Saturday, July 2, 2011
Playing Personal Chef in California
As we all anxiously await the arrival of my twin nephews, Clark and Alex, I've been playing the personal Chef to the parents-to-be. It's been a wonderful experience. So far I've made Milanese with a Mushroom Cream Sauce, Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes, Watermelon Salad with a Dijon Vinaigrette, Sauteed Green Beans for dinner Wednesday and Thursday; Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast on Thursday; Waffles with Strawberries and Whipped Cream for breakfast on Friday; and Pan-seared Steak with a butter wine sauce for dinner on Friday. For breakfast this morning I'm gonna make omelettes, and for dinner I'm gonna make a Pasta dish with Italian Sausage and Spinach. I love that I'm able to cook for fun and not for school, and cooking for my family is even better. I'm here for another week, so I'm sure I'll be able to come up with some other culinary creations.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sage and Anjou Pear Truffle Ravioli
Sage and Anjou Pear Truffle Ravioli with Pear Beurre Blanc, Baby Bella, and Shredded Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Ravioli Pasta:
1 cup Semolina Flour
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
¼ Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Extra Virgin Truffle Oil (Extra Virgin Olive Oil can be substituted)
2 Eggs, large
2 Tbsp Water
Filling:
2 Anjou Pears, Ripe
4 oz Mascarpone Cheese
4 oz Pecorino Cheese, Shredded
4 oz Fontina Cheese, Shredded
4 oz Gruyère Cheese, Shredded
1 Tbsp Fresh Sage, Minced
1 tsp Salt
¼ tsp Black Pepper
Pear Beurre Blanc, Shredded Chicken, and Baby Bella:
1 cup Pinot Grigio (or and Dry White Wine)
1 Shallot (Lg), minced
¼ lb Butter, softened
½ cup Pear Nectar
TT Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
8 oz Baby Portobello Mushrooms, sliced
½ cup Shredded Chicken, cooked
Garnish:
2 Tbsp Fresh Sage, minced
Procedure:
Ravioli Pasta:
1. Sift together flours & salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together eggs, olive oil & water.
3. Form the sifted flour mixture into a mound on a flat surface, then form a well in the center.
4. Pour ½ of the egg mixture into the well, begin mixing with 2 fingers while supporting the mound of flour with your other hand. When egg begins to incorporate add the remaining egg mixture.
5. When all egg mixture is incorporated, knead dough 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, dusting surface with semolina flour as needed to keep from sticking.
6. Form dough into a ball & tightly wrap with plastic wrap.
7. Let dough rest in refrigerator for 2 hours.
8. Make filling while dough is resting.
9. Cut dough into 2 pieces & roll into thin strips using semolina flour for dusting.
10. Roll pasta to 1/16 inch thick then place small dollops of filling spaced apart enough so you’re able to close & completely seal each piece.
11. Whisk together 1 egg & 2 tbsp of water for egg wash.
12. Using a pastry brush lightly brush egg wash on outer edge & in between each ravioli. This is the glue that will seal each ravioli.
13. Fold over the outer half of pasta & seal each ravioli making sure there is no air trapped inside with filling, press edges down for a tight seal.
14. Cut strips into individual raviolis.
15. Can be frozen until ready to use.
16. When ready to cook place ravioli into a pot of rapidly boiling water 4 to 6 minutes until tender but still firm.
17. Drain & rinse ravioli, gently toss ravioli with Pear Beurre Blanc. Place in serving dish, garnish with Sage.
Filling:
1. Peel pears, remove seed & dice.
2. Heat olive oil in sauté pan, add pears, sauté over medium heat until they begin to soften slightly (approx. 2 minutes), remove from heat & chill down.
3. Once pears have chilled down combine pears with cheeses, sage, and salt & pepper.
Pear Beurre Blanc, Shredded Chicken, and Baby Bella:
1. Combine the Pinot Grigio and minced shallot in sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, reduce by half, add pear nectar and reduce by half again. Reduce heat and whisk in butter in small pieces until it thickens. Season with salt & pepper.
2. In a sauté pan heat olive oil and sauté mushrooms for 2-3 minutes. Add cooked shredded chicken to mushrooms and sauté together for 1 – 2 minutes until chicken is heated through. Combine Pear Beurre Blanc sauce with chicken and mushrooms
Serves 4
Ravioli Pasta:
1 cup Semolina Flour
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
¼ Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Extra Virgin Truffle Oil (Extra Virgin Olive Oil can be substituted)
2 Eggs, large
2 Tbsp Water
Filling:
2 Anjou Pears, Ripe
4 oz Mascarpone Cheese
4 oz Pecorino Cheese, Shredded
4 oz Fontina Cheese, Shredded
4 oz Gruyère Cheese, Shredded
1 Tbsp Fresh Sage, Minced
1 tsp Salt
¼ tsp Black Pepper
Pear Beurre Blanc, Shredded Chicken, and Baby Bella:
1 cup Pinot Grigio (or and Dry White Wine)
1 Shallot (Lg), minced
¼ lb Butter, softened
½ cup Pear Nectar
TT Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
8 oz Baby Portobello Mushrooms, sliced
½ cup Shredded Chicken, cooked
Garnish:
2 Tbsp Fresh Sage, minced
Procedure:
Ravioli Pasta:
1. Sift together flours & salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together eggs, olive oil & water.
3. Form the sifted flour mixture into a mound on a flat surface, then form a well in the center.
4. Pour ½ of the egg mixture into the well, begin mixing with 2 fingers while supporting the mound of flour with your other hand. When egg begins to incorporate add the remaining egg mixture.
5. When all egg mixture is incorporated, knead dough 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, dusting surface with semolina flour as needed to keep from sticking.
6. Form dough into a ball & tightly wrap with plastic wrap.
7. Let dough rest in refrigerator for 2 hours.
8. Make filling while dough is resting.
9. Cut dough into 2 pieces & roll into thin strips using semolina flour for dusting.
10. Roll pasta to 1/16 inch thick then place small dollops of filling spaced apart enough so you’re able to close & completely seal each piece.
11. Whisk together 1 egg & 2 tbsp of water for egg wash.
12. Using a pastry brush lightly brush egg wash on outer edge & in between each ravioli. This is the glue that will seal each ravioli.
13. Fold over the outer half of pasta & seal each ravioli making sure there is no air trapped inside with filling, press edges down for a tight seal.
14. Cut strips into individual raviolis.
15. Can be frozen until ready to use.
16. When ready to cook place ravioli into a pot of rapidly boiling water 4 to 6 minutes until tender but still firm.
17. Drain & rinse ravioli, gently toss ravioli with Pear Beurre Blanc. Place in serving dish, garnish with Sage.
Filling:
1. Peel pears, remove seed & dice.
2. Heat olive oil in sauté pan, add pears, sauté over medium heat until they begin to soften slightly (approx. 2 minutes), remove from heat & chill down.
3. Once pears have chilled down combine pears with cheeses, sage, and salt & pepper.
Pear Beurre Blanc, Shredded Chicken, and Baby Bella:
1. Combine the Pinot Grigio and minced shallot in sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, reduce by half, add pear nectar and reduce by half again. Reduce heat and whisk in butter in small pieces until it thickens. Season with salt & pepper.
2. In a sauté pan heat olive oil and sauté mushrooms for 2-3 minutes. Add cooked shredded chicken to mushrooms and sauté together for 1 – 2 minutes until chicken is heated through. Combine Pear Beurre Blanc sauce with chicken and mushrooms
My Restaurant Concept
My restaurant would be situated in a historic building in the Historic District of a City, preferably near the water and of the Victorian era. I would like to keep as much of the original architecture as possible, or would have the new architecture as close to that Historical period as possible. The walls will be exposed brick and there will be hardwood flooring. The décor will be a little Steampunk (Steampunk via Wikipedia) in nature. Instead of white tablecloths and napkins, I will have black.
I would like the atmosphere to be casual to formal. It would also be a full service restaurant with a large bar area. My target market would be tourist and pedestrian traffic, most likely in the 20 – 65 age range, but it would not be exclusively that age range. I would be open for lunch and dinner, with lunch being a more casual affair, so there will be a break between lunch and dinner service in order to set up for dinner service. The bar and, weather permitting, the patio area will remain open and available during this time for service. The number of tables I have will greatly depend on the square footage of the historic building. I would like to have at least 26 tables in the main dining room and possibly 10-15 tables out on the patio, as well as complimentary water bowls for guests with dogs who would like to sit out in the patio area. There will be no tables in the bar area other than the bar itself. I would like to have about 15-20 barstools, if possible. From the bar area, guests will be able to see “The Vault” (the wine vault), where our wines will be held in temperature controlled environment.
The stars of my menu will be my extensive wine list, and the fresh ingredients in my entrees. I want to use as much of the “Farm to Table” market as possible. I would like to put as much in to the local community as possible. Any “leftovers” will be donated to local shelters, and I will provide a 15 – 25% discount to military and law enforcement. 15% for Active Duty Military and 25% for uniformed law enforcement. My lunch menu will be in the $12-$20 price range, while my dinner menu will be in the $15-$40 price range. Fresh local ingredients are the key here and so my prices will reflect that I’m buying locally and importing little.
My restaurant concept might not be new, but I would like to provide my guests with an exceptional dining experience from my very well trained wait-staff.
I would like the atmosphere to be casual to formal. It would also be a full service restaurant with a large bar area. My target market would be tourist and pedestrian traffic, most likely in the 20 – 65 age range, but it would not be exclusively that age range. I would be open for lunch and dinner, with lunch being a more casual affair, so there will be a break between lunch and dinner service in order to set up for dinner service. The bar and, weather permitting, the patio area will remain open and available during this time for service. The number of tables I have will greatly depend on the square footage of the historic building. I would like to have at least 26 tables in the main dining room and possibly 10-15 tables out on the patio, as well as complimentary water bowls for guests with dogs who would like to sit out in the patio area. There will be no tables in the bar area other than the bar itself. I would like to have about 15-20 barstools, if possible. From the bar area, guests will be able to see “The Vault” (the wine vault), where our wines will be held in temperature controlled environment.
The stars of my menu will be my extensive wine list, and the fresh ingredients in my entrees. I want to use as much of the “Farm to Table” market as possible. I would like to put as much in to the local community as possible. Any “leftovers” will be donated to local shelters, and I will provide a 15 – 25% discount to military and law enforcement. 15% for Active Duty Military and 25% for uniformed law enforcement. My lunch menu will be in the $12-$20 price range, while my dinner menu will be in the $15-$40 price range. Fresh local ingredients are the key here and so my prices will reflect that I’m buying locally and importing little.
My restaurant concept might not be new, but I would like to provide my guests with an exceptional dining experience from my very well trained wait-staff.
It's been a year..... Well almost
Wow. I'm amazed that's it's been almost a year since my last post. And honestly enough a lot has happened in this past year. So here's a recap......
Spring Term 2010
Latin Cuisine:
I had a great time and learned a lot. Made some new friends too. We studied all over Latin America, but I think my favorite region would be Caribbean Cuisine. I love the tropical fruits and seafoods that are staples throughout caribbean cuisine. One thing I learned is how to make about a million different varieities of ceviche. Every country seems to have it's own version or two. It was fun leanring and trying new things. Chef Robinson really let us go out side the box and make our own variations on many of the recipes we were assigned. The important part was that we understood the concept and fundamentals of each dish.
American Cuisine:
Another class I really enjoyed. The US was broken down into 8 regions and each week was a different region. Everything was delisious and felt very much like comfort food. But if I had to pick a favorite it would have to be creol cuisine.
Summer Term 2010
Cost Control:
Not a production class, and by far my least favorite of all my classes taken at AiW. It was an excel based class so I did fairly well. We had a final project in which we had to:
Plan a Menu
Inventory
Item Spec Sheet
Standardized Recipe for each menu item
Cost out each recipe
Menu Analysis
The project wasn't hard just time consuming.
Product ID:
This was sort of a production class. We learned about different products like spices and salts, meats, vegetables, and pretty much everything food wise that someone would encounter in a kitchen. It was a great class. We didn't have recipes so we could pretty much do whatever we wanted. I had rabbit for the first time in this class, and I gotta say..... I loved it.
Gastronomy:
This history and study of food. Such an awesome class. I would take it again if I could. Lots of reading, but hey it's a history class. So far my favorite class taken. I learned so much about the way food has influenced culture and culture has infulenced food. It's all really facinating.
Fall Term 2010:
Food and Beverage Operation:
This was my wine tasting class. I know so much about wine I even amazed myself. I loved this class and I'm thinking about taking other wine related classes.
Management by Menu:
This class was all about Menu design, Restaurant Cencept and kitchen layout. A fun class because it was with Chef Logan, but I'm not sure it really needed to be a whole 10 week course, but it was fun coming up with a restaurant concept. I chose a Victorian era themed restaurant called Pinkertons. It was gonna be very steampunk in nature. I'll be sure to post the concept.
Asian Cuisine:
Not at all what I was expecting. But still lots of fun. I learned how to make many of my favorite Asian dishes and desserts. I wish that we did more Japanese and Korean dishes, but I've got the book, so I can always do them at home. The one region I wasn't expecting was India. I've even made some Indian dishes at home, much to Tim's delight.
Winter Term 2011:
Introduction to Baking and Pastry:
I decided to take it easy this term and only take one class. It was a lot of fun and very frustrated. I feel that I would have been better of by myself than in a group. I did all the work anyway. My favorite part of this class was making all the breads. I think I might actually take the Artisan Bread class offered in the summer. I enjoyed making all the various sweets, but I didn't much like eating them. All that sugar, just made me sick.
Other Cuilinary Adventures:
In September, a friend (at the time), Tim and I went to Lima, Peru for 10 days for the Gastronomy fair there called Mistura. It was a lot of fun, but also sucked. I made a new friend, but also lost a friend in the process. In hindsight, I'm not sure if it was worth the trip.
I've also entered in two competitions. The first one was the school's Tapas competition that entered in with my friend Maria. We took 3rd place. The other competition I've entered in is the USA Pears Competition. It's a national recipe competition. I'll post the recipe and picture soon.
Well I guess that's it for now. Stay tuned.....more posts to follow.
Spring Term 2010
Latin Cuisine:
I had a great time and learned a lot. Made some new friends too. We studied all over Latin America, but I think my favorite region would be Caribbean Cuisine. I love the tropical fruits and seafoods that are staples throughout caribbean cuisine. One thing I learned is how to make about a million different varieities of ceviche. Every country seems to have it's own version or two. It was fun leanring and trying new things. Chef Robinson really let us go out side the box and make our own variations on many of the recipes we were assigned. The important part was that we understood the concept and fundamentals of each dish.
American Cuisine:
Another class I really enjoyed. The US was broken down into 8 regions and each week was a different region. Everything was delisious and felt very much like comfort food. But if I had to pick a favorite it would have to be creol cuisine.
Summer Term 2010
Cost Control:
Not a production class, and by far my least favorite of all my classes taken at AiW. It was an excel based class so I did fairly well. We had a final project in which we had to:
Plan a Menu
Inventory
Item Spec Sheet
Standardized Recipe for each menu item
Cost out each recipe
Menu Analysis
The project wasn't hard just time consuming.
Product ID:
This was sort of a production class. We learned about different products like spices and salts, meats, vegetables, and pretty much everything food wise that someone would encounter in a kitchen. It was a great class. We didn't have recipes so we could pretty much do whatever we wanted. I had rabbit for the first time in this class, and I gotta say..... I loved it.
Gastronomy:
This history and study of food. Such an awesome class. I would take it again if I could. Lots of reading, but hey it's a history class. So far my favorite class taken. I learned so much about the way food has influenced culture and culture has infulenced food. It's all really facinating.
Fall Term 2010:
Food and Beverage Operation:
This was my wine tasting class. I know so much about wine I even amazed myself. I loved this class and I'm thinking about taking other wine related classes.
Management by Menu:
This class was all about Menu design, Restaurant Cencept and kitchen layout. A fun class because it was with Chef Logan, but I'm not sure it really needed to be a whole 10 week course, but it was fun coming up with a restaurant concept. I chose a Victorian era themed restaurant called Pinkertons. It was gonna be very steampunk in nature. I'll be sure to post the concept.
Asian Cuisine:
Not at all what I was expecting. But still lots of fun. I learned how to make many of my favorite Asian dishes and desserts. I wish that we did more Japanese and Korean dishes, but I've got the book, so I can always do them at home. The one region I wasn't expecting was India. I've even made some Indian dishes at home, much to Tim's delight.
Winter Term 2011:
Introduction to Baking and Pastry:
I decided to take it easy this term and only take one class. It was a lot of fun and very frustrated. I feel that I would have been better of by myself than in a group. I did all the work anyway. My favorite part of this class was making all the breads. I think I might actually take the Artisan Bread class offered in the summer. I enjoyed making all the various sweets, but I didn't much like eating them. All that sugar, just made me sick.
Other Cuilinary Adventures:
In September, a friend (at the time), Tim and I went to Lima, Peru for 10 days for the Gastronomy fair there called Mistura. It was a lot of fun, but also sucked. I made a new friend, but also lost a friend in the process. In hindsight, I'm not sure if it was worth the trip.
I've also entered in two competitions. The first one was the school's Tapas competition that entered in with my friend Maria. We took 3rd place. The other competition I've entered in is the USA Pears Competition. It's a national recipe competition. I'll post the recipe and picture soon.
Well I guess that's it for now. Stay tuned.....more posts to follow.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Spring Term 2010
So this term I'm taking Latin Cuisine and American Cuisine. I'm very much looking forward to them. Keep reading and you'll see how they go...... Wish me luck.
CL117 - Latin Cuisine (Tuesday Night)
This course emphasizes both the influences and ingredients that create the unique character of selected Latin cuisines. Students prepare, taste, serve, and evaluate traditional, regional dishes of Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean Islands. Importance is placed on ingredients, flavor profiles, preparations, and techniques representative of these cuisines.
CL128 - American Cuisine (Wednesday and Thrusday Nights)
The course reinforces the knowledge and skill learned in the preceding classes and helps students build confidence in the techniques of basic cookery. The development of knife skills is accented. Students explore the use of indigenous ingredients in the preparation of traditional and contemporary American specialties. The concepts of mise en place, timelines, plate presentation, and teamwork in a production setting are introduced and accentuated. Timing and organization skills are emphasized.
CL117 - Latin Cuisine (Tuesday Night)
This course emphasizes both the influences and ingredients that create the unique character of selected Latin cuisines. Students prepare, taste, serve, and evaluate traditional, regional dishes of Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean Islands. Importance is placed on ingredients, flavor profiles, preparations, and techniques representative of these cuisines.
CL128 - American Cuisine (Wednesday and Thrusday Nights)
The course reinforces the knowledge and skill learned in the preceding classes and helps students build confidence in the techniques of basic cookery. The development of knife skills is accented. Students explore the use of indigenous ingredients in the preparation of traditional and contemporary American specialties. The concepts of mise en place, timelines, plate presentation, and teamwork in a production setting are introduced and accentuated. Timing and organization skills are emphasized.
Week 10: The Final
Personal Observations: I was very nervous going into the exam and second guessed myself often. It was really nice to have Danny as a partner to keep me together. Everything in production when pretty smoothly and we were really able to get everything done in our allotted time, and even had some to spare.
The next day we had our Knife Cuts exam and well that was awful. I thought I had done a lot better this go round than I did at the midterm, but that was certainly not the case. My mind drew a complete blank when it came to the dimensions.
Chef comments: Chef said everything was really good. The only critique was that the soup was a little peppery and he took points off for that.
The next day we had our Knife Cuts exam and well that was awful. I thought I had done a lot better this go round than I did at the midterm, but that was certainly not the case. My mind drew a complete blank when it came to the dimensions.
Chef comments: Chef said everything was really good. The only critique was that the soup was a little peppery and he took points off for that.
Week 9: Eggs and Brunch
Personal Observations: Week 9 is actually week 11 due to the week of classes we missed because of the snow storm. I’m not a huge fan of eggs in general, but I still need to learn how to make perfect eggs.
The Quiche Lorraine was much too custardy for my taste and I didn’t like it.
The Rosti Potatoes and the Potatoes Anna were fairly easy to make and had a great presentation.
The Crepes were pretty easy to make. I added a little orange zest to give it a little bit of flavor.
Chef comments: Chef said that everything had good texture, flavor and consistency. Chef said I had the best Crepes out of the entire class.
The Quiche Lorraine was much too custardy for my taste and I didn’t like it.
The Rosti Potatoes and the Potatoes Anna were fairly easy to make and had a great presentation.
The Crepes were pretty easy to make. I added a little orange zest to give it a little bit of flavor.
Chef comments: Chef said that everything had good texture, flavor and consistency. Chef said I had the best Crepes out of the entire class.
Week 8: Fish and Seafood
Personal Observations: Killing the lobster was one of the weirdest things I’ve done. It totally wigged me out at first how after you killed the lobster it would still move. Apparently if you pet the lobster on the head before you stab it, it helps calm the lobster down so it doesn’t squirm as much. That little trick was very helpful. So I killed two lobsters. I had Ashley show me how to do it first, and then it was a piece of cake. We were given the liberty to be a little creative with our lobster dishes because there isn’t too much to boiling lobster. So, we grilled and made our boiled lobster into a sauce.
My group didn’t get a chance to make Calamari because we ran out of squid. I was a little disappointed but I can always make it at home to impress my friends and family.
But honestly the most daunting thing was fabricating the Salmon. We didn’t do the best of jobs, but we were able to salvage a lot of it. I was very proud of how everything turned out. Our Salmon pieces were all roughly the same size.
Chef comments: All of our dishes had excellent flavor and texture with the exception of the Salmon en Papillote which was over cooked a little.
My group didn’t get a chance to make Calamari because we ran out of squid. I was a little disappointed but I can always make it at home to impress my friends and family.
But honestly the most daunting thing was fabricating the Salmon. We didn’t do the best of jobs, but we were able to salvage a lot of it. I was very proud of how everything turned out. Our Salmon pieces were all roughly the same size.
Chef comments: All of our dishes had excellent flavor and texture with the exception of the Salmon en Papillote which was over cooked a little.
Week 7: Pasta, Potatoes, and Grains
Personal Observations: Making Pasta dough by hand was much more difficult than I was expecting. Many of the other groups got very creative with the various flavors of pastas they made. My group stuck with just plain Semolina pasta. On the first night we tried to make a shrimp filling for our Ravioli but it didn’t turn out so well, so we remade it again the next night, and with the cheesiness from the Mornay Sauce, it was excellent. We learned that the Ravioli filling needed to be a little denser than we originally had it, so I add so roux to thicken it up and it did the trick. There was a lot of trial and error this week. It was lots of fun and pasta was defiantly the star and focus of the week. Everything else seemed to fall by the wayside.
Chef comments: The Gratin Potatoes were very cheesy, and the Rice Pilaf was undercooked. But other than that, Chef said that everything had good flavor and texture.
Chef comments: The Gratin Potatoes were very cheesy, and the Rice Pilaf was undercooked. But other than that, Chef said that everything had good flavor and texture.
Week 6: Meats
Small Wares and Utensils used: Loaf pan
Roasting pan
China cap
Sauté pan
Large Skillet
Stock pot
Melon Baller
Personal Observations: This week we worked with various kinds of meat. Chef gave us the option of making slight variations to the Grilled Lamb Chops. In my group we did a garlic-rosemary marinade for the Lamb Chops, and I was able to get great grill marks on the meat. Chef also had some ground bison meat for the groups that wanted to try and do something extra with it. So I made a classic meatloaf, and it turned out amazingly well. My group also had Venison instead of Beef for the Stew, and it was really nice to have that contrast in flavors from the other groups. Chef made the Roasted Prime Rib and barbeque ribs for us because there just wasn’t enough meat requisitioned for each group to really cook with.
I really enjoyed the flavors of the lamb, venison, and bison meats over that of beef and veal. They all seemed to be more tender and flavorful.
The two potato dishes were by far the most difficult of the dishes made. Trying to get a perfect potato ball for the Parisienne potatoes was more difficult than making tournes for the Chateau Potatoes.
Chef comments: Chef said that everything thing we made had good texture and flavor, the seasonings were well balanced. Our potatoes had a crispy exterior and fluffy interior. Everything was cooked perfectly.
Roasting pan
China cap
Sauté pan
Large Skillet
Stock pot
Melon Baller
Personal Observations: This week we worked with various kinds of meat. Chef gave us the option of making slight variations to the Grilled Lamb Chops. In my group we did a garlic-rosemary marinade for the Lamb Chops, and I was able to get great grill marks on the meat. Chef also had some ground bison meat for the groups that wanted to try and do something extra with it. So I made a classic meatloaf, and it turned out amazingly well. My group also had Venison instead of Beef for the Stew, and it was really nice to have that contrast in flavors from the other groups. Chef made the Roasted Prime Rib and barbeque ribs for us because there just wasn’t enough meat requisitioned for each group to really cook with.
I really enjoyed the flavors of the lamb, venison, and bison meats over that of beef and veal. They all seemed to be more tender and flavorful.
The two potato dishes were by far the most difficult of the dishes made. Trying to get a perfect potato ball for the Parisienne potatoes was more difficult than making tournes for the Chateau Potatoes.
Chef comments: Chef said that everything thing we made had good texture and flavor, the seasonings were well balanced. Our potatoes had a crispy exterior and fluffy interior. Everything was cooked perfectly.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Week 5: Vegetables
Personal Observations:
After a week off from snow it’s back to the kitchen. This week was Vegetables! On the first day we made beer battered onion rings, Brussels sprouts in pecan butter noisette, Broccoli Almondine, and Parsnip Purée. We were supposed to do the Pan-fried eggplant, but it was spoiled so Chef said we could wait until the next day and he might have fresh ones.
To go with the onion rings DJ made this amazing sauce, I’m not sure what was in it, but man was it good. The parsnip purée was surprisingly very sweet, much sweeter than mashed sweet potatoes. The Brussels sprouts were very good as well. It only had a hint of the bitter taste that I associate with them. They were cooked a little too long and so the outer leaves wilted a little, but still very tasty. For a garnish I candied some lemon rind for that extra pop of color. The Broccoli Almondine was good as well, but not all that notable.
The next day it was just me and Mike. We made the grilled vegetable skewers, baked butternut squash, the pan-fried Zucchini with tomato sauce, stir-fried asparagus and the white bean salad. Pretty impressive for just the two of us. We didn’t get to the braised celery, because we ran out of time. The grilled vegetables were good and we were able to get nice grill marks on the vegetables. The butternut squash was very good and very sweet. The sugars caramelized very well. The asparagus turned out extremely well. I added some water to the oyster sauce so that once the sauce cooked and reduced a bit it wouldn’t be overpoweringly salty. Instead of pan-frying the zucchini we baked it instead. To get the bread crumbs nice as crispy, I brushed some olive oil on each side. All in all everything turned out very well.
Chef comments:
For both days, Chef said that our productions were very flavorful and had good texture. Nothing was over or underdone. The Zucchini was a little cold, but amazingly crispy.
After a week off from snow it’s back to the kitchen. This week was Vegetables! On the first day we made beer battered onion rings, Brussels sprouts in pecan butter noisette, Broccoli Almondine, and Parsnip Purée. We were supposed to do the Pan-fried eggplant, but it was spoiled so Chef said we could wait until the next day and he might have fresh ones.
To go with the onion rings DJ made this amazing sauce, I’m not sure what was in it, but man was it good. The parsnip purée was surprisingly very sweet, much sweeter than mashed sweet potatoes. The Brussels sprouts were very good as well. It only had a hint of the bitter taste that I associate with them. They were cooked a little too long and so the outer leaves wilted a little, but still very tasty. For a garnish I candied some lemon rind for that extra pop of color. The Broccoli Almondine was good as well, but not all that notable.
The next day it was just me and Mike. We made the grilled vegetable skewers, baked butternut squash, the pan-fried Zucchini with tomato sauce, stir-fried asparagus and the white bean salad. Pretty impressive for just the two of us. We didn’t get to the braised celery, because we ran out of time. The grilled vegetables were good and we were able to get nice grill marks on the vegetables. The butternut squash was very good and very sweet. The sugars caramelized very well. The asparagus turned out extremely well. I added some water to the oyster sauce so that once the sauce cooked and reduced a bit it wouldn’t be overpoweringly salty. Instead of pan-frying the zucchini we baked it instead. To get the bread crumbs nice as crispy, I brushed some olive oil on each side. All in all everything turned out very well.
Chef comments:
For both days, Chef said that our productions were very flavorful and had good texture. Nothing was over or underdone. The Zucchini was a little cold, but amazingly crispy.
Week 4: Chicken
Personal Observations:
At the beginning of class, Chef did a quick demo on the various ways of breaking down, or fabricating, a chicken. Since chicken is a high risk food, we did all the fabrication for the week on the first day. Each person in our group had a whole chicken to break down into 8 parts. Two wings, two thighs, two legs, and two breast halves. The left over bones we put into a pot to make chicken stock. It seems to me like we are always using various stocks in all our productions.
One of the first things my group did was make the marinade for the chicken breast, and let the chicken marinade over night. We didn’t add the wine or lemon juice until first thing then next day, since we didn’t want the acids to denature the chicken. We also started on our red pepper butter so that it had time to rest and get solid before we used it the next day.
So on day one our production assignments were to do the Poached Breast of Chicken with Tarragon sauce, Chicken Fricassee, Mashed Potatoes, and Glazed Pearl Onions. The Pan-Fried Chicken was by far my favorite dish. The mashed potatoes were very good, and the pearl onions were very sweet and not what I expected.
The next day we pan-fried chicken w/ pan gravy, grilled the marinated chicken breast, sautéed the chicken with garlic and basil, made the Duchesse potatoes and the glazed carrots.
Chef comments:
On day one Chef said that all the chicken we cook very nicely and was very moist and tender. The sauces had nice flavor, and the mashed potatoes and glazed onions were very good.
On day two Chef said that the grill chicken and duchesse potatoes were a little dry, and the carrots were wilted, but everything else was good. Also that the pan gravy could have been seasoned more. It should stand out on its own too.
At the beginning of class, Chef did a quick demo on the various ways of breaking down, or fabricating, a chicken. Since chicken is a high risk food, we did all the fabrication for the week on the first day. Each person in our group had a whole chicken to break down into 8 parts. Two wings, two thighs, two legs, and two breast halves. The left over bones we put into a pot to make chicken stock. It seems to me like we are always using various stocks in all our productions.
One of the first things my group did was make the marinade for the chicken breast, and let the chicken marinade over night. We didn’t add the wine or lemon juice until first thing then next day, since we didn’t want the acids to denature the chicken. We also started on our red pepper butter so that it had time to rest and get solid before we used it the next day.
So on day one our production assignments were to do the Poached Breast of Chicken with Tarragon sauce, Chicken Fricassee, Mashed Potatoes, and Glazed Pearl Onions. The Pan-Fried Chicken was by far my favorite dish. The mashed potatoes were very good, and the pearl onions were very sweet and not what I expected.
The next day we pan-fried chicken w/ pan gravy, grilled the marinated chicken breast, sautéed the chicken with garlic and basil, made the Duchesse potatoes and the glazed carrots.
Chef comments:
On day one Chef said that all the chicken we cook very nicely and was very moist and tender. The sauces had nice flavor, and the mashed potatoes and glazed onions were very good.
On day two Chef said that the grill chicken and duchesse potatoes were a little dry, and the carrots were wilted, but everything else was good. Also that the pan gravy could have been seasoned more. It should stand out on its own too.
Week 3: Soups - Personal Observations
This week was the first week we actually were able to eat something after production. The first day we did New England Clam Chowder, Split Pea, and Beef Vegetable with Barley. Since we had three people in our group, we each concentrated on one recipe each and then helped each other out as needed. This seemed to work out really well.
The New England Clam Chowder was the one that had my main focus. I thought it was really good. While I was babysitting the Beef Vegetable soup my roux turned into a dark blonde roux instead of a blonde roux, but even still. The soup turned out really well. It was very rich and creamy
The Split Pea soup gave us a little bit concern that day because we weren’t exactly sure what the consistency was supposed to be like, but it turned out very well. We made croutons as a garnish and they were very delicious. I did cut the bread a little too big though and were slightly soggy in the middle.
We were all fine with the Beef Vegetable Soup up until the addition of the barley. None of us had made barley before, so we weren’t sure how or how long to cook it for. So we ended up treating it like rice, and used brown stock instead of water for that extra flavor. It ended up working out for us in the end.
The next class we did the Beef Consommé, Cream of Broccoli, and the Shrimp Bisque. The only hiccup in production was that we didn’t have enough shrimp to go around and Chef had to go searching for some more. So another group and I improvised by adding some shrimp to the shrimp shells to supplement the flavor a little.
Chef comments:
All of our soups had the right amount of seasoning and consistency with the only exception of the shrimp bisque, and Chef said that it was too thick.
The New England Clam Chowder was the one that had my main focus. I thought it was really good. While I was babysitting the Beef Vegetable soup my roux turned into a dark blonde roux instead of a blonde roux, but even still. The soup turned out really well. It was very rich and creamy
The Split Pea soup gave us a little bit concern that day because we weren’t exactly sure what the consistency was supposed to be like, but it turned out very well. We made croutons as a garnish and they were very delicious. I did cut the bread a little too big though and were slightly soggy in the middle.
We were all fine with the Beef Vegetable Soup up until the addition of the barley. None of us had made barley before, so we weren’t sure how or how long to cook it for. So we ended up treating it like rice, and used brown stock instead of water for that extra flavor. It ended up working out for us in the end.
The next class we did the Beef Consommé, Cream of Broccoli, and the Shrimp Bisque. The only hiccup in production was that we didn’t have enough shrimp to go around and Chef had to go searching for some more. So another group and I improvised by adding some shrimp to the shrimp shells to supplement the flavor a little.
Chef comments:
All of our soups had the right amount of seasoning and consistency with the only exception of the shrimp bisque, and Chef said that it was too thick.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Week 2: Mother Sauces and Small Sauces
Week 2 was the week of sauce production. It was also a short week due to the MLK holiday, so we only had class Tuesday and Wednesday. Usually we will have lecture on Mondays; Tuesdays and Wednesdays are production days. So we had a very short lecture on Tuesday and the Wednesday before to make up for missing on Monday.
In those two days we learned how to make Hollandaise, Béarnaise, Velouté, Allemande, Béchamel, Tomato, and Espagnole sauces. Hollandaise is the “Mother” sauce for the Béarnaise, and the Velouté is the “Mother” sauce for the Allemande.
I learned something very important about the Hollandaise sauce….. I don’t like it. It’s disgusting. YUCK! It tastes a lot like mayonnaise. The velouté is very similar to a gravy and it was by far my favorite sauce. The béchamel is very much like an incredibly bland Alfredo sauce. It’s white and creamy. It’s ok, better than the hollandaise, but nowhere close to my favorite.
The tomato sauce was much more complicated than I was expecting. It was infused with ham and took on that flavor a bit, so it was bit like a Bolognese sauce. SO GOOD! Chef got us some pasta so we could have some dinner. It was really good.
So now on to what I learned about sauces….
There are 3 components to every sauce: the liquid, the thickening agent, and the seasoning.
The liquid of the sauce is typically a good quality stock. However, there are other types of sauces that don’t use a stock, and these are coulis, beurre blanc, beurre rouge, flavored butters, flavored oils, salsas, relishes, and pan gravies.
There are many different types of thickening agents. The most commonly used are: roux (to which there are three types, white, blond, and brown), cornstarch (used as a slurry), arrowroot, beurre manié (kinda like a cold roux), liaison, and emulsification.
A roux is equal parts, by weight, of flour and any fat, cooked together to form a paste. The different types of roux depends on how long it is cooked. Also, it is important to remember that the darker the roux the more it breaks down as a thickening agent, so more is need to thicken a given quantity of liquid. Another thing to remember is to always add cold to hot, so add cold stock to a hot roux, or a cold roux to a hot stock. Both will need to be cooked together for about 20 min to get rid of the raw flour flavor that might remain. A good roux will be stiff, not runny or pourable.
When using cornstarch as your thickening agent, it is important to remember that your sauce (or soup) cannot be reheated because it will break down and won’t taste good. Typically when cornstarch is used, it is incorporated with the slurry (a mixture of the raw starch with a cold liquid) method to reduce lumps.
Arrowroot is very similar to cornstarch, but it is MUCH more expensive and had a cleaner finish.
Beurre manié is equal amounts, by weight of flour and soft whole butter. This is incorporated at the end.
There are 5 types of seasonings: Salt, Sweet, Acid, Bitter, and now Umami.
The purpose of a sauce is to compliment the food. A sauce is supposed to add flavor, moisture, texture, and increase the appeal to the visual taste of the food.
The criteria for judging a sauce are texture, color, body, shine, opacity, and ,most importantly, taste.
So that's just a little bit of info on sauces.
In those two days we learned how to make Hollandaise, Béarnaise, Velouté, Allemande, Béchamel, Tomato, and Espagnole sauces. Hollandaise is the “Mother” sauce for the Béarnaise, and the Velouté is the “Mother” sauce for the Allemande.
I learned something very important about the Hollandaise sauce….. I don’t like it. It’s disgusting. YUCK! It tastes a lot like mayonnaise. The velouté is very similar to a gravy and it was by far my favorite sauce. The béchamel is very much like an incredibly bland Alfredo sauce. It’s white and creamy. It’s ok, better than the hollandaise, but nowhere close to my favorite.
The tomato sauce was much more complicated than I was expecting. It was infused with ham and took on that flavor a bit, so it was bit like a Bolognese sauce. SO GOOD! Chef got us some pasta so we could have some dinner. It was really good.
So now on to what I learned about sauces….
There are 3 components to every sauce: the liquid, the thickening agent, and the seasoning.
The liquid of the sauce is typically a good quality stock. However, there are other types of sauces that don’t use a stock, and these are coulis, beurre blanc, beurre rouge, flavored butters, flavored oils, salsas, relishes, and pan gravies.
There are many different types of thickening agents. The most commonly used are: roux (to which there are three types, white, blond, and brown), cornstarch (used as a slurry), arrowroot, beurre manié (kinda like a cold roux), liaison, and emulsification.
A roux is equal parts, by weight, of flour and any fat, cooked together to form a paste. The different types of roux depends on how long it is cooked. Also, it is important to remember that the darker the roux the more it breaks down as a thickening agent, so more is need to thicken a given quantity of liquid. Another thing to remember is to always add cold to hot, so add cold stock to a hot roux, or a cold roux to a hot stock. Both will need to be cooked together for about 20 min to get rid of the raw flour flavor that might remain. A good roux will be stiff, not runny or pourable.
When using cornstarch as your thickening agent, it is important to remember that your sauce (or soup) cannot be reheated because it will break down and won’t taste good. Typically when cornstarch is used, it is incorporated with the slurry (a mixture of the raw starch with a cold liquid) method to reduce lumps.
Arrowroot is very similar to cornstarch, but it is MUCH more expensive and had a cleaner finish.
Beurre manié is equal amounts, by weight of flour and soft whole butter. This is incorporated at the end.
There are 5 types of seasonings: Salt, Sweet, Acid, Bitter, and now Umami.
The purpose of a sauce is to compliment the food. A sauce is supposed to add flavor, moisture, texture, and increase the appeal to the visual taste of the food.
The criteria for judging a sauce are texture, color, body, shine, opacity, and ,most importantly, taste.
So that's just a little bit of info on sauces.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
An overview of what I’ve taken/ I’m taking so far…
CL110 - Food Safety and Sanitation (Completed and Certified)
This course is an introduction to food environmental sanitation and safety in a food-production area. Attention is focused on food-borne illness and their origins, and on basic safety procedures followed in the foodservice industry. The National Restaurant Association (NRA) ServSafe certificate exam is administered at the end of the course.
- Passed the course with flying colors. This class really made me take a closer look at what I eat, what I buy, and what’s in my refrigerator.
CL132 - Computer Applications in the Foodservice Industry (Completed)
This course develops basic computer skills through practical application of various software programs, including word processing, presentation software, and spreadsheets. Concentration is also placed on software applications designed for the foodservice industry, including recipe and menu development, nutritional analysis, inventory management, and cost accounting.
- This class was mostly an introduction to Microsoft Office, there was only one week of anything that had anything to do with restaurants and the food industry. I could have done without it, but it was an easy A.
CL105 & CL115 – Fundamentals & Foundations of Classical Culinary Techniques (Currently taking)
The fundamental concepts, skills, and techniques involved in basic cookery are covered in this course. Special emphasis is given to the study of ingredients and cooking theories. Lectures teach organization skills in the kitchen and work coordination. The concepts and techniques of stocks, soups, sauces, vegetable cookery, starch cookery, and meat and poultry are covered. The course emphasizes basic cooking techniques such as sautéing, roasting, poaching, braising, and frying. The two classes are a combination of lecture and lab experience.
- Well you’re reading this blog so you’ll get a better idea of what I’m learning in this class (well classes really)
This course is an introduction to food environmental sanitation and safety in a food-production area. Attention is focused on food-borne illness and their origins, and on basic safety procedures followed in the foodservice industry. The National Restaurant Association (NRA) ServSafe certificate exam is administered at the end of the course.
- Passed the course with flying colors. This class really made me take a closer look at what I eat, what I buy, and what’s in my refrigerator.
CL132 - Computer Applications in the Foodservice Industry (Completed)
This course develops basic computer skills through practical application of various software programs, including word processing, presentation software, and spreadsheets. Concentration is also placed on software applications designed for the foodservice industry, including recipe and menu development, nutritional analysis, inventory management, and cost accounting.
- This class was mostly an introduction to Microsoft Office, there was only one week of anything that had anything to do with restaurants and the food industry. I could have done without it, but it was an easy A.
CL105 & CL115 – Fundamentals & Foundations of Classical Culinary Techniques (Currently taking)
The fundamental concepts, skills, and techniques involved in basic cookery are covered in this course. Special emphasis is given to the study of ingredients and cooking theories. Lectures teach organization skills in the kitchen and work coordination. The concepts and techniques of stocks, soups, sauces, vegetable cookery, starch cookery, and meat and poultry are covered. The course emphasizes basic cooking techniques such as sautéing, roasting, poaching, braising, and frying. The two classes are a combination of lecture and lab experience.
- Well you’re reading this blog so you’ll get a better idea of what I’m learning in this class (well classes really)
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Week 1: Knife Skills & Stock Production
In the first week of class we went over stock production and knife skills, and yes I was the first person in the class to cut themselves. I knew I would be, but I'm glad I got it out of the way. So believe me when I tell you that the knives we got are SHARP!
Back to what I've learned...
Stock, or Fond in french, is a clear flavored liquid. There are 4 basic types: white, brown, vegetable, and fish.
White - Typically made from chicken, but can also be made with veal or beef bones. The bones are simmered in water with vegetables and seasonings for about 4 - 6 hours.
Brown - The bones are carmelized before simmering in water with the vegetables and seasonings for about 6 - 8 hours. This stock has a rich dark color.
Vegetable - Can be made with any combination of vegetables, but is typically made with leeks, fennel, turnips, garlic, and tomatoes. The vegetables are simmered in water and seasonings for about 45 minutes.
Fish - Made by slowly cooking fish bones or shells and vegetables, and then simmering the with water and seasonings for 30 - 45 minutes.
There are 4 elements to a stock: Bones, Liquid, Mirepoix (Vegetables), and Aromatics (Seasonings).
The mirepoix is 50% Onion, 25% Carrots, and 25% Celery. You need 1 pound mirepoix per 1 gallon of stock. The aromatics are: bay leaves, dried thyme, peppercorns, and parsley stems.
Now on to the knife cuts we learned.....
Rondelles – disk-shaped slices
Diagonals – oval-shaped slices, usually cut on the diagonal
Oblique cuts – small pieces with two angle-cut slices
Julienne – stick shaped that is 1/8” x 1/8” x 2”
Bâtonnet – stick shaped that is ¼” x ¼” x 2”
Brunoise – cube-shaped that is 1/8” x 1/8” x 1/8” (cut from the Julienne)
Small Dice – cube-shaped that is ¼” x ¼” x ¼” (cut from the Bâtonnet)
Tourner – to cut into football-shaped pieces with seven equal sides and blunt ends
So basically that's it for week one.
Back to what I've learned...
Stock, or Fond in french, is a clear flavored liquid. There are 4 basic types: white, brown, vegetable, and fish.
White - Typically made from chicken, but can also be made with veal or beef bones. The bones are simmered in water with vegetables and seasonings for about 4 - 6 hours.
Brown - The bones are carmelized before simmering in water with the vegetables and seasonings for about 6 - 8 hours. This stock has a rich dark color.
Vegetable - Can be made with any combination of vegetables, but is typically made with leeks, fennel, turnips, garlic, and tomatoes. The vegetables are simmered in water and seasonings for about 45 minutes.
Fish - Made by slowly cooking fish bones or shells and vegetables, and then simmering the with water and seasonings for 30 - 45 minutes.
There are 4 elements to a stock: Bones, Liquid, Mirepoix (Vegetables), and Aromatics (Seasonings).
The mirepoix is 50% Onion, 25% Carrots, and 25% Celery. You need 1 pound mirepoix per 1 gallon of stock. The aromatics are: bay leaves, dried thyme, peppercorns, and parsley stems.
Now on to the knife cuts we learned.....
Rondelles – disk-shaped slices
Diagonals – oval-shaped slices, usually cut on the diagonal
Oblique cuts – small pieces with two angle-cut slices
Julienne – stick shaped that is 1/8” x 1/8” x 2”
Bâtonnet – stick shaped that is ¼” x ¼” x 2”
Brunoise – cube-shaped that is 1/8” x 1/8” x 1/8” (cut from the Julienne)
Small Dice – cube-shaped that is ¼” x ¼” x ¼” (cut from the Bâtonnet)
Tourner – to cut into football-shaped pieces with seven equal sides and blunt ends
So basically that's it for week one.
Bienvenue et Bonjour
Welcome and Hello! Thank you for joining me through my culinary education. As with all things, the best place to start is from the beginning. So in light of that, my first classes are in the Foundations & Fundamentals of Classical Culinary Technique. For the next couple of months I will share what I've learned in each week of classes. I hope you learn and enjoy as much as I do. Please feel free to comment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)