I've come to realize that I can be something of a fair-weather blogger. Between getting ready for the next few months of home and family turmoil and a head/chest cold that wiped me out for a solid week I have neglected The Innocent, and for that I apologize.
Having left you hanging on the edge of your seats with the question as to whether the school would actually provide the needed ingredients for our week of individual recipes in Chef Masa's kitchen, I must report very happily that we pretty much got everything that we wanted. No, I didn't get the whole salmon that I wanted, but the single large fillet that I did get was plenty for my needs, and I will admit here that I only wanted the whole salmon so that the others could get hands-on fillet experience. Mascarpone, butterfish, green-lipped mussels, scallops, New York strip, and plenty of multi-colored bell peppers (a simple veg, but ridiculously priced at over $6/pound here) were waiting for us on Monday morning. I'm not sure just how much flack Chef Masa got for ordering a lot of hot kitchen foods for the Garde Manger, but he came through big time. The few items that were missing or just wrong (a can of chopped chowder clams isn't the same as whole clams) were quickly fixed by Chef Masa, who hopped on his bike (literally-he rides a bicycle every day) and rode to the store 8 blocks away and got us what we needed. A Class act, that Chef Masa.
So, with everything we needed and a full week to produce, what sort of kitchen magic were we able to perform? I will sadly say that my gravlax (salt-, pepper-, and dill-cured salmon fillet) turned out exactly as it should, and while it made a nice canape topper and had an...interesting...flavor, I won't likely be sending it out with my holiday treats. My blackened NY strip sandwich, however, had a terrific and not-too- overpowering heat that we thought was excellent. Jessica offered up a poached butterfish that I thought was great, even if she obsessed over the few bones that were left in. Enju prepared mussels and in the interest of "If you can't say something nice..."
Our third week in the Garde was shortened by Columbus Day (I guess it's called Discoverer's Day now, but I'm old school) for everyone and further reduced for me by the worst cold I've had in many years. With the Monday holiday and staying home sick Tuesday, I felt compelled to come to class Wednesday. It was a terrible day, I was miserable and I made everybody else miserable. Chef Masa was concerned for me, asking if I wanted to sit down, take a break, etc... I became cranky and snapped at him a couple times for no reason, which makes me feel like a heel because he was just being nice. But I truly didn't want to sit down OR carve that radish. So I chose to miss Thursday, too. Friday and Saturday also found me home on the couch in a haze of Alka-seltzer Cold formula and Nyquil. I'm feeling much better, now, thanks.
As an added note, Chef Masa has upgraded to a motor scooter so that he can commute to his other full-time job as a sushi and buffet chef at Kahala Resort, a very fine property that is just a little too far for him to peddle to. Enju has taken a prep job there also and they roll a lot of rice together.
Out of the Garde Manger and over to Chef Klaus' Hot Kitchen this week. He's been in good spirits and so have we, our cooking has gone well with no one making enough of a mistake to get yelled at. Roasted lamb, poached pork loin, avocado mousse-stuffed chicken breast, crab-stuffed calamari, pork and polenta-stuffed peppers have all turned out terrific and gone very well with our goulash soup (there was some question on the spelling, which Chef attributed to being German) and fennel jus. We had some dandy eclairs for dessert Thursday, and I have to mention my own bread pudding with bourbon sauce that turned out much better than I expected. Chef Klaus rarely eats our products, but he had a full portion of bread pudding and declared it "A damn good whiskey sauce!". I don't think the others were as impressed, but if Chef likes it, Yay for me.
Chef Klaus spent some down time regaling us with scary tales of the cuts, burns, bruises and pains he has endured throughout his apprenticeship and career. Boiling stock poured down your arm, falling onto a broken bottle, having a cantankerous old chef literally kick you in the ass, and having a co-worker hit you in the back with a 1/2 gallon ladle sounds like a tough way to make a living, but I suppose over a 45-year career it's just par for the course. His apprenticeship was three years, working 5 days a week in the kitchen of a large hotel that serviced 4 restaurants ranging from fast food and sandwiches to gourmet dining. The 6th day of the week he was in class, and on the 7th day he rested. Makes our school time seem pretty manageable, eh?
A Chef Klaus added note: Chef started and forgot about a pan of lemon-honey sesame seeds on the stove, which we noticed when we smelled the smoke. He berated himself and cleaned it up himself. These things happen.
Yet another new class came into the fold this week, bringing home to us again how close we are getting to the end of our time here. When we talk with the students that are at different stages of the course, it is interesting to hear many of the same comments and complaints that we voiced throughout the last 10 months. The 2d rotation class seemed to enjoy "Pie Week" with Chef Chad in the adjoining bake shop this week, and the new guys are already anticipating getting their whites and knives. Ah, the cuts that are just waiting to happen!
Influences in My Life: Food Edition
Age 5 or 6: I found out that vanilla frosting and cold bacon grease look a lot alike. I learned to taste and smell things before putting a whole finger-full in my mouth.
Age 13/14: I read "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck. When Doc took a long drive to La Jolla to collect octopus, stopping when he got hungry for sandwiches and beer. That seemed like the coolest thing ever, to drive where you wanted and stop and eat when and wherever you wanted.
Age 21: On my Birthday at Kuhnle's Tavern, Marysville, WA: I knocked over and spilled my first ever legally purchased beer.
Age 38: Carcross, Yukon Territory Train Station: Let the tourists eat the ice cream across the street, the brewed coffee with condensed milk became one of my all-time favorite stops on the road.
Currently: The many things I'd never seen or touched, let alone worked with in the kitchen. Lamb, veal, fennel, celeriac, aspic...and so many more to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment