I’ve loved to cook for as long as I can remember. When I was young, my Grandmother and I used to cook all-day long. From crêpes to coquilles saint-jacques to croque madames, we would cook our way through the various regions of France, even speaking the language as we worked. We had a way of connecting through our food that I’ve always cherished and is still a major part of why I love to cook to this day. Though I was fortunate enough to be mentored by one of the best chefs I knew, my Mamy, I never actually received any sort of official culinary training. When I came across a week-long basic culinary boot-camp at the CIA (A.K.A. the Culinary Institute of America… no, the Central Intelligence Agency doesn’t offer cooking classes!) I immediately knew I wanted to sign up.
When I entered the door of the institute on Monday morning, I was blown away. Having only ever cooked in a home-kitchen, I was in awe at the plethora of culinary bays that we would be able to make our own for the week. Chef Krellenstein began our lecture with the basics: knife cuts, kitchen safety, and prep work. Once we’d mastered these skills, we were thrown into the realm of culinary technique. We covered everything from dry-heat cooking methods like roasting and grilling to wet-heat cooking methods like poaching and braising. We skimmed the surface of soups and sauces and the intricacies of side dishes. Even though I had been cooking forever, I was surprised at how many techniques I hadn’t even realized existed all these years.
On our final day, we hit the ground running at 7:45 a.m. If I had learned anything throughout the week, it was that cooking on a time clock is way harder than you’d expect. For my final dish, I wanted to go back to my French roots with a classic: Duck à L’Orange. Although I had made roasted duck several times in the past, I had never attempted duck at that level of complexity before. But with the help of Chef K and Chef Jasmine, along with a passion for French food, I ended up with a perfectly balanced, bright, and flavorful dish. It might be the single most impressive dish I have ever made, all thanks to the amazing instruction from the chefs at the CIA.
Though life as a medical student can be challenging and time is certainly not in surplus, I have made it one of my priorities to find time for one of the things I love so much outside of this career. This week served as an important reminder that despite the life long devotion we make to serving our community, it’s okay to continue to pursue your other passions and dreams. Who knows, maybe I’ll be the first doctor to open an office with both a medical clinic and a restaurant.
Story: Allison Vasak, Photographs: Allison Vasak
