NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!!

Okay, so this has been quite the week, and I apologize for the delay in updating but the internet at the yeshiva is only available during certain times and even when it is available it barely works. Also I'm so busy being super cool that I'm not always around when I could use the internet.

Anywho... we started classes this week on monday (Sunday will usually be classes as well but this week it was the orientation) working on knife skills in the cooking class and then working on tarts and pastry creams in the baking class. Our first homework assignment was tovel our knives monday night so we could actually use them in the kitchen. Some of the yeshiva sudents tried telling me where in beit shemesh there was a dish mikveh, but I couldn't find it and NO ONE in the area that I asked on the street was able to help me. On Tuesday morning, hwever I asked Devarya, the woman who runs the office in the school, where there was a dish mikveh and SHE knew where there were several. She copied a map for me, highlighted the route I needed to take and then highlighted a couple other places that were farther but also mikvehs. Once armed with the proper directions I called my teacher to see if he would prefer I show up on time or be late and tovel the knives. He preferred I take care of my knives. Going to and from the mikveh took maybe thirty minutes, but then when I got to the bus stop I thought I needed to be at I waited for about 45 minutes and did NOT see the 415 bus, so I tried asking around to see where I needed to be. I found a second bus stop that has a sign saying the 415 stops there. I found out later is does not. So I was waiting for another 45 minutes or so when i realized I NEEDED to get to school and called a cab to take me.
At school they had been practicing, you guessed it, knife skills. However the teacher decided that everyone would make their own soups with the vegetables they were practicing on so there would be lunch. I showed up with roughly an hour left to the lesson so I was not able to make soup. I WAS able to make a salad that was delicious, so don't worry I DID have lunch!
In the afternoon we were working on tarts and pastry creams... I know that they taste great and look delicious, but I'm fairly certain that the calorie count is through the roof!
Wednesday I got to school on time but I had to spring for another cab seeing as though I hadn't quite figured out the bus from beit shemesh yet. We practiced juliening the vegetables and triangular cuts and cutting at an angle, but we didn'd make anything with it, so I went to the entrance to the moshav where the school is located to buy felafel from a small felafel stand there. The felafel, by the way, is soooooo good. He makes it on the spot when you show up!

So then, finally, my last class of the week was the pasrty class wednesday afternoon. We finished all of the torts that we were working on including blind baking (making pre-made pie shells) and chocolate soufle :D I was able to bring home a few samples which I saved for my parents seeing as though they are here and are paying for the classes, and i'll be able to bring food back regularly. I have pictures of the pastries all set up before we annhialted them, but I haven't had a chance to upload them. I'll do my best to post them in a timely fashion. To end my day I had to take another cab because we needed to tovel the rest of our supples (including pots and pans and other various kitchen items) for sunday, and I didn't want to take the big box on the bus with me.
Thursday we went to the Shuk for a school trip. Thursdays will always be either trips or special classes. We went all around with chef Yochanan ( the pricipal/ founder of the JCI) where he would explain about different foods and give suggestions as to what dishes he might make with those ingredients. After a few hours we were free to go, but a number of us were very hungry from hours of food talk so we went out to eat. Then after a few of us hung around Jerusalem until the later afternoon when we got a bus back to beit shemesh.
So Shabbos is about to start and I wrote alot already (unfortunately it had to be a bit abbreviated due to time) but I will try even harder to update a couple times next week.
Shabbat Shalom!