The Brutal Cooking Test That Nearly Broke Me — and the Simple Potato Dish That Saved the Day

The Brutal Cooking Test That Nearly Broke Me — and the Simple Potato Dish That Saved the Day

At the Culinary Institute of America, one imperfect consommé — and a ticking clock — threatened everything.Credit: Andrprofoto / Getty ImagesIf this soup comes up short, I’ll have to leave New York and move back to Trinidad. This was no exaggeration but an acknowledgment of the situation. It was 7 am, and the astringent whiff of industrial cleaner was still detectable in the test kitchen, where the stainless- steel prep stations and large applia…