Hello everyone, it’s been a month since my journey started. This week was filled with emotions and I had great new working experiences. I was thrilled when I found out we have octopi 🐙 and shrimps 🍤 on the weekly menu. Overall - it was a fishy week.

(Before)

(After)

I also had to prepare a zander fish🎏which turned out pretty delicious!

But what is a fishy week without some salmon? I had the honor to fillet two big salmons. I didn't do a perfect job but the chef still congratulated me for having made some progress.

We had a lot of fun with my colleagues. I and the sous chef found a new usage of the cabbage.  

At the end of the work week, I got a special birthday surprise from my colleagues, which was one of the most touching moments during my internship. I will never forget it and I am really grateful I ended up working with this team.

( Part of the surprise) 

The day after that Sophia and I went for a walk to Bodensee and we had a great time enjoying the sunny weather.

Hello everyone, another week from my internship has passed. I was moved to the meat section and I worked with our Executive Chef - it was a great challenge. I am quite content because, however challenging the whole experience was, I was praised for doing a good job.

I made smoked bone marrow, which was new for me, but interesting to learn and fun to make.

I was also involved in the process of making the amuse bouche - one little bite looking so wonderful.

I am happy I got to work with meat and preparing it for the guests. Despite the chef being right next to me I was both nervous and excited. I learned a lot about pigeons this week - for instance how they should be killed and how to cook them without destroying the meat’s qualities and compromising the taste.

I also made lamb and fish fillets - you can see more about that in the video. Lamb meat is a really delicate product and can easily be overcooked, but still, I think I didn’t make that mistake.

I am continuing with my Deutsch lernen and it’s getting more and more complicated, wish me luck.Bye till next week or as the Germans say Auf Wiedersehen. 

Hello everyone, here we go with the second week of my experience. These days were filled with a lot of new lessons and emotions.  The most exciting moment was when my mentor Lenard gave me the special task to create my own Apero. Unfortunately, the dish was not good enough. However, it was a huge opportunity for me since I was able to show my imagination and creativity. I hope that my next try will be successful. 

This week we also prepared different types of Pralines. We had a customer, who had a birthday. As a surprise, we offered him a special mini cake created by my colleague. 

(Special cake)

(Pralines)

We didn’t forget about people, who like to eat sweet things with their afternoon cup of tea or coffee. We cooked two types of cheesecake with Nectarines, which came out really delicious.

I was also given the opportunity to help with plating dishes for the special customers from a rotary club. There were not many guests, but I had the feeling that my colleagues rely on me and it was incredible.

We experimented with making a Focaccia with tomatoes which was a great success. 

For closing the working week, me and my friend Sophia didn’t miss the chance and we went out for an awesome ladies night. 

 I didn’t waste my free days and I started to catch up with my German.  And there is no better way for a Bulgarian girl in Germany to relax after a Monday of studying than cooking lentils.

                                                        

Start of the challange

The first week from my internship experience flew by so fast. I have been having a great time in the  Michelin star restaurant “Gutshaus-Stolpe”. The restaurant is located in a small village in Germany called Stolpe an der Peene.

This is a small town and there are no shops. It is however a perfect place for a relaxing vacation! There is a river flowing across town where you can take walks and enjoy the lovely nature. Besides work, there are not many activities to do here. During the warm months it is perfect for fishing or just a little adventure with a boat. Hopefully, I will get a chance to try these out in my free time.

( The river Peene)

My colleagues are young and come from different backgrounds, communicating with them and learning from them is nice and inspiring. I am excited about the following months. My mentor lets me help him with the plating and explains to me everything I need to know. He always gives me guidance if I am wrong. For the past  week I have learned a lot of new recipes like berries ice cream, chocolate fondant, beetroot risotto. We also made a homemade mayonnaise and we experimented with a new dessert.

(Pralines)

Not everyone here speaks English, so I am happy that I get to practice my German. I finished the work week with my colleague Sophia, to whom I am grateful, because she drove me to a nearby city, where there are a lot of students. Despite the bad weather, we had a  great time shopping  for books and we also had a nice cup of coffee.