I'm baa-aack. After two weeks of the restaurant design obsession I am ready to re-enter into the real world, and my blog. What did I do for those two weeks? My team of three did the following:
1. Create a restaurant concept, mission statement and design. With a scaled floor plan for restaurant
and kitchen design
2 Create a menu in keeping with our concept.
3. For each dish, be it entree, side, appetizer, dessert we wrote out standardized recipes, including all
sub recipes. Each recipe had to have a food cost percentage which reflected a yield analysis and
each plate formulated to portion costing.
4. Job descriptions written for front and back of the house.
5. Scheduling written for one full week
6. Full on budget including benefits, insurance... everything
7. A bound book which includes all information and recipes
8. Ad infinitim
On Friday we presented our restaurant concept, design, and budget to the class as if they were
investors. We had an over 120 page bound book, a project board, a hard copy of our menu (like you would get in a restaurant) and our team did a faux website.
This is what I did (literally) for 2 weeks - including the weekend. I went to class. I came home and worked on my computer until I went to bed. When I wasn't in class I worked on my computer. When I wasn't working on my computer I was working on the project board. I did host a church get-together/
business meeting - that was the only fun I had.
Can you say tired? On Thursday one of my project partners and I were so exhausted everything we said to one another was funny. So funny we were in tears. Now that is tired!
We did a great job, I think. Grades in 2 weeks. I don't really care what the grade is... I feel good about our work and this class is over.
NOW it is time for another obsession!!! My poor husband. As long as the obsession means cooking some meals I think he is okay with it. :-]
And it is back to the baking class - Yippee!!!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
"You can say this for ready-mixes - the next generation isn't going to have any trouble making pies exactly like mother used to make. "
BAKING!! Hurray! At least "hurray" for one measly week; we have to interrupt baking to do a 2 week session on Food and Beverage Management! But, back to baking... Tuesday was Pate Brisee or Pie Dough and Sweet Dough. Translated into dishes we made Quiche Lorraine and two sweet fruit tarts with Almond Cream. I'll tell you this, no dishes were as well received in my home as the Fruit and Poached Pear tarts! Hmm's and Yum's and so forth were heard for minutes on end. Forks were busy attacking my sweet little tarts and no one was bothering to plate them either. It was a little off-putting considering all the desserts I have made over the years and never had that kind of response before! I think the apricot glaze on the top of the fruit not only made it beautiful, but was an extra added bonus flavor.
I asked the Chef why he only uses butter in the crusts and not lard or shortening since I had always heard it makes a flakier crust. He just cocked a substantial eyebrow at me and said, (French accent) "Because it tastes better." And there you have it. This Pate Brisee was very flaky.
We blind baked the crusts of course, removed the beans and then finished baking to get the bottom nice and done. Interestingly enough, we blanched the bacon for the Quiche Lorraine instead of frying it... ugh. I asked the chef why we blanch it (doesn't that sound disgusting?) and he said so the bacon is not crisp and therefore will not break the custard when it is cut into wedges. He was right - it did not break that beautiful, smooth, egg-y custard, but I think I might risk the knife-like crispy bacon. :-]
Yesterday was Pate a Choux. I have made many gougeres (sp) and so have experienced the Pate a Choux dough, but we made eclairs and profiteroles and cream puffs that looked like swans and iced Napoleon's. I have never been so sick of desserts in my life - and I didn't even eat any. You know, intensive cooking is sometimes like sewing a dress... by the time you have completed the project you look at it and say, "Well, it looks good and I really liked the whole idea, but now... I am just over it!" Maybe that is why when someone cooks for you it tastes so much better than if you cooked it yourself - generally speaking that is.
We also learned how to make a tiny parchment paper cone for piping tiny streams of chocolate. I like the idea of a tiny little squeeze bottle better, or even a tiny little disposable pastry bag with a tiny round- holed tip. It took me twenty minutes to create that tiny little cone. :-)
I asked the Chef why he only uses butter in the crusts and not lard or shortening since I had always heard it makes a flakier crust. He just cocked a substantial eyebrow at me and said, (French accent) "Because it tastes better." And there you have it. This Pate Brisee was very flaky.
We blind baked the crusts of course, removed the beans and then finished baking to get the bottom nice and done. Interestingly enough, we blanched the bacon for the Quiche Lorraine instead of frying it... ugh. I asked the chef why we blanch it (doesn't that sound disgusting?) and he said so the bacon is not crisp and therefore will not break the custard when it is cut into wedges. He was right - it did not break that beautiful, smooth, egg-y custard, but I think I might risk the knife-like crispy bacon. :-]
Yesterday was Pate a Choux. I have made many gougeres (sp) and so have experienced the Pate a Choux dough, but we made eclairs and profiteroles and cream puffs that looked like swans and iced Napoleon's. I have never been so sick of desserts in my life - and I didn't even eat any. You know, intensive cooking is sometimes like sewing a dress... by the time you have completed the project you look at it and say, "Well, it looks good and I really liked the whole idea, but now... I am just over it!" Maybe that is why when someone cooks for you it tastes so much better than if you cooked it yourself - generally speaking that is.
We also learned how to make a tiny parchment paper cone for piping tiny streams of chocolate. I like the idea of a tiny little squeeze bottle better, or even a tiny little disposable pastry bag with a tiny round- holed tip. It took me twenty minutes to create that tiny little cone. :-)
Sunday, February 6, 2011
E-lat-ed [ih-ley-tid] - gleeful, joyful, jubilant
Elated! That is how I felt after school on Thursday. Cuisine II - done; accomplished; concluded. Hallelujah! As these section finals loom my emotional quality deteriorates... that is to say, I am not fun to live with. When they are over I am as high as a kite - I am tolerant, loving, helpful, friendly - in short, a delight- until I have to start it all over again.
The chicken cooperated on Thursday for the knife skills portion of the test. I finished fabricating that bird in under 8 minutes which was the fastest time frame for the highest score. Then there was the accuracy part of the scoring - I did okay - forgot to "french" the wing on the Airline breast - well truthfully I didn't really even know I was supposed to do that! The julienne, batonet and brunoise - not so good, but my tornay of potatoes were praised (in a moderate sense) by the chef.
After the knife skills pressure cooker we moved into the market basket portion of the practical final. Chicken (shocker), potatoes or rice, and a few vegetable selections ( asparagus, tomato, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, fennel.)
I decided to keep it simple and hopefully execute well. I chose to do a tomato provencal with a pan-fried tornay of potatoes and asparagus. The protein, as I mentioned, was the Airline chicken breast and I did a brandy cream sauce with a brunoise of vegetables. My garnish was a heart-shaped crouton ( a nod to Valentines Day.) If I was really talented at this blogging thing I could take you right into the kitchen so you could feel the tension, the hum of emotion, the current of nervous strain as we students worked feverishly to accomplish our plan and present our 2 exactly matching plates hot, and beautiful to the Great High Inquisitor Chef Instructor. 30% vegetable, 30% starch and 40% protein; 4-6 colors, 1 inch from the sides, nothing on the rim, no smudges or drips - white plate pristine except where the food lie in subjugation to the diner in a beautifully designed flow from 10-4 counter clock-wise. Well, that was the plan at least. I put my chicken on backwards - my flow was ... well, let's just say it came to a screeching halt. It is that crazy wing thing sitting up on the chicken breast that throws me off - I can't ever figure out which way it is flowing and how to set it on the plate. :-] BUT, the Chef said no one had frenched their wing as well and the vegetable brunoise in the brandy cream sauce was a distinct improvement over my knife skills brunoise offering. I do learn from my mistakes. Generally, he liked my food, color, execution. The best part about it was that IT WAS OVER!!
Bring on the written test - at this point, even with my small amount of success, I was so ELATED the practical was over I could have conquered the world!! I did. I scored the highest on the written test (which wasn't really high enough, but hey perfection is not going to happen here) and rubbed it in to a funny fellow student who is always showing me up. Driving home, in my one lane, totally unconcerned with my fellow commuters and whether they were passing me in faster lanes, I basked in the knowledge that Cuisine II was over and I was free... until Tuesday.
Next - Baking... I LOVE baking!
The chicken cooperated on Thursday for the knife skills portion of the test. I finished fabricating that bird in under 8 minutes which was the fastest time frame for the highest score. Then there was the accuracy part of the scoring - I did okay - forgot to "french" the wing on the Airline breast - well truthfully I didn't really even know I was supposed to do that! The julienne, batonet and brunoise - not so good, but my tornay of potatoes were praised (in a moderate sense) by the chef.
After the knife skills pressure cooker we moved into the market basket portion of the practical final. Chicken (shocker), potatoes or rice, and a few vegetable selections ( asparagus, tomato, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, fennel.)
I decided to keep it simple and hopefully execute well. I chose to do a tomato provencal with a pan-fried tornay of potatoes and asparagus. The protein, as I mentioned, was the Airline chicken breast and I did a brandy cream sauce with a brunoise of vegetables. My garnish was a heart-shaped crouton ( a nod to Valentines Day.) If I was really talented at this blogging thing I could take you right into the kitchen so you could feel the tension, the hum of emotion, the current of nervous strain as we students worked feverishly to accomplish our plan and present our 2 exactly matching plates hot, and beautiful to the Great High Inquisitor Chef Instructor. 30% vegetable, 30% starch and 40% protein; 4-6 colors, 1 inch from the sides, nothing on the rim, no smudges or drips - white plate pristine except where the food lie in subjugation to the diner in a beautifully designed flow from 10-4 counter clock-wise. Well, that was the plan at least. I put my chicken on backwards - my flow was ... well, let's just say it came to a screeching halt. It is that crazy wing thing sitting up on the chicken breast that throws me off - I can't ever figure out which way it is flowing and how to set it on the plate. :-] BUT, the Chef said no one had frenched their wing as well and the vegetable brunoise in the brandy cream sauce was a distinct improvement over my knife skills brunoise offering. I do learn from my mistakes. Generally, he liked my food, color, execution. The best part about it was that IT WAS OVER!!
Bring on the written test - at this point, even with my small amount of success, I was so ELATED the practical was over I could have conquered the world!! I did. I scored the highest on the written test (which wasn't really high enough, but hey perfection is not going to happen here) and rubbed it in to a funny fellow student who is always showing me up. Driving home, in my one lane, totally unconcerned with my fellow commuters and whether they were passing me in faster lanes, I basked in the knowledge that Cuisine II was over and I was free... until Tuesday.
Next - Baking... I LOVE baking!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
“A cook she certainly was, in the very bone and centre of her soul. Not a chicken or turkey or duck in the barn-yard but looked grave when they saw her approaching."
Yesterday I fabricated 4 chickens. That is to say I cut them up into their usual pieces (with the exception of an "Airline" breast which has the wing drummette on it... a very strange portion of chicken - I think I have seen it... once.) My best time in chicken fabrication was 9 minutes. This morning I plan on shattering that record... after I have had at least 2 Americanos :-] That smacks of drug enhanced performance, doesn't it? Happily, as far as I know, caffeine has not been banned from the kitchen! I understand some chefs have friendly wagers regarding chicken fabrication speed. Hmmm... I'll take on anyone in the speed- trussing category, but knife speed?... not so much. I have never had so many nicks and cuts on my poor little (or should I say elegant - I was tempted to say "big") hands! There are some ways of using a knife that are so ingrained into one after years of incorrect use that trying to hold that dangerous tool any other way seems clumsy and inefficient. I will say that here on this blog, but not in class. Chef's are not particularly amenable to excuses for poor technique.
Thursday's class was veal and chicken, but the stars were the Black Quinoa Pilaf and Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce. I have not been much of a quinoa fan, but mixed with the rice it was delicious - the bacon didn't hurt either ;-] - other ingredients were: onion, carrot, red bell pepper - simmered of course in chicken stock, with green onions and peas to finish. Now that is healthy eating I can wrap my head around! The cream sauce is just what it sounds like - cream, wine (of course) and sun-dried tomatoes.
Tuesday is fish... hmm... I wonder what the sauces will be. I know, you think I only care about the sauces. I do like fish, really I do... generally speaking. Can I just say it smells bad to produce - when you have cut it up and prepped it, the general smell lingers on your apron and coat... even after a short time it is not so pleasant an aroma and just think what you smell like by the end of the day. After these classes I shall purchase fish fully fabricated in a lovely brown wrapped parcel ready to go straight into the pan - after seasonings of course.
Please feel free to comment on my facebook page or here on the blog and let me know if you are craving more information regarding recipes or ingredients. For those who live near me I am going to have a Saturday class in chicken fabrication and other general knife skills - Free for those who can laugh, have a good time, and wield a knife safely! Barn-yard fowl beware!
.
Thursday's class was veal and chicken, but the stars were the Black Quinoa Pilaf and Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce. I have not been much of a quinoa fan, but mixed with the rice it was delicious - the bacon didn't hurt either ;-] - other ingredients were: onion, carrot, red bell pepper - simmered of course in chicken stock, with green onions and peas to finish. Now that is healthy eating I can wrap my head around! The cream sauce is just what it sounds like - cream, wine (of course) and sun-dried tomatoes.
Tuesday is fish... hmm... I wonder what the sauces will be. I know, you think I only care about the sauces. I do like fish, really I do... generally speaking. Can I just say it smells bad to produce - when you have cut it up and prepped it, the general smell lingers on your apron and coat... even after a short time it is not so pleasant an aroma and just think what you smell like by the end of the day. After these classes I shall purchase fish fully fabricated in a lovely brown wrapped parcel ready to go straight into the pan - after seasonings of course.
Please feel free to comment on my facebook page or here on the blog and let me know if you are craving more information regarding recipes or ingredients. For those who live near me I am going to have a Saturday class in chicken fabrication and other general knife skills - Free for those who can laugh, have a good time, and wield a knife safely! Barn-yard fowl beware!
.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
"You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there."
Yes, unfortunately for you the reader, another final is coming up. Knife skills, 100+ questions of written testing, and a "Market Basket" cooking test. So, I find myself searching for hope and encouragement that I can conquer and overcome my fear.
It seems silly to fear knife skills tests and market basket challenges... I have cut up a chicken before - many times... I cook dinner frequently based on what is in the refrigerator or pantry. My fear stems from a few things: 1. Fine dining chef's will be critiquing my plate on presentation, taste and technique. 2. I will need to incorporate into my offering the things I have learned over the past few weeks so that the chef recognizes that I have learned what he was teaching. 3. I have choked on knife skills in the past. 4. The written tests are hard even if you have extensive notes. Now that I have stated my fears, I shall let them go and ride on the wind.
From today on I will strategize and study, plan and practice. I will have confidence in what I have learned and my ability to regroup from kitchen catastrophes'. I will think on the good and positive. As it says in Phillipians: "Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse."
Can someone remind me I said this please!
It seems silly to fear knife skills tests and market basket challenges... I have cut up a chicken before - many times... I cook dinner frequently based on what is in the refrigerator or pantry. My fear stems from a few things: 1. Fine dining chef's will be critiquing my plate on presentation, taste and technique. 2. I will need to incorporate into my offering the things I have learned over the past few weeks so that the chef recognizes that I have learned what he was teaching. 3. I have choked on knife skills in the past. 4. The written tests are hard even if you have extensive notes. Now that I have stated my fears, I shall let them go and ride on the wind.
From today on I will strategize and study, plan and practice. I will have confidence in what I have learned and my ability to regroup from kitchen catastrophes'. I will think on the good and positive. As it says in Phillipians: "Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse."
Can someone remind me I said this please!
Never say, "oops." Always say, "Ah, interesting."
In looking for a quote for the title of this post I found myself in a sea of delightful comments regarding mistakes. This is of great appeal to me since I spend a good amount of time fixing mistakes... my mistakes. My family says that one of my great strengths in the kitchen is the ability to save my dishes from disaster. I am not particularly proud of this reputation but, at times, it has it's rewards.
Case in Point: Thursday, we made beef dishes - Filet, Chateaubriand, Short ribs, New York steak, and Braised Short Ribs of Beef. I was responsible for the Roqueford Demi-Glace, which was to accompany the Filet. I needed to make the Demi-Glace first, but we had no Espanole (remember the Mother Sauce.) The strategy was to do a shortened version of that 2 hour sauce. Then add more veal stock and reduce to a demi-glace. The tomato paste was my downfall. In trying to incorporate the 2 recipes together I didn't pay attention to volumes and ended up with too much of that darned red paste, which made a VERY red sauce. Big Mistake! So, I called the Chef over and he said (don't forget the Parisienne accent), "It is too red; there is too much tomato paste. You must start again." WHAT? I rarely start again. So, I said, "How about I take 3/4 of this sauce and save it and add beef stock to the remaining 1/4, then reduce it for the demi-glace." He liked it and said, "Yes, and we can use this tomato sauce for the short ribs." "Exactly what I was thinking!", said I. In my humble opinion it was a lovely addition to the Braised Short Ribs.
I don't know if the chef thinks I am hopeless or inventive... I am what I am. Except when I am trying to be a better version of myself. :-]
Case in Point: Thursday, we made beef dishes - Filet, Chateaubriand, Short ribs, New York steak, and Braised Short Ribs of Beef. I was responsible for the Roqueford Demi-Glace, which was to accompany the Filet. I needed to make the Demi-Glace first, but we had no Espanole (remember the Mother Sauce.) The strategy was to do a shortened version of that 2 hour sauce. Then add more veal stock and reduce to a demi-glace. The tomato paste was my downfall. In trying to incorporate the 2 recipes together I didn't pay attention to volumes and ended up with too much of that darned red paste, which made a VERY red sauce. Big Mistake! So, I called the Chef over and he said (don't forget the Parisienne accent), "It is too red; there is too much tomato paste. You must start again." WHAT? I rarely start again. So, I said, "How about I take 3/4 of this sauce and save it and add beef stock to the remaining 1/4, then reduce it for the demi-glace." He liked it and said, "Yes, and we can use this tomato sauce for the short ribs." "Exactly what I was thinking!", said I. In my humble opinion it was a lovely addition to the Braised Short Ribs.
I don't know if the chef thinks I am hopeless or inventive... I am what I am. Except when I am trying to be a better version of myself. :-]
Friday, January 14, 2011
Let my words, like vegetables, be tender and sweet, for tomorrow I may have to eat them.
Cuisine II started with vegetables. Asparagus with... you guessed it - HOLLANDAISE! Am I never to be free from that mother sauce?
We changed partners for Cuisine II and I find myself in the back row trying to understand what the French chef is saying with all the pots clanging and the water running and the induction stoves making their humming sound. I have taken to watching some of my favorite movies in French, hoping that the language sounds will become more natural to my ear... really who does crazy things like that??
More importantly, here are some things I learned: Green vegetables have Clorophyll (shocking) and want to be cooked or blanched in salted water to retain color. Orange or yellow vegetables have Carotene (not new news) and although their color is not affected by acid, they retain firmness with salted water. Vegetables which are white or purple - Flavanoids (did not know this term) - want acid in their water so they keep their color integrity. When blanching don't forget the ice water bath to stop cooking.
The best dish of Tuesday was a cauliflower gratin - we simply blanched cauliflower in acidic water (lemon juice), sauced it with a Mornay and then added more Gruyere on the top - finished in the oven until brown. Wow. We did make onion rings with a bbq dipping sauce - not bad either. I can do without vegetable brochettes (kabobs). Do you see a theme here? I must figure out how to make healthy styled vegetables and like them.
Thursday's best dish might be the braised belgium endive. Endive cut in half lengthwise; sauteed in olive oil and butter (of course), we added fresh squeezed orange juice and reduced it - added a julienne fin of orange zest and chicken broth, and braised it... you guessed it, until it was done ; plated the endive, reduced the sauce and poured it over the plated endive - really, very good. We also made Ratatouille - I have never met a Ratatouille I liked. We even served it in a parmesean bowl... not impressed. The cabbage rolls in Asian dipping sauce were delightful - but even the chef said "The sauce makes the dish." (I overcooked the cabbage leaves and had to redo them - usually I can salvage my mistakes, but I decided when thinking of time and cost I should toss them and give it another try... smart move in the long-run)
News Flash: I drove all the way home last night in one lane (once I got on the 5 :-] ). It took me 50 minutes to get home, but I just cruised (generally speaking ;-]) and pretended that it didn't matter that the lane next to me seemed to be going faster than I.
We changed partners for Cuisine II and I find myself in the back row trying to understand what the French chef is saying with all the pots clanging and the water running and the induction stoves making their humming sound. I have taken to watching some of my favorite movies in French, hoping that the language sounds will become more natural to my ear... really who does crazy things like that??
More importantly, here are some things I learned: Green vegetables have Clorophyll (shocking) and want to be cooked or blanched in salted water to retain color. Orange or yellow vegetables have Carotene (not new news) and although their color is not affected by acid, they retain firmness with salted water. Vegetables which are white or purple - Flavanoids (did not know this term) - want acid in their water so they keep their color integrity. When blanching don't forget the ice water bath to stop cooking.
The best dish of Tuesday was a cauliflower gratin - we simply blanched cauliflower in acidic water (lemon juice), sauced it with a Mornay and then added more Gruyere on the top - finished in the oven until brown. Wow. We did make onion rings with a bbq dipping sauce - not bad either. I can do without vegetable brochettes (kabobs). Do you see a theme here? I must figure out how to make healthy styled vegetables and like them.
Thursday's best dish might be the braised belgium endive. Endive cut in half lengthwise; sauteed in olive oil and butter (of course), we added fresh squeezed orange juice and reduced it - added a julienne fin of orange zest and chicken broth, and braised it... you guessed it, until it was done ; plated the endive, reduced the sauce and poured it over the plated endive - really, very good. We also made Ratatouille - I have never met a Ratatouille I liked. We even served it in a parmesean bowl... not impressed. The cabbage rolls in Asian dipping sauce were delightful - but even the chef said "The sauce makes the dish." (I overcooked the cabbage leaves and had to redo them - usually I can salvage my mistakes, but I decided when thinking of time and cost I should toss them and give it another try... smart move in the long-run)
News Flash: I drove all the way home last night in one lane (once I got on the 5 :-] ). It took me 50 minutes to get home, but I just cruised (generally speaking ;-]) and pretended that it didn't matter that the lane next to me seemed to be going faster than I.
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