Submitted by Carolyn Jones on the 2013 fall semester exchange program with the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality…
Now that we have passed the halfway point marking our time here, our preparation for the gala dinner is in full swing. Our days have been filled with planning the perfect execution of our Fire and Ice dinner theme, along with hunting for five star recipes that will eventually produce a cohesive six course menu. I am overseeing everything in the pastry section of the kitchen which has managed to be the scariest dream come true. Next week, our team will be doing trial runs of breads, cakes, sauces, and garnishes, and we may even incorporate a few flames if we can manage. I also learned how to carve a chicken, lamb, and venison this week, but that is an entirely different story. Let’s just say it will be a miracle if I come home and I am not a vegetarian.
Today we were rewarded with a break from class and filled the time with a tour of a cheese factory and a chocolate factory. It was just as amazing as it sounds. Our day started off in a village called Appenzell. If I could combine all of my stereotypes about Switzerland before coming here and scatter them beautifully in the middle of the Swiss Alps, that is how I would describe Appenzell. We walked down narrow streets with beautifully colored shops of traditional Swiss clothing and cow bells. We passed bakeries and sweet shops with the most sensational aromas and managed to see a goat auction all in the span of 45 minutes. After another 10 minute car ride, we found ourselves at the Appenzeller Cheese Factory. We learned how the cheese is made and that it is so delicious because the cows graze on grass and flowers in the fresh air of the Alps. We watched the factory workers below and were sure to sample as much cheese as possible before we left. Our next adventure was to the Maestrani Chocolate Factory. This tour was slightly more hands on and included an endless number of free samples. The tour started with a video about the history of the business with a free sample of a cookie in freshly melted chocolate (yum). Afterwards, we entered the factory itself, where we saw workers that I would imagine in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (minus the Oompa Loompa part) overseeing the incredible machines that were producing and packaging all of the chocolate. After a trip to the gift shop and a few more free samples, we were set to head back to school with full stomachs and handfuls of chocolate. It was another great week in Switzerland, and the time is flying by faster than I even thought possible.
