Because not much has been said on the subject, I thought I would fill you in a little on the teaching strategy here at GBCA (Chef Klaus in particular) and my view of it's relative effectiveness. Our mornings start with class work that for the most part involve discussing what we will be cooking for the day with ingredients, cooking methods, and origins of the various dishes being explained and questions answered. Demonstrations are sometimes given if a particular task involves unfamiliar equipment or processes. Recipes are given orally allowing plenty of time for questions and requiring us to take detailed notes. We then move on to the actual preparation of the dishes, with Chef Klaus providing needed assistance, information, and correction. I have to say that this is, for me, a most excellent way to learn. Talk about it, See it, Do it seems to fit my learning style, which is tactile and visual (or something like that - Professor Mother-in-Law told me, but I don't remember the term she used because I didn't feel it or see it). As class days go by, we use what we learned previously routinely, thereby reinforcing the lessons. Bottom line: It works for me.
No class is interesting if the instructor is boring and fortunately for us Chef Klaus will never be accused of being dull or uninformative. This is a man that has mastered his profession and more, involving himself in the governing of various professional and fraternal organizations in The Industry. I find his passion for history, tradition, and the many diverse subjects we've discussed in class to be refreshingly genuine. In yesterday's quiet time (yes, sometimes you just have to wait for something in the oven) our topics ranged from the history of foods to classic movies to boiling potatoes to commuter rail systems to parrots. The sincerity of his interest in each topic is unmistakable, his enthusiasm for discussion a little infectious.
So I cooked a few things this week. We generally break the day's menu up and each take a primary task, get started, then sort of rotate around to each station to observe all of the components in action. My menu items this week were pretty decent, as I put together a very tasty cream of celery soup, Manhattan style clam chowder, and a pork paprikache (paprika seasoned pork stew) that was excellent. Now our recipes are given to us, and if our dish doesn't look or taste right, we get criticism from the Chef. If it comes out looking and tasting right, you're on even keel because it's SUPPOSED to come out right. I am pleased to say that the pork paprikache garnered the highest compliment that Chef Klaus has offered to us, "I might even pay money for that." My shoulder still hurts from patting myself on the back.
I'm a little embarrassed that I've made this blog all about myself and haven't touched on the team aspect as much as I should. This would be a much more trying course if I didn't like and respect each of my classmates, so I hope that they will approve of my efforts to bring the course to life through this blog and help me with comments or suggestions as the weeks go by.
That being said, this week we say hello to Jessica.
Jessica lives on the other side of the Island and has a long commute each day for class. She is a property manager who has considerable cooking experience on her own and has worked in the front of the house tending bar at one of our favorite places to eat, Haleiwa Joe's in Kaneohe. She has great knowledge about a lot of foods and is a strong advocate of making sure we are getting the education that we are paying for. With an excellent sense of humor and an occasionally sailor-esque vocabulary, she's a lot of fun in the kitchen. Fearless, she tells it like it is and isn't shy about disagreeing with the chefs - a trait I find admirable, since I pretty much always take the kitchen politically correct way out and shut up. My blurting out wrong answers aside, Jessica has become the voice of the class and that's great.
Since I know you're wondering:
Wiener Schnitzel didn't originate in Germany
Chef Klaus was Master Chef simultaneously in the U.S, Canada, and Germany
Chef Klaus was so shocked that none of us had seen the old movie "The Third Man" that he assigned it as homework this weekend. I hope they at least cook something in it.
Yes, I screw up occasionally. I Missed a step and put fennel where it didn't belong and had to start over. Believe me, you don't want fennel where it doesn't belong.
Korean pears are delicious.
I make a dandy 1000 Island dressing.
I'm glad it's almost Baseball season. You saw it here first- Seattle Mariners in the World Series.
Live und gut essen, meine Freunde.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Taking (and making) stock
With the semi-controlled chaos that was Grand Buffet week behind us, our small class moved a couple blocks away to the main hot kitchen facility and began our instruction with Chef Klaus. There were some immediate changes to our class dynamic as our temporary addition, Daisy, was able to finish her time in the Garde Manger and will graduate next week with her class. We also seem to have lost another student, Terina, who has been out of the class for two weeks and the office doesn't think she will return. It's a shame, because this week has been really interesting and fun.
Our new instructor is Chef Klaus, a tall, Harley riding, former Army Ranger with a calm manner, huge ego, and an endless supply of historical information. Coming from the same part of the world and with the same 50-some years as a chef, he and Chef Otto seem to get along well. They are miles apart in their teaching style and kitchen persona, though. Where Chef Otto is rather dictatorial and wants to do most of the detail work and seasoning himself (or per his specific instructions), Chef Klaus has explained to us that we are essentially his apprentices and as such he expects us to demonstrate that we can accomplish our production without his constant input. He is a history buff with a wide range of expertise and a very dry sense of humor, so our morning class work gives us not only the recipes and procedures we will need for the day, but always something extra.
The week found us putting the BIG pot on the stove with about 15 pounds of beef bones to make stock, a process that takes about 6 - 8 hours simmering. Now watching bones simmer is great fun for about 20 seconds, so we moved on quickly to chicken stock, hollandaise sauce and it's variants, vegetable puree`, glazing veggies, knife skills and maintenance, and why Obama is a socialist /closet Muslim - did I mention that Chef Klaus is a staunch conservative and very critical of government?
Our new kitchen facility is three blocks away from the main school office, so we park at the school and walk to class to avoid feeding the meter on the street. Our kitchen is normally shared by the patisserie course, but there isn't a class in session right now, so it's nice to have just the five of us in the big kitchen. Chef Klaus seems to enjoy the fact that everyone in our class is bright and eager to learn, but I suspect that he was something of a ladies man in his day, so it certainly doesn't hurt that 80% of our class are young women that hang on his every word.
I've decided I should fill you in a little on my classmates, so you might have a better picture in mind when I mention them in the future. I'll try to talk a little about them all over the next few weeks, starting today by introducing SANDY.
Sandy is a Michigan State graduate and certified nutritionist who on Thursday of this week used the portable defibrillator at her work to revive a heart attack victim 2 hours before our class started. She works out of a health club downtown as a personal trainer and nutrition counselor, and is off to the Big Island this weekend to run in a marathon. Her time in this course is geared to being able to utilize what she learns and combine it with her education as a nutritionist to enhance her ability to offer her clients a healthier way to enjoy really good food. She is smart AND blond, so go figure. She also looks like one of those pictures on the cover of Shape or Women's Health magazines, that is to say she is fit, as a personal trainer should be. Chef Klaus approves.
Things I learned this week:
If my Polish last name ended with -ski, I would be in high social standing in 16th century Poland.
I need a chef's fork.
Fancy pureed vegetables taste a lot like Gerber baby food.
You can't make consomme` with bad stock...it just doesn't work.
Malta and Yalta may sound alike, but they are very different places.
You can cook rice in your oven to avoid bottom scorching.
Chef Klaus is more experienced, wiser, and smarter than me. He told me so himself.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Our new instructor is Chef Klaus, a tall, Harley riding, former Army Ranger with a calm manner, huge ego, and an endless supply of historical information. Coming from the same part of the world and with the same 50-some years as a chef, he and Chef Otto seem to get along well. They are miles apart in their teaching style and kitchen persona, though. Where Chef Otto is rather dictatorial and wants to do most of the detail work and seasoning himself (or per his specific instructions), Chef Klaus has explained to us that we are essentially his apprentices and as such he expects us to demonstrate that we can accomplish our production without his constant input. He is a history buff with a wide range of expertise and a very dry sense of humor, so our morning class work gives us not only the recipes and procedures we will need for the day, but always something extra.
The week found us putting the BIG pot on the stove with about 15 pounds of beef bones to make stock, a process that takes about 6 - 8 hours simmering. Now watching bones simmer is great fun for about 20 seconds, so we moved on quickly to chicken stock, hollandaise sauce and it's variants, vegetable puree`, glazing veggies, knife skills and maintenance, and why Obama is a socialist /closet Muslim - did I mention that Chef Klaus is a staunch conservative and very critical of government?
Our new kitchen facility is three blocks away from the main school office, so we park at the school and walk to class to avoid feeding the meter on the street. Our kitchen is normally shared by the patisserie course, but there isn't a class in session right now, so it's nice to have just the five of us in the big kitchen. Chef Klaus seems to enjoy the fact that everyone in our class is bright and eager to learn, but I suspect that he was something of a ladies man in his day, so it certainly doesn't hurt that 80% of our class are young women that hang on his every word.
I've decided I should fill you in a little on my classmates, so you might have a better picture in mind when I mention them in the future. I'll try to talk a little about them all over the next few weeks, starting today by introducing SANDY.
Sandy is a Michigan State graduate and certified nutritionist who on Thursday of this week used the portable defibrillator at her work to revive a heart attack victim 2 hours before our class started. She works out of a health club downtown as a personal trainer and nutrition counselor, and is off to the Big Island this weekend to run in a marathon. Her time in this course is geared to being able to utilize what she learns and combine it with her education as a nutritionist to enhance her ability to offer her clients a healthier way to enjoy really good food. She is smart AND blond, so go figure. She also looks like one of those pictures on the cover of Shape or Women's Health magazines, that is to say she is fit, as a personal trainer should be. Chef Klaus approves.
Things I learned this week:
If my Polish last name ended with -ski, I would be in high social standing in 16th century Poland.
I need a chef's fork.
Fancy pureed vegetables taste a lot like Gerber baby food.
You can't make consomme` with bad stock...it just doesn't work.
Malta and Yalta may sound alike, but they are very different places.
You can cook rice in your oven to avoid bottom scorching.
Chef Klaus is more experienced, wiser, and smarter than me. He told me so himself.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Oh, you kid...
This week was the Gros Bonnet Culinary Academy Grand Buffet, bringing delicious fine dining to the masses. Or at least to the masses that were willing to cough up $40 for a meal prepared by students. That is not to say that the dishes offered weren't excellent, but in a city with over 100 highly rated restaurants it seems akin to paying full price for a haircut at the Barber College. Still, the event went very well and provided a nice opportunity for most of us to see the process of professional food preparation for the first time. The theme for the event was "The Roaring 20's" and gave us a chance to prepare dishes that were popular 90 years ago and haven't been heard from much since. The customers got into the swing of things by wearing 20s-style garb and saying "Hubba Hubba" and "23-Skidoo" throughout the evening while listening to very old music.
The work of preparing the food got much easier as the week progressed, as many of the staple items like salad dressings and crepes were prepared on the first two days. That might explain why we had over a dozen students at various stages of the course helping the first day and then less and less until just three of us worked the cold kitchen for Friday evening's final service. This struck me as odd, since this was supposed to be required class time. Anyway, production from the Garde Manger included:
Waldorf and 21 Sunset salads
Pate` en croute (pate` baked inside a pastry crust)
Spinach and mushroom duxelle crepes
Escargots
Liver mousse truffles
Tropical fruit and melon tray
All of our dishes were tasty, beautiful, and well-received by the customers. Yahoo.
At the end of the evening's service the students are offered an opportunity to have a meal of the remaining food, which I took full advantage of on Friday night. I will say without being overly critical that either the Roaring 20's sort of sucked for main courses or our hot kitchen students need a little more work. I was frankly not too impressed with some of the dishes prepared by the advanced students, nor with some of their knife skills, nor with what seemed like a very laid-back work ethic. I would like to think that I'll be able to maintain my interest throughout the course and not fall prey to the same complacency. That being said, most were helpful and fun to have in the kitchen.
Just a short note here about school policies. There is a rule that NO FOOD is to leave the school building. I understand this rule as it applies to normal class production, as any exception opens the door for potential abuse such as taking supplies, ingredients, or equipment, or intentionally making too much so that you can take it home. What I don't get is that on the last day of Buffet week, when the remaining HUGE quantity of very good food is left with no customers to eat it, why would you not make an exception to allow the students to take containers of food home to let their families sample? For two days of the year, when there are whole pans, plates, and bowls of untouched expensive food, why would you choose to just throw it in the dumpster instead of letting the people that PAY for the class and ingredients utilize it at home? As usual, I'm just sayin.
Hoping for a fast and efficient recovery for the people of Japan. The video of the tsunami that followed the earthquake was really frightening and we here on Oahu were on pins and needles for the night on Thursday. Thankfully we were spared any real damage from the tsunami, and I'd like to thank all the friends and family that expressed their concern over the last few days.
This was our last week to work with Chef Otto until we come back in a few months for our second rotation in the Garde Manger. He's an opinionated man, with a keen interest in world affairs and politics. I've found him to be a great help to us in our first weeks in the kitchen, and a fun boss with a great, if occasionally inappropriate, sense of humor. I'll close today with a few Chef Otto Classics. Please try to imagine a German accent as you read them.
Things Chef Otto Said in Class:
Almost anything inappropriate, cut off with a wave of the hand and "oh, never mind!"
example: "If that's what he wants, he can kiss my...Oh, never mind!"
"Add more water! Remember, ladies, men like everything moist!"
"That's not my kuliana!" (Hawaiian for responsibility)
"Chop, chop, chop."
"Remember to save your bottles and cans for my elephants" - Chef Otto sends recycle money to Thailand to help support orphaned elephants.
"They are making a mockery of my Garde Manger."
"Blah, blah, blah..."
And my all-time favorite:
"We will do this in the style of the French...and by that I don't mean taking it from behind."
Live et bien manger, tout le monde
The work of preparing the food got much easier as the week progressed, as many of the staple items like salad dressings and crepes were prepared on the first two days. That might explain why we had over a dozen students at various stages of the course helping the first day and then less and less until just three of us worked the cold kitchen for Friday evening's final service. This struck me as odd, since this was supposed to be required class time. Anyway, production from the Garde Manger included:
Waldorf and 21 Sunset salads
Pate` en croute (pate` baked inside a pastry crust)
Spinach and mushroom duxelle crepes
Escargots
Liver mousse truffles
Tropical fruit and melon tray
All of our dishes were tasty, beautiful, and well-received by the customers. Yahoo.
At the end of the evening's service the students are offered an opportunity to have a meal of the remaining food, which I took full advantage of on Friday night. I will say without being overly critical that either the Roaring 20's sort of sucked for main courses or our hot kitchen students need a little more work. I was frankly not too impressed with some of the dishes prepared by the advanced students, nor with some of their knife skills, nor with what seemed like a very laid-back work ethic. I would like to think that I'll be able to maintain my interest throughout the course and not fall prey to the same complacency. That being said, most were helpful and fun to have in the kitchen.
Just a short note here about school policies. There is a rule that NO FOOD is to leave the school building. I understand this rule as it applies to normal class production, as any exception opens the door for potential abuse such as taking supplies, ingredients, or equipment, or intentionally making too much so that you can take it home. What I don't get is that on the last day of Buffet week, when the remaining HUGE quantity of very good food is left with no customers to eat it, why would you not make an exception to allow the students to take containers of food home to let their families sample? For two days of the year, when there are whole pans, plates, and bowls of untouched expensive food, why would you choose to just throw it in the dumpster instead of letting the people that PAY for the class and ingredients utilize it at home? As usual, I'm just sayin.
Hoping for a fast and efficient recovery for the people of Japan. The video of the tsunami that followed the earthquake was really frightening and we here on Oahu were on pins and needles for the night on Thursday. Thankfully we were spared any real damage from the tsunami, and I'd like to thank all the friends and family that expressed their concern over the last few days.
This was our last week to work with Chef Otto until we come back in a few months for our second rotation in the Garde Manger. He's an opinionated man, with a keen interest in world affairs and politics. I've found him to be a great help to us in our first weeks in the kitchen, and a fun boss with a great, if occasionally inappropriate, sense of humor. I'll close today with a few Chef Otto Classics. Please try to imagine a German accent as you read them.
Things Chef Otto Said in Class:
Almost anything inappropriate, cut off with a wave of the hand and "oh, never mind!"
example: "If that's what he wants, he can kiss my...Oh, never mind!"
"Add more water! Remember, ladies, men like everything moist!"
"That's not my kuliana!" (Hawaiian for responsibility)
"Chop, chop, chop."
"Remember to save your bottles and cans for my elephants" - Chef Otto sends recycle money to Thailand to help support orphaned elephants.
"They are making a mockery of my Garde Manger."
"Blah, blah, blah..."
And my all-time favorite:
"We will do this in the style of the French...and by that I don't mean taking it from behind."
Live et bien manger, tout le monde
Friday, March 4, 2011
Movin' on...almost.
Three weeks and our first kitchen session has gone well and very quickly. Under normal circumstances we would be moving into the Hot Kitchen I phase of our course, but this week brings with it the semi-annual Grand Buffet, so all class work and phase changes will be waiting for a week so that all the classes (there are 6 total, including the advanced baking students) may participate in this awesome event. For five nights, Monday through Friday, a fancy buffet featuring scrumptious starters, a variety of marvelous main courses, and delectable desserts will be offered to certain selected customers from around the Honolulu area. These special guests will generally hail from businesses and social organizations that have some sort of vested interest in the welfare of the Gros Bonnet Academy. Can you say Culinary Kickback?
I'm going into next week with the attitude that this sort of practical kitchen work can only be beneficial to me, giving me an opportunity to experience a week of high-pressure, high-output professional cooking.
I have to say that the above statement, while true, doesn't tell the whole story of my take on this event. Chef Otto explained to us that these are important customers, ponying up around $40 apiece for the chance to down some fancy grub and rub elbows with fellow important people from around town. I think that's great, or it would be, if it were happening at some nice restaurant downtown. At a culinary school, where the majority of the labor will be provided by unpaid students (who, by the way, pay considerable money for the supplies and materials for the school) it sounds like a very profitable racket. Quick math:
40 guests @ $40 = $1600 X 5 nights = $8,000
Now assuming that the school pays around NOTHING to the students doing the work and roughly NOTHING for supplies and ingredients because the students have already paid for them as part of their course fees, I think it's fair to say that somebody is making a nice chunk of change somewhere along the line.
OK, I just wanted to vent that...I'm over it now.
We were introduced to Chef Klaus, who will be our Hot Kitchen I instructor next week. He seemed professional, self-assured, and ego-centric. These are good and expected qualities in a chef and I look forward to his class after our week of indenture. He says he will treat us as apprentices rather than students, and that he is the most politically incorrect person at the school. This was a surprise, as the women in my class had already named Chef Otto as the least PC person they had ever met.
Things I saw this week:
One of my classmates sawing through a mushroom.
That same classmate describe bread dough as looking like "Old ajimah kundingi"(Korean slang for "old woman's butt")
Three pounds of fine-diced mushrooms...and boy, were my fingers tired.
Ants in the kitchen. But not that many, and I'm told they don't eat much.
Our end of phase test, which was pretty easy.
Jeremiah Johnson, my favorite movie.
History's first chicken boned by Lane. It was lovely.
Ich will ein Sklave für den Mann nächste Woche, haben eine gute
I'm going into next week with the attitude that this sort of practical kitchen work can only be beneficial to me, giving me an opportunity to experience a week of high-pressure, high-output professional cooking.
I have to say that the above statement, while true, doesn't tell the whole story of my take on this event. Chef Otto explained to us that these are important customers, ponying up around $40 apiece for the chance to down some fancy grub and rub elbows with fellow important people from around town. I think that's great, or it would be, if it were happening at some nice restaurant downtown. At a culinary school, where the majority of the labor will be provided by unpaid students (who, by the way, pay considerable money for the supplies and materials for the school) it sounds like a very profitable racket. Quick math:
40 guests @ $40 = $1600 X 5 nights = $8,000
Now assuming that the school pays around NOTHING to the students doing the work and roughly NOTHING for supplies and ingredients because the students have already paid for them as part of their course fees, I think it's fair to say that somebody is making a nice chunk of change somewhere along the line.
OK, I just wanted to vent that...I'm over it now.
We were introduced to Chef Klaus, who will be our Hot Kitchen I instructor next week. He seemed professional, self-assured, and ego-centric. These are good and expected qualities in a chef and I look forward to his class after our week of indenture. He says he will treat us as apprentices rather than students, and that he is the most politically incorrect person at the school. This was a surprise, as the women in my class had already named Chef Otto as the least PC person they had ever met.
Things I saw this week:
One of my classmates sawing through a mushroom.
That same classmate describe bread dough as looking like "Old ajimah kundingi"(Korean slang for "old woman's butt")
Three pounds of fine-diced mushrooms...and boy, were my fingers tired.
Ants in the kitchen. But not that many, and I'm told they don't eat much.
Our end of phase test, which was pretty easy.
Jeremiah Johnson, my favorite movie.
History's first chicken boned by Lane. It was lovely.
Ich will ein Sklave für den Mann nächste Woche, haben eine gute
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