Week 8 – Exams and Comfort Food

The past two weeks have been intense. Due to the snow, we had a makeup class last Friday on my beloved day of rest.  Saturday was Open House, where we had to work the buffet.  Sunday was spent catching up on recipes and studying for exams.  And making homemade pasta again and again until I finally mastered it.  This week our recipe notebooks were due and we had our second written and practical exams. I’m up to around 130 recipes, if I’m counting correctly.

As usual, we made amazing food.  I’m wouldn’t say I’m exactly refined in the kitchen but I think I’m making slow and steady improvements.  My second practical exam went much smoother than the first one.  Though several times Chef walked by and told me to breathe.  And every time he said that I realized I was in fact holding my breath.  I don’t know how to be calm and speedy at the same time.  I need to work on my kitchen zen.

But I’m so happy to be there.  I don’t know exactly where I’ll end up after graduation but aside from my travel adventures I haven’t felt this alive in years.  Culinary school is where I’m supposed to be.

Between the weather and exams, I’ve been craving comfort foods recently.  School has made me a huge fan of soup.  And nothing goes better with soup than fresh bread.  I know bread-making is just around the corner because Chef has begun teasing us with fresh baguettes and focaccia throughout the day.  In the past two weeks we’ve made naan and cornbread, both of which I loved.  I thought I’d share the cornbread recipe with you.

Also on the menu this week was a delicious cauliflower soup.  Not something that would typically be pared with cornbread but I made them both one evening and they went surprisingly well together!  The cauliflower soup is rich with a delicate flavor, and the cornbread is one of the lighter, tastier versions I’ve tried.  You might want to make them separately.  This soup would go well with hearty artisan bread.  The cornbread goes great with chili or pork chops.

LE POTAGE DUBARRY (Cauliflower Soup)

Ingredients:

• onions, diced
• cauliflower, chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• chicken stock
• thyme – 1 sprig
• parsley stem
• cream

(You can make this recipe vegetarian or vegan by substituting vegetable stock and soy milk)

Method:

1. Sweat onions, making sure to avoid color.  Deglaze if necessary with water and/or white wine.
2. Add garlic and then chicken stock to cover the onions.
3. Add half a cauliflower, thyme and parsley stem (minimal herbs to avoid color).
4. Add more stock as needed, but remember less stock means thicker soup.
5. Simmer and reduce until the cauliflower is fork tender, remove herbs, then puree very well.
6. Strain, return to pot.
7. Finish with cream, salt, white or black pepper, and a dash of cayenne.

Cornbread

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons milk powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup water
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• ¾ cup bread flour
• 1/3 cup cornmeal
• ½ oz baking powder
• 6 tablespoons corn oil
• 1 ear corn

Method:

1. Butter and flour a baking pan.
2. Slightly roast corn in the oven.
3. Remove kernels, grind in mortar and pestle (or smash them with the bottom of a flat surface).
4. Mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately.
5. Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mix.
6. Add to sheet pan.
7. Cook at 325-350 until done.