Pardon my French Omelette...

Today was egg day...I'd like to start with an FYI.  The Chefs hat has many meanings.  The taller the Hat the Higher the rank.  The Pleats in the Chef's hat signifies the number of different ways that the chef can prepare eggs.  There are hats with 100 pleats in it...

I make really yummy green scrambled eggs, It's my signature breakfast item.  This past Easter weekend I made poached eggs for the first time.  I learned from youtube then learned it again in class today.  I've got the Hollandaise sauce down so making Eggs Benedict was a breeze.  I had to work a bit on my fried eggs and get this... We could stir the egg but were not allowed to flip the eggs with a spatula.  We had to toss the eggs  to flip them.  Chef threatened to take our spatulas away if he saw us flipping eggs with them lol.  Yes, I toss flipped an over easy egg... Yay me.

What really sucked for me were the Omelettes.  I have Never been able to make omelettes and the French Omelette was definitely a challenge for me.  It is described as a "soft congealed egg wrapped in an envelope".  I failed miserably and scrambled eggs many times and threw away many tries before I was satisfied with a French omelette I was willing to present to the Chef and even then it wasn't quite right but I was running out of time and many French words that I'm positive had nothing to do with the French language passed through my mind as I called out "Ready Chef" at the very last possible minute.  Now don't get me wrong and I don't mean to offend anyone nor do I mean any disrespect for Julia Child but I watched Julia Child make what she called a French omelette and well, That was Not a French Omelette and it turned out pretty ugly and talk about OVER kill with the parsley garnish.  My teacher Chef Knaup makes a Beautiful French omelette every time.  Today we went to Costco and bought 5 dozen eggs so I can practice making French omelettes.

 I'm an odd bird and I like to learn things that are rarely asked for or done, why?  I don't know, just so I can say I can? Darcy always makes fun of me for knowing the uncommon and my sis calls me a nerd.  So, I'm on the quest to be able to tourné like it's nobody elses business and making a killer French omelette has just been added to the list. French omelettes are rarely on menus but all the Chefs are taught how to make it and we'll be tested on it at the end of the term so... Scrambled Eggs until I get the French Omelette down anyone?

It's another late night and well, and I'll be tired in the morning but I'll be damned if I'm going to write 2 blogs on a Friday night lol.    please watch my vid of Chef Knaup making the French Omelette if you're interested in the challenge of it.  Learn how to do it right, from someone who is most excellent at making a beautiful French Omelette.  Sorry Julia but Kudos go to Chef Knaup at Le Cordon Bleu Seattle...

That's my blip for my BFFs today.

So you think making Salads is easy? Heh, think again...

I'm a little behind on my blog because I was studying for a test that was mentioned on the mco for class that never happened. /sigh...

So today we made 4 different types of salads and let me tell you, If you want it to look good then it's a little time consuming.  You have to have your Mise en Place all set before you start making everything.  And...Salads should be tossed in the dressing unless requested to be set on the side.  So, yeah, we learned the right way to toss a salad and NO you don't just throw everything in a bowl and plop a glob of dressing in it.  It's intricate work for a true masterpiece.

I'll upload the vids and you can watch them for more detail because well, it's always best to watch an artist at work. 

There are numerous types of Salads that you can make and you are only as limited as your imagination.  What I will give you today is the ratio for your vinaigrette.  3 oil to 1 vinegar.  And even then your vinaigrette can be a work of art but do keep in mind the color that your dressing will become and what your salad is going to look like after you toss it.  If you use Balsamic vinegar for your vinaigrette and you're gonna put it on your potato salad, Honestly, do you want your Potato Salad to be the color of Squid ink?  Think about it.  So many different types of Oils and vinegars to chose from.  If you use Olive oil, remember that it has a strong flavor and you may want to go 1 part Olive oil and 2 parts salad oil.  Just a suggestion but hey, it's your salad and you're the one eating it, not me.  Be the mad scientist and start experimenting or eh, just look up a dressing Online if you lack in creativity... It's ok, nobody but you will know lol.

Also, Season your salad with salt and pepper.  It's a beautiful thing.

I've taken a picture of my salads to give you an idea of plating your salads.  High and tight and away from the rim of the plate.  I brought my salads home and had a feast.  Here's hoping you can get your feast on after you're done creating your masterpiece.

That's my blip for my BFFs today, yet again...

Alfredo, Who is that guy?

Alfredo Di Lelio, his wife is pregnant and has lost her appetite so he scramble about trying to make something that she'll eat and so in 1914 the Fettuccine Alfredo is born.  Alfredo of Rome is named after Di Lelio and in 1927 Actors Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford enjoyed the dish so much that they dubbed him "King of Fettuccine" and from then on it's been tradition that celebrities that visit the restaurant have thier photo taken while dining there.  Alfredo of Rome is located in Rome, New York, Orlando and Las Vegas.  If you ask me this guy is a Glory hound, most people named their dishes after the inspiration like Anna Deslions=Potatoes Anna. NOOOooo this guy says, I made it, I'm gonna name this dish after myself, not his poor ailing wife who is sick because of HIM... pft...

This dish is so easy to make that I can't believe that I've actually had some bad Alfredo that I've paid for at a restaurant that I of course have never returned to.  So here is the recipe but please... Watch the video because well... the recipe is Not perfect.  Watch the Chef and learn from the pro.

Alfredo. 4 oz Heavy cream, a little butter, fresh fettuccine, again 2-4oz heavy cream for the second stage, 2-3oz parmasan cheese (grated), salt and pepper to taste.  Be creative, before you add heavy cream perhaps use olive oil to sweat some onions and garlic saute off some shrimps maybe then add your heavy cream.  Just saying.  You're the cook, what do you want to eat?

Again, please watch the video, click on the link for my Youtube channel on the top left just above the profile photo.

I made my pasta and Alfredo and put a little bit of the Pesto in it and it was Rich and heavenly.  I even attempted the ricotta ravioli and it turned out pretty good too. 

Things to remember... Fresh pasta cooks Very fast, 1 1/2-2 minutes, so be careful not to overcook your pasta and have a mushy mess to slurp on.  Salt your boiling water a little less than the sea, swirl the water then ease in your pasta, swirl the water again so your pasta isn't just one big clump.  When the pasta rises to the top, it's almost ready and you should check it for doneness.  Al dente is what you're looking for.  No Sue, don't take a piece out and throw it on the wall to see if it sticks.  Blow on it, put it in your mouth and bite it to see if it's done.  Al dente means "to the tooth" so ... Not mushy, should have a little bit of a bite to it.  You might even want it a little undercooked because you're gonna put it in the sauce and it's going to continue cooking while you're adding the cheese and seasoning.   Another thing.  If you don't watch the video you'll probably go and rinse your fresh pasta...hm... wrong.  From the boiling water and INTO the sauce.  Oh that's right I did say to watch the video earlier, so what are you waiting for?  Go on, scroll up and click on the Youtube link...

That's my blip for my BFFs today.

The Majik Hat...

From within the Majik Hat we had to pull out 2 things that we had to make for our Praktikal test.  And I was a lucky lil devil and got to do the Green Beans and Pommes Anna (potatoes).  I made the Green Beans for the Family on Easter celebration so heh, practice makes perfect. 

Potatoes Anna? Well it's an all kind of yummy, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside potato "cake" of sorts.  Who the Hell is Anna?  Well there seems to be a dispute as to whom the Dish is actually named for.  There is Actress Anna Damien aka Anna Judic then the more popular concensus Anna Deslions.  But what is known is that the creator of the dish is Adolphe Dugléré, a pupil of one of the forefathers of French cuisine, Carême.  Dugléré was the Head Chef at Café Anglais, the leading restaurant in Paris in the 19th centurty and it is said that he  named the dish for one of the Grandes Cocottes.  The grand What?...So I looked up Cocotte and it means chicken or female prostitute.  I highly doubt that chicken is the route I would take here.  On another site it said a Grande Cocotte was a woman that was "kept" in a life of luxury.  So...I suppose whoever steps forward and admit she's a prostitute or a "kept" woman gets the honors of having a potato dish named after her.

I've posted a few vids from Youtube on how to make Pommes Anna... quick tip...Do NOT rinse your potatoes after you slice them.  Alternate directions your circle of potatoes go... first clockwise then counter clockwise and season each layer with salt and pepper then drizzle your top layer with clarified butter before putting it in the oven.  The result should be crunchy on the top and bottom and soft, almost like mashed potatoes on the inside.

Today we learned how to mix and knead pasta. Tomorrow we get to make Fettuccine Alfredo and Tortelini... My mouth is watering as I type.  I love Alfredo, I don't care what anyone says about him...Now if there was an Alfreda...

Please watch the vids regarding the pasta on my Youtube channel, linked just above my profile.

So, as I mentioned, today was practical day.  I cooked my 2 dishes that I pulled out of the Majik Hat and took it up to Chef for scoring.  It's always a great feeling when the Chef does the euphoric "oh, that's really good".  I scored a 9.5 and a "Great" in the comments.  It was a good day.  Now if only everyday could be like today lol and on a Monday even.

That's my blip for my BFFs today.

Refried Black Beans... YUM!!!

It's Easter weekend Saturday and I'm sorry that i've been slacking on the blog.  I've been a little busy entertaining friends that came for dinner, just flat out tired and driving 4 hours to head to Family Easter get together.  Whew, that made me tired just writing it.  I got up this morning and made Eggs Benedict for Breakfast the 6 of us, Aunt Sue joined us.  It was a little bit on the yummy side...So now i'm ready to write and after that cook some more lol...

Refried beans... Really easy to make, just have to prep properly.  A few things to remember about beans.  Don't be cheap, you get what you pay for.  Take the time to soak your beans over night.  Don't salt your beans until it's all cooked.  If you salt your beans before you start cooking them the skin turns out all hard and crunchy like which makes for yucky texture. 

Now I don't have a video for this because well.. I'm human "sometimes" and I forgot my phone/camera at home.  So, here is the recipe... Its FABULOUS...

5oz Beans (dried Pinto, Pink, or Black) we used black, 4 slices of bacon, Cold water (enough to cover the beans), 1oz sliced thin Onions, 1-2 cloves chopped Garlic, 1/4 chopped Jalepeño.  Salt to taste.

In a frying pan render the bacon fat don't brown, leave whole so you can easily remove it from the pot.  After the fat is rendered put the bacon into the pot and set the frying pan with the fat aside.  add all the ingredients but the into the pot and add water enought to cover the beans... cook until beans are tender.  Add water to keep from drying out but only just enough to cover the beans. When the beans are tender/done drain but save the juice.  Sauté the onions in the bacon fat then add the beans and start frying and mashing the beans, add juice and mash beans to the consistency that you like.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Chow down on the Frijoles.

Obviously for you Veg heads omit the Bacon and use olive oil. 

That's my blip for my BFFs today.

WTH is Risotto?

I knew that it was a rice dish and watching Chopped on the Food channel the Judge was all "I'm sorry but this is Not risotto" and I thought to myself.  Risoto is rice and he made rice so why isn't it Risotto?

WEEEeeeell, so today we made Risotto and as I was reading my homework Risotto is best made with Arborio rice, one of many Italian varieties of short grain rice, essential for making the Highest quality of Risotto.  So, I'm figuring that if Mr. Chopped made his risoto with Long grain lord knows where it came from rice and put it in the oven then He was way off base and yes, what he made was in fact NOT a Risotto. 

We started off by sweating the Onion in equal parts of olive oil and butter, then adding the rice and cooking it for a little bit, oh about 2 minutes, then there was a pot of boiling Chicken stock.  Wait, back track.  Let me give you the recipe first.

Risotto Milanese...Well, Normally it would be called Risotto alla Parmigiana but what makes it Milanese is the Saffron.

part 1.  1/4 oz Butter, 1/4 oz olive oil, 1/4 oz Onion (fine chop), 4oz Italian Arborio rice, 12-16oz Chicken stock,../part 2.  1/2 oz butter, 1 1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, 1/4 oz Saffron, 2oz  Cream, 1 Egg yolk.

So, ladle in 4oz of the stock into the Rice, then stir it and keep an eye on the rice... Simmer it along.  Stirring occasionally.  When the liquid is absorbed add more stock.  In the mean time ladle out a little bit of the stock and add the Saffron to it.  Saffron is water soluble (fyi).  This will give a nice yellow color to your rice.  So, the next time your rice needs stock use the stock with the Saffron in it.  WATCH the Video.   So, your rice is ready, now you whip the cream and mix it with the egg yolk, then you add a little bit of the hot rice to that mixture to temper the egg, then you pour that into the rice.  add your butter and cheese and your Risoto should be a nice and creamy.  Season with salt to taste. 

I had issues with my risoto but let me tell you, I'll be making it again and not messing it up lol. 

We had to make 3 things for production today, Green beans, Risoto and glazed Carrots.  While in production the chef decided to throw us a curve ball and said for us to make Potato Leek soup as a team.  Well, I didn't have a partner, I think I may smell funny because I work alone a LOT... I promise I shower Every day before school.  And so Chef comes over to me and says, are you going to make the soup?  And i'm all, well I was going to try and make it but, and I point across the way to the guy I asked if he wanted to do it  and he said No...and told the Chef as much and he looks at me and says.   "Do it."  So, what am I going to say?  "No Chef"?  NOT.  And I'm running, and I'm peeling and I'm Chopping and I'm Running and I'm Stirring and I'm looking Very much like a Chicken with it's head cut off dressed in chefs clothes. 

LINE IS OPEN!!! he says... Uh huh... I'm running, not enough dishes, "It's okay, just use a dish from someone who's been tested."  I'm waiting, Oo my beans are going to be overcooked now that I have to wait for a stupid Plate...OMG my Rice is too thick,  Add stock, add cream,  butter, stir stir stir...
Got the plate, Dished up the Risoto, beans and carrots... OMFG I forgot to blend the soup.  Wipe my face, RUN FORREST RUN...Blend the soup, plate the soup..."ONLY 3 People up here at a TIME!!!"  WTF /sigh.   HURRY up and Wait.  Now my food is going to be cold.  OH Bloody Hell!!!  I'm cleaning, I'm waiting,  I look up, still the same 3 people up there.  A plethora of flourished verbiage Flies through my mind looking very much like *(%#+&*!#...  "Everybody get up her Now if you haven't already come up here."  I get up there and I ...Wait...   ...   ...   ...   So he tastes my beans, "mmmm that's good"  my carrots "mmmm That's really good."  my Risoto  "could be a little creamier and a little Under seasoned"  Oh Hell, I forgot to check the seasoning after I added more stock and even then it wasn't creamy enough.  /sigh... My Soup "mmm that's really good"....   Okay, so 3 out of 4 isn't bad at all.  But am I happy? No, and yes nobody's perfect but eh, I set my standards high... I know, I know... Get over it.  

I'm driving home and I feel exhausted.  All in all it was a good day and I learned a lot.  Watch the Vid for Risoto, it'll be more helpful than just reading what I wrote.

And That is my blip for my BFFs today.

Rice, Rice Baby...

It's 1992 and I get off of the fishing boat and I'm on my way to Portland, OR, to see Darcys home for the first time.  So being the great hostess that she is she starts to make dinner.  I'm sorry Darcy, but I can't remember what it was that she made for me but what I'll never forget, and I don't ever let her live it down, is the rice that she attempted to make, bless her dear sweet heart.  I walked into the kitchen and there was "something" boiling in a pot, then she takes it off the burner, gets the strainer and dumps it out, it's Uncle Bens minute rice.  "GASP"!   I was appalled to say the least lol.  I made her take me to the grocery store right then and there so that I could buy the "good" stuff according to my All my life, rice eating standards.  Medium or short grain, Cal Rose or Niko Niko is the Rice of the Gods for us Polynesians.

I have always made rice in a pot and only recently started using a "rice cooker".  Uncle Bens minute rice, until Friday, was taboo in our pantry.  But now, getting educated in the many different types of rice and how to prepare them, I'll maybe allow Darcy make room in the pantry for poor misunderstood Uncle Ben. 

We made Rice Pilaf in class with Uncle Ben and he proved to be quite yummy after Chef Knaup Demo'd it and we had to make it.  Rice is difficult to make in small batches, but it wasn't too bad after it was all said and done.  So, let me shed some light to those of you who are in the same frame of mind that I was in and hope that Uncle Ben finds it in his heart to forgive me.

This recipe was very tasty and we made it with water because we were practicing but what you want to do is to make it with Chicken stock and it'll be a lot more flavorful.  You are by no means limited in the vegetables you use in this recipe.  Use as much or as little as you wish.  If you don't like celery well then for heavens sakes don't put it in lol, substitute it with something else that you like.

1oz  Butter,  1Tbs. each  Onions, Carrots and Celery (fine chopped),  4oz Rice, Long Grain,  8oz Water or Stock,  sprig or pinch of Thyme,  Bay leaf.

In a different pan/pot bring the water or stock to a boil.  Preheat your oven.  350º f if convection oven and 375º f if conventional.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium high heat and add Onions, carrots and celery and any other Vegetable that you might want to add.  Sweat, don't Brown for about 3 minutes.  Add the Rice and cook for oh about 3 minutes.  Brown the rice a little bit.  You don't want to have too much butter that will make the rice not only greasy but may burn while your rice is in the oven.  When you think that your rice is ready, add the boiling Stock/water and Season with Salt and white pepper.  Taste the liquid to make sure that it's seasoned well.  Add the Bay leaf and Thyme and stir.  Cover and place the pot into the oven and cook for 18-20 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf and sprigs of Thyme and other herbal sprigs you decided to use.  Taking care not to scrape the bottom of the pan/pot (because the bottom might have burned) gently scrape the rice into a different container, fluffing the rice, add the remainder of the vegetables, like frozen peas etc. that are already cooked, into your rice and mix it well.   You may add a little bit more butter as desired.  And there you have it, Rice Pilaf! Easy peasy.

Unlike last term Chef is not doing as many demos this term.  It's all about the monkey see monkey do process this term.  Chef says, add the butter, I add the butter, and since I don't have a 3rd hand and eyes in the back of my head to record vids and cook at the same time.  Also, because there is a lot of repeating of what we cook in order to etch the process in our brains I'll just have to apologize for the lack of Blogs and vids this term.

Peace and Love to all my readers.

That is my blip for my BFFs today.

Soup du Jour

Well, we've finally graduated from sauces and are now making soups.  Today we made Clam Chowder, French Onion, and Consommé.

So, What makes a chowder Chowder?  Anyone?  Raise your hand please.  Potatoes?  What about the potatoes?  Ah yes, that's absolutely correct.  For it to be a Chowder there Has to be Potato chunks in it.  No Chunks, then it's just Cream of Clams.

I'm going to share this recipe for New England Clam Chowder with you because it's YUMMY.  This is a serving for 2.

2tsp  Olive oil                                                4oz  Milk
1/2 c   Canned minced clams                          4oz  Heavy cream
1oz  White wine                                            2-3 sprigs Thyme, fine chop
1oz  Bacon, Finely diced                                1/2 tsp  Parsley,  fine chop
2oz  Onions,  small dice
1/2 oz  Flour                                                  Salt and White Pepper to taste.
6oz  Potato,  small dice                                   8oz Clam Juice
2oz  celery


In a small pot over medium heat add Olive oil and bacon.  Do NOT brown the bacon.  Stir constantly while rendering the fat from bacon.  Add the onions and cook slowly til onions are translucent, don't brown.  Add flour and stir it well and cook for about 3 mins.  Do NOT brown.  Using whisk slowly stir in the wine and let it reduce by about 1/2, cooking out the alcohol.  Now stir in 8oz clam juice and bring to a boil.  Stir constantly to make sure the liquid is Smooth.  Turn down to a simmer and Add potatoes and celery and cook until the potatoes are tender.  Stir in the Clams, Milk and Cream, Heat gently.  DO NOT BOIL.  Add finely chopped Parsley and thyme, Bring to a simmer and you're done.  Add Salt and Pepper to taste...

If you want to keep this heated then put a pan on the burner, add water and put your pot in the pan.  The double boiler effect is the best way to keep your cream soups from getting scorched.

The Consommé is a tricky SOB to make but if you do it right you could see a coin at the bottom of a cup full of consommé.  Mine turned out quite well, thank goodness.  As well did my French onion soup, too bad I don't like French Onion or I would have been chowing down during class today.  I brought my Chowder home to share with the family.

All the running around during class and sweating about getting stuff done correctly and on time has been kicking my Ass all the way to Timbuktu and I've just been exhausted when I get home and I've been slacking on my blog but then again there really hasn't been much to write about since it's just been on sauces.  Am I trying to justify being a lazy bum and not writing?  Yes I am lol...

Enjoy the Chowder.  That's my blip for my BFFs today.

Rinse and Repeat

Well now we're just making sauces over and over again getting ready for a test tomorrow.  So... That makes for a boring blog AAaaand no vids. 

Today we had to make 3 sauces to save for tomorrows test.  Velouté, Bechamel and Espagnole.  Also practice Hollandaise and Beurre Blanc.  I pretty much have them down.  I get nervous about making the sauces to thick so it takes me forever to get the sauce to the right consistancy because I'm adding so little roux at a time.  But I made all 5 sauces today which is good, compared to some that only did the minimum required 3.  And that was with having to make more roux for my sauces...

I have to work on keeping my work station in order.  I'm at an organized chaos stage lol... I know where everything is but it's kind of all over the place.  I'm not cleaning as I go too so I have neat little stacks of things around.  Note to self... Clean up the neat little stacks lol.   I'm cooking fast enough, just not neat enough and it shows on my grade /sigh...

Had to set up the router for the internet today, took way too long and so now I have to cut this short and go study for the test tomorrow.  

That's my blip for my BFFs today.

Small Talk...

Mother sauces...Everyone, well, Almost everyone loves French cuisine and French cuisine is known for it's Sauces.  The Chef Saucier (sauce making chef) is one of the most respected positions in the Kitchen Brigade.  Making Gravy is easy, it takes a whole lot more to make sauces.  Mother sauces are the foundation of all things Yummy.

What are the mother sauces?  There are 5 Mother sauces and one Honorary.  1. Espagnole (brown sauce made from brown stock)  2. Velouté (White sauce made from Chicken, Veal, or Fish stock) 3.  Bechamel (white sauce made with milk) 4.  Tomato sauce (using white stock to thin) 5.  Hollandaise (Butter base)  and our honorary cold mother sauce Mayonaise.  For the veg heads you can make a stock with veggies and go from there.

So from these mother sauce we can make All of the Small sauces.  For instance, from Espagnole you can make Bordelaise, Robert, Mushroom, Madeira etc.  From Béchamel you get Cheddar, Cream, Mustard etc.  From Veal Velouté make Allemonde and from that you get Curry, Hungarian etc.  Chicken Velouté make Suprême then Mushroom, Albufera, and the list goes On and On... You can also make Soups from your mother sauces such as Bechamel base makes your Creme soups and Chowders.

And you know how when you watch all those cooking shows and the Chef says "and I made a beautiful aioli sauce to go with the blah blah blah..."  Well, let me burst your bubble... That "special" sauce is Mayo made from scratch then you fine chop and toss Garlic into it and Voila you have Aioli.  Best Foods mayo with chopped Garlic in it is Aioli lol...

Learning how to make Mayo and Hollandaise sauce is a beautiful thing.  If you want to impress your friends, learn now to make them because, even in my class at school there are people who still have problems with getting emulsification down and not having the sauce break on them.  Emulsion is bringing 2 immiscible liquids together such as oil and vinegar.  See my vids for making mayo or hollandaise.

So in class we made Remoulade from Mayo which is a really yummy tartar sauce.  In the mayo you chop up parsley, chervil, terragon, gherkins (small sweet pickle), capers, dijon mustard and add Anchovy essence.  Eeeeeeew Anchovies?  Yes, Anchovy.. and essence is the oil that the anchovy is packed in.  Why?  It's the UMAMI factor.  Do you really want to leave it out and sacrifice flavor?  Well that's your choice but let me tell you...YUUUUUMMMM.

We made Spanish sauce from Tomato sauce and that took fine chopped Anchovies along with chopped garlic, diced onions and bell peppers and red pepper flakes.  It was simply divine.

Learn your Mother sauces and from there the world is yours for the taking.  Don't be afraid to add something that you think you don't like into the mix because that is what separates the Cooks from the Chefs.

I made my sauces and went up to get them graded.  Taste, taste, taste, badabing badaboom he says, "It's all good"  I say "Thank you Chef" and... It's all good and I walk away with a good grade and a smile. 

It's a very fullfilling feeling to be able to walk away knowing that I am doing well in what I set out to do.  I want to thank Everyone who has supported me in my decision to go back to school.  I love you.

That is my blip for my BFFs today.

"Please sir, may I have another?"

Sauces and more sauces.  I'm pooped.  We made that Brown sauce yesterday and today we made 3 derivatives of the brown sauce...We also made Tomato sauce, saved the tomato sauce so that we can make more sauce tomorrow...

My Tomato sauce was awesome.  My 3 sauces on the other hand had wonderful flavor but I Mounted with Butter too much or sautéed with too much butter or whatever with the butter but Chef said it was a little on the greasy side.  Not much but just enough to leave grease "bubbles" on the spoon.  I guess I shouldn't have mounted that butter today, but I'm sure if I was making that sauce for Darcy she would have been all over it with the extra pat of butter.  /sigh And there is proof that it's not always going to be the greatest day ever for me. 

I'm tired today.  We've been making the sauces individually so it's a bit hectic in the kitchen.  But Mise en place was on today so people did much better today than they did yesterday.  Now if only they would clean as they go then we wouldn't be all backed up at the sink at the end of class.

What a boring day, everyone being so focused on cooking that nothing too exciting has really happened.  I'll upload the vids for you to check out the sauces.  

Today we made Sauce Robert, Marchand de Vin, and Chasseur.  All were really wonderfull.   First we took our brown sauce and mixed it with equal parts of brown stock and simmered.  When we added the wine to the onions we reduced it to auc sec (to Dry) then added the brown sauce mixture, Mount with butter, TAAT and you're good to go.  Watch the vids for quantity and procedures...

I'm falling asleep as I write this so I'm gonna go take a nap then upload the vids.

Thats my blip for my BFFs today.

Mother Sauce and its Derivatives.

Today was a busy, busy day for us.  We had to make 3 mother sauces on our own and from those sauces we had to make a derivative out of 2 of them. 

And to start my day at class I was setting up my mise en place, getting out my tools and then realizing that the spatula that Katlin was waving about yesterday was mine.  Yep, I couldn't find it anywhere in my bag.  I'm usually really good about washing my stuff and putting them right into my bag but I was obviously side tracked.  So, no spatula for me today and as i was straining my sauces a lot of it was left in the bowls but eh, it all worked out.

I was trying hard to clean up my mess as I went but it seemed that I accumulated a lot of bowls, pots, rewashing utensils several times and then Chef is announcing over the intercom..."The pass is open but will be closed in about 15 minutes... Some of you Need to start getting up here."   Yes, I was one of those somebodies.  I was so afraid to put too much roux in my sauce, my brain was in overdrive.  "the stove is too high, move the pot to the side, start your other sauce..."  It was an incessant buzzing in my mind.  "TAAT, TAAT, TAAT!!!"

"You have 10 minutes to get up here..."  RUUUUUN FORREST RUUUUUUUN!!!  I think I lost 10 pounds today,  I finally got up to the pass and watched the Chef taste and critique those in front of me in line.  There were so many, " your sauce in under seasoned" "your sauce is greasy" "your sauce is too thick"  that I was starting to second guess my ability to cook.  Then I felt so bad for the guy in front of me because out of a Quart of stock he presented the Chef with what looked to me to be 2 tablespoons of brown stock, from a pint of chicken stock was maybe 1 tablespoon of sauce and of 1 pint of milk maybe a teaspoon of sauce.   That was some SERIOUS reduction...

I know my friends always say I can do this, that I'm a good cook etc. but that still doesn't stop me from being nervous in front of the Chef as he tastes and tests my food.  Lucky for me he tested the thickness of my sauces and tasted them and said, "It's all good."  Slowly my heartbeat slowed down and I was able to relax and calm my nerves. 

I love cooking but now i'm thinking, I went from a job that was low stress, almost nil, to going to school with high stress expectations, what in the Hell did i get myself into lol... BREATH.  Just writing about today has my fingers shaking lol...I can do this... breath...

That's my blip for my BFFs today.

Iron Maiden

First order of things, we made Fumet today.  And what is Fumet?  It's a fast way of making fish stock.  Why not just call it fish stock?  Well, because it's the process of cooking that makes it Fumet and not just fish stock.  Fish stock you take the bones, add the aromatiques and water then simmer it for a while, an hour or so.  Fumet you sweat the aromatiques in butter, add and reduce white wine, cook the fish til it's opaque, add the water, bring to a simmer and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

We had to work as a team and Nikki was my partner today.  We had to make the fumet together but individually make roux, blanc, blonde and brun.  Chef did his demo on the fumet then Ding off we went to set up our mise en place and cook our assignments.  So I asked Nikki to get our roux ingredients while I got the Fumet stuff.  Badabing, badaboom we knocked out our fumet and roux like pros.  The Chef walked around to check out everyone at work and we passed with flying colors. 

Poor Leslie and Leonard didn't have much luck though, Chef made them step back and take a look at their work space, I couldn't help but look over to check it out myself.  It looked like the Cabbage Patch kids ran amuck in their area, and they looked a little overwhelmed, then come to find out that they were individually making fumet as well as roux... Ooops...  I'm so glad that I can't stand to work in a mess and have always cleaned up as I cook ever since i can remember. 

Time for Testing our finished product.  As I was draining our fumet through the chinois the aroma of it was wafting about and I had Nikki lean in to smell it as well, OMG it smelled so good and the color of it was really nice.  We were both drooling and if we could have we would have seasoned it up and eaten it right then and there lol.  I walked up and handed Chef the taster spoon as an indication to him that we were ready to be scrutinized.  He dipped the spoon into the cambro, tasted our fumet and whispered "wow".  So, I do believe he liked it with a response like that lol.  Roux was also on the money and we got really good scores.  Yay Us...

Everyday we have to line up and have our uniform inspected for cleanliness, wrinkles, black socks, properly tied cravat, trimmed nails and hair in nets or trimmed and for the guys, if they've shaved.  First person Chef goes to he says, "your apron looks a little wrinkled."  he looks at the next guy, "your apron looks wrinkled too"  then he looks around and says "Sol, please step forward."  And as I do so he says, "That is how your aprons should look.  Nice and pressed."  So I turn a pale shade of pink, turn around to face the class, held out my apron like a skirt and gave them a curtsy.  I can't help it if I'm anal about how well pressed my clothes have to be lol.  Can you say Obsessive-compulsive disorder?  A mild case but a case still the same lol...

And that is my blip for my BFFs today.

CF2 Term 2

So here we are at the beginning of the second term.  Today we made Veal Stock/Brown Stock.  After doing our usual line up for inspections we went thru a review of all things past for a refresher then they went into the walkin and pulled out about 75 pounds of veal bones.  The process is all fairly simple and home made stock is a lot better than the stuff you buy in the box at the super market. 

We begin by putting the bones on a sheet tray (cookie sheet), turn the oven to 400° f.  You don't do anything to the bones except put it in the oven for 25 mins.  Now while you're waiting you can cut up your mirepoix.  What in the hell is that?  Rewind....

Ratio:  In your stock pot you want 50% Bones, 100% water and 10% Mirepoix.  So...for 5 #s of Bones you want 1# of Mirepoix.  

Mirepoix is 50% onions 25% carrots and 25% celery cut into appx. 1/2 dice.  Then you can also make a bouquet garni to go in there and that is celery leaf, thyme, parsley,  bay leaf, peppercorn wraped in a leek and tied off with butchers twine.

Now, for brown stock you want to Roast the bones first.  So, 25 minutes us up, Ding, you take out the tray, flip the bones and put it back into the oven for appx 10-15 mins.  Ding, tray out, add carrots and onions and back in oven for about 10 mins.  Ding, tray out and you take tomato paste and mix it all up with your bones, carrots and onions.  Roast for 5 more minutes.  All is nice and brown, not burnt... onions may be just a wee bit on the edges but that's okay, then you take the bones and put it into your stock pot.  Add the celery, bouquet garni and fill up your pot with cold water.  Put the tray with all the dark crusty stuff on the bottom on the stove top, turn on your stove top and add water or red wine to the tray and you're going to deglaze that tray, scraping the bottom to losen up the "suc".  Now you take all that yumminess from the bottom of the tray and pour it into the stock pot.  Bring the pot to a simmer, not a boil,  and you'll want to simmer for 6 to8 hours.  If you're not crunched for time 24 to 36 hours is the best.  Do not stir or cover the pot.  Just let it sit and simmer and do it's thing.  Please don't put a lid on the pot. 

5#s of Bones should yeild 1 gallon of stock for you to make your sauces.

So team work is the name of the game now and our teacher gave us a little getting to know you excercise.  We had to pair up with somebody and interview each other, goals, experience, and find out something that nobody in the class knows about that person.  So I got Nikki.  She is a Filipino with a long ass Greek name lol Thessalonikka so we call her Nikki.  So we sit in this circle and tell everyone in class what we've found out about each other.  So... Nikki, used to be a travel agent back in the Phillipines, no prior cooking experience, and her goal is to one day work as a Chef in the White House.  And the big mystery box unfolded revealing that she was once a Runway Model in the Phillipines.  I also told the class that she spent late nights porn surfing.  I got a good laugh out of them and a blush from Nikki but I don't think they believed me.

That's my blip for my BFFs today.