Crustaceans- a love/hate relationship. And a delicious recipe to share!

In culinary school, and I don't remember if this is what we were taught in biology, shellfish are split into three categories: Crustaceans, Mollusks, and Echinoderms. The Mollusk group is further divided into bivalves, univalves, and cephalopods. I like crustaceans, hate mollusks (with the exception of scallops), and have never tried an echinoderm. Chef says echinoderms are “slimy” and that it is a “texture thing”, which is a sure sign that I will hate them too. This simple delineation of my preferences will make this exam question a cinch… certainly they will ask us to name the three categories and provide an example of each.

At risk of going on ten more tangents, I will summarize my thoughts on crustaceans. Each bullet probably requires a full entry, but I don’t have time for that now and I am sure you don’t care to read all of that! Crustaceans include lobsters, crabs, prawns, langoustines, crayfish, and shrimp.

• I had my first lobster in Maine when I was 21. 
• Michael and his boys had a tradition of lobster every Sunday, so I cooked my first lobster at 22. 
• I have never been good at getting lobster out of it’s shell. I always make a huge mess. And I only like the claws, knuckles, and tail. 
• Correctional facilities in Maine used to serve lobsters to inmates, who claimed lobster every night was “cruel and unusual punishment.” What do you think about that?
• I hate crabs. I once went with a friend, during my senior year of college, to a China Buffet and consumed approximately 4 heaping plates of crab legs. Then I got sick in the Barnes and Noble bathroom. 
• I don’t know the difference between prawns and shrimp, still, though I should. 
• I had my first langoustine in the South of France at 23. Since that time I have noted that many restaurants serve you shrimp when you order langoustines – they put langoustine on the menu so they can charge you more. 
• Finally, after a 4th grade science project, I purchased a crayfish pet at the bait and tackle store. My sister had one too. We had them for a couple of years before we had to let them go in the creek on Rosendale Road. Lots of things got let go on Rosendale Road, including our cats……. 

On Wednesday evening I entered the kitchen with my note cards and tool kit as usual. I put my things down on a workspace across from Julia, front row center (ut oh), and went to read the evening’s schedule. It was almost illegible… I struggled to make out what the pre-dinner plans were, but one thing was clear as day: LOBSTER FOR DINNER! Wohoo!

Eventually, I figured it out:

1. Sauce Americaine 
2. Moules a la marinere – present at 7:15 
3. Court boullion for scallops 
4. Coquilles Saint-Jacques, coulis au persil (scallops) – present at 7:50 
5. Lobster – dinner at 8:30 

After dinner? Shellfish tasting party - Snails. Clams. Oysters. Yuck-o.

Let me cut to the chase. My partner and I kicked butt. Things are finally beginning to get easier! I know my way around the kitchen. Everything was done and presented on time.We had a full half hour for dinner. Life was good. 

Coquilles Saint-Jacques, coulis au persil

Coquilles Saint-Jacques, coulis au persil II

The scallops were absolutely delicious, but I recommend the scallops in the Sauce Americaine that we used for the lobster. I think that is how they served the scallops at a secret cafe in Hilton Head Island... I will not link to/ advertise it here, as they don't advertise at all (on purpose), but you can absolutely email me if you're heading South. 

I would recommend just about anything in the Sauce Americaine. Try it! 

Reheating Lobster in Sauce Americaine (recipe below)

Sauce Americaine
Crustacean Sauce with tomato, brandy, and tarragon (Recipe adapted from The International Culinary Center Classic Culinary Arts Level One text book)

Ingredients
18 oz lobster bodies (or as many as you can get your hands on)
1 T vegetable oil
3.5 oz carrots, cut in mirepoix
3.5 oz onions, cut in mirepoix
1.75 oz brandy (use a little bit extra, but make sure to cook it off)
4 oz white wine
1 qt fumet, then water to cover
7 oz tomatoes, canned (tomatoes and juice)
1 oz tomato paste
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 spring tarragon

For the Liaison and Herb Flavoring 1 oz butter
1 oz flour
1 t chervil, hacher
1 t tarragon, hacher
1 t parsley, hacher
Salt and Pepper
2 oz butter or cream, optional

Procedure
1. Cut the lobster bodies in half. Remove the gills and the sac in the head potion. Rinse the bodies under cold water, dry them, and chop them coarsely.
2. Heat a large sauté pan, add oil, add the lobster bodies, and cook over high heat until the turn orange and develop a deep, rich aroma.
3. Add the mirepoix (carrots and onions) and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the brandy and flamber. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan and reduce by half.
4. Add the fumet, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, tarragon, and water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 40 minutes, skimming frequently.
5. Strain. Place back on heat, and reduce until fully flavored. Thicken with the liaison (flour and butter – mix in a bowl first) and gently cook for 10 minutes. Be careful. The sauce will now burn if left over high heat.
6. Remove from heat. Add the chopped herbs. Season to taste. Here you can also add the butter or cream.
Note: If you add the butter, you will not be able to store and reuse this sauce as the butter will separate. This recipe makes quite a bit of sauce, so I recommend pouring off whatever you won’t use today and storing it in the refrigerator. Then add the butter or cream to the sauce for service. When you reheat the sauce later, bring it to a boil and then add butter or cream if desired. 

Plated Lobster in Sauce Americaine

"Nerd woman" succeeds in making delicious goujoinettes!

We are no longer assigned partners by Chef and we have been encouraged to not be "nerds" - selecting the front station every day. This "don't be nerdy" thing is pretty difficult for a girl who sat front row, center seat throughout college and harassed my professors via email on nights, weekends, and holidays... in the office, or at home. One time I even wrote my professor a “letter of concern for your health”. We had this stupid assignment to write a How-To piece on "How to deal with pigeons in your attic." He introduced the assignment by explaining that he had a serious pigeon infestation in his attic and he needed suggestions on how to resolve the problem. I told my mom about the assignment and she, a medical doctor by training, explained how dangerous pigeons are to your health! I was a little bit freaked out and decided that I needed to take this assignment very seriously and address it scientifically (afterall, I was a Chemistry major and it was a science oriented college).We both wondered if he was just “setting the stage” but decided that on top of completing the assignment, I must write him immediately and tell him that this is a much larger problem than he has described. It is a health concern. I delivered that email on a Saturday afternoon. If I still had access to my school email address, I would probably post the email here. He must have thought I was totally crazy - and gullible, which is pretty true. Anyway…

For fish day 1, I asked Amanda to be my partner. For fish day 2, I selected Elliot. Not that I really “selected”, per se, but when someone is standing alone and another person asks, "Do you have a partner?" you cannot really say no... right? …. unless of course you have been planning partnerships over email or facebook. So I tend to think that the person who asks is doing the selection. No one has ever “selected” me. I am not sure if this is because I ask first, or because I am really not good at this (though I think I have gotten better), or because I am a control freak (and authoritative in all things even when I might be wrong... ), or because I never shut up (true)? I am sure there are many reasons why I wouldn’t be chosen as a partner in culinary school… or for many other roles (like that job I didn’t get at GE because I didn’t have a “passion for finance”… another story for another time)… but it is actually nice choosing and not being chosen. Have you ever thought about your life in that way? Do you choose? Or have you been chosen? It is interesting to reflect on.

Another tangent, but I am back…. Elliot and I made the MOST delicious fried fish. The recipe is called “Bread Crumb-Coated Flounder with Two Sauces”. The two sauces were Remoulade (one of those mayonnaise derivatives that goes well with fried food) and Sauce aux Poivrons Rouges (red pepper sauce). For me, forget the sauces and hand me a lemon or even better, some ketchup. Heinz only. Someday I will write all about my dedication to and obsession with Heinz ketchup.

We began Culinary Arts Level One Day 13 with a flat fish, Flounder.

Mr. Flounder Fish 

Again, like last class, we were to dress this fish. For the Bread Crumb-Coated Flounder, we were to cut the fillets into goujonettes – small slices to reflect a goujon, a miniature fish whose closest American equivalent is the smelt. This whole process was sooo much easier with my newly-sharpened filleting knife. Yes, my sharpening was a success! The Flounder was to be served in a potato basket (made of gaufrettes, using a mandoline… eh!) and garnished with fried parsley.

As we moved into service I realized I chose a good partner. Without discussion, Elliot used the mandoline and saved my dear hands from more destruction… but then we moved too slow. Chef is yelling TEN minutes. The oil isn’t at temperature! My hands are shaking as I layer the gaufrettes to build the potato basket. Nine minutes. Still not at temperature! Elliot is coating the fish. I continue to adjust the gaufrettes, to fix and refix the mold. The thermometer hits 350 and I push the mold into the oil. This is it. We don’t have any more potatoes and we don’t have time. I hold the mold in the oil. I feel the heat creeping up the mold. The oil steam is warming my hands. Am I even doing this right? I am actually not sure what I am supposed to do at this point. How am I supposed to know it is done? I ask Andrew, who responds “when it looks done”. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!? If I was boss I might have smacked (or fired) an employee that responded that way, but I had to laugh.

So I held the potatoes there a bit longer. I lifted them out and put them back a couple of times (probably not right), and then Elliot returned with the breaded fish. Well, it is what it is I decided. I removed the potatoes and let him fry away with the fish. Three minutes. The potatoes appear to have fried properly but they didn’t want to come out of the mold. I couldn’t serve the mold on the plate. I started with a spoon to loosen the potatoes. No luck. Then a paring knife. Eventually the potatoes came out but the bowl was broken. Well… this is extremely unfortunate, but we had to make it work.

I plated the rest of the garnitures. When the fish was done, I fixed the potato bowl together with the broken edge on the plate, and layered the fish on top to hold it together. We presented to Chef with two minutes left. Another great success!

Bread Crumb-Coated Flounder with Two Sauces
Because everything sounds better in French: Goujonettes de Limande aux Deux Sauces

The bowl was our little secret.

Celebrating another great success!

10% Reflection

"Happiness, then, is something final and self-sufficient, and is the end of action." - Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics. 

In other words: The purpose of all human activity is to procure (or find) happiness. Happiness is the end.

I have completed one full month of culinary school. I am 10% through. It is pretty unbelievable. I have truly internalized that this journey is the reward. But I am already dreading the day it is over.

Sometimes in life things just fall into place... I am more likely to believe that sometimes you have to make them. You have to work for what you want. I couldn’t have known one month ago that my life would be what it is today, by making one decision to finally follow my dream and attend culinary school. My decision to finally sign on the dotted line, to sign away ten months of my salary, was so much more than signing up for culinary school, and giving up shopping, manicures, and “freedom” (it was just a different type). I finally made a decision to live a life and do something that I choose. To live my life for myself, by my philosophy…. With my sanction as the only sanction needed. In this, I no longer sought unneeded permission from others. In this, I knew what was right. I didn’t need to (nor did I) seek a type of positive reinforcement from others, to tell me “you are doing the right thing”. I actually started school before I had the opportunity to tell Mom or Dad. I called them. They were on vacation. I started school.

One of the only questions I asked was, “Can I live with you rent-free so I can pay my tuition?” Without  a second thought, he responded “Yes.” That sealed the deal. I signed on the dotted line 24 hours later.

While that was the only question I actually asked him, I should have also asked “Can you make your own dinner Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings?”, "Can you do your own grocery shopping if I don't get to it?", "Can you go to sleep before I get home, and go to work before I get up?”, “Is it OK if we sometimes don’t see eachother for days at a time?”, “Is it OK if we watch trash tv instead of going out for dinner?”…. that list continues, and I am sure you can imagine what else it includes.

Life has changed, a lot in this month. I am busier than I have been in years, maybe even busier than I was when I was taking 32 credits in the final semester of my senior year of college. But I am happier than ever. The decision to attend culinary school has transformed my hours, my days, and my life.

I am excited. I get to try and learn new things daily. I am learning things that I care about, that I value. Things that I want to know. Who cares about the structure of XYZ molecule? Someone, some chemist, or some medical student, or some physician…. Finally, once a Chemistry major at my parents suggestion, I can honestly say “NOT ME!”… not unless it has to do with Maillard Reactions and the browning of food and development of flavor... or whipping cream.

I finally made a (good) decision for me. I am working more and harder than I have in a long time. Maybe I should be overwhelmed and/or exhausted. Sometimes I think I should be. Sometimes I think I am. But I am not. Maybe I will get there… But if and when I do, remind me of these glorious days… the days where I love what I do…. where I love my life. I know the luck I have found.

I want to preserve this time like lemons or duck confit… I want to bottle it up and keep it for when I might need it. 

Food and Wine adventure in North Fork

This Saturday Michael and I rented a car, planning to drive out to White Silo Farm and Winery in Sherman, Connecticut. Uncertain of the weather I held off making reservations as suggested on the Travelzoo Local Deal voucher I purchased in May. On Saturday morning I called the Farm and was informed that reservations are required 24 hours in advance --we were welcome to come on Sunday or next weekend. I was a little bit taken aback by the unhelpful, no discussion or exceptions service, but couldn't let it ruin my planning. I hadn't been alone with Michael since last Sunday and we needed to get away!

We left home around 10 AM, made and ditched an attempt to pick up pastries at Cognac (our favorite pastry shop lately) because of traffic, and got on the highway a bit after 10:30 AM. Arriving in North Fork minutes after noon, we had just enough time to visit one vineyard before lunch. We started the day with a tasting at Jamesport Vineyards. Our sommelier was very friendly and talkative and suggested lunch at the Jedediah Hawkins Inn. He tossed a business card across the bar. Michael and I looked at each other, wondering if North Fork was the land of tourist traps. Thank goodness we stopped in!

Jedediah Hawkins Inn

The Jedediah Hawkins Inn is beautiful! We dined in Luce's Landing - their version of a country cafe and wine bar - "a fun, casual dining option with a focus on value and quality". Lunch was a wonderful experience from the moment we sat down in the glass enclosed dining room. Like something out of Country Living or Martha Stewart.

Luce's Landing

Luce's Landing, much like L'Ecole (the restaurant of French Culinary Institute), offers house filtered tap water - still or sparkling. I love this. The waitress delivered a fresh baguette, warmed in the oven, with house churned butter and a very flavorful salt mixture. Delicious. I ordered a perfectly prepared salad (almost like the one I described at Bon Apetit), a homemade hamburger, and a side of french fries. Everything was fresh and delicious. Lunch was the highlight of our day.

The Chef, Keith Luce, was in the semi-open, glass enclosed kitchen and made a few appearances in the dining room. I believe he checked on each table at least once. We very much enjoyed talking with him about his culinary experiences state-side and abroad, and his newest endeavor at Jedediah Hawkins Inn. Here, he is living my dream.

Me, in the front lawn of Jedediah Hawkins Inn

Introduction to Fish

If you asked me a month, or six, ago why I wanted to go to culinary school, I would have included “to learn to cook fish” in my list of reasons.  Friday evening, Culinary Arts Level One Lesson Twelve: Introduction to Fish and Principles of Cooking, was AMAZING!

Say hello to Mr. Fish.

Mr. Fish

Mr. Fish is a Bass – a round fish, with eyes on either side, that produces meat in two fillets.

Mr. Fish arrived to me and Amanda gutted (thank goodness). I had never had a fish on my cutting board before, but I could tell that he was a healthy fish when he was alive. He was a beautiful color. He was very fresh. I knew from evaluating against the qualities of fresh fish we learned (below).

Qualities of Fresh Fish
1. Clean, sweet smell – it should smell like the environment it came from
2. Clear eyes, shining, not cloudy
3. Bright, vibrant, and shiny skin
4. Scales should be in tact
5. Firm flesh

6. Gills should be red and bloody
7. Tight anus…. Seriously.

We scaled Mr. Fish using the back of the knife. We used our scissors to cut off his fins.

We were to fillet him. My filleting knife wouldn’t cut the skin. I spent a few minutes trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I couldn’t get it to work. I was perplexed. Chef Veronica was walking by. I quietly asked her what I was doing wrong. She took my knife to demonstrate the proper technique. She tried to cut the skin with no success. “This knife is so dull it is dangerous!” she informed me. Phew. I felt much better about Mr. Fish, but quickly began dreading the task of sharpening my filleting knife before class Monday.  Amanda offered her knife and from there it went pretty smoothly.

But we dressed him beautifully!

Mr. Fish was to be cooked en papillote. We marinated him in olive oil and thyme. We prepared Tomato Fondue and Duxelles (mushrooms) as a bed for Mr. Fish. And carrots, leeks, and celery as a garniture. We put Mr. Fish in a heart shaped piece of parchment and baked him 9 minutes.

Bass en papillote

Mr. Fish was to be our dinner and …. HE WAS DELICIOUS!!

Eating Mr. Fish for dinner

This delicious piece of art is why I enrolled in culinary school!

Poisson en Papillote

Salt and Pepper is ONE ingredient

Culinary Arts Level One Exam Two.

What are the eleven ingredients in a nicoise salad, not including dressing? Let's review.

Traditional Nicoise Salad

1. Lettuce
2. Potato
3. Egg
4. Tomato
5. Green Beans
6. Green Pepper
7. Tuna fish
8. Anchovies
9. Olives
10. Herb garnish
11. ... ... ... ?

I had studied the salad. Eleven ingredients. The eleventh ingredient was dressing! "Dressing" as one ingredient. What is the eleventh ingredient?  I have finished the exam. I have no idea. What the heck? I am SO frustrated.  I wanted 100%. I needed 100%. However Chef encourages us "don't be the nerd who sits in the front every day", I am a nerd! I want 100%.

I started being creative. With stabs in the dark.
I wrote "Cold Plate". (Not kidding)
"Dressing". (So what if they said "Not including the dressing")
"Salt and Pepper". (Hey, why not, even though it is included in the dressing)
"Lemon". (I should have known that this was wrong)

After the exam, Chef informed us that "Salt and Pepper" is one ingredient.
I hate this type of question. This type of question that is looking to make a point. To teach you a lesson.
So frustrating!

Destruction

Culinary Arts Level One Lesson Eleven. The Potato. Finding a purposely lost friend - Mandoline. Destruction of my finally normal looking hands, fingers, and nails.

Culinary school is not a girly-girl’s friend. There are no long nails. No fake nails. No polish. So forget weekly manicures... which was, at first, A-OK by me because I have no longer have the money to spend on them. But my hands looked terrible. I had working hands! But finally, after a week of cuticle oil and buffing, Wednesday morning I thought "hey, my nails are looking OK and I'll be able to paint them for tomorrow's gala". Then came Wednesday evening and the Mandoline. Four nice slices on the sides of my thumbs that bled through four bandaids. Three missing fingernails.

Mandolines are some chefs best friends. They provide for quick, even taillage. The mandolines I have come into contact with are my WORST enemy. Particularly when, both in the case of family holidays and culinary education, the mandoline is unloved. The photos below are from Christmas 2010. My three sisters and I were responsible for slicing potatoes for four bowls of au gratin potatoes. We rotated the mandoline, the blood, and the bandaids. 

Christmas Day 2010

Sisters showing off our battle wounds

Old. Blunt. Bent. Etc. Chef tells us (quite honestly) that these mandolines are crap. "You get what you pay for" he says. He recommends purchasing a $200 version and you'll have it for life. Add that to my Amazon.com wishlist.

My favorite recipe from the day was for the Gratin Dauphinois. It reminds me of the gratin we made at Christmas.

Gratin Dauphinois (Recipe adapted from The International Culinary Center Classic Culinary Arts Level One text book)
Yields: 4 Servings (but easily scalable).

Ingredients

6 oz milk
6 oz cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Nutmeg, freshly grated
1 lb 2 oz firm Idaho potatoes
1 garlic clove, halved
1 oz Gruyere cheese, grated

Procedure
1. Put the milk and cream (we used 12 oz cream) into a sautoir, bring close to a boil, and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
2. Peel the potatoes. Cut into slices 2-3 mm thick. Place the sliced potatoes into the warm milk-cream mixture as they are sliced.
Note: We actually cut the potatoes and layered them, alternating with salt, pepper, and cheese into the sautoir and then added the cream on top. For small quantities, this works better and is more visually appealing, but you wouldn’t want to do that with 200 potatoes!
3. Once all of the potatoes are in the mixture, return it to the heat. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring carefully so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid is thick.
4. Rub a gratin dish with the split garlic clove. Pour the potatoes and just enough liquid to cover them into the dish, layering evenly.
5. Sprinkle the top with grated cheese. Cover with lid or foil.
6. Place the gratin into a 375 degree oven and bake for at least 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
7. Remove lid and allow to brown. Put under broiler if necessary.
8. Serve warm.

The Perfect Salad

Culinary Arts Level One Lesson Ten. Salads. I love salads.

Chef Phil started class by saying, "You know how good a restaurant is by its salad." One of the most delicious things on Earth is fresh greens with a bit of oil and perhaps some salt and vinegar.

I was instantly transported back to North Dublin, Ireland and Bon Appetit restaurant (http://bonappetit.ie/index.php/about/).

Bon Apetit Restaurant, North Dublin, Ireland

Michael and I spent a week south of Dublin at the Ritz Carlton Powerscourt in July 2010. Ireland is beautiful... but it was a week without fresh vegetables or salad, or even particularly good food. I was dying. On Sunday night we drove our tiny little car north through Dublin to visit Bon Appetit restaurant, with one Michelin star. During my pre-travel research I read good things about the Sunday night prix-fixe meal in their brasserie.

We walked down the stairs into the brasserie and were seated at a nice table by the front wall/windows. The server greeted us and presented the day's menu. I reviewed the menu and sank into the banquette with disappointment. Again, no greens! The server came over and asked if he could answer any questions or take our order (there were no specials). I must have looked desperate, wilting over the table, begging, "Please. I need a salad. PLEASE!" By his perplexed glare, the outlook for a salad wasn't good. "Can you please check with the Chef and see, is there anything he can do?" He turned and went to the kitchen. A few minutes later he returned, and explained that the Chef had some greens and would do what he could to satisfy my craving.

The salad arrived. A bowl of perfect frisee. Perfectly crisp. Dressed in a bit of oil. A touch of salt. C'etait magnifique! This is what I aspire to!

Class went on. Sarah and I created and dressed two delicious salads.

Traditional Nicoise salad 

Sweet and bitter greens with tomato and herbs
Pictured here: Chef Phil's creation with Duck Confit

Sundays at Whit's End Test Kitchen

One more reason I love cooking is food's ability to bring people together. And my favorite day to get people together is Sunday. While it is truly my day to do what I want and feel like, I usually prefer to spend time with my loved ones. I think it is important to set-aside time for yourself, but to me that doesn't mean being alone... it means doing what you choose with whom you choose. I usually spend most of the day planning for and cooking meals for family and friends. On Sundays I can be found reading my food magazines (my current favorites are Food&Wine and Bon Apetit), at the grocery store (Agata and Valentina is my favorite - the butchers and fish mongers are fantastic people), or in the kitchen... of course I also try to get to Central Park for a run or to my favorite yoga studio.  

Whit's End Test Kitchen currently has two locations - (1) the French Culinary Institute  (2) my Home (pictured above). Here, after dressing for and skipping yoga for a homemade lemon cake and a trip to Agata and Valentina, I am preparing Sunday dinner for Michael and his boys. 

Sunday Dinner

Starter

Cheese Puffs (Gruyere)

Leek and Potato Soup

Main

Poached Halibut with tomato fondue served over spinach fettuccine (my first ever poached fish, served deconstructed for picky eaters)

Asparagus cook a L'Anglaise 

Dessert

White Lemon Cake

When preparing food, you should always be careful about physical contaminants (hair). That piece of hair in someone's dinner can really ruin all your effort. Every woman in my family has long hair, so I guess you could say we've gotten used to it. 

Photographer Michael thinks it is funny that I wear dress shoes with my yoga clothes in the kitchen.  I usually prefer barefoot and dressed up. 

 I love Sundays.

See caption.

Family Meal entitled "I am a big fat pig"

I was SO excited... I ran up the stairs to the fifth floor kitchen. Dessert?! You must understand, we never get dessert with Family Meal. This was an unexpected treat - excitement during an otherwise boring class on food preservation. So I RAN! There were no plates left so Chef Wanda (God bless her soul) gave me a platter. And I filled that platter. I returned to the Level One Kitchen grinning ear to ear.

And then everything changed. I was soooooo disappointed... there is honestly nothing worse than an enticing dessert that doesn't deliver. The icecream was crystalized. The apples were soft. There was bacon in the pecan turtle. And the three brownies were just bizarre - no one could figure out what was in them. One tasted cheesy, one may have had green tea, and the other tasted like straight coco powder. So I am really not a big fat pig because I only ate the fruit.... But please, restaurateurs and pastry chefs take note, if it is not fabulous and it is not worth the calories, don't serve it. Give me a glass of Baileys instead.

Day Nine. Food Preservation. Yawn.

Friday was a strange night in the Level One Kitchen. Chef Sixto returned. But even with his excited and excitable style, the energy was different. There was an eery quiet. Six students were missing from our class of seventeen or eighteen. Chefs Sixto and Wanda were perplexed, asking us whether we had spoken with any of the absent students. Everyone kind of shrugged and looked around, expecting someone else to propose a theory. Chef Sixto asked, "Is there something major going on in New York that we don't know about?"  Again, we looked around with blank gazes. It was very strange.

This was one student's fourth missed class. I really cannot understand missing class. But then again I realize that I value my life significantly more than most people. At $40,000 for 10 months, average $4,000 per month. With 4 weeks per month, average $1,000 per week. With 3 classes per week, that is approximately $333 per class. I am very surprised at the number of people I encounter who do not value money... the only logical conclusion I can draw is that they don't value their time, their effort, or their lives. Those are the people I don't want to work for or with, or have as employees. That is a philosophical topic for another time, and perhaps another place over a glass of good scotch. Anyway, class went on.

Food preservation. Is a. very. boring. topic.
But...Who knew I would like brandade (or salt cod)? We made two recipes using this delicious, always available fish. I think they are both worth sharing. I made the first, Brandade de Morue (fishy, mashed potatoes), as a side for a lunch of tip roast on Saturday afternoon. It's a very Mediterranean thing.

Brandade de Morue 
(Recipe adapted from The International Culinary Center Classic Culinary Arts Level One text book)
Yields: 1 pound

Ingredients
1/2 lb of salt cod
Water, as neded
4 oz Idaho potatoes, boiled and fork mashed (add more potatoes if you prefer a milder, less fishy flavor)
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used about six)
5-6 oz extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 oz milk (or use 1/2 milk and 1/2 cream for a more luxurious texture)

Procedure
1. Desalt cod by soaking in cold water for 24-48 hours, changing the water several times.
2. Cut the potatoes and fish into pieces and poach gently in water together, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and the fish flakes.

Poaching the fish and potatoes

3. Drain the potatoes and cod into separate bowls. Reserve cooking liquid. Mash the potatoes and cod separately.
4. Heat oil in the pan until it smokes.Add the garlic and swirl immediately and constantly so the garlic does not brown.
5. Add the cod and work it with a wooden spoon until it forms a paste.
6. Add the fork-mashed potatoes and continue to work it to blend. Add milk or cream and continue to cook.
7. Add more oil or reserved cooking liquid for consistency, as desired. Season to taste.

Brandade de Morue

Codfish Fritters 
(Recipe taken from The International Culinary Center Classic Culinary Arts Level One text book)
Yield: 32 Fritters

Ingredients

1/2 lb salted codfish, desalted as in recipe above

1 onion, ciseler (small, even dice)1.r T blended oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced (more to taste)
4.5 oz flour
2 t baking powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Oil for frying

Procedure
1. Desalt the cod. Flake the cod, making sure to remove bones.
2. Sweat the onions in the blended oil and add the garlic to briefly cook. Drain and cool slightly.
3. Mix the flour and baking powder together, add the flaked cod, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper, and just enough water to make a batter-like consistency. Fry a small piece in a 350F fry pot to test for seasoning. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
4. Fry tablespoon-size pieces of batter and serve with sauce remoulade and lemon.

Codfish Fritters

Here are a couple links for remoulade sauce. These recipes seem to recommend the addition of more ingredients than necessary for a classic remoulade. A classic remoulade is mayonnaise with mustard, capers, minced cornichons, chervil, tarragon, parsley, and anchovy essence. Make it how you like it!
Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Remoulade-Sauce-106731
Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/remoulade-sauce-recipe2/index.html 

Exam 1: Lessons 1-7

Wednesday evening was my first Culinary Arts exam.  The written exam, covering lessons 1-7 and ½ hour in length, is (per Chef) the most lengthy exam of the Culinary Arts adventure…

On Monday evening, Chef reviewed the important topics of lessons 1-7. Nerd woman (as Michael calls me) wrote down the list, in full.

-          Kitchen Brigade

-          Taillage and why it is important

-          Tournage

-          Binding elements including roux and roux types

-          Stable liaisons and unstable liaisons

-          Anglaise, L’Etuvee, and Glacer cooking methods

-          Types of potatoes

-          Derivative sauces of mayonnaise, hollandaise, and veal stock

Add to that list the list of “Remember this” items that Chef had called attention to during the course of lectures and I had almost every topic in all seven lessons covered.

-          Temperature danger zone

-          Poste de travail

-          Mis en place

-          Types of stocks

-          Why don’t we season stock?

-          Ratios of mirepoix to bones and vegetables in the mirepoix

-          Why do we use cold water in stocks?

I spent every non-working moment studying for this exam. Walking around the apartment repeating names and ingredients of stocks, basic sauces, derivative sauces, and reciting the names and measurements of taillage and tournage. I felt like I was back in Freshman year of college, studying for chemistry or biology, or worse yet Sophomore year studying for organic chemistry.

I finished my work day at 4:45 PM and went to catch the 4:50 PM shuttle to the subway. The shuttle didn’t come… I am sure it was delayed as there was terrible traffic from residual September 11 terrorist threats. At 5 PM I bagged the shuttle and ran from York Ave to the subway station on Lexington Ave.  Google Maps estimates this distance at .5 miles. I was suddenly that person you see sprinting down the sidewalk, totally disheveled.  I am dashing across town in flip flops, carrying a tote bag, an umbrella, and a huge and heavy bag of knives and kitchen utensils. I ran around people. I ran OVER people. I got so many dirty looks. But I got on the train. And I got a seat. I continued rehearsing my answers for my exam.

The train arrived at the Spring Street station. I got off the train and was, again, off to the races. I ran so fast I crossed Broadway (I am supposed to turn left), and made it another whole block before I realized I went too far. I turned around, nearly trampled a six-foot waif model strolling her way through Fashion Week, and made my way down Broadway.  

I arrived at the French Culinary Institute, quickly changed, and went to the kitchen for the exam. My classmates were setting up their poste de travail and mis en place. We are going to take an exam on our cutting board, beside carrots, onions, and salt? This is not the testing environment I am accustomed to. In college I sat front row, center seat in class, and front row, off to the right or left (corner seat) for exams. Neurotic? You got it. To make myself comfortable, I got myself a chair (I was the only one).  I put my name on the exam, flipped through, and nearly laughed out loud.

It sounds better in French and tastes delicious at midnight.....

Last night, Culinary Arts Level One Day Eight. Potage Saint-Germain aux Croutons.

I'll write a story of the evening (my first exam, my missing teammate, and my poor right pointer finger) tomorrow. Today I want to share a photo of a bit of paradise -- a midnight meeting with my delicious, velvety potage and a fresh baguette from some other students.

En Anglais: Split Pea Soup.... Delish!

Recipe (taken from The International Culinary Center Classic Culinary Arts Level 1 lesson book, and slightly abbreviated, adapted, and personalized)

Split Pea Soup with Croutons
Yields 4 Servings

Ingredients
Four the Soup:
12 oz split green peas
1.5 oz bacon, cut in lardons
2/3 oz butter
1.5 oz leeks, emincer (thinly sliced)
1.5 oz carrots, mirepoix (uniformly sized, shape doesn't matter -- for this recipe, pretty small)
3 oz g onions, mirepoix
4 lb water
1 garlic clove, smashed
Bouquet garni (wrap thyme, parsley stem, bayleaf, and peppercorns in a cheesecloth and tie with butchers twine)
2 oz heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Croutons and Service:
3 oz bread, cut in 1 cm cubes
2 oz butter (don't skimp; it will drain off at the end)
Fresh chervil, for garnish

Procedure
For the Soup:
1. Carefully pick through the split peas to remove any stones or debris. Wash the peas in cold water and drain.
2. In a saucepan, sweat the lardons in a small amount of butter. The lardons should be soft like ham, not crisp like bacon.
3. Add the remaining butter and the leeks, carrots, and onions and sweat them until soft. Add some kosher salt here. The vegetables should not color. If they begin to color, turn down the heat and cover. Give them more time than you think they should get.
4. Add the peas, water, garlic, and bouquet garni.
5. Simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour, skimming and stirring often.
6. Remove the bouquet garni. Add the cream and return to boil.
7. Blend the soup in a blender or food processor and then push through a fine strainer.
8. Add more water if necessary.
9. Taste and adjust the seasoning. You'll need a bit of salt here.

For the Croutons and Service:
Now, if you're like me and don't have the patience for this at home, get a fresh baguette like I did. 
1. Add the butter to a frying pan and place over high heat. When hot, add the cubed bread and saute, moving and rotating the bread frequently for even browning. Add more butter to the pan as needed. When you can hear the croutons on the pan and they are golden brown, they are done.
2. Remove from pan. Drain on paper towels and reserve.

Serve the soup in hot bowls, garnished with chervil and with the croutons on the side.

What I will not serve at Whit’s End…..

Or at least I would prefer that someone else is responsible for the on-site preparation (including tasting) and subsequent heart conditions of our customers.

Emulsions.

One word describes how I feel about these sauces, particularly those bound with raw eggs and only lightly seasoned… YUCK.

Culinary Arts Level One Day Seven (Emulsified Sauces and Sabayons)…

We had a very full day planned - to make 5 sauces (Mayonnaise, Hollandaise, Bearnaise, Beurre Blanc, Sabayon). We started the class with new partners, and my partner was having a rough day (source unknown). At 5:45 PM, my day was about to turn for the worse.

We started class by making mayonnaise. I have never made or tasted fresh mayonnaise before, and I do not like jarred mayonnaise (or jarred/canned/packaged/PROCESSED anything, really). I learned something about myself on Monday evening…  Mayonnaise is one of the few things I prefer packaged, preserved, “FAKE”, white, and only on tuna salad sandwiches. Mayonnaise is simply oil and vinegar bound with egg yolk and a bit of mustard. I incorporated the oil drop by drop, whisking continuously until there was an emulsion, and then added the rest of the oil in a thin, steady stream as instructed in the recipe. The mayonnaise looked gross but at least it looked like Chef’s, so I figured I had done alright. Then? I tasted the mayonnaise. I nearly yacked it back into the bowl. It was honestly one of the vilest things I have tasted in…. a very, very, very long time. I cannot remember the last thing I tasted that was so revolting. Chef tasted the mayonnaise and it was “right”. YUCK, YUCK, YUCK. I will never EVER make mayonnaise unless I absolutely have to…. But okay, on the bright side, nothing can be worse than this. Right? WRONG!

Next? Hollandaise – one of the five mother sauces - a warm emulsion, as opposed to mayonnaise which is a cold emulsion. I cannot remember the last time I tasted hollandaise (maybe I never have) because I HATE eggs benedict, or any other runny egg dish, or actually anything that has visible egg yolks (runny or overcooked). Hollandaise is simply oil (in the form of clarified butter) and water bound with egg yolk. Equally disgusting. And Béarnaise, a derivative of Hollandaise, is made by adding a reduction of acid (either white wine vinegar, or red wine vinegar and sherry to give it a nicer color), shallots, peppercorn, and tarragon and finishing with fresh tarragon and chervil.  I took on the Béarnaise …. It is much more tolerable than Hollandaise because of the added, and rather flavorful, seasonings….

 The recipe (for either Hollandaise or Béarnaise) requires approximately five minutes of beating the egg mixture. Over heat (bain marie in this case). By hand with our balloon wisk. Forget my wonderful KitchenAid mixer I have at home… We have to do this BY HAND! BY HAND?! For five (FIVE) minutes?! I have never beat anything for five minutes, let alone one minute. After 30 seconds I am convinced my arm is going to fall off! My whole body is sweating… PROFUSELY. My knees (yes my knees) are sticking to my houndstooth chef pants! My neckerchief (worn around the neck to absorb perspiration) is useless. I need to take it off and wipe my forehead and my chest…. and my back… oh and don’t forget my knees! What the heck?! Seriously! I begin defending myself to my partner, “I swear, I exercise. I work out. I run five miles every other day. I do yoga!” None of my training is helping me now. I am DYING…. In the kitchen… over a stupid Béarnaise sauce.  And then Chef brightens my life, “Get used to this. You’re going to be hand whipping creams and pastry creams in level 2-3.” WHAT!!!

Culinary Arts Level One Day Seven was EXHAUSTING, but ended on a quite delicious note with a sweet sabayon (zabaglione, the Italian version made with Marsala wine) which I whipped up after dinner on Tuesday evening for Michael.  I was happy. So was he.

I ate a Pig's Ear for dinner on Friday evening....

I just thought to share this photo with you.... yes, that is a Pig's Ear.... yes, this is what was served for Family Meal.

The breading was delicious, but after the breading was gone all that was left was a bunch of cartilage. Yuck-o is right.

Chateaubriand aux champignons

Some days everything goes right.... this was Friday evening, Culinary Arts Level One Day Six: Classic Sauces, Binding Elements, & Glazes. It was a long class. I didn't leave the French Culinary Institute (FCI) until 11:15 PM. It was well worth the effort.

Friday night, we had another chef, Chef Jacques... OK, wrong again - on searching the FCI website, his name is Chef Sixto (http://www.frenchculinary.com/explore/bios/ny/culinary_chefs/sixto_alonso). This, my friends, is why you always call Chef "Chef" and not "Jacques" or whatever you think his/her name is. I am terrible with names. My dad once told me "it is because you don't care". Perhaps he is right that I don't care what your name is. I care about what you (Chef, or anyone) have to teach me (or offer -- what are you selling?), not your name, ethnicity (which I also had wrong in the case of Chef Jacques Sixto), or anything else. I actually don't care if you know what my name is. But Chef Sixto had the goods. He was a great teacher and had a very hands-on method. I would welcome him to come back and teach us again... forget the fact that he worked at Jules Verne (http://www.lejulesverne-paris.com/)....this summer, before my spending hiatus, I purchased a short, pink, sequined, mermaid dress that I will wear if and when I get to Jules Verne, and not before. Michael and I had wanted to go to Paris this fall, but with school and my determination to get the Perfect Attendance award at graduation, we will not go. Maybe we will go to Paris next summer to celebrate my graduation? Just maybe.....

During class we made 5 sauces -- Espagnole, Béchamel, Chicken velouté, White wine sauce, and Wine and mushroom sauce (chateaubriand aux champignons), but had four end products as the Espagnole was used to make the Chateaubriand aux champignons. I participated little in making the Chicken veloute, as my partner took the lead, and I actually (and regretfully) didn't even get to taste the sauce. What I can say is that everything else tasted perfect-o!

The Béchamel, my first endeavor, was thick, creamy deliciousness, seasoned with the perfect amount of cayenne, nutmeg, and salt (way more salt than I thought it needed, but Chef was absolutely right to add another teaspoon....). I tasted it and then began to eat it (yes, I began to eat, by the spoonful, a well-seasoned mixture of butter, flour, and milk....). My mom's macaroni and cheese immediately came to mind. Normally they keep the Béchamel and send it upstairs to be used in Family Meal, but I was determined to take home my beautiful creation. I put it in an ice bath (to ensure proper cooling, per ServSafe) and, with Chef Wanda's permission, hid it under my workstation.

My final endeavor, the Chateaubriand aux champignons, took me through 11:15 PM to complete. Class ends at 10:45 PM. Chef left at 10:45 PM. I stayed. I flambeed for the first time and while it wasn't a huge, exciting flame (and I didn't even catch the flame in the photo), it was exhilarating. It was successful in that I didn't singe my eyebrows or eyelashes. The smells coming from the pan were so intoxicating (thank you, Brandy) that I couldn't possibly leave it incomplete.. I couldn't not taste the outcome of my work. See, one of the reasons I love cooking so much is because of the almost instant gratification (or feedback). Quite regularly I take something out of the oven and dig right in to taste. I frequently scorch my fingertips and the roof of my mouth. Then I complain for the next few days and do it all over again.

Flambeing for the first time, ever... Do I look nervous?

I was the last (or second to last) student cooking, cleaning, and to leave the kitchen.... and it was soooo worth it. I arrived home a little after midnight and immediately pulled out two spoons to force feed Michael who was sitting on the couch, slightly irritated about my late return home. I first spooned him a bit of the Béchamel which he agreed was very good. Then the Chateaubriand aux champignons... still warm.... his eyes lit up! DELICIOUS. GREAT SUCCESS!

..... Fast forward to Sunday evening. After yoga, I stopped by Agata and Valentina (my favorite grocery, of which I am now FourSquare Mayor) to pick up some cheese and filet mignon. I reheated the Béchamel, added a cup of aged cheddar cheese and some more seasonings, and poured it over cooked pasta. I added some more cheese and buttered breadcrumbs before baking for 35 minutes. I fired up a sauteuse (a frying pan) and seared the filets over very high heat for 5 minutes on each side. Meanwhile I blanched some asparagus and reheated the Chateaubriand aux champignons. The outcome? A totally delicious Sunday dinner in 45 minutes..... plus 2 hours for the sauces, many more hours for the stocks, etc.

Sunday dinner

Is it obvious that I am LOVING my life.... ?

Day Five.... HAZE

It has been a rainy, dreary week, but the sun is shining over the East River today.

Because of Labor Day, I had no class Monday evening. The rain started Tuesday morning. This Tuesday, like every second Tuesday for the past several months, I rolled out of bed at 4:10 AM, showered, and headed to Penn Station for the 5:30 Amtrak train to Washington, DC. Between 5:30 and 6:30 I get myself ready for the day (I swear that trains – and planes – have the best bathroom lighting) and then prepare for meetings or finish up any work I need to do. At around 6:30 we pick up my colleague in Trenton and we spend the next couple hours catching up on the past two weeks. I had a nice, if long, day in Washington, finishing out the workday and then meeting some girlfriends for happy hour, before boarding the 8:45 PM Amtrak back to New York. Recently I have become one of those people who can sleep just about anywhere, so the Amtrak rides home are pretty painless. I bring a scarf, roll up across two seats, and set an alarm for the ETA in New York. Overall I really enjoy my Tuesday’s in Washington. I arrived home around 1 AM Wednesday morning.

I woke up a bit fuzzy Wednesday morning and by 10 AM had a full-blown migraine. I continued to work and study as much as ineffective writing and re-writing of the same sentence can be called that, and made the decision to attend class. Culinary Arts Level One Day Five focused on stocks, and as stocks are the “base” of all cooking, and I have never before made a stock, it was pretty important that I attend (forget the fact I am paying a pretty penny every evening I go or don’t go). I quickly realized how important that “mental” mis-en-place is in the kitchen, because on Wednesday I was absolutely mentally absent. NOTHING was in place.

Chef told us not to come to class if we hadn’t written our recipe cards. There are no books allowed in class, so for each lesson you need to read and then transfer the recipes onto note cards. I had written my recipe cards when my migraine was so bad I couldn’t read a complete sentence, so I entered the kitchen with fifteen note cards of chicken scratch. Luckily for the first stock, the brown stock, the class was split into two teams. My only job was to …. Well, that is how absent I was, that I don’t even remember what I cut. I did everything at a snail’s pace on Wednesday. Even though I started feeling better as we moved onto the white (chicken), fish, and vegetable stocks, I feel like I didn’t grasp the art of stock making – I was struggling to keep my head above water and remember what had to go into my bouquet garni. I need to spend some significant time this weekend reviewing Day Five and hoping that it comes back to me before our first exam on Wednesday! 

Delicious Nature

This weekend I went with Michael and his boys to Harriman State Park for a short hike (a 5 mile loop following the Appalachian Trail to lemon squeeze and then turning back on a trail marked by a red triangle marker). The forest was still wet from Hurricane Irene though the sun was shining and the air was warm.

While the men dragged to keep up the rear, the boys complaining along the way, I walked ahead for some peace and quiet. Being outside after the rain you observe so much beauty and productive life and so many smells and colors. I wanted to share some of my favorite observations with you.

I have loved being outdoors for as long as I can remember. I was very lucky to grow up surrounded by Nature and to have a mother that loved being outdoors and active as much as I do now. As a baby, my mom and gram would take me in the stroller down to the end of the paved road. As I got older and my mom had more babies, I walked alongside the stroller and enjoyed searching for wildflowers to decorate the dining table.We would catch and identify insects and climb trees. Later, my sisters and I packed picnics and rode our bikes down to the fields and ate along the streams.

You may wonder, "What does this have to do with culinary school (the topic of this blog)?" .... Here is my short list.
1) I think that we all need to realize the intimate connections between Nature, Nature's cycles, and our food supplies.
2) When I see all of this productive life, I wonder why kids are fed and trained to eat (and enjoy) an endless stream of processed foods.
3) Similarly, I wonder why many, even high end, restaurants prefer to serve "food" that is so manipulated that the base ingredients are unrecognizable.
4) I am inspired by Nature to create meals that are fresh, beautiful, and delicious.

I know that I am not alone in these thoughts, concerns, or philosophies, though I do know that it is a continuous uphill battle with two thirteen year old boys who are not my own.

When Michael and I traveled this summer to Montana, we were lucky to stumble upon a classic western town called Livingston. We had a delicious dinner at the 2nd St Bistro (http://www.secondstreetbistro.com). At the bottom of the menu, they printed their philosophy: "Don't eat anything that your great grandmother wouldn't have recognized as food". I agree.