This week was a bit of a short week because we did not have a lab on Wednesday. Michelin Star Chef Giuseppe Ricchebuono was visiting from Italy to teach students his techniques and cook two gourmet dinners. He is from Noli Italy, which is on the cost, so all of his courses featured seafood. They were all incredibly beautiful.

A lot of the week was consumed by prepping for the gourmet dinners on Wednesday and Thursday nights. I was asked to help prep for dinner on Wednesday, which was very inspiring. The work was not particularly glamorous. I just counted plates for each of the five courses and then wiped down the plate to remove water spots and then organized them in the warmer. I didn't care, though. I love being at school, and the energy in the kitchen is energizing. It was exciting to see what is on the horizon for me. I am so excited about next year and all the cooking I will get to do! I am learning a solid foundation and the importance of all the prep and organization that goes into a dinner, whether it's for 15 or 120.

In addition to the gourmet dinner on Wednesday night, we made sweet and sour pork in class on Monday. The sweet and sour pork was pretty good. We used pork tenderloin in the dish because pork shoulder would have taken too long to cook to get tender. However, pork tenderloin can get tough if cooked for too long. The chef explained to us that it wasn't the ideal cut of meat to use, but for our purposes, it was necessary. It was fun to develop the sauce and to learn the process of cooking the meat. And I enjoyed the dish.

Next week we'll be learning all about poultry! I'm thrilled because I make a TON of chicken at home.