A day in the life of a chef (in training!)

Hi Steemers!

Come & see a glimpse of what we've been making in class this week!

For those who don't know, I'm currently attending a plant-based, health-supportive culinary school in Austin, TX - one of the best in the nation! It's a 9 month program (6 months training + 3 months internship) where we're learning all about health supportive cooking, specifically in vegetarian, vegan, Ayurveda, macrobiotic, & baking. I'm almost halfway through the program & even though it's the hardest thing I've ever done, I'm loving every minute of it!

Anyways, this week we've been working specifically on vegetarian recipes that cater to those with specific health issues, like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, & cancer. We take what would be traditionally unhealthy recipes & recreate them with healthier ingredients, often lower in sugar. This week we've also had the pleasure of cooking with Chef Alain Braux - a terrifying, yet charming French chef with 35 years of experience in the culinary industry. A lot of the recipes we made this week were his own & they are definitely some of my favorite recipes we've made so far! Somehow I only managed to snag a picture of the desserts from this week - I obviously have a sweet tooth :)

Raspberry Souffle

It was pretty much rock, paper, scissors for who had to make this recipe today. Any recipe that has a french origin, you can pretty much guarantee that Chef Alain will be breathing down your neck to make sure you're not disgracing his country. I lost rock paper scissors, of course, but everything turned out fine - it wasn't as difficult to make as I thought. And it was super yummy! (They started deflating by the time I took the pic)

Apple, Pineapple, & Basil Sorbet

Holy moly - this was sooooooo good! It's perfect for a hot, sunny day & unbelievably smooth & creamy without using dairy. Who knew?!

Fusion Carrot Cake Muffins with Pecan Frosting

Don't be put off by the strange, dark green coloring - that's spirulina, which is great to use for an alternative to green food coloring. This muffin tasted more like a cupcake, but with way less sugar. Everything is vegan, including the pecan frosting!

I'll try to do a better job at documenting my experience in culinary school. Next week we'll be going on some excursions outside of the classroom to volunteer at a local farm, a food bank, and the sustainable food center. More pics to come!

Lindsey

P.S
I couldn't get the photos to rotate for the life of me, so if anyone has some tricks to that let me know!