Grades Part Deux

So, this week we received our mid-semester grades same as we did in Basic Cuisine. I wrote about that time here.

I just re-read that post and the excitement contained within that post has me thoroughly annoyed. Why? Because grade time did not go quite so well this time. And we all know how much I love grades and being a teacher's pet.

I came it at a 3.24 and my kitchen's average is a 3.26. I am below average. Granted, the other two kitchen's averages are 3.15 and 3.04, so I am still actually above class average, but I am not happy.

In the meeting, the chef (pictured in the group photo in this post) and I discussed my areas that need improvement to return my grade to a happy place of bunnies and sunshine. Except I don't really like bunnies, so let's substitute in scotch. I like scotch.

These areas were/are:
1. Filleting fish- yeah, yeah I know I suck at this
2. Sauce- true, but I think my suckiness is less sucky in this area so that could be an improvement
3. Organization- wait, schwatt?? I had NO idea about this one
4. Hygiene- wait, wait- I am all about hygiene! (seen here)
5. Plating- duh, I do have some serious issues here

However, I am looking at this whole experience as a good thing. A kick in the derrière, if you please, to get a grip on it. Maybe I was getting too comfortable? Maybe I really did want to buy a few hundred pounds of mackerel and fillet them for hours? I still wait for that allusive perfect sauce to appear on my stove...alas.

Anyways, the next day (yesterday), I had two kitchen turns and I hyper focused on hygiene and organization and at the end of the second turn, I asked my chef how I had done and he said, "Good. Today you did good."

So we're back at it baby.

Also. I filleted AND de-skinned my fish perfectly yesterday. Even the chef had to agree and there were no comments of "Sashimi?" when looking at my fish bones post fillet job.

Yeah, buddy. Rolling like a big shot.