This week I was back at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) in Hyde Park, NY. I spent the week taking exams in the Professional Chef program. The experience started with a cancelled flight from Detroit to Newburgh, NY, last Sunday night. I was able to fly into White Plains, NY, and from there I was very lucky to get a ride to Newburgh (2 hour drive) from a fellow passenger that was kind enough to wait for me while I was filling out the forms for missing luggage (!!!). I made it to Newburgh's airport just in time (midnight) to pick up my rental car (thankfully a very understanding counter attendant waited for me as I kept calling and pleading with her - the counter closes normally at midnight). I was finally in bed near 3 am after reviewing my notes in preparation for my exam that started the following morning.

As I was working on my assignments on day 1 (very tired, with no clean clothes and no breakfast) I questioned myself why was I doing this. Chefs that go through this program normally get a nice salary bump from their employers and their professional marketability also gets a big bump. I don't have a salary so if I give myself $1 it will (mathematically speaking) mean that I received an infinite pay increase (so that part works). My marketability will not have an impact as I will not be looking for jobs outside Mezzanotte. So what is this doing for me?

Well... for sure is the satisfaction of going through a grueling process that not many people complete.

But the main reason is to add professional cooking skills to a set of natural skills. Many of us are blessed with love for food and love for the cooking process; along with good taste buds and lots of common sense. But, when you cook professionally, you need much more than that. The learning by reading, watching other professionals and practicing a lot (as I did) goes a long way but it is not until you really understand the foundations of professional cooking when you really can say that you are a professional chef.

This exam has given me that. I am exhausted, with brand new burns in my fingers and new blisters in my feet, but very satisfied with what I have accomplished. I just received my certificate (I am writing this on Thursday evening) but this is not the end of the learning.

By the way... my luggage arrived on Tuesday so I was finally able to use my own knifes and to have clean clothes.

I can't wait to get back to my Mezzanotte kitchen on Friday night!

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