internship

I scored an internship at a small italian restaurant that makes everything from scratch. I was to be their pasta-maker and prep girl and basically lend a hand to whatever I wouldn't ruin. On occasion I got to make dessert specials. With only three people (including me) in the kitchen, I got to learn and see a lot.

This is meat-grinding, which makes every horror-film noise you can imagine:



Sausage-making (or in this case, salami) is really impossible to teach with a straight face.

First, you soak the casing and slide it on the hose. Really stuff it on there. When done, it looks like this:



Then, you begin to feed the meat into the machine, shoving it through with a paddle when necessary. You need a steady rhythm. On the other end, you have to hold the casing so that it slides through your hands as it fills, in such a way that it's stuffed full enough. This means a firm grip- but too tight and the casing will explode. A careful touch is needed, and an understanding of what the casing can withstand. The jokes are so obvious I can't even bring myself to make them here. No one could get through this lesson without dissolving into laughter. Especially when all my casing exploded.



For Mother's Day, the crew got in an entire lamb, which was then butchered in-house and used for various dishes. And props.

Nick and Scott play rockband:



Scott is a little lamb: