The life of a NYC foodie

Dinner Impossible

2010-06-14T10:11:00.014-04:00

Yesterday my nephew graduated from 8th grade and my sister invited lots of family to celebrate the occasion. Arriving in NJ, at my sister's house, the scene was chaotic with her three kids, my siblings, and mom all talking at the same time. My strategy was to tune everyone out to save brainpower.

We all pitched in to get things set up, cleaning off the deck chairs and decorating with balloons and "Congrats Grad!" banners everywhere. My sister Maria expected about 20 people to arrive at 4:00 pm and she wanted the party outside - al fresco. My brother in-law set up chafing stands on a long table with Sterno and filled the trays with water. Maria is a very busy doctor, she works incredibly long hours and cooking for 20 people is not her idea of fun - so, she bought tons of prepared Italian food from a specialty food store.

The graduation ceremony was slated for 3:00 pm and out of simple curiosity I checked out the eight trays of food to see what my sister ordered for the party. Not surprising, the usual suspects prevailed, chicken parmigiana, baked ziti, eggplant parmigiana, stuffed peppers, foccocia pizza, stuffed zucchini, sausage and peppers and assorted paninis. The trays of food were ice cold and a little tremor of panic ran through me. It was now 2:45 pm, people were to arrive in little over an hour and the food needed to be completely reheated. I immediately flipped the oven on to 425 degrees, removed the foil covers and quickly decided what was going to take longest to heat up. The oven is pretty standard and small and I used every possible inch of space to heat as much as possible. The clock was ticking, I ended up not going to the ceremony and I was now officially in charge of the food.

As the on-call chef, I swapped out aluminum trays of Italian food to ensure everything was hot and ready. I was prepared to light the Sterno and get the food out to the table on the deck when it started to drizzle. It looked like a passing rain so I figured I'd wait it out a little longer. The rain started to come down harder, the helium balloons that were once dancing in the wind were now weighed down by the constant rain. It was time for a decision, I hustled the five chafing dishes into the kitchen and set everything up once again. At 3:45 pm I was almost ready to get everything into the chafing dishes. With just two things left to warm up I felt pretty good about what I was able to coordinate in such little time. Minutes later, a rush of family and friends flooded the house and they all had that hardened "feed me" look.

Pondering my own graduation from culinary school it's not always what you know but how you translate that knowledge in different situations. We celebrated my nephew's big day, Jersey-style, with more food than one family could possibly consume, way too many desserts and a good cup of cawfee.

Juicy Lucy

2010-05-04T22:13:00.005-04:00

Philly has the cheese steak, Buffalo has its wings, and the cream pie for Bostonians - but the Minnesotans have the Juicy or Jucy Lucy. My new gal pal and fellow foodie, Heather, played culinary matchmaker by introducing me to Ms. Jucy Lucy. In its simplest form a Jucy Lucy is a hamburger stuffed with cheese. The ordinary burger is transformed with a molten center.

To bring things up a notch, I purchased brioche rolls, Tillamook cheddar, cremini mushrooms and onions. Hours earlier Heather talked me through the process, she having lived in the land of 10,000 lakes knew something about this regional phenomenon.

When dinner rolled around I caramelized some sliced onions, then sauteed some cremini with leeks, and thyme. I split the soft brioche rolls and made the cheese stuffed patties. The grill pan heated. The burgers sizzled.

Topped with onions and mushrooms the stage was set. Juicy, meltingly satisfying... those Minnesotans had something there. The only thing that would have made it better would have been an iced cold pop.

On the Farm

2010-04-20T22:30:00.020-04:00

There are some nights after work where the inspiration to make something for dinner is not as strong as the allure of take-out or going out. Tonight was one of those nights. I didn't have a protein defrosting in the refrigerator which means either going to Greene Grape Provisions or take-out.

With Marc leaving tomorrow morning for Florida we decided to treat ourselves and go out. At first we decided Italian, then mid-way we changed direction at a whim. Marc thought Flatbush Farm & Barn sounded even better. It's the kind of restaurant that is unpretentious but stylish. The high ceilings, large windows facing the street, and long bar opposing the row of tables that nestle next to darkly painted wainscot have a very Brooklyn vibe.

We settled in, reviewed the menu, ordered a cocktail and debated what dishes to order. Drinks arrived, a Belvedere on the rocks and a pear martini for me. After some discussion we ordered Grilled Iceberg Lettuce, Caesar Dressing, Tomato Confit Crostini and the Spaetzle with Kabocha Squash, Wild Mushrooms and Pesto.

I was leery of grilled iceberg and was really happy to get the spaetzle. The spaetzle with a bite of mushroom had an earthy flavor. The deeply flavored pesto and squash rounded out the whole dish.

For dinner, Long Island Duck Steak, Duck Confit, Dried Cherry, Kabocha, Sprout Leaves, Creamy Polenta and NY Strip with Broccoli, Bacon and Herbaceous Sauce. When the entrees arrived I looked at my duck and turned the plate 180 degrees to face me and knew that's how the chef would have preferred it be presented. My entree was subtle, delicious, the duck demi-glace had that stocky, deeply caramelized and sticky smack of richness. It was so good I didn't even want to try any of the NY Strip, I was happy with what I ordered and enjoyed the creamy polenta and pieces of duck confit hidden under the sliced duck breast. All the flavors melded, it was a flavor-story in every bite. We both had a glass of French "Chateau du I don't know" that complemented the food perfectly.

I forced the last bite and finished stuffed to the gills. Why on Earth we ordered coffee a cappuccino and a Warm Chocolate Cake with Banana Chip Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce I just didn't know. I couldn't fathom dessert after all the savory notes I enjoyed throughout the dinner. Oh, I remember, I ordered the cappuccino because the waiter said he makes a really good one and indeed once the espresso was brewed the luscious roasted coffee smell set me at ease.

My spoon sunk into the warm chocolate dessert and brushed the banana chip ice cream for fun. The meltingly decadent spoonful was the first of many jabs at that dessert. I thought to myself why I hadn't blogged about this place. I've dined here half a dozen times. I knew it was time to share this place, a gem of a restaurant that hits many notes.

Dog Eat Dog

2010-04-19T21:53:00.007-04:00

I know, I've been a bad bad blogger - it's been tough I have to say - with work, life, love - I think about blogging and the time slips away. A week later I think "oh, I shoulda blogged about X,Y or Z. Well, with dinner out of the way and a French Martini keeping me company I really was inspired to write about my experience at a new eatery we discovered in Brooklyn.

I've been planning a painting project for a few weeks now and trekked to a hardware/paint store on Flatbush Ave and Bergen Street. Marc and I are trying to find the perfect color to paint an accent wall in our kitchen. The counters are a mottled gray lava-stone and I want to make a bold color statement to play off of the pretty, albeit drab counter tops. Weeks ago, I looked at Restoration Hardware paint colors - all are soothing and sophisticated and I found a color that resembles charcoal.

Now, I love to paint, I've probably painted more apartments in my time than I'd like to remember. I've been in the new place for just over a year and I am itching to drag out that brush and painters tape to get in some practice. The trip to the paint store was quite successful - mulling over paint chips and examining them with my mind's eye of what I "think" is the most appropriate color, I bought paint supplies and took home about a dozen paint chips to examine them in different light.

After a process of quick elimination, Marc and I both decided Benjamin Moore's "Day's End" will be the perfect shade to make that bold if not "wow" statement. Leaving the paint store we decided to walk down this short stretch of Bergen Street where cafes and restaurants are one-named like "Melt" and "Bark" curious for a small quaint street. Makes me wonder if one place was trying to upstage the other.

My dear friend, Aimee, mentioned a hot dog joint called "Bark" and when Marc and I passed it I felt an immediate affinity to the place since I had word-of-mouth accolades of its existence - from a vegetarian none-the-less!

We passed by and I mentioned that we should try it. We continued down the street looked at Melt and immediately turned around and agreed, we need a hot dog!

Walking into Bark, as in any new place, my inner foodie tried to figure out the joint as soon as possible. It was an order at the counter, sit down at the communal tables and listen for your name to get your food-kind-of place.

This place is all about the humble dog, sausage, wurst, what have you. A simple, straight-forward place that states exactly who they are and what they do. I totally appreciate that - it shows passion and direction. Now, gimmie that chili-cheese dog!

Marc ordered a wurst made of veal and pork served with sauerkraut, rye bread and grainy mustard. My chili cheese dog was brought to me in a humble, baseball park-like cardboard package. We devoured our "dogs" with gusto. The flavors and fresh ingredients struck a gastronomic cord. Topped off with a vanilla shake that was speckled with real vanilla bean we were we pacified like a puppy with a new toy.

Storm Troopers

2010-02-10T10:35:00.002-05:00

The weatherman warned of the coming snow days before our trip to Michigan. We planned to leave mid-week and stay through the holiday weekend. The day before our trip I was headed into work, earphones on and the latest song I downloaded from iTunes. Cruising down West 34th Street I was just a few stops away from my office and then my phone rang. It was Marc on the other end, I could here him speaking to another person on the line and then he says, "our flight is already canceled for tomorrow and Delta can get us on a flight today that leaves at 12:47pm." I stuttered for a second not really be prepared to leave in a mere three hours and said OK, let's go! I rushed onto the office, grabbed my laptop, spoke to my boss about the flight and tore out as quickly as I came in.

The clock is ticking, I need to get back to Brooklyn, pack, and get the dog over to my mom's house. I jumped into a cab and couldn't stop looking at my watch every 5 minutes. I was fairly optimistic that we could pack our bags, get Zachary together and drop him off in NJ and make it in time to fly out of LaGuardia. Finally, at home, I raced up to the apartment to see Zach's stuff piled up and some luggage partially filled with clothes. Marc was reciting all the things he packed for me and I stared dumbfounded at the clothes hanging in my closet trying to decide what to take. I knew we had "cottage clothes" up at the lake so I scrambled and grabbed some jeans and sweatshirts.

It became obvious that there was no way we could get Zach to my mom's house and we started to go back and forth with other options. We called our driver, Rafi, to pick us up and asked him if he could make two trips. "Rafi, can you bring us to LaGuardia, and then take Zachary to Anthony's mother's house in NJ?" Rafi was more than happy to oblige so we hurriedly finished packing and waiting for him to arrive.

Marc, Zachary and I were piled into the back seat of a town car with luggage between us. I was excited to be up at the lake house in the winter as I've only been there in summer and fall. Arriving at LaGuardia, I kissed Zachary on the head, made sure he was comfortable in his bed in the backseat, thanked Rafi and walked into a very crowded terminal. Checking in wasn't too bad but the security line was so long it wrapped around a corner so we couldn't really tell where it ended. We trudged to the end of the line and waited patiently to get up to security. Almost immediately, two women behind us started to fight over who knows what and their truck driver-inspired comments to each other were shocking! I kept my distance from these burly gals as we slunk up to the security checkpoint. Finally at the gate we were ready to board.

As I sunk into my seat, I finally had a chance to catch my breath and relax with my venti iced two-pump vanilla non-fat latter from Starbucks. Happily, we were on our way racing against time, weather and brash women.

Whatever, Alexis!

2010-01-14T09:55:00.009-05:00

I'm blogging live at the Martha Stewart show today for a special blogging show! I've lapsed in my weekly blogging and hope this will kick me in the ass and get motivated once again to keep writing.

I'm so excited that Martha has her daughter on the show - the tension is palpable between the two of them.

Martha is now making Pad Thai - and I know what I want for lunch =) The studio is filled with the scents of tamarind, palm sugar and nam pla! The audience is going to receive The Foodie Handbook, a book written by a foodie named Pim Techamuanvivit - she and Martha are just about making the Pad Thai from Pim's book.

After a commercial break we are back with Martha, Alexis and Jennifer (the Whatever Martha girls) it is becoming more irritating that Alexis is being so short with her mother. If she didn't want to be on the show then why torture us with your lackadaisical attitude.

Anyway, as the show wound up I was excited to be a part of the blog-0-sphere today. Everyone was tweeting every moment from their seats - check out #blogshow on Twitter.

I was out of the studio by 11:30 am. It was great to be a part of the audience - it is also so amazing to watch a live show. There's no room for error and Ms. Martha is a champ behind the camera!

Talkin' Turkey

2009-12-07T17:02:00.010-05:00

Thanksgiving went by so quickly that I felt like I didn’t really get my fill of the holiday. Up in Michigan, we celebrated Thanksgiving with Marc’s family at the lake – his aunt and uncle put out an incredible table of traditional dishes to satisfy anyone. My task was to roast the turkey – an important job nonetheless but I was confident I could pull it off.

Now for any chef, working in an unfamiliar kitchen is always daunting – you never have everything you need so one must improvise. For the big holiday, the turkey was simply seasoned with thyme, sage, paprika, black pepper, garlic, onion, oregano and celery salt. These were the spices I had at my disposal so I had to make it work – for extra flavor I added strips of bacon over the breast to help self-baste the bird while roasting. I also like to baste every 30 minutes as well to add to the juiciness.

I was more than amused and curious when Marc called out to me to check out the group of wild turkeys walking through the side yard. Not the most attractive bird, the gawky, grazing birds where an apropos addition to our holiday. The snow started to fall outside and the ground was speckled white.

Hours later, our turkey emerged from the oven with crisp, golden brown skin and the bacon was extra crispy and delicious. Thinking about that festive meal, I wanted to repeat those savory flavors and make it all over again.

Last night, I prepared a hotel-style turkey breast in very much the same style to how I made it for Thanksgiving. As the turkey convection roasted I made a quick cranberry sauce. Made with 1 cup of water, 1 cup sugar and a bag of fresh cranberries - the sauce starts by dissolving the sugar in the water as it comes to a boil. Once the sugar dissolves, add cranberries and stir on low heat for 10 minutes. Cool sauce and chill.

A savory dressing made of corn bread, onion, celery, and sausage were prepped and ready to combine. Time passed and the scent of Thanksgiving filled the apartment. I can't get enough of that comforting aroma. As the turkey rested before carving, I used the pan drippings to make a creamy, deeply flavored gravy.

When we sat down to eat I was grateful for a quiet weekend at home, for the family and friends in my life and for the opportunity to cook for someone special.

Shrimp & Bay Scallop Risotto

2009-11-17T15:50:00.015-05:00

Creamy, comforting and so incredibly versatile, risotto is one of my favorite one-dish meals to cook when the weather turns colder and the leaves disappear from tree-lined streets. With friends arriving for a Saturday night dinner, I ventured out to the market to purchase sweet delicious bay scallops and sustainable Caribbean white shrimp. For color, texture and layered flavors I added red pepper, fresh spinach, Vidalia onion and shallots to my shopping list.

Back in the kitchen, I had about 3 to 4 quarts of chicken stock simmering and on another burner some diced onion slowly sautéeing with the addition of crushed garlic and finely chopped shallots. When the aromatics were beginning to caramelize I added a pound of Arborio rice. The key here is to sauté the grains of rice until their edges become opaque – this activates the starch in the rice to produce a creamy end result.

Slowly adding ladles of hot stock little by little, the risotto needs constant attention, adding more stock once the rice has absorbed most of the previous pour and constant stirring. The process takes about 20 to 30 soulful minutes, ah, the Zen of preparing comfort food. When the risotto was close to perfection, I sautéed bay scallops, shrimp and red pepper with bacon lardons. A splash of white wine deglazed the pan with a squeeze of lemon – spinach, minced garlic and dash of red pepper flakes complemented the shellfish.

Carefully mixing all the components together with a handful of shredded Gruyère and this simple Italian rice dish can transform simple ingredients to extraordinary heights.

What’s in a name?

2009-09-03T15:45:00.019-04:00

As much as I love to cook at home I find dining out equally as enjoyable. Sharing food with friends and family at the communal table is comforting and rewarding.

Our hip Park Slope friends invited us to meet them at Franny’s on Flatbush Ave for dinner. The restaurant was unfamiliar to me – and being somewhat all things food snobbish – my initial reaction to the restaurant’s name conjured up unflattering images.

We arrived a little early and the line of patrons that ran outside the door surprised me, especially for a Monday night! We edged our way in to get our name on the ubiquitous list. The airy space was filled with gorgeous scents of garlic, basil, tomatoes and baking bread. Looking at the menu the fare is simple, Italian, pizza, a few pastas, uncomplicated appetizers and salumi. The concise menu reminded me of the few days I spent in Rome and Florence where unadorned cafes served some of the best food I’ve ever had.

Back out on the sidewalk, waiting for Beaux and MaryKathryn to arrive, Marc whispered to me and told me that Maggie Gyllenhaal was also waiting for a table with her husband, actor Peter Saarsgard and their young daughter. Fellow Brooklynites, I figured, just out for a casual dinner with their friends – just like us. Like good stalwart New Yorkers no one flinched at the celebrity sightings and it was business as usual.

With the arrival of our friends, we immediately ordered cocktails, wines and some food to start. The Crostino of wood-roasted pancetta and herb butter and the Fried eggplant with cherry tomato and Parmigiano Reggiano that arrived from the open kitchen were deceptively simple, constructed of just a few ingredients. The crostino of Italian bacon and melted herb butter on thickly grilled bread was rustic and savory.

We choose the Rigotonicini with pork sausage, rapini and Provolone piccante and a brick oven pizza made with Buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, red pepper and yes, more sausage. The pizza had that wonderful crispy char from baking on hot stone in the oven. It reminded me of the pizza I had in Rome, so I closed my eyes and imagined hearing Vespas sputtering around cobble-stoned streets. The pasta was perfect, really al dente the way I like it and the wilted rapini and piquant sauce flavored with sharp Provolone were enticing.

It just proves that the best quality ingredients in the right hands can create a soul satisfying experience. As for the name…I’d forgotten about those unflattering images after sharing a bottle of complex, earthy Sicilian wine.

Je me souviens (I remember)

2009-08-04T22:52:00.027-04:00

I stole away a Friday afternoon to have a cozy lunch at L’Ecole – the restaurant at The French Culinary Institute. It was wonderful to be back in the neighborhood but strange not to head straight to the kitchen but instead escorted to a table for two.

The seasonal lunch menu, prepared by FCI students, features three courses. The restaurant was buzzing with activity as I imagined the kitchen was too. It is astonishing to think about the shear number of people that must interact and work together to just please one guest. From expeditors to senior chefs from culinary students to other food stations from waiters to the maître'd from dishwashers to bussers. A tightly manufactured piece of machinery where the weakest cog can easily bring down the house. All of this crossed my mind even before the bread arrived.

After ordering cocktails, Marc and I took a serious look at the menu. After some slight debate and wheeling and dealing such as “if you order the tartare I will get the cavatelli and then we can share both” scenarios we decided on our courses. The Arctic Char Tartare with Walnuts, Stilton and Yorkshire Pudding and the Cavatelli with Rock Shrimp, Fava Beans and Ricotta Salata were speaking to us as "must-haves." The char tartare (say that fast three times) was silky and we both agreed the Stilton could have had a stronger presence. As for the cavatelli (the pasta nemesis from my own FCI final) was well balanced and had a good sampling of flavors.

We were eagerly excited about our main courses: Seared Duck Breast and Braised Leg with Fingerling Potatoes and Sour Cherry Sauce and the Pan-roasted Lamb Loin with Goat Cheese Polenta, Asparagus, Figs and Lamb Jus. I reminisced about the duck and lamb even before it approached the table – thinking about my own student experience preparing similar dishes at L’Ecole not so long ago.

When our entrées arrived my lamb was perfectly pink surrounded by a gorgeous pool of lamb jus – one taste and it brought me back to the wondrous and deeply flavored sauces I learned how to make as an FCI student. To say it was satisfying and nostalgic would be too sophomoric – let’s just say I was proud to know where I had come from.

Ribbed

2009-07-14T14:00:00.009-04:00

Memories linger from my 4^th of July holiday in Michigan and interfere with my “back to work” reality. Lazy days at our lake house are now replaced with the daily grind that is NYC. Happily over the long weekend I was able to cook casual meals for us to enjoy al fresco.

We all had a hankering for ribs, so I reached for my iPhone to reference some recipes on BigOven – my latest app obsession. List in hand we headed to a supermarket. I loaded up on all the necessary spices and ingredients to satisfy our current craving.

Back at the homestead, I mixed together a dry rub of smoked paprika, garlic, chili and onion powder, cayenne and white pepper, salt, and sugar. I generously applied the dry rub to the meaty ribs and let them relax in the refrigerator for two hours.

After kicking back on the pontoon boat for a leisure putt-putt around the lake I returned to preheat the oven to 300 degrees and to start making the saucy glaze. Equal parts of cider vinegar, brown sugar and Dijon mustard are slowly heated in a saucepan and reduced to a thick syrupy sauce. Taste testing along the way, I added more brown sugar to balance the acidity of the vinegar.

With two racks of ribs in the oven I basted them every half hour for the next three hours. The house was filled with the scent of aromatic spices and the zing of cider vinegar.

To keep my stomach distracted and my head occupied I focused on building the evening’s bonfire. S’mores are traditionally on the dessert menu and there’s really nothing like a fire-toasted marshmallow, melted chocolate and graham cracker treat.

Every visit to the oven door was in anticipation of dinner. Fresh corn on the cob was prepped for the grill with silks and husk removed. Each cob was nestled in a foil blanket with pats of butter, salt and cracked black pepper. With the grill heating up I removed the ribs from the oven and placed them on the grill with ears of corn outlining the two beautiful racks. Basting once more helped the ribs attain a crispy caramelization and I rushed them to a serving platter. The ears of corn were sweet, buttery and the kernels were slightly charred and meltingly tender.

And the ribs,… meaty, succulent, sweet, spicy, smoky, and fall off the bone perfect accompanied by sticky fingers and smiles. Memories like this will just have to sustain us until we return.

Fort Greene with Envy

2009-06-04T16:54:00.012-04:00

Each time we walk through the doors at No. 7 Restaurant we wonder to ourselves – why go any place else? The restaurant, perched right above the Lafayette subway station, is located at 7 Greene Ave in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. Fort Greene is home to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, known to locals as “BAM” and to a diverse mixture of people. The neighborhood exudes a bohemian, earthy, liberal air – no wonder French Culinary Institute Alum, Chef Tyler Kord, has dug his heels into this eclectic enclave.

My partner, Marc, and I settled into one of the tables in the back of the restaurant guided by a chic but approachable hostess. The room is filled with culinary hipsters, first dates, flirty gay couples, chatty women and the like.

I love that point in the evening during dinner service where you can feel the electricity and excitement in the air – it’s usually when the house is packed, the kitchen is running like a well-oiled machine and the wait staff never misses a beat. Everyone falls into this mesmerizing groove of sorts – having worked back of the house I feel that nervous thrill as dishes are being knocked out one by one and the intensity of the environment fuels every drop of adrenaline in your body. A feeling I miss from working at L’Ecole – the restaurant at FCI.

As we settle in with a cocktail, we peruse the concise menu sitting in anticipation to listen to the specials of the day. The wait staff is friendly, confident and sexy and our waiter tempts our palates with the chef’s daily selection.

We started with a snapper sashimi over Galia melon dressed with a spicy peanut, jalapeno and cilantro sauce. Each bite was savored and the various flavor notes were absolutely harmonious.

For main entrées we had the boneless pork chop that was slowly braised in a ginger broth then seared on the grill – served over Sardinian pasta called fregola the juicy chop delivered savory bites. I love their crispy breaded chicken, it is incredibly moist, rolled into a cylindrical shape – it’s a must have! The contemporary American cuisine has hints of Korean influence with pickled vegetables and kimchi pierogies.

Sitting comfortably in our seats my eyes wander to check out the bustling bar scene and the busy yet tiny exhibition kitchen. No. 7 is the kind of restaurant I would love to own someday, it’s cozy, sophisticated and always a welcoming place to dine.

The night winded down, I sip an after dinner coffee, and slide further into my chair. My body almost limp from feeding off the adrenaline rush, sated... we saunter into the night.

Doin' the Charleston

2009-05-15T19:55:00.008-04:00

I love New York, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I just need to escape the city. So, I made plans to go to Charleston, SC – a place I’ve been wanting to visit for many years after listening to natives speak so lovingly about their home. I was ready to explore the city and most importantly dine on low country cuisine. We arrived in the afternoon and we parked ourselves at Pearlz Oyster Bar on East Bay Street and sampled oysters while drinking cold martinis. Sitting at the front bar, we were perfectly perched to enjoy the parade of Charlestonians and tourists alike as they passed by. The oysters were silky, briny, salty and fresh. The addition of a little mignonette or cocktail sauce complemented the plump treats.

I’m always open to recommendations so when a local suggested Jestine's Kitchen – a quirky unpretentious restaurant on Meeting Street - I rushed over. It serves the kind of comfort food you would expect in the South; crispy fried chicken, mac n’ cheese, collard greens, and more. I just couldn’t pass up these favorites and finished my soulful dinner with a peach and berry cobbler... delicious!

But I really wasn’t going to be satisfied until I had shrimp and grits, and I was lucky to enjoy them at Virginia’s on King. The shrimp sat atop creamy grits mixed with smoky sausage. I savored every bite and daydreamed about making the same dish back home with my own variation on the theme. Low country cuisine well suits the laid back gentility of this city where the air is perfumed with the scent of delicate jasmine flowers. The architecture and lush gardens are a wonderful canvas for any visitor to enjoy while dining or walking off a grand meal.

We spent languid days shopping, eating and sightseeing. Tall palmettos swayed in the breeze and mornings were spent on the loggia with freshly brewed coffee and toasted sweet black bread.

We were lucky to spend our downtime at the Joseph Aiken Mansion and sleep in one of the oversized bedrooms in “the big house." Built in the Greek Revival style in the late 1840's the stately mansion took us back to a time when proper manners and good family names were de rigeur.

My memories of Charleston and its food will linger with me like the sweet scent of jasmine hanging on the breeze.

Foraging for Food

2009-04-24T11:43:00.009-04:00

Settling into my new neighborhood (Fort Greene, Brooklyn) I’ve discovered new restaurants, grocery stores and other specialty shops.

Last weekend the weather brought everyone outside, the sidewalks were crowded with weekend shoppers, hipsters were hanging out at cafes, every dog owner had their sidekicks in tow, you could just feel the energy of the neighborhood burst out from its winter clothes.

We took the dogs out for a long walk around the ‘hood and headed to Fort Greene Park. Frederick Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed the public green space in the 1860s. The thirty-acre park is also the site of a fort and a monument to Revolutionary War prisoners, who were imprisoned on ships by the British under unbearable conditions. Both Brutus and Zachary love to explore the park and get a good workout on the footpaths up to the monument. There’s also a farmer’s market every Saturday that I plan on visiting very soon.

Our walk winds back down into the heart of the neighborhood passing my new favorite green grocer, Greene Grape Provisions located at 753 Fulton Street. Here I can find the freshest fish, seasonal vegetables and organic foods. They also carry D’Artagnan products such as fresh duck breast and duck confit.

I’ve prepared duck a few times at my new digs and I’ve followed a recipe borrowed from a Parisian restaurant that I’ve frequented on previous trips to Paris. Some people are not huge fans of duck because of the thick layer of fat that accompanies the breast. Culinary school has taught me how to tackle this issue quite simply. To render the duck fat it is vital to score the skin/fat with a sharp knife making diagonal cuts across the fat. Be sure not to cut through the meat. Once the fat is scored, sauté the breast fat side down in a preheated pan. The duck fat will melt away and will leave the skin crispy and delicious.

My favorite part of this recipe is an onion jam or confiture de l’oignons. I caramelize cipollini onions under low heat until they are translucent; I deglaze the pan with vermouth and add fresh thyme, salt, pepper and some confectioner’s sugar to boost the jammy sweetness. The crispy duck served with sweet onion jam takes me back to that little café on the Left Bank every time.

On Sunday we entertained friends for brunch and I made a strata for the first time. The strata, similar to a Spanish frittata has the custardy consistency of a quiche.

I buttered a soufflé dish and sliced brioche rolls into 1 inch thick slices. I lightly toasted the buttery brioche slices and set them into the soufflé dish. In another bowl, I mix together eggs, milk, cream with a dash of salt, freshly cracked pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and a splash of Tabasco. In a sauté pan I crisped up some pancetta and set that aside.

For the strata, I crumbled the pancetta on top of the bread slices, added diced tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese and shredded fontina. I poured the custard mixture over the top and scattered chopped basil over the mixture. Allow the bread to soak in the mixture (about 10 minutes) afterwards I baked the dish at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

The strata emerged puffed, golden and perfumed with kitchen with Italian goodness. I served the strata with baby field greens dressed with a simple vinaigrette – the dish received rave reviews. It’s an easy brunch dish that can be transformed with a multitude of ingredient combinations.

Entertaining friends at the new apartment has been a wonderful way for me to become more comfortable with my new neighborhood – as I search out ingredients and places to shop I feel more connected to the Brooklyn vibe week after week.

P.S. Here are some articles about Fort Greene, both appearing in The New York Times.

Read about the Fort Greene neighborhood

Read about the new wave of food artisans

Life after culinary school

2009-03-06T14:30:00.007-05:00

Is there life after culinary school? As the days and weeks passed after graduation I mourned the passing of a wonderful experience. What was I to do now with my newly acquired skills? I knew that I would go back to work full-time at my marketing job and that I would somehow find a way to work in the food industry in some capacity.

Soon after graduation, I received requests to come back to FCI to judge midterms. Also, fellow culinary colleagues asked for my help on catering jobs that they’ve secured. It was good practice and a nice reminder to get back into the kitchen.

I missed blogging to be honest, and I’ve had some good food stories and experiences that I’d love to share since my last posting. The question remains what to do with www.anthonymanuelramos.blogspot.com? Yes, the culinary school experience is over however, what’s next could be as entertaining and as interesting to those that have followed me.

I’m thinking of expanding the blog and reinventing it to become “A Day in the Life of a New York City Foodie,” what other city’s food scene is more vibrant? So much is going on in food and drink in NY and I’d love to capture it.

Please join me on the continuation of a journey into food, read about the latest restaurant experiences, newest foods, trends, hidden gems and life through the eyes of a Chef. As always, thank you for your interest and support.

Yours truly,

Chef Anthony

With Honors

2008-12-21T00:19:00.001-05:00

It has taken me a little while to write about graduation day – a day that I won’t soon forget. When school finished that week, I had some foot surgery that I’ve been putting off. Standing in the kitchen for the past nine months has exacerbated pain in my feet, specifically my toes. Although I had a pair of fantastic Dansko Euro clogs to wear at night, it was during the day that my feet would feel crunched wearing dress shoes. So, I needed to have my toes fixed.

I went back to work full time at Wildlife Trust – in the evening time when I would find myself home at 6:30 pm I would experience an overwhelming sense of loss, not being in the school’s kitchen was so odd to me. I was meant to be there, I thought to myself, it’s 6:30 pm I should be prepping for service. It was a strange transition, leaving the professional kitchen made me long for it even more. Troubling!

But back to graduation day, mind you, that was the day after our food final. We assembled at school in the late afternoon and had our class picture taken with our tall chef’s hats. It was amazing to see everyone dressed in chef whites and tall toque.

Family and friends assembled in the culinary theater waiting for us to appear. Happily my mom, brother and two sisters were present for the ceremony. It meant a lot to me that they were there.

The soon-to-be graduates sat in the front row of the theater and our Chefs from different Levels stood up front. Chef Candy welcomed everyone and spoke about the accomplishment in graduating from the FCI. Chef Candy introduced our Chef-Instructors and one-by-one they spoke and gave us sage advice.

Chef Candy asked us to line up so we could officially receive our diploma and toque. Once called you were met with Chef Phil, our Level VI Chef who presented the diploma and then each of us would go down the line to thank our other Chefs including, Chef Nic, Chef Veronica, Chef Janet, Chef Laura, Chef Wanda, Chef Candy and finally Chef Marc.

With diploma in hand and toque proudly perched on my head, I went through the line and thanked all my Chefs before I headed back to my seat. Next, the presentation of awards.

Two of my fellow students received awards for never missing a class – unfortunately travel plans had me out of the kitchen twice. Awards for honor students was next on the agenda, Marcela, Michal, Sasi and I were called up to receive an FCI pin to affix to our jacket signifying that the four of us graduated with honors. I was thrilled to have the privilege to graduate with honors and stand up there with my fellow students. A round of applause and we were ready to head back to our seats when the Director of Student Affairs asked me to stay up on the dais.

A little bewildered, I didn’t know what to quite expect but I could see a Chef’s knife on the granite table in front of us. The Director went on to present me with the Chef’s knife inscribed with “Graduated Top of the Class” it was an emotional moment for me. The past nine months I’ve worked hard to excel, become better at my craft and to prove to myself that I could do it. Before I received the knife I was asked to make a speech. I could see my family in the audience, my fellow students in front of me and I grabbed for the appropriate words.

In short I said something like, I wanted to thank my family and fellow students for making this journey so incredible. Each of them have enriched my life in a different way, and I am grateful for that. I remarked that going to culinary school has been a long-time dream and at the age of 39 it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Lastly, I said that the wonderful thing about food is that it tells a story and has a rich history and all I could ask my fellow graduates was to continue telling their story.

It has been an incredible nine months of my life, as for my next move, I’m not sure yet. What I do know is I will never approach food and cooking the same way ever again and for that I’m proud.

The Grande Finale

2008-12-01T00:09:00.003-05:00

Everything hinges on this one exam – walking into school I am apprehensive about the dishes I will have to cook for my final. Once we’re all settled in we take a written exam and are tested on the ingredients and procedure for a dish we’ve prepared over the past few weeks in the restaurant. I’m hoping we will be tested on the Porcini-flavored Consommé with Seared Squab and Butternut Squash since it is seared into memory.

Chef Phil hands out the exam and we have 20 minutes to complete it. I use every minute of the time allotted to describe all the details (it was the consommé!) of the dish and I complete the exam feeling good about it. Next the “fun” part – each of us takes a piece of paper with a corresponding letter/number combination from a stainless steel bowl that is passed around – here’s where our fate lies! The numbers correspond to the dishes we will have to make and present to the judges.

Out of all the combinations, no one wants the cavatelli and duck since those dishes are the most labor intensive. I grab my number and hope for the best…but luck was not on my side and I was stuck making the dreaded two dishes. I took a deep breath and headed into the kitchen to start what I knew was going to be a stressful and long night of cooking.

Getting set up I knew I had to make the pasta dough first as it needs to rest for at least 30 minutes. I hate making dough of any kind, it never comes out right – dough is my nemesis! As I kneaded the floury mess I gauged how much water to add all the while thinking, I gotta get this right. After about 15 – 20 minutes of kneading Chef came by and checked out my dough and gave me the eye letting me know it looked done. My gut said to add more water but I didn’t and thought the consistency was alright with Chef then it should be fine.

Next I tackle the crustacean broth cleaning the lobster and crab bodies and chopping the mirepoix to get the mixture on the stove so it could simmer for an hour. This broth is served with the cavatelli along with crabmeat, sea urchin, scallions and seasoned breadcrumbs.

After that the spicy duck broth is my next recipe to tackle then time to make the pasta. I took my dough out and started to shape it in long strips. At the hand-cranked pasta machine my worst fear was once again realized. The dough was a little dry and the machine was not curling the pasta into the familiar cavatelli shape. I’d crank out 4 or 5 pieces of dough and then 1 or 2 salvageable cavatellis would emerge. I made the best cavatelli I could knowing that the pasta was not perfect but hopefully passable.

With my first dish only about 20 minutes away from being plated I raced to cook the pasta, make the seasoned breadcrumbs, pick through the crabmeat, strain the crustacean broth and prepare any last minute garnish. I cooked the fresh pasta probably a minute too much – now two strikes against the pasta. I seasoned, tasted and plated thinking the flavors were there. At 8:57 pm I raced my four exact dishes of cavatelli down the hallway to the judges hoping for the best.

With one dish out of the way a wave of relief washed over me but that was only for a mere moment. Chef came into the kitchen and told me there was a hair in my pasta! I was so aggravated that I didn’t see it and I know it wasn’t mine. With that piece of news I refocused to get back on track for my next course to go out – Braised Duck Leg and Seared Breast in a Spicy Broth. I had 45 minutes to execute the final four dishes for the judges. My spicy broth was strained and degreased, the legs were seared and braised, the duck breast was cooking in the circulator and my focus was on the garnish of broccoli rabe, ham, cilantro, mushrooms and carrots. With time winding down I plated my four duck plates without a moment to spare. Racing down the hallway to judges table I handed over my tray of food and my adrenaline wave crashed.

It was over…my nine months comes down to this…three well-respected industry judges will taste all the food I’ve prepared and at the end of the night give me my final critique in front of my peers. Except for the hair incident, and the pasta debacle I felt good about everything. Immediately, I knew what I could have done better and would probably be criticized on.

I trudged back to the kitchen to clean up, hug some of my fellow students and drink some water. At this point in the night, none of us have eaten or taken even a bathroom break. Chef gave us some time to compose ourselves and some students still had dishes to get out the door. I had to brace myself for the last part of the evening I felt my cooking was mediocre at best and that I could have done so much better. You can imagine I am highly critical of my own food and even worse when it comes to dining out. I guess it comes with the territory – we are trained to cook, to taste, to judge and be consciously critical about what is presented on the dish.

Split into two groups, we marched into the judges’ room, meeting our jury for the very first time. On my panel, we had a senior chef from the venerated Lutèce Restaurant - the famed French restaurant in Manhattan that operated for more than 30 years before closing in 2004. The two other senior chefs were from Saks 5th Avenue and the Food Network.

One by one, they reviewed each dish we presented, critiquing every minute detail: flavor, temperature, presentation, and balance. I faired better than I expected and took their advice to heart as I hung on every word. Sitting there I reviewed the night’s play-by-play and felt I did the best I could – having never lost my cool throughout the stress was by far one of the things I could be proudest of.

The night drew to a close with a round of applause, Marcela turned to me with a look of shock on her face and said, “it’s over.”

Calm Before the Storm

2008-11-30T23:53:00.002-05:00

After a long holiday weekend trying not to stress about the final exam I spent some time on Sunday reviewing my recipes and writing some notes. Going in to the final we know what to expect. We will pick a number that corresponds to two dishes – a fish and dessert or an appetizer and meat dish that will be presented to judges.

One thing that works to our advantage is that we already know how the dishes are paired for the final we’ll have to make the consommé with the lamb, the cavatelli with the duck, the bass and the tart, or the tuna with the chocolate bread pudding. All of the pairings are pretty reasonable but the most dreaded is the cavatelli and the duck. No one wants that combination and neither do I since it is the most labor intensive. Not only would you have to make the fresh pasta, but at the same time the crustacean broth has to be made and a spicy duck broth immediately following. There’s a lot of room for error and on the night of the final there’s no time for mistakes.

I review my recipes and write down all the ingredients and ratios to prepare 4 – 6 dishes. We are required to present 4 identical dishes of each course and timing of the dish must be exact. I’m trying to keep calm and go into the kitchen tomorrow night with a knock out list, a steady hand and a clear head.

Giving Thanks

2008-11-26T21:45:00.001-05:00

Walking into the kitchen tonight I immediately become nostalgic. The people I see around me are all familiar faces that I have worked with for the past couple of months. We’ve joked, laughed, gotten in each other’s way, pissed each other off and shared an intensity that only a kitchen environment provides.

Tonight, the evening before Thanksgiving, the restaurant is booked up so I am anticipating a busy night. Ashley couldn’t make it tonight since she was traveling and Spencer and I are in charge of the Saucier station. Happily, Michal came over from the fish station to help us out to become reacquainted with the duck and lamb dishes.

The night of service was without any drama, all the food went out perfectly and we were more than organized and experienced some downtime occasionally. My fellow Level VI students seemed quiet, pensive, all concentrating on this last night of service before our final cooking exam on Monday after the holiday.

Come close of service, pictures were snapped, hugs given, pats on the back and the team disbursed to get ready for a holiday that I think was made for Chefs and the people that love them.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays – I love the flavors and food combinations. I make an easy homemade fresh cranberry sauce that I just love. Growing up my mom would break out the solidified canned cranberry sauce – and I would just look at it and pass it up. Hey, that’s what was common for T-day dinners in the 80s. Something about that wiggling, jellied, cranberry-colored, can-shaped blob just didn’t appeal to me. I think aesthetics has a lot to do with food as most of us eat with our eyes before our palates.

Leaving FCI that night, I was thankful for my nine months at school, I was thankful for the Chefs who taught me and the students I’ve bonded with over this time. Realizing what we are thankful for puts everything into perspective.

The French Culinary Diet

2008-11-25T11:38:00.004-05:00

Why don’t the French get fat? With all the butter, eggs, cheese, bread and pastry that is consumed one would think that French people should be obese. On the contrary, studies have shown that the French diet is something quite special. French gastronomy is an enigma of sorts – have you ever seen a chic French woman in a plus-size Chanel – it’s just not the case.

Going in to culinary school I feared my regular diet and the addition of French food would pack on extra pounds that I didn’t want! Somehow, I’ve miraculously lost about 15+ pounds while at school. How could this be? Maybe I should write the next diet book, “The French Culinary Institute Diet” and the subhead would read, “How becoming a Chef will shed the pounds!”

Seriously, losing weight by attending cooking school is probably short of a miracle for some. Somehow I did it, lugging my heavy 40lb. bag over my shoulder day after day filled with my knife pack, uniform, books, etc., walking all over the city and going up and down subway stairs and the stairs at school helped me drop excess weight.

Now for the eating part, I simply ate smaller portions, lots of protein and veggies and also indulged in ice cream, sweets and anything chocolate. For me working around food for hours at a time, I just lose an appetite to eat a large meal, taste testing and sampling goes a long way and the desire to have a huge meal vanished.

Many nights my dinner would be the end cuts of lamb and duck, some salad and not much else. Tasting food is part of the job as a Chef, making sure the food you serve is the very best makes for lots of little bites here and there. Spoonful after spoonful of a spicy duck broth or decadent lamb sauce goes a long way and as a Chef I’ve learned that moderation in any diet is really the key to success.

Show Me the Love

2008-11-22T10:47:00.000-05:00

These last few nights in the L’Ecole kitchen are bittersweet – happy that I’ve accomplished so much in nine months and sad that it is ending all in the same rush of emotions.

By the second night on Saucier, the pace is easier and less frenetic knowing what to prep and get ready is half the battle. I love to get into the kitchen early and start the set up. It’s always quiet since with the shift from day students to night students. The kitchen has been cleaned and is ready for round two so to speak.

With my Iced Venti Two-Pump Vanilla Non-fat Lite Ice Latte in hand I gather the items that my team will need to get the night going. I start by turning on the ovens to 400 degrees to pre-heat them for the night. Next I get three to four cutting boards, prepare a sanitation solution, wrangle up sheet pans, racks, bowls, square boys, bain-maries, kitchen towels, stock pots, sauté pans, sautoirs and plates to go into the warmers. Everything we will need to have a smooth evening so we can focus on the work rather than running around for this, that or the other thing. This way Ashley and Spencer can come into the kitchen and be ready to hit the ground running – it’s my little way to show them how much I care and appreciate the team work that goes into each and every night of service at L’Ecole.

The Last Station

2008-11-20T10:37:00.003-05:00

The final station, Saucier, is usually the most intense and demanding. We are serving a Sautéed Breast and Braised Leg of Duck in a Spiced Broth and Lamb with a Cabbage Ragout. The realization that I only have four more nights in the restaurant is numbing.

Making the lamb dish is somewhat easy, the cabbage ragout needs some attention but the components of the plate are straight forward. One night I took charge of plating the lamb per order and the tricky part is cooking the lamb loin the way the patron requests it – medium rare, medium, well-done, etc. The finished plate has three quenelles of mashed potato, cabbage ragout, lamb sliced on a bias with a panko-crumb topping, sautéed seasonal mushrooms and a ladle of lamb sauce.

With one night on Saucier completed, I try to mentally note everything I’ve learned on each station. With my Final exam just a little over a week away I am trying to prepare myself for anything.

Shallot Sometimes

2008-11-18T10:01:00.002-05:00

A quiet Monday night in the restaurant, only about 50 covers for the evening as I recall. Looking at the prep work ahead of me I knew we must make smoky shallot sauce again since the recipe only makes enough for an evening of service plus a little extra. I like to use that little bit to reinforce the new sauce to give it a deeper flavor profile.

Going to work on the shallot sauce I take my time with it to make it perfect. It is really easy to burn the shallots if you’re not paying attention, they should cook slowly on a low heat to really caramelize. At the point I was ready to puree the shallot sauce I took it off the stove to cool slightly.

I searched for the Vita-prep blender and found the base and pitcher but no top cover. Often the equipment in the kitchen goes missing, students don’t return things to where they belong or the item sits in a sink somewhere waiting to get washed.

With service time quickly approaching I had to purée the sauce immediately. I poured the still very hot unfinished sauce into the blender and placed a kitchen towel over the top. Carefully checking to make sure the dials were on low I proceeded to turn it on, in the instant that switch flipped I found myself and almost everything around me covered with hot sauce. In disbelief with burning sauce on my arms I was in shock about the explosion of sauce from the Vita-prep. Not only did I burn myself but I wasted more than half my sauce.

Luckily, Chef did not see the accident and I asked Spencer to help me quickly wipe down the station and just brush the mess into the sink. My chef-whites were brown and I looked a mess. Once the area was clear I went to task cleaning myself up.

In the men’s room I rinsed parts of my jacket and scrubbed the stains with soap. Scraping bits of shallot off myself, I turned my apron around to hide stains. I reversed the placard on my chef jacket to cover some of the mess and returned to the kitchen to salvage what I could of the shallot sauce. I added the cold sauce from the night before and stretched out that mxiture with reduced veal stock as best I could since there was no time to make more. With only 50 covers that night we had just enough sauce to finish the night.

What happened? Well, there’s a button on the Vita-prep that I never noticed before and it was turned up to top velocity hence the shower of shallots. As I’ve said before, the kitchen is a dangerous place for the uninitiated and even the most experienced. I fall somewhere in the middle of that range with a notch closer to experienced based on that foolish mistake.

Phish Food

2008-11-16T23:25:00.007-05:00

Rolling into the kitchen early on Friday evening, I wanted to get a head start on the spicy caponata. There’s a lot of ingredients to prep and gather including Japanese eggplant, celery, onions, garlic, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers, tomato paste, pine nuts, anchovies, currants, basil and spices to bring this medley of flavors to life.

Once the caponata is in the works I like to multi-task and get the smoky shallot sauce together – something I’ve made already so I can do it without really thinking. Tonight it was my turn to take a back seat and let Spencer and Ashley push out the orders for bass and tuna. I assist both of them in any way they need, getting hot plates from the warmer to saucing the dish.

The seared tuna and scallop is presented with a squid sauce made from carrots, onion, tomato paste, white wine, green peppercorns, vegetable stock and of course squid. The thought of a squid sauce makes my taste buds quiver a bit thinking how can that be good?

Making the sauce is rather easy – all the aromatics are sweated along with the rings of squid for about an hour. After that the sauce is pureed to achieve that saucy finish. Tasting it, I realize it’s not a flavor profile that I enjoy but my job is to make it taste as best as possible – now that’s a tall order.

Sauce Me

2008-11-13T23:00:00.004-05:00

The second night on Poissonnier is always easier – we know the drill and understand what needs to be made prior to service. We make all of our sauces, prepare the celery root/apple puree, cook the caponata and clean the mushrooms and mustard greens. Lots of work goes into that single dish with many hours of preparation and care.

I’ve come to realize that I love making sauces, I think I may have a knack for it. The shallot sauce we prepare for the Bass is simple in theory but requires many steps to complete. Here’s the breakdown: I thinly slice (émincer) 8 large shallots and sweat them in butter until they are a gorgeous caramelized color. Vermouth is added and the mixture is reduced until it is almost entirely evaporated leaving about 4 T. of liquid, next equal parts of brown chicken and veal stock are added and placed on a low heat to simmer for 30 minutes. The mixture is allowed to cool slightly before puréeing and then run through a fine chinois and placed back on the stove to reduce a little more. When the desired consistency is achieved I season with salt, pepper and hickory smoke powder. The resulting sauce has a depth of flavor and mild smokiness that pairs beautifully with the other components on the dish.

I know I’ve succeeded when two things occur – the sauce has a well-rounded taste that is properly seasoned and when ladled onto the plate it pools delicately around the celery root and fish and can hold its own. As orders come in and a number of plates are fired I set up a little assembly line of burning hot plates, dabbed with a quenelle of celery root puree, I ask my cooking partner to “sauce me” with smoky shallot goodness so I can tend to the fish and sauté the mustard greens at the same time. There’s nothing like a classic French sauce done right it simply satisfies the soul.

Go Fish!

2008-11-11T15:24:00.005-05:00

The Poissonnier and Saucier stations are the last two stations to man before graduation. I’m in a state of disbelief, where did the time go and how did nine months of culinary school fly by so quickly? Where is that student who panicked in fear when his hollandaise broke? Those many months standing at an FCI stove with utensils and knives in hand is coming to a close. I’m saddened and excited all at the same time and will miss school and the camaraderie with fellow students. I don’t know how to quite explain it these past 7 weeks working in the kitchens of L’Ecole have been a very good challenge for me. I’ve cooked for paying patrons and put my heart and soul in the dishes I’ve made – working the Chef’s line is not an easy job by any means. I’ve learned that I can keep my cool, work hard and give my best under pressure.

On Poissonnier our two fish dishes are Seared Tuna and Scallop on a Spicy Caponata with a Squid Sauce and a Bass with Celery Root/Apple Puree, with a Smokey Shallot Sauce, Chanterelles and Mustard Greens. As usual my organized team breaks down the “to-do” list and we dive into our prep work. That night I took command of making and plating the tuna. Ashley worked on the Bass and Spencer was our “gopher” for all practical purposes. This is generally how we work and each evening take turns working on each dish.

Lately, the restaurant hasn’t been as busy as prior weeks, I think the economy has many restaurants in the city wondering how they are going to survive in this down turn. Luckily, L’Ecole has a nearly endless supply of free labor (the students) and a prix-fixe that is reasonable. I’m hoping that my friends and family venture out to L’Ecole while I’m still cooking during my last few weeks before graduation.

More Tales from the Kitchen

2008-11-08T14:55:00.001-05:00

Friday night, last time in Garde Manger, we had a substitute Chef for the evening as well. Remembering how to prepare the recipes we are learning in this last level is vitally important since they will be our final practical exam. In the final we will be given an appetizer and meat course to complete or a fish and dessert.

The days at FCI are winding down and I’m sad to think this part of my food adventure will be over. It has been such an amazing experience but I’ll hold off on all the nostalgia until the very end.

Spencer and I worked our tails off that night, Ashley was out for the evening so it was just the two of us. We went down our knock-out list to ensure we were set up for the evening’s service and were working on the prep for the incoming students on Monday.

I wanted to tackle making the cavatelli again using the right flour this time. I kneaded my pasta dough until it had a leathery feel and then allowed it to rest for at least 30 minutes. I was still nervous that somehow I was going to be doomed again. I set up the hand-cranked cavatelli machine and hoped for the best.

While I cranked out the cavatelli, the first few didn’t come out perfect, but I finally figured out the necessity of over-flouring the pasta dough so it wouldn’t stick in the machine. Over the next few hours I found myself cranking out cavatelli that actually looked the way it was supposed to – I battled the dough and won this time.

We were all prepped for service, we had a porcini flavored consommé on the stove, crustacean broth simmering, and butternut squash roasted. My favorite remark from Spencer that night was, “a blind person could plate these dishes,” referring to the amazing organization and access to our necessary ingredients. I agreed, we were rocking it out and ready to send out orders.

At the end of the night, I found myself immersed in lobster and crab bodies that needed to be cleaned for the Monday’s crustacean broth. The lobsters were without tails and had their legs and green tamale in tact. The crabs needed to have the legs removed and the bodies discarded. It was dirty work and the shellfish smell invaded my hands and clothes. When the night finished up I was pretty crabby too.

Tales from the Kitchen

2008-11-06T15:51:00.002-05:00

The professional kitchen is a fast-paced and laborious environment. Every person involved needs to pull his or her own weight to accomplish a nightly dinner service in a busy restaurant. From dishwashers to servers and from Chefs to students there are many well-oiled cogs to making a restaurant run smoothly.

In every class there are students that I take notice of and I think, “what are you doing here?” The tuition is expensive with the cost hovering about $35k for the part-time program. Why would anyone pay that much money and not take it seriously. I know maturity plays an important role here from kids coming right out of high school to second-career folks like myself the difference in respect for the program and willingness to learn is vast.

I’ve said this before many times, when I started culinary school I purposely left what I thought I knew about cooking at the door. I wanted to approach the experience with a blank slate and not taint my learning with what I thought I knew. It was scary and challenging and to this day I still ask questions of the Chefs just to ensure I am on the right page. I ask because it reinforces my learning and I respect their many years of professional experience.

I don’t rant often but one particular student (code name Chatty Kathy) is usually a non-stop gab machine, or Chatty will disappear for 20 – 30 minutes at a time, Chatty is always eating something, and just never takes the initiative. This behavior infuriates me especially when I see Chatty’s other team members working their tails off to keep up with orders. I can only take so much in one night and then I start to bark orders and become a drill sergeant. I aim my barbed comments right at Chatty, who's so engrossed in another conversation some of the barbs fail to stick. Then I belt out orders, “bring this to the store room,” “clean out the sink,” “go get some serving trays,” “run this food to the wait staff” and “bring these pots to the dishwashers.”

I think if I ever run a kitchen in my future I may become Anthony “Gordon Ramsey” – the kitchen is no place for inertia – not moving fast enough, how about an espresso and a kick in the ass to get you going?

Unconsummated

2008-11-04T18:16:00.005-05:00

This past week has been somewhat of a challenge in the kitchen. I’ve been terribly distracted with other things on my mind and I’m having a hard time focusing on my work. In the Garde Manger kitchen we prep stocks, consommé, and most everything for our next class as well as prepare fresh pasta every night and sauté fresh squab and the daily task list goes on. As part of our prep time I started working on the clarification mixture to make consommé from beef stock commonly know as marmite.

When I started culinary school consommé was a mystery to me. When using marmite the stock is cloudy and a little flavorless this is completely normal. By preparing a clarification mixture of egg whites, lean ground beef and aromatics the marmite transforms into a sparkling clear broth that obtains added flavor from the aromatics. The mixture draws out all the impurities in the marmite and attaches to the proteins in the egg whites and beef as it simmers for an hour.

I started by heating up 2 gallons of marmite in two separate stock pots just to make it manageable and then added the clarification mixture. The process is to bring the liquid to a simmer, stirring constantly to help form a “meat raft” – yes, that’s what we call it.

Here comes distraction – hungry – so I leave the stove and go to the family meal kitchen to get some grub. While I’m there I start chatting with Chef Laura and completely forget what I was doing – not good. After some time, like a lightning bolt striking the ground I realize my stupidity and race back to Garde Manger. Chef Wanda had saved my consommé – the meat raft wasn’t forming and started to stick to the bottom of the pot. Chef replaced the pots and scolded me in a nice way. Apparently my brain left me for a period of time and I was on auto-pilot. My near miss almost cost me an additional 2 to 3 hours of work starting from scratch. I felt like an idiot and apologized for my lack of focus.

That evening I finally realized what I did to create the pasta disaster from the night before. I used the wrong flour to make the dough. The recipe calls for “00” flour which is like talcum powder. My brain once again on auto-pilot used all-purpose flour that resulted in a dry, unworkable dough. Another “ahuh” moment.

The evening did end on a funny note, a Level IV student came in and asked if we were “guarding monger” we figured she wanted to know if she was in the Garde Manger kitchen – we all had a good laugh – I thanked Mon Dieu that I studied French for so many years!

Away in a Manger

2008-11-01T18:15:00.001-04:00

First night in Garde Manger was a pasta disaster! Armed with the recipe for cavatelli I proceeded to make the fresh pasta dough so it could rest for 30 minutes before cranking it out on the cavatelli machine.

I worked the dough to a leathery softness and wrapped it in plastic wrap to sit in the refrigerator. When it was time to make the cavatelli the dough seemed very dry and did not cooperate with the pasta machine. Every fifth cavatelli was somewhat useable the rest was just a mess of malformed skinny rejects. I was getting so frustrated and Chef Wanda thought the pasta needed more water to moisten it up. So I added more water, kneaded it again and let it rest.

My second chance at making the pasta was a complete failure as well. We were baffled why this simple and easy recipe was producing the most terrible cavatelli. Luckily, another Chef had cavatelli from the night before and we used that for service. I couldn’t figure out what went wrong, I used the right amount of flour, semolina, ricotta and eggs. It was the most annoying thing and only added fuel to my already dough-phobic psyche.

We stretched that borrowed cavatelli for about 12 to 15 orders. We cut it extremely close to running out completely. The dish is composed of cavatelli with crab meat, sea urchin, a crustacean broth and flavored breadcrumbs. Trying it made me wince a little – too fishy for my taste.

I called it a night befuddled by the mysterious plague that cursed my pasta dough. My mind ran circles around the recipe and procedure trying to figure out what went wrong.

En croûte

2008-10-31T18:14:00.003-04:00

I’m such a nerd when it comes to school, I missed one class to go up to Boston in September and I wanted to make up those missed hours so I could have perfect attendance when I graduate. I know, geeky, I just can’t stay away from the kitchen.

Having missed a Level V class, I had to work with the current Level V students whose rotation is Tues/Thurs/Sat nights. Luckily my head Chef is also their head Chef so I was much at ease coming in for the night and he put me on the Entremetier station.

Chef mentioned to me that he had tons of chanterelle mushrooms to use and immediately I wanted to make a soup. I brought up the possibility of using puff pastry and somehow do a play on French onion soup. He said go for it.

I slowly sautéed lots of onions, leeks and shallots to develop their rich flavor as the base of my soup. I had a stock pot of vegetable stock simmering and two bulbs of garlic in the oven roasting. I added the beautiful pale orange-hued mushrooms to the sauté pan and cooked everything until soft. I also had some oyster mushrooms that I sautéed to use as garnish for the soup under the puff pastry.

With my Vita-prep blender I pureed the mixture with some stock and the roasted garlic. A touch of cream and sherry were added to give the soup a little more richness. I balanced the seasonings and was ready to work on plating a prototype.

The puff pastry was somewhat deceivingly easy to work with, I cut square pieces to fit over the bowls and popped my creation into the convection oven. The pastry was slipping into the bowl so I had to figure out a way to make it stick with egg wash.

The soup emerged with a flaky golden crust that sagged in the middle since the bowl was very wide. Not exactly how I pictured it but I knew I’d have at least 15 orders that I could perfect it as I went along.

The orders started rolling in, we called it a mushroom soup en croûte. Bowl after bowl were popped into the convection oven and when the order was fired there were a few times that the expediting Chef had to wait 3 – 5 minutes for my dish (Chef Candy kept belting out, “I’m still waiting for the soup!” it’s not a great feeling when you are holding up orders – trust me). My puff pastry was fussy and decided to take on a life of its own. Sometimes it would puff up, sometimes it would sink in the soup, it took longer to turn golden brown than other times – a nightmare!

As the night wound down I was trying to get ahead of myself and start soups in the convection oven earlier – this was the winning solution and I finally got my puff pastry to do what I wanted it to – stick to the bowl and completely cover the soup. The photo I took was the last soup I made – and I enjoyed it from my dinner.

Fresh Roll

2008-10-30T23:20:00.003-04:00

My foodie pal, Barbara, brought me these 2 x 2 inch square rice noodles that she uses on occasion. The opaque squares were unique, I was used to seeing rice vermicelli and round rice wrappers but never these. Inspired by the little noodle I knew I wanted to use something similar for canapés.

My team huddled around the canapé station and I expressed my interest in using the wrappers. Chef brought us a hunk of sushi grade tuna that Ashley marinated with a mix of soy, ginger, and rice wine. We soaked the rice wrappers and julienned carrots, and cucumbers. Spencer carefully cut the tuna and proceeded to wrap the mini fresh rolls.

I toasted black and blonde sesame seeds to decorate the roll and made a spicy aioli. The final little dish was a burst of color – a perfect introduction to a meal.

Smoke House

2008-10-28T10:16:00.008-04:00

There’s a moment every day where I day dream about food, what to make, ingredients to buy, dinners to plan, recipes to look for…and working the canapé station only fuels that dialogue in my head. Making canapés at the restaurant allows us to create and experiment with food and flavors.

For part of the day, Ashley, my team partner and I were texting back and forth discussing what we would make for that evening. She wanted to bake apples then we talked about poaching them in port that then evolved into poaching melon-balled apples or pears in mulled wine then covering them in a goat cheese mixture and toasted spicy walnuts – like a truffle. Then I thought we could reduce the mulled wine to make a syrup. The creative back and forth is something I really enjoy and building on ideas makes the whole experience more interesting.

With an idea in my head I jaunted down to school. In the kitchen I spoke to Chef and wanted to check in about anything that needed to be used that evening. He immediately sent me upstairs to the fourth floor to fetch two very large sheet trays of trout that had brined for two days. I figured our apple truffle will have to wait for another day.

Chef instructed me to cold smoke the trout and use it for our canapé – he left us to think about how we would present it and we started to brainstorm about different ideas. I love a good food challenge – how can we make smoked trout presentable and more delicious? It’s something that was hard to get excited about – not my favorite thing.

I thought we could serve it on a potato gaufrette – a crisscrossed slice that would be deep fried and Spencer wanted to make an apple/radish slaw to top it. Chef buzzed around our station, he liked the gaufrette idea and suggested using sweet potato instead. With two whole sheet pans of trout to smoke I took charge of that task since we had SO much fish I had to smoke it in batches. Each time I would open the smoker I would be blasted with grey smoke that would fill part of the kitchen with a woodsy aroma of wood chips. My eyes would water and burn a bit from the blast.

We flaked the trout, placed a small amount on the sweet potato chip and added a bit of the tiny julienne of apple and radish – looking at it we knew it was missing something. I suggested making a lime aioli with fresh lime juice and garlic. Ashley liked the idea and she went ahead and started the mayonnaise. On the plate Spencer swirled the aioli with a decorative flare and we added some of the mixture to the trout. For an ingredient that none of us liked the canapé turned out to be an attractive little bite – and by the end of the night I could have passed as a smoked trout the way I smelled!

Doh!

2008-10-25T13:29:00.006-04:00

Coming into the kitchen, I remembered Chef Phil asking me to use the pâte à choux dough he had from a previous class for that evening’s canapés. I searched the walk-in, found the containers of dough and decided that it was a little past its prime. I decided to whip up a new batch – this is the very same dough that you would use for éclairs, profiteroles, cream puffs, etc. At this point, I can make this type of dough in my sleep and I think I must have been sleeping when I gathered all the ingredients because it didn’t quite come out the way I expected.

The general recipe for pâte à choux is:
- 250 ml water
- 110 g butter
- 140 a.p. flour – sifted
- Pinch salt, pinch sugar
- 4 to 5 whole eggs

With 85 covers booked at the restaurant I planned to quadruple the recipe – giving me more than enough choux for the night. The procedure is very easy, water and butter (cut into small pieces) are placed on the stove heating the water and allowing all the butter to melt. Don’t boil away the water or it will mess with you flour proportion – this is why we cut the butter into small pieces – it melts quicker.

Take the pot off the stove and add all the flour all at once – return to low heat and stir with a wooden spoon to dry out the dough and remove some of the moisture. The dough should come together and be a smooth mixture.

I added my quadrupled amount of flour and started stirring to combine it – something was wrong because it wasn’t coming together and I thought to myself – why is this so watery?? Almost immediately I realized I must have been asleep when measuring the amount of water – in actuality I put 8 times the amount of water into the pot. Stupid me I was annoyed with myself, time was running out and I needed to get it piped and into the convection oven immediately. I ran around the kitchen like a fool and got 4x more flour and butter. I melted the butter in a sauce pan and sifted the flour into the watery mess of dough clumps. Once the butter melted I added it to the mix and prayed it would turn out alright.

I placed the now massive amount of dough into a stainless bowl and then started to add the eggs. So here is the deal with the eggs – one is added at a time and incorporated fully before you add the next. I quickly did the math…8x the recipe equals 32 to 40 eggs!! I laughed to myself and just worked with half the dough to bring it back to a reasonable portion, and 15 to 20 eggs later, my dough combined to a perfect consistency.

I piped the dough into mini-sized balls of dough, brushed them with a mixture of egg wash and cream and rushed two giant sheet pans into the convection oven for about 20 minutes. The little mounds of dough puffed up and turned from pale to golden brown.

While all of this was going on, I left Ashley to create a wild mushroom filling and a cranberry compote which were both equally delicious. We were ready in time for service and cranked out plate after small plate. At the end of the night, with so many little puffs left over, I made some Crème Chantilly and plated mini-sized cream puffs that were shared with Level V and VI students throughout the kitchen. A little something sweet to end the busy night.

Canapé [kan-uh-pey]

2008-10-23T19:25:00.003-04:00

1. a thin piece of bread or toast or a cracker spread or topped with cheese, caviar, anchovies, or other savory food.

Moving to a new station is like waking up in a house you just moved to. You fumble around looking for familiar things in a new environment and slowly you become comfortable in your surroundings.

The canapé station is a place for Level VI students to practice skills, show creativity and demonstrate resourcefulness. Chef Phil will come to the canapé station and say, “I have such and such in the walk-in, what can you guys make with that?” and that ingredient must become a part of our planning.

Our first night, the weather in New York City had turned colder than normal so I felt like it was a soup night. Having arrived in the kitchen a bit early, I asked Chef if there was anything we needed to use up and he said that we had a clean slate to start. So, I tossed the idea of a purée of butternut squash soup served in little white ceramic shot glasses. He liked the idea and said go for it.

When Ashley came into the kitchen, I had told her what my plan was and she complemented the soup with her ideas. Ashley baked off small phyllo pillows, we made a goat cheese/crème fraîche topping and prosciutto straws.

Chef Phil gave us this great idea to take thin strips of prosciutto and wrap them around skewers. The skewers are baked in the oven for about 10 minutes, then allowed to cool. The prosciutto straws slip off the skewers and hold their cylindrical shape.

Our canapés need to be ready to plate slightly before 8:00 pm. We usually figure out the plating design close to this time and make a few samples for the Chefs in the kitchen to munch on and give their opinions.

With thumbs up from the Chefs we are ready for service and ready to knock out anywhere from 50 to 75 small plates in the span of an hour or so. The canapé is the first impression our patrons receive at the beginning of their meal – so we need to hit it out of the ballpark.

Party Season

2008-10-21T19:13:00.001-04:00

Monday night, the restaurant was closed again for a private party. Many fellow students were annoyed that their time in the kitchen behind certain stations was being interrupted by yet another private party.

With my last night in the pastry kitchen I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to make one of the desserts that may be on my final exam. Around 5:30 pm it was clear that Chef only had 6 students to help out to make the night successful and he was very upset. I headed back to pastry after he called attendance and was the only Level 6 student doing pastry that night.

I consulted with the pastry Chef and got to work making the chocolate brioche bread pudding so I could serve at least 50 portions. I got to work making maple ice cream, chocolate custard, and candied orange peel for garnish. I have to admit it was a slow night, once I got everything prepped and ready there was a long lag time until we actually had to plate desserts. While some protested and decided to skip the night, I was happy to be there to make the dessert practically by myself. Sometimes it’s nice to be a one-man show.

VIP Dining

2008-10-19T12:24:00.003-04:00

Ending the busy work week in a bustling, chaotic, time sensitive professional kitchen may be too much for some people. I find it exhilarating and I always look forward to my nights behind the scenes at L’Ecole.

That very evening I had three guests dining at the restaurant – friends that have supported my new venture and have been wonderful followers of my blog. I alerted the expediting Chef that a VIP table was coming in for dinner and to please ensure they have a wonderful dining experience. Ret, Mimi and Andy arrived for their reservation and in between the appetizer and fish course I was able to sneak out and see how everything was going. Moving from the brightly lit kitchen to the dim lights of the dining room – it took me a couple of seconds to be able to focus. The waiter pointed me in the right direction and I arrived at Table 22 to find my VIPs.

My guests all seemed excited and ready for the evening’s dining excursion. I was so happy and proud to be a part of their experience. I had to know what everyone ordered and was thrilled that each one of them ordered something different off the prix fixe menu. After chatting for a few minutes I had to excuse myself to get back into the pastry kitchen to finish my work.

That night, I prepared the dough for the tangerine tarts, the cream cheese/goat cheese filling, I worked on part of the chocolate custard for the brioche bread pudding and worked on putting it together with Chef Alain and Ashley.

Nearing the end of the night, I saw the dessert order for Table 22 come in and noticed Ret & company ordered three different desserts – well with four desserts on the menu, I had to make sure they also received our toffee pudding so I marched it right out to the table to surprise them.

Again, I was met with faces of delight and compliments and I thought, what a wonderful way to end the work week.

Privé Party

2008-10-17T12:49:00.004-04:00

The restaurant was closed for a private party on Wednesday night. Our goal for the evening was to feed 70 patrons all at once for every course. Not so hard if you're organized. The kitchen seemed empty when I got there and I saw Chef Phil working away. I asked him if he needed help and he requested I make Pâte à Choux for an hors d’oeuvre he planned to serve. I went to work and whipped that pastry dough into shape and it came out perfect.

My tour of duty was in pastry that night – so I went back to Chef Alain and asked him what we needed to accomplish for the night. Chef decided to make Tarte Tatin to feed 70 guests – it was great to see how another Chef interpreted this classic dish – since I made this dessert for my Level V project it was still fresh in my memory how I prepared it.

The night dragged on as there was not a lot for us to do – our moment to shine was when we plated 50+ desserts at once in an assembly line format. I brushed on a caramel sauce, another student studded the plate with finely chopped walnuts, a slice of tarte and a quenelle of rich vanilla ice cream.

At the end of the night, all the students went out into the dining room to receive a round of applause – it felt good being appreciated – we were rock stars in that moment.

Sticky & Sweet Tour

2008-10-14T12:18:00.005-04:00

My first night as a Level VI student and I find myself back in the pastry kitchen making new confections and sweet desserts. The entire L'Ecole menu has changed and that goes for desserts as well. Our newest creations include a tangerine cream cheese tart, chocolate brioche bread pudding, an individual Tarte Tatin and a toffee pudding. My group is responsible for the tangerine and chocolate brioche menu items.

The first day in the kitchen with a major menu change is always frenetic. Recipes change, plating varies with the whim of the Chef and some students look like deer caught in headlights. Chef Mimi was filling in for Chef Alain on this first night and she walked us through a priority list of "to-dos" so we could get organized and have a smooth evening. My team, Ashley and Spencer, and I knocked out the list and were done prepping everything by 8pm.

We share the kitchen with the new Level V students who looked as nervous as I was on my first day working in L'Ecole's kitchen. Everything did go smoothly that night, and we all worked well with each other. I really enjoyed making the maple vanilla ice cream that is served with our chocolate bread pudding. We start with a rich Crème Anglaise with the addition of a good quality maple syrup and cook the sauce until it is nappant (thick enough to coat the back of a spoon).

The ice cream maker in the pastry kitchen is this incredible stainless steel behemoth compared to ice cream makers on the consumer market. The now chilled Crème Anglaise is carefully poured into the machine and with one flick of a switch the ice cream is ready in 10 minutes. As the machine freezes the mixture I check it at different intervals to see how it is forming. Once the consistency is similar to soft-serve ice cream than I know it is ready. Extruding the ice cream into super chilled hotel pans I take an off set spatula to smooth it out and pop the trays it into a small freezer called a blast chiller. The blast chiller continues to quick freeze the ice cream and hold it until service. I have to admit the ice cream we make is one of the best I've tasted, super creamy, slightly dense, and made with nothing but all natural ingredients - who wouldn't scream for that?

The United Nations of Food

2008-10-12T11:33:00.011-04:00

For weeks now Barbara, my foodie pal, and I have been planning an ethnic food tour of Jackson Heights, Queens – the neighborhood where she resides. Barbara has been telling me about all of the green grocers and spice markets and how one could find hard to come by ingredients. From Colombian meat markets to Indian spice stores and Peruvian restaurants to Indonesian – my curiosity and appetite for new cuisine was peaked.

We started mid-morning with a walk down the main street with bakeries, restaurants and stores featuring Latin foods from South and Central America. It was a Spanish cornucopia. The Colombian butchers and bakeries were bustling with activity – we walked into one of the bakeries to check it out and I picked up a sweet roll for our walk to Little India a mere few blocks away. Like from day to night, the store fronts went from selling plantains to exotic curries and gorgeous saris.

The Indian shops were fascinating, rows and rows of fresh vegetables, spices and giant bags of rice. I was like a kid in a candy store when my eyes feasted on all the bagged spices. I would find things and ask Barbara, “How would I use this?” or “What in the world is that?” She was delighted to tell me about the veggies and spices that I had never seen before.

I had my mental shopping list in my head and as we continued our tour I kept on adding exotic ingredients that I wanted to buy. The air was perfumed with the scent of incense and the blare of sitars flooded my senses. We headed to Patel Bros. Supermarket to knock some items off my list. Inside the busy market it was hard to focus on one single item – again the kid in a candy store problem – but I zeroed in and found cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and black sesame seeds. Barbara told me to ask for saffron at the cashier – I thought she was kidding – but knew I wanted some. So, I asked and from below the cash register vials and containers of saffron emerged like highly-guarded jewels. It almost felt black market and clandestine so I had to buy some!

After our jaunt through Little India, we headed to lunch and had spicy, wonderful Indonesian food at a small local restaurant. The sauces were sweet, spicy, peppery and just delicious. With our stomachs satisfied we went through the Asian markets which is always an eye-opener for the uninitiated.

Sweet soy, star anise, frozen banana leaves were all crossed off my international shopping list. Just meandering through the aisles is an education in food – I wondered what half the ingredients are and I am amazed by the variety. Where else can you find Chinese chives or galangal? The eggs in the dairy section had a small sign that said “baby chicken inside” – ok, I’ll pass on those! – nearby there were trays of duck eggs and speckled quail eggs.

Laden with my purchases we sauntered back to a Latin market to pick up some plantains since I was craving them all day. The October day was filled with bright blue skies and cool weather. Walking along the streets in Jackson Heights you would come across specialized food vendors making homemade quesadillas, tacos, freshly cut fruit and Chinese dumplings with lines of pedestrians queued up for tasty snacks.

I was comforted by the array of cultures represented in this one neighborhood and thought if these people could live together and co-exist in such harmony with respect to their varied cultures, food, language and customs then why in today’s world is there so much aggression with war, genocide, and hatred. It makes one consider how special this country really is – accepting all people to have a place at the communal table.

Out with the old...

2008-10-11T17:52:00.002-04:00

As I mix the ingredients to make our green apple sorbet, it strikes me that this is my last night in pastry and the last night in Level V. I wonder in amazement how quickly time has passed and realize that I have only 7 more weeks of school left until graduation.

Tonight, the current Level VI students experienced their last night in the kitchen in anticipation of their final cooking exam on Monday. At the end of the night, pictures were being taken, voices were raised in excitement and many family members dined that night at the restaurant. There was an air of finality but also one of accomplishment. I wondered how I would feel on my last night in the kitchen with our final looming just days away. I quickly tossed those thoughts out of my mind and focused on making the sorbet in the ice cream machine. The ice cream machine is a professional kitchen model that makes sorbet and ice cream in the matter of 10 minutes or so. The sorbet is made of frozen apple purée, simple syrup and freshly squeezed lime juice. Once the sorbet it extracted from the machine we smooth it out on to a half sheet pan and place it in the blast freezer to set properly.

Our team raced through our prep work and we were careful not to over produce since the restaurant’s menu will change on Monday and we will begin rotations through the stations once again as new Level VI students. These new recipes will be the ones we are tested on for our final – so it is vital to learn them inside and out.

As the night wound down, Chef came over with our evaluations and new group assignments and starting stations for Monday. I was concerned and wondered who I’d be partnered with – there are some students that would make this last rotation difficult (I’m being polite) since our work ethic/focus/skill level doesn’t mesh well. My current partners, Ashley and Tim, have been so wonderful to work with – we are a well-oiled machine and we just rock-it-out every night in the kitchen. We can pull each other out of the weeds, we split tasks evenly, we all get a chance to work on part of the recipe and we define our duties for service way in advance. We “work” not only in the literate sense but in the way you want your left hand to know what your right hand is doing. So, the change in groups is always a worrisome dilemma for most of us.

I braced myself, Chef showed me my evaluation and finally revealed my new group – and the envelope please…I’m working with Spencer and Ashley yet again! I took a deep breath and Spencer came from no where to give me a high-five. The smile on his face led me to believe that he had already learned about the latest trio. Spencer is great to work with he’s funny, easy-going, plays well with others and he can cook. I might have to slap him around a little but he won’t mind – I’m Alpha dog and he has a thick skin. Having Ashley on my team is like having a warm hug from Jesus, we work brilliantly together and have bonded as friends.

The most ironic part of this whole plan for Monday…can you imagine what station we will be working on first? Sweet Jesus, the pasty station! for another week and a half. We’ll survive, we always do and we’ll kick ass as we have in Level V.

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

2008-10-09T11:09:00.002-04:00

Adventures in pastry continue, and one of the recipes I would like to share is a Chai Crème Anglaise. The cream and milk are infused with chai spices and the resulting sauce is rich, velvety and delicious. This sauce goes really well with fruit-based desserts.

Chai Crème Anglaise
8.5 oz. milk
8.5 oz cream
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp. ginger powder
½ tsp. whole cardamom seed
4 whole cloves
½ vanilla been split and seeds scraped
4 oz. sugar
4 egg yolks

Procedure:
Heat milk, cream, spices, vanilla bean and half the amount of sugar. When the liquid simmers turn off the heat and cover pot to allow the flavors to infuse for at least 45 minutes.

After the liquid has infused, put back on the heat. In a separate bowl beat together the eggs and sugar by hand until pale – this takes a minute or so.

Temper the sugar/yolk mixture by adding some warm milk infusion then return this mixture back to the pot. Cook until the Crème Anglaise is very thick and coats the back of a spoon. Working over moderately high heat, continue stirring the sauce with a wooden spoon so as to keep the mixture moving.

Strain Crème Anglaise through a fine Chinois and immediately cool sauce in an ice bath. Once sauce is brought down in temperature then refrigerate until needed.

Our pear dessert begins by poaching the fruit in a chai-tea liquid until soft. Once the pears have cooked, they are removed and set to cool. Afterwards the pear half is topped with a small piece of pear bread and covered with Swiss meringue. The pears are then baked to give the meringue a beautiful bronzed color.

At service, the pear is warmed slightly in the oven, a pool of Crème Anglaise fills a shallow bowl the pear is placed in the center and a drizzle of pear sauce is added with some toasted pine nuts. All the hard work making all the separate components come together beautifully and the real satisfaction is watching the empty dessert plates coming back from the dining room.

Reprise in Pastry

2008-10-07T20:50:00.002-04:00

The pastry kitchen is air-conditioned to help keep dough, marble tops and sticky sweet confections at a cool temperature. Unfortunately the AC doesn’t do anything to help cool tempers.

Our second night in pastry was instructed by Chef Mimi since Chef Alain had the night off. It’s funny to work on the same recipes with a different Chef – everyone puts a spin on how they do it their way. As students, it is almost like we are starting at square one with the same recipes.

Chef Mimi instructed us throughout the night and gave us her spin on plating our two desserts. I don’t know what it was but I was not playing my “A” game that night. It all started with the nougatine…(insert fuzzy dreamscape here)

Nougatine is made with corn syrup, fondant and butter – the corn syrup and fondant are melted until golden brown, removed from the heat and the butter is stirred in and allowed to cool. A half sheet pan is with lined with parchment and the mixture is poured out and resembles amber-colored glass. Once the nougatine is sufficiently cooled it’s then cracked into many shards to get ready for the food processor to blast it into a sugary dust. I know you are thinking…what is the purpose of that?! Here’s where our luck runs out.

The sticky shards are pulverized and then sifted through a fine mesh strainer onto a Silpat-lined sheet tray. The dust is carefully applied to the Silpat in an even thin layer. The sheet pan goes into a 350 degree oven for a 60 to 90 seconds and then emerges to resemble a opaque sheet of melted sugar that is thinner than a millimeter thick. Immediately we take a square cutter and score the glass sheet while it is still warm. The nougatine sheet is then allowed to cool once again and then very carefully we chip away to remove the perfect 3” x 3” squares. These nougatine squares are part of the garnish for the apple sorbet dessert.

That night, nothing was going right with our nougatine, we tried to make the opaque sheet of sugar 3 to 4 times and each time the sugar would crack, or come out of the oven bubbled and warped – we just couldn’t get it right. Luckily we had some squares from the last class and tried to salvage what we could of the new batches.

I think we were cursed that night, our first meringue didn’t form properly, our apple foam was flat, and plating the desserts was a bit haphazard – not our best night – but I blame the temperamental nature of pastry – it is never straight forward, always fussy, and needs constant care every step of the way.

How sweet it isn't

2008-10-04T13:19:00.003-04:00

Our first night on any station is always a bit unnerving and switching to pastry/dessert made for an interesting night. Our pastry Chef runs a tight ship, he laid down a set of guidelines that he reiterated, “I'm only going to say this once." Sharing the mid-sized pastry kitchen with us are three Level VI students, they handle two desserts and we deal with the other two. I decided to head into class a little early that day, in case there was a lot of prep to be done. Chef Alain was puttering around the kitchen, I said hello and asked what I could do first and he responded, "make simple syrup."

My other team members filed into the kitchen, made their introductions and we talked about our game plan for the evening. Chef outlined what had to be prepped for service in order of priority and we went straight to work. Chef has the most interesting accent and sometimes I have no idea what he is telling us which makes for interesting results. At times, he sounds German, South African, French, English, and Australian, and this is all at once in one sentence giving the listener a round the world aural experience.

On the dessert menu we are preparing a green apple sorbet with fennel foam and a tea-poached pear with pear bread and meringue finished with a chai Crème Anglaise. There are lots of components to plating both desserts and our list of “to-dos” was quite long. In pastry the only drawback is getting out of the kitchen last. Usually, we see a parade of our fellow students on Poissonnier, Entremétier and Saucier leaving and waving goodbye to us with smirks on their faces as we wait for our orders to come in. They’ve all been there so it’s now our turn to wait it out until the last patron has had their final course on the prix fixe menu.

Mid-way through our evening, Chef had a slight freak-out on two of the Level VI students – I was ready to hide in the walk-in refrigerator at that point. Chef was great with our little team, we just kept our nose to the grindstone and said, “Yes, Chef, No Chef.” We are no fools to tangle with a Chef who seeks perfection.

I’m sure the next few days in Pastry will be quite interesting – I just wish it came with subtitles.

Chop, Chop!!

2008-10-02T09:13:00.005-04:00

Our last night on Saucier and I’m a little sad because it has been a very good experience for us as a team. We were all a but apprehensive about the meat station having seen melt-downs, fights and chaos from other teams. Tonight, we are down one member from our usual three-person team so Chef assigned some students to help us with our prep work. We also had a Level VI student who needed to make up a class before graduation to work with all night. Ashley and I felt calm about the work we needed to get done, she and I would tick off the list of “to-dos” and assign them or do them ourselves. That’s one of the reasons my team rocks, we communicate with each other – and communication is key for my sanity and for everything to work properly. I want to make sure we are all on the same page, we are doing things by priority and we are watching the clock.

By this fourth night on Saucier, we know the score, we decided to take charge of one dish each. I am back to lamb chops and Ashley works the rabbit orders. Our Level VI student focuses on making the Pommes Anna & Darphin, something that can take an hour or longer to complete. The best advice on the meat station is to be organized and ready…when orders come in I begin by searing the chops in a extremely hot sauté pan with blended oil on both sides. I time them based on thickness and judge their doneness by touch. Usually the chops are ordered medium rare, some medium and a few well-done.

So orders begin to be called out, I sear my chops and get into my groove. Once the chops are seared they are set aside until the next step in the cooking process – a round of composed herb/hazelnut butter is placed on each chop and then placed under a salamander (broiler) to develop a golden color. Once the chops come out of the salamander and the order is fired then I can start plating. Here is the logistical problem – the salamander is not next to my station, so we’ve learned that having someone run the chops to the salamander back and forth was vital to keeping us on time and running smoothly – as simple as that. I ask our Level VI student to do this as part of her duties for the night.

Orders are coming in… 3 rabbit, 3 lamb medium,…then 2 lamb medium rare and rare, 1 rabbit, then 1 lamb well-done, 2 rabbit…and the orders stack up. Watching the order board helps us stay in tune with what is going out and when orders are ready to be fired. It is a simple system but one screw up and you can set yourself back quite easily.

My first set of chops sent to the salamander came back with the composed butter dark brown almost burned. I said to the student that she needs to continually check the chops under the broiler since they go from pale to golden brown quite quickly. She started to scrap off the charred part of the butter thinking we could serve it and I decided that it needed to be re-done. Note to self: screw up #1.

I sent her back with the chops with fresh herbed butter and as I was searing chops to order I look over and see her chatting with her classmates and NOT watching the chops under the salamander. Note to self: screw up #2 is not happening on my watch. So, from across the entire meat station I yelled, “Watch those chops, pay attention!” and proceeded to stamp my feet up an down like a crazy person to get her attention. I was pissed!! She was going to burn the second batch if I didn’t catch her. Luckily with my vocal intervention the chops came back to my satisfaction.

The orders continue, I pass the seared chops to her to be patted with the herb butter and run to the salamander and half the time I’m applying the butter myself and she’s oblivious. I don’t understand why this is so difficult to comprehend. I give you the chops, you place a tablespoon of butter on it, and you run it to the salamander. Note to self: annoyed and wonder if I don’t speak English?

At once, I have 6 lamb chops that need to go out at once. I start plating the chops in a line, first the Ratatouille is place in a ring mold on the plate and slight pressure helps it form into a perfect disk. Then the burning hot chops crisscross and lean on the Ratatouille, a wedge of Pommes Anna and finally napping the dish with a luscious sauce. I turn around and hand “our helper” the dish to start running them to the waiter station. The dish sits on the stainless steel table for another 30 seconds and as I turn around with my next plate and notice this dish just sitting here I belt out, “RUN THESE DISHES NOW!” Irritation and anger set in for both Ashley and myself but we hold it together. Note to self: Perhaps, deaf, dumb, blind? Maybe all of the above!

The real deal breaker came mid-way through the height of service, Ashley and I are working our tails off and we turn around to see “her” shoveling down a huge plate of food from family meal and shooting the shit with the Entremetier station. Here Ashley and I are hungry and busy, we haven’t eaten since lunch and lazy-girl is stuffing herself with food – clueless to what we are doing. That was really the final straw, she was practically useless to us all night and we put her on menial prep tasks after she finished her hefty plate of food – we needed to keep her away from us and get her out of the way. Note to self: Am I being punished or tested?

Now, I can understand why British Chef/Restaurateur Gordon Ramsey is such a freak of nature in the kitchen and expletives run from his mouth like water from a faucet. To quote him, “I have a very assertive way. It's wake up, move your ass, or piss off home.” – my sentiments exactly!

Foodie Friends, Finds & Frivolity

2008-09-30T10:32:00.003-04:00

I can sit for hours simply talking about food, culinary school, past food experiences, restaurants, you name it. I owe so much to my very dear foodie friend Barbara – who is always encouraging, interested and excited to hear about my latest food stories and happily she can also dish out her own tales like a line cook at a busy brasserie!

Food is meant to be shared, enjoyed and I feel the same goes for the discussion of food. I am always surprised and happy to hear about a new spice, food or technique – many times I feel like I’ve heard just about everything and then it happens, Barbara will talk about papatzul and I’ll say, “What!?” Something I never heard of! – and she will go on about how she learned about it and weave a story that makes me hang on every word – I’m also mentally taking notes. Now, I know I don’t know everything by any means and I don’t ever want to sound like a know-it-all or a jaded foodie – that’s just not me. My surprise and shock comes from a child-like fascination as if food were magic and I just saw the most amazing trick ever!

Our foodie friends, dine with us even when we are not at the table. Chatting about food and experiences in the kitchen fills me up just like a savory braised stew. I appreciate Barbara’s experience and love to trade stories. When we sit down to chat it is the first topic we cover especially on a Monday morning, she'll inquire, “what did you cook this weekend?” and from there on we recount the moments of inspiration, rare shopping finds and the trials of new recipes.

Sharing food is a wonderful experience, bringing family and friends to the table is something I encourage everyone to do. This blog was a way for me to share my love for food in whatever form it takes, to bring people into the FCI classroom and recount what it is really like, but most importantly to take a walk with me on my culinary journey. I’m grateful for all my foodie friends and I aspire to continue sharing these sumptuous moments one bite at a time.

TGIF! (Thank God It’s Friday)

2008-09-28T19:35:00.007-04:00

I used to love going to dinner on a Friday night, the end of the work week, a cold martini, fantastic food that I didn’t have to cook and the best part – being served, oh, and no dishes to wash! Those evenings are a distant memory because since February every Friday has been (happily) spent at The French Culinary Institute.

Being on the opposite side of that equation has its perks too. After a long day at my 9 to 5 job, I head down to SoHo, put on my Chef clothes and start the second half of my day. Walking into the kitchen, my first stop is the coffee maker – no matter how full the carafe is I always make a fresh pot and then proceed to my assigned station for the evening.

I try to get into the kitchen as early as possible so I can access the amount of prep needed and get ahead of the curve. I’ll to talk to Chef Phil and he’ll alert me to what we are running low on and what I should start first.

On Friday, I immediately tackled the somewhat labor/time intensive Ratatouille served with our lamb chops. The peppers (red and green), eggplant, onions, zucchini must be chopped macédoine and the tomatoes emondé (blanched, skin/seeds/pulp removed, chopped coarsely) and concassé – all prepared and sautéed separately then combined to marry the flavors.

At that point, the laundry list of “to-dos” is almost never-ending. About a dozen potatoes are washed, peeled and placed in cold water in preparation for their date with the French mandoline. Half the potatoes are julienned (for Pommes Darphin) and the other half sliced into very thin rounds (for Pommes Anna). Working quickly (oxidation happens quickly), the julienne potatoes are seasoned with salt and pepper, the excess moisture is gently squeezed out and await a hot sauté pan with some blended oil. The julienne potatoes sizzle in the hot oil and form a nice crust with the addition of unsalted butter. The same application for the Pommes Anna, however the potatoes are laid out into a spiral design and take a little more time to put together. Both preparations done properly yield a crisp, round potato cake that is sliced into six servings for service. We generally prep for 40 – 45 covers on the Saucier station, our lamb and rabbit dish have been very popular.

And the list goes on…pears are cut into perfect cocottes (football shapes) then sautéed and caramelized. Cipollini onions are soaked in warm water to ease the removal of the outer skin and they are cooked glacé à brun (glazed to a brown caramelization – cooked in some water, butter, salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar to boost their sweetness). Bok choy is washed, trimmed, cut and blanched in salted boiling water, then shocked to preserve its bright green color. Bacon is cut into small lardons and gently sautéed. Herbed-compound butter is prepared for the lamb and chilled. Most nights we start the rabbit and lamb stock as the base of our two sauces and those simmer for a few hours to extract all the rich flavor from the bones, mirepoix and bouquet garni.

Finishing the final two sauces, isn't that why French cuisine is so revered – those complex, rich and flavorful sauces that have an unparalleled depth – and that Madames et Messieurs is a whole other story.

Saucy!

2008-09-25T11:45:00.005-04:00

The first night on the Saucier station the team got right down to work. Lots of prep needs to occur before the first plate goes out. For the meat course Level V students prepare two dishes – Lamb chops with an herb/hazelnut pesto crust, ratatouille, potatoes Darphin and a lamb reduction sauce that is dark, rich and packed with flavor – secondly a braised and grilled rabbit with bok choy, potatoes Anna, cocotte of caramelized pear, bacon and a cipollini onion all finished with a rich rabbit reduction.

My teammates and I decide on a plan of action as we knock out all the prep. We decide Tim will handle the rabbit orders, Ashley will be a runner and help plate, I will handle the lamb. As orders come in I sear off lamb chops to obtain a nice caramelization and when the order is fired I blast it under the salamander with a mound of pesto crust that melts into the chop and flash it in the oven to finish.

Our sauces stay hot in a bain marie on top of the stove, sides are heated to order and we carefully plate each dish artistically. We had a fair amount of orders and our station was hoping with activity. The adrenaline rush is addictive and you run on a high through dinner service. Keeping up with orders and working rhythmically puts me into a work trance. I’ve always said cooking for me is very Zen – a way for me to relax at the end of a normal work day. My mind clears, I focus on the tasks at hand and I’m very centered. It’s a good place to be mentally when you are physically challenging yourself over hot stoves, running plates up to the waiter station and standing on your feet all night.

I’ve come to realize the professional kitchen is really not for everyone – the stark, sterilized environment is not at all glamorous, or comfortable. It is a hard place to work and demanding on your body and mind. When some colleagues dined at the restaurant I was able to go out into the dining room and chat with them to see how they enjoyed everything. As I left the kitchen and proceeded to the dining room in my Chef-whites I emerged into a dimly lit space with tables full of patrons and I found my friends. Seeing all those people made me feel kind of special – some how in some little way I was a part of their evening. I walked proudly through the sea of tables knowing that not everyone can do what I do and I felt grateful and humbled as I returned to my place in the professional kitchen.

A School of Fish

2008-09-23T18:37:00.003-04:00

One important lesson to learn in the kitchen is to be flexible and ready for anything. Whether you’re slammed with orders, run out hot plates or need to improvise on a recipe, it’s all about going with the flow and making things work – like swimming with the current. Monday night, lots of classmates were MIA and we were understaffed for some of the stations. The Entremetier station only had one person on it and Chef asked for volunteers to step up to the plate and fill other roles. Having made both fish dishes I was happy to help my buddy Marcella out on vegetarian dishes.

Marcella and I had some immediate thoughts about what we’d like to prepare, seared polenta, with sautéed wild mushrooms flambéed with sherry, a quenelle of mascarpone cheese, candied walnuts and freshly chopped herbs. Our second dish was harder to imagine so I went to the kitchen’s storeroom and asked the stewards for whatever vegetable they had an overabundance of…and out came broccoli rabe.

Now broccoli rabe is not my favorite vegetable, but I was open to raising the bar and making it delicious. We decided to blanch the rabe and then shock it in ice water to preserve the color. Upon ordering, I would sauté the broccoli rabe with some blended oil, salt and pepper, then plate the crisp vegetable in a nest with a dressed salad of grape tomatoes, shaved fennel, thinly sliced red onion and roasted garlic. Finished with a drizzle of garlic-infused oil and 8 year old balsamic the dish looked vibrant. That night the vegetarian dishes were quite popular and the orders kept us busy for most of the night. I guess there’s a healthy market for broccoli rabe – a surprise!

With trepidation, I watched the team on the Saucier station, probably the busiest and fastest-paced position in the kitchen. Starting Wednesday it’s my turn to get behind the grill and sear up some of the meat courses featured on L’Ecole’s prix fixe menu. I’m sweating just thinking about it.

Menu Project

2008-09-17T18:10:00.004-04:00

With the deadline for our project looming and just days away, I spent the past weekend continuously working on all the details. Looking back, I’m glad I started weeks ago – there was a lot of cooking, shopping, prepping, research, plating and photographing involved. I plated and photographed dishes two and three times before I was happy with the final result.

My menu’s theme is Sunday dinner in Paris, a special meal for family – where the food is part comfort, part sophisticated and made with a lot of love. I begin the meal with an Amuse Bouche – a savory gougère (baked pastry dough with the addition of cheese similar to a popover) with a white bean and roasted garlic purée. My first real course is a butternut & acorn squash soup which is puréed. The soup is garnished with crème fraîche, pepitos (roasted pumpkin seeds) and drops of pumpkin seed oil. The velvety soup is wonderful for this time of year, the color and depth of flavor make it a real winner.

Next, a fish course – sautéed sea scallops with mussels in a saffron broth. I served this dish in a real scallop shell on a bed of smoked salt that I mixed with smoked paprika to produce a pink “sand” under the shell. The dish presented itself beautifully and photographed well. I must have spent at least three to four hours on that dish alone.

Before my meat course I wanted to have a palate cleanser so I whipped up a citrus & mint granité – which was so easy to make! Simply make some simple syrup, I added the juice of a couple of lemons and an orange plus the zest. To thin out the mixture and extend it, I added about a cup of water. Poured in a metal pan and right into the freezer. The granité must be raked every 30 minutes to produce ice shards. The granité was a gorgeous canary yellow and the chiffonade of mint a nice contrast.

For my meat course, a rack of lamb persillé with a parsnip and potato purée, sautéed swiss chard with garlic chips and a niçoise olive tapenade. The first time I made this dish I plated it in a hurry and it looked too messy – but it was delicious! So I knew I would have to make it again, and re-think the plating design.

A digestif salad follows, heirloom tomato with baby greens, endive and radish with a sherry shallot vinaigrette. I think I was the most astounded how beautifully this dish photographed.

Lastly, a tarte tatin with lavender-scented crème Chantilly. The tarte is an upside-down caramelized apple tart with puff pastry. A classic French dessert that I’ve never made before – so it was a challenge on my first shot. Happily it turned out well and I had many slices after I photographed the finished tarte.

A few more items to finish before handing in my project, wine pairings, costing sheet and a summary needs to be edited. After all that, it needs to be printed and bound for final review by three different Chefs. I have a lot of work still ahead of me!

Filet o' Fish

2008-09-16T17:58:00.001-04:00

Our first night on the fish station was not as hectic as I imagined it to be. It was a Monday night and the restaurant only had about 50 – 60 covers.

Our recipes on the station are as follows: Arctic char in a lemongrass broth with leeks, carrots, potato and asparagus, drizzled with a little lemon oil. The other dish is a filet of cod with white sardines, roasted tomatoes, a mussel sauce and a brioche crouton with a parsnip purée.

Luckily, we started the night with a lot of prep work already completed for us by the last team. Tim took charge of the cod and I managed the char orders. When the char was fired, I quickly sautéed it skin side down in a very hot pan with some blended oil. Once the skin was crisp I removed the filet and kept it warm. Next the lemongrass broth is heated up with the vegetables and the char is returned to the pan flesh side down to gently poach. To plate, the char sits in the middle of a wide rimmed bowl, the broth and vegetables surround it and a little diced tomato and lemon oil drizzle finish the dish. With service coming to a close, we wrapped up our final orders and called it a night.

Changing of the Garde

2008-09-14T20:23:00.002-04:00

Our last night in the Garde Manger kitchen was mostly uneventful, no fires, etc. We had a busy night as the orders kept rolling in. Chef Laura is wonderful to work with, she is focused, and makes sure each of us are on the ball.

As I was making digestif salads I thought about our next move to the Poissonier Station. Learning new recipes and plating guidelines on the first day is always a little scary. Also, timing is everything, once an order comes in, you are on high alert until the expediting Chef says, “Firing, one cod and one char!”

My team is really good, the three of us really work well together and we help each other out as much as possible. I know when we get to the fish station we will pull it together as usual and work as a well-oiled machine.

Project Update

2008-09-11T22:54:00.020-04:00

Last night, the kitchen was very tame, I didn't set the school on fire, no celebrity chefs, I kept up with the pace of orders and all was fine in Garde Manger.

Today, after shopping for ingredients, I continued to work on my menu project that I need to hand in on Wednesday, the 17th of September. I plated my dessert, salad and re-did my soup so I could photograph it in daylight. It was overcast this afternoon, and the light was clear and soft - I thought, a good medium to work in.

Working on the dessert first, I cut a very clean slice of Tarte Tatin and glazed it with some apricot nappage to give it some shine. I made a caramel sauce to decorate the plate and added a swirl of Crème Chantilly to add a creamy taste to every bite.

Next the soup was reheated, seasoned and poured piping hot into a bowl. Garnished with creme fraiche, pepitos (roasted pumpkin seeds) and pumpkin seed oil the butternut and acorn squash puree didn't look picture perfect to me.

Lastly, the salad napoleon with heirloom tomato slices was dressed with a warm leek vinaigrette and accompanied by mache, herbs and baby greens. As an addition I added toasted baguette slices with creamy goat cheese.

I'm calling it a day for now, the kitchen is a mess and I have lots to clean up. Just two more dishes to go - my shellfish and meat course - that I will complete on Saturday. This Chef-in-training is tired.

Burnin' Down the House

2008-09-09T11:31:00.007-04:00

Since we only have a limited amount of days on each station it is important to master each dish and be in total control of it for at least one night. Last night I concentrated on the calamari appetizer. Getting into the kitchen at 5:30 pm I went straight to work cleaning the calamari – removing the head and tentacles from the body. Once that is done, the body tube needs to be skinned and the cartilage that gives it shape needs to be removed. Back to the head, I proceed to cut off the tentacles right below the eyes (which stare at you in a creepy way) and clean out both extremities. It’s important to be careful to remove the tooth and cautious not to pierce the ink sac which is not always possible. It is amazing black ink gets ALL over everything and when wearing white the combination is a disaster. One looks like that had a fight with an army of pens and lost!

After painstakingly cleaning the calamari, the haricot verts needed to be blanched, fennel shaved thinly with my nemesis the Japanese mandolin, garlic cloves peeled and sliced, fresh lemon juice squeezed to deglaze the pan and Parmesan cheese flakes for garnish. We had herbed Panko on hand, good extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dress the fennel and green beans.

While I was prepping for service, I noticed a gray-haired man walked through the Garde Manger kitchen and he proceeded into the main working kitchen. He wore a chef’s jacket but not chef’s pants, so I thought that he was just someone that was visiting the kitchen and put it out of my mind. Next thing I know, the same gentleman comes back into our small kitchen and I was surprised to see it was Chef Jacques Pepin in person! He asked Chef Laura if she could make him a small salad and she happily obliged. I was thrilled to be in his presence, he is approachable and very understated quite honestly a veritable legend in the cooking world. My surprises for the night didn’t end there!

Once service began I was ready to whip out dishes of calamari per order. I was a little nervous manning the stove, the dish isn’t complicated it is just very easy to overcook and the calamari is sautéed on the stove and then Panko breadcrumbs are added and the entire sauté pan goes under a broiler to brown the breadcrumbs. With too powerful cooking sources it was tricky to ensure that nothing was overcooked. While behind on two orders of calamari, the gas flames licked the outside of the pan and ignited the oil in the pan, I quickly moved the pan away from the gas and fumbled to get another larger pan to cover the flames and extinguish my “little” fire. Instantly the flames reached up in between the two salamanders (over-the-stove open broilers) and the greasy mechanical parts caught fire. With one fire out and another started there was no easy way to extinguish this new problem that was not burning out. I blew into the one inch space betwen the salamanders as hard as I could and Chef did the same and after a few heavy huffs and puffs we managed to stop the flames and smoke.

I imaged myself standing out in front of the school’s restaurant with the fire trucks surrounding us and the diners and Chefs all pointing at me because I set the school on fire. Not what I want to be remembered for – luckily that scene never played out and I gained my composure and caught up to my orders. That being said, whenever you face a grease fire the best way to stop it is by smothering it with a large pot lid and never use water! Sometimes a lot of baking soda can put it out too but that usually is not as convenient. Smother a grease fire and be sure not to get it close to flammable curtains, wood cabinets, etc. Smokey the Bear says, “only you can prevent forest fires,” did he mention anything about the perils of cooking?

Salad Daze

2008-09-06T12:55:00.006-04:00

The best thing about starting on the Garde Manger station is the chance to work with Chef Laura once again. Our assistant Chef for Levels I, II, and III – she brings a calming air to the kitchen.

Chef Laura walked us through the process for the evening, showed us how the two appetizer dishes we make are prepared and she gave us the lay of the land. The Garde Manger kitchen is its own separate space amidst the sea of controlled chaos.

There are four appetizers on the menu of L’Ecole – Level V students make two and the other two are made by Level VI students with whom we share the space. Our job is to coordinate our orders so they go out together. On the menu, we are making an Arugula, red & yellow roasted tomato, goat cheese and olive tapenade tart on puff pastry. Our other dish is a sautéed calamari with garlic and lemon dusted with herbed Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) served with a salad of shaved fennel and haricots verts. Level VI students make a consomme with foie gras gnocchi and a salmon roll with a lemon sauce.

Chef asks me to tackle the puff pastry (that was made from a previous class) and roll out two of them so it will be ready to bake. As I roll out the delicate dough I notice that it is tearing from the gentle pressure of the rolling pin. As I baked the puff pastry and took it out of the convection oven our faces dropped – the butter in the dough was never properly incorporated when it was first made and it basically produced a flat, lifeless hard cracker that we had to toss out. Chef asked me to run up to the second floor pastry kitchens and ask the chefs if they had any dough to spare – no dice. However, Chef Karen who is in the Production kitchen miraculously came to our rescue with frozen dough that she had in the freezer. Towards the end of the night I started making puff pastry for our next night so we would be aptly prepared for service.

As the orders rolled in we took turns calling them out and coordinated our dishes very well. I spent a good portion of the evening running trays of appetizers up to the front of the kitchen. Mid-way through service the orders for digestive salads started cranking out. The restaurant serves a small mixed green salad with ricotta salata and a quenelle of sorbet to aid in digestion and clean the palate before serving dessert – which look spectacular.

When the final orders for digestive salads were completed we started to clean up our space and call it a night. We worked really well under the fast-pace getting our appetizer plates out quickly and artfully prepared. The Level VI students pitched in when it was quiet for them and I was impressed by their willingness to help out. As always its a pleasure working with Chef Laura, she is a consummate professional with a great sense of humor and I’m looking forward to the next 3 classes dishing up the apps.

Make your reservations now for L'Ecole (reservations can be made on (www.opentable.com)! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday - I'll be dishing out something good and I may even surprise you with something special. Let me know if you make a reservation so that I'm aware.

To learn more about L'Ecole and browse the current menu - click here.

Orders Up!

2008-09-04T17:12:00.003-04:00

Our last night on the Entremetier station, I had mushrooms on my mind and wanted to make something with them. The storeroom usually carries shiitake, oyster and cremini mushrooms so I knew we could count on them as being a core ingredient in whatever we made for the vegetarian option.

Chef asked Tim and me what we had in mind for the impromptu vegetarian choices for the evening. We discussed doing an orzo salad with sautéed wild mushrooms, roasted red peppers and fresh herbs accompanied by an Arugula and petit pea salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette, ricotta salata and a macédoine of tomatoes. Chef liked the idea and added frizzled leeks and carrots to the mix for garnish.

For the vegetarian fish option I suggested a tomato and grilled peach salad – and after discussing components I went to work to create it. I grilled slices of red onion and tomatoes, peaches were quartered and grilled as well. For the presentation I chose rounded edged rectangular plates – a small amount of dressed Arugula was placed in the middle section of the dish, then three slices of tomato, some soft red onions and two beautiful slices of grilled peaches on top. We drizzled an amazing balsamic reduction over the peaches and sprinkled a little Maldon salt over it. Balsamic was artistically drizzled on the plate around the food and chopped pistachios finished the entire look. It was a gorgeous looking dish.

With service beginning at 8:00 pm sharp, the team was on its toes and we were flooded with lots of orders, more so than any other night. We were thrilled to make so many dishes and were careful to make each one an exact replica of the last one. It was a busy night in the restaurant and the energy was great – the Entremetier team is a cohesive, hard-working group and we are happily on our way to the Garde Manger station.

Sunday Dinner in Paris

2008-08-31T23:14:00.008-04:00

This past weekend I started seriously working on my menu project that is due in a few weeks. I’ve picked a theme – Sunday Dinner in Paris – and the food will have a South of France flavor. My inspiration came from my affinity for my Mom’s Sunday afternoon dinners that we had while growing up. While the food I am presenting in this menu is far off from what Mom would have served – the love and intent is the same.

I’m finding that photographing the food has become the most difficult thing to do. Capturing the right angle and positioning the dishes is tricky. I’ve included some of my attempts at being a food photographer. The menu begins with an Amuse Bouche of Gougère (a simple pâte à choux pastry dough with Gruyère cheese) a white bean puree with parsley and a French Martini to start the celebration of the meal (thank god for cocktail culture!).

My second dish is a Soupe au Potiron (Butternut and Acorn Squash soup) with crème fraiche with herbs de Provence essence and chive oil. The nasturtium flower came from my sister’s garden and is an edible garnish. Next a fish course that is still under consideration then Lamb Persillade with Parsnip puree, sautéed Swiss Chard with crispy garlic and a Niçoise olive tapenade.

After the lamb a digestif salad (still being composed) and then dessert – most likely a Tarte Tartin with a Lavender scented Crème Chantilly. After photographing all the food, I need to pair wine with one of the courses, figure out some costing, write up a summary and bind it in an attractive way. Not a simple task but it’s been fun to eat through my mistakes.

Waste Not, Want Not

2008-08-30T16:24:00.002-04:00

A valuable lesson in the professional kitchen is to never waste anything. Food is so expensive and most new restaurants never make it past the first year usually failing from financial mismanagement. Scraps and bones can go into making stocks, reinforcing sauces and even making garnishes.

Our vegetarian entrées utilized everything extra that we had from the past few nights. Chef marched out the walk-in refrigerator with a large hotel pan filled with extra vegetables, dressings, sauces, and left over risotto. We brainstormed quickly about what we could use and Chef decided that we would make risotto croquets that we would plate with red and yellow pepper sauces sautéed spinach and a garnish of fried basil and tomato skins.

Our other dish would be an Arugula salad with shaved baby carrots, fennel, red onion tossed with a lemon vinaigrette and decorated with orange segments, pea shoots and a beet dressing. I went ahead and used the beets we had from the other night which were still vibrant, fresh and delicious. Some peeled ginger, diced beets, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper went into the Vita-Prep blender and I pureed the ingredients while I slowly added some blended olive oil until an emulsion bound the dressing together. The dressing was an opulent magenta color with a fantastic and balanced flavor.

We played with the sauces and dressed white plates with some designs – this part of plating is always fun and a lot more difficult that it appears. At 8:oo pm service begins at the restaurant and the roll of orders come in starting with canapés. My team eagerly awaits to respond to a vegetarian order in lieu of the fish or beef course.

Orders slowly came in and dishes were fired – our petite salad presented itself quite beautifully. I carefully dressed the Arugula, fennel, onion and carrots with the vinaigrette in a separate bowl, Ashley perfected a swirl design on the plate with the beet dressing. I perched the salad on top of the design and arranged orange segments around it. The trickiest part was adjusting the pea shoots to stand in the middle of the dish to give it dramatic height.

Our risotto croquets were deep-fried to order and perched on a bed of sautéed spinach that was surrounded by the red and yellow pepper sauces. A few crisp leaves of translucent fried basil and tomato skin finished the look.

At the end of the night, we cleaned up and packed up our knife packs looking forward to the long weekend. Chef wished us a happy holiday weekend and reminded us about our big project coming up.

After changing into regular clothes, a few of us wanted an end of the week cocktail and decided to go to our current watering hole on Crosby Street in SoHo. “ñ” bar serves tapas and Spanish wines and is just steps away from school. I had a lip for a good Rioja and choose a full-bodied wine which was very satisfying. Marcela, her husband Pablo, Rodrigo, Tim, Stephanie, Michele, Luis and I unwound from the day and decompressed from the past week. It was great to catch up on news, gossip and stories from the kitchen. We laughed and chatted until most of us ran out of steam. My bed was beckoning me and I was ready to answer the call.

Made to Order

2008-08-28T10:54:00.005-04:00

My nerves are easing off as I enter the restaurant’s kitchen for the second day. The Entremetier station is not the busiest station but allows for student creativity since there’s no set menu. We are working with a new Chef for this Level, a very likeable, straight-forward kind of guy who wears his passion for food on his sleeve. In the kitchen brigade, Chef Phil will oversee the Entremetier, Saucier, and Poissonnier stations to ensure orders and dishes are complete and executed properly.

Chef Phil mentioned his desire to make a risotto with artichokes, parmesan, fresh herbs and a garnish of thinly sliced fried garlic and artichokes. I love a good risotto so I was happy to oblige and started working on the preparation. I’ve made risotto in the past and love its creamy consistency and ability to complement a vast array of flavors. However, I’ve never made risotto that wasn’t served as soon as it was ready so learning how to make this dish in advance was something I was eager to learn.

Chef Phil asked me to make a basic risotto and I started with diced onions, shallots, garlic and lots of butter to sauté the ingredients. I had white wine and vegetable stock on hand to ladle into the Arborio rice once I was ready to incorporate liquids to the starchy grain. My instructions were to cook the risotto 80 percent of the way and then stop the cooking process and allow the risotto to cool on a sheet pan fitted with parchment paper. Once orders came in I finalized the cooking process by adding vegetable stock, cooked artichokes, fresh herbs, cheese, salt and pepper and then topped with the garnish. With each dish being cooked to order, I enjoyed standing at the stove and knocking them out as needed.

Our other dish for the evening was an heirloom tomato salad with gorgeous yellow tomatoes with sweet cherry tomatoes and a lemon vinaigrette, fresh figs stuffed with goat cheese, frisée greens and a drizzle of balsamic reduction to bring it all together. The salad was visually beautiful with bright and contrasting colors. I’m a perfectionist at heart and want every dish to look its absolute best and taste even more extraordinary than expected. I know I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to food…I just can’t help it and I’m not going to change.

At Last,...L'Ecole!

2008-08-26T20:52:00.006-04:00

At last, working in FCI's restaurant - nervous trepidation sets in...I start in Entremetier (French name for vegetable station) with my group of two other students - both solid team players. Our role in the kitchen is to provide vegetarian selections in place of the fish and meat course. That night we made a roasted vegetable plate with frisee salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette to replace the fish course and a roasted red and yellow beet phyllo napoleon with a goat cheese filling and balsamic reduction for the meat course. Both very simple and pretty dishes that were composed to order. Our first night was slow with only about 50 covers and about 8 vegetarian dishes were plated.

In L'Ecole, Level V and VI students run the show and do all the cooking while the Chef-Instructors guide us. The Chef expediting the orders is Chef Marc from our Level I and II days - we've come full circle it seems - he's introduced us to the kitchen and now he is watching us execute some complicated dishes for the restaurant.

When orders come in, Chef Marc belts out whatever he needs like 4 canapes, 2 scallop, 1 rabbit and 1 lamb medium. The order is written on a dry-erase board and the teams start to get things together at their stations. Once the canapes go out, then appetizer, fish, meat and dessert follow. Careful timing is necessary to ensure all main entrees are produced and plated at the same time. When Chef calls the order a second time, he shouts, "Firing, 1 rabbit, 1 lamb, etc." which means you have about 5 - 8 minutes to get the finished plate out the dispatch table for the server.

Each night the Entremetier station produces two new dishes to keep the students on their toes and engaged. We are encouraged to bring ideas and recipes to the kitchen to try them out in the restaurant. In a way I'm feeling a sense of accomplishment as I begin my new level and in the same vein there's a sense that I'm starting all over but we a tougher audience - one that pays for the food I am preparing.

Seared into Memory

2008-08-26T20:49:00.003-04:00

Our last Family Meal buffet, tonight’s specialty of the house is to create a pasta bar. Chef Wanda gave me boneless chicken breasts to trim and marinate however I wished – I worked on the marinade using white wine, fresh thyme, crushed garlic, dried herbs and slices of fresh lemon. The chicken marinated for about 45 minutes while we decided how we are going to combine our available ingredients to make something delicious.

We decided to roast some red peppers, blanch lots of broccoli and make a garlic-infused oil as our base sauce. To give the chicken a head start I fired up the grill and seared a quadrillage (crisscrossed grill marks) on both sides of the chicken breasts. The grill was so hot that my hand was burning as I flipped over the chicken. I wrapped my hand in a kitchen towel as I clung to a pair of tongs to protect myself from the blazing heat of the grill. Ultimately, the quadrillage looked beautiful and the two sheet trays of chicken went into the convection oven with some of the crushed garlic and slices of lemon to finish cooking.

We cooked copious amounts of bow tie pasta, combined that with roasted peppers, broccoli, soft roasted garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, fresh chopped herbs and the garlic infused blended olive oil. The pasta had a wonderful fresh flavor with a subtle garlic flavor. Our other team members made a creamy red sauce with penne and grilled Italian sausage – a spicy, flavorful combination.

The last half of the evening we had one more opportunity to work with David Arnold, FCI’s technology food guru. We played with meat glue also known as transglutaminase – a substance used in cooking to bond proteins together like imitation crab meat and those familiarly shaped Chicken McNuggets.. Transglutaminase in molecular gastronomy gives chefs an opportunity to experiment and push the culinary envelope. The meat glue we used was in a powdered form and looked like a beige-colored confectioner’s sugar.

Dave took thin flank steak and glued on chicken skin to make his take on chicken-fried steak. The steak was deep fried until the skin was crispy and flavorful and then served to us to sample. The chicken skin stayed secured to the meat and the crispy texture gave way to the juiciness of the meat. Next experiment in flavor, we glued boneless chicken breast to dark meat and a stuffing and rolled the meat into a perfect roll. While we waited for the glue to work its enzymatic magic we tried a low-temperature steak that “cooked” in a vacuum package immersed in 135 degree water for 48 hours. The beauty of steak cooked in this manner is that it can never over cook and when you are ready to serve it all you need to do is give it a quick sear on the grill. Dave took the steak out of the package and he decided to deep fry it for about 30 seconds. The result was a juicy, tender, perfectly pink cut of steak with a buttery texture.

These past few days with Dave Arnold have been fascinating and as I reflect on our time spent with Chef Wanda in Family Meal, Chef Janet in Production and Chef Nic – our dedicated lead chef for Level III and Level IV – I will miss the camaraderie of working with three fantastic and charismatic chefs and the opportunity to learn more from their culinary expertise. Hats off to my student team as well, we excelled at the many challenges we faced and we worked together synergistically – the close bond we formed will always be a part of my culinary journey.

Move Over Hoover!

2008-08-22T00:17:00.004-04:00

Our days in the Family Kitchen are winding down and part of our learning last night was a lesson about food technology, vacuum sealing, texture modification, sous-vide and low temperature cooking. All fascinating stuff, our Instructor was Dave Arnold, Director of Food Technology at the FCI. To learn more about Chef Dave click here for an in-depth Food & Wine article about him.

Dave introduced us to one of his favorite toys – a vacuum sealer the size of a large microwave. He played with some food experiments in the vacuum sealer just to illustrate how the monstrosity works. Some fluffy marshmallows were placed into the machine and through its clear acrylic hood we could see what was happening inside. Dave explained that the marshmallows are loaded with air so we would see them inflate to 5 x their size as the machine was extracting all the air out of the chamber. We were like kids with our noses pressed up against the toy shop window – the marshmallows expanded more and more and then when you thought they were about to explode the machine completed the vacuum stage and allowed air to funnel back in – as soon as that happened the over sized marshmallows almost disintegrated instantaneously into shriveled sugar-cube sized morsels. The explanation – with all the air removed from the product when the internal environment returned to normal the marshmallow collapsed upon itself as all its fluffiness was extracted.

Next experiment: vacuum-sealing cucumbers – Dave sealed a package with just a few slices of cucumber and some water. The hood closed down on the vacuum bag and he flipped the switch like a mad scientist would in a vintage movie. The bag with water and cucumbers started to shrink around the slices and air and water were being forced out of the food – once the vacuum was complete the machine began to stabilize the internal environment and in an instant the cucumber changed and resembled a jewel-like tone. All the cucumber water that was forced out mixed with the regular water and then was forcibly pushed back in the slices – you’re asking, why do this? Well, imagine the water was gin, vodka, curry oil, champagne vinegar or even simple syrup – the result would be a crisp slice of cucumber flavored with the very essence of the liquid you infused. Now imagine instead of a cucumber, try slices of pear, apple, steak, chicken, pasta, you name it – the achievement of a totally new flavor experience and the possibilities are endless!

The experiments were fun but contemplating the results was even more staggering. Finally, we talked about low-temperature cooking using a circulator (which is basically a lab instrument used by scientists to keep liquid at a stable and optimal temperature). Say you want to cook a perfectly medium rare steak with an internal temperature of 135 to 140 degrees. Vacuum sealing the steaks and then placing them in a basin of water at that very same temperature will allow the steak to reach the ideal temperature and could be held for an entire day without ever over cooking. In the restaurant setting at time of service, the steak would be removed from the bag, seasoned and placed on a very hot grill to caramelize the meat. In less than two minutes the steak is done and headed out to the diner to enjoy – cooked to perfection.

I know all of this is sort of space age and futuristic, but consider that years ago we thought the Cuisinart was a modern marvel and then the microwave came along and changed things – I think – for the worse. But nonetheless technology has played an intriguing part in raising the culinary bar. My take on all of this – bells and whistles aside – I think I am more of a modern traditionalist if there could be such a thing. I favor the slow-food movement but I can envision a balance between achieving quality food with the aid and advancement of culinary science.

A Pea in the Pod

2008-08-19T10:17:00.001-04:00

Guess how many pea pods are in a 5 lb. box – A LOT! Especially when you have to pick through them to remove the not so fresh ones, then remove the stringy filament from each and every pod. I was zoning out as I tackled the box of pea pods that sat in front of me – it seemed like hours were passing by as I trimmed the ends and cleaned the hundreds and hundreds of pea pods – at one point I thought they were magically multiplying since the pile never seemed to go down. The pea pods were one ingredient for a spicy coleslaw. Somehow I made it through, but boy was I cranky! Every little thing in the kitchen last night was annoying me, from people blocking the way when I had heavy trays of dirty bowls or the constant drone of idle nonsensical chatter. I was not having any of it – and I was barking at fellow students left and right. On my dinner break I went outside to get some fresh air and get it together.

Next week we move into the L’École kitchen and begin our Level V training. Time is rushing by and I’m amazed at how fast this current section went from Buffet to Production to Family Meal. Very soon I need to gear up to start an at home project consisting of menu design, food preparation, costing, research and plating techniques – the project is due the third week of Level V – more on this soon.

Last week, Chef Janet took some time after class to show me how to preserve lemons. Preserved lemons are a wonderful addition to a dish such as a roast lamb or chicken with Moroccan spices. I wanted to learn how to make these lemons for my upcoming project and it was very easy to do.

Preserved Lemons – we took two clean quart containers and about a dozen lemons. I washed the lemons in warm water to remove any waxy coating. We sliced almost all the way through the lemon lengthwise keeping one end in tact and then fit as many as we could in the quart containers. The addition of fresh thyme, basil and peppercorns will add a subtle aromatic flavor. A large quantity of Kosher salt filled the containers of lemons to help cure and draw out juices. Lastly, we added lemon juice using Chef Janet’s ratio. With 5 whole lemons in the container we added the juice of 5 additional lemons and some more salt to top it off. The containers were sealed and double wrapped in heavy duty plastic wrap and I was sent home with these instructions. Place the containers in the refrigerator and once a week turn them around and place them upside down to distribute the curing liquid. In about four weeks my lemons will be ready to use and will keep in the refrigerator indefinitely. The lemons will be ready in time for my big culinary project and time is ticking away for me to compose a theme, decide on courses and execute the plan. My mind is simmering with ideas!

Using My Noodle

2008-08-18T11:57:00.001-04:00

Working with 15 lbs. of rice noodles, I prepared an Asian-inspired side dish for our Family Meal buffet that included stir-fried vegetables and baked tilapia fillets. Cooking the noodles and then cooling them down was just part of the battle – with three stock pots of boiling water at the ready I cooked the delicate fine strands of noodles for 3 to 4 minutes until they were done. With a large wire strainer I scooped out the noodles to drain and transport them to a stainless bowl perched over ice.

We prepared about 8 quarts of a fresh ginger/soy dressing and mixed the noodles by hand for even coating. As I worked the dressing into the rice noodles, Chef added quarts of hoisin sauce, more soy, red pepper flakes, blanched broccoli florets, baby corn, shredded carrots, scallions, cilantro and basil.

I had an incredible amount of noodles to work with and I had to split the mixture into two giant bowls to properly mix in the added ingredients. With food service gloves on I worked those noodles into a frenzy and I got an upper-body workout at the same time. By service time I had tasted and sampled them so many times that I couldn't even attempt to eat them for dinner. Luckily, we always have salad as a back-up selection but the noodles were a hit and I think enjoyed by everyone overall.

The experience of cooking in large quantities has been a great re-introduction into the world of catering. My experience catering (many moons ago) has definitely helped me in this kitchen rotation and I’ve enjoyed working with the team to help feed the masses at the FCI.

Lemon Zesty!

2008-08-15T00:28:00.002-04:00

What’s on the menu tonight? – my usual question when walking into the Family Meal kitchen. Everything vegetarian…baked falafel, Israeli couscous and roasted plum tomatoes with a lemon Ricotta filling.

While we are on the subject of vegetarians, it amazes me how some FCI students and even a fellow classmate are vegetarians. I was perplexed when I first learned this, with the usual questions of why French Culinary School?, how do you taste or judge dishes that are not vegetarian, and for God’s sake why don’t you eat meat? The answers never seem to quite make sense to me.

My job for the family meal buffet was to prepare the stuffed tomatoes, the team sliced plum tomatoes lengthwise, removed the seeds and the woody stem. Next, out comes the giant bowl once again and I start making the filling with 4 qts. Ricotta, handfuls of coarsely grated Parmesan, minced garlic, salt, ground black pepper, chopped scallions, copious amounts of finely chopped herbs (parsley, basil, cilantro, chives) some extra virgin olive oil and lastly 1 cup of lemon zest.

When I was reviewing the recipe and came upon that last ingredient and my eyes glazed over (I had a mayonnaise moment). How many lemons and how long is it going to take me to get a cup full of lemon zest, I pondered. I washed about three dozen lemons, got my micro plane and went to work. One lemon yields maybe about a teaspoon of zest – if you’re lucky – as I’ve come to know quite assuredly.

With my hands tinged yellow and scented like a lemon chiffon pie, I worked though lemon after lemon and saved the naked fruit for lemonade. The final mixture was creamy, cheesy and rich – and to give it a more South of France flavor I added some dried Herbs de Provence.

Stephen and I worked to fill the 80 – 100 tomato halves and get them on sheet pans into the convection oven. After roasting for about 20 – 25 minutes I dusted the tomatoes with Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) to add some crunch. As the Panko went from pale to golden the Lemon-Ricotta Tomatoes were done.

A drizzle of Arugula pesto finished the attractive side dish and we were ready for buffet service to begin. That same night the other Buffet Meal students were presenting their ideas for their special Wednesday night buffet meal. Our family meal was overshadowed by their Asian/Indian-inspired dishes – I even turned my back on our vegetarian offerings and crossed the line to sample the Pork Vindaloo, Beef Rendang, Lamb Rogan and Chicken Tikka – all spicy, flavorful and delicious! Vegetarian – Smegetarian, I say!

Mayo Clinic

2008-08-12T18:59:00.006-04:00

The recipes we prepare for the Family Meal buffet have been outlined for us in our binders. The object is to prepare large quantities of food that is consistent, delicious and appealing. Before I started culinary school I wondered if I would get a dinner break during our five-hour class and how that would work. Happily, FCI does feed us, and now I have the chance to be a part of making that happen. It’s funny, when we were served Family Meal in our first level classes we would criticize it and wonder who was making this food?! Sometimes it was good and sometimes it was so-so. Only once I opted not to eat the main entrée and had salad instead.

Now I know the secrets behind Family Meal, it is entirely made by Level IV students and some of those students are good and some are so-so hence the quality of food. Luckily, my team is fantastic and overall our class is very good. It’s our turn to make a better and more appetizing dinner for the 150 students and staff each night. Better yet, we are working under an energetic, fireball of a Chef – Chef Wanda!

Chef Wanda has jet fuel coursing through her veins, she is fast, organized, speaks quickly also sometimes in Spanish and moves at the speed of light. She is wonderful to work with and gives us freedom and power to make the given recipes better and more creative.

Our first class, the main dish for the night was BBQ roasted chicken, with an old-fashioned potato salad and grilled vegetables. The six of us were split into three groups, protein, starch and veggie. I worked on the potato salad with Spencer at my side.

Looking at the recipe I realized the dressing required a gallon of mayonnaise – and thought I could probably get some commercial grade mayo from the storeroom. Chef quickly informed me I would be making my own hand-made mayonnaise unless the Garde Manger Kitchen had some leftover from service. Well, that wasn’t the case and I fetched the largest stainless steel bowl I could find which was probably at least four feet wide. I was perplexed trying to figure out how many egg yolks, vinegar, oil and Dijon mustard to use to make a whole gallon of mayonnaise. Chef told me to eyeball it and go for it – so I did.

I took out my trusty ballon whisk and laughed at how ridiculous it looked next to that giant bowl. I used about two pints of pasteurized egg yolks and about ½ cup of mustard, a heavy dash of salt and pepper and about a cup (or two) of white wine vinegar. Next the blended canola oil – I needed an extra pair of hands to help drizzle the oil in as I whisked it to begin the emulsion. Slowly but surely, the Dijon and egg yolks worked together to incorporate the oil with the aid of strong strokes of my whisk. I used almost a gallon of oil to get the quantity that I needed. Finally after about 30 minutes of work and breaking a sweat my mayonnaise came together beautifully, I tasted it and seasoned, tasted, seasoned, and tasted and seasoned some more until I felt it was just right. This (what I thought) monumental task was now something I would never fear and a sense of accomplishment washed over me. After that I completed the dressing with sour cream, fresh herbs and some more Dijon. As for potato salads go, I thought it was pretty damn good!

Goin' Hog Wild

2008-08-08T13:18:00.002-04:00

Our last night in the Production kitchen, none of us wanted to leave Chef Janet. We learned a lot in a short amount of time and produced lots of tasty treats to bring home. Chef carted out the rest of the charcuterie items we had made including smoked bacon, Italian pancetta, foie gras, bratwurst and choriço.

I was laden down with more pork products then I knew what to do with – but everything freezes well so I took my share. The next morning, I cooked off some of that bacon with eggs and toast – my refrigerator is looking more and more chef-like with quart containers of stock, sauces and purées and meats wrapped in parchment and plastic wrap. All kinds of goodness created by our hands under the watchful eye of a truly wonderful Chef.

On to the Family Meal kitchen where we make dinner for the lower level students in culinary and pastry classes, kitchen staff and students that work in L’École. We roughly prepare enough for about 150 servings of a protein, starch and vegetable. Our last rotation in Level IV with our next stop into the kitchens of L’Ecole.

A Bone to Pick with You!

2008-08-03T20:56:00.004-04:00

Our time spent in the Production kitchen with Chef Janet has been a great education in and of itself. We had the opportunity to make a duck liver pate using the sous vide cooking method. Chef showed us how to clean the liver and remove the veins and with her instruction I prepared a cure of salt, a tiny bit of sugar and some Armagnac and carefully coated the liver with the mixture. Chef then shaped the duck liver into a log and rolled it in parchment paper and then plastic wrap.

Chef brought a circulator into the kitchen, the machinery looked like something you would attach to an aquarium to filter the water. We filled a deep hotel pan with hot water and placed the circulator into the water. Chef turned on the machine and it gave us an instant read on the water temperature. After explaining and showing us how the circulator worked Chef programmed the temperature she wanted and we waited for the water to come to 65 degrees Celsius. The pate was tied off at both ends to ensure no water could get in and then submerged into the circulating water. The circulator basically circulates the water around the food item and keeps a constant temperature so even cooking is achieved. The pate cooked in this manner (sous vide) for a little over an hour afterwards we quick chilled it and let the flavors meld in the refrigerator for a few days.

Next, we learned how to remove all the bones from a chicken while keeping the integrity of the body and meat. Using our boning knife we carefully scraped down the inner bones away from the outside flesh. The process begins by removing the wing tips, wishbone, and then starting with the bones at the neck you work your way through to remove the major bones in the wings and upper cavity. Turning your chicken around and going through the back end we remove the thighbones and the leg bones. Lastly, removing the rib cage, breastbone and backbone is the trickiest part since the meat is the thinnest on the backside. Once that is complete the chicken is ready to be stuffed with anything from your culinary imagination.

I wanted to use ground pork as my base stuffing and I complemented that with Thai chili sauce, water chestnuts, aromatics (carrots/onions/shallots/garlic), shiitake mushrooms, mint, Thai basil and a little cilantro. With time running out I decided to take the items home to serve for dinner and just sauté the stuffing at school so I could use it already cooked.

Last night, I stuffed the chicken right before I was ready to roast it – and by using toothpicks and kitchen twine I carefully closed both ends of the bird. I made sure that the stuffing registered at 145 degrees on my thermometer before I took it out of the oven and ensured the crispy skin was golden, layered with lots of seasonings. After a short rest, I sliced the chicken like a roast and each slice exposed the spicy pork stuffing inside. The novelty of a boneless stuffed chicken opened up my mind to lots of different ideas for stuffing like a pork tenderloin surrounded by mushroom duxelles. Dinner was delicious accompanied by garlicky string beans splashed with soy and a peppery Arugula salad with vine ripe tomatoes. A dish I will certainly make again and again.

Smokin'

2008-07-29T23:21:00.003-04:00

After prepping meats and fish for the restaurant, we began cold smoking our salmon and trout that cured for a few days. Cold smoking adds a subtle smoky flavor and gives an appealing presentation. Chef Janet has been teaching us about cold and hot smoking techniques and the process is not something I would recommend doing at home unless you want firemen crashing through your door.

Chef brought us hickory wood chips and untreated coals. We placed the black coals on a gas burner to heat them up until they were ashy in color. In a cold oven we placed the salmon and trout on racks in sheet trays on the top level of the oven. In the middle level we put down a layer of ice on a sheet pan to act as a buffer to the smoking embers. On the floor of the oven we placed an aluminum container filled with smoldering coals and hickory chips. As the smoke arose it was chilled by the icy tray and then bloomed over the trays of fish.

Chef Janet explained why we would cold smoke instead of hot smoke the fish. In the case of the salmon hot smoking would “cook” the fish and change its texture. The trout on the other hand was cold smoked for the flavor and then it finished cooking in a low oven.

Once the salmon emerged from the smoking oven (mind you we had to reheat the coals half a dozen time to keep the smoke going) we sliced the fish on a bias to obtain long paper-thin slices to enjoy. The smoke imparted a rich flavor and our dry cure gave the salmon a firmer texture by withdrawing all of the moisture out of the fish thus preserving it.

The trout on the other hand was saved to use for the next buffet where it was a big hit and flew off the serving platter. I made a sauce with fresh dill, crème fraîche and freshly grated horseradish to give it a little kick. The creamy dill sauce pared extremely well with the tender smoked white fish.

As I think back to our smoking experience, I am reminded of the amazing scent of hickory wood filling the kitchen – it reminded me of the cozy warmth of a winter fireplace even though it was 90 degrees outside.

The Producers

2008-07-27T19:13:00.005-04:00

All good things must come to an end, our last night in the Buffet kitchen we cleaned up from the mess we made from producing a bounty of food and rotated to our new role for the coming two weeks in the Production kitchen. The Production kitchen is where all the fish and meat gets prepped for the school’s restaurant, L’École. At the beginning of each class, we go through all of the items that the main kitchen needs butchered or filleted for that evening. I’ve broken down a whole leg of lamb, cleaned squid, filleted mackerel, frenched racks of pork and I am learning all of this under the guidance of an amazing Chef. I met Chef Janet in a lecture class we had very early on when we were all in Level I. She taught us how to sharpen our knives on a whet stone and calibrate our new thermometers. She fascinated me with her stories and excitement when it came to charcuterie. She possesses the kind of excitement for food that is intoxicating and I am thrilled to learn from her experience and be around her fun, excited energy.

Immediately, on our first full night, we got to work breaking down lamb, venison, tenderloins, halibut and sea bass that were so large it required two large cutting boards to fillet them. Once we whip through everything the restaurant needs we go to task on making charcuterie items and learning lots of different techniques. That night Chef Janet suggested we dry cure salmon with Tequila, mint, and salt. We prepped trout with a dry cure to later cold smoke it in another class. Lastly, my partner and I removed the pork loin from a rack of rib chops and Chef Janet guided us in making Canadian Bacon by brining the pork loin in a wet cure of salt, water, maple syrup and crushed sage. All the food items we made needed a few days to cure and we followed the step-by-step process of making dry and wet cures and why you would choose one over another.

At the end of the night, after we labeled and wrapped up all that we were working on, Chef Janet bounced around the kitchen and asked us what we wanted to do for future classes. Before we could even think of an answer she belted out ideas that almost overwhelmed me with anticipation. Thoughts of making your own bacon, duck prosciutto, seafood sausage, duck rillette, foie gras, and smoked meats was so intriguing I almost blurted out, “I want to do it all!”

I’m more fascinated now with charcuterie and butchering than I ever thought I would be. Understanding how curing evolved through the ages as a way to preserve food when refrigeration was not available is ingenious. Lastly, the fear of not knowing how to butcher large cuts of meat is no longer a daunting task – not that I know everything by any means! Just the simple act of buying a whole fish and being confident enough that I could take that fish and make boneless fillets for dinner is a rewarding feeling.

Portuguese-Inspired

2008-07-27T17:33:00.011-04:00

Our second buffet in this rotation had a Latin/Seafood theme. It was our last special buffet to work on so we really wanted to impress with great flavors and a beautiful display.

We had been preparing in the prior two classes for this night, my first drama of the evening was that I couldn’t find the frozen Bacalao fritters in the fourth floor kitchen. I raced around to other kitchens and finally found them in another freezer. It was important to get them out as soon as possible since they had to defrost before being fried. I made a pureed roasted red pepper and tomato sauce to go with the codfish fritters.

My big project for the evening was making a traditional Portuguese dish of Pork and Clams. I had the pork cubes in a marinade for two days and proceeded to dry off the meat and sear it in a large Rondeau. Once I was able to sear the meat in two batches I worked on caramelizing the aromatics that I used in the marinade. Once the Rondeau was deglazed I added the meat back with some flour to coat the meat. I stirred the dry mixture to cook out the raw flour taste and then added hot veal stock to braise the pork covered in a low oven (about 325 – 350 degrees).

After about 1½ hours I removed the pork from the oven, separated the meat from the aromatics and strained the cooking liquid. I began reducing the sauce and time was ticking away. The pork went back into the sauce and then the clams were added to steam open in the covered pot. It is very common to have roasted potatoes with this dish so I cubed Idaho potatoes and roasted them in duck fat in a convection oven.

Finally it was time to get our dishes out, I thickened the sauce with a mixture of room temperature butter mixed with flour. The sauce took on a velvety texture and I tasted it for seasoning. At the end of the night, I was proud of the dishes that I prepared and hoped that I brought a little of myself to the table.

All in the Family

2008-07-24T17:19:00.003-04:00

All of the Assistant Chefs I’ve come into contact with have been great to work with but one in particular is my favorite hands down. Chef Laura, has been with my group all through Level I, II and III and she has become a wonderful confidant and mentor in many ways.

The other day we were happy to see her in our new kitchen since we don’t get to interact with her in our Level IV class. She mentioned that she needed some volunteer help to prepare family meal on a day that I didn’t have class – my cooking pal, Marcela and I signed up on the spot.

The evening we were slated to help out for family meal, Chef Laura told us what main ingredients we had to work and we quickly brainstormed and came up with a plan. We had grilled flank steak, boneless breasts of chicken and whatever produce we could possibly need. We also had to prepare some wraps/sandwiches for the Level VI students who were having their final that night.

We quickly got to work, Marcela decided to make a flank steak salad with cilantro and marinated red onions and a vinaigrette – she also worked on the wraps which looked quite tasty – especially the ones filled with roasted vegetables and goat cheese.

I decided to use the chicken breasts to make the largest amount of Jambalaya that I’ve ever made in my life. Chef and I talked out my recipe and she suggested some very smart ideas to make the recipe work for a buffet-sized portion. Learning to cook in large quantities is very tricky just simply for the mere size and proportion of ingredients.

I quickly cleaned and roughly chopped my celery, onions and red peppers than I ran batches of the vegetables in a giant food processor called a Robot Coupe. I began by sautéing bacon and sweating my vegetables in a pot called a Rondeau that had to be 3½ feet in diameter. Once the all the vegetables were properly sweated, which took about 30 minutes, I added loads of chopped shallots and garlic to give them a quick sauté. Normally, at this point I would toss in my rice, seasonings (including: ground pepper, salt, cayenne, Tabasco, chili powder and a touch of smoky paprika) and chicken stock but here is where we diverted from the procedure. We decided to season the vegetable mixture, add a restaurant-sized can of tomatoes (that were first chopped in the Robot Coupe), and a large quantity of red beans. After those additions I let the mixture sit on the stove barely simmering.

The 8 quarts of rice were started in another Rondeau with hot chicken stock and left covered to absorb all that flavor. The chicken (all three sheet trays) were drizzled with blended oil and then seasoned with salt, pepper, smoky paprika, and chili powder. Chef Laura suggested we roast the chicken in a high-powered convection oven to seal in the juiciness. About 15 – 20 minutes later the chicken was done and allowed to rest. The rice was perfect and ready to be transferred into hotel pans for the buffet table and my saucy mixture was thinned out with some hot chicken stock. For a nice garnish I sautéed more bacon lardons, chopped some scallions and sautéed some shrimp to add to the Jambalaya.

We layered sliced chicken breasts in a hotel pan then covered that with the flavorful Jambalaya mixture and finally added our garnish of bacon, scallions and shrimp. The rice was served plain and on the side which worked out very well. Soon lots of Chefs and kitchen staff filed into the family meal kitchen and started inhaling the food we laid out. The flank steak salad was a big hit as well as the Jambalaya – even one of the pickiest Chefs came in and told me it was flavorful, very good and that he enjoyed it. When it all comes down to it – that type of appreciation is why I love to cook for loved ones, friends and now my new family at the French Culinary Institute.

Cooking with Heart & Soul

2008-07-19T20:38:00.003-04:00

I often reminisce about food I’ve enjoyed either from trips abroad or even from my childhood. Flavors and scents will trigger memories for me – from the aroma of Mom’s marinara sauce slowly cooking on top of the stove all day even to the headiness of sautéing onions with dried Italian herbs.

Our second buffet is slated for next week and I’ve been inspired to cook Portuguese-inspired food. Our theme is focused on Latin flavors and my dishes will fall right in line with what we plan to present at the buffet. Chef must have read my mind because the other night when I came into the kitchen he said he ordered some salted codfish (Bacalao – as it is referred to in my home) I smiled and rifled though my papers and pulled out a recipe for Pasteis de Bacalao (codfish fritters) and showed Chef.

Bacalao (pronounced băh-kăh-yēow) is a main ingredient in many Mediterranean cultures. Recipes are found in French, Basque, Spanish, and Portuguese kitchens. It was a prized food in the days before refrigeration was perfected – the cod was preserved in salt and dried and could be held for long periods of time. It was prefect for the time, a product that was not affected by inadequate storage and the opportunity to have fish when fresh fish was not an option.

Growing up in a Polish/Portuguese household, I was exposed to lots of different foods that were not typically American. I think those experiences laid the groundwork for me to have a greater acceptance of food in all its wonderful variety and genres. Bacalao was a common ingredient at the Ramos home. I remember seeing my mom soaking cod for a few days in water to release all the caked-on salt. She would change the water a couple of times a day to ensure that most of the salt would be released.

When preparing codfish, most often we would have them as an appetizer of crisp, fried Bacalao fritters. Other times we would also have a salad of broken cod, with herbs such as parsley, with sliced boiled potatoes and really good extra-virgin olive oil.

I was really excited to work with the Bacalao that Chef ordered and having NEVER made Bacalao fritters I was charged with the challenge. In fact, I haven’t had them in ages so that’s another plus! A few days before class I was on the phone with my Mom asking her how she made her fried Bacalao balls. Then she consulted with our cousins to refine the recipe and double check procedure. Finally a 10:30 pm call from Mom resulted in the recipe and procedure for the dish.

Back in the school’s kitchen, I put a stockpot filled with milk on the fire and added my codfish so it would soften and be pliable. I kept the fish on a low simmer and let it steep in the milk for about 40 minutes. Next, I chopped onion, shallot and garlic in a fine mince and I began sautéing the onion until almost translucent with no caramelized color, then added the shallot and lastly the garlic just to release its flavor. Chef came by and added a healthy pour of extra-virgin olive oil to the mixture and said, “its Mediterranean, we need lots of good olive oil!”

Once the fish was softened, we drained it in a colander, mixed it with the aromatics in the sauté pan and I broke up the pieces of fish and coated them just for a few minutes. Into a large mixer with the paddle attachment we carefully mixed the codfish with some double cream and some more extra-virgin olive oil and some cracks of black pepper. Lastly, the addition of freshly chopped parsley and some cilantro gave the creamy white mixture a nice pop of fresh color.

We all tried the Bacalao and were pleased with the creamy, subtle flavor – Chef had his bite on a slice of fresh bread and remarked that he’d be happy with just that for dinner. My fellow students took charge in shaping and breading the 2 trays of Bacalao with an egg wash and bread crumbs we made that evening while I began two sauces for our cold seafood platter in advance.

Chef disappeared for a few minutes while we were working and came back with a handful of fritters that he had just deep-fried to perfection – I guessed he couldn’t wait any longer to try them!

One bite into the crisp outer shell of breadcrumbs into the warm filling and I was 7 years old tugging on Mom’s apron anxiously awaiting to have the first one out of the hot oil. Waiting for the Bacalao to cool on paper towels seemed like an eternity but it was worth the wait – I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder.

Feeding the Masses

2008-07-17T15:55:00.008-04:00

The big night, our first buffet! We all got to the kitchen a little earlier than usual to make sure we met the 8:30 pm deadline. Chef instructed us on some dishes and made each of us responsible for many different items.

I immediately got to work on my pork loin’s stuffing. I mixed pork forcemeat, sweetbreads, apricots, dried plums, golden raisins and spices. The pork loin was sliced into one flat piece of meat, I rolled the stuffing in the middle, tied it off and tackled the pork roast by making a dry-rub that Chef suggested – it consisted of juniper berries, black pepper, all spice, coriander and salt. The aromatic dry-rub perfumed the kitchen mingling with the aromas of bubbling pots of veal stock, and oven-roasted meat.

Once I got the two pork mains into the oven, we seared the meat on a high temperature for about 20 minutes then dropped the oven down to 350 degrees. Since I had leftover stuffing mixture, Chef decided that I would make stuffed red peppers. I doctored the stuffing with some eggs to bind it, breadcrumbs and rice.

My fellow kitchen mates worked on salmon in puff pastry, a delicious rice salad, the Arancini was deep-fried, Marcella made a Tres Leches cake that everybody raved about and were sad when it ran out. It really was delicious and I can still taste its creamy texture and custard-like consistency. We had quail to sear and roast, polenta to cut and sauté to a golden brown, avocado salad, cucumber salad with a yogurt-dill dressing, roasted beat salad, two potato gratins to re-heat, roast veal to braise, fruit salad in carved watermelon baskets, pâté and rillette to slice and plate on large silver platters, a ham glazing in the oven – a lot of food to produce, complete, platter and present.

We worked so hard to get everything done and right about 8:15 pm we were pushing out trays of food to be set up. It really was an exciting rush to get it all done and the response was great. The quail, roast pork chops, Tres Leches cake and pork roast were attacked by the hungry mob of students, Chefs and kitchen staff. I hung around the table explaining to the diners how dishes were made and flavored.

At the end of the night, we cleaned the disaster we made in the kitchen, bowls, pots, sauté pans, sheet pans were everywhere! Lastly, we sat down and started to finalize our plan of action for next week’s buffet. We have a Latin theme and lots of tasty surprises in store, save your appetite, there’s more to come.

Piggly Wiggly

2008-07-15T09:15:00.004-04:00

Our second night in the new kitchen still feels awkward. We are so used to coming into class with a set of recipes and a game plan that it throws me off not knowing exactly what we are trying to make for that night.

Our first big buffet is on Wednesday and everything needs to be presented no later than 8:30 pm so we won’t have a lot of time to prep that night. Our goal last night was to get as much as we could done in advance.

I am in charge of all the pork dishes. I’m doing a stuffed roasted boneless pork loin that will be stuffed with sweet Italian sausage, a pork forcemeat, dried apricots, sweet breads, bread crumbs, and herbs. There’s also a rack of Pork that I frenched and will use a dry savory herb rub when I roast it. I made the pork rillette and cooked the pork pâté last night in a bain-marie at 350 degrees until the internal temperature was about 145 degrees.

I started the evening by preparing two potato gratins, one with thinly sliced potatoes, with a layer of dried plums in the center all bathed in heavy cream. The other gratin I made was a potato fennel gratin with parmesan and crème fraiche between layers of potatoes. The gratins were baked, bubbly and set aside to cool so that on Wednesday they will have melded flavors and we only have to heat them up.

Other menu items include: Arancini (risotto rice balls), a roasted beet salad with goat cheese, stuffed quail, salmon with spinach and mushroom duxelles wrapped in puff pastry, veal roast, glazed ham, rice salad, black beans, fresh fruit and a blueberry cobbler.

I’m hoping all the dishes will be a success, we make our “customers” happy and "Th-th-th-that's all folks!"

The All-You-Can-Eat Buffet

2008-07-12T22:14:00.003-04:00

My group moved down to the buffet/family/production kitchen. We are just steps away from being in the real kitchen of L’Ecole – the French Culinary Institute’s own restaurant.

The class is split into three groups, each group tackles food production, family meal and buffet service and we do this in two week rotations. I’m paired with five other students that I’m looking forward to working with and planning our special buffet meals. We can do whatever we want for buffet – this service feeds the Chef-Instructors, Asst. Chefs and Level 5 and 6 students. So, it’s a chance for us to practice our skills, learn some new ones and express our culinary creativity.

The first night in buffet kitchen, we were a little lost – which is the usual scenario when we are placed in a new kitchen. No one knows where anything is, we have to find supplies, figure out where to set up and follow the normal protocols.

Happily, my team is led by our Level III Chef-Instructor – Chef Nic – we all really enjoy working with him. When we go into production and family meal we will be working under the guidance of two other Chefs.

None of us knew what we would actually be doing on the first night until Chef told us that he made some purchasing decisions for our first buffet that will be presented this coming Wednesday. We planned some menu ideas for canapés, butchered some veal, pork and brined a huge ham. We volunteered to take charge of the different entrées. I choose the pork loin and pork roast and will assist Marcella on the quail entrée.

To get us started and prepped for Wednesday’s buffet I made a country pork pâté from start to finish with help from Chef Nic and I also worked on a pork rillette. Starting with the pork pâté I broke down two pork butts and cut them into 2 inch cubes, added some sliced fat back and then brought it over to the professionally-sized meat grinder. Chef instructed me to grind half of the meat and fat on a coarse grind and the other half on a finer grind to add differing textures to the final product. After he left me, I clogged the machine after I put on the second extruder – sheepishly, I had to call him back to help me and we figured out what I did wrong and it was an easy fix.

After the meat was ground we seasoned it with black truffles, French four-spice, salt, pepper, a splash of brandy, Madeira and Port wine. We added diced ham, some more diced fat back and pistachios to the mix and let the flavors meld. Testing a small amount of the pâté was done by making a small patty and sautéing it in some oil to make sure it was seasoned properly – happy with the seasoning I prepared the terrines that the pate would take shape in for Monday.

Lastly, the pork rillette was made by using the same pork butt with other added seasonings and cooked slowly in the oven for a few hours covered in duck fat. The result was a full-flavored pork that melted in your mouth. In a standing mixture with the paddle attachment we shredded the cooked meat and seasoned it some more before I put the mixture into another terrine. By the end of the night, I was more comfortable in our new surroundings, I got my bearings and became more and more excited about presenting our first buffet meal.

Judges' Table

2008-07-10T09:15:00.004-04:00

Last night marked the end of Level III, we had a written test and our Midterm practical exam.

First of all, my body clock is totally on Chef’s time – whenever I get home from school I can’t get to bed until 2:30 am because my adrenaline is still racing – last night was no different. After class, I was burning the midnight oil with a celebratory cocktail at the SoHo Grand Hotel with some pals from class after a long, hot night in the kitchen.

Here’s how the night went down. All of my fellow students arrived early to get our written test out of the way, and focus on the main test for the night – rockin’ out two dishes and presenting them to the judges at the exact predetermined times.

When we arrived in the classroom, we were assigned to stations and took the written exam immediately. The written exam had one question: write down all the ingredients to the Consommé (we have been making) and detail the procedure from start to finish.

Finally, we learned what we had to cook for the night – half the students were assigned to actually make Consommé and a seared pork chop with a very involved sauce and the rest of us (including me) made bass steamed in parchment paper and Genoise with Crème Anglaise. I was extremely happy with what I had to cook. I’ve done Genoise many times and I finally understand how to make my Crème Anglaise perfectly.

As for the bass, there is a lot involved to complete the dish, including making a tomato fondue, mushroom duxelles, filleting and marinating the bass, cutting the garniture vegetables (carrots, leeks and celery) into a fine julienne and cooking them each separately, cutting the parchment envelopes and assembling the whole thing prior to getting it into a 450 oven. I really wanted to be exactly on time so knowing that assembly takes a good amount of time I started early and was ready with time to spare.

Each of us gets a number to wear on our hat so when you present your four plates the judges can match you to the food. Out of the oven, my parchment packages were nicely puffed and browned but I was worried that one or two of the fillets might have been slightly over done since they were on the smallish side compared to the other pieces of fish. Out of the four fish dishes presented one judge said hers was a little over done (I was mentally prepared to hear that) but the others were cooked properly. That’s just the tough part of cooking in parchment, you can’t see the fish inside so you just have to guesstimate how long you think it needs to be cooked for and hope for the best. My other critique was that the fish was a little peppery – I was surprised about that comment but took it in stride.

Lastly, my Genoise was “fantastic and beautifully presented and the Crème Anglaise was da’ bomb,” remarked the three judges. Alright, so I hit that one out of the park!

After it was all over, I was dehydrated, a little dizzy and I had to cool off, my T-shirt and Chef’s jacket was soaked in perspiration. I swear I lost 10 lbs. in water weight last night and forget about eating – there’s just no time for that nonsense! Standing by that 450 degree oven all night took its toll on me and at many points during the night I felt sick and slightly nauseous and would lose my balance if I got up to fast from grabbing something out of the oven – being unsteady on my feet was a problem and I tried to drink as much water as possible but I couldn’t keep up. Sweat was beading up on people’s faces, including my own, and the kitchen felt like a sauna.

A few of us ended the night with a round of cocktails and laughter – happy this milestone is behind us. Now on to Level IV were we will tackle production, family meal and buffet meals. So stay tuned – there’s more tales from the kitchen to come!

Side note: Thank you to all that wished me good luck and encouragement, your good wishes were with me all night.

The Big Apple

2008-07-08T10:09:00.002-04:00

After a long flight from L.A. into JFK I raced home to grab my chef whites and knife pack to get to Monday night’s class. Our last class before our Midterm and you can cut the tension with a paring knife.

My last recipe to practice on for Level III is the Tarte aux Pommes (Apple Tart). It is very likely that this recipe will appear on my Midterm but I won’t find that out until tomorrow’s exam.

So let’s talk about the Midterm for a minute…tomorrow, I will go into our kitchen classroom and learn my fate. Each student picks a piece of paper from a bowl and the letter/number combination is associated with two dishes that are to be prepared. You either get a appetizer and meat or fish and dessert. These dishes correlate with a specific time that they are to be presented to the judges.

For our written exam, Chef chooses one of the 16 dishes we have been making over the past 7 weeks and we have to write down all the ingredients and the procedure to complete it.

I’ll be upfront, yes I’m nervous, one slip up can set me back on the practical exam. Everything needs to be perfect no matter what – no mistakes. Deep breath…I just need to focus and be on my best game.

Back to the tart, I carefully mix my dough which is not the easiest thing to do in a 95 degree kitchen – my pâte sucrée needs to remain cold so the butter in the mixture doesn’t melt. It is a simple dough recipe: 200 g all purpose flour, 100 g cold butter, an egg with 2 tsp of cold water, 30 g sugar and a pinch of salt.

It is vital not to over knead the dough, or it will be tough and glutinous. Also, the dough needs to rest for a good 30 minutes so timing matters – get the dough made first then work on the apple compote filling and then the topping.

With my tart in the oven, I assisted with making the Amuse Bouche – a curried carrot soup puree conceived by one of the team members. Each night we present Chef with an Amuse Bouche made by the team – since we have four team members in our group we each have had the opportunity to drive the Aumse Bouche decision. One night I made a roasted garlic and mushroom soup that I pureed and served in Chinese porcelain soup spoons with bacon dust and chives. Another evening, I was really on the soup kick, and I made a Vichyssoise (cold potato and leek soup) that I served in tall aperitif glasses that were tied with a thin strand of leek that I had blanched.

Once my tart comes out of the oven it needs to cool before I glaze it with apricot jam. The color on the tart is beautiful with the overlapping apples nicely browned on the edges. On the side I made a Crème Chantilly which is basically like a whipped cream but not as sweet. I presented on time which is always a plus and Chef came over to my station to judge the results. He flipped over a slice of the tart and started to tap the crust with his fork. The crust should easily crumble with no or little resistance. Chef had to chisel through the dough with his fork, I rolled out my dough a little too thick which made it a little tough to get through and he thought it might have been slightly over baked.

Overall the tart looked amazing and filling was very nice – nonetheless, all aspects have to be perfect and my dough did not cooperate fully. I guess that’s the way the cookie – or dough crumbles.

LA Story – A cinematic experience

2008-07-08T09:17:00.003-04:00

My culinary school schedule makes it impossible for us to take our usual long vacation this year. Anytime I have a holiday off from school I jump on the chance to travel. The July 4th holiday proved to be such an occasion and I was able to stretch the long weekend and go to Los Angeles. L.A., some people hate it, some love it – it is a very interesting place where the entertainment industry drives everything. My very first trip to L.A., I was baffled by the expanse of the city limits it just goes on and on. L.A. is compiled of lots of different neighborhoods each with a character all its own.

Let’s not forget the food, “Californian Cuisine” is a fusion of flavors and cultures influenced by local farm-fresh ingredients. On my many trips I’ve searched for good food in a town focused on body image and appearances. Many talented, ground-breaking (now celebrated) chefs have put LA on the map for foodies such as the culinary talents of Wolfgang Puck, Suzanne Goin, and David Myers just to name a few.

The other night, I was extremely happy to score reservations at Campanile Restaurant headed by Chef Mark Peel. The building was originally built in 1929 for Hollywood legend Charlie Chaplin to use as his office. Unfortunately, Charlie never got to use the space once it was completed since he lost it in an ugly divorce settlement with his first wife – so the Hollywood story goes. When I walked into the restaurant I had no preconceived ideas of what to expect. The restaurant resembles a Spanish-style mission with the main dining room in the center and soaring stone walls and a modern glass skylight to contrast the old and new. Large ceramic tiles give the floor a warm rustic feel and a trickling fountain in the main dining area provides a focal point in a space that one can’t help but want to examine from different angles.

Atmosphere and design are very important aspects that help impart the feeling of a restaurant even before you pick up a fork. As I reviewed the menu I was thrilled and saddened to see so many dishes that I would have liked to order. It is always hard to choose an entrée after salivating over so many choices.

I started with a pear martini to relax from the day and decided on a Roasted Beet Salad with Baby Arugula, Salami, Burata Cheese and Walnuts dressed with a light vinaigrette. The salad arrived stacked with roasted beets and was beautifully composed. An artful dish that had a wonderful flavor that eased me into my pick of entrée.

I couldn’t help myself – when I see duck on the menu I usually always order it and tonight was no different. A seared duck breast served with confit duck leg, polenta and a fig sauce tugged at my heartstrings – I had to have it.

The duck breast was cooked perfectly, a nice medium pink with a crispy skin. The confit leg and thigh had an intensity of flavor that only cooking in duck fat can produce. Creamy polenta and the sweet chewy figs in the sauce complemented the dish. I savored an old-world Pinot Noir from France with every swirl and bite.

I couldn’t pass up dessert because I knew I would be happily sated with a sweet concoction dreamed up by Pastry Chef Nancy Silverton. I couldn’t resist the Sticky Date Steamed Pudding with Crème Fraîche Ice Cream - the tartness of the silky ice cream balanced the sweetness of the steamed pudding – simply delicious.

The sunny warm days are certainly a draw in a town made famous by the glitz and glamour of the movies. Admittedly, I’m not much of a movie buff but there’s nothing like seeing a film in a L.A. movie theater – the whole experience is a walk down the red carpet.

Southern Comfort

2008-06-30T15:04:00.007-04:00

Our friend Ret (short for Margaret) invited us and a few other friends over for an afternoon BBQ. I was so happy not to have to cook and to be on the other side of the stove for a change. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to cook, sometimes I just need a little break. The weather being so unpredictable, our lunch was indoors in the cool air-conditioning.

Ret has a Southern gentility having been born in Charleston, SC - it must be in the family's genes. The gathering started with some Cosmos, the martini glasses were super-sized and I drank mine a little too quickly. The very first thing I noticed on Ret's table were these gorgeous antique plates – each with a different floral and graphic design. She explained that the china has been in the family for quite some time and that they originally belonged to her Aunt Ju Ju. The story goes Aunt Ju Ju was an eclectic woman and actually served Edgar Allen Poe on the very same dishes, fancy that! The patina of the antique silver place settings played against the colorful plates and soft linen tablecloth and napkins.

As we sat around on plush sofas grazing over appetizers, Ret was preparing a gorgeous fillet of salmon that she grilled on cedar planks. The smokiness of the cedar gently infused the salmon. On the side we had a ratatouille-style Charleston Gumbo made with chunky tomatoes, onions, green pepper and bacon (I became privy to the family's secret cooking tip) - once you saute the bacon remove it and then saute your okra to capture that smokey taste. Some nutty wild rice, and a crisp cool salad rounded it all off.

For dessert, a sweet, light Almond Cake that paired beautifully with a deep rich cup of coffee served in delicate china cups. I pictured myself on the veranda of a traditional Charleston home, relaxing after a wonderful summer meal. A languid breeze and the scent of magnolias fills the air. A mint julep in one hand and I'm practically there.

Jen Wah

2008-06-30T14:47:00.002-04:00

My friend Jen loves cake, the kind filled with apricot jam, then glazed with apricot nappage, decorated with some toasted almonds and served with a creamy, luscious Crème Anglaise. Jen Wah actually doesn’t exist but every time I make Genoise (jen-wah) I think of my fictitious friend. Genoise is the standard cake recipe for many French dessert creations. I’ve spoken about it before probably a couple of times, but as I am in Level III dishes purposely repeat themselves so I can master them over and over again since they may show up on my mid-term – which is next week on July 9th – I’m trying not to panic. At the end of the night there are so many plated Genoise cakes that I can’t help diving into the sweet dessert myself.

I used to be afraid of pastry and cakes after a failed attempt as a 6th grader trying to make pound cake. I’ve been troubled ever since! I remember the daunting task of making that cake, the recipe called for mace instead of nutmeg. I had no idea what mace was but I insisted that my mother buy it so I could bake the recipe exactly as it was written. I think I brought it in to elementary school for a bake sale, it was a little dry, not too sweet, sort of boring. My friends said it was good but I didn’t believe them.

So I carried the dread of being an iffy baker at best and became quickly interested in savory foods and preparing dinners. So, making desserts is not my thing, I’m not a sugar-holic. If you come to dinner, please do bring dessert!

That night my Genoise was good, not as stellar as it was the last time I made it and now I know why – as I was adding sifted cake flour into the batter I could tell I lost some volume, so the cake was a little drier than the last time. It still rose to a respectable level, I didn’t burn my almonds like I usually do, my Crème Anglaise was not grainy, and I plated on time…even a bit early I think.

Jen Wah and I… we’re good friends, she tells me the truth about my baking skills, and I keep her happily sated with lots of cake.

Remembering Grandmother

2008-06-24T15:25:00.002-04:00

Making Poulet Rôti Grand-Mere (Roast Chicken Grandmother-style) I think about my own maternal and paternal grandmothers. My father’s mother passed away way before I was ever a glimmer in my parent’s eye. Grandma Maria died in the 1950s of a skin melanoma – when she finally had it checked out it was too late and her body was riddled with cancer.

I imagine Grandmother Maria making all sorts of Portuguese food, simple food with simple flavors. Pork and clams, chorico flamed with aquavit, codfish cakes, shrimp with rice, roasted pork and delicious Portuguese fried doughnuts. From the pictures I’ve seen of my Grandmother she had a stalwart beauty, dark somewhat sad eyes, alabaster skin, and a brooding smile. My curiosity led me to study our genealogy, but I’ve come up against many obstacles to learn more about her. All I have is a few photographs, one in particular that I love is my Grandparents wedding picture from the 1920s. Grandmother’s flapper style dress and Grandfather’s three-piece suit – they were very young and hopefully very much in love.

On my mother’s side, tragedy struck my Polish Grandma twice, her first husband died after fighting in the First World War, she had one child from that marriage and re-married a Polish man who lost his wife to tuberculosis. He had two children and after they wed they had two more children, my Mom and my Aunt Helen. Growing up during the depression, life was tough and my Polish Grandparents worked hard to feed their kids. In the 1930s my Grandfather was working the second shift in a factory and was struck by a truck while he was walking to work and was left for dead – a hit and run that was never solved by the police. My Grandmother Anna was devastated and my mom was only 10 years old when her Dad died.

Grandma Anna, was a tough woman, born in 1881 she came the United States alone when she was just 16 years old. She worked in garment factories and lived until 1970. There are lots of pictures of my mother’s mom, many where she is happy and enjoying herself.

I was only about 9 months to a year old when my grandmother died. So again I never knew her either – I only have the stories my mother tells me about her. I know what types of food Grandma Anna made, traditional Polish food, the kind of hearty fare one would eat in the Polish countryside. Lots of kiełbasa (Polish Sausages), pierogi (dumplings filled with sauerkraut or potatoes and cheese), kapusta (sauerkraut), stuffed cabbage, borscht (soup), chrzan z buraczkami (traditional condiment of horseradish and beets), good rye bread and for dessert babka, & makowiec (poppy seed cake).

To this day, my family eats Polish food for Easter, it’s just the way we celebrate the holiday and I wouldn’t change it a bit.

Skating on Thin Ice

2008-06-24T15:12:00.002-04:00

Skate is pretty slimy and filleting it can be tricky just because it is hard to get a good hold on the slippery skin. It's most important to remeber to keep your fish in a bowl over a bowl of ice to keep it as fresh and cold as possible in the almost unbearable heat of the kitchen. I transition to the Poissonnier station for this evening’s class and begin work on my Skate à la Grenobloise. The traditional Grenobloise preparation includes a brown butter sauce with capers, lemon segments, parsley and croutons. After I fillet the skate, I go to work on making my croutons first – Chef likes them a particular size with even color on all sides. A little clarified butter and a hot pan help the croutons along.

Happily all our stations were occupied this night so no double duty! We all worked harmoniously helping each other prep and plate. The skate preparation is put together pretty quickly when it comes time for service. On the side I prepare potato cocottes to serve with the fish.

About 15 minutes before I need to plate the skate I start by seasoning the fillets and then dust them with flour. I heat a large sauté pan then add clarified butter – a very hot pan helps the fish not to stick. I sauté the fish and achieve a really nice golden crust. A quick flip and sear on the other side and it is done. Removing the fillets and placing them on paper towels helps keep the crispness and blots away any remaining fat.

Next, I wipe out the sauté pan, add whole butter and bring it to the beurre noisette (brown butter) stage, toss in the lemon segments, capers and check the seasoning. The hot butter sauce is napped over part of the fish and on the dish. Top with chopped parsley, buttery croutons and accompanied by three potato cocottes on the side and the dish is complete.

I plated on time which is very important, I await Chef to come over and critique the dish. “Nicely cooked skate, good crispiness,” but the beurre noisette kept on cooking a little so I have some black speckles in the sauce making it part beurre noir (black butter). Next time I need to remember to pull it off the stove a little earlier – other than that a successful night in hotter than hell’s kitchen.

Leading the Pack

2008-06-22T12:30:00.004-04:00

From now until our real Mid-term in mid July the game plan has changed – Chef Nicolay has put us into groups of four to train as a mini kitchen set-up covering the four main stations: Garde Manger, Poissonnier, Saucier and Pâtissier.

Our group of four students must execute one dish from each station and after each class we will rotate into the next station. Our first night I started on Garde Manger and had to make our Consommé Printanier. I have a good group to work with – all very focused students and I’ve had the enjoyment of working with each of them individually in the past.

The very first night as we were assigned to our group and stations we realized that the student on the Pâtissier station was absent. Chef told us to cover the station just as we would have to in a normal restaurant. Since the Consommé is relatively a low maintenance dish, I jumped on the Pâtissier station to make the Génoise and Crème Anglaise since my station mates had more involved dishes.

The main objectives are timing, quality, and cooperation. If your teammate is in the proverbial “weeds” it is the collective job of the team to pull them out and get the dishes out on time and perfect. I was wearing my communications hat that night and was belting out reassurances and posing questions to the team to ensure we were where we needed to be in the process. I think I might have been a little bossy but I wanted us to do well and we need to rely on each other and felt we needed a leader for the evening’s flow of progress.

When it comes to seasoning the final dish – we do this collectively so different palates can gauge saltiness, flavor and body – we each contribute thoughts, ideas and recommendations.

We plated the Consommé Printanier on time, Chef said it was very well done. Next few dishes are presented in 15 minute intervals. So if the Consommé is due by 8:30 pm then the skate a la Grenobloise must be ready at 8:45 then the roasted chicken is plated for a 9:00 pm slot and finally the Genoise at 9:15 pm. We all need to be on our game to get these dishes out on time. The night was successful, we received the usual amount of critique but nothing was off the mark.

Part of the hysteria is to also make an Amuse Bouche to compliment the dishes and is presented to Chef between 7:30 and 8:30 pm. That night Michal’s idea won us over, Ashley roasted some red peppers, and Michal cut them spread on some goat cheese and rolled them into spirals with some mushroom duxelles in the center. Very pretty and an appealing “little bite” to awaken the senses. Chef liked it very much.

The Amuse Bouche has become more and more popular at finer & trendy restaurants. Before a diner settles in on what to have for dinner, the Chef sends out a little something delicious from the kitchen to surprise you and stir up your senses. The French term literally translates to "mouth amuser" (bouche = mouth; amuser = to amuse, or to please). We take our Amuse Bouche very seriously – and we’ve decided each of us will have the opportunity to take the lead each night and prepare our own bite-size creation to please Chef.

Mockery

2008-06-19T09:33:00.003-04:00

The other night in preparation for our Mid-term we had a “mock” Mid-term cooking exam. This was a practical test of our cooking skills – here’s how it went down.

Out of the 16 recipes we’ve made so far any two can appear on our Mid-term, Chef assigns numbers to stations and we pick a piece of paper out of a bowl to 1. figure out where we are cooking and 2. learn what we are cooking. At the point everyone has their assigned station, Chef unveils the dishes for the night. Half the class is making Consommé and a pork entrée the other half will make bass en papillote and génoise – I’m working on the latter.

We have 5 minutes to jot down on a piece of paper anything we want about the recipes from our book – but once that 5 minutes is up our book gets put away and all we have to rely on is what we wrote on that page in 5 minutes. A little stressful…

So we are off! I quickly start to go to work on filleting the fish and getting it into a marinade for later use. Then I work on the fish garniture including mushroom duxelles, tomato fondue, and julienned carrots, leeks and celery. All of these items need to be prepped and ready to go when the fish is ready to be steamed in the parchment paper envelope and cook for 10 minutes.

As that is happening, I am making simple syrup for the cake, and starting my génoise batter. Three eggs and 75 grams of sugar are whisked together over a bain marie in order to “cook” the eggs gently for a few minutes. The mixture should reach 110 degrees but no more than 120 degrees or you will scramble your eggs.

Two main challenges are the station set up and the time limit laid out for the dishes. I have to share an oven, I have one burner and half a flat top as my heat sources. Tricky juggling and careful planning is key here as I can cook only a few things at a time and timing of the dishes counts towards our grade. The fish needs to be completed first the génoise presented at a later time.

As I whip through my tasks, I make sure I have all the ingredients I need for the night because an hour or so into cooking all the fresh ingredients made available to us are taken away. Getting your mise en place all set from the get-go is vital.

Timing flew by, with really no time to take a break, I was pushing myself through each dish to make it perfect and get it out on time. My fish took longer than I expected to put together. Cutting the parchment paper and assembling the components held me back a little. The bass was quite thick so I also wanted to ensure it was cooked properly and I let it steam in the parchment for about 11 minutes in the oven. The timing was off and I was about 8 minutes late plating the fish. I brought my completed four plates over to the Chef and Asst. Chef so they could review and grade the dish.

Just when you think you can breathe another time crunch is upon you. The génoise at this point is out of the oven and on a cooling rack. Almonds need to be toasted golden brown to decorate the cake, apricot jam needs to be heated so it is spreadable, the cake needs to be cut into three layers, and apricot glaze needs to be heated up to coat the outside of the cake so the almonds stick. Lastly, a crème anglaise needs to be prepared and chilled to serve as a dessert sauce for the final plating.

Lots to do in little time. I burnt my almonds the first time the smell of char filled my area. So I had to do it again and I raced to complete all the components. In the end I was able to plate early and get it to Chef a minute before it was due.

At the end of the night, Chef and Asst Chef meet with the students individually and went over the night’s progress. I faired well, timing needs to be worked on for the first dish, seasoning always needs to be checked and my crème anglaise was a little grainy. Otherwise the highlights were that my fish was cooked properly, the génoise was wonderful and my station was orderly and clean throughout the night.

As far as this mock Mid-term went I’m happy to be able to grasp what the real one will be like and the next few weeks in the kitchen will prepare me to handle the demands of timing and practice the dishes over and over.

Stop Your Wine-ing

2008-06-17T11:11:00.002-04:00

Enjoying wonderful cuisine and fine wine are synonymous in my opinion – one without the other is lacking. Somehow in our busy class schedule we were able to fit in two introductory sessions on wine and food pairings.

Our Chef/Sommelier had extensive knowledge on the subject and it was very interesting to tap into her oenological mind. She is a former FCI grad who spent a lot of time in Napa Valley working with and for wineries.

The classes were informative and we tried three white wines and three reds for each session. What surprised me the most was how old world wines are really affected by the food paired with them. We had similar wines made from the same grape grown in the same region of France. The differences were climate, soil/geology and the wine-makers style. We paired flavors with the same varietal and each tasted so different and so completely better with the right food flavors. French wine is meant to be consumed with the regional cuisine of that area. It’s a fascinating subject that one could spend a lifetime exploring and learning.

My humble experience with wine was at an early age watching my father make his own wine. I would go to the farmer’s market with him and he would purchase crates and crates of grapes. I loved seeing grapes stacked high in the garage with their colorful brand labels – the best part was sampling the cool fruit right from the vine. Dad had this ancient looking wine press that was hand-cranked and it was set high above a vat that collected all the juice. The scent of sweet fruit, nutty seeds and somewhat tannic grape skins being pulverized by that antiquated press is something I haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying in a very long time.

Unfortunately, I was really young and my attention span wandered and I never caught the entire process of his wine-making. I just liked the harvest and pressing stages. Dad aged his wine in oak barrels and it was wonderful to actually see them up close with their tightly fitted metal bands and inhale that oaky wood smell. I have no idea how long he aged the wine in oak, again my attention span waned.

One year around the holidays, I remember trying a thimble-sized taste of his wine – I remember how strong it tasted, it was rough around the edges, very new wine-tasting. I could compare it today to a very rustic table wine, perhaps a Chianti. I became light-headed from that small sip, my palate was not developed so my reaction to the wine was not of enjoyment – that night I rang in the New Year with tipsy anticipation.

Soup's On!

2008-06-15T13:36:00.003-04:00

Consommé Printanier is made from white beef stock (marmite) and a clarification process. The marmite is already prepared for us and heated up, we are required to prep and measure out the clarification ingredients that include ground beef, egg whites, leeks, carrots and celery, crushed peppercorns for flavor, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste.

Mix the clarification mixture together in a bowl, add some cooled marmite to make what resembles a very wet meatloaf. The clarification mixture goes back into the stock pot and is brought up to a boil while stirring constantly.

Once the proteins in the meat and egg start to coagulate and the mixture comes together at the top of the stock pot a raft will form. This is when you stop stirring and pay close attention to the raft. Careful not to break the raft and once it has set nudge through it to make a hole in the center with a ladle. The raft with a hole will clarify the stock and remove the impurities leaving a crystal clear broth.

The stock is reduced to a simmer once it comes to a boil and it is left to cook for an hour. At this point I cut the vegetables and cook the garniture consisting of a macédoine of carrots & turnips, string beans, and peas. Each vegetable is cooked separately and shocked with ice water to stop the cooking process.

Once the clarified stock has simmered for an hour, it is taken off the stove to cool for about 15 minutes. The Consommé is then strained using a chinois and cheesecloth into a large bowl. I carefully ladle the stock through the hole I created and I try not to disturb the raft.

At this point the Consommé needs to be degreased of all fat that floats on the top. Using parchment paper, I run through a couple of sheets over the top of the soup to grab the fat off the surface. Parchment works very well but I need to repeat the process until all I have left is a degreased sparkling Consommé with a golden amber color. At this point if the Consommé has cooled it must go back into a clean stock pot, heated through and seasoned with salt.

The vegetables are heated up in a little Consommé and then added to the soup that is placed in very hot bowls on top of plates lined with doilies. I beckon Chef to come by and taste the Consommé, he feels the rim of the bowl to make sure it is hot enough, dips his soup into the soup and samples the Consommé. The result: Chef thinks the broth is well-seasoned, the vegetables are cooked properly but my macédoine could be more exact. A macédoine is a perfect half centimeter square – not the easiest thing to slice with a huge chef’s knife. Practice makes perfect and I know ultimately I will get it right.

O Sole Mio

2008-06-13T15:19:00.005-04:00

The time has come when we start to cook dishes totally on our own for the remainder of Level III. Cooking with a partner, sharing the work load and pulling each other out of the weeds is not an option anymore.

The sixteen dishes we have prepared so far will now repeat and we will be on our own and under stricter time constraints to accomplish the finished dish. The class was split in half; some of us made Poulet Rôti Grand-Mère and the other half made Consommé Printanier.

I had to conjure my inner French Grand-Mère to get motivated to make the chicken dish really sing. There are many components including: making the jus on the side with a reinforced stock, making the garniture (potatoes, pearl onions, bacon, mushrooms) and cooking it all separately and then crisping the chicken by sautéing it on top of the stove on all sides in hot oil then finishing it in the oven with mirepoix.

I trussed my chicken, then started the Jus de Rôti by sautéing carrots and onions (mirepoix) removing that and then sautéing chicken bones and carcasses to a crispy and browned color. After deglazing the pan with white wine, I returned the mirepoix and then added some veal stock. The jus cooked separately for an hour and I continually degreased the sauce.

I heated a sauté pan (sauteuse) added some vegetable oil and then seared the chicken on all sides. The breast was seared last and done lightly so as to not dry it out. I achieved a gorgeous color and crisp skin, my oven was preheated to 425 degrees and the chicken finished in the oven for about 40 minutes. Before the chicken went into the oven I drizzled melted butter all over the skin.

I prepared the garniture and keep it warm on my flat top. One the challenges of cooking on our own is that we have only one burner, half a flat top and we have to share an oven. Organization is key and you have to work within your limitations.

At this point I was running a little over the time for when I needed to plate the dish, I carved my chicken after it rested for about 15 – 20 minutes which allows for the juices to redistribute. I was rushing to plate four plates and get everything ready for Chef to taste and critique. Before he even came over I knew my jus was too thin and could have been more reduced. Chef said the chicken was nice and juicy, the garniture was well-seasoned and the jus needed to reduce more.

Cooking was like running a marathon, I didn’t come in first but I made pretty good time.

So much chicken, so little time - most of these dishes have been picked over by hungry students.

Memoirs of a Saucier

2008-06-11T16:16:00.003-04:00

My entrance as an apprentice into the kitchen is one filled with excitement, trepidation and lots of hard work. I dutifully listen and learn from head Chef and ask pertinent questions to achieve proper technique and style. Each class is an awakening of sorts, I sharpen my skills like a knife against steel. And fade to black, role credits and play John William’s score of traditional Japanese music.

The Saucier station is probably one of the most demanding jobs in the kitchen. This person is in charge of all meats and sauces. Our two days as Sauciers involves lots of prep, reinforced stocks as the basis of sauces, careful searing of meat for most dishes and delicate poaching for another.

Our four recipes over the two classes include Boeufs Bourguignon, Poulet Rôti Grand-Mère, then Cote de Porc and Poule au Pot. Our first night we begin with the beef and the roast chicken Grandmother’s style.

The beef has been marinating in wine and some brandy with raw carrots, onions, garlic, bouquet garni and a little corn oil to create a seal on top of the mixture. The marinated beef and vegetables are split up between the two teams of Sauciers and before we do anything we dry off both ingredients with paper towels so they will sauté properly.

We used a third category cut of beef – this meat tends to be tough and needs long, slow cooking to tenderize and bring out its delicious flavor. With a little vegetable oil I sear the beef cubes on all sides with the goal of obtaining a nice crust to seal in juices. Removing the beef I then deglaze the pan with some marinade that has been strained and reduced. I free all those crispy bits of goodness stuck to the bottom – called Sucs. Once that is complete I sauté the marinated, dry vegetables to caramelize them then add the beef back to the same pot. Add flour to the mixture and cook for a minute or so to remove that raw flour taste, add tomato paste off the heat to cook that gently too. Add the reduced marinade, some veal stock to cover, chopped tomatoes, bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Don’t boil the stew for very long or it will toughen the meat and dry it out. Drop it down to a simmer as soon as possible and cover with a parchment round and a lid – roast in a 425 degree oven for 1 to 2 hours.

The Garniture: Traditionally the Boeufs Bourguignon is served with crisp lardons (bacon), mushrooms sautéed in some bacon fat, browned and glazed pearl onions, and a heart-shaped crouton – just to show it was made with love! The garniture is made in advance and cooked & seasoned separately.

My cooking partner that evening has taken the reigns on the Poulet Rôti Grand-Mère and we talk through the recipes as we prepare them so we can both note what the other one is doing since we will both have to master these four dishes since one of them might be on our Mid-term.

At the end of the night, after plating our chicken and beef we get the chance to take a break and dine on all of our hard work.

Smells Fishy

2008-06-08T23:00:00.003-04:00

Fish should never smell fishy – it should smell like the ocean, have clear eyes, when pressed the flesh should bounce back and the gills should be red. These are all signs of a fresh fish. One exception, the skin on skate should be slimy. Slimy skate is good – go figure. On the Poissonier station we make four fish dishes using bass, flounder, skate and salmon – each dish gives us the opportunity to practice different cooking methods. The salmon is grilled, flounder braised, skate is sautéed and the bass is steamed in parchment paper – one of my favorite ways to cook fish.

Each fish dish is accompanied by either a delicate sauce, or prepared garniture. Our recipes are very involved with many steps to finalize the completed dish. On the night we prepared skate and flounder we made a fish fumet (stock) from the bones of the fish. The fumet is then added to other ingredients to make a sauce.
Filleting fish is still tricky for me – there are different methods for flat and round fish. The best thing to have is an extremely sharp filet knife. The blade is flexible allowing it to glide over the bones.

The night we made bass en papillote (in parchment) we started by making a tomato fondue and mushroom duxelles. Once those two items are complete we julienne carrots, leeks and celery and cook them a l’étuvée – while this is going on the bass, already filleted is marinating in thyme, pepper and olive oil.

The procedure for the bass is simple, cut a piece of parchment paper into a heart shape and fold it in half. Open the fold and at the center place some tomato fondue and duxelles in the center. Place the bass on top and then arrange the cooked vegetables on top with a sprig of thyme and douse with a tablespoon of white wine. Sealing the parchment paper is made easy by using some beaten egg white to stick the two sides together. Folding the edges and brushing the creases helps seal the parchment and allows the bass to steam properly and the parchment paper to expand. A little oil on top of the parchment will attract the heat and help brown the paper. Into a 425 degree oven and depending on the thickness of the fish we time ours for about 9 minutes.

We plate the golden brown packages on hot plates and Chef comes around and opens the parchment with his knife. He inhales the aroma that has been trapped inside, then tries the fish. Perfectly cooked bass, he commented, but the garniture needed more attention, the mushrooms too salty the carrots needed to cook more. Each critique helps us make a mental note of what to pay careful attention to next time.

The old kitchen we cook in is hot as hell! Chef reminds us to drink water and hydrate ourselves. By the end of the night, I’m a sweaty mess and happy to be going home even though I smell like fish.

En Garde!

2008-06-01T23:10:00.004-04:00

Our first night on the Garde Manger station and our two dishes to complete were a Consommé Printanier and Oeuf Poché sur Macédoine de Légumes, and Sauce Hollandaise. The mission: complete these two dishes by a set time given by our Chef-Instructor. Level III hones our organizational and multi-tasking skills – Chef really pushes us to have our dishes complete and perfect by the required time. We roll into the kitchen around 5:30 pm and after roll call and a brief lecture we get cookin’ with most dishes required to be presented by around 8:30 pm and time flies!

We began with the Consommé – we took a veal stock (Marmite) and clarified the stock with ground beef, egg whites and aromatics to add more flavor. It is a really fascinating procedure, I had no idea this was the way a Consommé was prepared when I made it the first time in Level I. The Consommé is left on the stove to barely simmer and the spring vegetable medley takes time to cut into perfect Macédoine-sized shapes. I really need to work on my knife skills, it takes me much too much time to cut these things.

We prep all our vegetables for both the soup and the poached egg dish. Happily we meet our deadline for the soup and the egg dishes, Chef suggested more salt for the soup, and liked our presentation of the Oeuf Poché. Chef gave us tips to perfect it the next time but it all comes with time and repetition.

Our Hollandaise died on the table – it broke twice and we revived it both times. The nice thing about the Sauce Hollandaise is that it can be salvaged. That night I was able to breathe easier – our timing was great, yet the pace was a little frenetic. My partner and I handled the night like troopers – always leaving room for improvement and continued learning.

Our Just Desserts

2008-06-01T23:07:00.002-04:00

Our second night on pastry was no easier. We had to make a Genoise cake, Crème Caramel and delicate Tuile cookies. Genoise is something I am comfortable with – it is an whole egg foam cake with a simple recipe: 3 eggs, 75 grams sugar, 75 grams sifted cake flour (6” cake pan buttered, floured and a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan). The procedure is simple – beat the egg with the sugar over a water bath to double the volume and carefully cook the eggs. Once the egg foam has reached about 110 degrees it is time to add the sifted flour and carefully fold it in. The trapped air in the beaten eggs is the only way the cake rises so careful folding and beating are required.

While our cakes bake – we prepare our Crème Caramel. My sugar caramelizes too quickly and turns very dark, so I start again. This time I take the sugar off the heat much earlier and it develops a beautiful amber color. The trick is to get the hot sugar into the ramekins without getting any of the caramel on the inner sides.

Michele and I make our custard, fill our ramekins and pop them into a water bath into a hot oven. The oven was so messed up – half of the custards were undercooked and the other half were overcooked. The oven needed some serious calibration.

At the end of the night, our Genoise was cooled, cut in half and a light simple syrup was brushed on the cut halves, then a delicate layer of apricot preserves was added to the layer. We brushed the cake with an apricot glaze and added toasted coconut and almonds to the outside. Our Crème Anglaise pooled beautifully on the plate and the Genoise took center stage.

Once Chef reviews our dishes we offer them up to any of the students to enjoy them. It’s almost like a barter transaction, Genoise for a Boeuf Bourguignon that someone on the Saucier station had just completed.

Our two days on the Pastry station conclude and we gear up for Garde Manger – a fancy word for soups, salads and egg preparations. At the end of the night, I was ready for our next station assignment – hopefully soups and salads will cut us a break.

Saveur the Cuisine

2008-05-30T14:47:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to tour the New York office of Saveur magazine as part of a French Culinary Institute club outing.

I love to follow food trends and culture and have been a loyal subscriber to Saveur magazine since its inception. I can even remember the day I got my hands on the very first issue. I was working as a paralegal after a failed attempt in the food industry and a colleague handed me the magazine to peruse Prior to my paralegal position, my partner at the time and I bought a rotisserie/catering company that specialized in comfort take-out food. At that point the business of food was already in my blood having worked a stint at an upscale café under the direction of a Belgian chef and his endearing wife who managed the entire operation. So my baptism by fire into the business was invigorating and tapped into my innate passion for food. Unfortunately, our food company was gobbled up like an amuse bouche in the recession of the early 90s hence my professional diversion into the legal field.

One article among many that has stayed with me from the early days of Saveur was about the Italian-American kitchen in San Francisco (I can even picture the cover in my mind) – the writing, photography and editorial content of the magazine was so authentic and presented undiscovered or overlooked topics that other magazines just weren’t covering. I found the articles to be written with sincere enthusiasm and depth – it was nourishment that fueled my own appetite for all things food-related. I’ve devoured every issue since then and was thrilled to have the opportunity to see where it all actually happens.

I met up with the group of students who signed up for the tour at FCI and we headed over to Saveur. We toured the offices and stepped into their newly completed modern test kitchen – it was gorgeous. The office has natural light coming in from three sides of the building and the kitchen was filled with warm light that welcomed you with open arms.

Food Editor, Todd Coleman, took the time to meet with us and answer all of our questions – it was great to get an insider’s look into the creative structure of what makes Saveur, well…Saveur! I felt like a groupie getting a full-access backstage pass at some sold out rock concert, or one of those celebrity chasers who finally have the opportunity to meet the person they have admired for so long. Another part of me felt the experience was like meeting an old friend – you know the kind of friend you haven’t seen for awhile but has known you forever and the flow of conversation is just effortless. Yeah, Saveur and I, we go way back.

Beat the Clock

2008-05-27T08:02:00.002-04:00

So on to Level III, new kitchen, new Chef Instructor, new game plan. Here’s the scoop – we work with the same partner as we go through the following stations: Garde Manger, Poissonnier, Saucier, and Pâtissier. My partner for the level is Michele, a successful attorney who has turned her passion for food into a second career option. Michele and I have a very similar style in the kitchen, we like to be organized, prepared and execute our dishes in a timely manner. We start on the pastry station and our task list for the night is Tarte aux Pommes, Crème Chantilly, Crème Choux, and Sauce au Chocolat.

The new space we are in is an old, beat-up kitchen that has seen better days! It has a very authentic feel, it is cramped and none of us have any idea of where anything is located – so we are running around like lost school children.

It’s all about timing and consistency in Level III – dishes must be presented at a specific time and the pace is rigorous. Everyone was working in their own little bubble – the kitchen was humming along. I don’t think anyone plated on time – we were all pretty late and Chef expected this to happen since the recipes are quite involved and it was our first night.

We were quite stressed out – it was almost as if we never cooked before in our lives and the recipes were written in some foreign language. Michele and I worked hard to get everything plated – we ran into some road blocks, when we put our choux in the convection oven it was set to a cool-down mode so they never fully baked. Luckily we had extra dough left over and started again. The Crème Chantilly was prepared and the Sauce au Chocolat was ready. We piped our choux and plated them for Chef to review.

It was a tough night and I felt beaten down by the clock. I was really worn out by the end of the evening and commiserated with Marcela who felt the same way. In Level III we rotate to a different station every two classes. I can only hope I will get faster and more confident in the dishes we are required to make since they will be on my mid-term exam. At almost 11:00 pm I was applying the apricot glaze to my apple tart and at the same time my eyes were glazing over.

The Curtain Falls on Level II

2008-05-20T17:34:00.003-04:00

Last night we had our two exams, our last evaluation by Chef and a discussion about what to expect in Level III. I was nervous as usual, on Sunday I wanted to practice quartering a chicken so I headed over to Stop n’ Shop to get some groceries and a whole chicken. I was caught up in studying and getting myself ready for the work week and the clock ticked away. Before I knew it time had slipped away and I found myself practicing my knife skills at 10:30 PM on this over-sized roasting chicken. It seems every chicken presents its own set of challenges – so I carved my way around the bird and set the pieces in a marinade for later consumption.

Monday arrived bright and early, it is always very hard for me to wake up since I sleep like a dead person. I almost never hear the alarm clock and somehow my own body clock forces my eyes open just so I have enough time to shower, shave and get out of the house to catch the train. Ok, so I’m not a morning person – I blame it on my Sleep Apnea!

Anyway, I grab a cup of coffee at the Fleetwood train station – the coffee is damned good – don’t know what exactly he grinds for beans but I savor every sip on my quick trip into the city.

After working all day, I get ready to head to school with a nervous stomach knowing that I have to do well on two exams that night. I’ve studied and concentrated on the things I know we will be asked on the test. As for the Practical, well, it is a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-chef-pants kinda moment.

I arrive at school, change into my chef-whites, checkered pants and kitchen clogs and head to the student lounge. I decide to spend about 20 minutes in the gorgeous FCI library that is chock full of just about everything. My pal Marcela comes in and we talk about what we’ve studied and how we are feeling for the tests. My nerves are eased off by our conversation – Marcela loves to cook as much as I do and she respects the program and wants to do well – just like me. We are very simpatico – and can laugh and joke with each other one minute and be on-task the very next moment. In the kitchen of life our relationship is a very happy marriage.

We set off downstairs to the first floor kitchen to take our Practical exam. Our first task is to take 2 potatoes and make as many perfect 5 cm cocottes in 20 minutes. Chef signals us to start and we are off! I peel those spuds as fast as I can and cut each potato into 12 pieces. Time ticks away and I end up with about a dozen very nice cocottes.

Next, Mayonnaise from memory – we gather our ingredients and get ready. A good Mayonnaise is simply a proper emulsion of one egg yolk, 1 level tbs. of good Dijon, a ¼ tsp. of salt, ½ tsp. of vinegar or lemon juice, some ground pepper and 150 ml of oil. And we’re off, a cacophony of whisks beating against metal bowls fills the kitchen. I’m happy with my emulsion, my mayonnaise is thick, has a nice shine and the flavor is good, maybe slightly salty. When we are done we are asked to leave the kitchen so we can be judged by the proctors.

Lastly, the fish then the chicken get their turn on the chopping board. The fish presented a problem for most of the students, the flesh is so delicate that it is so easy to hack away at it with a unsteady knife. I scaled the slippery bass, trimmed it and cut off the head. When it came down to removing the fillets I do a fair job, definitely not my best work. Lastly, the chicken was fairly easy and once we were done we cleaned up and sanitized everything.

After our family meal, we headed up to a classroom to take our written exam. Chef gave us an opportunity to study in groups and we quizzed each other briefly. At the end of the night, we were given our grades for the Practical and Chef gave us his last written evaluation. I was pleased with both grades but knew I could have done a better job with my knife skills – it just takes practice.

Chef gave us some pointers on what to expect for the next 7 weeks, he talked about our Mid-term and he wished us the best since we will no longer be working under his instruction. We gave Chef a round of applause – he worked hard to teach us the basics and I know his effort will reflect on my approach to cooking.

Chef’s critique, style, knowledge and guidance have proven to be the most prized ingredients any culinary student could hope to work with in the kitchen. Merci beaucoup, Chef – many thanks.

In the French-style

2008-05-18T00:41:00.004-04:00

Somehow after all these weeks, we’ve arrived in our last class of Level II. A sense of accomplishment settles in and then a wave of anxiety washes over me as I ponder what challenges Level III will present.

In our last class in this level, we learn about French-style vegetable preparations: Ratatouille and Confit Bayaldi. Before I go into those recipes I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past 6 weeks. We covered a lot of territory in this level such as braising, stuffing, organ meat, eggs, pastry dough, meringue, custards, mousses, soufflés, ice cream, nutrition, vegetable preparations, cheese, pasta and rice. It was jammed packed and we learned a lot – hopefully most of it will stick in my brain.

In our next class we will have our Level II Practical & Comprehensive exams – so Chef took some time to go over material, things we should expect and what we will be required to do. From what I can gather for our Practical exam we need to do 4 things really well. 1. Fillet a fish; 2. Quarter a chicken; 3. Make a mayonnaise; and 4. Cut as many perfect cocottes from two potatoes – all of these exercises are timed for 20 minutes each. Our Comprehensive exam covers the Level II curriculum in our book and is the written part of our examination.

Tonight we also had our HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) exam which is a New York State administered exam for food handlers. Passing the HACCP exam grants you a food handlers license and is good for 5 years. The exam tests us on safe food handling practices, kitchen management and food-bourne illnesses. After taking the exam which consisted of 80 questions I felt good about it – I had studied well and felt like I passed with no problem.

Class moved along at a quick pace since we had to prep our Ratatouille and Confit Bayaldi. I love a good Ratatouille, when I worked in a professional kitchen environment eons ago we had it on our menu. I remember watching the assistant Chefs prep all the vegetables and cook each separately then combine all the cooked ingredients together to blend the flavors. I loved the Ratatouille fresh off the stove – I would grab a piece of sage focaccia bread that had a sprinkling of sea salt – the soft bread was wonderful with the warm medley of cooked vegetables. Enjoying the simplicity of flavors and textures it was one of my most favorite impromptu lunches at that café.

The Confit Bayaldi is a vegetable preparation that is started on top of the stove by sautéing some onions and julienned peppers. Once the onions and peppers have sufficiently cooked down in the blended olive oil place thin slices of Japanese eggplant, zucchini, summer squash and fresh tomatoes in a spiral pattern on top of the mixture. The pattern of overlapping vegetables gets a drizzle of thyme/garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil. The sauté pan is covered with foil that has been poked full of holes so steam can escape and then transferred to a 325 degree oven to further cook. Near the end of cooking, the foil comes off and the Confit Bayaldi achieves a golden crust. I presented my dish to Chef who liked it and said it was well-prepared – one taste and I was reminded just how good simple food can be.

Going with the grain

2008-05-18T00:37:00.003-04:00

Rice and pasta – comfort foods in my repertoire of quick-fix dinners. Pasta to many is an enemy – because of the power of those addictive carbs! Ever have that feeling like you could eat that whole pound of pasta by yourself? I know I fall victim to the carb-curse – it pulls you in wanting more and more. You just have to know when to say enough is enough.

In class, we made a couple of dishes that had me in that carb-crazed daze of eating. We started by making Gnocchi in a brown butter sage sauce. A simple dough made from baked potato, flour, eggs and salt. We mixed the ingredients together and made sure not to over work the dough. We rolled out some dough and shaped it into a long cylinder. We cut that into bite size morsels and had a pot of boiling salted water ready for the Gnocchi. As they cooked we made our brown butter sauce, added some sage, drained the Gnocchi and added them to the sauce to gave it a quick toss in the buttery sauce. Very yummy, light and tasty.

Next we took a hand at making our own pasta dough. We combined all the ingredients and worked that dough for about 15 minutes giving it a real good kneading – here you want to develop the gluten from the flour. Afterwards the dough needs to rest before rolling it through the pasta machine.

Chef made a green pasta dough and a plain dough, he rolled them out cut strips from each and fused them together to make a beautiful stripped pasta sheet that he used to make ravioli. We followed suit and did the same and also prepped a simple tomato sauce. My partner and I had fun working with the pasta, but it was challenging as it dried out very quickly and we had a tough time sticking the colored stripped dough together. In the end we made 4 to 5 raviolis that were tasty.

After our dinner break we made a Saffron Risotto and Rice Pudding. I’ve made risotto a bunch of times before so I let my cooking partner handle it while I made the Riz au Lait (rice pudding). One just needs patience when making risotto – knowing when to add liquid little by little is key. Our rice pudding was made with Arborio rice that simmered in milk infused with orange and lemon zests, and vanilla bean. By the end of the night, I was in a carb-induced coma. I just couldn’t say “no” to the buttery Gnocchi, or the pretty stripped ravioli, or the golden-hued Saffron Risotto, or the melting creaminess of the Riz au Lait. I think I need a 12-step program…know of any?

Behold, the power of cheese!

2008-05-16T12:03:00.003-04:00

Cheese…so many varieties, textures, flavors and ways to savor. Our class time was split between learning about cheese, making our own ricotta and mozzarella and having a cheese tasting.

We were all given a block of cheese curd that looked like a big chunk of tofu that we broke up into smaller piece and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. We brought a pot of water up to 180 degrees and then added our curd. We slowly simmered the curd until it melted from the heat of the water. We drained the curd from the water and let it cool slightly, we prepared a bowl of ice water and pull off pieces of cheese to make a mini mozzarella ball called a bocconcino. The mozzarella had a plastic texture and little flavor if any. I suggest buying quality mozzarella from your cheese monger.

The ricotta making process was interesting, we brought some milk up to a simmer, added a pinch of salt and citric acid. The acid reacts with the milk and helps separate the proteins. Once the curds separate from the whey, we drained the cheese using cheesecloth and tied the cheese up into a ball. Once that was accomplished we dangled the cheese ball over a small bowl to catch residual moisture. Again, my feeling is to leave the cheese making to the people that do it full-time. The ricotta was just alright – lacked any type of flavor and is easier to purchase it rather than going through the process of making your own. I enjoyed learning how to make cheese and would love to learn more…but similar to medical practice, I think there are food specialties that one could further delve into – such as cheese making, pastry and bread baking – I’m happy to experience all the different aspects of culinary arts and have plenty of time to decide if I want to be a general food practitioner or a specialist in my field.

Toward the end of class we had our cheese tasting that was portioned into specific categories. We had cow’s milk then goat and sheep milk cheeses and dairy products. We started by sampling different milk from all three categories, then yogurts and fresh cheeses. The object was to understand and differentiate from subtle flavors, textures and characteristics. Overall the cow’s milk products were unsatisfying, the yogurt was very sour, the fresh ricotta cheese was bland and whole milk is just something I never drink. On the flip side the goat’s milk was delicious and the yogurt and goat cheese quite nice. The sheep’s milk was gamy, but the yogurt and fresh cheese lovely.

We went on to tasting cheeses…again, all cow’s milk cheeses were sampled first then goat then on to sheep. Out of all the cheeses my favorites were in both the goat and sheep’s milk category. The Chabichou was sublime – a fresh goat cheese with a rind, the texture was velvety and finish almost sweet. My next favorite was the Garroxta from Spain – a semi-firm cheese with a hay-like or citrus aroma that mellowed to a yummy creaminess on the palate. Lastly, the Ossau Iraty and Roquefort were my hands down favorites. The Ossau Iraty was nutty, a firm sheep’s milk cheese that had a comforting creamy flavor. The Roquefort was complex, robust, salty, sweet, sharp and it had a long finish that sweetened over time. My take on the whole experience – eat more cheese and experiment with others you've never even considered trying - they may surprise you and become your new favorites!

Floundering

2008-05-11T20:54:00.002-04:00

We had an interesting class that was completely unstructured. The recipe for the night, Filet de Limande à votre façon (Filet of Flounder however we wanted to cook it). Chef instructed us a few classes back that on this night we will have to fillet a flounder, prepare it our own way, with an accompanying vegetable and starch and a canapé to go with the dish.

The kitchen had all the usual ingredients at our disposal, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, rice, spices and herbs. This was a good challenge for all of us and it allowed each student to make something that reflected their talent, vision and style.

I stressed about what to make for days. I decided to use one of the fillets to make a fish cake for my canapé. A few days before class, I bought some flounder fillets to practice recipes. My fish cake fell apart as I sautéed it so I researched other recipes. For my main entrée I decided to make a butter/white wine/lime juice braised flounder wrapped in a spiral with a beurre blanc sauce that had the essence of lime. I made a gorgeous potato gratin with gruyère cheese and simple haricot verts almondine.

The time flew by that night, I was racing to make everything. Marcella and I prepared a fish stock from the flounder bones to use in our sauces. The fish itself cooks in 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven so I was very careful not to overcook this very delicate fish. Down to the wire my potatoes were done and were kept warm, my haricot verts were cooked and shocked to keep their color. At the last minute I sautéed them with some toasted almonds. I made my sauce last since it was the most delicate of all the components of the dish. The beurre blanc was velvety and just plated so beautifully. Chef critiqued all of our dishes and our presentation styles. His main issue with my dish was that it was too rich! The creamy potatoes, the loaded-with-butter sauce and the butter-braised fish were too much for Chef’s cholesterol. He asked me rhetorically what was for dessert, I retorted – a heart attack.

Kitchen Math 101

2008-05-11T20:10:00.002-04:00

The lectures continue! This time a class on food control and costing. A Chef not only has to be a superstar in the kitchen he or she must be a good business person as well.

Our class meet in our normal kitchen-classroom – all of us gathered around to watch a short film on food costing, recipe costing, edible portion estimating, yields and math! I was glazing over – I know this stuff is important and I paid attention but once I hear percentages divided by yield factors equals usable edible portion cost – I go to a happy place in my brain.

Luckily, our lecture was only half of the allotted class time and we were able to make one recipe – Poulet en Cocotte Printanière (Chicken Stew with Spring Vegetables). We started by trussing the chicken carefully with some kitchen string. In a sautoir we sautéed the chicken on all sides to achieve a golden crisp crust. We finished cooking the chicken in a 425 degree oven with some mirepoix. On the side we prepared the spring vegetables which consisted of pearl onions, haricots verts, peas, carrots, and turnips – all prepped and cook separately and ready to be reheated in time to plate.

When the chicken was out of the oven, we used the same pan and degreased it of fat and then deglazed the pan with white wine to make a jus. We each plated a dish for Chef to review and I was very happy with the result of my chicken stew, the jus was perfect and the presentation was elegant for a simple country-style dish. Chef liked it as well and asked me where were the peas? I forgot to use them in my rush to plate the dish quickly – it was probably subliminal since peas are on my “not a fan” list. I’ll eat them when they are in stews and braises but on their own I think they are a lot of work for little return.