A Food Safety Officer from the city's Health Protection Branch came in today to administer the Food Handler Certification exam. As part of the certifcation, the Food Safety Officer covered the following topics in a two hour presentation as a review for our exam: the role of the public health inspector; public health legislation; understanding foodborne illnesses; safe food handling; Introduction to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), sanitation and pest control.
We discussed the proper practice for putting on rubber gloves. It's important that you wash your hands before putting them on because you don't want to contaminate them with your unwashed hands. Rubber gloves are typically worn when a food service server has a cut or infection on their hand. Improper sizing of gloves are a hazard. They can get caught in machinery and cause serious injury such as loss of fingers or a hand.
When working in the kitchen it is important to clean all equipment on a regular basis. Not cleaning on a regular basis may cause build up of food, dirt, etc. on parts which in turn could cause injury to the person using it. If a piece of equipment is not working properly or you don't know how to use it, you should inform the Chef. These are the two main causes of injury in a kitchen. These are all common sense. Not all people have this characteristic, thus reminders are good for everyone on safe practices.
Health Canada estimates that eleven million Canadians suffer from foodborne illnesses each year. Most cases of foodborne illness can be prevented by using safe food handling practices.
Certification will mean that I will have learned the principles and practices of safe food handling in order to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses to meet the requirements of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care under the Health Protection and Promotion Act.
I still have one more week of theory and 13 chapters to go in our text book. Then on to the kitchen to take that theory in to practice. I am so looking forward to getting my tool kit. Most of the stuff I already have. But it will be good to be able to leave the tool kit at school. I won't have to carry my heavy text book to and from school each day either.
Homework for this week? I will need to work more on my resume and start my business plan project.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Day 15: One Project Down, Another To Start.
Good session today. We covered Cooking for Vegetarian Diets, Salads Dressing and Salads and Menus, Recipes, and Cost Management. The latter is very important if you are an Executive Chef, Head Chef (in a smaller establishment) or planning to open your own business in the food services industry.
There are five types of vegan diets. The Vegan diet is the most restrictive. Vegans eat plant products only. All animal products including dairy and egg are off limits. Some products that you may think are vegan such as the following are off limits to the strictest vegan: honey because it comes from bees, and cane sugar which may be refined with animal products. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products and plant products but will not eat other animal products. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs in addition to plant products. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat dairy and egg products in addition to plant products. Pesco-vegetarians eat fish and plant products but not meat or poultry. They may or may not eat egg or dairy products.
Menus for vegetarian diets may include the following types of ingredients: dried legumes, grains, nuts and seed, soy products, dairy and egg. Recipes will need to be altered to accommodate food product changes. No animal product of any kind may be used as an ingredient intended for vegans. Dairy products may be included as ingredients for lacto-ovo-vegetarians. These need to be labelled for vegetarians as they will not be eaten by vegans.
Service staff must be knowledgeable to answer patron questions about the menu. Sometimes soups or a side dish that consists primarily of a plant product may have one or more animal product in it. These must be removed and substituted with an equivalent plant ingredient. This is especially true of recipes like soups that will be substituted with water or vegetable stock. The same goes for sauces that are based on meat, poultry or fish stocks. For vegans, oil will need to be substituted for butter. Soy milk or soy products will also need to be substituted for dairy products. Beet sugar or unbleached sugar will need to be used in the place of refined sugars.
We breezed through Salad Dressings and Salads. Chef said it is better to demonstrate in the kitchen for us to learn and do. Chef said we will make an upscale potato salad, making our own mayonnaise.
Food costing was covered. As a chef we may be called upon to do some food costing. I think the hardest part of food costing is making sure that you include all ingredients used in a recipe. This is very important when you are working with a budget and/or running your own business. The point is to make a profit. If you plan on opening your own business Chef said that the first couple of years you likely will be breaking even. That it is also a good idea to have money in the bank. Opening a restaurant is no small feat and requires cash and long hours. I know what Chef means. My parents ran a restaurant and I know that they worked very long hours and didn't take what most people call a vacation. The only vacation they had may have been the occasional statutory holiday.
I've given some thought to opening my own business. I've also given some thought to working for someone. There are a few directions that I'm thinking about taking. But I'm still in the early stages of learning and from there I'll soon figure out how long it will take me to get me to where I want to be.
Presentations continued with Russia and Greece. We were treated to a traditional Greek salad and pita served with an olive walnut dip and with red wine. I learned a few new things about each country and its food.
Homework: Finish resume and cover letter. Project #2 Food Establishment Business Plan.
There are five types of vegan diets. The Vegan diet is the most restrictive. Vegans eat plant products only. All animal products including dairy and egg are off limits. Some products that you may think are vegan such as the following are off limits to the strictest vegan: honey because it comes from bees, and cane sugar which may be refined with animal products. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products and plant products but will not eat other animal products. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs in addition to plant products. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat dairy and egg products in addition to plant products. Pesco-vegetarians eat fish and plant products but not meat or poultry. They may or may not eat egg or dairy products.
Menus for vegetarian diets may include the following types of ingredients: dried legumes, grains, nuts and seed, soy products, dairy and egg. Recipes will need to be altered to accommodate food product changes. No animal product of any kind may be used as an ingredient intended for vegans. Dairy products may be included as ingredients for lacto-ovo-vegetarians. These need to be labelled for vegetarians as they will not be eaten by vegans.
Service staff must be knowledgeable to answer patron questions about the menu. Sometimes soups or a side dish that consists primarily of a plant product may have one or more animal product in it. These must be removed and substituted with an equivalent plant ingredient. This is especially true of recipes like soups that will be substituted with water or vegetable stock. The same goes for sauces that are based on meat, poultry or fish stocks. For vegans, oil will need to be substituted for butter. Soy milk or soy products will also need to be substituted for dairy products. Beet sugar or unbleached sugar will need to be used in the place of refined sugars.
We breezed through Salad Dressings and Salads. Chef said it is better to demonstrate in the kitchen for us to learn and do. Chef said we will make an upscale potato salad, making our own mayonnaise.
Food costing was covered. As a chef we may be called upon to do some food costing. I think the hardest part of food costing is making sure that you include all ingredients used in a recipe. This is very important when you are working with a budget and/or running your own business. The point is to make a profit. If you plan on opening your own business Chef said that the first couple of years you likely will be breaking even. That it is also a good idea to have money in the bank. Opening a restaurant is no small feat and requires cash and long hours. I know what Chef means. My parents ran a restaurant and I know that they worked very long hours and didn't take what most people call a vacation. The only vacation they had may have been the occasional statutory holiday.
I've given some thought to opening my own business. I've also given some thought to working for someone. There are a few directions that I'm thinking about taking. But I'm still in the early stages of learning and from there I'll soon figure out how long it will take me to get me to where I want to be.
Presentations continued with Russia and Greece. We were treated to a traditional Greek salad and pita served with an olive walnut dip and with red wine. I learned a few new things about each country and its food.
Homework: Finish resume and cover letter. Project #2 Food Establishment Business Plan.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Day 14: Just another day, like any other day.
Today I presented my country project on Morocco. I was nervous about speaking in front of everyone but I think it went well. Last night I prepared food for my presentation while watching Top Chef ~ which is one of my favourite reality shows. Fried eggplant and couscous is what I decided to have the class sample as my dishes from Morocco. The fried eggplant was topped with garlic, lemon zest, parsley and a fig vinaigrette. My couscous salad had red peppers, red onion, dried cranberries, parsley, lemon juice and an olive oil vinaigrette. I usually put pine nuts in my couscous, but last night I decided to toast them and they ended up being overdone. I broiled some cherry tomatoes on the vine in some salt, pepper and olive oil. The couscous was topped with these and sprinkled with chopped green onions. Everyone seemed to enjoy the two dishes.
In preparing my Moroccan dishes for today, it gave me an opportunity to practice my mise en place. I organized my products and did my preparation dicing all the vegetables ~ brunoise, which is a 1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8 dice. A sharp knife is important when cutting food products in a uniform size. Chef said that it is a dull knife that is the cause of most cuts in the kitchen
Two other presentations were presented ~ Lebanon and Vietnam. Two very interesting cultures and foods that we've all come to love to eat. Pho is a huge favourite to many and especially to Chef.
We then continued on with more theory (Legumes, Grains, Pastas and Other Starches) and followed up by going to a few of Asian grocery stores in the area to check out their products. I managed to find preserved beans which is used for making a black bean sauce used in Asian dishes. The label indicates that the beans are processed in a traditional method and is rich in nutrition, being the best kind of seasoning for Chinese food.
No homework tonight for class. But I do need to put together my resume.
In preparing my Moroccan dishes for today, it gave me an opportunity to practice my mise en place. I organized my products and did my preparation dicing all the vegetables ~ brunoise, which is a 1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8 dice. A sharp knife is important when cutting food products in a uniform size. Chef said that it is a dull knife that is the cause of most cuts in the kitchen
Two other presentations were presented ~ Lebanon and Vietnam. Two very interesting cultures and foods that we've all come to love to eat. Pho is a huge favourite to many and especially to Chef.
We then continued on with more theory (Legumes, Grains, Pastas and Other Starches) and followed up by going to a few of Asian grocery stores in the area to check out their products. I managed to find preserved beans which is used for making a black bean sauce used in Asian dishes. The label indicates that the beans are processed in a traditional method and is rich in nutrition, being the best kind of seasoning for Chinese food.
No homework tonight for class. But I do need to put together my resume.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Day 13: Brain Freeze
We started today's class with a test on chapters three and four. One hundred questions on tools and equipment and cooking methods. I've been working on completing my country project in preparation for my presentation on tomorrow and have put many hours in researching. I did a review of the information last night and hoped that it would be enough. I actually did better than I had anticipated even though I had a bit of a brain freeze on a few questions. My mind had actually gone blank for stuff that I'd reviewed the night before.
After break we started the country presentations. We covered Poland, Italy and India. All did a great job showcasing their countries and their food through history. We were even treated to a taste from each country made by each presenter. Poland with cheese and potato, meat and desert perogies and a hunter stew. Italy with prosciutto and cheese on bread and red wine. India with pakoras, samosas, and desert. I was full of knowledge and food by the end.
Closing off the day we continued on with a chapter on potatoes. There are so many ways to prepare potatoes. Take mash potatoes for example. You can make them with milk, cream or even sour cream. You can add pureed green peas or roasted garlic. You can make Duchesse, Dauphine, Lorette potatoes. So many variations and I've only mentioned a handful.
There are waxy potatoes and starchy potatoes. Waxy potatoes are high in moisture content, sugar content and low in starch content. They are usually small and round in shape, however some may be large and elongated. Their flesh is white, yellow or even blue or purple and have a white, red, yellow or blue skin. These potatoes hold their shape well when cooked and are best used for boiling whole, salads, soups, hash browns, and any preparation where the potato must hold it's shape.
Starchy (or mature) potatoes have a high starch content, low moisture and sugar. They are light, dry and mealy when cooked. Russets and all-purpose potatoes fall in this category. Russets are long, regularly shaped potatoes with slightly rough skin. They are an ideal choice for the traditional baked potato and french frying because of their high starch content, golden colour and good texture.
All-purpose potatoes are irregularly shaped and not as dry and starchy as russets. They are not suitable for baking because of their irregular shape. They are especially useful for pureeing or mashing, or any preparation where the shape of the whole potato isn't important.
There are a few things you should know about potatoes. When checking for quality look for: firm and smooth, not soft or shriveled; dry skin; shallow eyes; no sprouts (these potatoes are high in sugar); no green colour (the green areas contain a substance called solanine and if bought should be cut before cooking.) When storing potatoes, do not store in the refrigerator. Temperatures below 45 F convert potato starch to sugar. Starch can be restored by storing the refrigerated potatoes at 50 F for two weeks. This allows for the sugar to change back to starch. New potatoes do not keep well. Purchase one weeks supply at a time.
Potatoes also come in five market forms: fresh, unprocessed; peeled and treated to prevent browning; canned whole, cooked; french fries, blanched in deep fat and frozen; other frozen, prepared products; and dehydrated.
I continue to work on my project for tomorrow's presentation.
After break we started the country presentations. We covered Poland, Italy and India. All did a great job showcasing their countries and their food through history. We were even treated to a taste from each country made by each presenter. Poland with cheese and potato, meat and desert perogies and a hunter stew. Italy with prosciutto and cheese on bread and red wine. India with pakoras, samosas, and desert. I was full of knowledge and food by the end.
Closing off the day we continued on with a chapter on potatoes. There are so many ways to prepare potatoes. Take mash potatoes for example. You can make them with milk, cream or even sour cream. You can add pureed green peas or roasted garlic. You can make Duchesse, Dauphine, Lorette potatoes. So many variations and I've only mentioned a handful.
There are waxy potatoes and starchy potatoes. Waxy potatoes are high in moisture content, sugar content and low in starch content. They are usually small and round in shape, however some may be large and elongated. Their flesh is white, yellow or even blue or purple and have a white, red, yellow or blue skin. These potatoes hold their shape well when cooked and are best used for boiling whole, salads, soups, hash browns, and any preparation where the potato must hold it's shape.
Starchy (or mature) potatoes have a high starch content, low moisture and sugar. They are light, dry and mealy when cooked. Russets and all-purpose potatoes fall in this category. Russets are long, regularly shaped potatoes with slightly rough skin. They are an ideal choice for the traditional baked potato and french frying because of their high starch content, golden colour and good texture.
All-purpose potatoes are irregularly shaped and not as dry and starchy as russets. They are not suitable for baking because of their irregular shape. They are especially useful for pureeing or mashing, or any preparation where the shape of the whole potato isn't important.
There are a few things you should know about potatoes. When checking for quality look for: firm and smooth, not soft or shriveled; dry skin; shallow eyes; no sprouts (these potatoes are high in sugar); no green colour (the green areas contain a substance called solanine and if bought should be cut before cooking.) When storing potatoes, do not store in the refrigerator. Temperatures below 45 F convert potato starch to sugar. Starch can be restored by storing the refrigerated potatoes at 50 F for two weeks. This allows for the sugar to change back to starch. New potatoes do not keep well. Purchase one weeks supply at a time.
Potatoes also come in five market forms: fresh, unprocessed; peeled and treated to prevent browning; canned whole, cooked; french fries, blanched in deep fat and frozen; other frozen, prepared products; and dehydrated.
I continue to work on my project for tomorrow's presentation.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Day 12: Cooking in a Paper Bag
Chef jumped right into the chapters in our text book ~ Cooking Fish and Shellfish, Understanding Vegetables, and Cooking Vegetables. Cooking fish and shellfish is no different than cooking meats and chicken. Only exception would be maybe when cooking en papillote. This is cooking in parchment paper. You make an envelope to seal the food. Steam from the heating the envelope cooks the fish and anything else you enclose. When the envelope puffs up you know that the food is cooked. This method is very light because you don't use very much oil to cook the fish or shellfished like clams and mussels.
Poaching and simmering is another method used for cooking small amounts of lean fish. The broth used for poaching/simmering is a court bouillon. A court bouillon is water containing seasonings, herbs and usually an acid used for cooking fish. The name means "short broth" in French because it is made quickly unlike broths. The court bouillon is cooked to exact flavours before cooking the fish in it. The cooking temperature is between 160 F and 180 F (depending on if it is a fat or lean fish) well below boiling which is 212 F. Cooking at a low temperature of 160 F is sufficient for cooking fish and will reduce the likelihood of over cooking.
As we moved on to Understanding Vegetables guidelines to follow in cooking are texture, flavour, colour and nutrients. These change depending on how you cook various types of vegetables. There are general rules to follow to make it easier to understand vegetables. Don't overcook. Cook your vegetables as close to serving as possible. If you need to cook vegetables ahead of time, par cook and chill. When ready to serve, reheat by pan frying quickly. Do not use baking soda with green vegetables - the baking soda destroys vitamins, and makes the vegetable slippery and mushy. Cut vegetables to same size for even cooking. Start with boiling, salted water for anything that grows above the ground. For root vegetables, start them in cold, salted water for even cooking. Cook green or strong flavoured vegetables uncovered. For preserving colour, cook red and white vegetables in a slightly acid liquid. Cook greens in a neutral liquid.
As cooks we need to consider standards of quality in cooked vegetables ~ colour, appearance on plate, texture, flavour, seasonings, sauces, and vegetable combinations. There are so many vegetables types offered to the commercial and home cook. As we become more multicultural, more ethnic foods enter the mainstream via local corner grocers to large supermarkets. Today I went grocery shopping at Organic Garage and saw Nopales (cactus pads). Nopales are used in Mexican cooking. One of my colleagues is from Mexico and mentioned that she ate them fried with eggs for breakfast and that they are absolutely delicious. She also said that she would make some for us to try.
We presented our Black Box (items used in The Next Great Chef ~ Ontario episode) menus Chef asked us to do for homework. It's for today's menu are: Muscovy Duck, Artic Char, Fiddleheads, Havarti Cheese, Fresh Figs. From these items we were to create our menus. My menu follows:
After all menu presentations, Chef selected dates for our country food project. I will be presenting my project on Tuesday. Chef also quizzed us on questions for our test on Monday to help us prepare.
Lots of homework this weekend. Still need to finish my project, read chapters and study for a test on chapters three and four this coming Monday.
Poaching and simmering is another method used for cooking small amounts of lean fish. The broth used for poaching/simmering is a court bouillon. A court bouillon is water containing seasonings, herbs and usually an acid used for cooking fish. The name means "short broth" in French because it is made quickly unlike broths. The court bouillon is cooked to exact flavours before cooking the fish in it. The cooking temperature is between 160 F and 180 F (depending on if it is a fat or lean fish) well below boiling which is 212 F. Cooking at a low temperature of 160 F is sufficient for cooking fish and will reduce the likelihood of over cooking.
As we moved on to Understanding Vegetables guidelines to follow in cooking are texture, flavour, colour and nutrients. These change depending on how you cook various types of vegetables. There are general rules to follow to make it easier to understand vegetables. Don't overcook. Cook your vegetables as close to serving as possible. If you need to cook vegetables ahead of time, par cook and chill. When ready to serve, reheat by pan frying quickly. Do not use baking soda with green vegetables - the baking soda destroys vitamins, and makes the vegetable slippery and mushy. Cut vegetables to same size for even cooking. Start with boiling, salted water for anything that grows above the ground. For root vegetables, start them in cold, salted water for even cooking. Cook green or strong flavoured vegetables uncovered. For preserving colour, cook red and white vegetables in a slightly acid liquid. Cook greens in a neutral liquid.
As cooks we need to consider standards of quality in cooked vegetables ~ colour, appearance on plate, texture, flavour, seasonings, sauces, and vegetable combinations. There are so many vegetables types offered to the commercial and home cook. As we become more multicultural, more ethnic foods enter the mainstream via local corner grocers to large supermarkets. Today I went grocery shopping at Organic Garage and saw Nopales (cactus pads). Nopales are used in Mexican cooking. One of my colleagues is from Mexico and mentioned that she ate them fried with eggs for breakfast and that they are absolutely delicious. She also said that she would make some for us to try.
We presented our Black Box (items used in The Next Great Chef ~ Ontario episode) menus Chef asked us to do for homework. It's for today's menu are: Muscovy Duck, Artic Char, Fiddleheads, Havarti Cheese, Fresh Figs. From these items we were to create our menus. My menu follows:
Appetizer:
Pan Seared Muscovy Duck Breast
Wrapped in a Crepe with Slivers of Ginger and Chives
Drizzled with Hoisin Sauce
Main Course:
Arctic Char en Papillote
Steamed Fiddleheads tossed with Walnuts, Lemon and Olive Oil
and Yukon Potatoes au Gratin
Desert:
Rustic Fresh Fig Tart
with a Rose Water Infused Custard
Pan Seared Muscovy Duck Breast
Wrapped in a Crepe with Slivers of Ginger and Chives
Drizzled with Hoisin Sauce
Main Course:
Arctic Char en Papillote
Steamed Fiddleheads tossed with Walnuts, Lemon and Olive Oil
and Yukon Potatoes au Gratin
Desert:
Rustic Fresh Fig Tart
with a Rose Water Infused Custard
After all menu presentations, Chef selected dates for our country food project. I will be presenting my project on Tuesday. Chef also quizzed us on questions for our test on Monday to help us prepare.
Lots of homework this weekend. Still need to finish my project, read chapters and study for a test on chapters three and four this coming Monday.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Day 11: Competing Against The Next Great Chef... in Theory.
March is taking it's stand with a good showing of snow today. About half of the class didn't make it in. We put the next chapter on hold to tomorrow and decided that we would focus on a more casual food information day.
First up we presented our menus based on the "black box" items provided Chef. However, this menu was to be created with themes for each type of dish. Appetizer ~ Mussels (Indian), main menu ~ Salmon (Mediterranean), and Desert ~ three fruits (Light/Healthy). Here's what I came up with:
Because we are creating menus, Chef wanted us to have a look at a menu from a restaurant called Apple Farm Dinners. The restaurant is located near Kansas City. The first restaurant began in 1946 and then expanded to another two restaurants in about the 70's. I think in total there are now four of these restaurants owned by the same family.
The menu from Apple Farm Dinners was used by Chef to show what not to do when writing menus. I do feel however, that for the time the menu was likely written, this is how most establishments presented their food to their customers. For example, Pork Chops (2) Center-Cut. "Some guests eat this every time they come here." As for typical diner type restaurants, dinners are usually served with a side and a salad or soup. At Apple Farm, all dinners are served with: potato, casserole dish, garnish, hot breads and apple butter, farm relish, apple farm fritter and salad: tossed green, frozen fruit or marshmallow. The pork chop dinner is priced at $14.95.
I've decided to do a bit of research on this restaurant. It is officially known as "Stephenson's Old Apple Farm Restaurant". What I do find interesting is that they are on Expedia.ca. The marshmallow salad listed on their menu can be found at cooks.com if you like that kind of stuff. Stephenson's is even listed in a travel guide under "places to eat". With all this fame, I wonder if Guy Fieri from the Food Network show Diner, Drive-ins and Dives will make an appearance to comment on their food?
When I read one of their dishes on the menu I laughed when I read that their recipe was published in Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I did a search on the web and found that it's true. In 1964 Better Homes and Gardens published a cookbook "Famous Foods from Famous Places, Specialty-of-the-House Recipes from America's Leading Restaurants". There is a three page article, as well as recipes from Stephenson's ~ Baked Chicken 'N Butter and Cream, Apple Dumplings, Green Rice, and Apple Fritters. I've sent an e-mail to a poster on a blog I found to ask if they can send me a copy of the article. I must tell you, that after all this interesting research, that I am looking forward to reading that 1964 article.
A few years ago, Swiss Knorr sponsored a chef competition called The Next Great Chef. In class today we watched two episodes from that competition ~ Ontario and British Columbia. The winner from each province then compete in the final for the title of "The Next Great Chef". Two finalist from each province must create a menu from black box items. In the Ontario competition, the chefs were presented with ingredients to create three dishes ~ appetizer, main course and desert. Based on the ingredients from the Ontario competition Chef asked us to create a menu. I guess this means we are competing against The Next Great Chef... in theory. I'll reveal what I created for my menu in tomorrow's post.
Today I signed up to volunteer at a catered fundraising event. I'm told that volunteering is great for networking as well as for my resume. I think it will be great for the experience. The fundraiser is to be held at The Scottish Rite which I'm told is in a historical building. I'm looking forward to my first "semi-quasi" job under the direction of the Chef from the Old Mill in Hamilton.
More reading and more menu creating is on the list for tonight's homework.
First up we presented our menus based on the "black box" items provided Chef. However, this menu was to be created with themes for each type of dish. Appetizer ~ Mussels (Indian), main menu ~ Salmon (Mediterranean), and Desert ~ three fruits (Light/Healthy). Here's what I came up with:
Appetizer:
P.E.I. Mussels Steamed
in a Madras Curry Cream Sauce
Main Course:
Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon with a Fig Sauce
Char Grilled Tomato, Zucchini, and Eggplant
Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Desert:
Strawberry, Blueberry, and Raspberry Pavlova
Drizzled with Meyer Lemon Coulis
and French Mint Leaves
P.E.I. Mussels Steamed
in a Madras Curry Cream Sauce
Main Course:
Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon with a Fig Sauce
Char Grilled Tomato, Zucchini, and Eggplant
Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Desert:
Strawberry, Blueberry, and Raspberry Pavlova
Drizzled with Meyer Lemon Coulis
and French Mint Leaves
Because we are creating menus, Chef wanted us to have a look at a menu from a restaurant called Apple Farm Dinners. The restaurant is located near Kansas City. The first restaurant began in 1946 and then expanded to another two restaurants in about the 70's. I think in total there are now four of these restaurants owned by the same family.
The menu from Apple Farm Dinners was used by Chef to show what not to do when writing menus. I do feel however, that for the time the menu was likely written, this is how most establishments presented their food to their customers. For example, Pork Chops (2) Center-Cut. "Some guests eat this every time they come here." As for typical diner type restaurants, dinners are usually served with a side and a salad or soup. At Apple Farm, all dinners are served with: potato, casserole dish, garnish, hot breads and apple butter, farm relish, apple farm fritter and salad: tossed green, frozen fruit or marshmallow. The pork chop dinner is priced at $14.95.
I've decided to do a bit of research on this restaurant. It is officially known as "Stephenson's Old Apple Farm Restaurant". What I do find interesting is that they are on Expedia.ca. The marshmallow salad listed on their menu can be found at cooks.com if you like that kind of stuff. Stephenson's is even listed in a travel guide under "places to eat". With all this fame, I wonder if Guy Fieri from the Food Network show Diner, Drive-ins and Dives will make an appearance to comment on their food?
When I read one of their dishes on the menu I laughed when I read that their recipe was published in Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I did a search on the web and found that it's true. In 1964 Better Homes and Gardens published a cookbook "Famous Foods from Famous Places, Specialty-of-the-House Recipes from America's Leading Restaurants". There is a three page article, as well as recipes from Stephenson's ~ Baked Chicken 'N Butter and Cream, Apple Dumplings, Green Rice, and Apple Fritters. I've sent an e-mail to a poster on a blog I found to ask if they can send me a copy of the article. I must tell you, that after all this interesting research, that I am looking forward to reading that 1964 article.
A few years ago, Swiss Knorr sponsored a chef competition called The Next Great Chef. In class today we watched two episodes from that competition ~ Ontario and British Columbia. The winner from each province then compete in the final for the title of "The Next Great Chef". Two finalist from each province must create a menu from black box items. In the Ontario competition, the chefs were presented with ingredients to create three dishes ~ appetizer, main course and desert. Based on the ingredients from the Ontario competition Chef asked us to create a menu. I guess this means we are competing against The Next Great Chef... in theory. I'll reveal what I created for my menu in tomorrow's post.
Today I signed up to volunteer at a catered fundraising event. I'm told that volunteering is great for networking as well as for my resume. I think it will be great for the experience. The fundraiser is to be held at The Scottish Rite which I'm told is in a historical building. I'm looking forward to my first "semi-quasi" job under the direction of the Chef from the Old Mill in Hamilton.
More reading and more menu creating is on the list for tonight's homework.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Day 10: Fourteen Cooks. All with Great Menus ~ No One Chopped.
We started off the day with presenting our homework in front of the class. "Black box" items provided by Chef (a la Chopped a cooking competition program on the Food Network) were to be used as ingredients in creating a three course menu. Appetizer: grapefruit, avocado, baby spinach, and quail; Main Course: short ribs, couscous, portobello mushrooms, and dates; Desert: brioche, pecans, and mascarpone. I knew from the start what my desert was going to be. I had to think a little harder to put together my appetizer and main course. Here's what I came up with:
If you can see the dishes as I've described them, then I've done my job. If I can make these dishes as you have envisioned (sight and taste) them ~ then I've done an even better job. That's my opinion and I hope to not disappoint!
We ran through another chapter in our textbook ~ Understanding Fish and Shellfish. By the end of the course I should be able to cut up chicken, fillet a fish, and trim meats and cook them all using various methods learned. There will be foods that I have never tried cooking at home and only have had at a restaurant. There is lots to learn and I'm looking forward to all of it.
I found today that there are many in my class that have never tried a lot of the foods discussed. Some have never eaten an avocado or know what brioche is. As one of my colleagues mentioned today, there is no excuse for not being able to build a menu with product you don't know about. If you have the Internet, you can research almost anything. That's what my colleague did and came up with a menu to prove it.
Two and a half weeks to go with theory and we are in the kitchen. (woo hoo!) Chef has been keeping our interest with her food stories that relate to the subjects being taught. We are always in good humour which makes the class go fast.
Lots of food sampling today. It started out with one of my classmates who brought in a home made lasagna for everyone to try. It was very good indeed. Then throughout the day two of the chefs that are teaching in the kitchen brought in food for us as well. We had Jambalaya (a Louisiana creole dish of Spanish and French influence), Beef Bourguignon (a standard of French cuisine), Red Snapper two ways ~ en papillote (in parchment paper) and a la meuniere (a technique used where the fish is sprinkled with lemon juice and chopped parsley, and freshly prepared hot brown butter is poured over the fish hitting the lemon juice creating a froth), and Chinese Dumplings (using handmade wrappers). All were very yummy!
More reading and another menu to create from Chef using "black box" items for homework tonight.
Appetizer:
Garlic and Honey Glazed Roasted Quail
Salad of Avocado, Grapefruit and Baby Spinach
Garlic and Honey Glazed Roasted Quail
Salad of Avocado, Grapefruit and Baby Spinach
Main Course:
Braised Short Ribs in a Smoked Portobello Mushroom Sauce
Saffron infused Couscous with Dates, Dried Cranberries, and Pine Nuts
Zucchini and Baby Carrot Spears
Braised Short Ribs in a Smoked Portobello Mushroom Sauce
Saffron infused Couscous with Dates, Dried Cranberries, and Pine Nuts
Zucchini and Baby Carrot Spears
Desert:
Brioche Bread Pudding with Candied Pecans
and Lemon Mascarpone
If you can see the dishes as I've described them, then I've done my job. If I can make these dishes as you have envisioned (sight and taste) them ~ then I've done an even better job. That's my opinion and I hope to not disappoint!
We ran through another chapter in our textbook ~ Understanding Fish and Shellfish. By the end of the course I should be able to cut up chicken, fillet a fish, and trim meats and cook them all using various methods learned. There will be foods that I have never tried cooking at home and only have had at a restaurant. There is lots to learn and I'm looking forward to all of it.
I found today that there are many in my class that have never tried a lot of the foods discussed. Some have never eaten an avocado or know what brioche is. As one of my colleagues mentioned today, there is no excuse for not being able to build a menu with product you don't know about. If you have the Internet, you can research almost anything. That's what my colleague did and came up with a menu to prove it.
Two and a half weeks to go with theory and we are in the kitchen. (woo hoo!) Chef has been keeping our interest with her food stories that relate to the subjects being taught. We are always in good humour which makes the class go fast.
Lots of food sampling today. It started out with one of my classmates who brought in a home made lasagna for everyone to try. It was very good indeed. Then throughout the day two of the chefs that are teaching in the kitchen brought in food for us as well. We had Jambalaya (a Louisiana creole dish of Spanish and French influence), Beef Bourguignon (a standard of French cuisine), Red Snapper two ways ~ en papillote (in parchment paper) and a la meuniere (a technique used where the fish is sprinkled with lemon juice and chopped parsley, and freshly prepared hot brown butter is poured over the fish hitting the lemon juice creating a froth), and Chinese Dumplings (using handmade wrappers). All were very yummy!
More reading and another menu to create from Chef using "black box" items for homework tonight.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Day 9: How to Cook Meat While Not Actually Cooking Meat.
All ready for the kitchen, we received our uniforms last week. From now to the end of the course we are to wear our uniforms with hair tied back for school in class and in the kitchen. We've been outfitted with checkered pants, white jackets, white apron, white hat and scarf. We don't have to wear the apron or hat until we are in the kitchen. It feels pretty official now that I'm wearing a uniform.
We are still in theory understanding how to cook meats, chicken and fish. Today it was pretty much about how to cook meats and chicken. Roasting and baking, broiling, grilling, and pan-broiling, sauteing, pan-frying and griddling, simmering and braising. Learning which cooking methods and temperatures are best for which cuts of meat and chicken. We finished today's theory with how to cut up a chicken, cook a chicken and even dress and stuff a chicken.
During theory, Chef noted that the food plating pictures in our course book were awful. I must say they really are. The pictures look very dated. One of the pictures showed a plate of jerk chicken and grilled pineapple in a Styrofoam takeout container. There was enough jerk chicken to feed a family of four. But there was no starch or no vegetable on the plate Styrofoam. I guess the key here is to aspire to make our dishes look way better than those shown in the book. This is something that I look forward to doing ~ plating all my dishes to look great so that you will want to eat the food on the plate with your eyes first.
A number of recipes were selected that we need to copy into our cooking "bible" for when we are in the kitchen. I'm looking forward to making Osso Buco, Roast Duckling a l'Orange and Pho.
Pho is a favorite of Chef's. Class ended with a food competition video. Tonight's homework ~ Read chapters discussed in class today and create a menu using the ingredients that Chef Lindsay has provided us with.
We are still in theory understanding how to cook meats, chicken and fish. Today it was pretty much about how to cook meats and chicken. Roasting and baking, broiling, grilling, and pan-broiling, sauteing, pan-frying and griddling, simmering and braising. Learning which cooking methods and temperatures are best for which cuts of meat and chicken. We finished today's theory with how to cut up a chicken, cook a chicken and even dress and stuff a chicken.
During theory, Chef noted that the food plating pictures in our course book were awful. I must say they really are. The pictures look very dated. One of the pictures showed a plate of jerk chicken and grilled pineapple in a Styrofoam takeout container. There was enough jerk chicken to feed a family of four. But there was no starch or no vegetable on the plate Styrofoam. I guess the key here is to aspire to make our dishes look way better than those shown in the book. This is something that I look forward to doing ~ plating all my dishes to look great so that you will want to eat the food on the plate with your eyes first.
A number of recipes were selected that we need to copy into our cooking "bible" for when we are in the kitchen. I'm looking forward to making Osso Buco, Roast Duckling a l'Orange and Pho.
Pho is a favorite of Chef's. Class ended with a food competition video. Tonight's homework ~ Read chapters discussed in class today and create a menu using the ingredients that Chef Lindsay has provided us with.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Day 8: Where's The Beef?
Today's Main: Grilled Red Snapper with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Asparagus Tips Served Over a Bed of Wild Mushroom Barley Risotto. Food Cost per Serving: $6:42. Menu Price: $22.
A few days for homework Chef asked us to come up with an entree using ingredients from the Market. Chef asked each of us to present to the class our main course, the food cost and menu price. As chef you are responsible for creating the menu and calculating food costs. I think this exercise is a warm-up to having to create a food cost for every dish that we turnout.
One of the classes in the kitchen made shrimp bisque and their Chef brought it in for us to try. It was such a lovely soup with an intense rich flavour. I've not had a soup as such. I was wonderful. Most of the group had a taste, a few decided to skip on it and decided he would own it and finished it completely! I can make a soup, but this one has put mine to shame. But what the hey. I'm here to learn and learn I will.
To get us ready for soups, we need to understand about soups. Soups are divided into three basic categories: clear or unthickened soups, thick soups and special soups (specialty and national, vegetarian and low-fat). We need to understand the standard portion sizes for serving soup ~ appetizer portion or main course portion. Hot soups should be served in hot bowls and could soups should be served in chilled bowls. Could bowls will cool down a soup. Food should be eaten and served for the way it is prepared to be eaten. I hate cold food and would rather have my food served steaming hot even if it's too hot to touch.
We also talked about broths, stocks and consumee. I remember the first time I had consumee. I was not interested in a clear soup at all. To me it didn't taste very good. I was use to soups that have something solid in it. We will be making this soup learning how to make sure that it is clear and not cloudy.
The one thing that Chef stressed clearly about soups is that if you are making a vegetable soup, do not use beef or chicken stock. A vegetarian who orders a vegetable soup will expect that it is all vegetable with no traces of beef, chicken or other meats. We will be learning how to make a vegetable soup using water. Chef ensures that it will be a very tasty soup. I will let you know how it all turns out when we get to making soups in the kitchen.
I'm so excited about making specially soups and national soups. We will definitely be making french onion soup gratinee. Chef tells us that we will be baking bread the day before to use as the croutons in our soup. Veal stock for the soup will also be made ahead of time. Chef is a huge fan of Pho, so we will be making Pho Bo (Vietnamese beef and rice noodle soup).
The next chapter discussed was about understanding meats and game. Chef went through the composition, structure and basic quality factors of meat. We will be tested on the primal meat cuts for beef, lamb and pork as well as the fabricated cuts.
Somehow we got onto the topic of Kobe beef. I've never had Kobe before, but what I know is that it is a very tender beef. Kobe beef comes from Wagu cattle raised in Japan. which are raised in Japan. They are massaged daily, and are fed organic grain, beer and sake. Kobe is a very expensive cut of beef. On of the students next to me said she and her husband were in Las Vegas restaurant that served Kobe beef with a price of $25 an ounce.
Lots of homework this weekend and a project to work on. Week two is over, and I am sooooooo tired!
A few days for homework Chef asked us to come up with an entree using ingredients from the Market. Chef asked each of us to present to the class our main course, the food cost and menu price. As chef you are responsible for creating the menu and calculating food costs. I think this exercise is a warm-up to having to create a food cost for every dish that we turnout.
One of the classes in the kitchen made shrimp bisque and their Chef brought it in for us to try. It was such a lovely soup with an intense rich flavour. I've not had a soup as such. I was wonderful. Most of the group had a taste, a few decided to skip on it and decided he would own it and finished it completely! I can make a soup, but this one has put mine to shame. But what the hey. I'm here to learn and learn I will.
To get us ready for soups, we need to understand about soups. Soups are divided into three basic categories: clear or unthickened soups, thick soups and special soups (specialty and national, vegetarian and low-fat). We need to understand the standard portion sizes for serving soup ~ appetizer portion or main course portion. Hot soups should be served in hot bowls and could soups should be served in chilled bowls. Could bowls will cool down a soup. Food should be eaten and served for the way it is prepared to be eaten. I hate cold food and would rather have my food served steaming hot even if it's too hot to touch.
We also talked about broths, stocks and consumee. I remember the first time I had consumee. I was not interested in a clear soup at all. To me it didn't taste very good. I was use to soups that have something solid in it. We will be making this soup learning how to make sure that it is clear and not cloudy.
The one thing that Chef stressed clearly about soups is that if you are making a vegetable soup, do not use beef or chicken stock. A vegetarian who orders a vegetable soup will expect that it is all vegetable with no traces of beef, chicken or other meats. We will be learning how to make a vegetable soup using water. Chef ensures that it will be a very tasty soup. I will let you know how it all turns out when we get to making soups in the kitchen.
I'm so excited about making specially soups and national soups. We will definitely be making french onion soup gratinee. Chef tells us that we will be baking bread the day before to use as the croutons in our soup. Veal stock for the soup will also be made ahead of time. Chef is a huge fan of Pho, so we will be making Pho Bo (Vietnamese beef and rice noodle soup).
The next chapter discussed was about understanding meats and game. Chef went through the composition, structure and basic quality factors of meat. We will be tested on the primal meat cuts for beef, lamb and pork as well as the fabricated cuts.
Somehow we got onto the topic of Kobe beef. I've never had Kobe before, but what I know is that it is a very tender beef. Kobe beef comes from Wagu cattle raised in Japan. which are raised in Japan. They are massaged daily, and are fed organic grain, beer and sake. Kobe is a very expensive cut of beef. On of the students next to me said she and her husband were in Las Vegas restaurant that served Kobe beef with a price of $25 an ounce.
Lots of homework this weekend and a project to work on. Week two is over, and I am sooooooo tired!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Day 7: Chef's Day Off
Chef had the morning off today turning over the class to the Director of the school who focused the day on developing our resumes and what to expect in a job interviewed. The class listed about 20 different types of career choices for the director to give us the lowdown on the good, the bad and the ugly.
If you are looking for a starting job that pays well, the military is a good place to start. However, you do need to know that you will be hired in the same way that anyone wanting a job in the military is hired by passing all requirements. If hired, you will be committing to serving for three years. The starting pay is very good and you may have the opportunity to work overseas.
We were told that working for a hotel is also a great opportunity. The kitchens in hotel are large and are 24/7 operations. The work is varied so you will surely be required to work in all different areas of the kitchen and for different types of events. You will gain experience making prepared to ordered to mass for large events. It would be nice to work in a hotel in the Bahamas. Blue skies, sunny days, warm breezes...
It was interesting to learn that interviews in the food service industry are very different than say an interview for an office job. Chefs who hire do not have a lot of time to read a two to three page resume nor do they necessarily want to. In this industry, they are more concerned about your cooking and knife skills and if you know how to make stocks and sauces properly. During an interview the Chef may ask you to prepare a dish, or show your knife skills by slicing and dicing a few vegetables. In this profession it's all about how well you know your stuff, how quickly you can get the job done right and how well you interact with your co-workers.
Even though today was about careers, resumes, cover letters and interviews we all still had food on our mind. Especially when one of chefs brought in rolls that had been brush with a light sugar wash and topped with sesame seeds for us to sample. They tasted just like the rolls my uncle made in his cafe in Saskatchewan. My uncle made these rolls once a day and when they were gone you would have to wait until the next morning. My uncle has since passed away but my sister was lucky enough to get the recipe from him and often makes these buns as a treat for family gatherings.
Homework. Same as the day before because I didn't get around to doing much of it. It's hard being a student again...
If you are looking for a starting job that pays well, the military is a good place to start. However, you do need to know that you will be hired in the same way that anyone wanting a job in the military is hired by passing all requirements. If hired, you will be committing to serving for three years. The starting pay is very good and you may have the opportunity to work overseas.
We were told that working for a hotel is also a great opportunity. The kitchens in hotel are large and are 24/7 operations. The work is varied so you will surely be required to work in all different areas of the kitchen and for different types of events. You will gain experience making prepared to ordered to mass for large events. It would be nice to work in a hotel in the Bahamas. Blue skies, sunny days, warm breezes...
It was interesting to learn that interviews in the food service industry are very different than say an interview for an office job. Chefs who hire do not have a lot of time to read a two to three page resume nor do they necessarily want to. In this industry, they are more concerned about your cooking and knife skills and if you know how to make stocks and sauces properly. During an interview the Chef may ask you to prepare a dish, or show your knife skills by slicing and dicing a few vegetables. In this profession it's all about how well you know your stuff, how quickly you can get the job done right and how well you interact with your co-workers.
Even though today was about careers, resumes, cover letters and interviews we all still had food on our mind. Especially when one of chefs brought in rolls that had been brush with a light sugar wash and topped with sesame seeds for us to sample. They tasted just like the rolls my uncle made in his cafe in Saskatchewan. My uncle made these rolls once a day and when they were gone you would have to wait until the next morning. My uncle has since passed away but my sister was lucky enough to get the recipe from him and often makes these buns as a treat for family gatherings.
Homework. Same as the day before because I didn't get around to doing much of it. It's hard being a student again...
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Day 6: French Lessons Plus Two Bottles of Wine Equals Many Small Sauces
Mirepoux (Meer-pawh), Sachet d'epices (sa-shay day peace), Glace de vinande (glahss duh vee awnd), Glace de volaille (voh lye), Glass de poisson (pawh sohn), Roux (roo) Beuree manie (burr mahnyay), Monter au beurre (mohn tay oh burr), Fond lie (fone lee ay), Coulis (koo-lee), Beurre noisette (burr nwah zett), Beurre blanc (burr blon), au Jus (oh zhoo)...
No, I was not a little tipsy in today's class... My fingers where not on the keyboard in the wrong place at the wrong time either All of the above French words (and pronunciation following) above are used in French Classical cooking to describe how sauces are enhanced, the name of the sauce and ingredients that may be called upon when starting a sauce or a soup stock. For example, mirepoux is an ingredient used to create a beef or chicken stock. Mirepoux is simply 50 per cent chopped onion, 25 per cent carrot and 25 per cent celery. A mirepoux can also be used as the base to start off a soup.
The topic in class today was mainly on stocks and sauces. I've made stocks before when making a homemade soup. Generally, my soups are chicken based. Most of the time, (because of lack of time) I use a store bought stock. Typically, purchasing one that is low in sodium. Chef tells us that after we learn how to make a stock, we will never by another store bought stock. Well, most of us are still wondering when we'll be getting in the kitchen. We are like little children waiting patiently for that piece of candy for being good at the end of the day... but there is no candy for us today.
Today, we learned about small sauces. The leading sauce or leading sauce plus secondary leading sauce is what gets us to the small sauce. There are white sauces, brown sauces, red sauces, butter sauces. There are mother (leading) sauces such as bechamel sauce, veloute, brown sauce or espagnole, tomato sauce, hollandaise and fond lie. Of the small sauces there are at least a handful that are more know. Mornay, cream, cheese, curry, mushroom, madeira, creole and Spanish are a few of the most common types of sauces. Some sauces call for wine as an ingredient ~ Madeira wine and port wine. Looks like a good reason to visit the LCBO in the near future.
Chef is going to make sure that we leave her course knowing how to prepare the basic and most common sauces to perfection... without white pepper. Chef does not like the taste of white pepper. She prefers black pepper and therefore does not mind that our white, brown, red or butter sauces will have black flecks in them.
Our sauces we are told will not be lumpy. Chef will show us how to avoid lumpy sauces. There are standards of quality for sauces. Consistency and body ~ smooth with no lumps, not too thick or pasty, thick enough to lightly coat the food lightly. Flavour ~ distinctive well balanced flavour, proper degree of seasoning, no starchy taste, Flavour should be used to enhance the food or to provide a pleasing contrast to the food. Appearance ~ smooth, shiny and good colour for the type of sauce it is. When a food is complemented with a sauce it looks so much more appetizing. Imagine a strawberry coulis drizzled over a French crepe filled with fresh strawberries and a whipped vanilla bean cream topped with a few mint leaves.
Tonight's homework is to start adding recipes to our bible from our text book ~ 19 recipes on stocks and sauces. Chef is preparing us for the kitchen with the recipes that we will be working on. By adding the recipes we will know what the ingredients are to help us prepare our menus. We also need complete the workbook on all chapters leading up to chapter eight (stocks and sauces). And, if we have time, to read the next chapter. Oh, and to work on a main entree of our choice with costing it out per portion showing all ingredients used to make it. No time to fiddle tonight!
No, I was not a little tipsy in today's class... My fingers where not on the keyboard in the wrong place at the wrong time either All of the above French words (and pronunciation following) above are used in French Classical cooking to describe how sauces are enhanced, the name of the sauce and ingredients that may be called upon when starting a sauce or a soup stock. For example, mirepoux is an ingredient used to create a beef or chicken stock. Mirepoux is simply 50 per cent chopped onion, 25 per cent carrot and 25 per cent celery. A mirepoux can also be used as the base to start off a soup.
The topic in class today was mainly on stocks and sauces. I've made stocks before when making a homemade soup. Generally, my soups are chicken based. Most of the time, (because of lack of time) I use a store bought stock. Typically, purchasing one that is low in sodium. Chef tells us that after we learn how to make a stock, we will never by another store bought stock. Well, most of us are still wondering when we'll be getting in the kitchen. We are like little children waiting patiently for that piece of candy for being good at the end of the day... but there is no candy for us today.
Today, we learned about small sauces. The leading sauce or leading sauce plus secondary leading sauce is what gets us to the small sauce. There are white sauces, brown sauces, red sauces, butter sauces. There are mother (leading) sauces such as bechamel sauce, veloute, brown sauce or espagnole, tomato sauce, hollandaise and fond lie. Of the small sauces there are at least a handful that are more know. Mornay, cream, cheese, curry, mushroom, madeira, creole and Spanish are a few of the most common types of sauces. Some sauces call for wine as an ingredient ~ Madeira wine and port wine. Looks like a good reason to visit the LCBO in the near future.
Chef is going to make sure that we leave her course knowing how to prepare the basic and most common sauces to perfection... without white pepper. Chef does not like the taste of white pepper. She prefers black pepper and therefore does not mind that our white, brown, red or butter sauces will have black flecks in them.
Our sauces we are told will not be lumpy. Chef will show us how to avoid lumpy sauces. There are standards of quality for sauces. Consistency and body ~ smooth with no lumps, not too thick or pasty, thick enough to lightly coat the food lightly. Flavour ~ distinctive well balanced flavour, proper degree of seasoning, no starchy taste, Flavour should be used to enhance the food or to provide a pleasing contrast to the food. Appearance ~ smooth, shiny and good colour for the type of sauce it is. When a food is complemented with a sauce it looks so much more appetizing. Imagine a strawberry coulis drizzled over a French crepe filled with fresh strawberries and a whipped vanilla bean cream topped with a few mint leaves.
Tonight's homework is to start adding recipes to our bible from our text book ~ 19 recipes on stocks and sauces. Chef is preparing us for the kitchen with the recipes that we will be working on. By adding the recipes we will know what the ingredients are to help us prepare our menus. We also need complete the workbook on all chapters leading up to chapter eight (stocks and sauces). And, if we have time, to read the next chapter. Oh, and to work on a main entree of our choice with costing it out per portion showing all ingredients used to make it. No time to fiddle tonight!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Day 5: Mise en Place (meez-on-plahss) ~ Advance Preparation
How much advance preparation is needed for passing my first test in cooking school. Though I did pass today's test, I know that I can do better. Who said you can't succeed with two needy teenagers at your beck and call.
With March Break I can tell you it is no small feat. Seems I am my daughter's recreation director when no friends are around to keep her busy. All I can say is "I'm sure glad she has work tomorrow afternoon/evening." I should be able to more reading and review. With respect to advanced preparation and even more success on the next test.
With my first test over, Chef started right into chapters six and seven ~ nutrition and mise en place. As a food service worker it will be my responsibility to provide food and a well-balanced menu. Part of this process includes offering foods that will attract customers. There are many ways to achieve this as I learn to plan a balanced cost effective menu.
To succeed with my menu plan, I will need to work on my advance preparation ~ mise en place. there are many steps for advanced preparation. Chef provided us with a sample of how she prepares a menu item for an off site/catering event The advance preparation details the grocery list, day before preparation and day of preparation that includes the steps for each component of the dish. The detailed steps ensure that whomever is working that day will make sure that no steps are missed. An equipment list is also provided to ensure that all items for serving at the catering event will be taken.
The mise en place chapter describes the different cutting techniques we will be learning. By cutting food products in uniform shapes and sizes it ensures for even cooking and enhances the appearance of the product. We all eat with our eyes first then with our mouths. A few years ago I took a knife skills course at the LCBO. I recognize a number of basic cuts and shapes we will be learning once we get in the kitchen. I hope to be able to show you my cutting skills when I'm finally in the kitchen - preparing and cooking. Get ready for liver and onions. Chef said that this is on our list as we should/need to know how cook liver properly.
Brines was a technique Chef talked about. We'll likely do this technique but I think I might try this one at home for Sunday dinner. Many chefs use this technique roast chicken and pork for its tenderizing and moisturizing effects. The ingredients are pretty simple - water, kosher salt, sugar, bay leaves, dried thyme, whole cloves and peppercorns. I'm missing a few ingredients - bay leaves and whole cloves. I'll pick those up at the market tomorrow.
There are a few of us who have children. Today one of the students doze off. I thought I heard him snoring. Chert noticed and threw her pen at him to wake him up. We had a good laugh. It reminded me of grade school when our teacher joked with us. The student woke up and said that he just had his head down and was listening to her and not sleeping. She's so funny... She said when people areistening they tend to be looking at her. Looks like a fun class. Chef is going to be tough but I have feeling she's going to be a lot of fun.
Tonights homework is to complete all question in the study workbook. I don't think I'll have them all done tonight... But I will try hard tomorrow to finish and catch up.
With March Break I can tell you it is no small feat. Seems I am my daughter's recreation director when no friends are around to keep her busy. All I can say is "I'm sure glad she has work tomorrow afternoon/evening." I should be able to more reading and review. With respect to advanced preparation and even more success on the next test.
With my first test over, Chef started right into chapters six and seven ~ nutrition and mise en place. As a food service worker it will be my responsibility to provide food and a well-balanced menu. Part of this process includes offering foods that will attract customers. There are many ways to achieve this as I learn to plan a balanced cost effective menu.
To succeed with my menu plan, I will need to work on my advance preparation ~ mise en place. there are many steps for advanced preparation. Chef provided us with a sample of how she prepares a menu item for an off site/catering event The advance preparation details the grocery list, day before preparation and day of preparation that includes the steps for each component of the dish. The detailed steps ensure that whomever is working that day will make sure that no steps are missed. An equipment list is also provided to ensure that all items for serving at the catering event will be taken.
The mise en place chapter describes the different cutting techniques we will be learning. By cutting food products in uniform shapes and sizes it ensures for even cooking and enhances the appearance of the product. We all eat with our eyes first then with our mouths. A few years ago I took a knife skills course at the LCBO. I recognize a number of basic cuts and shapes we will be learning once we get in the kitchen. I hope to be able to show you my cutting skills when I'm finally in the kitchen - preparing and cooking. Get ready for liver and onions. Chef said that this is on our list as we should/need to know how cook liver properly.
Brines was a technique Chef talked about. We'll likely do this technique but I think I might try this one at home for Sunday dinner. Many chefs use this technique roast chicken and pork for its tenderizing and moisturizing effects. The ingredients are pretty simple - water, kosher salt, sugar, bay leaves, dried thyme, whole cloves and peppercorns. I'm missing a few ingredients - bay leaves and whole cloves. I'll pick those up at the market tomorrow.
There are a few of us who have children. Today one of the students doze off. I thought I heard him snoring. Chert noticed and threw her pen at him to wake him up. We had a good laugh. It reminded me of grade school when our teacher joked with us. The student woke up and said that he just had his head down and was listening to her and not sleeping. She's so funny... She said when people areistening they tend to be looking at her. Looks like a fun class. Chef is going to be tough but I have feeling she's going to be a lot of fun.
Tonights homework is to complete all question in the study workbook. I don't think I'll have them all done tonight... But I will try hard tomorrow to finish and catch up.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Day 4: How to Boil Water. Get pot. Put water in pot. Put pot with water on stove...
The course is going well and there is lots to learn. Homework every night and projects to complete. Chef likes to review our reading homework to ensure that we don't forget about key points in each chapter and to answer any questions we might have. Really, it's her way of telling us that this information will be on a test and that it is also important for the the kitchen... when we get there.
Chapters two and three are very important. As chefs we need to know and identify the various tools that we will be using in the kitchen. We need to know what each pot and pan is used for and which tools work best for the type of food we are cooking. The other day one of the ladies in my class mentioned that she used her steel (a tool used for truing and maintaining knife edges) to sharpen her knife. The steel came with the knife in one package so she thought it was a sharpener. I told her that that's not what it's used for and explained what it was used for. Chef mentioned the steel in our review today and we both looked at each other and had a good laugh.
While reviewing the chapter on basic principles of cooking and food science, Chef could not believe that there is mention of how to boil water. Note: the boiling point of water is 122 degrees F. There are people out there who do not know how to boil water and these people do know who they are. ;-) It's the person who said to me that adding salt would make the water boil sooner.
At the school there is an Advanced Cooking Class and another Cooking Basics Class in session running along side our class. We get to see them at work and taste some of their creations. The kitchen is behind glass so it makes it easy for us to see them working in the kitchen. Today we had the opportunity of tasting a plates ~ cow cheeks over barley risotto with mushrooms and pearl onions. The cow cheeks were so tender and the barley risotto was infused with such great flavour. I've never thought about using barley to make risotto. It was so good, that it will surely be on my list of things to make.
We watched the documentary Food Inc. during the last hour of class today. It's not for the faint stomach. Lots of truths in this documentary that will make you think about where you purchase your food and questions you might want to ask before you do. In this documentary there is a story of a little boy who became ill and then died after eating contaminated (E. coli) hamburger meat. His parents rallied to get the laws change about food industry practices. Kevin's Law was proposed legislation that would have given the U.S. Department of Agriculture to close down plants that produce contaminated meat. If you want to know more about Kevin's Law go to the following websites http://www.foodborneillness.org/ and
http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/03/02/make-our-food-safe. Watching Food Inc. today shows clearly that sanitation and safety in food is critical to our well-being.
As we get ready for the kitchen we were measured for uniforms today. White jackets, checkered pants, apron, hats and scarfs. Another step closer to getting in to the kitchen!
No reading tonight. However, Chef did say that if we wanted to read something because we needed to, we could read Chapter 6 (Nutrition). There is plenty of homework and studying to do this weekend. I need to get started on my country and it's food project, study for a test on sanitation and safety for this Monday and bring information related to the food industry as a result of watching Food Inc. today.
Thursday is my Friday. No school tomorrow.
Chapters two and three are very important. As chefs we need to know and identify the various tools that we will be using in the kitchen. We need to know what each pot and pan is used for and which tools work best for the type of food we are cooking. The other day one of the ladies in my class mentioned that she used her steel (a tool used for truing and maintaining knife edges) to sharpen her knife. The steel came with the knife in one package so she thought it was a sharpener. I told her that that's not what it's used for and explained what it was used for. Chef mentioned the steel in our review today and we both looked at each other and had a good laugh.
While reviewing the chapter on basic principles of cooking and food science, Chef could not believe that there is mention of how to boil water. Note: the boiling point of water is 122 degrees F. There are people out there who do not know how to boil water and these people do know who they are. ;-) It's the person who said to me that adding salt would make the water boil sooner.
At the school there is an Advanced Cooking Class and another Cooking Basics Class in session running along side our class. We get to see them at work and taste some of their creations. The kitchen is behind glass so it makes it easy for us to see them working in the kitchen. Today we had the opportunity of tasting a plates ~ cow cheeks over barley risotto with mushrooms and pearl onions. The cow cheeks were so tender and the barley risotto was infused with such great flavour. I've never thought about using barley to make risotto. It was so good, that it will surely be on my list of things to make.
We watched the documentary Food Inc. during the last hour of class today. It's not for the faint stomach. Lots of truths in this documentary that will make you think about where you purchase your food and questions you might want to ask before you do. In this documentary there is a story of a little boy who became ill and then died after eating contaminated (E. coli) hamburger meat. His parents rallied to get the laws change about food industry practices. Kevin's Law was proposed legislation that would have given the U.S. Department of Agriculture to close down plants that produce contaminated meat. If you want to know more about Kevin's Law go to the following websites http://www.foodborneillness.org/ and
http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/03/02/make-our-food-safe. Watching Food Inc. today shows clearly that sanitation and safety in food is critical to our well-being.
As we get ready for the kitchen we were measured for uniforms today. White jackets, checkered pants, apron, hats and scarfs. Another step closer to getting in to the kitchen!
No reading tonight. However, Chef did say that if we wanted to read something because we needed to, we could read Chapter 6 (Nutrition). There is plenty of homework and studying to do this weekend. I need to get started on my country and it's food project, study for a test on sanitation and safety for this Monday and bring information related to the food industry as a result of watching Food Inc. today.
Thursday is my Friday. No school tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Day 3: Don't Forget to Wash Your Melons!
Today in class we discussed sanitation and safety. Chef did a review of this chapter to make sure that anything she spoke about in class today, that we should be aware that it will be on our first test Monday.
Never again will you look at a food product in the same way. Chef had many stories to tell about sanitation when it comes to the foods we eat. She spoke about the time she at an early age worked at a farm picking produce. As you can expect, the facilities for farm workers is almost non-exist. Chef would wait until lunch time when she would call her parents to come pick her up so that she could make a visit to the washroom. When you're on a farm as such, they may have a port-a-potty or an outhouse but not any running water to wash your hands... ewww! So needless to say, with all the fingers that have touched our produce, you will want to make sure that you give it a good wash before you take a bite into it.
If you haven't gone through the experience of becoming in a cook/chef in a qualified educational institution, you may never know about sanitation and safety the way we have learned about today. All food items reach the middle man in pretty much the same way. In carts, boxes, etc. These carts, boxes, etc. are sitting on grimy trucks, dirty floors in storage areas, etc. before we even get our hands on them. There are plenty of germs being picked up from the bottoms of these containers that are possibly being transferred to the foods that we eat ~ food that we don't necessarily cook before ingesting. Remember... Don't forget to wash those melons before you cut into them. Your knife will transfer harmful organisms from the rind's exterior (which was in contact with soil) to the flesh of the fruit.
Meat, poultry, fish, and egg products basically travel to you along the same route too. With these products we generally have to cook them first before eating thus killing any bacteria that may be lying in wait. Don't leave food (cooked or raw) out for more than four hours. The four hours includes the time that you get it from the grocery to your home and in to the refrigerator or on to the dinner table. The danger zone for food is between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F. The time may be less depending on the weather. For example if it's a very hot day in or out of the kitchen you will have to give foods less than the four hours mentioned above. Keep frozen foods at zero degrees F or lower.
Minimum internal cooking temperatures should be referred to when cooking meats. A table for these temperatures can be found at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (scroll down 3/4 of the page). When testing the temperature, check in two to three different areas making sure that you check in areas that are the thickest part of the meat.
The most import lesson from this for me is that food safety practices are a must no matter where you cook ~ at home or for a business. You will never look at your kitchen space, or place that serves food in the same way. Check out the bathrooms when eating out, if the bathroom is clean then you can expect that the kitchen is treated the same way. Well in most cases.
Chef couldn't find the DVD Food Inc. so we will have to watch it tomorrow. Instead, we had the option of working on our projects, looking through her cookbooks and previous student's projects. I decided to look through a few of her books. Chef gave me a food styling book to have a look at because I mentioned an interest in that area. Very cool stuff and it all looks like great fun working with food (or not) to make it look good for print or television. Depending on how my plating skills go this could be a career for me. Who knew that they used a raw chicken to show a lovely plump cooked chicken. I always wondered why my chickens never looked like that when they got out of the oven.
We also took a little trip to Hamilton's Central Library. Wow, it's quite the library. If you're from Toronto, I'd say it's comparable to their Central Library. I was really impressed and was even more impressed when I could use my Burlington Library card to take out some books ~ baking books!
Tonight's homework is to read chapter three ~ Tools and Equipment and chapter four ~ Basic Principles of Cooking and Food Science.
Tonight's dinner is pan seared pork chops with thyme served with white jasmine rice and broiled asparagus.
Never again will you look at a food product in the same way. Chef had many stories to tell about sanitation when it comes to the foods we eat. She spoke about the time she at an early age worked at a farm picking produce. As you can expect, the facilities for farm workers is almost non-exist. Chef would wait until lunch time when she would call her parents to come pick her up so that she could make a visit to the washroom. When you're on a farm as such, they may have a port-a-potty or an outhouse but not any running water to wash your hands... ewww! So needless to say, with all the fingers that have touched our produce, you will want to make sure that you give it a good wash before you take a bite into it.
If you haven't gone through the experience of becoming in a cook/chef in a qualified educational institution, you may never know about sanitation and safety the way we have learned about today. All food items reach the middle man in pretty much the same way. In carts, boxes, etc. These carts, boxes, etc. are sitting on grimy trucks, dirty floors in storage areas, etc. before we even get our hands on them. There are plenty of germs being picked up from the bottoms of these containers that are possibly being transferred to the foods that we eat ~ food that we don't necessarily cook before ingesting. Remember... Don't forget to wash those melons before you cut into them. Your knife will transfer harmful organisms from the rind's exterior (which was in contact with soil) to the flesh of the fruit.
Meat, poultry, fish, and egg products basically travel to you along the same route too. With these products we generally have to cook them first before eating thus killing any bacteria that may be lying in wait. Don't leave food (cooked or raw) out for more than four hours. The four hours includes the time that you get it from the grocery to your home and in to the refrigerator or on to the dinner table. The danger zone for food is between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F. The time may be less depending on the weather. For example if it's a very hot day in or out of the kitchen you will have to give foods less than the four hours mentioned above. Keep frozen foods at zero degrees F or lower.
Minimum internal cooking temperatures should be referred to when cooking meats. A table for these temperatures can be found at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (scroll down 3/4 of the page). When testing the temperature, check in two to three different areas making sure that you check in areas that are the thickest part of the meat.
The most import lesson from this for me is that food safety practices are a must no matter where you cook ~ at home or for a business. You will never look at your kitchen space, or place that serves food in the same way. Check out the bathrooms when eating out, if the bathroom is clean then you can expect that the kitchen is treated the same way. Well in most cases.
Chef couldn't find the DVD Food Inc. so we will have to watch it tomorrow. Instead, we had the option of working on our projects, looking through her cookbooks and previous student's projects. I decided to look through a few of her books. Chef gave me a food styling book to have a look at because I mentioned an interest in that area. Very cool stuff and it all looks like great fun working with food (or not) to make it look good for print or television. Depending on how my plating skills go this could be a career for me. Who knew that they used a raw chicken to show a lovely plump cooked chicken. I always wondered why my chickens never looked like that when they got out of the oven.
We also took a little trip to Hamilton's Central Library. Wow, it's quite the library. If you're from Toronto, I'd say it's comparable to their Central Library. I was really impressed and was even more impressed when I could use my Burlington Library card to take out some books ~ baking books!
Tonight's homework is to read chapter three ~ Tools and Equipment and chapter four ~ Basic Principles of Cooking and Food Science.
Tonight's dinner is pan seared pork chops with thyme served with white jasmine rice and broiled asparagus.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Day 2: Don't Temp Us ~ Then Not Let Us In The Kitchen!
Today we started out with a review of Chapter 1 highlighting the subjects that will be on our first test next Monday.
We now know that Classical and Modern Cuisine originated from two French men ~ Marie-Antoine Careme and Georges-Auguste Escoffier.
Marie-Antoine Careme (1784-1833) considered the greatest chef of the period following the French Revolution. He was about simplicity in the modern cuisine and added seasonings and other ingredients to enhance but not hide the flavours of the main ingredient. The sauces he created were used to enhance, not cover up the food being sauced. Something to remember when cooking. You should be able to taste the main ingredient. If you can't then you're not doing your job as a cook.
Georges-Auguste Escoffier (1847-1935) the greatest chef of his time is considered the father of twentieth-century cookery. His two main contributions were simplification of the classical cuisine and menu and the reorganization of the kitchen. With respect to the later, kitchen organization depends on several factors: 1. the menu, 2. the type of establishment, 3. the size of the operation, and 4. the physical facilities.
We touched on a couple of new technologies in food preparation. The practice of cooking sous vide which involves cooking foods in vacuum sealed bags at a controlled temperature. Molecular gastronomy, pioneered by the Spanish chef Ferran Adria, is the process of food being changed in form but not in taste ~ this is my interpretation.
Enough of the history lesson today... seems we will be in class for five weeks of food theory! We are all itching to be in the kitchen. One of the chefs in the advanced class brought in a plate of chocolate croissants. "Don't temp us ~ then not let us in the kitchen!"
Today we put together our first menu. The chef asked us all to prepare a menu that included an appetizer, main, and desert. This exercise involved writing a menu that describes the food being offered. Here's my very first menu of the course. Grilled eggplant with artisan goat cheese and asparagus spears, pan seared wild Atlantic salmon and root vegetables with mixed field greens and a balsamic reduction, and Canadian maple creme brule. I'd like to try to make as many dishes from the menus I put together during this course. Chef said that we all did a great job and that maybe she'll ask us to prepare menus every day that we are in class.
The subject of our country project came up and Chef wanted us to decide on a country today. I've picked Morocco. I had the opportunity to go to Morocco and stay overnight on a high school trip to Spain and then a number of years later. I went with friends to Spain to support their dad in an old timer hockey tournament and did a day trip to Morocco. I love couscous... but there's more to the project than saying I love couscous. The submission date has been changed to the fourth week instead of the fifth week of classes.
Cooking school is above the Hamilton market. Chef took us on a quick tour of the Hamilton market showing us the best places to purchase products. Meat, eggs (included quail and duck), fruits and vegetables that are sold by farmers from the area, bread and pastries made with organic products, cheese and handmade chocolate. I went back to two of these vendors after class and picked up bread, muffins, and a pastry and lamb sausage. I had the sausage for lunch with enough left over for a few more lunches.
Tonight's homework is Chapter 2 ~ Sanitation and Safety. Boring but a must read for anyone who wants to become a Chef. I'll need to start working on my project about Morocco ~ it's food, culture, etc. too.
We now know that Classical and Modern Cuisine originated from two French men ~ Marie-Antoine Careme and Georges-Auguste Escoffier.
Marie-Antoine Careme (1784-1833) considered the greatest chef of the period following the French Revolution. He was about simplicity in the modern cuisine and added seasonings and other ingredients to enhance but not hide the flavours of the main ingredient. The sauces he created were used to enhance, not cover up the food being sauced. Something to remember when cooking. You should be able to taste the main ingredient. If you can't then you're not doing your job as a cook.
Georges-Auguste Escoffier (1847-1935) the greatest chef of his time is considered the father of twentieth-century cookery. His two main contributions were simplification of the classical cuisine and menu and the reorganization of the kitchen. With respect to the later, kitchen organization depends on several factors: 1. the menu, 2. the type of establishment, 3. the size of the operation, and 4. the physical facilities.
We touched on a couple of new technologies in food preparation. The practice of cooking sous vide which involves cooking foods in vacuum sealed bags at a controlled temperature. Molecular gastronomy, pioneered by the Spanish chef Ferran Adria, is the process of food being changed in form but not in taste ~ this is my interpretation.
Enough of the history lesson today... seems we will be in class for five weeks of food theory! We are all itching to be in the kitchen. One of the chefs in the advanced class brought in a plate of chocolate croissants. "Don't temp us ~ then not let us in the kitchen!"
Today we put together our first menu. The chef asked us all to prepare a menu that included an appetizer, main, and desert. This exercise involved writing a menu that describes the food being offered. Here's my very first menu of the course. Grilled eggplant with artisan goat cheese and asparagus spears, pan seared wild Atlantic salmon and root vegetables with mixed field greens and a balsamic reduction, and Canadian maple creme brule. I'd like to try to make as many dishes from the menus I put together during this course. Chef said that we all did a great job and that maybe she'll ask us to prepare menus every day that we are in class.
The subject of our country project came up and Chef wanted us to decide on a country today. I've picked Morocco. I had the opportunity to go to Morocco and stay overnight on a high school trip to Spain and then a number of years later. I went with friends to Spain to support their dad in an old timer hockey tournament and did a day trip to Morocco. I love couscous... but there's more to the project than saying I love couscous. The submission date has been changed to the fourth week instead of the fifth week of classes.
Cooking school is above the Hamilton market. Chef took us on a quick tour of the Hamilton market showing us the best places to purchase products. Meat, eggs (included quail and duck), fruits and vegetables that are sold by farmers from the area, bread and pastries made with organic products, cheese and handmade chocolate. I went back to two of these vendors after class and picked up bread, muffins, and a pastry and lamb sausage. I had the sausage for lunch with enough left over for a few more lunches.
Tonight's homework is Chapter 2 ~ Sanitation and Safety. Boring but a must read for anyone who wants to become a Chef. I'll need to start working on my project about Morocco ~ it's food, culture, etc. too.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Day 1: Introductions and All That Jazz
Today is my first day back to school and first day of the Chef de Cuisine course ~ Part 1, Cooking Basics. The school likes us to get to class 15 minutes before start time. This means that I need to get there by 7:45 a.m. The first day is always a bit slow because I needed to find the cheap parking that I was told about ~ $4.00 per day if in before 9:00 a.m. Today Chef told us about an even cheaper parking place at $2.00 per day with a five minute walk to class. Chef also mentioned that we should save our receipts for our 2011 tax return along with any receipts from purchases of cook books while attending school.
The day started out with an introduction given by the director who I think is a wonderful and engaging speaker. The director did the typical administration talk. Next up we all introduced ourselves and talked a little about ourselves ~ where we grew up and where we worked and/or what brought us to chef school.
Then Chef laid out the ground work for the rest of the semester. Lots of emphasis is put on passing and making sure that we attend all classes, hand in all projects and pass all exams.
In Cooking Basics 1, we have two projects to complete over the 15 week course. The first project on a country of interest (of which we are not too too familiar with) and how food is tied to the people, history and it's culture. Not only do we have to provide a 10 page report, we also have to have a 30 minute presentation prepared. Hmmm public speaking is not my forte. Chef advises that we should start this project right away. Our second project due towards the end of our semester is of a themed restaurant of our choice that includes items to start and keep the business going ~ i.e. fixtures, menu, recipes and costs. This I think will require a bit more work as it seems similar to a business plan for opening a restaurant/business.
The last part of our day included watching a video on a Bocuse competition. This is a very labour intensive competition by international chefs to showcase their skills in presentation and cooking. I don't think this is my cup of tea.
Unfortunately it looks like we won't be in the kitchen this week. I think the main work for this week is studying for our food handling exam which is required before we can even work in a kitchen. As with all schools, we get homework. Tonights homework is to read chapter one of Professional Cooking for Canadian Chef and to complete the questions in the study guide. Chef has advised that all information from the study guide will be on our test/exams.
I grew up in Toronto and moved to Burlington after I married. I'm now single with two children and recently lost my job of 20 years with a financial institution located in downtown Toronto. I've always had a love for food and enjoy cooking for others and myself. I'm slow in getting a meal on the table. I've always wanted to work on my knife skills. Chopping, cutting has always been a slow process for me. I think after so many years in a job that wasn't fulfilling that if I was to go back to work, I should at least do something I'm going to enjoy. So here I am at Chef school, the start of a new begining, the start of a new career!
The day started out with an introduction given by the director who I think is a wonderful and engaging speaker. The director did the typical administration talk. Next up we all introduced ourselves and talked a little about ourselves ~ where we grew up and where we worked and/or what brought us to chef school.
Then Chef laid out the ground work for the rest of the semester. Lots of emphasis is put on passing and making sure that we attend all classes, hand in all projects and pass all exams.
In Cooking Basics 1, we have two projects to complete over the 15 week course. The first project on a country of interest (of which we are not too too familiar with) and how food is tied to the people, history and it's culture. Not only do we have to provide a 10 page report, we also have to have a 30 minute presentation prepared. Hmmm public speaking is not my forte. Chef advises that we should start this project right away. Our second project due towards the end of our semester is of a themed restaurant of our choice that includes items to start and keep the business going ~ i.e. fixtures, menu, recipes and costs. This I think will require a bit more work as it seems similar to a business plan for opening a restaurant/business.
The last part of our day included watching a video on a Bocuse competition. This is a very labour intensive competition by international chefs to showcase their skills in presentation and cooking. I don't think this is my cup of tea.
Unfortunately it looks like we won't be in the kitchen this week. I think the main work for this week is studying for our food handling exam which is required before we can even work in a kitchen. As with all schools, we get homework. Tonights homework is to read chapter one of Professional Cooking for Canadian Chef and to complete the questions in the study guide. Chef has advised that all information from the study guide will be on our test/exams.
I grew up in Toronto and moved to Burlington after I married. I'm now single with two children and recently lost my job of 20 years with a financial institution located in downtown Toronto. I've always had a love for food and enjoy cooking for others and myself. I'm slow in getting a meal on the table. I've always wanted to work on my knife skills. Chopping, cutting has always been a slow process for me. I think after so many years in a job that wasn't fulfilling that if I was to go back to work, I should at least do something I'm going to enjoy. So here I am at Chef school, the start of a new begining, the start of a new career!
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