Ok. I can't believe that it's only been a week since I was happily baking in my own kitchen at home and enjoying spring break. Two days before that I was falling in love with a little place known as Charlotte, North Carolina. Now, I'm back in he dorm room and while I'd definitely take this over high school, where I'd be taking a bunch of worthless classes and be bored and sad with no friends. So I'm very glad, thank you, to have just finished my high school requirements and to officially be a college freshmen. Plus, I'm in the new culinary arts building, and the state of the arts chocolates lab for my Chocolates and Confections class. And I have no extra classes. Done for the day at 1:00. But I'm usually exhausted. Dehydrated, frustrated, excited, hungry, exhausted. After a day of cutting peanut and mocha squares that have to be cut in 13/16" squares and make my mouth water, I'm so glad it's the weekend. Wish I had more andy to enjoy, but unfortunately we can't take much home. So, instead I'm filling my time looking at recipes I can't make right now. I mean RIGHT NOW! I want to step into my own kitchen and have my own agenda making things I can keep. And eat as much as I want without any guilt, exercise or whatnot. Anyone with me? Well, if you are, take a step into dreamland, and take a look at one of my favorite recipe destinations. Tastespotting.com. all It's a place that gathers information from countless food blogs and depicts a glorious, mouth-watering array of pictures for your clicking fancy. I'll try to make that help me this weekend, but... why is it that dorms in culinary school don't have kitchens? Enough for now.

A look inside life at Johnson and Wales

From what was, for me, quite an unknown world of pies, to something I know almost too well, cookies. It's onto a new lab. But first, as look at all the deliciousness and creativity I stirred up during the last nine days of my lab. After all, today was just a day of the basics- chocolate chip cookies, ginger cookies, peanut butter... i could (and I had the chance) to whip them up on my own any day. Yesterday, that was a different ball game. But unlike sports, it was quite the enjoyable experience.
From apple, to blueberry, to strawberry chiffon (my favorite), to cream, to turtle, too... Oh yeah! pumpkin, pecan, and endless other possibilities, and a variety of cutesy tartlets. Yum!
But not all pies and tarts are alike. There's your average apple pie, and then there're the ones infused with nuts, spiked with rum, and paired with unusual flavors. There's cream pie, and then there's Duh Mocha Banana Cream Pie.
There's store bought crust, and then there's homemade crust...
You catch my drift.
Take a look at this mouthwatering photo video. Try to keep your tongue in your mouth though. If you are not in a dorm room and therefore have quick access to a kitchen, you might want to consider whipping up a midnight snack for yourself. There is nothing like a piece of whole fruit to start your rest off right. Ok, so that fruit might be cooked and wrapped in flakey, buttery crust, but it's so good, who really cares?
Yes, that's life here at culinary school. Splurge your taste buds for a few days, then have to drag yourself to the gym three days in a row.
But it's the good life. At least while you are working intensely in the lab. At the dorm, space is too tight, living is less then fair, and the atmosphere and roommate relationships change from day to day. Just when there was going to be a quiet Thursday, music blasts in the room and headaches spring out of nowhere.
This is when my own kitchen would be nice. Instead, I can only concoct recipes to be made sometime in the future. Or not.
That's all for now, recipes and more college stories to come.