MPTC Culinary Club goes to 2012 Chicago Food Show

G’day Mates! Recently, members of the culinary club and I headed down to Chicago for the 2012 National Restaurant Association at the McCormick Place. In order to participate in this trip we had to volunteer forty hours throughout the school year as part of our club dues. The National Res

taurant Food Show in Chicago is similar to Wisconsin’s Food Show, but is triple the size and I mean literally super massive. We stayed at Hotel 71 which is a prime location in downtown Chicago and minutes away from the food show. I was excited to stay at this hotel because this is the same spot where the film “The Dark Knight” was filmed. As we checked in I found out my room was on the top level on the 39^th floor, and the views were amazing.

After checking in we got on a shuttle bus to attend the Food Show at the McCormick Place. When we entered the building my eyes got huge because I realized how big the Food Show was. Numerous food companies were everywhere including food products, drinks, and even marketing firms. There were so many things to see that I didn’t know where to start. We decided to divide and conquer to see all the attractions and sample the various products. Throughout the show I talked to different people and networked to hopefully find a potential career in the near future. After awhile I got tired because of all the walking. We were there for seven hours and we still didn’t see everything. I recommend if you have the chance to attend the Chicago Food Show to attend at least two days so you don’t have to rush through things and can enjoy the time there.

When the food show came to an end we headed back to our hotel to change clothes for dinner. We attended a restaurant called Vermillion, which is located a block away from Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. Vermillion is a fusion type restaurant that specializes in India and Mexican cuisines. I was excited to check out the restaurant because I love both styles of cuisines, and combining these two was amazing. There were eleven of us and we basically tried everything on the menu. The food was amazing. For the entrée I decided to try a Red Fish mixed with vegetables. Although the waiter said this was the spiciest item on the menu, I didn’t believe him because I love spicy food. When my food came I dug right into my food and the waiter was not lying this dish was beyond spicy. It had great flavor but the spice behind the meat was so overwhelming I began to sweat. After that I could barely finish my meal, but I kept going because the flavor was delicious although the heat kept coming back hotter. As we finished our entree we ordered desserts and they were beyond amazing. The flavors were out of this world, and the decorations were fantastic! Once dessert was done we were full, but a healthy full since all the ingredients were freshly made. We decided to walk back since the weather was nice. We even saw a super nova moon, which is when the moon is closest to the Earth’s atmosphere than any other time of the year. I wish I had a better camera because this moon was beautiful, and I couldn’t get the quality picture I wanted. After a successful fun day it was time for bed. Until next time, ciao!

Cheers,

Lee IV

A busy month of May ahead

Ahoy Mates! Welcome to a brand new month! As the end of the semester nears, my backpacking trip is getting even closer. I am looking forward to finishing the semester because it has been a busy semester, but with all that being said it has been a fun voyage thus far. Looking ahead for this month I have some major events coming up such as my ethnic restaurant day, the 2012 National Restaurant Association Food Show in Chicago, projects, and much more. It is my honor to share my journey with you and I am always open to comments and new ideas. So mates sit back and let’s welcome May! Cheers, Lee IV

Week 2 of school

G’day Mates, after a busy weekend of working and playing soccer it was time to get ready for week two of school. In my Food Principles class we went over culinary terms, and talked about how we can use these terms in our career. There were a lot of terms I was unaware of because I haven’t had much experience in the food industry, and some of the terms originated from French or Italian cuisine. Nevertheless I gained knowledge of using these terms to communicate with people, and utilize culinary terms into my writing. After class I had a two hour break before my next class, so I decided to get a haircut at Techniques salon on campus. The cosmetology department offers a hair salon that is open to the public for a reasonable cost. This allows the students to gain more experience cutting and styling hair. I figured since the students don’t get much experience on men’s hair I would assist by letting them cut my hair. The one student was a bit nervous, but I told her no worries it’s the only way you have to get practice so no pressure. During the haircut the instructor kept checking to make sure everything was going well, and to say the least, I was satisfied with my haircut. After my haircut they shampooed and conditioned my hair all for seven dollars which is a great bargain. I told them I would come back and recommend others to come here for haircuts. Click here to see a list of their services: http://www.morainepark.edu/services/techniques-salon/#student-labs

Afterwards I got some lunch in the cafeteria then headed into my Food Styling class. We went over our recipes and ideas of how we wanted to design our plating for the food competition next month on March 12 in Milwaukee. With the students in class we have a lot of fun making jokes and coming up with new ideas to have the opportunity to win and place in the competition. I am super excited and nervous but this will give me more experience and make me a better person by challenging myself. After class I got ready for our first culinary club meeting. In this meeting we introduced new members to the club, and talked about our plans for fundraisers this semester. We have to do with a busy schedule ahead, but that is what we best working under pressure and getting things accomplish. Our main goal is to raise money for our Germany trip which is open for everyone including nonstudents, and our food show in Chicago. Both of these trips will be held in May, if you want more information check out the culinary corner board or contact me for more information. Our meetings for the culinary club will held every Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in room A111, so don’t hesitate, come join the fun! Well mates after a long day, it is time for me to do some homework. I’ll catch you on the next voyage!

Cheers,
Lee IV