TWS will be Serv 'd

Serv-Safe, Food Protection Manager Certification, National Restaurant Association.

This October, The Wrapped Scallion gets officially schooled.

As part of a highly valuable and fun class at MSCD, Food Preparation and Sanitation, the above-mentioned certification testing comprises the mid-term examination. If we don't pass, we fail the class. No pressure.

Great information about prevention of food-borne illnesses, proper facilities management, pest control, food preparation & care, recipe conversion, plus much more is covered in preparation for the exam.

Chef Owens is a magical and magnetic presence in both the classroom and kitchen. She is well-trained, experienced, well-spoken, and attentive to all her students. She is a kick and it's an honor to work with her.

As an exploratory endeavor, TWS signed up for classes this semester in the MSCD department Hospitality, Tourism and Events. This semester has confirmed the joy of working with food, and has revealed many possibilities for putting this education into practice. So TWS is now pursuing a minor in Restaurant Management.

Look for more on professional developments soon! Thanks to all loved ones for your support.

~TWS

Vegging Out

9/15/08 - FSI (Food Selection & Identification, MSCD)

Tour: Coosemans, specialty produce supplier, Denver, CO
303-371-3130
Photo of TWS favorite find at Coosemans, the Lobster Mushroom, courtesy http://www.coosemans.com/

Chef Lamb is da man. He has put together such an exciting and pertinent syllabus for this class. Direct experience-learning is the next best thing to keeping your eyes on the road while driving. I could vividly describe every moment of the tour because I was so fully present ... but here's a summary.

Dan McMaster, 17-year veteran at Coosemans, guided us through a labyrinth of crazy legumes like the dragon tongue bean; cute looking baby bite-sized squash both green and yellow; varietals like funky purple fingerling potatoes; nutty-smelling microgreens called mache; wierd sea beans; onion and garlic offerings; mystical mushrooms like the maitaki ("hen of the woods"), renji (king oyster), wood-ear, shiitake, and my personal fave ... the lobster mushroom. Yup, it is the color and scent of a lobster. Then we moved on to tarot root; cactus pears; malanga; tamarind; carambola (star fruit); rambutan (lychee); quince; ti leaves; cactus leaves ... and finally lovely & fragrant florals like orchids, carnations, pansies, and lemon leaves.

We saw lettuces and peppers, fruits and herbs. Way more than listed here. And we'll never be the same again.

My philosophy, dear readers: Education is zilcho unless you put it into practice.

The day after this tour, I saw some of those bite-sized squash at the local store. Roasted them with butter, oil, salt, pepper, oregano, onion powder, and a little beer. Aw yeah.

Need some inspiration? Though a wholesaler, check out Coosemans' website. Ask your local grocer to order in your favorite oddity, and mention that Coosemans stocks it.

~TWS

Cheese us!

9/22/08 - FSI (Food Selection & Identification, MSCD)

Guest speakers: Mike Przestrzelski; Val Landrum - United Sales & Services, LLC, specialty food brokers. 720-898-8181

Chef Lamb delivers the goods, again.

Denver's largest deli broker came down on our class with a spread of cheeses to make any dairyphile melt onto a toast round. Cheese. Cheese. More cheese. School is awesome.

We sampled the finest, and sometimes a couple of the finest marks of each natural cheese variety.

Talking about: Sheep's milk chevre so dank; marscapone like buttery whipped cream; boursin smacking of garlic & herb; mozzarella smooth like no oth-ah; creamy feta from Israeli sheep's milk ... not your usual cow / salt cheese from the local store!; Reny Picot 60% butterfat brie (I ate more than 7 slices myself); havarti flavored with horseradish, chive, and mustard seed to kick your tastebuds into submission; unbeatable Jarlsburg swiss; 18 & 30 month-aged parmesans beyond description; chipotle cheddar, aw yeah; and of course bleus: Maytag, Danish, Roquefort.

Rounded out with handmade specialty crackers, fine salami, and an olive selection. High class.

Whew. I may have missed listing a fontina or two here, but I sure ate 'em! Had a plate of the bluest, fuzziest Danish bleu all to myself ... Chef Lamb could see the fire in my eyes when he asked to take it away and kindly let me eat it all. Thanks, Chef!

Mike layed down tons of good info and history. This guy knows his business and is an impressive personality. Val is an accessible and passionate presenter, generous with his product and a really nice guy.

If you missed this class for any reason, go sign up for it next semester. Enroll in MSCD if you must! Contact me if you want more info on this event or these nice people.

~TWS