cooking up a storm

L-R clockwise: SJK, receiving palette pallet (thanks, mims!), inventory fractions, inventory list, prepped quesadillas

today felt like a long day. and it was only my 2nd day starting at 6 am. i'm thinking even though i can run at 6 am doesn't mean i can keep doing physical stuff after that. this morning from 6-8:30ish i got to do inventory with Mike. we went through catering inventory (fridge, frozen, and dry) and the frozen inventory. can i just say, -10 F is not a pleasant temperature and NH winters are not sounding good at all. i was wearing 5 layers plus hat and gloves! inventory was a mathematical and temperature headache. thankfully, i didn't have to do it on my own b/c it would have taken me about 10 years to finish it. there were probably about 25 sheets with lists of items in all the storage areas and the quantity was not as self explanatory as i thought it would be (fractions were involved o_O)

after inventory i grabbed some breakfast (yum to food!) then headed to the kitchen to work with the prep team.

i look a bit sweaty and out of it, but i'll blame the slight cold i'm dealing w/ and it being  bathroom lighting :)

i sliced up 5 slabs of rib eye or something on the meat slicer (and then cleaned said meat slicer...). then i helped blanch broccoli in the SJK (steam jacketed kettle) which is the top left picture in the collage. the water apparently gets to boiling in 2 minutes! and they mix with a metal paddle. the water is released from the bottom into a drain and then filled with cold water and ice to cool the broccoli. it's pretty amazing thinking of food in mass quantities.

after broccoli detail i was put on prepping the quesadillas for Friday dinner. darn, it's vegetarian and i'm missing it! haha. but made about 340 quesadillas and got to tray and wrap them for the fridge. that was kind of repetitive meditation. it feels so awkward working on my laptop in the dining area instead of working on the floor or something.

but i did go downstairs to work at two different stations. i got to make more chicken pot pie (gold medal makes mixes). and watch the frialator get emptied of its oil. i also worked the vegan station a bit and served up meatless meatballs with pasta.

the day ended sitting in on a supervisor meeting and sleep walking my way home. it's friday tmrw! dining hall break, but they also means i have to feed myself...