Micro Blog: William (Flozell) Hamilton

What could be better than working alongside a well-put together team of chefs and cooks, amidst all the glorious chaos of a bumbling kitchen, turning out orders left and right in a beautifully orchestrated manner? Knowing that no matter what loops may be thrown at you at any time, you and your team will make it happen with a little extra elbow grease. To me, this high energy, focused work environment that I adore couldn’t be replaced by any other “job” or activity of any sort. Cooking is the very passion for which I wish to structure my life on, and it has always been this way.

See, ever since I was “little Will” I couldn’t stay out of the kitchen. My mom caught me once trying to make my own tomato soup… I was standing on my power rangers chair, so that I could reach the counter top, mixing up ketchup and Campbell’s chicken noodle soup.  I guess I figured soup + tomatoes = tomato soup.  The logic was sound, but the method was a little off. She graciously explained that my concoction would be yucky and tossed it in the trash; no harm no foul. But there was still a yearning inside of me to make my very own tomato soup, almost as good as the stuff that came out of the white and red cans.

This was all going down around the time I was four or five and I spent almost every day at my Nana and Bop-bop’s house while my mom was at work. Bop-bop is my great uncle Danny’s nick name, and Nana is just my sweet ol’ Nana; never thought of her as anything but my Nana. Bop-bop was huge into the new TV station, “food network,” and if we weren’t out in the yard shooting our bb gun, we were laying on the couch watching Iron chef or Emeril Lagasse.  Eventually hunger set in and we were in the kitchen trying to replicate what we saw on the tube.  We would mix different herbs with our olive oil and dip our fancy-dancy Wonderbread in it, or try our hand in roasting a crispy skin chicken; it didn’t matter, it wasn’t like at home where my soup was quickly discarded. ANYTHING we wanted was ours to create in Bop-bop’s kitchen.

So years went by and our creativity and skills grew as we dabbled in home-cooking together. When I was about 12 he taught me how to make the best steaks in the world on the charcoal grill; mh-m-mhhh those things were on point! Eventually though, I grew too old and too “cool” to spend all my time at Nana and Bop-bop’s. I started hanging out with the neighborhood kids and turning down offers to come spend the night in Garner.  I would still go visit from time to time, but after I had been there for any longer than a day I would make excuses to get a ride home.  What a little brat I had become.

Then one day when I was about fourteen I found out my Bop-bop was diagnosed with leukemia. I called him at the hospital and he insisted I didn’t come see him while he was sick, and that everything would be okay. So I didn’t. Instead of going to see him after his first chemo treatment I decided to go to the mountains with my cousins. While I was playing at the river my mom pulled me over to the side and told me that Bop-bop had a complication at his first treatment and that he probably wasn’t going to make it past the day. We tried to get back to town to say goodbye but when we got to the hospital he had already passed… I was devastated.

He passed on August 17^th 2008, exactly 4 years ago from today. Since then I have healed and I am able to look back on his memories and smile rather than cry. I think nothing would have made my Bop-bop more happy than to see me go to culinary school and transform the hobby we used to love doing together into my own career. Ultimately it was his enthusiasm that helped me become comfortable in the kitchen from a young age; and with his comfort always with me, I aspire to become one of the great chefs of the 21^st century and have my name printed in these textbooks just as Escoffier has.

-William (Flozell) Hamilton

Micro Blog: Sheba Andrews

“If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.”  ~Nhsalan T. Alan Armstrong

August 8, 2011, one year ago, I became a full-time PA student at TCA.  I cannot believe that a year has passed so quickly. My experience here at TCA has been one that I will always remember and cherish for the rest of my life. I’ve had some good and bad days, however I feel that my decision to change my career is one that I will never regret.  I have met some of the most amazing people along this journey and as I prepare to finish my last few terms here at TCA, I will carry a piece of them forever more.  Who would have thought that I would be so happy leaving what some people may believe was a “comfortable” life to pursue a passion? There have been many times over this year that I have asked myself, “Sheba, what were you thinking?” But then I create something for someone and see their eyes light up in delight and I get it… I get it…

Fermenting My Future,

Sheba Andrews

Micro Blog: Catheryne Horton

Good morning everyone! It is Catheryne Horton again. I wanted to express to you how the past 10 weeks (Term 2) have been for me. They have been more difficult than I thought but it has been the best experience that I could ask for. This term I have been learning about sauces, stocks, shellfish, and fish. I never knew of all the different kinds of fish that were in this part of the world. I have learned all about the different ways that you can cook them as well. I have to say that I am very picky when it comes to what I eat but this term has really broadened my palate. I have tasted several different fish that I would have never even considered trying. I have come to like a few more fish than what I used to eat. I have to say that grilled tuna will be on the next thing that I will have to try at home. It was better than I thought that it would be.

This past term we also learned more about proper English and how it should be written. I have to say that there is a lot that I had forgotten about from high school. I also learned how to write a professional resume. It has made a big difference in my career already. I am starting to feel more like a chef than I did before. The school and the instructors have been some of the best that I would consider in the field. The have been a great influence for me.  I hope that I am doing the school proud when I am out and seen wearing my uniform.

Thank you to  The Chef’s Academy for this wonderful opportunity to learn more than I thought that I would ever learn. We are getting ready for a “break week” and will be returning on Aug. 6, 2012 but please continue to follow the website for upcoming events and new terms that are starting. I hope that everyone has a great summer and see you in a week.

Thank you,

Catheryne Horton

Micro Blog: Jessica Vittoria

So this is my fourth blog, and a lot has changed. School (TCA) has been awesome to me. I love TCA more and more every day. It just keeps getting better. So recently we had our last student meeting where we come together as a group and talk about new awards, events, and award out perfect attendance, honor roll and Dean’s list. This term we had a new award called the “Serve to Lead Award.” This award is given to one student once a year and also comes with a $100 scholarship. I am proud to say that I received this award and I was so happy I nearly shed tears. Thank you TCA for this amazing recognition. I have also started my first cake decorator job at dairy queen in Briar Creek. This job is wonderful because I am able to express my creativity and share it with people. I love being a decorator; it is so much fun I love playing with new ideas and patterns too. In addition to that I've also got this week to build a three tiered wedding cake for my dad’s wedding this weekend. I am going to be super busy but it's all cake! I can't wait for my next blog I will upload some pictures for everyone to see. 

With a passion for pastry

 Jessica.L.Vittoria

Micro Blog: Melanie Wilkerson

When thinking of what “Student of the Term” means to me, I was having a hard time putting it in to words because it's more than just my accomplishment. I've had so much support that it belongs to those people also. When we think of achievement in our life a lot of time we forget about the people that help us on a daily basis. When I wake up every morning at 5am that means so does the rest of my household when they don't have to, and as we all know every minute of sleep counts. Your family may also sacrifice financially because they want to see your dreams fulfilled. They may have to work one hour longer because you have to work one hour less. When I decided to enroll at The Chefs Academy I had no idea how much it was going to be my life line to my future. I remember the night before my first class I was going through some folders in a closet to look for paper and found a note of encouragement my grandmother gave me about 10 years ago. She would give me little snippets every month for as long as I can remember, but this was the most significant for me because it sums up what “Student of the Term” is for me.


Essence of Life
Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Choose your words, for they become actions.

Understand your actions, for they become habits.

Study your habits, for they will become your character.

Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny.

by Rocco Shepard

-- Melanie Wilkerson

Micro Blog: Catheryne Horton

Catheryne Horton’s Blog for The Chef’s Academy

Hello, my name is Catheryne Horton and I am new to the blogs so please bear with me. I know that I will get the hang of writing one soon.

I wanted to let you know that in the past 13 weeks that I have been at the school it has been the most rewarding thing that I have done. I have learned so much that I didn’t realize you needed to know when it comes to cooking.

Yesterday in class we learned about different sauces. Who knew that there were so many and that most of them start by using the same basic sauce? They call this a “leading sauce” or “mother sauce.” You can make the “starter” then you can make 4 or 5 different ones from that.

We have yet another quiz in class today. We had a quiz on Tuesday and I was amazed at myself that I got 100 on mine. That is the first 100 I have ever received on any test or quiz. I was very proud of myself. I hope that I can continue to get those kinds of grades.

Well tomorrow we are back on sauces in class but I know that we are making several more and they are going to be good. I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!!!!

Micro-Blog Tyler Green

I want to recap a little story of what not to do in order to prevent anyone from touching a hot pot handle.  I think by now some or a lot of us have burned ourselves by accident once or twice. So the event goes when I was making rice pilaf in my second term, I took it out of the convection oven with a towel set it down on the table behind me and took my towel off of the pot handle. When I went to plate the rice my forearm nudged the pan handle and I was burned, along with being startled and giving a small jump which in turn led to rice all over the floor. Case in point: keep the towel on the hot pot handle.

-Tyler Green