Practice notes (EVIT and Le Cordon Bleu - part one)

Hickman's eggs starred in the C-CAP EVIT practice sessions, beaten, whipped and

both overcooked and undercooked as nearly 50 aspiring C-CAP contenders strived for omelet zen.

It was a long morning, and practice was a bit ragged.

Not too much, though, with teachers feeling mostly pleased with their students' work that morning.

"I'm learning how to finish the omelet so the eggs have a kind of shiny look," Maricopa student Joshua Burdi said during practice at Le Cordon Bleu.  "And also how important consistency is."

Le Cordon Bleu's executive chef Jean Paul Hutchins says, "It's technique and practice, that's the key.  They need experience, a little advice, a little encouragement."

Here's what else the pros observed during practice (which everyone agrees there is never, ever too much of when you're prepping for a competition):

         Stay focused!  Pay close attention to your work.

         Learn to set up a "clean" work station in a tight (think 2'x2') space.

         In this competition, you need a "bare" station, so keep your equipment  

         beneath the station.

         Go back and review your knife skills primer - and practice your knife work.

         Use both hands and think what hand needs to do what!

         Taste!  Omelets, especially, need to be seasoned with enough salt, enough           

         pepper (Chef Jean Paul will give you a three-minute discourse on the differences  

         between white pepper and black pepper, how and when to use each and why.    

         Just ask him.) 

             
NOTE:  Practicing the omelet at home will help. You need to be able to                analyze your technique - and make an omelet without thinking about it.  (SEE "omelet tips" in an earlier post!)

        

"I think," says Karen Kleinknecht, chef-instructor at Le Cordon Bleu, "they have good skills, but not a lot of confidence.  They need to work on technique to be able to gain speed for competition.  There's a sense of urgency that you need when you're racing the clock."

"These students have great attitudes," says Chef Jean Paul. 

"When you get into competitions, it's easy to get lost in the mechanics.  At the end, it's food - and it's supposed to taste good.

"It's important to remember how much you love this work."

NOTE:  Chef Jean Paul Hutchins, executive chef at Le Cordon Bleu, says he will be happy to be asked to provide demonstrations of any specific skill or technique needed in the C-CAP competition.  Ask.