I would have to say that cullinary is my favorite class. I feel that cooking food is something that I've always enjoyed, but never really been good at. I love eating healthy food. Deserts is an acception though. Coming into cullinary I had the cooking skills of a high school student. Popcorn, pb and j sandwiches, and microwavable dinners. Ever since my first day of cullinary class, a whole new world opened up for me, and I am so happy. Last night I made cranberry orange muffins, with flax seeds, and chia seeds. Since I enjoy healthy eating, I enjoy healthy cooking. I made them without butter, whole wheat flour, and organic turbinado sugar. I also made almond butter cups since they are my dads favorite deserts. The newest thing I tried out was Mac and Cheese with a rue, and cheddar cheese, and a Avacado milkshake with raw caoca powder, and agave nectar. I have also been trying out with different ingredients, such as bak choy, and watercress. I made homemade edamame hummus which was to die for. I will always look up recipes online, and cook for my neighbors. I will literally have people drive over to my house to eat the food I am making. My favorite thing to eat that I make is my homemade rasberry oat bars. They are delicious. I also make homemade granola, and am known for my cupcakes. I don't know if I want to make cullinary a profession, but cooking is something that I absoloutley love to do, and don't see myself slowing down, or getting sick of it anytime soon. I love being able to make other people happy with the food I present. I also love cooking healthy, since my whole family is constantlly eating healthy. I feel that through this cullinary program in the school we are learning more then how to make "oatmeal, or sandwiches" we are making crepes, pasta dishes, and burgers. I am so happy that I am apart of this, and I want to take advance next year.

In February i didnt really have any experiences with food. but i baked cupcakes and cinnamon biscuits. i made cupcakes which were for my boyfriends birthday. they were yellow cake with chocolate frosting on top. the biscuits that i made. i made with my dad. they were my favorite ever since i was little. i used to make them all the time with my grandma when i was young and slept at her house in norwalk. now my dad will make them every few weeks on sunday morning. i love waking up to the smell of them
Kelly B

A couple weeks ago, my Dad and I decided to take a day trip down to New Haven to try out Louis’ Lunch, the birthplace of the hamburger. The restaurant is basically a little 15x10 foot shack with a pair behind-the-counter vertical grills, packed to the teeth with people. We had to wait an hour just to get inside, and another half hour just to make it to the counter. It was almost impossible to maneuver through the sea of people who were waiting around for their orders to be filled. The minute you got out of your seat, somebody else took it. Anyway, after an hour and a half of waiting we finally got to put our order in. You could order some potato salad in a cup to hold you over until your burger was done, and that was pretty much it. Your choices for toppings were cheese, tomato, or onion, and you could choose from a small collection of sodas to drink from. After we ordered, we sat around for another good hour or so until our burgers were done, and they were worth the wait. I had never had a burger cooked medium rare before, but I decided to stray away from my usual well-done burger. I figured since there were no condiments available (the owners of the establishment view the use of condiments as a mortal sin), a well done burger would be extremely dry, and I’m glad I ordered it a little undercooked. It was probably the best burger I had ever eaten. I don’t know if it was a placebo affect that had me raving about it or if it was actually that good, but it was the tastiest, simplest burger I had ever eaten. I recommend everybody go there at least once in their life to experience the original hamburger, despite the grueling waiting time.

Frankie B.

I would have to say that my favorite food to eat is pizza, which is my go to food. No matter what time of day I can always go for a slice of pizza. But It has to be warm, I can not eat cold pizza, some people can but I cant. That just isn’t me. My favorite types of pizza would have to be cheese, pepperoni or sausage pizza. Those are all great choices to have but there is one more type of pizza that I would occasionally have is bacon pizza. Very good but gets old really fast. My favorite pizza place I would have to say would be Papa Al’s off exit 9. Very nice pizza thin crust pizza which isn’t my favorite but it gets the job done. My favorite type of pizza is thick crust with some cheese in the bread. Might sound nasty but it is good, don’t knock it till you try it. I would say I have pizza one to two times a week each time different. But my favorite food easily is pizza. Easily
Jack C

I love how this year in culinary I have expanded my horizons and cooked things using different ingredients in every food group that I had never combined before. Before I took Culinary I and II this year, I found myself always returning to the same few go-to snacks or meals when I had to prepare something for myself. In the past, I had always prepared either a simple cheese omelet, wrap, or one of a few soups from a can. After taking Culinary, I realized how quick and efficient some snacks can be while still tasting unique and delicious. For example, I really enjoyed when our groups prepared light, fluffy-yet-crispy crepes with a little jelly filling. Also, our groups prepared buttermik bisquits that, although a little more involved and time-consuming, can be made pretty spur of the moment. With these short but amazing recipes at hand, I have increased my variety of snacks and options when I am bored of the same old foods.

Speaking of stepping out of my food-comfort-zone, even at restaurants I find myself being more adventourous when ordering off the menu. One time where I tried something I was unsure of but wound up LOVING was Duck Con’fit in Fire Island. The tender, juicy dark meat with melt-in-your-mouth breadcrumb crust was so good that I could not wait to order it every time I saw it on any menu. Overall, Culinary has opened my eyes to trying new things that in the past may have sounded gross or a strange combination. You never know… this new food item may turn out to be your favorite meal of all time!
Colleen F

I had a bit of trouble writing this entry for the culinary blog because I had never done this before. Finally I came up with the idea to do an entry on holiday food since my mom’s side of the family is so Italian; we have a lot of traditions. For example, on Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and many general family meals we always have artichokes and lasagna. The artichokes are a big thing in my family because when my grandmother makes them they taste so good and are rare because they take so much effort and a lot of time to make. When my mom makes them, they are a special treat. First off, she has to find good ones at the store and they are not always available. When she finds them she then has to wash them and pull apart the leaves. After this she puts a lot of bread crumbs, spices, and other things deeps down in the leaves, like filling the crevices of a layered flower. She then puts them in a round, deep pan with oil and water and they have to cook for around three or more hours. They sit and simmer in the liquid and every now and then we have to baste them to keep them moist. Everyone in my family says that the best part of the artichoke is the “heart”. At the very end after you pull off all of the leaves; there is a mushy, moist middle. Now, this does not sound too appetizing right now, but if you tried it, you would know why my family fights over the extras. It is funny when my mom occasionally makes them for dinner, like on my birthday, and my friends have never seen them and don’t know what to do with them. My family has to teach them how to bite the leaves and pull off the stuffing and at the end which parts you are allowed to eat and which parts are sharp and you shouldn’t eat.

Another thing that we make along with artichokes that my mom always loves to make is her lasagna. She makes it thick with a lot of sauce and cheese. First she makes a mixture of ricotta cheese, eggs, mozzarella cheese, and a little bit of parmesan cheese. Next, she puts a thin layer of sauce along the bottom of a baking pan and then she tops it with one layer of lasagna noodles and then the cheese mixture and the sauce on top of this. She then repeats this for at least three times. After the last layer of sauce, she tops it with the remaining mozzarella cheese and sprinkles it with parmesan and oregano. My mom covers the top with tinfoil and bakes it in the oven for about 45 minutes, then takes the top off and lets it bake for another 15- 20 minutes, until it melts in your mouth. Although, it is a simple recipe, this is a common recipe in my household and it made very often and for all of the holidays with my mom’s side of the family.

Lindsey J.

I have always had trouble finding foods to eat for breakfast. Generally when I wake up every morning I don't have all that much time until I have to go out and catch my bus. This left me with little time to make breakfast so I normally ate cereal which is altogether ubiquitous in my household. This may not seem a problem, but in my house we really only have cereals that are packed with sugar, and my problem is that I eat a lot. So, about three or four years ago I decided I wanted to begin to transition into eating healthy in order to be in better shape. This transition started with me requesting that we start to stock healthier cereals in my house such as special K. This method lasted me a few years and I did indeed get into better shape, but after a couple years of only eating cereal you start to get sick of it.

About this time is when my cousin, Alex, introduced me to bagels. Of course I had had bagels before, but few and far apart. After I was reintroduced to them I began to eat them frequently because they were quick and easy and they tasted good. Just like cereal, this only lasted me a couple years before I exhausted my compassion for bagels. After this I transitioned into Bacon, Egg, and Cheese's. This had always been my breakfast food of choice, but it was quite a hassle to run out and buy one or to make one because bacon takes so long to cook. However, I was not to be kept away from Bacon, Egg, and Cheese's this Summer. Often times I would wake up and spend the next couple hours making these delicacies for everyone in my household. Another way I would ensure that I got a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese was by running a half a mile to and from the general store in the morning in order to buy two of these for $2.66 if you get them before 11 in the morning.

However, I am always looking to find more ways to have a filling and tasty breakfast in the morning by experimenting different food combinations. One of these combinations is a bagel with cheese, hash browns, and egg on top which is good, but I would like some more meat on it.

Pat R.