Worth 1,000 words?

One of the most common questions we -- and by "we," I refer of course to the dedicated team of trained monkeys who sift through all our correspondence -- get here at the Cooking with Jason offices is, "So, how do we know you're really in school? Perhaps this is all an elaborate ruse." To which the monkeys are conditioned to reply, "That's none of your business, and I'll thank you to stay out of my personal affairs. Good day."

In all seriousness, I took some pictures around campus the other day and present them here for your enjoyment.

The newly-completed Anton Plaza, overlooking the Hudson River. That's one thing about the CIA, by the way -- if you give enough money, they'll name almost anything after you. And if you don't like what's available, just give a bit more and they'll build it first, then let you name it.

Ristorante Caterina de' Medici ("Caterina" for short) one of the four student-run restaurants on campus. I'll spend time here working in both as a cook and a waiter late next year -- working in the restaurants is your last stop before graduating from the associate's program.

The Colavita Center for Italian Food and Wine (there we go again with our corporate sponsorships, and no, we're not done yet), home of the aforementioned Caterina. The restaurant occupies the upper floor, and there are kitchens and classrooms downstairs.

The herb garden behind Caterina yields fresh herbs (as well as peppers and fennel) for use in the restaurant when the seasons permit. Unfortunately, by the time I'm working there the entire Hudson Valley will be covered in snow.

A close up of some of those peppers.

Roth Hall, the main building on campus and home to the majority of classrooms, kitchens, and administrative offices, as well as American Bounty Restaurant, Escoffier Restaurant, and the Apple Pie Bakery & Cafe (sponsored by the Rich Products corporation!). This shot was taken from the herb garden; for reference, Anton Plaza sits directly in front of Roth Hall.

This covered walkway, convenient for Hudson Valley winters, connects Roth Hall (on the left) with the building which houses the baking and continuing education programs. My recent Cuisines of the Americas class was in that building, which was pretty cool because as the only culinary kitchen there, we were generally nice and busy for lunch. The kitchen used for the Certified Master Chef exam is also in the baking building.