Unleashing the Beast

Lately, I've been dealing with little or no appetite at all. Some people I know wish they didn't have an appetite, but being a culinary student, its been my internal conflict. Food has always been one of my joys and the fact that I don't have any desire to consume it, is quite frankly uncharacteristic. I just started my first set of culinary labs here at school, starting out with Meat Cutting (a class that involves standing in a giant freezer to cut up carcasses of meat!). Most people don't exactly get hungry when they look at the top round of a beautiful piece of beef. In fact, most turn the other way and would rather see it when its cooked. I had one day this past week where my appetite seemed to be unleashed like a wild lioness waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting zebra.  As I'm standing there cutting this piece of meat, I found my stomach growling and wanting nothing more than to find the nearest stove, grab a pan, and make myself something delicious. Of course, standing in a giant freezer, there really isn't much to cook on, so I was left hungry until it was time for lunch. Beef was on my mind and it wasn't coming off it either. So after we cleaned the class (which involves using a giant hose to spray off everything), my friend and I took the trash out to the trash room and not realizing that the door to the trash room locks when it closes, were locked out. Being resourceful, we decided to embarrass ourselves even more and walk outside, wheeling a giant trash can behind us. When we finally returned from our adventure, we found our entire class standing outside the classroom eating some chicken wings our chef had made us. We took care of the trash can and ate the said chicken. Yummy. What they had on them, I cannot remember, but I do know they were delicious. And while I may not have been wanting chicken, it started my stomach on a wild rampage. We then went to lunch where I was served a very delicious Beef Wellington Mignon and red wine to help bring out more flavor. I looked at my empty plate when I was finished, quite upset that it was over. I finally had my beef, but it was defiantly not enough to feed the hungry lioness waiting at the end of my esophagus. Chef told us it was time to go, so I trudged back to class rubbing my hungry stomach. We then had a guest speaker about shellfish. Not being big in any seafood, I wasn't really sure how it would go down for me. We were told we had to face our fears and try a raw oyster or else we would be dropped from the class. I had never had an oyster, yet alone a raw oyster, so I decided to go in with a positive attitude. How bad could it be? I ignored my friend telling me how awful they were and how she did not want to eat them, negativity was not needed at the moment. I was one of the last to eat my oyster (not because I was procrastinating, but because my oyster kept being taken by someone else!). My chef looked at me with amusement as I placed a vinaigrette over the oyster. I'm sure he was waiting to laugh as I gave a look of disgust as it slid down my throat. However, when I slid the shell back and I began to experience the intense deliciousness, he was surprised, as was I! I am proud to say that I ate an oyster and liked it! The mussel I had earlier wasn't bad, but the oyster seemed like a slimy heaven! The lioness was finally satisfied. I even willing ate dinner that night! Which I have to say is something I've been forcing myself to do so I don't starve! I went to bed that night with a happy stomach to awake the next morning with little to no appetite. Bummer. I guess I'm just going to have to wait until the lioness is hungry again!