I keep stating over and over again things like, “Don’t make fun of me but I really want to make…” or “Do you mind if I take pictures of our food?” and my friends at the CIA laugh, and wonder why I even say these things. You see until now, I’ve never met a group of people that truly LIVED FOOD. My friends in college would make fun of me for pairing wine with food, describing my “food experiences” in detail, and for taking pictures of the beauty that sat in front of me. When I would plan a menu, they would roll their eyes. When I would want to make a trip to the Farmer’s Market they would laugh and say “Have fun!”. Leaving me to my lonesome.
At The Culinary, everyone wants to go to the Farmer’s Market and the earlier the better. When I take out my camera to capture a picture of my meal, about 4 other people do the same. When I get excited about a cheese or meal I once made/enjoyed, they share their story and experience with me too.
We all think about food all of the time. At the CIA food is life.
This morning a group of 6 of my new friends went to the Rhinebeck Farmer’s Market. We spoke to all of the vendors and picked their brains to learn more about their products. We took a slow lap around to meet everyone and taste new products.
We met Tracy from “Spacey Tracy’s Pickles” and learned about how to pickle…everything.
Sampled pickled eggs and 10am.
…and pickled garlic.
I found religion at Dancing Ewe Farms.
Religion in the form of cheese. I sampled the Pecorino Fresco and Pecorino al Tartufo (truffles). Both were delicious and I walked away with a wedge of the creamy Pecorino Fresco for our “Family Sunday Supper”.
I found a sourdough baguette at Our Daily Bread. It followed me home.
Anne Marie and Emily stopped to smell Chad’s Sesame Baguette. Friendships formed over the breaking of bread. I love it.
Speaking of bread, after all the walking and talking we did, we decided to stop for lunch at Bread Alone. It looked cute and we thought we’d give it a try. A silence fell over our table when our food arrived. We were all deep in thought over our selections and the seemingly perfect combination of flavors. A sign that we made the right decision. It was amazing.
My lunch– Tartine (open faced sandwich) Grilled Organic Whole Wheat Sourdough with Coach Herbed Goat Cheese, Marinated Portobello Mushrooms and Caramelized Onion.
Served with a side salad.
I savored every bite. Not a crumb was left on my plate. Mission accomplished.
My friends and I made a pact to visit the Farmer’s Market every Sunday, and make a “Family Sunday Supper” with our treasures. More details on our first dinner to come 
. We are all very excited.
I love The Culinary.
Bon Vivant,
Nora
To Pedro the Epicurean,
You can dish it but can you take it? The motto of CIA is “Food is Life”. Food is also culture. America is a melting pot. Its cuisine is eclectic and should be savored. Food snobs may have some appeal among the upper crust but are out of touch with those who spend the most money on food. Most of us don’t have the pallet to appreciate pulp a la gallega, and probably would spit it out,-nor does spellcheck recognize the word. I’d put my chili recipe up against yours any day!
Your words could not have been more true! Food is culture, and respecting another culture; in this particular case Spain )by correctly pointing out what is contained in each dish, and the correct spelling)is gargantuan, nothing denotes more culture than being able to do that! I am thrilled that your daughter has not taken my words in an offensive or derogatory fashion, but saying that octopus is squid, and saying that the piquillo (not roasted) peppers were filled with crab, when they are filled with Bacalao (salted cod) to me, felt irresponsible. That’s all I meant, like you said “can you take it?” It’s not terribly difficult if you are going to write about something to take a few minutes and do a little research, re-check the menus that are in front of the door everyday, or even ask the Chefs. The curriculum at the C.I.A is very relaxed, and provides with sufficient time to accommodate things of this nature. Like I said; I am glad your daughter wants to succeed and become better, it’s just that during the 3 years I spent in the C.I.A; I saw the standards becoming lower with each incoming class because students think life is like in the movies, and the food network. I truly hope your daughter will spend her free time in the amazing library they have, talking to Chefs, instructors, and even fellow students, for that will enrich her vision and will cultivate her. Thank you for responding and just a few comments; why rely on spellcheck when you have the world’s biggest culinary library? Also, your words inferred I am a food snob. I am not! I am truly passionate about food, that is why I left Mexico in order to obtain the Bachelors degree, and graduated with high honors. I did my externship in Spain, in a three Michelin starred restaurant so I can assure you I am not a snob. And in my opinion, spitting something out (which is perfectly cooked, nothing wrong with it, just for the sake of “not liking it”) is a complete insult to the aforementioned motto you mentioned “food is culture.” And palette can be a knife, a board used in painting and many other things; perhaps PALATE is the word you wanted to use?
Also, if chili’s your specialty perhaps yours will be better than mine, considering that I don’t have a liking for TexMex cuisine, and have never prepared chili in my entire lifetime and I never had to cook it as a part of any C.I.A class. I never inferred I was superior or boasted about my chili prowess…
To Pedro: Being passionate about food in a world where so many go to bed hungry is frivolous. I hope that you are putting your talents to good use. As for chili, it is simple and can fill both the stomach and the soul. It can be a creative dish, warm and nutritious for a very low price and feed a hungry family. The ingredients can vary depending on the food you have on hand. I never make it the same way twice yet my family and friends are lured by the aroma on a cold fall night. I tout my
chili but only because it pleases those I care for. Touche for catching my spelling error. I am humbly imperfect.
By the way, you have a typo-parentheses instead of a
comma after Spain.
To Pedro: I am truly thankful that my family has never known hunger and can appreciate food for its sustenance. My cuisine may not be rich or artistic by gourmet standards but “food is life” and some of our best times are those when we gather around the table.
[...] the Rhienbeck Farmer’s Market on Sunday, my friends and I had some big dreams to kick off our CIA career with a “Sunday Family [...]
This blog has been a true disappointment. You cannot write! Dedicate your life to something else dear… As a graduate from the C.I.A (International student I might add) your poor grammar, the “emptiness” of your words, the triviality of your entries, your lack of syntax and professionalism is absolutely disheartening and sad (at least there is one spelling mistake when “describing” either ingredients or dishes in each and every blog entry; please, for God’s sake GOOGLE things if you are not sure!) Your “tapas day” dish was not squid, how can you say food is your life and passion if you can’t even tell the difference between OCTOPUS (pulpo a la gallega) and SQUID? Well, to me that is a BIG difference, something I knew even before I attended the C.I.A.. I truly hope that this blog does not reflect your performance in the curriculum. Take it as constructive criticism; in this “food network” and “Julie and Julia” era, you need to be responsible with what you write and upload into the web, because in all fairness and honesty you are not being taken seriously, and I am guessing that is not your goal. What you write (and upload), is the same as the food that you will be putting out everyday in class, and I pray to God that your food is better than this “blog.” Please don’t be offended, but your blog has been deemed a “joke” amongst fellow C.I.A graduates (in fact that is how I came across it) and I know that attending such a fine school (despite its current lower standards) can help you become a better cook, gastronome and person. It’s up to you to accept the challenge. The writing center is open all week, and they can help you improve your writing; if that is also a passion of yours. I would invest a few hours getting help from very bright professors and fellow tutors. You are paying big bucks for being at The Culinary, take advantage of every nickel and dime…
Dear Pedro,
I’m truly sorry that you feel this way. To be perfectly honest, I write this blog for my friends, my family and myself. The world is certainly open to read it if they wish. I am not keeping a blog for the soul purpose of exposing the life of a CIA student. I’ve had this domain for nearly 2-years now as a way to keep in touch and share my life. I realize that at times my writing lacks. I stumble upon phrasing issues when I re-read posts and even my parents point out my grammatical errors. I’m only human and I suppose that is what happens when you get caught up in the excitement of life, friends and the world. Sometimes I do not have hours, but mere minutes to type my thoughts.
I’m not offended by your words. In fact, I welcome them. I’m not one to take criticism personally, but rather, see it as an opportunity to grow. To those who think this blog is a joke I encourage them to look away. Here you will find ONE girl’s journey. ONE girl’s thoughts. And ONE girl’s point of view. I am learning along the way.
Thank you for your “Tapas Night” correction. I only had time to glance at the menu and when I went back to look again it had been removed. Unlike you, I have had very little interaction with squid in my life time. That is why I’m here. To experience new things, taste and learn new flavor profiles and to grow as both a person and a gastronome. Of course, I fully plan to take full advantage of everything the CIA has to offer. I would not be here if I didn’t plan to, because like you said “You are paying big bucks.” I look at this experience as an investment to hone my skills and learn new things. The journey I’m taking here at the CIA is priceless.
I wish you all the best Pedro, and thank you for your note. Also, if you have a blog please feel free to email me a link at LiveLifeEatRight@gmail.com.
Nora
All the best in your career, take advantage of the amazing library you have on campus, and the amazing instructors!
Love it! Rhinebeck is pretty awesome! I’m loving the Sunday family dinners. It’s funny how everyone seems to have the same feelings when entering CIA. We loved family dinners but a few tips: get a job at CE (after B block) and you honestly have an endless amount of produce that you might be able to take home if not used! Also, that veggie salad bar is great to stock up on in ziplock bags for sunday stir frys.
p.s. go to the mail place and ask them for free magazines. Externs and graduates forget to discontinue their subscriptions, so you’ll never have to pay for a food and wine ever again in the next two years!
Hey Nelly!! Rhinebeck was so amazing, I will be exploring it more in the coming weeks
. We met tons of great people in town. I was planning to get a job once I was adjusted to school so thanks for that tip!! I won’t be able to afford the Farmers Market and all of the great things here if I dont!!
Also–SUCH a great tip for the mail room!! I am so excited, I did not even know we had that. I told my roommate and we are making a point to stop by tomorrow
. Food and Wine is a favorite!!
Thank you for all of your advice. It means a lot to me to have the support and guidance!
Hope you had a nice weekend!
Nora
Nora,
How does Rhinebeck compare to the CNY Farmers Market? I’m enjoying reading your blog and following your life’s pursuit. Love you.
Dad
Hey Dad! The Rhinebeck Market is not as big as the CNY Market. There are lots of small tents but all local, fresh products. It’s a more intimate experience and you can really get into some great conversations with the vendors. The town of Rhinebeck is very charming too. I think you would love it. Lot’s of B&Bs and little places to eat and shop. My friends and I had a blast and wound up there for about 4 hours today. The CIA is amazing. The people here are amazing. Life is amazing. Love you too!!
Nora