Beekeats: Who is Beek?

The name's Bekah and I'm 18 and ready to be 30. My plans are to one day have a career that involves cooking or food, and incorporates nutrition, healthy eats, travel and wellness, etc. I decided to take the unconventional route, and go to culinary school, instead of university. As long as I was going to cook, I wanted to go to the best school possible. I'm headed to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY this January to start my strenuous but quick 38 months to complete a B.P.S. in Culinary Arts Management.

Thankfully at the C.I.A. you can obtain a full degree! (Thank God.) I don't necessarily want to be 'chef-fing' all my life, nor am I sure I even want to open or start a restaurant/business; but the C.I.A. will introduce me to many other culinary career options, that might be more appropriate for what I want to do. Let's be honest here... graduating from the C.I.A. for culinarians is comparable to being a lawyer with a degree from Harvard. Similarly, I fully expect to be drowning in student loans after I graduate. But hey, it happens to the best of us right?

Apart from food, I have many other loves including my growing relationship with Jesus whom I am blessed by everyday; fashion, fitness, wellness and travel. My ideal perfect life would be backpacking/biking/hiking across the entire continental US to find tasty vacation spots. (Maybe with an insanely attractive guy... I don't know, I'm aiming for perfection here...) After that, I would continue on to Europe and spend my days doing yoga, eating pain du chocolat and finding the best Greek food.

Some of my favorite foods: coffee, chocolate, honey, peanut butter, oatmeal, poached eggs, almonds, chicken salad, gelato, fro yo, grilled fish, tomato basil soup, wood fired pizza, artisan sandwiches (stay tuned for a Tucson post of all my favorite eats in my hometown) and all things that are associated with breakfast and dessert. Dessert for breakfast? Hell to the yes.

At the moment I am interning at a brand-spankin-new (so new, I've already seen it close and re-open) restaurant in East Texas. I'm the pastry gal, and I make all the restaurant's desserts from scratch. After this stint, I don't think I'll be returning to East Texas, well, ever. Not my kind of town, we'll just say that. Although, I have met some very neat people and I'm enjoying my experience.

Some pictures of me....

At Chelsea Market in NYC summer of 2008, fantasizing about sneaking into the Iron Chef America head quarters and maybe catching a glimpse of frequent guest judge and Bon Appetit Foodist, Andrew Knowlton! (Failure.) Boo.

Frosting mini spice cakes with my cream cheese frosting for a middle school graduation I catered.

My parents and I- I catered the event two years in a row for my senior class project, and quickly learned that despite my successes, catering is NOT something I want to pursue. Not fun.

Back in the massive church kitchen working with the mom helpers!

Golden BIG ONE-EIGHT! Best birthday ever.

Getting my cookbooks signed by.... GIADA! Of the the 25 words I spoke to her, she seemed just as inviting as she does on television. Love her, and yes, I shed tears.