Second Block is in the Books!

So foundations II is officially over. It was good, i learned a lot and still have a lot to learn and to retain. We did a lot of different things, from sauce making, to pasta making, to how to cook different kinds of proteins and side dishes. We had a final practical (where actually prepare and hand in an entire dish). I had something called chicken doria, with anna potatoes and glazed carrots with chasseur sauce. The chicken is a breast stuffed with ground chicken, shallots, basil, thyme and parsley and creme fraiche. After you stuff it you roll in tight in plastic wrap, tie off the ends, and poach it in water. The sauce is a brown base sauce finished with sauteed mushrooms and shallots, tomato concasse and chopped parsley. The potatoes are thinly sliced, and then layered in alternating cirlces, on top of each other, expanding outward as you build the layers and seasoning each layer. It's pan fried on both sides and finished off in the oven if need and looks like a potato flower of sorts. I did really well, the only thing i was worried about was that i seasoned the inside stuffing for the chicken but forgot to season the outside of the chicken before i rolled it and cooked it. It still tasted pretty good, the sauce i thought was great, the potato and carrots came out awesome. I come to find out that i got marked down on the sauce flavor, he said it was a little starchy, which shocked me, but lost 3 points on that, and that was it! 97%, highest out of the early morning and mid morning classes!!

Coming up next block is communication and interpersonal skills and another class called purchasing and receiving. I was fortunate enough that my math credits from 12 years ago from the university of colorado transferred over, so i don't have to take the culinary math class anymore, hope i still remember how to add and subtract! lol. anywhere, here's a pic of my grades to date!

Block number two almost done

So i haven't posted in a while, sorry to anyone who is reading. I've been crazy busy trying to find a job. It's so hard, i never imagined it to be this difficult. Almost every interview i go on i get the same lines, "wow, your resume looks great, you have a lot of great experience" and yet here i sit, unemployed. Maybe i'm missing something, so i'm putting my resume up to get some feedback. It was good enough to get an A in my career portfolio class so it can't be that bad, unless of course that teacher doesn't know jack.

My second block is flying by and is done next week. Every week we have worked with partners, due to the fact that every class is a production class. Production meaning that every day we cook, and we have to present it to the chef and get scored out of a possible 4 points. so this week being a new week i had the opportunity to go out on my own, challenge myself, see what i'm capable of. The dishes today were chicken fricassee and beef stew. got a 2 on my chicken cause my sauce didn't thicken in time and was a little oily still, but i thought the flavors were there. My beef stew, a 4! :-) So it's solo all this week, pork chops, fish dishes and some other stuff.

Here's my resume, feedback is welcomed and appreciated:

(one note, the objective is a general one and i change it depending on what job i am applying for)

Michael Virtue

1572 Stone Valley Ave.

Las Vegas, NV 89183

908-745-9843

michael.c.virtue@gmail.com

Professional Objective

Utilizing the skills and knowledge from my experiences in the hospitality industry, along with my ongoing training and education at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, I look forward to working in an environment that I am confident will allow me to learn and to further hone my craft.

Education And Certifications

· Le Cordon Bleu Culinary College, Las Vegas, NV

­ Associates of Occupational Science Degree, Culinary Arts

­ Anticipated Graduation Date: November 2011

­ On-going training in: Culinary Foundations 1, 2, 3; Food Safety and Sanitation; Cost Control and Purchasing;

Baking and Pastry; Nutrition; Catering and Buffets; Wine and Beverage; Contemporary Cuisine; Hospitality

Supervision and Entrepreneurship

· T.I.P.S Certified 2008

Capabilities

• Knowledge of proper knife skills and cuts, hospitality and entrepreneurship, cost control and purchasing, soups and stocks, recipe conversions, weights and measurements, proper sanitation practices, Mise en Place.

• Fourteen (14) years experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry including: wine knowledge, inventory and cost control, drink creation and menu design; many of my drink creations were implemented on drink menus at various jobs.

• Highly productive in a fast-paced atmosphere without sacrificing customer service.

• Excellent work ethic, drive, very dependable, punctual and reliable.

Experience

Bartender 10/2008-01/2010

http://ramadaeasthanover.com/SportsZone.nxg

­Miami Mike's Sports Zone

­East Hanover, NJ

• ­ Employee of the Month - August 2009

• Was able to efficiently and expeditiously fill service bar orders while staying focused on the needs of guests at the bar

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Assistant Manager, Server, Bartender 12/2007-10/2008

www.taborroadtavern.com

­Tabor Road Tavern

­Morris Plains, NJ

• ­ Accepted into management training program after 4 months of employment

• Maintained a high level of hospitality and work ethic; Acquired a base of regular customers and eventually promoted into management training

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­Michael Virtue Resume (pg 2), (908) 745-9843

Head Bartender 04/2006-11/2006

www.gladstonetavern.com

­Gladstone Tavern

­Gladstone, NJ

• ­Responsible for effective ordering and cost control of all beverage and bar related items; Maintained and continuously met company standards for liquor cost percentages.

• Created innovative fresh ideas for cocktails and menu design.

Server 12/2004-09/2005

www.RMseafood.com

­RM Seafood

­Las Vegas, NV

• ­Exceeded management expectations on a regular basis which resulted in being one of few head servers

• Maintained and exceeded high levels of customer service; motivated and trained new staff members

Assistant Manager, Bartender, Server 06/2000-09/2004

Opah Grille

­Gladstone, NJ

• ­ Responsible for complete customer satisfaction and maintaining rapport with guests throughout their dining experience; exceeded managements expectation levels which allowed me to be promoted from Server to Assistant Manager

• Maintained daily and weekly inventory of items and ordered all related bar supplies; reduced liquor costs from 35% to 22% within 2 months time

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Cook, Bartender, Server 05/2000-08/2004

Growth Restaurants dba The Thirsty Turtle

­Bernardsville, NJ

• ­Responsible for daily food preparation of various menu items; work different stations on the line, learning and improving my knowledge of the kitchen and cooking.

• Worked in all areas of Front and Back-of-House operations excluding management.

Awards And Accomplishments

• Ramada Inn Employee of the Month: August 2009

• Consistent Promotions, recognition and salary increases

• Recognized for service, attention to detail, relevant industry knowledge and personality in a food critic’s review in the Star Ledger

References Available Upon Request

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