Here’s a little update for everyone:

I am once again employed. I tried to take a break from working and focus on school, but was once again stopped by my relentless need to be making and saving money. Luckily, I am taking a break from the fine dining scene. In fact, my new job does not involve cooking at all. I am working at Napa Valley Coffee Roasters as a barista. Thankfully, having an income means I can once again justify the bigger-ticket items on this list. I have been focusing on the smaller ones recently, and am glad to announce I have checked four more items off the list! I am listing them in order of how cool they are because most of my readers have short attention spans and might not make it to the end.

#1- In August of 2023, I hosted a dinner party. I was testing myself to see if I could plan, cook, and host a formal pre-fix multi-course meal in the traditional French format. I sourced all my ingredients, planned everything, did almost all of the prep in my own kitchen (with the help of a few friends), then transferred everything to the event venue. Most of the dishes were entirely my own creation (you can find pictures on my Instagram), or my own take on dishes I had learned over the summer working at Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur. It was an incredible experience, and while it was mostly a success, it showed me that I still have a lot to learn (including how quickly duck fat catches fire :0 ). I am excited to try again, this time with more help from my friends and more knowledge/experience.

#2- Last weekend, I went to a Jazz performance at The Blue Note in Napa, CA. I was invited by two friends, and we saw Kim Waters and his amazing band perform in such a cool setting. I had never seen a Jazz show before, but since Jazz as a concept is so controversial (“like, okay, you can blow on a trumpet, wrap it up Elton John!” -Elenor Shelstrop) it was something I wanted to experience. I can definitely say that I disagree with the haters. I do recognize that jazz can seem repetitive at times, but I find it to be a fascinating display of skill

#3- I have been learning to write with my left hand since sometime in June. I am definitely not perfect at it yet, mainly because we handwrite things so rarely these days, but even just the act of learning to use the muscles in that hand has been much more valuable than I expected. I was surprised to realize how useful it is when you don’t have to switch everything to your dominate hand. It goes way beyond writing; in class, I have found myself flipping items on the grill with my left hand, or switching hands while stirring. Even just developing the coordination to crack an egg in both hands at the same time has been so useful. I am planning to practice specific motions with my left hand, so I can get even more use out of it. It seems almost strange to me that we aren’t encouraged to learn to use both hands for daily tasks. I am glad to have the time and resources available to learn on my own, and I encourage anyone who can to do so as well.

#4- This one, I cannot yet fully claim success to, but considering I am now working as a barista, I feel confident that I will get it soon. Learning to make latte art is a specific item on my list. Although the coffee shop I am working at does not require, practice, or train their baristas on latte art, I am still hoping to teach myself. I figure, if I will be making drinks all day anyway, I may as well get the fancy pour down.

That’s all for today. It feels good to knock some more things off the list. I only have nine weeks left of this semester at Culinary School. One semester to go after than, and then who knows what’s next. More updates and changes to come.