WELL, THE FIRST OF FOUR LEVELS ARE OVER! BUT FIRST WE HAVE LAMB, WHICH IS A NICE WAY OF SAYING A SHEEP THAT IS 1 YEAR OLD OR LESS. AND YOU MAY START SEEING MUTTON A LITTLE MORE ON MENUS AS IT IS GAINING POPULARITY. BUT GUESS WHAT, THAT IS SHEEP TOO. IT IS JUST A NICER WAY OF SAYING A SHEEP THAT IS OLDER THAN 1 YEAR, THUS HAVING A LITTLE STRONGER FLAVOR AND TOUGHER MUSCLES, BUT STILL DELICIOUS NONE THE LESS.
GRILLED CUMIN-PAPRIKA LAMB CHOPS WITH AN OLIVE-ROASTED GARLIC COMPOUND BUTTER OVER RATATOUILLE. THE PASTE MADE SIMPLE FROM PARIKA, CUMIN AND OLIVE OIL WAS THE PERFECT COMPLIMENT TO THE SLIGHTLY GAMEY LAMB. GRILLED OVER HIGH HEAT FOR COLOR AND FINISHED IN THE OVEN TO MEDIUM-RARE, IT IS A DISH THAT MANAGES TO BE A LITTLE LUXURIOUS BUT RUSTIC AT THE SAME TIME.
AND FINALLY THE END OF LEVEL 1....A LEVEL I COULD SAY IS VERY RELATABLE TO THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF THE FIRE ACADEMY. IT IS BUILDING THE FOUNDATION ON WHICH EVERYTHING ELSE WILL REST UPON, ALL WHILE TRYING TO BREAK YOU DOWN. AND WHILE NOT AS INTENSE, IT DEFINITELY HAS IT'S MENTAL CHALLENGES. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE HERE? IS THIS WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE? DO YOU WANT TO KEEP GOING? YES, YES AND YES!
THE LEVEL 1 "FINAL" CONSISTED OF A PRACTICAL PORTION WHICH INVOLVED TIMED TASKS, MOSTLY CONSISTING OF KNIFE SKILLS WITH A SMALL PORTION OF COOKING. IT WAS MUCH MORE INTENSE THAN I EXPECTED IT TO BE. THE KITCHEN HAD AN EERIE SILENCE TO IT, THERE WAS NO BANTER OR THE CLANGING OF POTS THAT WE WERE SO USED TO. JUST SIMPLY "YES CHEF" WHENEVER WE WERE REMINDED OF THE TIME REMAINING.
THE SECOND PORTION WAS A SHORT, BUT COMPREHENSIVE WRITTEN EXAM. QUESTIONS INVOLVING MOST ASPECTS OF WHAT WE COVERED OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, BUT WITH MORE IN DEPTH ANSWERS REQUIRED.
IN THE END, THE WHOLE CLASS PASSED AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER ABOUT THAT. WE HAVE HEARD THAT TO HAVE AN ENTIRE CLASS INTACT AT THE END OF LEVEL 1 IS NOT VERY COMMON, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR SIZE CLASS. AND I AM PROUD TO SAY MY FINAL CUMULATIVE SCORE FOR LEVEL IS A 96!!!! AND GUESS WHAT, I DON'T PLAN ON SLOWING DOWN!!
LEVEL 2 HERE WE COME!!!! ANYONE NOTICE THE PASTRY ON THE COVER? DOES THIS MEAN I REALLY NEED TO MEASURE NOW?!?!?!