Floor mopping is really good exercise!

The rant went over well with both the Chef (10 of 10) and the class. They paid close attention and seemed appropriately aghast at the range of foods that include high-fructose corn syrup, which has been fingered as a leading factor in the country's obesity crisis. I'm sure I sounded like somebody's mother when I concluded with "DON'T DRINK SODA" but hey, that's a mother's job. As Andy told us in his presentation, there are options: beer is much better for you.

Life is beginning to interfere with school, for some of my classmates. Andy's attempt at guacamole landed him in the ER with three stitches in his index finger. The accident occurred at home, but he may have been working on his beer "homework" at the time. One of our classmates disappeared from the program last week; apparently there was some unspecified paperwork that couldn't be put into order, and it's a shame, because his knife skills were exceptional. Another one of our group moped around class for two days, then cheered, finally: he managed to persuade his girlfriend "back home" to postpone their breakup until the Christmas holidays. And somebody's dog ate his presentation notes, or he left them in the other car, or something. At any rate, his oral report was a non-event.

In the kitchen, we made potatoes: Roesti, Anna, Duchesse, and Gratin. Roesti begin like the hashbrowns from Tuesday, then you add a layer of sautéed shallots, then cover with another layer of potatoes. The finished product (which cooks for a bit in the oven after it's browned on the stove) is like a crispy potato sandwich with a soft center. Pommes Anna are a spiral of sliced potatoes, also browned on the stovetop and finished in the oven. More chances to perfect the flipping technique. Duchesse are boiled and riced potatoes, enriched with a bit of butter and an egg yolk; pipe them into a little mound and brown them in the oven. They come out firm, a little crispy on the bottom, and creamy inside. Gratin is what you want alongside a broiled steak: sliced potatoes layered with garlic/cream sauce and grated gruyere, and baked until it's browned and bubbling.

Speaking of steak, after a day of rice and a day of miscellaneous grains, we'll finally be moving into proteins on Tuesday, and the assignments from then on start to look like full entrées (protein and two sides). Tomorrow is risotto and two tests: the food science final, and a written midterm on kitchen terms. Remember: 128 ounces STILL equal one gallon.