the sheer excitement of it all!!!

I'm getting such great feedback from everyone that I'm even more excited than before to get on my way to the ICE and start classes. Thanks everyone for being so supportive.

I've been testing recipes for my favorite magazine - Cook's Illustrated - and I'm a little disappointed with the pound cake recipe they sent me. I've tried it twice and pretty much gotten the same result. Oh, by the way, I'm a volunteer "home cook" tester. This isn't a paid position or anything like that. I'm getting a crust on the top of my pound cake instead of that lovely moist, lighter colored crack down the middle. I'll have to compare their recipe to others I find else where. But I'll learn something from this experience... as soon as I find a recipe that works! When I do... I'll let you know!

just the beginning...

So I'm finally doing it... going to culinary school. It feels great because I'm going to do something that I absolutely love. Right now my apartment smells like butter and sugar. Soon my life will smell like that! Okay... maybe not completely, because I've decided to leave Boston for NYC... but at least while I'm in the kitchen...

I'm starting at the Institute of Culinary Education in the Fall. I've enrolled in the Baking and Pastry Arts program and the Culinary Management program. I should be done by May 2007. Right now I'm looking to stay in NYC when I finish because there are so many great "food" things happening in that city. But as I've always said about any job, I'll go where ever it leads me.

My wonderful and amazing Grandma and Aunt have taken pity on me because I will be as poor as dirt for the 7-8 months I am in school full time and have agreed to let me stay with them in NJ and commute into the city. I think all in all, the commute will be about 45-60 minutes. That will hopefully give me time each day to post on this blog...

For those of you who got my Italy emails, you understand... but for everyone else, these are the beginnings of my baking adventures!

I hope you check in frequently and let me know what you are up to!