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.