September ... And Another New Start. MAKE ME COOKIES !!

SEPTEMBER ... NEW CLOTHES, NEW LONG FAKE FINGERNAILS, NEW HAIRCUTS, NEW T-SHIRTS, NEW TUBES OF BLUSH AND FOUNDATION ... AND new classes !!

Culinary Arts has another new brigade starting this week ... and after a very basic intro day yesterday, loaded up with paperwork, today was the first day actually in the kitchen.

We start, by tradition, with a day called "Make Me Cookies". I supply two recipes from older cookbooks ... just photocopied right onto a page ... and divide the students up into groups. I tell them they have an entire commercial kitchen at their disposal, and 90 minutes. Here is a recipe ... go exploring, work in your small groups, and MAKE ME COOKIES!

Away they go!

Reading.

Consulting.

Exploring.

Finding.

Measuring.

Mixing.

Rolling.

Baking.

And ... finally ... the work is assessed.

Sometimes we actually have an edible product (or two). This time ... nada. Zilch. Boom! Everything went into the dumpster, with explanations and commentary and a lot of laughter. Everything was raw / poorly-baked. Gentle, tough, honest and precise criticism ... and the chance to improve.

Tomorrow there will be a professional demo ... and another, professionally-written recipe will be supplied. Students will get another chance to make cookies and, if history is any guide, there will be 100% success. Everyone will know exactly WHY things turned out better ... and this is the first bit of strong, edible feedback they get in the course. EVERY student can choose to be very, very successful.

Welcome, new students! Welcome to our historic Brigade!