The Only One Making Risotto

Today was the first day of practical exams for this class...

I was in the roasting group today and we each had to roast a chicken, make a pan gravy, saute a medley of green beans & julienne cut carrots, and serve it with a side of either mushroom risotto or red rice pilaf. Out of the 6 of us, I was the only one who decided to make the risotto.

I opted for the risotto because I know how to make it, I've made it in class, I had the time to make it, and I needed the thirty minutes at the stove spent stirring to clear my thoughts and mentally design my plate presentation. My decision was a good one because I ended up with a very pretty plate and something different, which is always good! Chef had good things to say about my whole plate, which was nice to hear and I got a great score.

Tomorrow we have the second leg of practical exams and I will be grilling. I've been practicing my 'grill marks' with the grill pan that I got for Christmas. I can now make beautiful diamonds on my grilled products, and hopefully that will pay off tomorrow.