White Peach Ice Cream

September 2, 2010 in Dessert, Ice Cream, Recipes, Seasonal | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 comments

Ingredients:

Ice Cream Base:

  • 6 yolks
  • 5 oz sugar
  • vanilla extract (just a splash)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Additional Ingredients:

  • 10 very ripe white peaches
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

  1. Add cream, milk and a splash of vanilla to a saucepan on medium heat.  Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
  2. While the cream is warming up, whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl.  Make sure they’re well combined.
  3. When the cream is just starting to simmer, slowly temper it into the yolks while whisking.
  4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and turn the heat down to medium low.  Stir in a figure 8 motion with a wood spoon for several minutes until the mixture coats the back of the spoon.  Remove from the heat.  Continue to stir over an ice bath until cool.
  5. Move the mixture to the refrigerator.
  6. Next, you need to remove the skin from the peaches.  You can either do this by blanching them or peeling them carefully with a paring knife (I prefer peeling them).
  7. After the skin is removed, halve and core the peaches.  Remove any tough inner flesh from around the core with a spoon and then puree the peaches in a food processor until smooth.
  8. Combine the peach puree with the ice cream base and then make the ice cream according to the manufacturers instructions.

This recipe succeeds or fails depending on the quality and ripeness of the peaches.  You want them to be very sweet and extremely ripe.  Otherwise the flavor will be lost and the texture will be grainy.  But when everything comes together properly, this is a dessert that tastes like summer.

Phase III… And a Peach Crisp

August 24, 2010 in Culinary School, Dessert, Kitchen Rambles | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 comment

Phase III has been quite a mixed bag.  I know I haven’t been writing about culinary school or my externship.  It’s easier to come up with a new recipe post than to attempt to articulate my experiences at the moment.  At work I do a lot of prep and I work on cold side.  There’s a lot of repetition and not much rest.  There’s a lot of standing and a lot of opportunities to practice my knife skills.  I’ve pretty much kissed my weekends goodbye but somehow still get to enjoy my evenings.

No matter how stressful work is, this blog is definitely an escape when I allow it to be.  When I come home, I get to cook what I want.  And I get to practice taking better photos.  And when I type up my recipes and upload my photos, I get to sit on my butt the whole time, which is awesome.  At the end of a long day, I really enjoy sitting.

Ingredients:

Filling:

  • 8 ripe peaches
  • a splash of Grand Marnier
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cake or AP flour
  • 1/3 cup water

Topping:

  • 1 cup pecans
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup butter

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. To peel the peaches, cut an X on the bottom of each peach.  Immerse them in boiling water for 15-30 seconds and then shock them in ice water.
  3. Halve, core, and slice your peaches into wedges.  Add them to a saucepan on medium-low heat along with white sugar, flour, water and a healthy splash of Grand Marnier.  Stir to combine.  Allow mixture to simmer for several minutes until the peaches cook down a bit and the sauce thickens to an applesauce consistency.
  4. In a food processor, pulse the pecans until coarsely chopped, then add the rolled oats, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and butter.
  5. (If you want to prep this in advance, you can make everything up to this point and then refrigerate the ingredients until just before dinner.)
  6. Divide mixture evenly between 4 single-serving gratin dishes.  Cover generously with the topping.
  7. Bake 15 minutes and enjoy!

Steel Cut Oats with Brown Sugar and Strawberries

August 19, 2010 in Breakfast, Recipes, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 comment

I’ve always loved oatmeal.  It’s warm comfort food and a quick healthy breakfast when I’m on my way out the door.  I am not a morning person.  I like my weekday breakfasts fast and relatively mindless.  Which is why I was very pleased to discover I could microwave rolled oats.  In 2 minutes I could have fibrous oatmeal with minimal dishes!  I don’t care if that’s pedestrian of me.  Great things do not happen in my kitchen until I’ve had at least an hour to absorb my coffee.

So recently I ran out of oatmeal and decided to try steel cut oats after hearing yet another person talk about how awesome they are.  Why not?  I’m open to new things.  I purchased steel cut Irish oatmeal along with the rest of my groceries and it wasn’t until I returned home and observed the box more closely that I realized my acts of oatmeal travesty could not be performed on the steel cut variety.  No microwave instructions!  What I read was:

Boil 4 cups water, add 1 cup of steel cut oatmeal, stir well.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Yikes.  That sounds more like oatmeal risotto.  And if you read this blog, you know I love risotto.  But certainly not for a quick morning breakfast.  I attempted to make it for dinner a few nights later following the directions on the box and was pretty underwhelmed.  But I wanted to give it another try.  I took to the internet for inspiration.

One of the first results I got back was for a recipe from Alton Brown that really does treat the oats a lot like risotto: toasting them with butter, adding boiling liquid and then finishing with fat.  So with my own spin on things, I decided to give it a try!

Ingredients:

  • 1 T butter
  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk
  • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
  • fresh sliced strawberries
  • brown sugar
  • cinnamon

Method:

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the oats, toasting them for a minute or two on medium heat.  Then add the boiling water and reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. After 25 minutes add the milk and yogurt, stirring to combine ingredients.  Continue to heat on low for an additional 5-10 minutes.
  3. Spoon oats into a bowl and garnish with cinnamon, lots of brown sugar, and sliced strawberries.

It’s definitely more of a weekend breakfast but well worth the time.  These oats are rich and creamy with a chewy texture that balances well with the sweetness of the brown sugar and strawberries and tartness of the yogurt.  Some great alternative preparations might include using maple syrup or agave nectar instead of the brown sugar and the addition of nuts such as slivered almonds for more texture.

Roasted Purple Potatoes with Sage and Chives

August 18, 2010 in Dinner, Recipes, Side Dish, Vegetables | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

This is a simple side dish that’s beautiful to look at and easy to make.  I love purple potatoes.  What an easy way to elevate a dish to a whole new level!

When it comes to vegetables, roasting is my favorite way to go.  It really brings out their natural flavors, while adding a nice caramelized crunch to the outside.

Ingredients:

  • purple potatoes
  • olive oil
  • fresh chives
  • dried sage

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425.
  2. Wash, halve and then quarter the potatoes.
  3. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  4. Roast for approximately 30 minutes, periodically moving the potatoes around for even browning and to prevent sticking.
  5. While the potatoes are cooking, chop up your chives with a good sharp knife.
  6. Toss the finished potatoes with the chives, a generous helping of dried sage and some additional salt.

Basil Olive Oil Ice Cream

July 12, 2010 in Dessert, Ice Cream | Tags: , , , , , , | 3 comments


Ingredients:

  • 6 yolks
  • 5 oz sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • fresh basil (minimum 2 oz)
  • basil-infused olive oil (I used Olave)
  • optional: green food coloring

Method:

  1. Quickly blanch basil in boiling water and then move to ice bath to halt the cooking process.  Drain and set aside.
  2. Make créme anglaise: add cream, milk and a splash of vanilla to a saucepan on medium heat.  For an incredibly rich ice cream, you can use all heavy cream.  Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
  3. While the cream is warming up, whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl.  Make sure they’re well combined.
  4. When the cream is just starting to simmer (don’t boil it), slowly temper it into the yolks while whisking.
  5. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and turn the heat down to medium low.  Stir in a figure 8 motion with a wood spoon for several minutes until the mixture coats the back of the spoon.  Remove from the heat.  Continue to stir over an ice bath until cool.
  6. Puree the basil and cream in a blender.  Allow the mixture to infuse for at least an hour in the fridge, then strain the basil cream through a fine mesh strainer into your ice cream machine.
  7. If using, add a few drops of green food coloring.
  8. Whisk in the olive oil, 1/4 – 1/2 cup.
  9. Make ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Sorry there’s no picture of the final product!  We were hungry.

Homemade Pizza!

July 8, 2010 in Dinner, Gourmet, Recipes | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 comments

(L) Pepperoni pizza (R) Pesto pizza with sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese.

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Phase II Ends

June 14, 2010 in Culinary School, Dinner, Recipes | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 2 comments

I cannot believe it’s been six long weeks since my last update.  Phase II just flew by and today was the first day of my new externship!  For the next six months I’m working at a wonderful restaurant with a friendly atmosphere and delicious, interesting food.

Culinary school has been an emotional roller coaster filled with wonderful highs and intense lows.  But I made it, and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.  I’m looking forward to fine-tuning the skills I’ve learned now that I won’t be on daily information overload.  I have so much cooking to do!  And still so much to learn.

For something slightly different, I thought I’d share a recipe for lamb sausage.  It’s delicious and surprisingly simple.  You need a sausage stuffer (they are sold as stand-alone units or attachments for KitchenAid mixers).  But even if you don’t have the equipment, I still highly recommend this recipe.  Impress your family with some insanely good lamb patties!

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Vegetable and Lamb Samosas

April 26, 2010 in Culinary School, Recipes, Side Dish, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 comments

Last week was incredibly hectic!  I turned in a report on créme fraiche and gave an oral presentation (we had a decadent cheese tasting, as well). I had my first written and practical exams of Phase II.  On top of all that, I assisted a sushi class!  This weekend provided a much needed rest.

I think I did well across the board!  I was worried about the practical with my new chefs, but I’m very proud of myself.  I stayed calm and focused, got my food ready and was third to finish.  Chef said my pate brisee dough was perfect.  As was my omelette. The dessert wasn’t all that it should have been, but overall I put forth a solid effort.  Tomorrow we’ll find out our teams for the next month.

I’ve been offering a lot of dessert recipes lately.  How about some fried, savory goodness?  These samosas are as good as any you’ll find in a restaurant.

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Crepes Suzette

April 18, 2010 in Dessert, Recipes, Vegetarian | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 comments

These crepes are heavenly and simple.  They’re great for entertaining because you can prepare the crepes and zest well in advance and then cook everything together at the last second with an audience!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 4-5 eggs
  • 1.5-2 cups milk
  • clarified butter
  • orange zest
  • simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar, simmered until dissolved)
  • Triple sec or Grand Marnier
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 oranges
  • sugar
  • butter
  • garnish: orange supremes

Method:

  1. Blanch orange zest in water and then cook in simple syrup.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, a pinch of salt and 3 eggs.
  3. Add milk and continue whisking.
  4. Brown some clarified butter, add 1 T or so to batter.
  5. Add more eggs and milk as needed until crepe batter is a thin, smooth consistency.
  6. Make crepes, sprinkling sugar on each as they’re finished to keep from sticking together.  Set aside.
  7. Combine the juices of 1 lemon and 2 oranges in a bowl.
  8. Melt whole butter in pan. When its melted and bubbly, add sugar and make a light caramel.
  9. Deglaze the pan with citrus juice.  Thicken and reduce the sauce over the heat.
  10. Add zest with simple syrup.
  11. Add several crepes, folded into quarters.
  12. Flip when they’re well coated with syrup.
  13. Add some liquor to the pan, flambe with a long lighter or cook out.
  14. Serve with orange supremes!

Phase II Begins

April 12, 2010 in Culinary School, Dessert, Gourmet, Recipes, Sauce, Things I love | Tags: , , , , , , | 2 comments

Hello world!  It feels as though I haven’t written a proper update in forever.  Phase II has been a whirlwind of activity and excitement, with several changes to our routine.  First, and probably best, is that school begins an hour later.  While I did enjoy getting home earlier, it is so wonderful to be able to sleep in a bit and stay up past 10pm.  Previously I would arrive at school around 6:15 am.  Now I arrive at the luxurious hour of 7:15 am.  It’s not quite the 9-5 routine I had in my previous life, but every hour makes a difference.

The second big change is in production.  In Phase I, we watched a demo in the morning and then hit the kitchen to make a three-course meal.  We still have our morning demo, but now we cook to order.  We take orders from staff members, do as much prep as possible and then fire on command.  We cannot plate the entree until the appetizer is gone.  The same goes for dessert.  Once we’ve finished service, we’re allowed to eat the leftovers.  It’s intense!

I miss my old chefs, but the new team is full of knowledge and experience.  They’re teaching us some serious refinement.  Phase I was technique.  We’re still learning technique, but now we’re also focusing on beautiful plating and perfect execution.  Chef examines our food before it leaves the kitchen and if he isn’t satisfied, we fix it.  The soup must be hot, the meat must be cooked perfectly to order.

I’ve also begun the process of finding my externship restaurant.  I’ve met with the school adviser and have several places in mind.  Now I just have to start making phone calls.  I’m really hoping to find a restaurant that teaches me a new cuisine.  I’ve also become completely enamored with the pastry side of culinary school.  I would love to explore this further.  I’m even contemplating moving on to the Pastry Arts Program after graduation!

Speaking of desserts, we’ve been making some delicious and simple treats in Phase II.  This has been one of my favorites so far:

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