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This week, I finish out my hardest class here at the Culinary in line for a February graduation. Caterina de Medici is the busiest restaurant on campus with one of the most demanding Chefs. Ultimately, I'll be sad that this class ended so quick and I wish I had more time in the kitchen. I've worked a wood-fired oven for the past 5 days of class and have enjoyed it. There's just something very cerebral about tending an eight-hundred degree fire. Granted, I'm missing some arm hair and I've...

fifteen hours of airports was worth it. enjoying thanksgiving with the family and friends....

Tonight, Iron Chef Michael Simon was on-campus celebrating his victory on "The Next Iron Chef." If you watched the series, of which most was filmed at the Culinary, you'd love this guy. He's very passionate, aggressive and down to earth. Of course, Chef John Besh and Chef Simon are both Culinary grads. The school has produced basically every winner of TV's best contests, which is really a testament to this being the best culinary school in the world. Anyway, Chef Simon was crowned Iron Chef on Sunday night after besting...

On Sunday, I went down to the City to meet up with the R&D team from my future employer. We hit a food a show, ate a few places, and had a wonderful time together. It was just a chance for everyone to get together, see some food, and get to know each other better in a city that has so much life. We had some amuse at a dumpling place called Mandoo Bar in the Korean part of town. It was terrific, the kim-chi and other fermented veg...

It's easy to write off this as a little thing. But we've written off so many that this country our Fathers' founded is hardly recognizable from a huge corporate monolith. Wake up, people. "So your answer is, it's a win-win for everybody but the people who go out of business," Cummings retorted. "Yes, yes," Miller said, adding, "It's not that I'm heartless. It's not that we're heartless. We have to cover all sides. And I think the fairest thing is for every class of mail to cover the cost directly...

But thank goodness the weekend is over....