class??? hell yes!

This was the best first day of school ever. And maybe even the best Monday of school ever. Two classes. Food styling and intro graphic design.

Surprise, surprise. Food styling means we have to cook the food ourselves. I thought we would just plate something prepared for us.

Under the instruction and supervision of my professor, I made this:

Chianina beef tenderloin pan-seared rare topped with (left to right) truffle lard, gorgonzola/bleu-ish cheese and crisp parsley, and sautéed porcini mushroom.

Of course, I just had to taste the finished product. I am not patting myself on the back! My honest reaction was “Did I really cook that???”

Wouldn’t have been able to do it without my professor. To give you an idea of his credentials, he’s the executive chef of Apicius, director of their masters program, alum of a Michelin-starred restaurant, and currently executive chef of a five-star hotel here in Florence. And that’s just what I can remember. He seems really nice also.

Also if you think my plate is appetizing, you should have seen Jack’s. He works at the station next to mine and everything, down to the portions, was perfect.

My other class today was intro to graphic design. The teacher seemed nice. He didn’t mind at all that I showed up late. (First day plus first class running late plus new city.) He seems really chill and wants to make class more like “work” (a creative office) than like prison. And although he’s quite... talkative, he wants class – and field trips – to be fun and enjoyable. Got out of class early, which was nice.

During my break, I saw Mindy in the lab and she invited me to dinner at her place. Apparently “everyone” was invited, but – probably due to rain or people having eaten already – only she, her roommates (The Girls Next Block), and I showed up. She made Chicken Francaise with sautéed vegetables. Good stuff.