~Home Chef Heidi~

I will be working in Los Angeles on and off for the next three months as the production manager and production accountant on "Giada at Home"!

I can stil be reached at 310-490-7190 or heidibhappy@yahoo.com.

    It's been months and months since I graduated CSR's Chef Trak program, and you would think that I would have started a growing personal chef business by now...but the truth is that I have continued working at Citizen Pictures and Base 2 Studios, and I am getting some great experience working on the food show "Giada at Home", albeit as the production accountant. 

    I am constantly being asked "Are you working as a chef now?", and I can honestly say I am truly enjoying cooking/experimenting for family and friends. I am ever more humbled by the food world and great chefs. I feel like I merely hit the tip of the iceberg, per se, with my 15 week course.  My appreciation for fine food and ingredients is exponential...this is a continuing educational persuit and passion. I am so glad I went to culinary school and can only imagine where it may lead..if only to my kitchen table...or yours... :)

    With that being said, I would be very happy to take side jobs on nights and weekends. If you have a special event or meal, I'd love to help make it happen. I am currently based in Denver, but with an LA cell # 310-490-7190. HCH

 

WEEK 10,11,12,13,14,15
Woops. I forgot I had this blog thing to do… Honestly, the last 6 weeks are a blur.  Amidst school, I managed to go to LA twice to do accounting on the new Giada show, I rented my house out during the DNC, etc, etc. Today is October 2nd, the day after graduation.  I am EXHAUSTED, but feeling very accomplished. Everyone keeps asking me, “What next?” and I can hardly think past the thought of relishing a weekend on my couch. I do know that I will be a culinary student for life!
A recap on the last 6 weeks:
Week 10- I can’t even think back this far. Total blur.
Week 11- Chef ? from SoBo- BBQ galore and even a beer pairing. YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM. That is all I have to say.
Week 12- Chef Kyle from The Kitchen- colorful menus and simple, local ingredients, focusing on ala minute preparation. I ran right home and bought a pasta machine and some ridiculously expensive heirloom tomatoes to recreate one dish!
Week 13- Chef Erik from Black Cat- My favorite of all the guest chefs. Focusing on 100% utilization of food product. Very creative and absolutely mouth watering. The duck confit with ginger gastrique was to-die-for!
Week 14- Finals- One day of written exam and one day of kitchen practical exam. The written was a no-brainer but I was really nervous about the practical (due to my mediocre midterm).  The final was called a “market basket”, consisting of 2 proteins and 2 veg (unknowns prior to arrival) and our choice of starch and dessert.  I chose lucky bag #5, and was pleased to get scallops, beef filet, swiss chard and zucchini.  We were allowed ½ hour of research time to plan a menu, and then 3 hours of preparation.  I prepared scallops for an appetizer, dusted with flour and pan seared, topped with a lemon and basil pesto, accompanied with mandolined, grilled, rolled roses of zucchini. Next for the entrée I seared the filet, accompanied with my own version of re-hydrated, dried cherry gastrique/wine and demi-glace reduction, over julienned and braised swiss chard, with a side of polenta soufflé, topped with creamed cheuvre with chives.  Last, for dessert, I prepared whole, wine and vanilla poached pears, drizzled with a chocolate fondue.  In all, it went pretty well! I got an A! I am so glad that is over!
Week 15- Graduation. Let me preface this by saying the graduation is more of a “coming out” dinner.  We had planned a comprehensive menu over a couple weeks and then prepped for 2 days before graduation.  I teamed up with Lori, and I focused on the roasted leg of lamb and quinoa with mint chutney, and she prepared the bread pudding with plum sauce.  This was kind of a crazy week, with crazy hours, but the final dinner we put on for friends and family was very successful.  I unwittingly volunteered to decorate the room, which was quite a lot of work,  but it came out beautiful.  Today, I have a nice diploma to hang on a wall and thoughts and dreams as to what the future may bring.
Thanks to my family and friends for your constant encouragement!

FINALLY, I am trying to get caught up on this blog!  Life has taken on a frantic pace!! To borrow a cliché, “When it rains it pours.”  When I decided to take culinary school, it was because I was not being challenged at work, and my workload was also very manageable.  Now with some really large productions going full speed at Citizen Pictures, I am suddenly in demand at my day job, meanwhile trying to stay academically on top of my game at school!  I had a great opportunity to go to LA to work on the new Giada show (doing accounting…maybe one day I will be cooking, behind the scene, on a show.) I also got to catch up with my dear friends back home.
Week 6 was Pastry Week. Quite possibly my favorite week.  We learned the basic pastry techniques of making dough: pate frisee, pate brisee, pate a choux, brioche. I’ve never considered myself a baker (more out of necessity due to the carbs)…but I may have a new passion.  
Week 7 was Mid –Terms. Yes, I am 37, and doing mid-terms. Quite possibly my least favorite week. I stressed out, and second guessed myself too much during the practical.  I produced the same menu for friends just days before to rave reviews, but I can say having 2 chefs watch your every move is rather nerve racking.  Lesson learned. Stop second guessing- go with my instincts in the kitchen…they’ve always been good to me!
Week 8 was Seafood week. Admittedly, not so fun for me due to allergies, but we made beautiful, colorful menus, thanks to guest Chef John Platt from Q’s. As a result of my mid-term reviews, and my busy work schedule, I've decided that something has got to give!  I am going to just have fun and really soak it up at school and take some of the pressure off myself.
Week 9 was Wine and Cheese Tasting on Monday (my specialty), and then two nights of breakfast. Is there really anything better than breakfast for dinner?  I am still in heaven today from the yummy brioche bread pudding, topped with bananas foster, and Manuel’s delectable chilaquiles. My resolve to have some fun has certainly worked. This week was great ☺

This was another week of meats, working with duck, pork, and buffalo. We cut down and roasted duck, served with a gastrique sauce, prepared duck confit, brined pork tenderloin, and did a salt crust on a buffalo roast.   I did a report on “variety meats”, which made me realize there is a whole realm of food that I have not ventured into…if ever.  I’ll leave the mystery meats to Andrew Zimmern!  The best part of class was the desserts…probably because it’s been so incessantly hot this month: we made lemon and mint granita and vanilla bean, frozen custard, topped with poached/spiced apricots. Next week is pastry week and I am Team Chef again. This should be fun!