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.