Boiled Meat. Level Two Day Two

It wasn't really "boiled". It was "simmered" or "poached", but it was all the same to me... and meat cooked in hot water was one of my least favorite things... until now. Believe it or not, there is a significant difference between boiling, simmering, and poaching. Boiling happens at 212 degrees Fahrenheit whereas simmering happens between 185 and 205, and poaching happens between 165 and 195. These temperature difference and the resulting agitation produce significantly different results. Thank you to the French Culinary Institute for teaching me this.

Once again I teamed up with Julia, which recently has become a recipe for success. Julia is a beautiful, young girl with a great personality. We agree on most things, which is really uncommon, but we haven't talked religion or politics, and my mom always told me that you shouldn't. We have very compatible work ethics and approaches in the kitchen. We turn out great dishes that are just about spot on... and usually, as far as we are concerned, delicious. We have very similar tastes that I would describe as very classic French but still very American. Neither of us are afraid to glow when Chef says good things about our latest creation... or pig out on our own dishes or family meal. Julia helped me to the floor when I passed out, and handed me her water bottle.. Remember? But she didn't freak out and laughed with me about it the next day, telling me how I rolled over my station before falling down. I am really happy I found someone like this in my Culinary Arts class.

So we made Blanquette de Veau, Riz Pilaf (Veal Blanquette with Rice Pilaf) and Pot au Feu, Sauce Raifort (Simmered Beef with Horseradish Sauce). The Pot au Feu takes over three hours so I knew that we would start with this dish, get it going, and then multitask the Blanquette de Veau. But class started with a bit of confusion that threw me off base for the rest of the evening. Half of the ingredients that I had prepared were unnecessary. I cut an onion in half and put it on the flat top to blacken. Chef yelled, "Whats burning?" In a million years I didn't think he was talking about my onion. I went right on my way doing what I was doing, cutting up mirepoix for the marmite to use in the Pot au Feu. Again, Chef yelled, "Whats burning?" Julia replies something like, "Maybe it is our onion?" And Chef wants to know why we are blackening an onion like the recipe says, and tells us to ignore the first half of the recipe, and confuses the hell outta me. But we ignore the first half of the recipe and get the Pot au Feu going and then move onto the Blanquette de Veau (our dinner).

The rice for the Veal was a disaster... or the closest thing to a disaster I have encountered lately. Things have honestly gotten SO much easier in the kitchen which has made me happy, but perhaps made for a less exciting or funny blog. I know you like reading about my terrible taillage, my watery ratatouille, burnt hands, etc, but none of this was any fun for me. So the rice? I have never had a problem making rice before, but I have never made rice in an oven. The oven is supposed to be better/easier for large batches of rice and frees your stove top for other things (like two big braising pots), so I gave it a try. Mistake. The rice is supposed to cook for approximately 17 minutes. So after 17 minutes I opened the oven, and immediately saw that the parchment lid was brown. It was burnt. The rice was dry and crusty. The liquid had evaporated and the rice hand not cooked through. The parchment lid was covered with cooked, burnt, browned rice. Julia and I looked at each other and kind of shrugged  Should we start over? We had the time to start over but decided to try to fix it. I added 1/2 cup of water and put it back in the oven with a new parchment lid. After ten minutes I checked on it, and the rice was still hard. Now there was no turning back, no time to start over. So I added another 1/2 cup of water and waited ten more minutes. Still crunchy, but it would have to do. Of all things, who screws up rice?

The veal was cooked perfectly. This is a very rich stew, so Chef says proper plating is four or five pieces of veal... it may be proper in a high end French restaurant but it is insufficient for me and Julia and I know it will be insufficient for Michael and his boys. I properly plated one dish...

Blanquette de Veau, Riz Pilaf

And then I just piled the rest on to my plate. It was rich and delicious. And yes, Julia and I finished the whole recipe.

As the end of the evening came near, we finished up the Pot Au Feu. Presentation was at 10:15. I was already dreading my 4:30 AM wake-up and my 5:30 AM train to Washington, DC so I quickly washed my station and packed up the Pot Au Feu with a special recipient in mind. My colleague in Washington, DC has been my taste tester of all things for years. Like me, he travels for work. He spends two to three nights per week in Washington, DC, away from his wife and family, so I like to feed him when I am able. I brought him the Pot Au Feu on Tuesday and he plans to reheat them for dinner. He said he would post a review on my blog....

"As a Chef, your reputation is only as good as your last dish." -- Chef Will

Blueberry Pie

I made a blueberry pie yesterday with a recipe from Joy of Cooking... I had two slices last night... and a slice for breakfast this morning. The crust was sweet and flaky and the blueberries were perfectly flavored with sugar, lemon, and a bit of cinnamon. The one problem was that a lot of liquid came out when I cut it!  I used 4T of corn starch and the bottom crust wasn't broken or soggy... but the juice just flowed out! It didn't thicken as much as I think it should have. Is this normal? Do you have any suggestions? 

I also got a new pair of shoes (worn here)... my second purchase in six weeks... actually, that isn't true. As Michael points out, he bought them for me. I am one lucky girl! 

Showing off my Blueberry Pie and new shoes

Blueberry Pie fresh from the oven

Level Two Day One

I cannot express how significantly things have changed in six weeks since I enrolled in the French Culinary Institute Culinary Arts Program. Level One is now over. Behind me. I aced the paper exam and ended Level One with an A+ average. Don't be fooled.. I still think that September was one of the most difficult months of my life... but I don't think that all ten months will be so bad.

After my Culinary Arts Level One exam was handed in on Wednesday evening, I took a Culinary Arts Level Two book from the box on Chef's desk. I immediately opened to Lesson One and reviewed the material. I quickly noted that many of the recipe components were things that we had done before. I was relieved. However, I learned that Level Two requires completion and plating of four full plates (i.e., the full recipe). There is little room for error.... I don't get to pick the "best" julienne or cocottes... if you over reduce a sauce, you won't have enough... etc.

The first recipes in Level Two are Pommes Darphin and Roast Chicken, Grandmother Style and Sauteed Venison Loin with Sauce Bordelaise. We made the chicken first, for dinner. It was a simple recipe (a French Culinary Institute Classic that shows up again in Level Three). It turned out well, our plating was beautiful, and it tasted delicious. I will make this at home, for sure.

Plating Poulet Roti Grand-Mere

 Poulet Roti Grand-Mere (dinner)

Dinner was delicious!

Onto part two: Sauteed Venison Loin with Sauce Bordelaise. I. HATE. VENISON. I realize that my distaste for venison may be a result of too much time spent with hunters in an earlier life. Chef explained that most people who hunt have never been trained in Culinary Arts.. One thing that many hunters forget is to let an animal get out of rigor before butchering it. This usually takes two to three days. I don't think any of my friends wait two or three days before butchering... let alone cooking. When venison was cooked, and it was frequently, the whole apartment and/or home filled with a terrible smell. A smell of death. Truly.

Venison, according to the USDA, includes meat from deer as well as elk, moose, carribou, antelope, and pronghorn.... We were given elk. The kitchen didn't smell and we did a good job cooking it to a perfect medium rare. We plated the tenderloin cuts with a slice of pommes darphin.

Plated Venison (Elk) Tenderloin with Pommes Darphin

I couldn't eat the venison. Like I said, it didn't smell, but the texture was... not beef.  AND I made an EXCELLENT pommes darphin... A perfect golden brown. Beautiful. So I gave my partner, Julia, the venison and ate a whole "potato pancake" for dessert....

Pommes Darphin

Yes, I ate the whole potato pancake... after I had five scoops of homemade icecream (no lie)  for Family Meal dessert. Self control (or portion control?) has gone out the window!

Level One FINAL

I studied. For 48 hours every non-working, waking moment, I studied. I left home earlier than usual to ensure that I arrived early enough to get my mental mis en place. I entered the French Culinary Institute as anxious as I have ever been for a test. Kind of pathetic, maybe, since I feel like I have been taking major exams for my whole life.... from the PSAT, to the SAT, all through college and graduate school, the GRE and even the LSAT.  But this test was a bit different. I was going to be in action and observed. And this test mattered... to me.

This day was worth 20% of my Level One grade (Theory Final and Practical Final)... and I still hadn't received my second kitchen evaluation (Eval 2). So 40% of my grade was still outstanding.

Culinary Arts Level One Grading 

I went to the locker room, changed, and headed upstairs to the fifth floor kitchen where the exam was going to be held. A new, different kitchen. There is something about kitchens, that you learn as a Chef - knowing your way around is one of the most important elements of success. The Iron Chef frequently wins because he is in his kitchen - he knows where things are, he knows the equipment, he is comfortable, etc. An experienced Chef walks into a new kitchen, and immediately inventories the kitchen to learn where everything is and map it out in his/her head. So this was the plan for us. Can we or not enter a new kitchen and quickly get the lay of the land and be prepared to work? I thought I maybe bought myself a couple extra minutes. No such luck.

On the forth floor landing I looked up to see one of my classmates coming down. We were not yet allowed on the fifth floor. The chefs were setting up. Great I thought. Now I have really done myself in. You see, I do not like to interact with anyone before an exam... especially people who are amped up for the same exam. Throughout college I purposely avoided all classmates on exam day. I arrived at exams at least three minutes late and sat outside of the auditorium listening for the shuffling papers and chit chat to quiet down. Then I would wait a few more minutes for papers to be handed out and the test to begin. Approximately 10 minutes into the exam, I would enter the auditorium, get an exam from the professor, find my "away from everyone" seat, and begin. The 10 minutes never made much difference, but the mental frame did. Wednesday. I entered the library full of students cramming for exams. Mistake. My heart started racing. My mental mis en place disappeared.

I ate an apple hoping to distract myself, but it didn't help. At least I won't be hungry during the exam. You see, I have developed a technique of eating the evidence... which is a potentially dangerous habit if you are caught. If something isn't cut right, if a carrot isn't a julienne or if things aren't similarly sized, I hide the evidence in my stomach. Yes, I eat it... Don't you remember when your teacher caught you passing notes in middle school? Did you ever put that note into your mouth and chew as fast as you could? I did. This is the same principle. With a note about that cute boy, if you moisten it and chew it, and spit it out when your teacher threatens to go in your mouth and get it, it cannot be read. With food, if you eat it, no one has to know how bad it looked or tasted. But during an exam when people are looking over your shoulder observing and questioning your every move, this is probably not a good idea. You do not want to be accused of eating the evidence... because that might be considered cheating. Ok, so I must cut proper taillage.

At 5:40 we made our way up to the fifth floor kitchen where we were asked to wait outside until 5:45. I quickly realized that we had MUCH less space than we had in class. This was a restaurant setup. Each student had approximately two feet of space - enough for a cutting board and a couple of bowls. There were people on each side of you and behind you in the aisle. This was not going to be fun. I quickly began inventorying the kitchen and the "good" stations - stations with only one student behind or only one student on one side.

At 5:45 we entered the kitchen. We were told to stay away from the stations - that they would be assigned. Why did I waste my time? I should have known better.

I was assigned to an undesirable station... between two other students, and half of my two square feet was taken up by a conduction burner.

The exam tasks were written on the white boards. The exam was in three parts. All students would complete part one at the same time, and then parts two and three would be traded off.

Part One: Taillage - Julienne one carrot, Macedoine one turnip, Emincer 1/2 onion, Ciseler 1/2 onion, Ciseler Shallot and reserve for Part Three.

Part Two: Tournage - Turn one artichoke and remove choke, Turn one potato and make eight cocottes.

Part Three: Tomato Fondue

... I am going to spare you the step-by-step details of the exam because the anticipation is often SO much worse than the exam itself. I will summarize the high (or low) points below.

Part One: I had a strategy. 1. Follow the rules. Make sure you wash your vegetables. Never put an unpeeled vegetable on the cutting board. Make sure your peeled vegetables stay separate from your unpeeled vegetables. Save your mirepoix in separate bowls. Got all that? Ok. 2. Do the "easy" stuff first. For me, this means the onions and shallots. Emincer went better than usual. I cut all the way through on one piece of the ciseler and had some trouble, but it worked out. Macedoine the turnip. For me, bigger is easier. 3. Finish with the carrot. I HATE julienne. I can NEVER get my cuts to 1-2mm. But I did get them to 3mm, which was better than I hoped for. But then Chef yelled one minute and I was only through 1/3 of the carrot! My hands started SHAKING! Then I noticed that the student to my left was only starting his shallot, and his onion wasn't yet cut. Then I noticed that I shouldn't be noticing what other students are doing. I remembered what someone told me, "I think this test is more like a swim meet (or triathlon) than an academic test. Keep your head in the game for each individual task and you’ll do great." And I thought to myself, "KEEP YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME." Ok, five seconds wasted. Carrot and strategy 4.Whatever you do, FINISH. Dump the extra in the mirepoix bowl at 5 seconds. Chef yells 10 seconds. Ok, I got through 90% of the carrot with my hands and knife shaking.. I put the julienne carrots on the plate, and dumped the rest of the carrot in the mirepoix bowl. We were asked to leave the kitchen for evaluation.

Part Three: Tomato fondue. Nothing exciting here. We were asked to leave the kitchen again. Chef tasted each plate of tomato fondue, at least once and sometimes three times. .... I did use a bit too much garlic and the liquid didn't evaporate 100%..... I probably should have strained it before plating, but I didn't. At least I knew my technique was solid.

Part Two: Surprisingly, the turned artichoke and potato cocottes went A-OK. They were not "perfect" but they were "good enough".

The practical exam was over. We had 30 minutes over dinner to worry about the written exam, and believe me I did worry. But, thank goodness, it ended up being a walk in the park... except for the part about "What makes a brown stock brown?" where I repeated the same answer three or four times and wrote down just about anything else I could imagine. I confidently handed in the test.

Level One. Complete.

Seeing Chef Greg, who had returned for another ServSafe lecture, I came back to his Day One question -- "Great success or horrible disaster?"

Honestly? I think that these six weeks have been a GREAT SUCCESS!

Thank you for sharing them with me.

The last day of Level One... Lamb and PANIC

Monday night... Culinary Arts Level One Lesson 19. Lamb. This was the last lesson of Level One... our exam is scheduled for Wednesday evening. We had two recipes to complete - marinated lamb chops and lamb stew (navarin) - a demo of leg of lamb on the bone, and then review for the final exam and practical. I kind of wanted to forget the lamb... forget the entire evening. I was already focused on the exam. I just wanted to get through the evening, enjoy some tasty lamb chops, and know that I would ace the final.

Sometimes nothing happens as you wish. The evening was disorganized and frustrating. During the early demo we were told to complete the lamb chops before dinner, to eat for dinner... maybe I misheard? Those who know me will tell you this isn't likely. It is nearing 8 PM. Dinner is scheduled for 8:30 PM. Suddenly Chef announces that our priority is the stew... which will certainly not be done in time for dinner and wasn't supposed to be presented until the end of the evening. I put the lamb chops in the fridge. So, we are told that we're not taking dinner... we will eat the leg of lamb... the leg of lamb that we were told would feed 10. There are 16 hungry culinary students! I am quickly certain that this will not be enough food. And it is a HOT day outside and in the kitchen. And frankly, I don't really know that I want a wintry leg of lamb for dinner.  If we want anything besides leg of lamb we are instructed to go to the fifth floor to buffet. The clock strikes 8:30, I turn down the heat on the stew, and I make a mad dash for the fifth floor. I pick up some salad and fruit.

When I return, I take some lamb from the leg on the front table. Chef told us that these are a "big hit" for large gatherings or dinner parties. It looked and smelled delicious. But it was the most strange (not in a good way) lamb I have had in my life. Harsh? No. Honest. I LOVE leg of lamb. I have no problem with leg of lamb, foot included, but... there were tubes in my lamb. Tubes? Yes, tubes. For the first time since I was, I don't know, five years old, I played with my food. I stuck the fork through the tubes and dangled it from high. I dangled it in Julia's face. Do I need to say that this was pretty unappetizing... I might even describe it as disgusting? Well, it was! But I was starving... and ate it anyway. I ate it because it was lamb or starve... but PLEASE do not invite me over for a leg of lamb like this.

So I made it through a very unsatisfying dinner. I made it through the stew and lamb chops. I packed up the lamb chops to share with Michael's boys tonight. It is the best looking "takeout"/"delivery" I have seen. Don't you think?

Lamb Chops -- Cotes D'Angeau ave Ratatouille

Delicious delivery

We reviewed for the exam. It is 10:30 PM. Chef announces that before we go we will do one practice run of making eight cocottes from one potato in 15 minutes. Cocottes are these AWFUL five centimeter long, seven sided oval, football shapes with blunt ends... something like the photo below (but not exactly, because these are so un-perfect).

Cocotte potato practice

I get my potato, choosing one that is a "good" size and shape -- relatively symmetrical and long enough to get 10 centimeters of usable potato. In my practice at home I quickly learned to never choose a lumpy or twisted potato for cocottes. You will never succeed. I get through my cocottes in the allotted time with Chef Will peering over my shoulder... He comes around to my bowl. "You might get a 7.5 or 8," he says. WHAT!?     I am deflated. "This is not what you wanted to hear?" Chef asks. I am so annoyed! Then I panic. I run to the locker room, quickly change, and run to the subway. I pick up three potatoes before I make it home. The next 48 hours is a mad dash to improve... I am in a state of total panic.

And now I receive an email from Dad: "I expect a A+ for something you enjoy". This is worse than Organic Chemistry. I cannot sleep.

Dinner Party Pork

Culinary Arts Level One Day 18... the other "white meat"... pork.

As a child, there were few things I wouldn't eat. My mother frequently described me as the family "garbage disposal"... that is when I wasn't "tuber" for my television obsession. Meat-wise, I refused anything white and dry. Mothers, worried for their children's health - God bless them, have a terrible way of overcooking chicken and pork. Thanksgiving Day chefs always overcook the turkey either on purpose or by accident. All of these things, for me, always needed lots of apple sauce, honey, or ketchup (Heinz only). I love Heinz ketchup. 

Until recently, the recommended internal cooking temperature of pork was 160, ensuring dryness... Luckily for me, the USDA recently revised it's recommended pork temperature to 145... but Michael won't eat it this way, so we'll need to work around that for this dinner party! 

We made this pork recipe that was absolutely delicious! Everyone in class was walking around saying, "This may be my favorite day yet."... "How good is this?"... "It is so simple to make, I could make it at home any night"... "How is this for an anniversary meal?" That is right. This recipe is AWESOME! There were no leftovers.  And, even better? It is easy to make and easy to duplicate... so you can make one, or have a real party and make three, four, or eight at a time. The recipe says serves four, but I promise you, it won't. It is too delicious! 

Ginger-Marinated Pork Fillet with Sweet and Sour Sauce 

(Recipe taken from The International Culinary Center Classic Culinary Arts Level One text book)

Ingredients

For the Meat and Marinade

50g ginger, peeled and emincer

2 garlic cloves, emincer

2T honey

1/2 Jalepeno pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

4T nuoc mam or fish sauce

2T oil

600g pork tenderloin, trimmed

For the Stock and Sauce

20g oil

300g pork bones and trimmings 

50g carrots, mirepoix

50g onions, mirepoix

2 garlic cloves

100g tomatoes, quartered

bouquet garni

500g veal stock

For the Gastrique

85g honey

85g cider vinegar

For the Garnish

Zest of 2 limes, julienne

60g ginger, peeled and julienne

60mL water

60mL sugar

Procedure

For the Meat and Marinade

1. Place all the marinade ingredients into a hotel pan and add the pork, turning the meat to cover with the liquid. Cover and marinate for 2 hours.
2. Remove the pork from the marinade and brush off any clinging marinade.

For the Stock, Sauce, and Gastrique

1. While the pork is marinating, start the reinforced stock.
2. Heat the oil in a large sautoir and brown the bones and trimmings. Add the mirepoix and caramelize. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and bouquet garni. Briefly cook.
3. Degrease if necessary and add the veal stock to deglaze. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and reinforce for 30 minutes.
4. Strain the reinforced stock.
5. Heat the honey in a russe and cook until it reaches a dark caramel color. Deglaze with vinegar and cook briefly to combine flavors.
6. Reheat the reinforced stock until full-flavored and nappant. Add the gastrique a little bit at a time until a sweet and sour balance has been achieved.

For the Garnish

Make a simple syrup with the water and sugar. Add the zest and ginger to the sugar and water mixture and cook gently until ginger is tender, approximately 30 minutes. Remove zests and ginger, and set aside for garnish. 

For the Finish

1. Heat 20g of oil in a saute pan. Season the tenderloins and brown well. Remove to a sizzle platter and place in a 350 degree oven to finish cooking. Cook the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 145. Remove and let rest.
2. Slice the pork fillet diagonally, set 4 to 5 slices on a warm plate, and nap with the sauce. Garnish with lime zest and ginger julienne. 

Well, here is full disclosure... and perhaps a bit of venting about my own attempts to remake our French Culinary Institute masterpieces at home.

So I say "easy to make"... after approximately six weeks in culinary school, after completing the recipe in a culinary kitchen, etc... the truth is that so many things that are "easy" in a restaurant kitchen are just NOT easy at home... and REALLY NOT easy in a standard New York City apartment "kitchen" - a hallway.

Flambe? Not that it is called for in this recipe, but the other night at home I completely failed fearing that I might melt the plastic microwave positioned above the stove.

Honestly, at home, where are you going to get 300g pork bones and trimmings to reinforce a stock? And where are you going to get the high quality stock anyway (and yes, that matters)? At school, we have half of a pig lying on the Chef's table. It has two legs. My classmates are asking, "Which half is it?" Chef beats up the carcus with a knife for 30-45 minutes and brings us bowls of bones and trimmings. So easy! And veal stock? Yes, we had huge bones and industrial ovens for that.

So what are some solutions for the home cook? I haven't figured them out yet. Well, they do sell 8 oz of veal stock at Agata and Valentina for $5... but besides being a MAJOR ripoff, that isn't sustainable when the person paying the bills is (probably, though not certainly, rightfully so) complaining about ever escalating grocery bills. So, you see. I haven't figured it out either. If you have, I applaud you. And if you have any good ideas or secrets, or a half a pig or veal bones lying around, or even a huge kitchen to share, PLEASE let me know! 

Sauce Bordelaise

Culinary Arts Level One Day 17. Only two more days in Level One. Pork and Lamb. But first, Beef. The group of food that is called beef includes many of my favorite things... tenderloin, roast beef, steak, and hamburgers. Believe it or not, I am really a meat and potatoes gal.

Steak Frites

When I was little my mom would allow us to choose what we wanted for our birthday meals. My birthday is in March so grilled options were not available in Upstate New York. So, as I was limited to winter meat options, dinner was a competition between roast beef with potatoes and green beans, leg of lamb with rice and green beans, and veal chops (I am sure mom remembers what she served with them).

Nothing hilarious or terrible happened. I stayed upright. As I consumed at least sixteen ounces of steak (everything we cooked) and french fries, you probably could have rolled me out of the kitchen. I wanted to share the recipe for bordelaise sauce that we served on a filet medallion. Sauces can really make or break a dish. This one? It was delicious! Enjoy!

Filet de Boeuf et Sauce Bordelaise

Sauce Bordelaise 

(Recipe taken from The International Culinary Center Classic Culinary Arts Level One text book)

Ingredients

For the Reduction

250 g brown sauce (espagnole or demi-glace)

40 g shallots 

3 g cracked peppercorns, mignonette

1 sprig thyme

1 bay leaf

250 g red wine 

For the Sauce

40 g bone marrow, poached

Few drops of lemon juice (optional)

Salt and Pepper

10 g cold butter

Procedure

1. Place all the reduction ingredients into a sauce pan and place it over medium heat. Reduce 80%, add the brown sauce, and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Pass the sauce through a chinois and add salt and optional lemon juice; the lemon juice is used to accentuate the flavors, but it should not dominate. 

3. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat, and monte au beurre.

4. Poach the marrow by plunging it into lightly simmering salted water. Cook for several seconds and refresh in ice water.

5. Dice the poached marrow and add to the sauce. 

Marrow is a little bit much for some (including me), so if you don't like it, don't do it. It won't kill the sauce and it is a whole heck of a lot of fat anyway. But absolutely don't skimp on the butter! 

Did you say steak?

In honor of one of my favorite things of all time... steak. I still remember the first time I saw this movie. Enjoy.

The day the lights went out

Culinary Arts Level One Day 16. Poultry continued. Game birds. Duck and quail. Exam Three. Everyone arrived early on Monday. I am not sure why, but suspect that it was because we had an exam. Exam three of four, the fourth scheduled for Friday, and the final scheduled for next Wednesday. Once again I am well prepared, but nervous still. I partner with Suzanne in the front and center station. She was supposed to pair with Andrew, but Andrew hadn’t arrived yet. She probably should have waited for Andrew. I feel bad about what happened next.

Chef Phil handed out the exams. I moved through the exam more quickly this time, having learned that run-on sentences and piles of information don’t get you any more points than the points for getting the question right. You’re just revealing the extent of your nerdiness (remember, not good in culinary school). In fact, if you get a detail wrong, you may end up getting points deducted.  Not that this happened to me, but it could. So I moved through the exam and went back to setting up my mis-en-place. Ok, everything is OK. Right? Well..

Chef Phil called us up front. I moved around to the front of my station, to Suzanne’s station. I had my composition notebook and was taking notes as Chef Phil dressed the duck for Sauteed breast and braised leg of duckling with orange sauce. The legs had been removed and prepared. The first breast was removed from the breast bone and ribs. Chef was talking about the different cooking methods being used in preparing the legs and breasts- wet and dry. I started thinking, “Cooking methods? There are three. Ut oh. There was a three part question on the exam. Did I answer the wrong question by answering the three types of heat transfer? Oh God. Catherine, you are here to learn. Pay attention. Worry about that later.” Back to the breast. The second breast was being cut from the rib. “I might throw up, I thought, I haven’t thrown up since 7^th grade, so this is impossible.” I started feeling slightly off balance. I got very hot. I put my hand on Suzanne’s station to steady myself. And then the lights went out… from the outside in. I went down. I don’t know how I went down, why I went down, or how long I was down for… but I was out cold on the kitchen floor.

I woke and class had stopped. Everyone had turned, asking “Are you ok?” I sat a moment, assuring them I was ok, but was immediately concerned about myself and concerned that they were overly concerned. I don’t know why this happened, but I am a healthy person.  Julia, I think, gave me her water bottle. Normally I don’t share, but I didn’t think twice about this, remembering how hot I was in my last conscious moments and gulped the water down. I looked down and there was blood on my hand. I guess I caught Suzanne’s knife on the way down.

I was a bit rattled, so I sat. I got up a few moments later. Chef Wanda led me to the back of the kitchen where she gave me some orange juice and one of my classmates, Andrew, brought me a chair. I drank the juice and sat with Chef for a few moments before returning to the demonstration, sitting. When the demonstration was over I went back to my station and began working on the duck.

I honestly couldn’t remember what the Chef had demonstrated. My recipe cards were no help. My cutting julienne and brunoise was totally off. I seared the duck legs as Suzanne instructed and seared my fingers at the same time. I cut my hand twice more, with the tip of the knife – highly unusual. Finally I gave up. This was dangerous. I had to leave. Defeated and embarrassed, with big blue band aids on my hand, I went home before dinner time.

So there are no photos from Poultry. Though, I have one request for my Colleagues (a request from my day-job boss)....

If this should happen again, please, you must …

“Take photos” he says.

I thought he was going to tell me to tell you how to help me… Raise my legs above my head (okay, even more embarrassing)? But no, “take photos because, of course, if I am going to be a true journalist and write a true story, I need to tell the whole truth… and I need to show myself on the floor. Passed out.” Well, there you have it. 

Sunday Papillotes at Whits End

After our walk on the East River Greenway, Michael and I walked West toward Agata and Valentina (my favorite grocery store) to pick up fixings for dinner. On our way we passed a cute new restaurant, East End Kitchen. We noted the “free bloody mary or mimosa with brunch” sign and stopped to look at the menu. They offer SNAPPER IN A BAG: mushroom duxelles, Landisdale Farm's crushed tomatoes for $20. I noted, “This is directly out of Culinary Arts Level One Lesson 12” just substitute bass for snapper. It was also exactly what I planned to make for dinner.

Bass en Papillote with Spinach Fettuccine

I have included the recipe below so you can try it at home. It looks like a lot of work and it is, but go ahead and make the Tomato Fondue, Duxelles, and Vegetable Garniture ahead of time… then assemble the papillotes at dinner time. I served the fish with 2007 White Label Chardonnay from our visit to Lenz Winery in North Fork, Long Island. It was a perfect match. 

Poisson en Papillote 

(Recipe adapted from The International Culinary Center Classic Culinary Arts Level One text book)
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

For the Fish and Papillotes 4 fillets of bass (or other fish of your choice)
2 T veg oil
Fresh thyme sprigs
1 egg white, lightly beaten
White wine
Salt and Pepper

For the Tomato Fondue 7 oz ripe tomatoes
2/3 oz shallots, ciseler
½ oz butter
1 garlic clove
Bouquet garni
Salt and Pepper

For the Duxelles 7 oz mushrooms
1 oz shallots, ciseler
2/3 oz butter
¼ t lemon juice
Salt and Pepper

For the Vegetable Garniture 2 oz carrots, julienne
2 oz leeks, julienne
2 oz celery, julienne
½ oz butter
Salt and Pepper

Procedure

For the Fish 

Portion the fish. Coat the fillets with vegetable oil and fresh thyme and refrigerate (this is the marinade).

For the Tomato Fondue

1. Peel and seed tomatoes. Chop tomatoes coarsely. 
2. In a sautoir (straight sided frying pan), sweat the onions, shallots, and garlic in the butter until soft. Add the tomatoes. Cover with a cartouche and cook on low heat until the liquid has evaporated. 
3. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

For the Mushroom Duxelles and Vegetable Garniture

1. Chop the mushrooms. 
2. In a sautoir, sweat the shallots in the butter for 5 minutes. 
3. Add the mushrooms. Cover with a cartouche and cook on low heat until the liquid has evaporated. 
4. Taste and adjust seasoning. 
5. Cook the vegetable garniture separately a l’etuvee and season to taste. 

Assemble the papillotes

1. Season the flilets with salt and pepper. 
2. Place 2 T of Duxelles and 2 T Tomato Fondue on each piece of parchment. Place fillet on top, presentation side up. Top with vegetable garniture and a sprig of thyme. Moisten with a few splashes of white wine. 
3. Seal the papillotes with egg whites and folds to close. Lightly oil the top of the papillote. 

For Baking the Papillotes

1. Preheat oven to 450 F 
2. Place papillotes on a sheet pan and bake for 7-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. 
3. Serve in papillote to be opened at the table. 

It was another perfect Sunday…. Waking up to a azure sky... A beautiful walk along the river.... Another day in the kitchen... 

A delicious lunch of croque monsieur and bitter green salad with a glass of champagne on our balcony overlooking the river while Edward-the-Great played the piano.... A dinner of poisson en papillote and spinach fettuccine…And for dessert? The most delicious apple pie I ever made. Just perfect.

Monarch Migration on a Perfect Autumn Day

Friday night, Culinary Arts Level One Day 15, was the beginning of poultry. Chicken. Not one of my favorite things, but I don’t hate it like Michael does.  I think I might skip over this one because there are no photos (I forgot my camera) and really no good stories.  I will make the chicken again at home (against Michael’s wishes) sometime this fall and share photos and the recipes then.  

The weekend was beautiful and busy. Sunday morning I woke up and saw the sun shining and a beautiful blue sky. A light breeze came off the East River and through the bedroom window. The air was crisp but not cold. A perfect fall day.  A perfect day for an apple pie and a stroll in the park.

I hopped out of bed and, while Michael made coffee and read on the balcony, made pie dough. It is a quick process in the food processor, but it is super important to get the ingredients in there cold and not to let them warm up on the blade.

My whole life my dad told me, “Have your mother teach you to make pie crust. It is the best I have ever had.” Well, it is true. Last I tried my mother does make the best pie crust I have ever had…. And just last weekend my dad called and said, “You wouldn’t believe it but your mother made the best pie crust she ever made…. I don’t know how she does it.” I don’t think she will ever tell. My mother is amazing in the kitchen, and always improving (if that is possible). And yes, this has made my dad, and the rest of us, food (and pie) snobs. Anyhow, if you are new to pies (or even if you’re just not very good at making pie crust… most people are not), I recommend reading the opening of the pie section in the Joy of Cooking cookbook. There is a wealth of great information in this book if you read it… don’t just pull the recipes. My morning coffee routine is 100 times more satisfying since reading about the French press and learning how to store and make coffee.

When the pie dough was in the oven to chill (at least 30 minutes), Michael and I went out for a walk on a path called the East River greenway. Per NYCBikeMaps, the East River Greenway runs along the East Side from The Battery and past South Street Seaport to East Harlem with a 2.5 mile (4 km) gap from 34th to 83rd streets in Midtown where cyclists use bike lanes in busy streets to get around United Nations Headquarters.

We walked from 83^rd Street north to Randalls Island. It was a beautiful day and the sites were magnificent. Happy dogs playing in the sun, soaking up the sun, even lying on park benches. Children playing soccer on Randalls Island. Friends out running.  Couples strolling hand-in-hand. And, perhaps my favorite, Monarch butterflies migrating south to Mexico. I took a bunch of photos and have included some below.  

Bridge to Randalls Island

East River Greenway

If you have young children, check out this website (http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/) and consider tracking the migration in the spring. It is quite magnificent.

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!