Recent Experiences

My professional kitchen training and experiences years ago. The last time, I was working in a professional kitchen was 1986. My experiences have been limited to personal use since then. My professional skills might be a little rusty but same the passion is still there.

This past holiday season, 2009, I baked 100’s of assorted, marbled dark chocolate cookies I used an assortment of chips, white, Andes candies mint, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate,

I shared a huge bowl with fellow job seekers and staff at Workforce Development Center; the cookies were gone before 3 pm. I was there 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.

I brought a box of cookies to share with fellow Bible study members at one session. The plate of cookies served at the dinner was emptied quite fast. I witnessed folks stuffing cookies in their pockets to take home. I left the box at the Salvation Army office, where the session was held.

I gave many boxes of the cookies as gifts and the remaining I donated to a food pantry.

I did all this to restore my passion, my hope of returning to my first love and find work I love to do. Baking and/or Cooking
 

Training

H.H.Humphrey Job Corps Center

Studied and trained all areas of food preparation, restaurant kitchen and institution kitchen management, and sanitation.

Participated in on-the-job-training programs,worked in Job Corps school kitchen and, sent out to train at real world job sites, including local community college cafeteria kitchen and county mental institution, preparing bulk quantity meals and food serving.

My personal specialties are baking, dessert preparation, special event planning,salad bar preparation, creating appetizing food presentations or marketing ideas.

Biggest challenge: Made mass quantity cinnamon rolls by hand. Classroom had no bulk quantity mixer at the time.

Best idea: Used the huge inventory of left over bread loaves as dip bowls for salad bar, carving them into appealing designs. That lead to another idea, to make bread into appealing shapes for dipping bowls such as turtles, fish or knots.