January 18th, 2010 – School Closed!

I would like to request a moment of silence for a fallen establishment, a hero among mere mortal restaurants. This particular establishment cradled me through myriad hard city times, a friend to me when no one else was, a shoulder to cry on and an ear to hear my woes. It provided me with pseudo-nutritious goodness, a burrito here and nachos there. They told me it was no good for me, but I never abandoned it! Through the years we became better acquainted, me holding its processed-cheese and wilting lettuce hands from the time we were introduced to its final lonely moments yesterday. I am sad to announce that the only known Taco Bell on the Upper East Side, a close block away from my apartment……has closed.

Shocking as it is, we must all grieve and move on. Perhaps the sketchy Cuban restaurant downstairs will make me a Crunchwrap Supreme.

Since class was cancelled in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I’ve decided it might be fun to show you the tools of the trade that I reference often – my school-issued “tool kit.”

Trussing needle, spatula, wooden floon (flat spoon), serving spoons, pastry whisk (with pastry tips inside),

thermometer, spreader, fish spatula (obviously not used due to the sticker still stuck), tongs

Balloon whisk, mini pepper mill, peeler #1, pastry cutter (?), kitchen shears and ladle

(Left - Clockwise) Mellon baller, peeler #2, channel peeler, fish tweezers, measuring spoons, pastry brush,

parer, knifey, filet knife, fork

(Right) Slicey, bread knife, chef's knife, knife straightener

Time to study for our first test! I guess this was the reason I was supposed to learn those French terms; do you think Chef will accept an approximate English translation??