A GOOD CHEF'S ADVICE

When I was in culinary school, my classmate always tell me about the saying: The pot tackles the misery. I never get to understand that until now. I met her again this month and saw her beautiful restaurant that she handles. Just like me, she is also a chef and has a great career in the cooking world. Her restaurant focus on baked goodies. She was also the one that helped me in the cooking event that I joined.

We had a short chat, just giving advises to one another. After culinary school, she went to the USA to gain more experience in the baking industry. Two years of study there, she went bake and opened a bakeshop. She is now a master baker. Her shop has the best cakes in the city right now. She was also the baker commissioned to bake for the birthday of the president. She is really big time right now.

I invited her in my restuarant and she said a positive response to my request for her apprearance. Way back, I remember her being a simple student, with lots of ambition in life. She has really achieved her dreams of being a chef and a baker as well.

TASK COMPLETED

I just completed the final stage of my baking mastery. I am now prepared for the coming baking contest. My friends are all excited of the contest because they supported me all the way in this endeavor. I will be submitting 3 bake products to the baking committee on Monday, as my final entry to the contest.

I also would like to thank several chefs that helped me in the baking lessons. It was a crash course and I think I passed with colors, considering the time spent just few days. In culinary school, we have to master the baking lesson for about 3 months before we can move to another stage of the course. But I completed the baking in just few days of practice in my restaurant and in my friends bakeshop.

I also got a food coupon from my friend, who owns a restaurant in the downtown area. According to my friend, the coupon was a price in her recently concluded party and she want me to have one. She gave it to me because, she wants me to taste the foods that she prepares in her restaurant. According to my friend, who is also a chef, said that the food in the restaurant id excellent. Many customers come back again because of the dishes prepared. I think I need to taste those foods myself.

GLAZED HAM WITH PINEAPPLE CHUNKS

This yuletide season, prepare something special for the family. The most common food on the table would be the ever favorite glazed ham. For this dish, you will be needing the following ingredients and things that you will be needing for the cooking proper of the dish. The ham preparation would take around 45 minutes and cooking time would be 3 hours. So let's start the pan heating and follow the direction properly.

1 half ham - fully cooked (8 to 10 lbs.)
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup crushed pineapple, slightly drained
Container: roasting pan and rack

Directions
* Preheat oven to 325°F. Trim the skin and some of the fat from the ham, leaving some fat to provide moisture to the ham while cooking.

* Place the ham cut side down on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Add the water to the roasting pan and cover tightly with foil. Place in a preheated oven and roast for 18 to 24 minutes per pound. During the last 30 minutes of cooking time the glaze should be applied.

* GLAZE: Raise the oven temperature to 375°F. Score the fat by making diagonal cuts in one direction approximately 3/4 inch apart. Then make diagonal cuts in the opposite direction to form a diamond pattern. Make the glaze by adding brown sugar and pineapple (slightly drained) together and stir until well mixed. Spoon or brush glaze over the ham.

* Return the ham to the oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Watch carefully because the glaze can burn easily. Ham is done when the glaze has caramelized and turned golden brown. Remove from the oven and carve.

Glazed ham is one of the dishes that is easy to prepare. There are lots of different hams in the supermarket and you have to choose with you would like to prefer. Ham is already spiced and ready to cook. You will find this recipe in my recipe book that will soon be out in the market.

COUNTING TO THE CHRISTMAS SEASON

Many people are busy right now because in the eve today will be Christmas already. No wonder my restaurant received so many food orders today. Just this morning, I got 100 orders for my crispy pata and kalderetang kambing or goat's meat dish. My assistant chef already told me that the volume of food orders are above our daily production or cooking. I told her that me might extend up to 7 pm for more food orders. Usually foods are for take out. No more dine in right now.

My food kiosk also receives volume orders and the single chef assigned there told me that he cannot control the orders right now and he will be needing more assistance in the kiosk. Food orders are many and few are cooking the dishes ordered. I think I need to close the kiosk operation early and the restaurant will also be close around 8 pm this evening.

I am also busy cooking right now in the kitchen and I will assist in the restaurant maybe later on this evening. I have to finish cooking the dishes that will be served this midnight. Few more dishes to be prepared and then I will immediately proceed to the restaurant for assistance for my other chef.

PREPARING FOR A CHRISTMAS FEAST

I got a visit this morning from a big family here in our city. The family is hosting a big event this Christmas and they want me to do the cooking in the kitchen. According to their organizer, they want us to cook around 30 dishes and that will be divided as appetisers, main dish and the finishing touches for the celebration. If there are add-on, they will just tell me what dish they want me to prepare. This feast will be feeding around 500 to 1,000 people in a garden venue. For me this will be exciting to do.

I have already prepared some dishes and I am still looking at my recipe books for more dishes to cook. 30 dishes is already something to think about. But I am no amateur in this kind of occasion since I have already cooked for around 1,000 more people. It was a wedding and I was told to do the cooking for the wedding. Even though I am not new to this kind of events, I am still not letting down of my guard. I want to be prepared for the event. My recipe books will be a good help for me.

I was also told that they want chefs around the kitchen and not just some simple cook. For this kind of occasion, I think 5 chefs will be enough to do the cooking for such a big event. We chefs were trained for this kind of situation and we don't choke. We need to stand up and be noticed for every dish that we prepare and cooked. The cooking school will truly be proud of this event.

IMPROVING MY BAKING SKILLS

I was very busy this morning because I was going through my cooking notes or my baking notes from the culinary school. I have to prepare myself because I will be joining a baking competition this end of December. I am studying to bake several cakes and breads that I will be submitting this to the board. I have to prepare myself for the event. I also got some help from my classmates in the culinary school. They lend me some of their precious notes and I have to read these notes.

I also thanked my chef friend for allowing my to use her baking equipments. I have few of these in my restaurant because I focus on dishes and not on bake goodies. The whole day I was in her bakeshop. She also taught me some baking strategies and dough preparation for the breads that I will be baking in the contest proper.

In the icing department, I approached my baker friend and he told me some pointers in the icing making. Icing make is easy to see but hard to do. It is because you need a steady hands in the decorations. According to the committee that the board will not allow ready made flowers in the icing. They want made it on the spot. Few more days to go before the contest proper. The restaurant dishes are now handled my assistant chef in the restaurant. I also look after the food presentation even though I am preparing for the baking needs.