My Thanksgiving was great. Yours?

I've enjoyed the four days off. Heeded Chef Joseph's admonition: "Practice your cutting, people. I'm putting the hex on you! My mother was Colombian, and I know all about the voodoo. If you come back on Monday with your leg in a cast, I'll know you weren't practicing your cutting."

We had tournéed potatoes for dinner last night, and had the "scraps" with this morning's eggs. About 75 seconds seems right for blanching the tomatoes, to avoid mushiness. I made stock, practiced my "ecumer" and "degraisser". And tasted, tasted, tasted.

The next four weeks will be crazy. First, the safety and knife exams, then two entire classes to start and finish (food science and nutrition). In the kitchen, it's Soups, Eggs, Pasta, Potatoes, Rice, Grains, Fry, Sauté, Braise, Stew, Grill, Roast, Poach and Steam — all before Christmas.