During lunchtime, it was mentioned to me that a "significant other" (I can't remember exact designation - either husband or ex-husband) of one of my co-workers has been attending culinary classes at a local community college. The very some college I have been bouncing in and out of for 2 decades - hehehehe.
It got me thinking. For those that may or may not know, me thinking can be very dangerous indeed. This would be no exception. I think I have a plan now and I'm scheming to get this plan into action.
Here's the deal. I checked out the community college's Culinary Arts Program. It looks like an extended version of what I did in the Navy. How much could I possibly test out of? I have no idea. I don't know if I'm up for going through all that introductory stuff all over again.
If you've never been through any culinary training, going through weights and measures, recipe conversions, etc., while necessary, are enough to make you want to hang yourself from boredom. It's bloody awful. NOT looking forward to it.
So here's the plan, as it stands. Going to the community college and get an A.A.S. No, I have NO clue what the A.A.S is for. Associates in Applied Sciences?? Beats the crap out of me. Anywhos, they have 2 programs - Culinary Arts and Food Service Management. I'm pretty sure I want the Culinary Arts program, not sure yet on Food Service management. We'll see.
After the CAP (Culinary Arts Program - I'm ex-military and a computer nerd - I ADORE Acronyms and abbreviations) I'm thinking Le Ecole Cordon Bleu. One of the oldest (since 1895) and most prestigious culinary schools in Paris, France. Once there I not sure I'm planning on leaving Paris, dead or alive.
I love Paris. I was there in 2004 and have been plotting a return ever since. I really didn't want to leave in the first place but alas I did. Now I want to go back. Prior to this, I never really had a reason to return to Paris. Now I have a very specific reason.
To those who know me, this jump back into cooking and culinary arts might seem a bit abrupt, however, one needs to take into account that the majority of my lifetime has been spent in restaurants and other other food-service based occupations. I just never really realized how much I missed it until I began cooking again.
So, the long and short is - A.A.S in Culinary Arts at community college then on to Paris to Le Cordon Bleu. From there - the world becomes my oyster and I get to vomit because I don't get along with oysters at all. Yay me!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The Results Are In
I took the Potage Parmentier I had made into work today, to get reactions from co-workers. I must say i was pleasantly surprised. Everyone thought it was great. The kitchen manager thought it was "ok" but when she realized that it was intended to be a base for creating other soups, she was on board and thought it done correctly. The cook also weighed in and said that it had a "good flavor and nice texture". He was not used to the French way of making the soup. I gave him the recipe and he said he would try it out. So all in all, I think it was a success
Next up on the soup list is Vichyssoise. I'm not sure how I feel about it just yet, but I'm taking things one step at a time.
Next up on the soup list is Vichyssoise. I'm not sure how I feel about it just yet, but I'm taking things one step at a time.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Beginning a Path of Cooking
I got a little crazy yesterday, like quite a few people before me, I went out and purchased Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". Yep, I did it. The benefit for me here is that I have a path to follow, a set course, rather than floundering around looking for recipes to cook that do not provide skill enhancement or learning opportunities.
So I dove into the book and read through the beginning text. Pretty mundane, but necessary stuff to cover. Then the first recipe loomed ahead.
Potage Parmentier - Potato Leek Soup
The recipe is simply written and simple to execute.
Ingredients
4 cups potatoes - peeled
4 cups leek - thinly sliced (equals about 1 full leek)
1 tablespoon salt
2 quarts water
Directions
Dice potatoes and thinly slice the leek.
Simmer potatoes, leek and salt in a medium saucepan for 50 minutes.
Remove from heat, mash vegetables with a fork (or run through food mill).
When ready to serve, spoon in 2 tablespoons of butter or whipping cream.
I drained some of the water out of the soup and ran the remaining vegetables through the KitchenAid stand mixer with the beater attachment. I'm not sure how pleased I am with the results.
I would like to add that I was able to type the recipe above from memory. It's good to have recipes in your head, I can't guarantee I will memorize every recipe I come across, but doing this one from memory is pretty darn cool.
I'll admit right here and now, I am not much of a soup eater. I don't know what it is with soups, they and I just don't mesh. I tried it, I thought it was quite bland.
Two friends of mine, both of whom (unlike me) are soup eaters) came over, so I forced them to try the soup. They both said it was great, one even went so far as to lick the bowl clean. I only managed to shove 1 bowl down them before they had to leave. Soon after they left, my mother arrived. I had her try some and she said it was one of the best she had had. My mother is not one to say she likes something if she doesn't. She's never had a problem saying "That tastes like crap". She really did like it. I will be bringing the remain soup to work tomorrow to see how co-workers like it.
Some things to learn from this recipe are this:
1. A solid grounding in the basics of French soup-making
2. How to combine several ingredients to create a very flavorful soup in a minimum amount of time.
3. The Potage Parmentier is the basis for many, many French soups, so it is important to have this particular soup down to a science.
I would like to think that my skills in the kitchen are a bit beyond this, however, one can't cover the basics enough. I'm not sure how much by way of skill improvement I received from this particular recipe. I will be moving on to the variations of the Potage Parmentier that Julia has listed and we will see how they turn out.
Tomorrow, I will attempt to take some photos and see how things go.
So I dove into the book and read through the beginning text. Pretty mundane, but necessary stuff to cover. Then the first recipe loomed ahead.
Potage Parmentier - Potato Leek Soup
The recipe is simply written and simple to execute.
Ingredients
4 cups potatoes - peeled
4 cups leek - thinly sliced (equals about 1 full leek)
1 tablespoon salt
2 quarts water
Directions
Dice potatoes and thinly slice the leek.
Simmer potatoes, leek and salt in a medium saucepan for 50 minutes.
Remove from heat, mash vegetables with a fork (or run through food mill).
When ready to serve, spoon in 2 tablespoons of butter or whipping cream.
I drained some of the water out of the soup and ran the remaining vegetables through the KitchenAid stand mixer with the beater attachment. I'm not sure how pleased I am with the results.
I would like to add that I was able to type the recipe above from memory. It's good to have recipes in your head, I can't guarantee I will memorize every recipe I come across, but doing this one from memory is pretty darn cool.
I'll admit right here and now, I am not much of a soup eater. I don't know what it is with soups, they and I just don't mesh. I tried it, I thought it was quite bland.
Two friends of mine, both of whom (unlike me) are soup eaters) came over, so I forced them to try the soup. They both said it was great, one even went so far as to lick the bowl clean. I only managed to shove 1 bowl down them before they had to leave. Soon after they left, my mother arrived. I had her try some and she said it was one of the best she had had. My mother is not one to say she likes something if she doesn't. She's never had a problem saying "That tastes like crap". She really did like it. I will be bringing the remain soup to work tomorrow to see how co-workers like it.
Some things to learn from this recipe are this:
1. A solid grounding in the basics of French soup-making
2. How to combine several ingredients to create a very flavorful soup in a minimum amount of time.
3. The Potage Parmentier is the basis for many, many French soups, so it is important to have this particular soup down to a science.
I would like to think that my skills in the kitchen are a bit beyond this, however, one can't cover the basics enough. I'm not sure how much by way of skill improvement I received from this particular recipe. I will be moving on to the variations of the Potage Parmentier that Julia has listed and we will see how they turn out.
Tomorrow, I will attempt to take some photos and see how things go.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Sweet & Spicy Grilled Steak with Tomato Relish
In my previous post I mentioned a steak recipe I made for a friend on Sunday. Here is that recipe:
Sweet & Spicy Grilled Steak with Tomato Relish
(Adapted from Cooking on the Side)
Spice Mix
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried cumin (original called for roasted, which I couldn't find)
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Tomato Relish
1 pint assorted colors cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used medium yellow and orange tomatoes, cut in eighths)
1/4 chopped red onion
1 tablespoon olive oil (I used grape-seed oil)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 pound boneless beef sirloin (about 3/4 inch thick)
Directions
1. Mix sugar, cumin, oregano, sea salt, garlic powder and red pepper in a small bowl until well blended. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture. Brush steaks with oil. Rub remaining spice mixture on both side of steaks, taking care not to handle over much. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor.
2. Meanwhile, mix tomatoes, onion, oil, vinegar and reserved spice mixture in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
**Note: The Tomato Relish can be made ahead of time.
3. Grill steaks over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Slice steak and serve with Tomato Relish.
For maximum flavor, refrigerate steaks for 2 hours after rubbing with spice mixture.
For large to huge steaks, I recommend doubling or tripling the spice mix to really coat the steaks heavily with the spice mix.
Sweet & Spicy Grilled Steak with Tomato Relish
(Adapted from Cooking on the Side)
Spice Mix
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried cumin (original called for roasted, which I couldn't find)
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Tomato Relish
1 pint assorted colors cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used medium yellow and orange tomatoes, cut in eighths)
1/4 chopped red onion
1 tablespoon olive oil (I used grape-seed oil)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 pound boneless beef sirloin (about 3/4 inch thick)
Directions
1. Mix sugar, cumin, oregano, sea salt, garlic powder and red pepper in a small bowl until well blended. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture. Brush steaks with oil. Rub remaining spice mixture on both side of steaks, taking care not to handle over much. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor.
2. Meanwhile, mix tomatoes, onion, oil, vinegar and reserved spice mixture in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
**Note: The Tomato Relish can be made ahead of time.
3. Grill steaks over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Slice steak and serve with Tomato Relish.
For maximum flavor, refrigerate steaks for 2 hours after rubbing with spice mixture.
For large to huge steaks, I recommend doubling or tripling the spice mix to really coat the steaks heavily with the spice mix.
Steaks in the New Pan
Just this Sunday, I had a friend over. I decided steak would be a good idea. I went to tastespotting.com and found a recipe for Sweet & Spicy Grilled Steak with Tomato Relish. Guess what the picture had in it, other than steak?? Give up?? Good, I'll tell ya...a 12" Square Grill pan, it was the Le Creuset version, but it was my pan! Yay! I was making this recipe. Like I said in the previous post, I finally learned how to properly season cast iron, so the grill pan was back in great shape so that's what I would use, other than the fact that it was raining cats, dogs and a few elephants so the grill was out of the question.
I went to the store, got the stuff and headed home. My friend was there when I arrived, so I unpacked and started making the steaks.
Heated up the pan, put in the grape-seed oil (it has a higher smoke point than olive or vegetable oils and I didn't want a smoke bomb, disguised as cooking, going off in the house in front a guest). The pan was beginning to smoke a bit, which is normal, I plopped in the steaks and immediately heard that wonderful sizzle sound. Chills went up and down my spine like lightning bolts.
Six and a half minutes later, the true test came, I flipped the first steak. Sure enough, it slid right off the rails, just like it was supposed to. OMIGOSH! It was awesome! I realize that's exactly what it's supposed to do, however, I had spent more cleaning that damn pan than actually cooking in it. I was now actually cooking on apiece of professional grade equipment. I darn near cried. the second steak flipped flawlessly. My guest remarked about the beautiful sear lines. I was so happy about the meat flipping correctly that I hadn't even noticed. HOLY CRAP! Those sear lines were perfect! Nice and dark brown and perfectly straight and even. It was a sight! I should have taken a picture but I didn't have the camera. The steaks came off without a hitch. The center was a little underdone, but still great none the less.
So all in all, I had a huge first success with the my new Staub Sapphire Blue 12" Grill Pan.
Update: last night I cooked bacon on it for the first time. I have to say that bacon with sear lines is a bit weird at first but absolutely scrumptious.
A New Pan for Me!
Over the course of the past few weeks, I have been keeping up with Miss Lacey from asweetpeachef.com and her recipes. Just recently, she received a Le Creuset oven. I'll admit it, I was jealous. She got a new pot and that got me thinking about my own cookware situation. I scoured the house for any vestiges of my grandmothers cooking stuff, of which she had had a lot. All I could find were cheap pots and pans that my mother had bought ages ago. I was not a happy camper. So I took matters into my own hands.
Last weekend, I ventured out into the hot summer Saturday morning and headed to Williams-Sonoma, a store not far from my house. It turns out that they were having a sale.
I scored me a Staub 12" cobalt blue grill pan, like one of the ones I had seen in a Gordon Ramsay video. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I bought it, took it home, seasoned it and subsequently had my first oops.
I had made steaks, with the Wild River Herbed Honey Glaze sauce. I had had absolutely no experience with cast iron and misunderstood what Staub had to say about the non-stick coating on the pan. The glaze got underneath the rails and caramelized into a hard, thick, crusty black substance that refused to come off the darn pan. I almost started to panic. I decided, let me soak the pan for a while and see what happens.
After the pan had soaked for about an two hours, I came across a site on the Internots about caring for cast iron. One of the major no-no's was letting a cast iron pan soak. OMIGOSH. I ran upstairs, emptied it and tried scrubbing again. The stuff was not coming out at all. I was getting pretty upset. I left the pan in the sink overnight.
The next day we had a family party at my aunt's house. Fortunately, one of my cousins was there who is a thorough foodie, not just a foodie but super-foodie who worked in restaurant and stuff. If anyone would know, HE would know and he did. He told me exactly what to with the pan. I followed his directions, mixed up a cup of vinegar and a cup of water, put them in the pan and let it soak. After about 15 minutes, using a dull knife I CAREFULLY pried at the mess until it had al popped off. A quick scrub later and everything was fine.
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Establishing Myself on the Path
Hello, again, dear readers!
I'll admit it, I'm a huge fan of Chef Gordon Ramsay. I think he's just great. I love watching Hell's Kitchen. I watch that show like a drug addict does drugs - a lot and often. I had come across some YouTube videos of other shows that Ramsay had done in Britain and spent several days watching all of them, several times over. Ramsay is one of the most creative swearers I have ever come across and I love him for it. It is rather a treat to hear him cuss out a motorcycle in English and French. It's awesome. Love that guy.
Since watching Ramsay's shows, I developed an interest in digging deeper into this thing called cooking. I started doing some research on the Internots. I eventually came across a blog:
http://www.asweetpeachef.com/about/ - A Sweet Pea Chef, a blog written by a lady named Lacey, who went to school, majored in psychology, became a social worker and in 2009 decided to become a personal chef. Her story and her wonderful recipes were a huge inspiration to start pushing forward, get off my butt and get cooking.
My biggest deal was that I wasn't (and still am not) sure if I'm ready for Culinary School. It is a tremendous financial hurdle and I'm not sure how much I would get out of it just yet. Lacey never mentioned Culinary School at all that I could find in her blog. Not that Culinary School isn't important, because it is, it was great to see someone who had a passion to do something, just jump in there and do it. That's the kind of person I want to be like.
In the next post, I'll tell you about my beautiful new pan and a mistake I may or may not have made.
I'll admit it, I'm a huge fan of Chef Gordon Ramsay. I think he's just great. I love watching Hell's Kitchen. I watch that show like a drug addict does drugs - a lot and often. I had come across some YouTube videos of other shows that Ramsay had done in Britain and spent several days watching all of them, several times over. Ramsay is one of the most creative swearers I have ever come across and I love him for it. It is rather a treat to hear him cuss out a motorcycle in English and French. It's awesome. Love that guy.
Since watching Ramsay's shows, I developed an interest in digging deeper into this thing called cooking. I started doing some research on the Internots. I eventually came across a blog:
http://www.asweetpeachef.com/about/ - A Sweet Pea Chef, a blog written by a lady named Lacey, who went to school, majored in psychology, became a social worker and in 2009 decided to become a personal chef. Her story and her wonderful recipes were a huge inspiration to start pushing forward, get off my butt and get cooking.
My biggest deal was that I wasn't (and still am not) sure if I'm ready for Culinary School. It is a tremendous financial hurdle and I'm not sure how much I would get out of it just yet. Lacey never mentioned Culinary School at all that I could find in her blog. Not that Culinary School isn't important, because it is, it was great to see someone who had a passion to do something, just jump in there and do it. That's the kind of person I want to be like.
In the next post, I'll tell you about my beautiful new pan and a mistake I may or may not have made.
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