My 1st day of class...

... was hectic!!!

I started the morning thinking I would get a student pass for NJ Transit and left the house at 5:30am. After figuring it all out, I'm probably better off just paying the regular fare for the days I need to go into the city and getting the pass next month. But I was able to obtain the form and also got to speak with the strangers who hang around a train station at 5:30am. Needless to say I was about 1 hour and 15 minutes early for class. I went to Starbucks and read my new favorite book (Heat by Bill Buford) that I received as a "housewarming gift" from my Grandma and Aunt upon moving to NJ. Sweet huh? And just for your reference it costs $3.10 for a tall skim latte in NYC. Did the prices everywhere go up?

Anyway... on to class. I have a handsome teacher named Richard. He seems to have done everything - from waiter to sommelier, from garde manger chef to caterer and from coffeehouse owner to restaurant partner. He's got lost of experience... and years of teaching for at least 4 different colleges or schools. He has a good teaching style and likes funny things. I like him already.

Otherwise, the class is half full of just-out-of-high-school kids, and no 19 year old eye candy for Jenni. There is even one kid who has already completed the culinary arts program, I'm not sure how, he seems incredibly immature. I should have identified the older students when I came in - we were all at least 30 minutes earlier than the time they told us to show up - and sat with them, but I didn't. The people at my table (at least for the next 3 class sessions) seem mature enough though - one guy has a commute of at least 2 hours from NY and has an associates in liberal arts from SUNY, another girl has a degree in biochem (or some science) and has worked as a realtor (or assistant) for a while and the other guy is from Venezuela and graduated from the ICE culinary arts program in 2003 and is back for more so he can work his way up in the kitchen he currently is employed in.

Here's a "I'm a foodie/food snob" story for you. The instructor was talking about McDonald's as an example of "knowing your customer" and at the break, some people in the class talked about how badly they now wanted fries and a burger!?!?! What??? My goodness, some of them are culinary program students and I was thinking, "You want to be taken seriously as an aspiring chef and you're craving McDonald's???" I already felt old enough so I restained myself from saying I haven't eaten at a McD's or Burger King or place like that in about 8 years... then I would have seemed old and bitchy!

I received about 30 lbs of books to carry home - thank god they come with a complimentary canvas tote bag! I like the way the program is set up and I'm most looking forward to the early morning drinking field trips that were discussed!!!

Also, I've already signed up for three extra curricular classes - Toba Garrett's wedding cake discussion, Francois Payard's bite sized recipes (both in October) and Elisa Strauss' sculpted cakes (in January). Each of these classes only cost me $5! I will also sign up for one more in January of 2007 that is specifically about "sweet success" - on how to open a pastry shop. I have $300 worth of credit for recreational classes too. I want to take savory classes, since I should learn what I need to know in the baking and pastry program... but there are soooo many choices, and I found out that I can't take the walking tours, which totally bums me out... so, I'll stick to a fall harvest class, or a spices class, or comfort foods, or soups, or italian ragus and stews, or tapas from cataluna, or caribbean celebration or wines and cheeses... see, I told you, too many choices!