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Archive for January, 2010

Jan 30

3 Comments

Weeks 3 and 4: Things Get Intense

When I decided to leave my desk job to attend culinary school, I knew it would be a challenging experience.  What I didn’t anticipate was the mental and physical exhaustion.  It feels a bit like I’ve just come home from a trip overseas.  I often have no idea what time or what day it is.  Starting at 6:30-7am is starting to take its toll.  Many of us chug coffee and Red Bull all day like our lives depend on it.  And it’s kind of true.  We have to be fast and focused and the crash at the end of the day seems inevitable.  If we’re not learning, cooking or eating we’re supposed to be mopping, scrubbing, doing dishes and making stock for the entire school.  The days, the dishes, and my kitchen teams have all started to blend together.

We’re making three or four technique heavy recipes per day.  I now have a binder containing fifty recipes.  Fifty!  In a month!  When I’m not at school I’m practicing techniques (the knife skills need a LOT of work), reading, writing papers, typing up notes and recipes… it’s time consuming, to say the least.  My desire to cook and clean at home has diminished for obvious reasons.  I’m still working on finding the proper balance between my personal and culinary worlds.  Sometimes they feel like two entirely separate universes.

I’m sharing my favorite sweet and savory dishes from the past week.  On the savory side, I’m offering up a beef bourguignon recipe that knocks the socks off every other version I’ve tried.  Like most of the my culinary school recipes, this one relies heavily on technique.  I can give you the ingredients, but if they’re not used properly the results won’t necessarily be special.

On the sweet side… poached French meringues on crème anglaise, topped with caramel.  It’s a light dessert that plays with texture and temperature.  School is definitely turning me into a sweets person.  When I eat out I’m typically too full at the end of the main course to order dessert.  But the desserts we’ve been making are fun and have that perfect level of sweetness.  I’ve enjoy making them so much that a few times I’ve wondered if perhaps I belong in the pastry program!

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Jan 19

9 Comments

Zest, anyone?

Today we made a salad so incredibly tasty I’m just dying to share it.  I promise to post pictures as soon as I get a chance to practice at home.

“LA SALADE D’ORANGE ET ZESTES CONFITS”

We’re supposed to write the names of our French recipes in all caps because capitalized French words don’t require funny accents over the letters.  Cool, eh?

Ingredients:

  • oranges
  • simple syrup

Method:

  1. Remove zest and pith from oranges
  2. Julienne zest
  3. Triple blanch zest
  4. Cook zest for 10-15 minutes in simple syrup
  5. Slice oranges, top with zest and drizzled syrup

The long version:

Take 2 oranges.  Slice both ends off, and carefully peel each orange from top to bottom with a paring knife, removing as much pith (white, bitter stuff) as possible.  Maintain the round sides of the orange as you angle the knife downward.  Don’t throw the skins away!  You need the zest.  Technically, you can get it before peeling the orange by use a vegetable peeler but where’s the fun in that?  This way gives you more control over the shape.

Use the paring knife to remove the rest of the white pith from the zest.  Once you have pretty orange chunks, slice the zest julienne style.  You want it very thin like angle hair pasta.

Next, add the zest to a pot of cold water and bring it to a boil.  Blanch for one minute, then drain with a fine mesh strainer.  Repeat this procedure two more times.

Create a simple syrup from 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water, bringing them to a boil in a medium sauce pot.  Don’t stir, just let the sugar melt and the syrup will form itself.  Once it’s at a nice consistency where the syrup coats the back of a spoon while hot, add the zest and let it cook for 10-15 minutes.  Scoop the zest out of the pot onto a plate and let it stiffen up while you plate the rest of the salad.

Make sure you’ve removed all the pith and then slice the oranges and arrange them in a circle on a plate, layering one over the other.  Artfully place the candied zest in a circle on top of the oranges and then drizzle with simple syrup.

Impress your guests!

Update:

I made this tonight and took a picture, but the quality of the photo isn’t great.  It tastes good!

Jan 17

10 Comments

Week 2 – Tarts, Birds, and Food Safety

I have survived my second week of school! And I have a holiday weekend to get ahead on my reading. And write my first paper since college. Sigh.

Several readers inquired as to whether my classmates are really as competitive as I made them out to be.  Truthfully, the atmosphere in the kitchen isn’t competitive; it’s disorganized and frantic.  We’re still learning where things are located and trying to complete several new recipes every day.  We have 2 1/2 hours to make everything, but the time vanishes in the blink of an eye.  In that time we have to get our mise en place together, cook, clean up everything and have the room ready for lunch with benches, drinks and silverware.  In addition to making our own plates we usually have to make one or two trays up for school employees and guests.  There aren’t always enough burners, since we often need to use more than one at a time.  There also aren’t always enough tools for everyone.  It’s a mad race to the finish line and sometimes we bump into each other along the way.  But I honestly like everyone I’ve spent time getting to know.  There are all kinds of personalities and some of us work better together than others.  I think in time we’ll evolve into a well-oiled machine, but for now things are a bit messy.

This week we learned how to properly butcher a chicken, made a few new salads, mayonnaise (finally something I’m comfortable with!), strawberry tarts, and spent two full days getting a crash course in food safety.  We were also served an amazingly delicious 3 course meal by the Phase II students.  I was in awe of their skill and the fact that I’ll be able to do that in 4-5 months.

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Jan 10

13 Comments

Week 1 – Welcome to Culinary Boot Camp

My first week of culinary school was both exhilarating and overwhelming.  I learned so much and also accepted that this will be one of the most challenging experiences of my life.  We arrive every day at around 6:30am, lecture begins promptly at 7. At 9 we move into the kitchen and cook until 11:30, when our kitchen must be spotless and set up for lunch (which is whatever we happened to be cooking that morning).  After eating we all have chores and then our afternoon lecture begins at 12:30pm.  Our final 2 hours are either lecture or lecture/cooking.  Dismissed at 2:30pm.

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Jan 4

17 Comments

Want to win a $25 gift certificate to Zingerman’s?

I’ve decided to celebrate the New Year with a contest to thank you all for taking the time to read Savory Simple.  As I’ve mentioned before, Zingerman’s is one of my favorite online gourmet shops.  They have an amazing selection of oils, vinegars, cheese, baked goods, and pretty much any treat a foodie like me desires.

The entry rules are simple.  Leave a comment here telling me your best kitchen tip!  It can be anything related to cooking, kitchen cleaning, products… whatever you think others might find useful.  And make sure to submit the comment with your name and real email address (it will be hidden) so I know where to send the prize!

To stay informed of future contests, become a fan of Savory Simple on Facebook.

A winner will be selected at random.  The contest will remain open until Friday.  Good luck!

Update:  The contest is now over.  Congratulations, Jessica!

Jan 2

5 Comments

To Good Health! And New Adventures!

Happy New Year!  2009 was such an amazing year for me.  I took a trip to Japan where I spend almost 3 weeks exploring new sights and tastes.  I made the decision to leave my job and attend culinary school, which begins in just a few short days.  I cannot wait to see what this new year will bring.

I’m not usually big on New Years resolutions but this year I’m aiming to eat healthier.  My cooking relies on quite a lot of butter and oil.  And I assume the use of fats will only become greater as I venture forward with my culinary training.  I’m thinking I’ll need to supplement my diet with healthier meals whenever possible.

Therefore, I’ve complied a list of healthy recipes offered by my fellow food bloggers.  Enjoy the list, and please take a moment to visit their blogs!

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