FINAL RECAP

There were nerves, anticipation, muttering and memorizing. There were last second gasps and prayers and fumbles. The students who had complained the loudest about the most technically difficult desserts being on the final when we'd only been given one opportunity to make them for class ended up getting the dish for the final (completely by chance). Lamb went in the garbage by accident minutes before it was supposed to be plated. There was too little time and too much time (I ended up having too much time on my hands). Nuts were burned and consomme rafts bound.

But in the end we all made it, we all passed. Final reviews were given by the judges, criticisms were taken (over toasted and salted nuts brought my total score down) and I finally acknowledged that if I were ever to open a restaurant it would probably benefit from warning customers by naming it "Lemon and Salt."

What a wonderful experience...and now, a deep sigh of relief.