90 questions till first term ends at culinary school

One more exam, the all-important ServSafe certification test, is on the docket at the California Culinary Academy for the culinary arts certificate group that began six weeks ago.

The test will be 90 questions all about food and restaurant safety and sanitation. Passage, with a minimum score of 75%, gives the student a five-year certification by the National Restaurant Association. It's considered an important entry point for those seeking work in the restaurant business as cooks and chefs.

Chef John Meidinger will administer the test, giving us one hour and 10 minutes. The results will be posted on the ServSafe Web site in about two weeks.

Today, Chef John gave us the final exam for hisSafety & Sanitation class, and Chef Tony Marano oversaw a skills test requiring us to make mayonnaise and gazpacho by hand. Both of mine turned out well, and  Chef Tony gave me high marks.

More important, I felt comfortable with how both dishes came together, and I completed the tasks in well under the one-hour time allotment.

Can't wait to complete the safety and sanitation certification. Then onto daily cooking in Les Cuissons Francaise in Culinary Foundations II class starting next Monday.

Culinary school finals week; let the cramming begin

Week 6 at the California Culinary Academy is the end of the term for students in the culinary arts certificate program. That means final exams.

* Monday will be the written exam in Culinary Foundations I, covering culinary history, kitchen equipment and the kitchen "brigade," sauces and stocks, knife cuts, basic measurements and proportioning recipes, the seven techniques of Les Cuissons Francaise. (We learned a lot of stuff, more than I would have guessed.)

* Tuesday will be a review and study day.

* Wednesday will be the practical exam in Culinary Foundations I for knife skills, demonstrating the 10 basic cuts.

* Thursday will be the written exam in Safety & Sanitation and the practical exam in Culinary Foundations I for sauces and soups. We will be required to make mayonnaise as the sauce and gazpacho as the soup, all in 90 minutes.

* Friday will be the written ServSafe food safety certification exam. Passing the exam means National Restaurant Association certification for five years. Having certification is required by many restaurants for chefs and cooks.

Will "cram" and "practice" today by making cream of mushroom soup, scallops sautéed in butter and oil and a mix of peas, carrots and pearl onions.