Bread Making

One of the most important skills a baker can learn it how to bake bread! It is a very long, time consuming process, but the end product is well worth the wait! The first step in bread making is to get everything that will possibly be need together and to measure out all ingredients. This is known as Total Mise. The next step is Mixing all of the ingredients together in the right order. After that, the dough must rest and begin the Fermentation process. A simple Punch in the dough releases the excess gas and equalizes the temperature. Then the dough must be Scaled to the appropriate weight and Rounded to form a skin. Then, it has to be left to Benchrest to relax the gluten strands. Next is Make-up and Panning.  The dough is lined up on parchment paper and prepared to bake. Then, the dough is Proofed until it has doubled in size. Baking is next, followed by Cooling and finally Storage, if any of them are left that is.

Fermentation Process

Scaling and Rounding

Benchresting

Cooling

-Heather

Plated Desserts

This was one of my favorite weeks so far! We learned how to do plated desserts like Baked Alaska and even a Beer Cheesecake! It was fun using the blow torch to perfectly toast the meringue on the Baked Alaskas. We made a berry compote out of raspberries and strawberries for the sauce. The fruit added a refreshing contrast to the desserts. 

Chef Straw demonstrating how to use a blow torch.

One student's beautiful finished plated dessert.

Chef Straw's example of a plated dessert. 

This will be a valuable skill to have as I explore the world of pastry arts! Food can almost be too pretty to eat! It sure was fun making it!

-Heather

Picking classes

I am really enjoying the bachelors program and that I can pick meaningful electives that are related to my major in Paralegal Studies. Every quarter when the new course schedule comes out I study it and plan what classes I am going to take in the next quarter. I think it is very important to carefully plan my schedule, because I don't want to unnecessarily delay my graduation. Some classes are only offered in certain quarters, so it is important to be aware of that when planning. I am currently picking an choosing electives from all kinds of different majors to complement my interests: Diversity Perspectives from the HR coursework, Legal Aspects of Health Care from the healthcare management degree, Social, Legal and Ethical Issues in Computing from the computer science program. It is amazing what you can find to enhance your degree and your marketability. Don't just pick from the general electives category just to fill that spot in your planner with something. Remember, you are paying a lot of money for your degree, so make it count. Think outside the box and pick classes that will actually benefit you in your career. If you want to be able to move up, and your are not a business or management major you can still take some of their classes and when you go to an interview you can add that to your credentials.

Claudia November #2

Choosing topics for my papers

Lately I am discovering that even in classes that are not part of my major (Paralegal Studies) I can still write papers about topics that are relevant and interesting to me. A while back I have taken the class World Regional Geography as my natural science elective and for my final paper on Globalization I picked the effects that Globalization has on the legal profession. It ended up being a very interesting research project. I am also very interested in ethics and I wrote a paper in my Principles of Conflict Management class on ethics in conflict management. In my Principles of Management class I wrote a paper about the company Aveda, whose products I buy and a paper about Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks. It is so much more fun to write a paper about something that really interests you. In every class, even if it is one of those classes you have to take and it is not really something you think is all that interesting to you personally, you can still find a subject that is meaningful to you. Right now I am working on a paper on the Kyoto Protocol because I am interested in the environment and I picked this for my conflict resolution paper. If it is an interesting topic, the paper almost writes itself! As my humanities elective I am currently taking the History of Film class, and for my final paper I watched the movie Philadelphia, a legal drama about Aids and discrimination and the research was very interesting. Plus it had a connection to my major again.

Claudia November #1

Give Back.

How often do you think the average person volunteers, or gives back to the community? Now how often do you think college students give back?  Between hours of classes, homework, social life, work, and hopefully some sleep, there doesn't seem to be anytime left.

Speaking from experience, there isn't much time or energy, but there are many opportunities.  Last week, I was asked to help out at school. They had an event and needed some more hands. I had caught up on most of my homework, so I thought "why not?"  I thought I would be coming in at nine, working for maybe three hours, then heading home.  Pretty easy day and I would take some stress off my instructors. 

When Saturday came, I was placed in charge of about eight other students and we had four hours to produce over a dozen dishes for sixty plus people.  Upon arrival I was handed the menu and my chefs left to conduct demos for our guests. I was told, "see you at one thirty," and off they went.  Talk about stressful.  What I thought would be a three hour day turned into a six hour day very quickly.

The kitchen was crazy.  Organized chaos is the broadest of terms.  After having one of my team almost faint (good reminder, always eat a good breakfast before going to work), becoming frustrated with lack of time and oven space, and having the plating times changed three times, we fed everyone and had begun clean up, when my chefs called all of the students into the banquet room.  We were met with thunderous applause.  Every single person in the room was cheering us on as we entered. Suddenly six hours of work was made completely worth it.  Most of my team started to tear up.  We were thanked for our work and our chef made it very clear to our guests that none of this would have been possible without the students' hard work. High praise from that particular chef.

We all went home that day feeling incredibly proud of ourselves and each other.  None of us got paid, but the smiles and praise from our guests and chefs is worth so much more.  

So regardless of your schedule here at Sullivan, make time to give back.  It's worth more than you know. 

Lauren S. 

Associates or Bachelors?

I struggled with that question as I came close to the end of the associates program. 80 hours sounded like a long time, and a lot of work to go through, but when I sat down and considered the potential of sticking through it, it became an easy decision.
Most companies right now require a bachelors degree to have any upward mobility in a career path. With that potential, the average salary increases almost double. Sounds good, doesn't it?
If you're worried about the workload of the classes, ask yourself if it would be any different in you career? If you want more responsibility and earnings, wouldn't you have to do the work to achieve them? After going through the associates program, you know how to write the papers you will be writing and how much time you will have to devote to studying. Yes, it is a sacrifice, but the reward is well worth it. 
 My workload has increased slightly, but writing a 15 page, APA formatted paper is not something that sends me in to a panic anymore. It's crazy how quickly the quarters are flying by now, I walked across the stage in April and will be walking across the stage again next October.
Isn't the risk worth the reward?

Brian

Sullivan Put Me In Jail

3 years ago, I started at Sullivan University in the Legal Studies department. Thanks to the skills I learned at Sullivan, I landed a job that turned in to my dream job. It may not be the highest paying job, it doesn't hold a lot of glamor, but it's a job that makes a difference. I am now serving as a Pretrial Officer for the Kentucky Court of Justice in Bullitt County.
I start my days off in jail, interviewing defendants and making assessments based on their state and federal criminal records and a psychological profile.Then I go to court and tell the judge what that defendants risk level is for release.
If the bond is paid and the person is released, the judge often assigns my office to monitor the defendant throughout the trial process and make sure that they follow the release guidelines.
Occasionally, if the defendant violates the terms, I file the paperwork to have their release revoked and testify in court as to the nature of the violation. We monitor drug and alcohol testing, inpatient and outpatient rehab programs, arrest reports throughout the state. We spend a lot of time talking to defense attorneys and prosecutors, court clerks and law enforcement officers.
Right now, Bullitt County ranks 4th in the state for conditional release, just behind larger cities like Louisville, Lexington and Bowling Green, despite being just a 4 person office, so it is a job that keeps me extremely busy, but it is also comes with new experiences every day and makes a difference in the community.
I couldn't have gotten here without the education that Sullivan offered. 

Brian Strickler, CKP. , NP. , PTO.

The Honorable Order of the Golden Toque

The "Golden Toque" was originally founded in France and brought to this country by Chef Pierre Berard. It is registered in the United States Patent Office as The Honorable Order of the Golden Toque founded in 1961.
Golden Toque means Golden Chefs Hat. The Honorable Order is the highest acclaimed recognition a Chef can receive in America.The Honorable Order of the Golden Toque was established to give recognition to Chefs of at least twenty years service, who have achieved professional attainment of high estate, abiding interest in professional progress and devoted and distinguished service to the Culinary Profession and Arts.  Membership is restricted to One Hundred life-time members. One may not apply for membership, but must be nominated by three active members.  After the nomination a screening process is conducted thru the Acceptance Committee composed of past Grand Commanders, the Board of Directors and final acceptance must be granted by the membership at the Annual Meeting.

Sullivan University Golden Toque Members:
David Dodd – Executive Director of NCHS
Derek Spendlove – Director of Baking & Pastry Arts Program,
                                     HOGT Board of Directors
Thomas Hickey – Previous Executive Director of NCHS
Chancellor A.R. Sullivan – HOGT Honorary Member

Info provided by: goldentoque.sullivan.edu

-Logan Parsons

midterms are over

Midterm week is over and now we are back to the basics. We have been in italy this week and it has been the most fun week ever. Here are some cool dishes we have done alot to do with pasta, cheese and assorted cures meats -Alexis Addison

Advance Techniques in Bread Making

I am over halfway finished with my 3rd quarter here at Sullivan, where has the time gone?!
I am currently in Advance Techniques in Bread Making and I love it!
Here are some pictures from my labs so far!

Pate Choux Swans

Mario Themed Cookies

Rye Bread Loaf

Baguettes (first day)

Mocha Mousse Cake--Yum!

 

Hope everyone is having a wonderful quarter! Finals will be here before you know it!
-Kaylen W.

DiRoNa

At the beginning of the quarter, I helped work the DiRoNa gala. In my Advance Techniques in Bread class we made the plated dessert for the event. Hand made butter puff pastry, with percemin crème brulee in the form of a napoleon with a wine poached pear and cranberry chutney. It was delicious! The night of the DiRoNa gala I helped plate the dessert and bring out the sugar sculptures Kate and Chef Spendlove made. It was a wonderful night for fun and learning!

Here is a picture of the finished dessert!

-Kaylen Wilkinson

Thailand

This quarter I am in International. We Got To Explore Thailand Which is a part of my cultural background.  My chef allowed me to teach the class about my ethnic background.
Alexis Addison

The Chancellor's Party

The week after working DiRoNA, I got to serve dessert at Chancellor Sullivan's house party! It was a lot of fun. We set up a huge table of treats and showpieces. We also had a hot station where we flambéed pears to order. It was a good opportunity to talk to a lot of guests about Sullivan, and many of them had questions for me. I also got to tour his amazing house!

-Kate Richter

DiRoNA

This quarter, a few weeks ago, I got the pleasure of working two events for an even called DiRoNA. DiRoNA is the Distinguished Restaurants of North America. This year, owners from member of this organization met together in Louisville. I got to attend the opening reception for it at the Brown Hotel. There, I helped one of the chefs from the culinary department of Sullivan plate a lamb dish and serve it. I then got to work at a scholarship ceremony that all of the DiRoNA members attended as well as some students from Sullivan who had applied for certain scholarships. I spent five hours at school building 30 centerpieces for this seven course dinner. The centerpieces were sugar sculptures that went on plates of chocolates for the end of the night. The guests were really impressed and it was so fun to help my instructor, Chef Spendlove, prepare for the event. Here's a picture of some of the sugar showpieces and the plated dessert for the night:

-Kate Richter

Plus Friday Fun!

This past Friday I headed into school armed with my camera instead of my knife kit.  I bugged a few of my classmates and snapped pictures for this blog and my personal blog!  Turned out being a lot of fun!  Enjoy! 

There are few more pictures from this shoot on my Flickr page here.

- Lauren S.