Chef Shane brought on the creativity for us as our final Final was not just an evaluation meal produced as a group from an established menu, but a "Black Box" event wherein we were given the opportunity to freestyle and improvise in a "Chopped" scenario. Chef stocked the refrigerator with various meats, fish, and veggies and we were told to each prepare a dish with entree, starch, vegetable, and sauce. Being the gentleman that I am (I also didn't fully understand the instructions), I waited quietly while Jessica hogged the pork chops, Sandy hooked the mahi mahi, and Van rustled up the beef. That left me with sea bass and/or shrimp. I felt pretty good about both, and finished up 1 1/2 hours or so later with pan-fried sea bass and sauteed lemon/parmesan shrimp with a lightly seasoned julienne vegetable medley (carrot, leek, yellow squash, green beans) that turned out just as I had hoped, colorful and tasty. This with the slightly sweet parsnip puree that I wish I'd put a little more onion into scored me a 15 out of 20. I was unsure if I should be disappointed or happy with that score until I found out that everyone had scored 15, so no big deal either way. The judges were our class administrator, Terry (who you know is a cool guy because he took a cruise to Alaska this fall), and a young dude I learned was a former student that works in a restaurant somewhere, and if girth is any indicator of your ability to judge food, then I have complete faith in his decisions.
We passed our final evaluation and have met all the requirements so I guess that leaves us with only Graduation Day! Arriving right on time and accompanied by my entourage of good friends that were willing to give up a couple hours of their lives, Mel, Patti, and Brandon, I was whisked upstairs to have my tall hat fitted and fill out a very short bio. Sandy arrived about 10 minutes later, thereby allaying the fear that I'd be the only one to show, having been informed by Jessica a few days ago that she wouldn't be attending because she didn't want to make the drive to school that she's been making for a year now. (I know, right?). Terry informed us that we would walk to the podium in alphabetic order. I guess to avoid the two of us getting confused. Then the festivities began and as I predicted there were 12 people there, including the graduates. A couple short speeches, one by our kitchen manager Robin, and one by the school President who I've never seen before, and we were ready for the year's picture montage played on a small screen TV and I noticed something right off...if there are only 3 of you left, you get to be in almost all of the pictures.
So the preliminaries are over, and it's time to trade out our year-old shapeless flat hat for the Tall Hat, The Gros Bonnet. Sandy walks up to Chef Klaus, takes off her mushroom hat, and as Chef puts her hat on her head, it slides down over her eyes and ears. It's about an inch too wide, and won't stay on the top of her head! Now I'm the one that set the size, but she told me when it was snug enough, so we both have to be held accountable for poor Sandy walking around with a hat that came down over her eyes ala Beetle Bailey.
With a nice medal hanging around my neck, a diploma in hand, and a copy of the picture montage in my pocket, my groupies and I then headed to Helena's Hawaiian Restaurant for a celebratory dinner that included some dandy pipikaula ribs and kahlua pig.
Missing on the big night were a few key players in our year of school: Chefs Sigi and Otto and Enju. Chef Sigi's medical issues have, unfortunately, worsened. He is currently in treatment for cancer, and we're hoping he can recover and come back to the kitchen. He did send us his congratulations, though, and I found that to be pretty damned noble, considering. Don't know if I ever mentioned Chef Sigi's background, but he has been the Executive Chef at the Savoy hotel in London, the Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix, the Hilton Waikiki and the Ala Moana Hotel here in Honolulu, and has served as Personal Chef for President Ronald Reagan. When you look him up on Google, he's usually referred to as "Renowned Chef Siegbert Wendler". I'm very proud to have trained under him for even a short time. Enju is going through some home issues and will be coming back to finish her course in the Spring. Chef Otto is off gallivanting around Southeast Asia somewhere.
I was wondering a couple of months ago when I was slacking off and not doing a post every week whether The Innocent would make it to the magical 2000 view plateau and as of last week we did! This week makes post number 43 (has it really been that many?!) with over 2100 views, so I thank you all for your continued interest in my progress and be sure to check back from time to time to see if I can actually make this education work for me. I've gotten some good advice from the folks here at the school, and a couple of former students are doing well working outside of the traditional restaurant environment in catering and cruise ships. Where to go from here? El Paso, Texas. Other than that, I don't know. I'll be in touch.
A FEW MORE QUOTES:
There is a good reason they call these ceremonies "commencement exercises." Graduation is not the end; it's the beginning. ~Orrin Hatch
The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. ~Aristotle
Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out. ~Art Linkletter
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go.~Dr. Seuss
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Three...More...Days...
I have to apologize for the three-week lapse in postings, but the time has...oh...I guess it's only been a week.
*Sigh*...You ever notice how slow time seems to move when you are getting near the end of one thing and are excited to move on to the next? That's where we are right now, and thankfully Chef Shane is keeping us busy with interesting cooking and timely observations as to what we can expect to find when we move into the professional side of our work. I'm thinking I might try a dinner at his restaurant to see how things are in the real world. Don't suppose I'll get a student discount, though.
Our world for the last 11 months has revolved around the Gros Bonnet kitchens and our education in the culinary arts. I've made several references over this time as to our experiences with the facilities, equipment, and personnel here at the school, and this seems a good time to offer up some advice as to how the school can improve it's image and very likely it's enrollment. I will offer up my unsolicited opinions in the spirit of helping to improve what will in four days be my Alma Mater.
1. Buy some new stuff, already! Functionality is the most important aspect of kitchen equipment, I get that. What I don't see is why when something wears out, or is no longer serviceable, it can't be replaced promptly. Keeping a chinois with a hole in the bottom is just silly.
2. Clean it up. I see no reason for the kitchens and entire school area to look like a converted storage unit for closed restaurants. Need some ideas on how to accomplish this? Ask Chef Chad, his Bake Shop is beautiful.
3. Get the students out there. In the past, groups from Gros Bonnet have participated in culinary competitions and demonstrations, so why did you give up on that? Get them involved and keep it interesting.
4. Aim higher in recruiting. Why be satisfied with starting classes of 8 to 12 students (knowing that most will be gone by the third rotation) when with moderate effort and the current popularity of culinary subjects there could be nearly twice that number?
5. If you've got it, flaunt it. One tremendous benefit of being here in Honolulu is the chance to brand your culinary training with the local and Pacific Rim influences that dominate our regional cuisine. I know that being "classically trained" means a focus on older methods and cooking styles, but would it hurt to switch that horrible week of aspic and pate' for a week of Asian style or even Hawaii-specific foods? Most people attending this school remain in Hawaii and will be working here, and as a guy that is moving away after the course is over, I fully intend to use as much of this local flavor as I can no matter where I end up.
6. Keep your faculty intact. Chefs Klaus, Sigi, Shane, Chad, and Masa (despite the communication gap) are all excellent teachers in their own way. Keep them motivated, let them hold to their standards, and for Gods sake, get them the supplies and ingredients that they ask for. With the experience and information these teachers are able to offer, the students will learn as much or as little as they are willing to learn.
I have great respect for the Chefs, management, and staff at the school and offer these comments in the spirit of constructive criticism. I am no expert in The Industry, but with a few years background in sales, marketing, and training I feel like this school is just cruising in low gear when it could be reaching for more.
Just a short blog for this week, as I'm saving up material for the big After Graduation Special Edition of The Innocent. Anyone here on Island that would like to attend the graduation ceremony, here are the particulars:
Thursday, December 15th, 2011 at 6 P.M.
Gros Bonnet School and Kitchens
1431 S. Beretania Street Honolulu
PH: (808) 591-2708
As there is limited parking at the school, please try to arrive a few minutes early. Really, though, parking shouldn't be too bad as there are only a few of us left to graduate.
*Sigh*...You ever notice how slow time seems to move when you are getting near the end of one thing and are excited to move on to the next? That's where we are right now, and thankfully Chef Shane is keeping us busy with interesting cooking and timely observations as to what we can expect to find when we move into the professional side of our work. I'm thinking I might try a dinner at his restaurant to see how things are in the real world. Don't suppose I'll get a student discount, though.
Our world for the last 11 months has revolved around the Gros Bonnet kitchens and our education in the culinary arts. I've made several references over this time as to our experiences with the facilities, equipment, and personnel here at the school, and this seems a good time to offer up some advice as to how the school can improve it's image and very likely it's enrollment. I will offer up my unsolicited opinions in the spirit of helping to improve what will in four days be my Alma Mater.
1. Buy some new stuff, already! Functionality is the most important aspect of kitchen equipment, I get that. What I don't see is why when something wears out, or is no longer serviceable, it can't be replaced promptly. Keeping a chinois with a hole in the bottom is just silly.
2. Clean it up. I see no reason for the kitchens and entire school area to look like a converted storage unit for closed restaurants. Need some ideas on how to accomplish this? Ask Chef Chad, his Bake Shop is beautiful.
3. Get the students out there. In the past, groups from Gros Bonnet have participated in culinary competitions and demonstrations, so why did you give up on that? Get them involved and keep it interesting.
4. Aim higher in recruiting. Why be satisfied with starting classes of 8 to 12 students (knowing that most will be gone by the third rotation) when with moderate effort and the current popularity of culinary subjects there could be nearly twice that number?
5. If you've got it, flaunt it. One tremendous benefit of being here in Honolulu is the chance to brand your culinary training with the local and Pacific Rim influences that dominate our regional cuisine. I know that being "classically trained" means a focus on older methods and cooking styles, but would it hurt to switch that horrible week of aspic and pate' for a week of Asian style or even Hawaii-specific foods? Most people attending this school remain in Hawaii and will be working here, and as a guy that is moving away after the course is over, I fully intend to use as much of this local flavor as I can no matter where I end up.
6. Keep your faculty intact. Chefs Klaus, Sigi, Shane, Chad, and Masa (despite the communication gap) are all excellent teachers in their own way. Keep them motivated, let them hold to their standards, and for Gods sake, get them the supplies and ingredients that they ask for. With the experience and information these teachers are able to offer, the students will learn as much or as little as they are willing to learn.
I have great respect for the Chefs, management, and staff at the school and offer these comments in the spirit of constructive criticism. I am no expert in The Industry, but with a few years background in sales, marketing, and training I feel like this school is just cruising in low gear when it could be reaching for more.
Just a short blog for this week, as I'm saving up material for the big After Graduation Special Edition of The Innocent. Anyone here on Island that would like to attend the graduation ceremony, here are the particulars:
Thursday, December 15th, 2011 at 6 P.M.
Gros Bonnet School and Kitchens
1431 S. Beretania Street Honolulu
PH: (808) 591-2708
As there is limited parking at the school, please try to arrive a few minutes early. Really, though, parking shouldn't be too bad as there are only a few of us left to graduate.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Testing, Testing...1,2,3
Well, we waited and we wondered. We talked with the other classes and got their opinions. Now, after a week in the kitchen with our new Chef Instructor, the truth has come out: Chef Shane is pretty cool. And not just cool like all of us with names that end in -ANE are cool. He's a calm, soft-spoken man with an impressive bank of knowledge and many years of experience in the food service industry. A Hawaii native, he started in restaurants at the tender age of 16, attended culinary school in Portland, Oregon, and in addition to our classes at Gros Bonnet, he runs the kitchen at a popular restaurant in town. I guess the most pleasant aspect of his cooking style to me is the Pacific Rim influence that he brings to most of our dishes. Lots of fresh herbs (some of which we harvest right outside the door) and bright flavors. Citrus, ginger, lemongrass, and rosemary have gotten a lot of attention this week with some really delicious results.
Chef Shane's teaching style is just what the doctor ordered for our little trio (yes, three...more on that later). He puts our daily production recipes on a large board so we have all the specifics without having to spend 30 minutes trying to copy it from verbal instructions. Some of the sauce recipes in particular are pretty complex and it would be tough to get the sequence and process right without a reference. We are free to copy down the recipes at the end of the day (and I do), which works out perfectly for that little sit and relax time after a good meal...which they have all been so far. Let's see, what else? He was apparently a pretty impressive Little League baseball player back in the day and he drives one of those little low-down cars that have a wing on the back and a muffler that sounds like a lawn mower. All in all, we are pretty pleased.
Our thoughts have gone from wondering to mild concern to full on worry about our good friend Enju. We haven't seen her since the first week of Chef Chad's Bake Shop, which makes three weeks now that she has been out of school. Despite repeated attempts to reach her, she has thus far been incommunicado, so we'll just have to hope she's alright and able to make up the lost school time in the future. It's a shame that after toughing it out for 10 months her completion of this course will likely be delayed. And not just a shame for her, but for all of us because she's a good classmate and friend and we like her and it'll suck if we can't all graduate together.
Our dishes this week have centered around braising and the incorporation of our seasoned braising liquid into sauces to augment the dish. The sauces have been pretty incredible, using various methods involving steeping, infusing, de-glazing and reductions that keep the flavors drawn from the meats and vegetables being cooked in the sauce. We've also used a few very local items such as taro and long rice noodles to interesting and tasty effect. I have to grade this week an "A".
So we were briefed (briefly) about the events of our Graduation Night. Thursday, December 15th at 6:00 P.M. the Gros Bonnet class 12-2011 will hold our ceremony. This will take place at our main school building which will be transformed via the magic of the moment, drapes covering the ugly stuff, and rearranged furniture into a commencement hall that should be able to accomodate the estimated 12 people that will be attending. And in that 12 I included the three students that are graduating. And the faculty.
Actually, there will be the some family there, friends that have suffered with us, and the odd boyfriend or two, so I suppose it will be a pretty well-attended event. We'll also be joined by a couple of Advanced Patisserie students finishing school that same week.
A common topic for discussion is the amount of actual learning we have been doing over the course of this course. I usually have a pretty fair idea of what I do or don't know, but as all the lessons, examples, demonstrations, and practice have started to blend together into what sometimes seems like a ten-month haze, it is difficult to say "I learned THIS..." or "I learned THAT..."
I have learned a lot and I know this because I tested myself. Our textbook, which is ridiculously overpriced and far inferior to other text available (specifically, the CIA-published text "The Professional Chef") comes with a DVD that provides videos of almost every procedure we've worked on and an area for testing your knowlege through numerous quizzes, matching excercises, and product identification tests. The first day that I had this video in hand I ran through the first level (there are 3 total) of testing just to see where I stood. I did...OK, getting the right answer to roughly 1/2 of the first level questions. This last week I found that the DVD is still in my computer drive (guess I don't use that drive much) so I sat down and worked my way through the entire testing portion.
And I did great.
Kitchen equipment, ingredients, history of cuisines, food origins, cuts of meat, spices and herbs, cooking science, identification of vegetables, fruits, seafood, and herbs, and about a dozen other subjects are covered and I can say with all the modesty that my substantial ego allows that I pretty much knocked them out of the park at all levels of the testing. I don't tell you this to show how awesome I am (you should know that by now), but to say that while the course can at times be mind-numbing and the materials and facilities (far) below expectations, the learning is very real and barring some cosmic meltdown in the next ten days I will come away having learned what I came here hoping to learn. Next week we'll discuss some things this school could easily do to improve, stay tuned.
Interesting Quotes I Found:
I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed. ~Matthew Henry
For the human mind is seldom at stay: If you do not grow better, you will most undoubtedly grow worse. ~Samuel Richardson
YOU WILL GAIN WEIGHT
"I beg to differ, I say to the world right now - I will lose weight!" - This is quoted from my very first post of
The Innocent, and I was RIGHT - I now weigh 11 pounds less than the day the course started!
Chef Shane's teaching style is just what the doctor ordered for our little trio (yes, three...more on that later). He puts our daily production recipes on a large board so we have all the specifics without having to spend 30 minutes trying to copy it from verbal instructions. Some of the sauce recipes in particular are pretty complex and it would be tough to get the sequence and process right without a reference. We are free to copy down the recipes at the end of the day (and I do), which works out perfectly for that little sit and relax time after a good meal...which they have all been so far. Let's see, what else? He was apparently a pretty impressive Little League baseball player back in the day and he drives one of those little low-down cars that have a wing on the back and a muffler that sounds like a lawn mower. All in all, we are pretty pleased.
Our thoughts have gone from wondering to mild concern to full on worry about our good friend Enju. We haven't seen her since the first week of Chef Chad's Bake Shop, which makes three weeks now that she has been out of school. Despite repeated attempts to reach her, she has thus far been incommunicado, so we'll just have to hope she's alright and able to make up the lost school time in the future. It's a shame that after toughing it out for 10 months her completion of this course will likely be delayed. And not just a shame for her, but for all of us because she's a good classmate and friend and we like her and it'll suck if we can't all graduate together.
Our dishes this week have centered around braising and the incorporation of our seasoned braising liquid into sauces to augment the dish. The sauces have been pretty incredible, using various methods involving steeping, infusing, de-glazing and reductions that keep the flavors drawn from the meats and vegetables being cooked in the sauce. We've also used a few very local items such as taro and long rice noodles to interesting and tasty effect. I have to grade this week an "A".
So we were briefed (briefly) about the events of our Graduation Night. Thursday, December 15th at 6:00 P.M. the Gros Bonnet class 12-2011 will hold our ceremony. This will take place at our main school building which will be transformed via the magic of the moment, drapes covering the ugly stuff, and rearranged furniture into a commencement hall that should be able to accomodate the estimated 12 people that will be attending. And in that 12 I included the three students that are graduating. And the faculty.
Actually, there will be the some family there, friends that have suffered with us, and the odd boyfriend or two, so I suppose it will be a pretty well-attended event. We'll also be joined by a couple of Advanced Patisserie students finishing school that same week.
A common topic for discussion is the amount of actual learning we have been doing over the course of this course. I usually have a pretty fair idea of what I do or don't know, but as all the lessons, examples, demonstrations, and practice have started to blend together into what sometimes seems like a ten-month haze, it is difficult to say "I learned THIS..." or "I learned THAT..."
I have learned a lot and I know this because I tested myself. Our textbook, which is ridiculously overpriced and far inferior to other text available (specifically, the CIA-published text "The Professional Chef") comes with a DVD that provides videos of almost every procedure we've worked on and an area for testing your knowlege through numerous quizzes, matching excercises, and product identification tests. The first day that I had this video in hand I ran through the first level (there are 3 total) of testing just to see where I stood. I did...OK, getting the right answer to roughly 1/2 of the first level questions. This last week I found that the DVD is still in my computer drive (guess I don't use that drive much) so I sat down and worked my way through the entire testing portion.
And I did great.
Kitchen equipment, ingredients, history of cuisines, food origins, cuts of meat, spices and herbs, cooking science, identification of vegetables, fruits, seafood, and herbs, and about a dozen other subjects are covered and I can say with all the modesty that my substantial ego allows that I pretty much knocked them out of the park at all levels of the testing. I don't tell you this to show how awesome I am (you should know that by now), but to say that while the course can at times be mind-numbing and the materials and facilities (far) below expectations, the learning is very real and barring some cosmic meltdown in the next ten days I will come away having learned what I came here hoping to learn. Next week we'll discuss some things this school could easily do to improve, stay tuned.
Interesting Quotes I Found:
I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed. ~Matthew Henry
For the human mind is seldom at stay: If you do not grow better, you will most undoubtedly grow worse. ~Samuel Richardson
YOU WILL GAIN WEIGHT
"I beg to differ, I say to the world right now - I will lose weight!" - This is quoted from my very first post of
The Innocent, and I was RIGHT - I now weigh 11 pounds less than the day the course started!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Don't need help at Thanksgiving? Then yeah, I'll have a beer.
Well, our last run through Chef Chad's Bake Shop is now over. We finished our last week with the ovens off as we first went soft, then got hard with some cool and cold desserts. Soft day was centered around Chocolate Mousse, Parfait, and Bavarian Cream. Then on our last day (the week being cut short for Thanksgiving and all) we took our test, had our notebooks graded, and then enjoyed some Kiwi Sorbet and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, both of which were excellent. Although it's a bit of a downer for me that our time with Chef Chad is over, I know that Sandy and Jessica are very relieved to move on to our last phase in the course, Hot Kitchen II with the thus-far unknown quantity: Chef Shane.
I haven't mentioned Enju as she has been absent for over a week with a hurt back, and there is apparently some doubt as to whether she will be able to graduate with us in three weeks. I sure hope so, it just wouldn't be the same without the four of us together at the end. Van was gone a few days this week, too so I'm not sure about his grad status either. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Had a few laughs this week when we discussed what I've decided to call:
The Case of the Moving Mise en Place!
When starting a project, the first step is to gather all the ingredients and equipment needed to complete the task. Jessica got a variety of containers together for her ingredients when making chocolate mousse. After scaling something, she returned to the table only to find that her containers were gone. This is actually a pretty common occurrence, as Chef Chad CAN NOT STAND to see something not in it's place, so he will often start to put things away before we've even used them. So when he saw the empty containers on the work area, he just HAD to put them away. Jessica got them back and kept an eye on them as she finished her scaling and measuring. Okay, this project has to be done in a very specific sequence so she lines up her 5 or 6 ingredients in the order they are to be used, turns to plug in the mixer, and when she turns back...I kid you not, it was at most 5 seconds...Chef Chad has gone back and picked it all up and placed it on a tray so it would be "together". Jessica was obviously frustrated, but it was good for a laugh, and really it may have been karma at work...Chef has a set of weights for scaling in 1, 2, 4, and 8 pounds. He keeps these in a straight line and in order all the time. Jessica admitted that she has occasionally moved them around and swapped their places just to mess with Chef Chad. I won't even mention what she did with his clean-up towel. Despite his almost manic orderliness, I'll say here that Chef Chad is absolutely determined to provide the best and most thorough instruction possible and I'm really glad that I had the opportunity to train under his guidance.
Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. Like probably more than a few of you out there I ate a little too much and enjoyed it thoroughly. People emailed and texted me "What are you making?" and "Are you doing the cooking?" Alas, my contribution to what was a great feast was to whip out my trusty Wusthof 10" fingernail clipper and dice two bunches of celery and 3 onions. I was also asked to carve the ham, which I sorta butchered. Moms, Grandmas, and Wives have certain favorite foods, specialities, and traditions that they don't want you messing with, so if you get a chance to cut the celery, mix biscuit dough, or just put up the folding table you do it with a smile on your face knowing that you helped make the Holiday special.
I had a very nice chat yesterday with an "Auntie" that started with some complaints about the traffic here in Honolulu and ended with her telling me about growing up here (she's 71) back when it was mostly sugar cane and being raised on the plantation. I wish I could have seen it then.
Nothing to do with school, but I saw these movies:
(I know, I see a lot of movies.)
Happy Feet 2 - Fun movie for kids, the thrill was Bill and Will, the Krill.
Puss in Boots - Also a good kid movie, but adults will like it too.
Immortals - I didn't pay for the 3D version, but found the movie to be better than I expected.
Descendants - Very well acted film, George Cloony is excellent, very realistic filming here in Hawaii.
Hugo - Beautifully filmed, good 3D effects, heartwarming. I liked it a lot.
J. Edgar - Leo won't get an oscar for this boring biopic. The old age special effects were terrific.
Muppets - Great movie. Takes you back. Tame one-liners that are still funny. The voices are off, though.
Tower Heist - This one was fun, although it got a little silly toward the end.
Yes, I'm ashamed to say that I went to:
Jack and Jill - Typical Adam Sandler crap, and worse than most of them. But not as bad as:
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I - Terrible: Acting, Direction, Cinematography, Special Effects, Story, Script, Characters, and I would be willing to bet that the food sucked at Craft Services.
[Breadbaking is] one of those almost hypnotic businesses, like a dance from some ancient ceremony. It leaves you filled with one of the world's sweetest smells... there is no chiropractic treatment, no Yoga exercise, no hour of meditation in a music-throbbing chapel, that will leave you emptier of bad thoughts than this homely ceremony of making bread. ~M.F.K. Fisher
I haven't mentioned Enju as she has been absent for over a week with a hurt back, and there is apparently some doubt as to whether she will be able to graduate with us in three weeks. I sure hope so, it just wouldn't be the same without the four of us together at the end. Van was gone a few days this week, too so I'm not sure about his grad status either. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Had a few laughs this week when we discussed what I've decided to call:
The Case of the Moving Mise en Place!
When starting a project, the first step is to gather all the ingredients and equipment needed to complete the task. Jessica got a variety of containers together for her ingredients when making chocolate mousse. After scaling something, she returned to the table only to find that her containers were gone. This is actually a pretty common occurrence, as Chef Chad CAN NOT STAND to see something not in it's place, so he will often start to put things away before we've even used them. So when he saw the empty containers on the work area, he just HAD to put them away. Jessica got them back and kept an eye on them as she finished her scaling and measuring. Okay, this project has to be done in a very specific sequence so she lines up her 5 or 6 ingredients in the order they are to be used, turns to plug in the mixer, and when she turns back...I kid you not, it was at most 5 seconds...Chef Chad has gone back and picked it all up and placed it on a tray so it would be "together". Jessica was obviously frustrated, but it was good for a laugh, and really it may have been karma at work...Chef has a set of weights for scaling in 1, 2, 4, and 8 pounds. He keeps these in a straight line and in order all the time. Jessica admitted that she has occasionally moved them around and swapped their places just to mess with Chef Chad. I won't even mention what she did with his clean-up towel. Despite his almost manic orderliness, I'll say here that Chef Chad is absolutely determined to provide the best and most thorough instruction possible and I'm really glad that I had the opportunity to train under his guidance.
Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. Like probably more than a few of you out there I ate a little too much and enjoyed it thoroughly. People emailed and texted me "What are you making?" and "Are you doing the cooking?" Alas, my contribution to what was a great feast was to whip out my trusty Wusthof 10" fingernail clipper and dice two bunches of celery and 3 onions. I was also asked to carve the ham, which I sorta butchered. Moms, Grandmas, and Wives have certain favorite foods, specialities, and traditions that they don't want you messing with, so if you get a chance to cut the celery, mix biscuit dough, or just put up the folding table you do it with a smile on your face knowing that you helped make the Holiday special.
I had a very nice chat yesterday with an "Auntie" that started with some complaints about the traffic here in Honolulu and ended with her telling me about growing up here (she's 71) back when it was mostly sugar cane and being raised on the plantation. I wish I could have seen it then.
Nothing to do with school, but I saw these movies:
(I know, I see a lot of movies.)
Happy Feet 2 - Fun movie for kids, the thrill was Bill and Will, the Krill.
Puss in Boots - Also a good kid movie, but adults will like it too.
Immortals - I didn't pay for the 3D version, but found the movie to be better than I expected.
Descendants - Very well acted film, George Cloony is excellent, very realistic filming here in Hawaii.
Hugo - Beautifully filmed, good 3D effects, heartwarming. I liked it a lot.
J. Edgar - Leo won't get an oscar for this boring biopic. The old age special effects were terrific.
Muppets - Great movie. Takes you back. Tame one-liners that are still funny. The voices are off, though.
Tower Heist - This one was fun, although it got a little silly toward the end.
Yes, I'm ashamed to say that I went to:
Jack and Jill - Typical Adam Sandler crap, and worse than most of them. But not as bad as:
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I - Terrible: Acting, Direction, Cinematography, Special Effects, Story, Script, Characters, and I would be willing to bet that the food sucked at Craft Services.
[Breadbaking is] one of those almost hypnotic businesses, like a dance from some ancient ceremony. It leaves you filled with one of the world's sweetest smells... there is no chiropractic treatment, no Yoga exercise, no hour of meditation in a music-throbbing chapel, that will leave you emptier of bad thoughts than this homely ceremony of making bread. ~M.F.K. Fisher
Friday, November 18, 2011
Who wants Omelet Surprise?
If you remember last week's ramblings, I had a talk with a restaurant chef that was a downer, with his assertion that all the culinary schooling he received was useless. Well I am very pleased to say that in a chat with Gabe, a guy that graduated a couple months ago and is now working in catering in San Fransisco I was informed that he finds uses for the things he learned almost every day, and the skills and attitude that he picked up from our chefs here have stood the test of professional work. He's also making some pretty sweet coin, so it seems to be working for him. He was the first advanced student that I talked to so many months ago, and has been a good source of information and support. Way to go, Gabe!
Chef Chad has been giving us a little more autonomy in the bake shop. He reasons (rightly, I think) that we have been around long enough to get things done without constant supervision. Of course he keeps his eye on us and has offered improvements and fixes for the projects that went even slightly astray. Thankfully he wasn't watching when, after Jessica and I had painstakingly measured and divided the very last egg in the refrigerator into egg white for my recipe and whole egg for hers, I bumped into the table and spilled several ounces. A brisk walk up to the main kitchen for 5 dozen more eggs and all was well. This week has been good, with some baked items that I had never seen before. The heavy high-ratio cake seemed like a brick until he explained that we would cut it in thin disks and use if as the base of our Ice Cream Cake. We also completed baked Alaska, joconde cake, pecan bars, and pumpkin bread (for the bake sale, of course). A few absences through the week left us short-handed, with Enju experiencing a hurt back and Sandy recovering from a weekend on Kauai with the Marines. She's so patriotic, helping our boys with their adjustment in returning from overseas.
Staying at the home of some terrific friends, I've tried to make myself useful by helping with the cooking and it's brought home the fact that even with all the stuff I've learned this last year there are millions of moms and grandmas out there that can cook me under the table. Now I realize that professional cooking will be much different in the quantities, timing, equipment, and such, and I know that if I do my best that it will turn out ok, but I can't shake the feeling that they eat it and smile and say it's good just to be polite. I need to work on my confidence.
We had an extensive discussion about some of the more intricate things we've learned and how once we learned them we were told that we would probably never make it again. Hmmmmm. Demi Glace, the base for most of the brown sauces, is time consuming to make and the formula, while sounding simple enough, is a little tricky to get right. So we learned to make it and then Chef told us that "You probably won't find a professional kitchen that makes their own, they buy it in a prepared base." O.K. Stocks, the basic building block of almost all soups, sauces, gravies, braises and stews, is pretty easy to make, but the large pots and lack of storage make the concentrated bases far more desirable for the pro kitchen. We learned Cherries Jubilee and Crepes Suzette complete with the flambe flourish, then were told that most restaurants can't do the flame anymore because of fire hazard. This is all a part of being "classically" trained. I for one am glad I've had the chance to work on these sorts of items, because when they look in the pantry and find they are out of beef stock, I'll be right there to save the day! Assuming I remember how.
So it didn't take much calculation to realize that we have exactly 15 school days left, a short Thanksgiving week with Chef Chad, and then our final phase, Hot Kitchen II for three more weeks. I've been asked if I will continue to post The Innocent, keeping those few that are still interested apprised of my success or lack thereof in The Industry. I think I will, at least until I'm a real pro or my culinary aspirations come crashing down around me. Honestly can't say which it is more likely to be at this point. But until then, there's still a month of learning in store so stay tuned.
Chef Chad has been giving us a little more autonomy in the bake shop. He reasons (rightly, I think) that we have been around long enough to get things done without constant supervision. Of course he keeps his eye on us and has offered improvements and fixes for the projects that went even slightly astray. Thankfully he wasn't watching when, after Jessica and I had painstakingly measured and divided the very last egg in the refrigerator into egg white for my recipe and whole egg for hers, I bumped into the table and spilled several ounces. A brisk walk up to the main kitchen for 5 dozen more eggs and all was well. This week has been good, with some baked items that I had never seen before. The heavy high-ratio cake seemed like a brick until he explained that we would cut it in thin disks and use if as the base of our Ice Cream Cake. We also completed baked Alaska, joconde cake, pecan bars, and pumpkin bread (for the bake sale, of course). A few absences through the week left us short-handed, with Enju experiencing a hurt back and Sandy recovering from a weekend on Kauai with the Marines. She's so patriotic, helping our boys with their adjustment in returning from overseas.
Staying at the home of some terrific friends, I've tried to make myself useful by helping with the cooking and it's brought home the fact that even with all the stuff I've learned this last year there are millions of moms and grandmas out there that can cook me under the table. Now I realize that professional cooking will be much different in the quantities, timing, equipment, and such, and I know that if I do my best that it will turn out ok, but I can't shake the feeling that they eat it and smile and say it's good just to be polite. I need to work on my confidence.
We had an extensive discussion about some of the more intricate things we've learned and how once we learned them we were told that we would probably never make it again. Hmmmmm. Demi Glace, the base for most of the brown sauces, is time consuming to make and the formula, while sounding simple enough, is a little tricky to get right. So we learned to make it and then Chef told us that "You probably won't find a professional kitchen that makes their own, they buy it in a prepared base." O.K. Stocks, the basic building block of almost all soups, sauces, gravies, braises and stews, is pretty easy to make, but the large pots and lack of storage make the concentrated bases far more desirable for the pro kitchen. We learned Cherries Jubilee and Crepes Suzette complete with the flambe flourish, then were told that most restaurants can't do the flame anymore because of fire hazard. This is all a part of being "classically" trained. I for one am glad I've had the chance to work on these sorts of items, because when they look in the pantry and find they are out of beef stock, I'll be right there to save the day! Assuming I remember how.
So it didn't take much calculation to realize that we have exactly 15 school days left, a short Thanksgiving week with Chef Chad, and then our final phase, Hot Kitchen II for three more weeks. I've been asked if I will continue to post The Innocent, keeping those few that are still interested apprised of my success or lack thereof in The Industry. I think I will, at least until I'm a real pro or my culinary aspirations come crashing down around me. Honestly can't say which it is more likely to be at this point. But until then, there's still a month of learning in store so stay tuned.
“The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit. ” ― Julia Child
Friday, November 11, 2011
Who doesn't like cookies?
Welcome to another edition of the international juggernaut that is The Innocent. In checking out the statistics for this humble blog I've learned that we have been viewed by a lot of tasteful folks around the world, and I'd like to take this opportunity to say Thank You to our readers in:
Malaysia - Terima kasih!
Germany - Danke!
Brazil - Gracias!
Russia - спасибо!
Denmark - Tak!
Taiwan - 谢谢
Canada - Thanks, eh?
Philippines - salamat
Australia - Good on ya, mate!
Although the huge majority of page views have come from the U.S., it's gratifying to know that good people everywhere are interested in the story of my time at Gros Bonnet. Or that good people everywhere used the word "innocent" in some google search and went as far as page 14 of the results and checked us out.
Also a shout out to the obviously cool staff at Scribnia, who said of The Innocent:
"This entertaining blog follows his journey with a humorous look as he chops, sautes and bakes his way to graduation."
For the most part, I have been feeling pretty good about the work and learning that I've been doing at school, and a lot of that has to do with the support and positive encouragement I've gotten from family and friends. But every once in a while I come across a person that seems determined to jam a stick in the spokes of my positive outlook. Wendy and I went to dinner a couple weeks ago at a pretty nice Japanese restaurant in Honolulu (one of those places where they tap and throw the knives and toss shrimp tails into their hats) for a night out before she headed to school. Our "chef" was Brandon, who had the title "Executive Chef" on his whites, which I reasoned meant that he was very experienced and qualified. We had our own table and plenty of opportunity to chat and Wendy mentioned that I was going to Gros Bonnet, which elicited a lengthy story of how Brandon had graduated the culinary course at Kapiolani Community College but had found that once he started working in the restaurant biz that "Everything we learned at school was useless and a waste of time." He had me bumming, but Wendy reminded me after he left that pretty much all he did was cut up shrimp, steak, and chicken on a hot grill. And that wasn't even any good, as despite all the tapping and rattling of the salt and pepper shakers he wasn't able to get ANY seasoning on our food. So F%#k him, he tosses shrimp tails into his hat for a living.
He DID make one of the better onion slice volcanoes I've seen, though.
I've dubbed this week Cookie Week in the bake shop. We did lots of different types, drop cookies, bar cookies, molded and/or stencil cookies, tuile cookies, springerle cookies, macaroons. All turned out pretty good, most tasted great, and some were just pretty. Sadly, the marble pound cake that I suspect was for the bake sale ended up mushy in the middle due to either 1. It was not mixed properly, or 2. Something was off in the measuring. For whatever reason, they couldn't be sold, so we each ended up with a loaf, and I'm not ashamed to say that I ate the good firm parts around the outside (which tasted great) and tossed the goo. Waste not, want not.
In looking back at the first few posting of this blog, I noticed some things we were told would happen but have never materialized. We haven't taken a single field trip, nor have we been asked to provide assistance to many restaurants around town, mostly just the small shops looking for free labor. Chef Masa asked us to come help with a banquet at the resort he works at, but between packing and getting Wendy off to her course, I wasn't able to participate. If his offer of continuing sushi instruction still stands I will try to get in a couple sessions with him, mostly because I really like sushi.
We've been through the fire, it now seems almost as though we are coasting to the finish line. I know Chef Chad has some work for us to do in the next couple weeks, and our last three weeks in the Hot Kitchen with the new Chef are an unknown...But from what I've heard, he's an excellent chef and instructor.
Thursday we experienced the road closures associated with the APEC Conference that the state has been warning about. I was chatting with a young Army private who was on road duty when a scroungy guy with a dirty hat on rode by quickly on a bicycle and said to the soldier "Dude, get a real job". It happened so fast that I only had the opportunity to shout "Asshole!" and he was gone. Two other people waiting on the street shouted at him, too, which I found very gratifying. But I wish I could have gotten a stick into his spokes.
Today is Veteran's Day. I hope that everyone has offered thanks and remembrances to all the Veterans that have served over the course of our history. I am proud and humbled to be included in that company, and wish the best for my comrades-in-arms now and in the future.
Well Said:
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -John Fitzgerald Kennedy
In war, there are no unwounded soldiers. -José Narosky
In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. -Mark Twain
Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him. -Dwight D. Eisenhower
We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.
Cynthia Ozick
Malaysia - Terima kasih!
Germany - Danke!
Brazil - Gracias!
Russia - спасибо!
Denmark - Tak!
Taiwan - 谢谢
Canada - Thanks, eh?
Philippines - salamat
Australia - Good on ya, mate!
Although the huge majority of page views have come from the U.S., it's gratifying to know that good people everywhere are interested in the story of my time at Gros Bonnet. Or that good people everywhere used the word "innocent" in some google search and went as far as page 14 of the results and checked us out.
Also a shout out to the obviously cool staff at Scribnia, who said of The Innocent:
"This entertaining blog follows his journey with a humorous look as he chops, sautes and bakes his way to graduation."
For the most part, I have been feeling pretty good about the work and learning that I've been doing at school, and a lot of that has to do with the support and positive encouragement I've gotten from family and friends. But every once in a while I come across a person that seems determined to jam a stick in the spokes of my positive outlook. Wendy and I went to dinner a couple weeks ago at a pretty nice Japanese restaurant in Honolulu (one of those places where they tap and throw the knives and toss shrimp tails into their hats) for a night out before she headed to school. Our "chef" was Brandon, who had the title "Executive Chef" on his whites, which I reasoned meant that he was very experienced and qualified. We had our own table and plenty of opportunity to chat and Wendy mentioned that I was going to Gros Bonnet, which elicited a lengthy story of how Brandon had graduated the culinary course at Kapiolani Community College but had found that once he started working in the restaurant biz that "Everything we learned at school was useless and a waste of time." He had me bumming, but Wendy reminded me after he left that pretty much all he did was cut up shrimp, steak, and chicken on a hot grill. And that wasn't even any good, as despite all the tapping and rattling of the salt and pepper shakers he wasn't able to get ANY seasoning on our food. So F%#k him, he tosses shrimp tails into his hat for a living.
He DID make one of the better onion slice volcanoes I've seen, though.
I've dubbed this week Cookie Week in the bake shop. We did lots of different types, drop cookies, bar cookies, molded and/or stencil cookies, tuile cookies, springerle cookies, macaroons. All turned out pretty good, most tasted great, and some were just pretty. Sadly, the marble pound cake that I suspect was for the bake sale ended up mushy in the middle due to either 1. It was not mixed properly, or 2. Something was off in the measuring. For whatever reason, they couldn't be sold, so we each ended up with a loaf, and I'm not ashamed to say that I ate the good firm parts around the outside (which tasted great) and tossed the goo. Waste not, want not.
In looking back at the first few posting of this blog, I noticed some things we were told would happen but have never materialized. We haven't taken a single field trip, nor have we been asked to provide assistance to many restaurants around town, mostly just the small shops looking for free labor. Chef Masa asked us to come help with a banquet at the resort he works at, but between packing and getting Wendy off to her course, I wasn't able to participate. If his offer of continuing sushi instruction still stands I will try to get in a couple sessions with him, mostly because I really like sushi.
We've been through the fire, it now seems almost as though we are coasting to the finish line. I know Chef Chad has some work for us to do in the next couple weeks, and our last three weeks in the Hot Kitchen with the new Chef are an unknown...But from what I've heard, he's an excellent chef and instructor.
Thursday we experienced the road closures associated with the APEC Conference that the state has been warning about. I was chatting with a young Army private who was on road duty when a scroungy guy with a dirty hat on rode by quickly on a bicycle and said to the soldier "Dude, get a real job". It happened so fast that I only had the opportunity to shout "Asshole!" and he was gone. Two other people waiting on the street shouted at him, too, which I found very gratifying. But I wish I could have gotten a stick into his spokes.
Today is Veteran's Day. I hope that everyone has offered thanks and remembrances to all the Veterans that have served over the course of our history. I am proud and humbled to be included in that company, and wish the best for my comrades-in-arms now and in the future.
Well Said:
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -John Fitzgerald Kennedy
In war, there are no unwounded soldiers. -José Narosky
In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. -Mark Twain
Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him. -Dwight D. Eisenhower
We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.
Cynthia Ozick
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Road to Morocco
Halfway home in our third and last rotation through the kitchens of Gros Bonnet. Our third trip through Chef Klaus' Hot Kitchen I ended up being interesting and quite successful. Chef Klaus himself was for the most part patient, pleasant, and helpful. I hope he's ok. Of course it wouldn't seem right if we breezed through with no issues or arguments, and there were a few. The subject of test questions came up and where we would normally get not only the answers we need, but also the background, history, and expanded explanations, it was suggested that we save time and just get the answers. This didn't set too well with Chef Klaus, as his teaching style involves flexing his considerable knowledge for us. I also disagreed with the idea of just getting the answers because my pointy little brain likes to grasp context and reference to learn, so I voiced my opinion one time and then let the subject work itself out. Work itself out it did, with Chef Klaus getting a little pissy and refusing to expound on answers even when more information was obviously needed. I guess he showed us!
In the end it was of no matter, as everyone did well on the written test. The elusive perfect score escaped me yet again as I got 35.5 out of a possible 36. And no one to blame but my own dumb self, as I forgot to write down the most important step in making a hollandaise reduction....reducing. I thought it, I listed it to myself in the steps, I even had the 2/3 ratio right, but if you don't write it down, you blow it. C'est la Vie.
On Wednesday we prepared our evaluation meal, an excellent menu that Jessica and Sandy spearheaded that included a mixed greens salad with a nice creamy vinaigrette and shrimp mousse-filled savory pastry for the appetizer. This was simple, and allowed Van to redeem a failed vinaigrette from earlier in the week. Jessica's pate au choux pastries refused to expand when baked, and she was understandably very upset as we adjusted by using them as crumpets with the crab mousse on top...very tasty. We've had many issues with the temperatures in the ovens the last two weeks, and I think the pastries were a victim of that inconsistency.
The main course was my poached pork loin with a demi glace sauce that was good (without being outstanding), accompanied by potato fritters and sauteed green beans. Dessert was an excellent pumpkin roll with a sweetened cream cheese filling. Chef Klaus invited the ladies that develop the menu at Paradise Dinner Cruises to come and act as our evaluators and they were very nice, if not exactly generous with their scoring of our dishes. Chef's score is the one that counts the most, and he gave us 108 of a possible 120 points. This is a great improvement on our last rotation and we were very happy to get out of his kitchen in good academic shape.
When in doubt, go with your gut. While making vegetable ravioli, Jessica had them boiling and I asked if she was going to turn them over, thinking I had heard that instruction from Chef Klaus. She asked me if he had said to turn them, and I was overcome with doubt, so I decided to ask Chef...he said to "Yes, turn them over, didn't I tell you that?" To which I replied "yes, you did", thereby making Jessica look like she wasn't paying attention and making myself look like I sabotaged her by not saying that in the first place. All because of my self-doubt. Last week Chef Klaus told Jessica "Use your brain, you know a lot more than you think you do!" I asked why he had never said that to me...no answer was needed.
This rotation also found us introduced to some delicious and exotic dishes from around the world...Nasi Goreng from India, Paella from Spain, and in what I think was the best meal we've had all year at school, Moroccan Tajine (lamb, chicken, vegetables, dates slow braised in a covered pot) over cous cous, accompanied by an awesome creamy caramelized onion soup that was simply great. I also very much liked the small rolled balls of chopped dates, nuts, prunes, and raisins bound with honey and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. It was a good three weeks.
I have to add here that in Chef Masa's Garde last month I made a Baba Ganoush. I made it only because of it's repeated use on the old TV show MXC. If you know what I mean, you know what I mean.
Come Monday it's over to the Bake Shop and the precise instruction of Chef Chad. I'm very much looking forward to these three weeks, as I've had some real fun on the baking side of things and I believe we will be working with cookies, specialty cakes, and Bavarian Cream
Can we all just agree to disagree?
Our evaluation vinaigrette: Judges said too tart. We all agreed it was, if anything, too sweet.
The vegetable ravioli: Jessica kept calling it a "disaster". I thought they were dandy.
The World Series: Texas thought they had it won...The Cardinals disagreed.
The NBA lockout: 5 million/year average salary...Can we agree that we don't give a rat's ass?
The 99%: Yeah, whatever.
A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch.James Beard
In the end it was of no matter, as everyone did well on the written test. The elusive perfect score escaped me yet again as I got 35.5 out of a possible 36. And no one to blame but my own dumb self, as I forgot to write down the most important step in making a hollandaise reduction....reducing. I thought it, I listed it to myself in the steps, I even had the 2/3 ratio right, but if you don't write it down, you blow it. C'est la Vie.
On Wednesday we prepared our evaluation meal, an excellent menu that Jessica and Sandy spearheaded that included a mixed greens salad with a nice creamy vinaigrette and shrimp mousse-filled savory pastry for the appetizer. This was simple, and allowed Van to redeem a failed vinaigrette from earlier in the week. Jessica's pate au choux pastries refused to expand when baked, and she was understandably very upset as we adjusted by using them as crumpets with the crab mousse on top...very tasty. We've had many issues with the temperatures in the ovens the last two weeks, and I think the pastries were a victim of that inconsistency.
The main course was my poached pork loin with a demi glace sauce that was good (without being outstanding), accompanied by potato fritters and sauteed green beans. Dessert was an excellent pumpkin roll with a sweetened cream cheese filling. Chef Klaus invited the ladies that develop the menu at Paradise Dinner Cruises to come and act as our evaluators and they were very nice, if not exactly generous with their scoring of our dishes. Chef's score is the one that counts the most, and he gave us 108 of a possible 120 points. This is a great improvement on our last rotation and we were very happy to get out of his kitchen in good academic shape.
When in doubt, go with your gut. While making vegetable ravioli, Jessica had them boiling and I asked if she was going to turn them over, thinking I had heard that instruction from Chef Klaus. She asked me if he had said to turn them, and I was overcome with doubt, so I decided to ask Chef...he said to "Yes, turn them over, didn't I tell you that?" To which I replied "yes, you did", thereby making Jessica look like she wasn't paying attention and making myself look like I sabotaged her by not saying that in the first place. All because of my self-doubt. Last week Chef Klaus told Jessica "Use your brain, you know a lot more than you think you do!" I asked why he had never said that to me...no answer was needed.
This rotation also found us introduced to some delicious and exotic dishes from around the world...Nasi Goreng from India, Paella from Spain, and in what I think was the best meal we've had all year at school, Moroccan Tajine (lamb, chicken, vegetables, dates slow braised in a covered pot) over cous cous, accompanied by an awesome creamy caramelized onion soup that was simply great. I also very much liked the small rolled balls of chopped dates, nuts, prunes, and raisins bound with honey and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. It was a good three weeks.
I have to add here that in Chef Masa's Garde last month I made a Baba Ganoush. I made it only because of it's repeated use on the old TV show MXC. If you know what I mean, you know what I mean.
Come Monday it's over to the Bake Shop and the precise instruction of Chef Chad. I'm very much looking forward to these three weeks, as I've had some real fun on the baking side of things and I believe we will be working with cookies, specialty cakes, and Bavarian Cream
Can we all just agree to disagree?
Our evaluation vinaigrette: Judges said too tart. We all agreed it was, if anything, too sweet.
The vegetable ravioli: Jessica kept calling it a "disaster". I thought they were dandy.
The World Series: Texas thought they had it won...The Cardinals disagreed.
The NBA lockout: 5 million/year average salary...Can we agree that we don't give a rat's ass?
The 99%: Yeah, whatever.
A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch.James Beard
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