I’ve grown a lot as a chef throughout this class. I feel confident in my abilities to create dishes and design competent and complete meals. In this training I’ve learned how to design meals to fit individual needs and fit within parameters of what a potential client might need out of a meal. Being able to think in terms of energetic nutrition is really helpful when thinking more broadly about where to start designing dishes and meals. I also feel confident in my ability to adapt flavors to fit what I’ve made, which in turn makes cooking on a large or small scale much more approachable. The idea of being able to fix a dishes substance, taste, and strength is also a crucial skill when cooking for an audience of any size. My expertise in terms of individual ingredients and how to treat them has increased so much since the beginning of the course. I feel like I now have the tools to cook with nearly any plant based ingredients without hesitation.
As far as personal growth, I feel that my skill in the kitchen has given me much more confidence to approach any given task, not only in the kitchen but beyond. Workshops have improved my ability to collaborate and communicate with other chefs. Being able to work collaboratively has been inspiring. I feel challenged to take on ideas and execute them in a way that is intended by the chef and put my personal spin on things.
Laura Hotz
Chef Diploma – 2019
