This week marks the end of the first three-week block of this semester at culinary school. I can’t believe it’s been only three weeks because it feels like my peers and I have already fallen into the rigid rhythm of our schedule. This block was Garde Manger, which is technically the art and science of cold cooking. Really, there is so much that goes into this style of cooking. We studied the processes and differences between hot and cold smoking, dry and wet curing, and different ways to preserve and expand on the flavor of natural ingredients. Many of these processes are just a revisit for me because my externship site in Vermont had already taught me so much. The head chef there keeps a corner of our huge walk in fridge dedicated to all things pickled and preserved. To have a farm to table restaurant in a region with such intense season like Vermont, preserving our farm bounties is essential.