Days 3 and 4 got fairly fancy in my Cuisine of the Americas class. A celebration of “The American Midwest and Urban Influences” brought Roast Venison with Kiln-Dried Cherry Sauce, Wild Rice Pilaf and Pureed Butternut Squash with Maple Sugar to my team’s menu. I have to say, I was impressed. I had a portion [...]
I realize that my life moves faster than I do. October has nearly come and gone. When I’m not in class, I am at work. When I am in my room I am sleeping. I’ve been known to pack everything into an oversize backpack at 5:30am, leave my room at 6:30am and return after 9:30pm. [...]
Day 10, Skills 2: Chicken Fricassee (White Chicken Stew) with Whipped Potatoes, Broccoli and Mushrooms with Pearl Onions & Lardons. (My post-grading plate–a bit messy after tasting.) My life has met me somewhere between complete insanity and absolute perfection. My back hurts from working hours on end hunched over plating small bites (my own fault). [...]
I realize what you see above may not be the prettiest thing in the world. With the rush of the kitchen, it is nearly impossible for me to get a clean picture of my plate before presenting it to the chef. This week has been all about composed dishes. Along with basic cooking techniques and [...]
I am a very lucky girl. This weekend my parents came to Hyde Park to visit . We have been apart for nearly 2-months now and I have missed them beyond words. It was a crisp, Fall weekend and I was determined to share the beauty and food of the area with them during their [...]
Day 4 in my Skills 2 class was…egg-cellent. Chef demoed nearly every style of eggs for us and sent us off to complete our daily tasks. A group presentation of deviled eggs. Six slow cooked brioche bread pudding with chocolate and golden raisins. Eggs Benedict. Behold my pride and joy. I made hollandaise, perfectly toasted [...]
(Parmesan Risotto) On the third day of my Skills 2 class, we made rice. Lots and lots of rice. I made parmasean risotto, rice pilaf, boiled wild rice. My rice pilaf made me the happiest. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and consistency when I brought it to my chef. It looked plain but [...]
(Braised Red Cabbage) Yesterday was Day 1 of my Skills 2 class. Along with our usual knife tray, we prepared Braised Cabbage, Glazed Beets, Chateau Potatoes and Duchess Potatoes. All in all, it went pretty…”Day 1″. We were in a new kitchen, with a new chef and new cooking methods. It wasn’t perfect but it [...]
Oh, what a week! I’m glad that it’s Friday and the start of a long Labor Day weekend, however; after a short 4-day week of class I’m slightly sad that we have to wait 3-days before getting back into our Skills kitchen. The pace is fast but always exciting. I leave class every day sweaty, [...]
There’s no stopping in our kitchen. After a three day weekend, my Skills Class entered week two at an incredibly fast pace. We stepped out of our comfort zones and started multi-tasking.We had chicken stock rolling in the back, individual knife trays, a pot of black beans simmering on each stove and dishes galore. I [...]
