the community. And if the owners tried to make a comeback, I wouldn't be surprised if these recent events tainted that, too. This is not how you close a business, this is an insult to the people who loved your establishment the most, and I am ashamed of how this all went down.

Rest in Peace, Big G's: you deserved a better ending.

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

An Ode To Baked Beans

I grew up in rural New England: everyone had scrap piled up on their lawn where I was from, the churches all smelled like a cabinet from 1968 that hadn't been touched since then, everyone was obsessed with Loony Tunes...for some reason...and we had something called Bean Suppers. Every church during a specific time in Autumn would hoist out their letter boards advertising that the little, blue haired ladies of the church's Ladies Parlour were going to dig out their earthen ware bean pots and argue amongst each other as to how much brown sugar needed to be added for the best beans, or what types of beans cooked the best. The memory of going into a church's basement, smelling the earthy, smoky smell of baked beans wafting through the room, and being served a heaping pile of beans, cooked veggies, and a slice of buttered Canadian White bread on fine china still lingers in my mind.

However, these dinners are going extinct, especially thanks to COVID. I'm half-devastated that I will never take my children to a baked bean supper, at least until further notice (also because I don't have kids). Baked Beans are a staple of New England and Appalachian cooking: it's hearty, it has a lot of protein, and they taste damn good. More people should eat beans, and I'm not saying that because I've been pining for baked beans for the last 10 months: they're really tasty, trust me.

So, here's a simple baked beans recipe.

Baked Beans (at 325 degrees Fahrenheit)

2 Cups Navy or Yellow eye beans. This depends on who you ask.

1/2 lb salt pork/leaf lard/bacon

1 onion, diced. Or, if you want to do it like my family does, just slice it and separate the strips.

3 TBSP Molasses

2 TSP Salt

Pepper to taste

1/2 Cup Ketchup

1/4 TSP Dried Mustard, powdered

1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 Cup (dark) Brown Sugar.

Soak the beans overnight in water, preferably cold water, but room temp is also appropriate. Drain and reserve leftover liquid. Arrange your beans in layers, with salt pork and onion in between the layers of beans. Combine molasses, ketchup, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire, and brown sugar in a saucepan and heat, stirring out any lumps. Cover beans in sauce, and then cover the sauced beans with reserved water. Cook in an oven preheated to 325 for 3-4 hours, or until beans are tender. Serve with a piece of buttered bread and green beans as soon as they come out of the oven.

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

A Tale of Two Groups: The Story of A Group Where We Pretend To Be In The Weeds During A Dinner Rush

Facebook has some very interesting groups, especially role play groups: groups where they pretend it's 2006 internet, groups that pretend it's the middle ages, groups where everyone pretends to be soccer moms or boomers. You name it, there's probably a group pretending to be it. However, one stuck out at me for the short time it was on Facebook: A Group Where We Pretend To Be In The Weeds During A Dinner Rush. It was originally an RP group, but oftentimes it attracted actual industry workers who ended up not staying in character and supporting one another. Hell, there was even a segment where you could post a picture of your favourite real life co-worker and have them complimented by everyone else! It was a pretty nice place to be.

My friend added me to the group, and I immediately began getting along with everyone else: we talked about plating, heart reacted other people's co-workers, shared stories of dinner rushes, critiqued each other's tickets, and banded together to help waitresses who received creepy notes on receipts. It felt like a global kitchen: we were a family, and we were very much ride or die for each other. I even shared my own stories of being in culinary: stories I have yet to tell here or to others outside of the kitchen. Hell, we even had a thread where we shared music for other chefs to listen to during work! It was pretty neat-o.

However, the Zuccening happened: numerous groups were taken down due to a glitch in the server, Dinner Rush being one of them. For some, the loss came mid-comment, for others, it came while reading a post. Either way, it went down with no warning, and stayed down. Users rushed around, frantically trying to make a new version, yet it wasn't the same: like all great things on the internet, A Group Where We Pretend To Be In The Weeds During A Dinner Rush was gone forever after a short presence.

A whole community of service workers were left heartbroken that day.

I will never forget how much I loved that group, and how tight knit it felt: we were like a kitchen family, except we were global. I wish it could be brought back, but I don't think it can be. All we can do at this point is just hope that we all cross paths one day and share a beer as well as our memories of this wonderful group.

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

Let's Talk About Mochi

I tried mochi for the first time last week: I had finally bought one of those 30 piece Japanese snack boxes that I had wanted since I was a teeny-weeny weeaboo, and they included a green-tea mochi dumpling with red bean paste in the middle. It was really good, but I wasn't fond of the texture. I also tried mochi ice cream recently, which was okay as well, but the texture wasn't my favourite. It was really interesting to finally be able to try this food after years of hearing it, and I wasn't let down at all by how nice it tasted.

Mochi is a traditional Japanese rice cake that's made from glutinous rice called mochigome. They come in various forms: planks, balls, ice cream, etc. They also come in a variety of flavours, like sesame or peach. Mochi has a texture similar to marshmallows, especially gourmet ones. The possibilities are endless for mochi, and this food is beloved in Japan. I'll talk about three forms of mochi in this post.

Mochi Dumplings, or Marumochi are little balls which are oftentimes filled. These are prepared like most other dumplings, except they aren't cooked, but are rolled in cornstarch to keep from sticking to everything. They are often eaten during certain festivals, and sometimes are individually packaged for consumption. If you're outside of Japan, they can be bought at some Asian Markets, and I'd suggest anyone going into culinary trying them at least once.

Kirimochi are plank-shaped rice cakes which are often used in savoury dishes like soups. Sometimes it's breaded, sometimes it's grilled. However, Kirimochi is stretchy, and has a pull similar to cheese. I found a blog which talks about how to prepare Kirimochi at home.

In the last few years, Mochi Ice Cream has become popular with online celebrities, especially those in the mukbang ASMR community. Mochi ice cream is similar in prep to fried ice cream, except instead of frying, frozen ice cream balls are covered in mochi and then dusted with cornstarch. Mochi ice cream comes in all types of flavours, and the most prominent brand I've seen is My/Mo, which is carried by Shaw's here where I am.

I hope you have a wonderful day, sorry for the sporadic uploads (I'm still in University), and I hope you eat something wonderful today.

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

Let's Talk About Christmas Food

Christmas is two days away, and like a lot of families at this time of year, I'm helping plan my family's annual Christmas dinner! This year, we've got turkey, the fixings, pies, and white grape bubbly. I've been trying to figure out what to talk about on my blog as well, since I've been absorbed into my own trauma work recently. I decided (finally) to delve into Christmas around the world, and what kind of foods especially are held in high regard during this time of year.

America

Mint is everywhere at this time: peppermint mocha, mint chocolate cookies, everything is mint all of a sudden. Although it's a sweet relief after the storm of pumpkin-everything that hit relatively hard this year (how many damn times was I served something that looked like butterscotch pudding when in reality it was, in fact, pumpkin?!), it'll become old news by January.

Americans also love their turkey: we get it twice a year, at Thanksgiving and sometimes Christmas. When turkey becomes insufferable, we often will go for ham. All the traditional sides come with it as well: mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, veggies (whatever your family likes), and at the end of it all comes, traditionally, a pumpkin pie. It's pretty much second Thanksgiving.

Hell, Americans love Christmas dinner so much, they have a song about it.

Canada/Quebec

The Quebecois have this thing called Tourtiere pie that's eaten on major holidays: it's a basic pork pie in a buttery crust. The filling differs from family to family: some will add turkey to the pork, some will add potatoes. Either way, it's kind of tradition to only have tourtiere homemade, rather than buying the frozen ones in the store. Oftentimes, you will find older generations of the Quebecois using ketchup as a dip for their pie, even though it's kind of taboo.

Quebec also brags about a well-known Christmas market every year, which allows patrons to indulge in the aesthetic of the city as well as the gifts offered by local businesses. Maple flavoured everything is pretty popular, even to the point that the stores where I am (I live near a large Quebecois settlement) also carry the maple candies around this time of year.

In French, the preferred Christmas greeting is "Joyeux Noël!"

Mexico

Mexico has this very interesting Christmas tradition called "Las Posada" which is a procession that occurs from the 16th to Christmas eve where children are given candles and figures of the holy family and go around singing. The houses each turn them away until they reach the right one, which allows them to enter and have a party. Another version of this I learned was that they were not to be allowed in until the reached a local church.

Food differs from family to family: some prefer tamales, while others prefer oxtail soup. Piñatas are often brought out as well, which are filled with candy or small gifts.

A common hymn sung during this time is Que Preciosas Mañanitas.

"Feliz Navidad," like the song, is how to say Merry Christmas in Spanish.

England

England has some interesting traditions, especially when it comes to Crimbo food: first of all, no setting out cookies for Santa: British Santa gets brandy and a mincemeat pie. England also shares the tradition of roast turkey for Christmas, except they often plate it was tiny, bacon wrapped sausages as well. Somehow, this wasn't brought over along with a lot of traditions when the Puritans came. Brussel sprouts are also commonly served along with the turkey, which, okay whatever. Bread sauce is also a mainly British thing which is a sauce that utilises bread as a thickener (a trick that dates back to the Middle Ages, by the way).

Following the meal is something called a Christmas Pudding: a sort of fruitcake that's been steeped in alcohol for the past few months and which is lit on fire in order to burn it off. Christmas pudding is pretty good, although if you don't like an alcoholic flavour, it won't be for you. This is also not to be confused with "Figgy Pudding" which is an entirely different thing.

Around Twelfth Night, chicken pies are often eaten (they contain only chicken and gravy), and Crimbo celebrations tend to be closed out. This is one of my favourite traditions that my family brought over from England and Wales hundreds of years ago.

And of course, bonus info, Mari Lewd for anyone who's interested.

Italy

Italian Christmas starts on December 8th, on the Day of Immaculate Conception (which doesn't represent the day Mary conceived, but the day she herself was conceived). On Christmas Eve, red meat isn't allowed, only fasting (in the medieval sense: a fish on Fridays sort of thing). Baccalà, or salted cod, is a traditional dish that is served on the 24th. On Christmas Day, feasting begins: roast meat, pasta, and traditional desserts. Panettone, a sweet bread, is often served on the 25th, and so is pasta en brodo-pasta in broth. Like many other European countries, Christmas festivities last for 12 days, and bring with them lots of delicious foods.

"Ti auguro Buon Natale" means "I wish you a Merry Christmas" In Italian.

Germany

Germany is kind of the King of modern Christmas: ever since Queen Victoria introduced these traditions to the UK in the 19th century, they've been mainstays in households around the world since. One of the more well known dishes served on this day is Stollen: a dense fruit bread that is dusted with powdered sugar. Germans also really like to have Hippocras (spiced wine) around this time of year, as well as an assortment of different sweets and chocolates from the Christmas Market. On Christmas eve, the more popular choice of main course is goose, although other families might prefer duck, rabbit, etc.

Another traditional drink served around this time is Feuerzangenbowle, or fire punch. It's oftentimes lit on fire when presented.

"Fröhliche Weihnachten!" is how to say Merry Christmas in German.

Japan

Christmas has invaded Japan, and they've created their own customs for this time of year! One of the really interesting aspects of Japanese Christmas traditions is how fried chicken, usually KFC chicken, is commonly eaten as Christmas Dinner. It's become so much of a thing that KFC created an annual deal for a large dinner meal that includes a large serving of chicken and sides, served in a festive bucket, and which comes with a chocolate cake. Another commonly eaten dish for Christmas in Japan is the infamous strawberry shortcake: vanilla sponge cake with whipped frosting/cream and strawberries in the middle! Delicious!

Christmas is also 1-2 days after The Emperor's birthday (a state holiday in Japan).

"Merīkurisumasu" is a common way that folks wish each other a Merry Christmas in Japan.

Happy Holidays to my followers, and I hope you have a lovely Christmas meal and a good end of the year!!!

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

The Mediaeval Origins of Macaroni And Cheese

So, I haven't gone over something really important in my life: I am a Mediaeval Re-enactor, and I went into the hobby hoping to become a food historian. I have (technically) achieved that title at this point, but I've branched out into other forms of history such as costuming and coverage of a certain sub-period of the Middle Ages. As I've been pondering things to write about on this blog, I remembered something really interesting: Macaroni and Cheese, or simply the basics of Macaroni and Cheese, have Mediaeval origins. So I'm going to talk about that today.

One of the first recorded recipes for anything that resembled Macaroni and Cheese was in Liber De Cochina, an Italian cuisine cookbook written in the 14th century. The recipe called for pasta covered in parmesan. Although my immediate reaction to this would be "That's just Cacio E Pepe," the more familiar version, which was called makerouns, was found in the Forme of Curie, the cookbook written by King Richard II of England. Richard must've really liked the thought of cheese and pasta, since his recipe calls for hand-cut noodles that resembled lasagna, sandwiched between layers of melted cheddar cheese and butter. Richard II knew how to food, but it was unfortunate that he didn't know how to reign his kingdom as well (He was deposed by his cousin).

Here's the first English recipe for makerouns, I.e Macaroni Cheese Lasagna:

Take and make a thynne foyle of dowh. and kerve it on peces, and cast hem on boillyng water & seeþ it wele. take chese and grate it and butter cast bynethen and above as losyns. and serue forth.

For those who have yet to take a class in Chaucer, it says to make a dough and make pasta. Boil it, and then layer cheese and butter between the noodles before baking it. Delicious!

It wouldn't be until 1827 that the first recipes for Macaroni and Cheese as we know it would pop up in cookbooks, and the first Kraft Macaroni and Cheese dinner wouldn't be invented until 1937. But these are facts that'll wow your next dinner guests!

I hope you eat something delicious today.

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

Thanksgiving: One of Two Very Stressful Times for Chefs

Look, I can stand at a prep station for hours on end, having instructions barked at me: I've developed a tolerance for it. The kitchen is my refuge, and I flourish there, but the stress of Thanksgiving is a different stress: being asked why I don't have kids yet, having to corral my very stressed out border collie, having to deal with Murphy's Law (which flourishes during this time of year) and dealing with critique from family stresses me out. This is why I didn't write much Thanksgiving week: I was Murphy-Proofing everything I could and crying a lot. That's why I'm proposing this be a kind of self-care week for my fellow Culinarians: we've all had at least one moment in the last week where things went to crap, and we need a moment to scream into a pillow, have a healthy meal, and breathe.

I once had to help cater a Thanksgiving day meal for nearly 1000 people, however, the stress I felt that week was minimal compared to this year: I had had an outlet, and I was working with friends who would vent with me on what was going on in their lives. This year, everything that could go wrong did: we almost didn't have mash, a big container of gravy tipped over, and I was pinned to a wall when the dinner came by three very talkative family members. There were no lovable moments like when the gravy prep team had possibly smoked a joint and tried to carry the gravy in cake pans: there was only anger and stress. On Black Friday, I found myself blowing up at my mom, crying that I wanted to disappear because I am so stressed out. The last time I cried about culinary was this time of year, too (but it was for a different reason, mainly pain related).

If you go to a restaurant in the next week, give large tips to both the chef and the waiters. If you know a chef personally, bring over a hot meal to them when they get home and maybe talk to them if they need it. Cheer on the Culinarians in your life, because this time of year sucks and there's another hurdle coming: Christmas.

One thing that I want to mention that really puts things into perspective is that chefs are at a higher risk of suicide, and with major holidays, people with a higher risk are prone to crises.

Please stay safe this holiday season, and if you are feeling like you might hurt yourself, don't be afraid to call the National Suicide Hotline: [phone]. This time of year can be stressful and may feel isolating, but remember that you're not alone, and people love you.

I hope everything is well with you, and that you eat something wonderful.

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

Let's Talk About Kimchi

Kimchi has become pretty popular in the recent popularity boom around Korean food: it's a staple in Korean dishes, and is so well beloved by the people of Korea that it's eaten as an accoutrement to the entree. It's an ingredient, a garnish, and somehow also a palate cleanser: a jack of all trades, and somehow a master of all.

So what is kimchi?

Kimchi (김치) is a fermented vegetable that is brined in a mixture of red pepper paste, sometimes shrimp paste, salt, and water. That might be a little over-simplified, but every family's recipe is different, and each claims to be the best.

The most common form of kimchi is Baechu (배추김치)or cabbage kimchi: nappa cabbage brined for weeks to months. You can buy this in almost any grocery store, but oftentimes the mass produced brands are very fermented and sour. Each brand has its own flavour.

Another popular version of kimchi is Pa-kimchi (파김치) or scallion kimchi, which calls for the same process but with scallions instead of cabbage.

There are over 100 types of kimchi: pretty much if it's a vegetable, there's a kimchi for it. Some kimchi are seasonal: Yeolmumul Kimchi (열무물김치) or green water kimchi is a summertime treat, while baechu is favourite in the winter because of what it adds to soups.

Kimchi also is rumoured to have some healing properties: it's loaded with probiotics, and supposedly has the ability to lower oestrogen levels (Update: I can't say for sure: what I thought were cysts due to oestrogen was actually my gallbladder, so take this claim with a grain of salt).

A really good resource on kimchi is The Chef's Table's episode on Jeong Kwang: they talk about it somewhat, and also about Buddhist cooking.

I absolutely love kimchi: my first introduction to it's existence was a mashup of a cartoon called Chowder (in the show, Kimchi is the name of the protagonist's pet fart cloud), and through cookbangs on youtube. I bought my first jar at a local farmer's market and had a bad first time with it: it was too spicy and pretty garbage-y flavoured. It wasn't until I moved to an agriculturally-oriented town and bought a damn good brand that I really began to love it: it was a local kind, I can't remember the name of the producer, but it tasted like marinara sauce and was tender. Unfortunately, this brand is now unavailable where I am, so I'm stuck with the cheap, over-fermented shit.

I hope you have an awesome day and eat something awesome <3

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

Warning Signs When Visiting A Restaurant

So, I've been to quite a few restaurants in my lifetime: my parents are foodies, I'm a culinary student, so it's almost an obligation. Some restaurants are better than others, but here's how to spot red flags in a restaurant that tell you maybe you shouldn't eat there.

1. ) An Empty Dining Room

Picture this: you walk into a restaurant, and there's not a soul sitting an eating. This is a common occurrence in restaurants who aren't doing well or are on the brink of closure. There's a reason no one's eating there, and there's probably a good reason for you not to eat there, too.

2.) A Hectic Dining Room Where No One's Eating

Kind of the opposite of point 1: there are people, but no food has been served. That means there's a backup, and they are not prepared to deal with the dinner rush. You won't be eating if you stick around, so go elsewhere.

3.) They Won't Let You See Their Kitchen/The Dining Room Isn't Sanitary

This is a little industry tip: If they have a closed kitchen and they're secretive about it (i.e they won't let you glance inside), then it means they're probably prepping food in unsanitary conditions. My chef taught me this one in school during Serve Safe, and I've used it since. Kitchens that are open to the dining room have become my favourite, since I can see what exactly is going on with my food.

To elaborate on the cleanliness thing, if you walk into the dining room and it's a pig sty (not sanitary, cobwebs, dirty dishes, staff moseying around like they have nothing better to do) then turn and walk out the door: that's how uncleanly they're willing to be in front of patrons: just imagine what kind of conditions they might be hiding.

4.) The Staff is Audibly Fighting

Picture this: you're waiting on your entree and you hear yelling coming from the kitchen. That sort of stuff is a red flag that you might be dealing with a staff that'll treat you poorly, and that your food will be delayed. A staff is supposed to be like a family: if they can't achieve that, they're bound for failure.

5.) The Seafood Smells like Poseidon's Cloaca/Is Clearly Spoiled

SEAFOOD IS NOT SUPPOSED TO SMELL FISHY: the fishy/ammonia smell is due to decomposition. Unless you're looking for a reason to miss work, get up and leave without eating.

This sort of thing goes for other types of food, too: if something seems to be amiss on your plate (like if there's mould, rotting, etc.) do not eat it and leave.

6.) The Bathroom Has No Hot Water/Clogged Toilet/Etc.

A kitchen, by regulations, has to close down temporarily if there's no hot water: that means things cannot be sanitised. If when you inform the wait staff of the issues and they don't react, get yourself out of there: they aren't following protocol.

7.) Chef Has Obliterated Everything With Pepper/Strong Tasting Seasoning

This one isn't so much health and safety oriented, rather speaks loudly to the competence of the chef. Chefs with super refined palates or sensitive palates will not go in for mountains of black pepper: to people like that, heavy seasoning like that can physically cause pain. If every dish that comes out of the kitchen is obliterated with pepper or other heavy tasting seasonings, it means the chef doesn't have that refined of a palate. More or less a preference thing.

BONUS: When Everything On The Menu Is An Enigma

Let's say the menu has a bunch of French words on it, but no explanation of what the Hell these things are. For safety reasons (mainly allergies), restaurants are supposed to list descriptions and allergens on their menus. You might not want to stick around there for a riveting game of allergy roulette, trust me.

Hopefully this helps with your future dining experiences, and I hope you eat something wonderful this week.

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

A PSA About Propane

So, I was absent this week for a multitude of things: first, I had an ovarian cyst burst out of nowhere, and was planning on doing a post about diet changes that are supposed to prevent cyst formation. Second, there was a propane leak in my apartment, and I spent Thursday and Friday getting that resolved.

Because of the recent events in Farmington, Maine (a town that's about 30 minutes from me), and my own run-in with propane, I'd like to make a safety PSA for every one of my followers, so that if you encounter a leak, you will have the tools to handle the situation safely and effectively. A lot of industrial stoves use propane, so this can be helpful in both home life and in the restaurant kitchen.

Safety Tip #1: Sniff close to the floor and around devices that use propane if you think there's a leak.

Propane is a heavy gas: it stays close to the ground when there's a leak. That's why if there's a gas leak coming from the top floor apartment in a building, you smell it more on the first floor. If you think you smell propane (Ethyl Mercaptan is added to propane so if there's a leak you can smell it. It smells like either sulphur, onion garbage, petrol, or skunk), get your face closer to the floor and smell. Also, check around your stove: sniff your oven, burners, behind the stove, the drawer at the bottom of the stove, etc. If the smell is more intense near the floor or around devices that use propane, it's probably a leak.

Safety Tip #2: Don't turn on anything, not even your cellphone!

If you detect a leak, don't turn on a fan or even your cellphone! Whenever you turn on electronics, it causes a spark in order to get the electronic running. That spark, even though it's small, is enough to cause an explosion. Open a window, evacuate the building, and call the fire department/gas company/land lord from a safe distance. Propane is highly flammable, and so don't even smoke while in the building.

Safety Tip #3: Propane fumes are poisonous

There is such a thing called "Propane Poisoning", and it's a serious affair. Here's a link to an article about it from the Propane Council.

Safety Tip #4: You can actually purchase propane detectors

They're called "explosive gas detectors" and can help people who are unable to smell. They run from about $17-$100.

I hope that none of you have to use these tips: propane leaks are nasty to deal with. If you do have to deal with something like this, remember these tips and stay safe. What happened in Farmington, ME was a tragedy, and I hope it never repeats itself.

I hope you eat something awesome this week, and please hug your loved ones when you can.

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

Lets Talk About Chef's Uniforms: A Rant Culminated Over 2 Years

So, in culinary school, I received my chef's jacket and checks: the calling card of the very profession I was going into. For the most part, double breasted jackets are white, with the name of the cook embroidered onto the chest. White was chosen in the 1800s because anything that looked "clean" was envied.

However, in this day and age, wearing a white jacket while working with food and markers is a really stupid idea: I was pretty darn lucky for not accidentally destroying my uniform (especially after having a sharpie follow one of my coats into the laundry once). My friends and chef were not so lucky: during our butchery section, I watched as a pen actually exploded in her pocket while she gave a lecture. She then went into talking about how she was so ready to switch to black chef's coats. Another friend accidentally left a marker in the arm sleeve of her coat, and ended up with an unevenly dyed grey coat. She ended up having to pay extra for a replacement.

Needless to say, the time the end of the first semester came, we were all done with these God-forsaken jackets.

This is a pretty universal problem, come to find out: ask any professional chef and they will probably go red faced and begin to rant like no tomorrow about these effing coats. I am baffled yet grateful that I somehow was able to avoid such a common blunder in this industry...however I did get humbled when I left the homework's recipe card in the breast pocket of my jacket (a story for some other time).

In summary: White chef coats can legit go to Hell.

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

A Waltz Down Memory Lane: Returning To Campus Post-Stroke (2021)

When I left the campus of my culinary school in December, I seriously thought I was never going to return: I had been accepted to a different culinary school, and was really feeling a mix of emotions concerning my career: a lot of rage, depression, confidence, and even cockiness. I didn't realise as I walked out of the side door on the last day of school that this would be the last time I dawned a chef's coat due to a brain lesion that was patiently waiting to screw me up. I didn't realise that in two months time, I would be left, albeit temporarily crippled: somehow more angry than before, a broken career, and no direction in life.

If I could've warned past me, I would've.

Today, I had a quick college orientation, which, unfortunately for me, took place on the campus that I had exiled myself from nearly a year ago: I sat in a room, listened to a woman go on and on about building each other up, and then was escorted into the hallway I had spent the beginning and end of my career in, walking past my kitchen, where two students made hamburgers at my old station, and I found myself sighing in relief to see neither chefs were there to ask questions about what had happened to me.

Somehow, even though I dispelled the myth ten minutes earlier that I was a failure: looking into the window of my old stomping grounds actually reinstated those sickly feelings I had developed over the last six months. I quickly walked past, before learning we also had another ex-culinary member in the group. Suddenly, there was a kind of empathy in the air; the quiet "oh no, you too?" that is often exchanged by former line cooks from similar kitchens.

Suddenly, I didn't feel that alone anymore.

Look, culinary is hard: I was so ready to sell my soul to the restaurant industry just to realise I didn't need culinary school to do so and to actually ruin my health trying to achieve what would later be rendered a pipe dream. I can still be a part of this industry, but I have to be damn careful about what I due in order not to give myself another stroke.

To the former chef and cooks who had to quit due to their health: you are not a failure: you are an amazing person who deserves to be happy and have a life where you're not stewing over the what ifs. You are also not alone here: there's a lot of us who weren't able to continue, and that's okay.

To students: don't over stress yourself too much: take care of yourself and use coping skills to lower stress levels. Don't hurt yourself trying to be the best chef in the world: your health is more important as your skills and portfolio.

I hope you get to eat something amazing today!

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

Lets Talk Budget Recipes

So, I'm a college student: that much has been pretty clear since I began this blog: I was in a culinary program before my body decided to pop a cap in me. Ever since that's happened, I've been pretty unemployed and have had to switch back to General Studies because it looks like I can't be a nurse either. So, not only am I in college, but broke and trying to get by as well as I can.

Here are two recipes that are easy to make and easy on the wallet, which I myself have approved (being the broke food connoisseur that I am).

Meal #1: Kare Risu

What you will need:

1 onion

1 potato

1 apple

1 carrot

1 cup of rice

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 box of Japanese Curry Roux

salt and pepper

Oil

water

Take all of the vegetables and peel and dice them. Put them in a pot with some oil and the ginger + garlic and fry until they're a bit golden brown. Cover with water and boil until the vegetables are fork tender. Take curry roux and break the cubes up, incorporating them fully into the water.

For the rice, start 2 cups of water in a pan when the veggies are browning and boil. Add 1 cup of rice, cover, and let boil for 20 minutes. Once 20 minutes is up, turn off heat and let sit for an extra 6 minutes. If you're feeling really frisky, wash your rice before adding it in.

Serve with toasted sesame seeds or a fried egg on top...or both if you want.

Meal #2: Ramen

Okay, so fair warning: this meal doesn't do well in the fridge.

If you want something fast that you don't want to eat leftovers because of, Ramen is a good idea. We're going by Famous Chef Roy Choi's doctored ramen recipe, since he's the man!

What you'll need

1 package of Maruchan Ramen Noodles, or anything similar in quality

3 tablespoons of butter

2 pieces of sliced American cheese, white

1/2 a cup of broth in matching flavour to said ramen

1 egg

(Optional) La Choi's Stir Fry mix

(Also Optional) kimchi

Follow the instructions for the ramen, but after adding the seasoning mix, add the broth and let it get hot. Melt in the butter and then the cheese, until fully incorporated. Fry the egg separately, preferably with salt and white pepper, and add the veggies or meat to the broth. Top with the egg and toasted sesame seeds if you want them.

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

Let's Talk Goat Cheese

Last year, I bought a glob of chive and garlic goat cheese at the local market: I hadn't had goat cheese prior to that moment, but knew my neighbours would probably like it.

They were weary to say the least

After two of my neighbours refused the cheese, I decided to try it. There's something about really fresh goat cheese that's just...amazing: it was creamy, a little tangy, but overall delicious. I soon found myself barrelling through my cabinets looking for more butter crackers like some kind of cheese junky and buying bars of chocolate to pair with this amazing substance. I couldn't get enough of it.

The rest of the year was spent trying different goat cheeses, and soon I related my search to a kind of cheese roulette: either it was going to be too tart and acidic or heaven on a butter cracker. Goat cheese is so varied, you cannot find two brands that taste the same, so if you don't like it once, try a different brand or kind: one brand might be more up your alley compared to whatever you tried before it!

Also for maximum flavour: goat cheese goes well with butter crackers, fresh fruit, chocolate, fruit spreads (especially fig spreads), and smoked meats like bacon or salmon (that's why often artisan burger joints put goat cheese on burgers).

So do me and your local farmers a favour and eat some goat cheese!

[ramblingsofaculinarystudent]

Appetizer: Backstory

In 2017, I signed up for culinary school.

In 2019, I had a stroke.

One Saturday night, whilst feeling particularly all "woe is me," I decided to look up ways to be in the Culinary field without hurting myself. Two things were mentioned that jumped out to me: blog and photography. Look, I'm darn good at photography (allegedly), but I'd have to drop more cash to do that-cash that I don't have from being unemployed due to my current issues.

So I said "screw it" and started a blog: this was originally on Blogger, and then a WordPress before deciding to switch platforms. I'm starting Ramblings fresh on here.

So, what is this blog going to be about? You ask, concerned.

Food and Recipes

Food related news

Stories about the industry

So, here we go! Hope this goes better!!