Micro Blog: Toni-Rain Miller

As a relatively new student to the school, I found it important to become as active as possible in school activities, events, and clubs.  My participation in various events helped me to meet new people and acquainted me with the wonderful opportunities offered to students at The Chef’s Academy.  I am in my second term, and I found volunteering for various events exposed me to a lot more hands-on experiences in the culinary field that I would have never been made aware of if I had not become actively involved in the Student Advisory Board.

           I have learned from several instructors that 90% of the culinary field involves how you connect, network, and work well with others.  One may be highly skilled in cutting techniques or brazing various meats, but if you do not take advantage of opportunities afforded to you it can slow down your rate of success in the culinary field.  Having said that, I encourage everyone, even those with hectic schedules to make time to become active in school events or clubs; it may very well open the door to your future and a successful life in the culinary field.       

My Thoughts,

Toni-Rain Miller     

Micro Blog: Kelsey Monahan

My sister and I are extremely close in many ways. We are only 15 months apart in age, actually choose to hang out with each other, and have both found the loves of our lives. I think we look nothing alike, but many people say that they can tell that we are sisters. It wasn’t that long ago when we couldn’t even stand being in the same room. We fought constantly, I’m talking knock down drag out fighting. Despite it all I love her dearly and don’t know what I would do without her. I come from a family that loves to cook, and while it appears that I inherited the “good at cooking” gene, it totally skipped over my sister. We are talking like couldn’t figure out how to make frozen orange juice. Her culinary expertise covers boxed mac and cheese, hot pockets, and frozen pizza. Despite the messing up of pasta-roni, forgetting to put milk in the corn chowder, not being able to make frozen orange juice without calling mom; she has begun trying to be more of a little Susie home maker for her beau. Because of this, for Christmas, my family and I have decided to get her many “gag gifts” this year. From a step by step Anyone Can Cook book, complete with pictures and video, to wooden spoons and rubber spatulas. Just to cover our bases, we also got her beau a first aid kit and some tums. With all of this, it promises to be an entertaining Christmas and interesting attempts of cooking by my sister.

Happy Holidays!

Kelsey

99 Years of “Good Things to Eat!”

Greetings Readers!

Usually, in every industry, there is a first or a pioneer that opens doors or begins a process or starts the ball rolling. And, I guess today’s African-American cookbook authors, Jeff Henderson and Patti Labelle owe a great thanks to Rufus Estes for being the first to publish his recipes for the general public. This month I am celebrating 99 years of “Rufus Estes’ Good Things to Eat!”

Rufus was born in 1857 as a slave and 54 years later produced a cookbook in 1911. This book contains almost 600 recipes! He offers up recipes for everything from fruit paste and lemon sherbet to mince meat and cheese soufflés. The setup of his book makes it a very easy read. . . Rufus starts with a section entitled “a sketch of my life” where he summarizes his growth through the industry starting at age 16 on to becoming the “chef of the subsidiary companies of the United States Steel Corporation in Chicago.” All in all, Rufus talks very little about topics outside of food! The next section of his book goes right into hints and suggestions for kitchen cooks followed by a “table of weights and measures.” The rest of the book is recipes. I am putting the cookbook back on our library shelves so YOU can be the next person to check it out! Plus, I’ve already read it twice.

Other writings worthy of celebrating are “Soul Food Classic Cuisine from the Deep South” by Sheila Ferguson. The section entitled “If You See It, Shoot It” has certainly piqued my interest! In fact, I’ll tell you now – it reminds me of my uncle EJ. While growing up I got a chance to try a variety of different types of foods because uncle EJ caught and cooked up almost anything that crossed his path. At any point in time, you could open his freezer and find possum, or pig’s feet, or squirrel, and some other unidentified frozen meals! “Living off the fat of the land,” a practiced belief of Ferguson’s grandfather has been a common occurrence in many African-American families.

My next selections are “African American Foodways-Explorations of History & Culture.” It is edited by Anne L. Bower who explores how in spite of its passage from West Africa; African Americans today still value the food of Africa as symbolic. Finally, in “Black Hunger”, author Doris Witt writes how food stereotypes have historically shaped debates between races. All of these books are available in our Learning Resource Center! Whether for pleasure or enlightenment - these books are great reads.

Jokima Hiller, MBA, Hospitality & Restaurant
Management Program Coordinator
Blog Editor - Dorenda Roberson, MA, Instructor

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