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Posts from the ‘Culinary School’ Category

Oct 2

68 Comments

Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Galette

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

We had many requirements at culinary school, one of which was to assist 3 recreational cooking classes.  I loved doing this and volunteered often.  One particular evening I assisted a pastry class where the students were making an assortment of tarts.  The chef described a galette as a “rustic tart” and then smirked, stating:

“I love the word ‘rustic’.  It means it doesn’t have to be pretty.”

She had a point.  When using tart molds, I often spend quite a bit of time making sure the dough is perfectly formed.  Patience and practice yields perfection.  Galettes are much easier, and their imperfections are what make them beautiful, in my opinion.  They’re great for beginners and experts alike.

This tart has a wonderful balance of flavors and is perfect for fall entertaining.  The apple enhances the sweetness of the butternut squash and the pecans offer a nice crunch.  The shallots and goat cheese are savory and rich.  You can get 6-8 appetizer servings, depending on how big you want your slices.

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Dec 16

27 Comments

Culinary School Graduation Holiday Giveaway

Tomorrow I graduate from culinary school!  What a year it has been.  I knew it would be difficult and it certainly was.  But I learned a lot about myself and am happier for it.  I’m moving forward on a career path that excites me.   This is the beginning!

My dear friend and fellow blogger S.j. over at Cooking School Confidential and Forme of Cury wrote a great blog entry a few months ago called Should I go to culinary school from someone who has been. It’s a good if you’re considering attending school, especially as a second career.  I share most of her opinions and believe we had a very similar experience.  But the bottom line is I would do it all over again.

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Nov 24

9 Comments

Chocolate Kahlua Roulade

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

Happy Holidays!  Three weeks and counting until graduation!

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Aug 24

3 Comments

Phase III… And a Peach Crisp

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.

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Jun 14

6 Comments

Phase II Ends (Merguez: North African Lamb Sausage)

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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Apr 26

7 Comments

Vegetable and Lamb Samosas

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

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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Apr 12

2 Comments

Phase II Begins (Bananas Flambe’)

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

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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Mar 20

9 Comments

Week 11 – Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

Phase I is almost over.  I’m sad, nervous and excited all at once. I have so much love and respect for the chefs I’ve learned from these past three months… it’s a bittersweet transition.  This weekend I’m studying for my midterm written and practical exams, which will take place next week.  We’re also taking a field trip to a dairy farm.  I know Phase II is going to be much more intense.  Will there still be the same level of laughter and unity we’ve become accustomed to?

This is a bit of a rushed post, but I wanted to pass along an amazing cookie recipe while I hit the books (and the kitchen) in preparation for next week.  Is there anyone out there who doesn’t love cookies?  These are far superior to anything you’ll buy at the grocery store.  And they’re so simple!  You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry.  I daydream about these cookies.  If you want the chocolate melting in your mouth with each bite, add chopped semi-sweet chocolate in addition to the chips.  You’ll thank me later.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 8 oz sugar
  • 8 oz brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 14 oz all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 12 oz chocolate chips
  • optional: semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Method:

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and a quick brush of vegetable shortening.  Not too much or the cookies will be greasy.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
  3. In a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, mix the vegetable shortening and butter.  Add the sugar and brown sugar.
  4. Add the yolks and the eggs on low speed.  Then slowly add the flour and vanilla.
  5. Add the chocolate chips and a good handful of chopped chocolate.
  6. Use a small ice cream scoop to portion out the cookies.  Chill 15 minutes.
  7. Bake at 350 for 13 minutes.

Feb 26

5 Comments

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.

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Feb 5

2 Comments

Week 5 – Are you going to blog about that?

I learned an important lesson this week: don’t mention your culinary school blog while at school because heckling will ensue.  I also realized that I cannot stay up late on a school night.  I become practically useless in the kitchen.

More importantly, I learned about food!  Among other things we made puff pastry, grilled fish, coq au vin, melting hot chocolate cake, decadent mashed potatoes… and started learning about food costing, which may be a challenge for me.  I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that I haven’t touched math in at least 10 years.  It’s a shame because I used to be pretty good at it.  Now, my head spins while trying to figure out how to put the numbers together.  I know what I’ll be studying this weekend.

And it may be an extra long weekend!  We’re supposedly in for a blizzard.  I stopped by the grocery store to pick up ingredients for stock and I’ve never seen so much madness.

During these chilly winter months, I can’t get enough soup. It’s warm, comforting, and simple to make.  I thought that in honor of this week’s blizzard I’d offer up a yummy version of potato leek soup.  In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child states “Leek and potato soup smells good, tastes good, and is simplicity itself to make.”  I love Julia and I like her recipe, but I really really like this recipe.  Again, I highly recommend using homemade stock.  It’s easy to make and the results are dramatically different.  Real chicken stock contains collagen (gelatin) from the bird, which gives a richness and thickening power to recipes that cannot be replicated by store-bought products.

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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 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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