Week 10 - Combination cooking techniques

Objective

The successful preparation of multiple dishes using combination cooking techniques. Organization and preparation to be used to ensure a complete dish is ready to serve at once and no parts of the dish are left to sit before service.

Sanitation and Safety

This week we will be using chicken so the normal sanitation and cooking procedures apply. Outside of this factor, there aren't any special considerations beyond regular kitchen safety and sanitation.

Information

This week we will be preparing the following dishes:

• Braised lamb shanks with parsnip purée, roasted vegetables and mint sauce
• Chicken blanquette with herbed potato gnocchi and buttered green beans
• Beef Bourguignon with pappardelle (large fettuccine) in herb butter and glazed carrots
• Coq au vin with broccoli almondine and chateau potatoes

Chicken blanquette is a chicken prepared with a white sauce, so while we will sauté the chicken briefly as part of the combination cooking method before finishing cooking in liquid, it is important that the chicken does not take on any colour. The sautéing should be brief and heat reduced slightly so that no colour is taken on by the chicken.

The beef bourguignon will require marinating before stewing, so it is important to prepare the marinade ahead of time. The meat should be cut into equal pieces to ensure even cooking throughout the dish and then placed into the marinade, covered, and placed into the refrigerator to sit - the longer the better, up to several hours.

Coq au vin is a chicken dish which will be simmered in a combination of chicken stock and red wine after being browned in a pan with clarified butter. We also add brandy and flambé the chicken to enhance the flavour characteristics of this dish.

Practical

The braised lamb shanks require approximately 2 hours to cook, so we start on them first. The lamb shank is seared in a braising pot on all sides until golden brown. We add bay leaves, garlic, rosemary and seasonings, along with red wine and broth to come approximately 2/3rds the way up the meat. This mixture is brought to a simmer and covered, then placed in the oven to cook. Once done, the shank is removed and the jus is strained and thickened just slightly, at which point the dish is ready for service. The parsnip purée is prepared by boiling potatoes and parsnips in separate pots until tender. They are then passed through a food mill to mash and combine them. Butter, cream, and seasoning is blended in to finish the dish. The mint sauce is a combination of vinegar, sugar and chopped mint. They are combined and placed in a pan to heat briefly - the purpose is not to overly cook the mixture and ruin the colour of the mint, but to warm it up enough to allow easier blending of the ingredients flavours.

The roasted vegetables are prepared per our previous recipes.

For the chicken blanquette, we briefly cook the chicken in a pan while avoiding cooking long enough to get any colour on the meat. We then place the chicken in a sauce pan along with carrot, celery, onion pique, and a boquet garni and then cover with cold stock. The mixture is brought to a boil, skimmed, and then simmered for approximately 30 minutes. We remove the chicken from the stock and strain the stock, adding a roux to prepare a velouté sauce. We then add a liaison (egg yolks and cream) to thicken the sauce further. The chicken is sliced and warmed in the sauce and then served.

We prepare the gnocchi and green beans per our previous recipes.

The beef bourguignon marinade is a mixture of garlic, onions, carrots, parsley, a bouquet garni, peppercorns, salt and red wine. We cut the beef into appropriate sized cubes of equal size and place them in the marinade to soak under refrigeration. Once completed, we remove the meat from the marinade and drain it, while straining and setting aside the remaining marinade to be used later. The beef is then dredged in flour and sautéed in oil until browned. We add tomato paste and cook briefly, then add the marinade, quartered tomatoes and brown stock to cover the meat. This is covered and cooked in an oven until the meat is tender - time will depend on the quality of meat being used. Once done, the meat is removed from the sauce and the sauce is strained, discarding the solids. Quartered mushrooms are sautéed in butter and added to the meat and sauce, and pearl onions are boiled and added. The mixture is simmered for 10 minutes to blend the flavours and is then ready to serve.

Pasta and carrots are prepared per our previous recipes.

The coq au vin is prepared first by fabricating the chicken into 8 pieces. The pieces are dredged in seasoned flour and then browned in a pan with clarified butter. Once browned, we add brandy to the pan and ignite to flambé the chicken. Once the flame dies, we add a bouquet garni, garlic, red wine and chicken stock which is brought to a boil and then reduced to simmer. The pan is covered and the chicken cooked until tender. While the chicken is simmering, we sauté bacon and onions in another pan until the fat from the bacon has rendered and the onions are tender - at this point we add mushroom caps and cook briefly until tender. Once the chicken has cooked, it is removed from the pan and the sauce's consistency is adjusted with a beurre manie, then it is strained and seasoned. The bacon, onion and mushroom mixture is spooned on to a platter with the chicken placed on top, and sauce ladled over the dish. We prepare croutons to serve with the dish as well.

Broccoli almondine and chateau potatoes are prepared per our previous recipes.

Personal Observations

This week was full of incredibly hearty and flavourful dishes. The combination cooking method lends itself to dishes in which the flavours are very blended, making each bite a satisfying one. Beyond that, it allows the use of lesser cuts of meat which will become tenderized in the slow cooking process of stewing or braising. All of our dishes were very flavourful and tender, I had no complaints about our dishes this week.

Chef's Observations

For the most part this week Chef was very happy with our work. The braised lamb shank dish turned out well and was also presented well. For our chicken blanquette, the sauce was a good colour but the flavour was slightly overpowered by the aromatics used in the preparation. Our gnocchi were the appropriate texture and flavour, but were not quite round enough. Otherwise, the dish was very good in presentation and flavour.

The beef bourguignon dish was very good flavour wise, although the sauce was not quite the deep red colour Chef wanted. The pappardelle and glazed carrots were both very good. Our coq au vin dish was very good, the sauce was the right colour in this instance although was a little light on the flavour of the wine used to prepare the dish. The presentation and the broccoli were good, although the potatoes were slightly overdone. Overall a good dish with a few adjustments that needed to be made.

Week 9 - Fish

Objective

Successfully preparing fish dishes using different cooking methods, including poaching and pan-frying. Organization and preparation to be used to ensure a complete dish is ready to serve at once and no parts of the dish are left to sit before service.

Sanitation and Safety

When serving fish it is important to ensure you are purchasing it from an approved supplier. Fish can be infected with a parasite, and the supplier should be freezing the fish for an appropriate amount of time to remove any concerns regarding parasites.

When filleting fish, it is important to remove all of the pin bones, usually with fish pliers, to prevent a choking hazard.

Information

In week 9, our prepared dishes are:

• Salmon poached in court bouillon with bearnaise sauce, rice pilaf and summer squash noodles
• Red Snapper en papillote with crostini and potato aioli
• Fish bonne femme with buttered asparagus and pommes nature (parsley potatoes)
  
• Pan-fried Trout with capers and lemon with pommes chateau (sautéed potatoes) and cauliflower au gratin

The salmon fillets to be poached are fabricated and de-boned before cooking. To cut the fillet, the knife is placed just behind the gills and you cut down to the spine, then turning the knife towards the back of the fish and cutting along the spine, ensuring you stay on the bone without cutting through it. Once this piece is separated from the rest of the fish, you can trim out the surface of the rib cage, followed by trimming upper and lower fins. The skin is then removed by cutting with the blade nearly parallel to the skin, keeping as little meat left behind as possible. Once the skin is removed, the pin bones must be removed, generally with fish pliers. At this point the whole fillet can be cut down into portion sizes and is ready for cooking.

"En Papillote" is a cooking method where the ingredients are sealed in a parchment paper envelope and steam in their own juices in the oven. The whole envelope is then served as is, so the guest can experience the aromas of the dish as they open the paper. The envelope is formed by folding a sheet of parchment paper in half and cutting it to an appropriate size to contain the ingredients. The ingredients are placed inside, and the edges are dabbed with oil to help establish the seal. The sides are then pinched together and folded over to form a seal for the envelope. The whole item is then placed in the oven for cooking.

Fish bonne femme is prepared by shallow poaching, where the poaching liquid only comes partially up the side of the meat. We also cover the fish with buttered parchment paper to keep moisture in.

Practical

For the poached salmon dish, our order of preparation will be to start with the court bouillon itself, followed by the rice pilaf and prep on the summer squash noodles, with the béarnaise sauce being prepared while the salmon is poaching. We first prepare the court bouillon to be used in the poaching. This is a combination of water, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, mirepoix, aromatics and seasonings brought to a boil and then simmered for 30-45 minutes. Once completed, it is strained and used to poach the salmon, which is cooked submerged until slightly firm and flaky, but still moist. Bearnaise sauce is prepared the same as our previous hollandaise sauces, but tarragon is added during the preparation of the reduction, as well as chopped tarragon is mixed in to the sauce itself to give extra visual appeal and flavour.

Rice pilaf and summer squash noodles are prepared as per our previous menus.

As the red snapper en papillote will be cooking in the oven, it will take the longest to prepare in this dish. We julienne cut some leek, carrot, celery and red pepper and place it in the papillot envelope with some basil butter and the fish. The papillote is sealed and placed in the oven to cook. The classic aioli is prepared by mashing potatoes and then adding egg yolk and mixing together. Oil is then added to form a sauce. The aioli is seasoned and prepared for service. We prepare crostini by rubbing sliced baguette with garlic butter and topping with julienne red peppers and toasting in the oven. The aioli is used as a dip for the crostini on our plate.

The fish bonne femme is shallow poached on a bed of sautéed shallots, mushrooms and parsley, using white wine, lemon juice and fish stock as a liquid. The fish is shaped into rolles (paupiettes) and placed on the bed of ingredients. The liquid is brought to a simmer and the fish is covered with parchment paper. At this point the dish can be finished in either the oven or on the stovetop; we continue cooking on the stovetop. Once the fish is cooked, it is removed from the pan and kept warm while a sauce is prepared from the liquid remaining. The cuisson is reduced and a velouté is added. The sauce is finished with monté au beurre, at which point the dish is ready to serve (fish and sauce together).

The buttered asparagus and pommes nature (parsley potatoes) are prepared following our previous procedures.

For the pan-fried trout, we start by preparing a seasoned flour mixture with salt and pepper. Clarified butter is heated in a pan and the trout fillets are dredged in the flour, then excess is patted away. The fish is pan-fried on each side until done. The fish is set aside and kept warm while a sauce is prepared from the pan. Excess butter is poured off, then whole butter is added and browned in the pan. Lemon segments, capers, and parsley are stirred in and seasoning is adjusted. The sauce is then ready to serve with the fish.

The cauliflower au gratin and pommes chateau are prepared following our previous procedures.

Personal Observations

Coming in to this week I was concerned about my personal taste for fish and the fact that I generally don't enjoy it. That being said, my most recent experiences with fish have found me enjoying it, merely preferring meat dishes rather than disliking the fish itself. This weeks dishes may change my outlook on fish, especially if I'm the one preparing it. The salmon was very flavourful and tasty, and the béarnaise sauce went very well with it. "En papillote" was a new cooking method to me, which produced an incredible smelling dish only to be matched by the wonderful flavour. The fish bonne femme was also very good, with the mushroom sauce not overpowering the flavour of the fish but complimenting it well. The pan-fried trout was also very good. Overall, I really enjoyed the dishes this week.

Chef's Observations

For the most part our dishes this week were quite good in the flavour and presentation department. Our poached salmon was very good and our red snapper en papillote was good as well, although we slightly over-toasted our crostini. We caught it just before it became inedible, so it was extra crunchy, but not burdened by a burnt flavour.

Our fish bonne femme turned out well, although we added a bed of sautéed mushrooms to the dish which ended up leaving the plate overpowered by mushrooms. The fish and the sauce themselves were fine, along with the accompaniments, but our addition this week didn't work out well. The pan-fried trout was very good, while slightly light on capers, it otherwise didn't need much improvement.

Blog Notes

For those who are interested, I have managed to actually get a job in the industry! I'll be working at a new casino which is opening this month, so I'm pretty excited about that. It's going to be an interesting environment to work in, not a small kitchen or even large kitchen, but there are 4 restaurants in the casino, likely on top of regular cooking services! I'm not sure exactly where I'll be working, whether it's restaurant or in a back kitchen somewhere, so I'll provide more details as soon as I have them. Bon appétit!

Week 8 - Chicken Fricassee, Flat Iron Steak, Veal Scaloppini, Breaded Pork Cutlets

Objective

The successful preparation of the assigned main dishes along with accompaniments, including appropriate timing ensuring the highest quality dish is served. This week we serve two dishes per day, bringing coordination of two whole plates into the picture.

Sanitation and Safety

There wasn't much new in the way of safety or sanitation topics this week - the usual regarding handling of proteins, especially chicken. These are topics we're rapidly becoming familiar with.

Information

For week 8, we prepare the following four dishes:

• Fricassee of Chicken with broccoli in pecan butter, buttered green beans, and rice pilaf
• Grilled Flat Iron Steak with pommes allumettes, aioli, maitre d'hotel butter, and broiled tomato
• Sautéed veal scaloppini in white wine lemon sauce with risotto milanese and brussels sprouts amandine
• Breaded pork cutlets with pommes nature, glazed carrots, and sautéed spinach

For the chicken fricassee, we will be de-boning the chicken before cooking it. Our order of cooking will be to start the fricassee and follow that up with the rice pilaf while prepping the broccoli and green beans. The vegetables and their sauces are done just before service, once the chicken has neared completion.

The flat iron steak is cooked a la minute, just before service, so we prepare the rest of the accompaniments first so they are ready when the steak is finished. The aioli is prepared and set aside in the fridge; the same is done with the maitre d'hotel butter. The tomato is prepared and put in to cook close to the same time the steak is started.

The veal scaloppini and cutlets are being fabricated from a pork tenderloin. We first trim the tenderloin of excess fat and silverskin. We then make a butterfly cut for the cutlets, and some smaller cuts for the scaloppini. These are then pounded out to appropriate thinness and set aside for cooking. For the scaloppini plate, the risotto and brussels sprouts are started first once the meat is prepared. As they approach the desired doneness, we cook the scaloppini and serve the dish. For brussels sprouts, it is important to pay attention to their size - if they are too large, such that they are more than a mouthful, they should be cut in half after cooking. This is primarily to enhance the service to whomever will be eating them.

It is a similar situation for the pork cutlets, which will cook quickly. Once the meet is fabricated and ready for cooking, we prepare the potatoes for the pommes nature. The glazed carrots are next, and as they approach completion we do the cutlets along with quickly sautéeing spinach.


Practical

The fricassee of chicken is started by de-boning a whole chicken. We cut the thigh away from the carcass then cut around the "ankle" of the drumstick to disconnect the connective tissue. When the meat is free from the bone, we can then work the bone out of the lower portion. The thigh is then cut where the remaining bone is and trimmed away from this bone, which is pulled out, along with any remaining cartilage. For this dish we then cut this piece into two. From the carcass, we then break away the wishbone to allow easy access to trimming the breast. The breast is trimmed away and also cut into two pieces. The process is repeated for the other half of the chicken, giving eight pieces from a single carcass. The chicken is seasoned with salt and white pepper and sautéed in butter without browning; onions are added and cooked until translucent. The pan is deglazed with wine, chicken stock is added along with a sachet and the pan is covered and cooked for 30-45 minutes. Once done, the chicken is removed and held while the sauce is strained, has a thickener such as flour added and brought to a boil. We then add some cream, nutmeg, and any seasoning adjustments. The sauce is returned to the chicken and it is ready for service.

The pecan butter is prepared by heating butter in a pan until it begins to brown. Chopped pecans are added and cooked in the butter to merge the flavours. Broccoli which has been cooked and shocked is then tossed in this mixture and is ready for service.

Buttered green beans and rice pilaf are prepared per our previous methods.

There is not a lot of new preparation involved in the flat iron steak. The steak itself is rubbed with seasoning and cooked on a grill to desired doneness. The pommes allumettes are potatoes chopped to matchstick style and cooked per our regular french fry method - blanched in the deep fryer at 250ºF until tender then set aside until service, at which time they are deep fried at 375ºF until golden brown and served. Maitre d'hotel butter is a blend of whole butter, chopped parsley and lemon juice, wrapped in a tube shape in saran wrap or parchment paper and chilled; this is then sliced off in medallions and used as a sauce for our steak. The broiled tomato is a tomato cut in half, rubbed with sugar and broiled until tender. It is then topped with a seasoned bread mixture and broiled once more before service to give colour to the topping.

Aioli is made per our previous method.

After the scaloppini is prepared as described above, we dredge it in seasoned flour then pat away any excess. We heat clarified butter in a pan and sauté the veal. Once the veal is done and set aside to keep warm, we add chopped shallots to the pan and sauté them. The pan is then deglazed with white wine and lemon juice. A brown veal stock is added and reduced, and a sauce is formed by swirling in butter (monter au beurre). The seasonings in the sauce are adjusted and the scaloppini is served along with the sauce. For the brussels sprouts amandine, we first peel any undesirable leaves away from the sprouts and then cut a cross in the base of them to promote even cooking; they are then boiled to appropriate doneness. We melt butter in a pan and cook garlic and almonds until the nuts are slightly browned. The cooked and drained (and cut if necessary) sprouts are tossed in the sauce and ready for service.

Risotto and spinach sauté are prepared per our previous method.

Once the pork cutlet is prepared per the description above, we coat it in flour, put it through an egg bath, and then dip in bread crumbs until completely coated. The cutlet is then pan-fried until the breading has a golden brown colour. It should be served with a slice of lemon to provide a light acidic flavour.

Pommes nature and glazed carrots are cooked per our previous method.

Personal Observations

This week was a good week for learning and experimenting more with presentation as I felt fairly comfortable with the flavours in all of the dishes. Overall I felt that we did a good job. Our fricassee was done well, and the steak turned out well also. Both pork dishes were very good, and our accompaniments were good across the board.

Chef's Observations

Chef commented that our fricassee of chicken dish had an overpowering lemon flavour. We had garnished the dish with lemon zest and after checking over it again, suspect this flavour had interfered too much with the dish. As well, our broccoli was slightly overdone.

Our flat iron steak dish was very good, the main issue with it was our butter had probably been out of the fridge too long before service, or we waited too long to serve the chef, but rather than getting the butter as a whole piece on the steak it had already melted. Otherwise, presentation and flavour was very good on this dish.

Our presentation for our scaloppini was very good as well, although our lemon sauce was quite strong. We served very little sauce because of it's intensity, and chef commented on the lack of sauce - we countered with the strength of it, and he understood why we hadn't served more. However, this showed that something wasn't quite right, and the sauce perhaps could have been thinned with a stock.

Our pork cutlet dish was very good and chef didn't have much feedback for us apart from the good job we did on it.

Week 7 - Roasted Beef / Chicken

Objective

The successful preparation of an oven roasted chicken, as well as an oven roast of beef. These dishes are combined with the preparation of side dishes, introducing preparation of multiple dishes simultaneously and the timing required to have them finish at appropriate times for fresh service.

Sanitation and Safety

As usual when dealing with meat dishes, separate cutting boards must be used to prevent any cross contamination with vegetables being prepared. While we are preparing Hollandaise, we don't need to worry about holding it in the temperature danger zone for too long as we are simply presenting and discarding any remainder.

We must also ensure that meats are cooked to appropriate temperatures. Chicken must reach 165°F to ensure any bacteria are destroyed. As dark meat takes longest to cook on a chicken, we take the temperature between the leg/thigh and the body, ensuring the thermometer is deep enough to be reading the correct temperature. The roast beef simply needs to be cooked to appropriate doneness, but we must measure at the thickest point to ensure accurate reading of the center of the roast. Lastly, when using our thermometer, we must be sure to wash and sanitize it before placing it back in its pocket container, so that it is clean for the next use.

Information

During week 7 we prepare our first complete dishes, one on each day of class. On the first day we prepare a whole roasted chicken with pan gravy, accompanied by savoyard potatoes, glazed carrots, and broccoli hollandaise. Day 2 was the preparation of a roast beef with jus lie, accompanied by yorkshire pudding, garlic mashed potatoes, glazed beets, and duxelle stuffed tomatoes.

Both pieces of meat require attention before cooking. For the chicken, we will truss it, tying the limbs up and pulling them close to the body of the bird, forming a uniform shape. The primary function of trussing is to ensure even cooking throughout the chicken - on top of this we are also enhancing appearance. The beef requires similar preparation to ensure even cooking, and is tied to hold together and form a uniform shape for cooking.

The preparation of the individual pieces are generally something we are all familiar with, but these two days are our first preparing and presenting a whole plate at once. This means that tasks which take longer must be started earlier and at appropriate times to ensure that all dishes are finishing at the same time, allowing for a hot and fresh presentation. For day one, this means the chicken must be rubbed and placed in the oven first, as it will take the longest to cook. We will then prepare the savoyard potatoes, which will be baked as well. Lastly, we do the carrots and broccoli. When the chicken is done, it can be cut for service while the pan gravy is made. Along with the temperature reading from the thermometer, we can read the degree of doneness by the clarity of the juices running from the chicken, as well as the looseness of the joints.

A similar timeline is followed when preparing the roast beef. The roast is put in first, followed by boiling the potatoes for mashing. Yorkshire batter is prepared and set aside in a cooler to chill for half an hour. The beets and tomatoes are then prepared, and gravy is finished while the roast is resting.

We are asked to make a decision as to what doneness we want the roast beef cooked to, and then ensure that it comes out as such. The temperature ranges are:

• Rare - 125°F
• Medium Rare - 135°F
• Medium - 145°F
• Well Done - 165°F

We also pay attention to the texture and springiness or sponginess of the meat which gives us an indication of doneness. Where juice clarity can be used for chicken, it is not an indicator of doneness for red meat.

An important factor to pay attention to when carving beef is to ensure we cut against the grain of the meat. If we cut with the grain, the meat can come out tougher and may be stringy or fall apart, while cutting against the grain ensures as much tenderness as is possible.

Practical

We start our roast chicken dinner by preparing the chicken. It is rinsed and then trussed. We rub down the chicken with a mixture of paprika, salt, thyme and black pepper, and vegetable oil. The rub covers the entire outside of the chicken as well as the inside cavities. We also place small pieces of seasoned butter underneath the skin on the breasts to add extra moisture and flavour. A bed of mirepoix is prepared in a roasting pan and the chicken is then placed on this, and set in the oven to roast. When finished, the bird is set aside to rest for 10 minutes while pan gravy is prepared by deglazing the pan with chicken stock and then thickening the liquid with a beurre manie. The chicken can be cut into appropriate pieces and is ready for service along with the pan gravy.

Savoyard potatoes are prepared by peeling potatoes and slicing them most of the way through, keeping the potato whole. Clarified butter is heated in a sauce pan and used to sweat onions and bacon. The pan is then deglazed with some chicken stock. The potatoes are placed in the pan and chicken stock is added to cover to the top of the potatoes. The pan is brought to a simmer, and then placed in an oven to finish baking. The dish is ready when the stock has been almost completely absorbed and evaporated. The potatoes can be quickly darkened under a salamander for visual and flavour appeal, and then served.

Glazed carrots and Broccoli hollandaise are prepared per our previous classes.

Before starting on the roast beef, we trim any silverskin as well as excess fat - appropriate amounts of fat are left for flavouring, but not in excess. The roast beef is then prepared by tying and rubbing down with salt, pepper, mustard seed, and a little garlic. Clarified butter is heated in a pan and the roast is seared on all sides. A bed of mirepoix is prepared in a roasting pan and the roast is placed on it and put in the oven to cook to desired doneness. When finished, it is removed and set aside to rest for 10 minutes while the jus lie is prepared by deglazing the pan with wine and brown stock. The liquid is strained, brought to a simmer and a small amount of a slurry is added to thicken it slightly. The jus lie is seasoned and ready to serve along with the sliced roast.

Yorkshire pudding batter is prepared from eggs, milk and flour mixed together and then chilled before use. Once we are ready to cook them, we add oil to the outside placements of a muffin pan and heat the pan in an oven at 475°F. Once the pan is very hot, we remove it from the oven and pour the batter into each prepared spot on the pan. The pan is then placed back in the oven to cook for approximately 20-25 minutes, ensuring we do not open the door or cause other temperature variations which may cause the yorkshire to fall. Once golden brown and firm enough that they will stay standing, they can be removed from the oven and served.

Duxelle stuffed tomatoes are prepared by peeling and seeding tomatoes, which should be halved or have the top cut off in an appropriate manner such that they can be stuffed. A mix of panko, garlic, parsley and olive oil is prepared to top the tomatoes with. We then sauté shallots and garlic in butter until tender. Finely chopped mushrooms are added and sautéed until dry. This mixture is seasoned and cooled. We stuff the tomatoes with the duxelles (mushroom) and top with the panko mixture. This is placed under the salamander to warm and add colour to the panko mixture, and is then ready for service.

Garlic mashed potatoes and glazed beets are prepared per previous classes.

Personal Observations

Having the opportunity and challenge of preparing a full dish was very exciting. It also allowed us to begin learning more about plating complete dishes rather than the single items we had been preparing previous to this. The savoyard potato dish was very interesting to me during our first day of cooking as I hadn't prepared potatoes this way before. The result was very delicious. Our hollandaise seemed a little thinner than usual, although we attributed this to the classes clarified butter having boiled over and not being of top quality. Overall, the first day went very well and the individual dishes came together to plate at the same time.

We were well organized on our second day as well, and expected everything to go well even with the specter of having to make yorkshire pudding properly hanging over us. However, with some guidance from Chef our yorkshires turned out very well, although I may have pulled them out of the oven about a minute too early. The duxelle stuffed tomatoes was a new dish to me, but very flavourful and it turned out well. The rest of the components on the plate were fairly standard fare and worked well - our group even went so far as to add to the mushroom theme by blanching and some sliced mushrooms and quickly sautéing in butter, then adding this to the center of our plate.

Chef's Observations

Chef's biggest comment regarding our chicken plate was our presentation. We had the different dishes spread out a little too much which didn't create the look he wanted, but he quickly corrected this for us and showed us what we needed to be doing the next time. This is somewhere that experience will really be the only guide to get better, and I'm happy to have his instruction.

Our presentation for our roast beef plate was much better, and the biggest flaw this time was that I hadn't sliced the meet against the grain. Unfortunately the cut we had was shaped in such a way that I thought I was cutting against the grain, but actually going with it. Fortunately, the beef was high quality and still very tender, although in most situations this would have been a very bad outcome. Otherwise, the flavour and texture in all of the components on the plate were very good, including our mushroom addition.

Week 6 - Potatoes, Rice and Pasta

Objective

To familiarize ourselves with the proper selection of potatoes for the dishes to be made with them, along with the variety of rices and what they are used for. Also, an introduction to fresh pasta preparation and cookery.

Sanitation and Safety

Potatoes that have been exposed to excess light will develop a green colouring on their skin which is an indication that solanine is developing. This is a toxic substance that can cause illness if consumed in sufficient amounts. However, it is easily removed by peeling. Rice has the potential to be contaminated with endospores of the bacillus cereus bacteria which can result in the bacteria being present once the rice is cooked. Danger can be avoided by following proper cooling and hot holding techniques to prevent the growth of the bacteria.

Information

In week 6 we prepare many potato dishes, along with some rice and pasta dishes. An important factor in preparing potato dishes is the selection of an appropriate type of potato. Potatoes are broken down into two general categories: mealy and waxy. Mealy potatoes (or starchy potatoes) have a high starch content and a thicker skin than waxy. They have a low moisture and sugar content, making them appropriate for baking and deep-fat frying. Varieties of mealy potatoes include russet or Idaho potatoes. Waxy potatoes have the opposite properties of mealy: a low starch, high moisture and high sugar content. This makes them appropriate for boiling and sautéing, as they will not fall apart while boiling as mealy potatoes would. Their high moisture and sugar content makes them inappropriate for deep-fat frying. Varieties of waxy potatoes include red potatoes and new potatoes.

With this information in hand, we prepare the following potato dishes:

• Duchesse Potatoes
• Croquette Potatoes
• Hash Brown Potatoes
• Rösti Potatoes
  
• Pommes Nature
• Pommes Chateau
• Roasted Potatoes
• Potato Gnocchi

Rice is typically selected for an application based on the length of its grain: long-grain, medium-grain, and short-grain. Long grain is typically the most widely used and versatile - it remains firm, fluffy, and separate when properly cooked. Short-grain rice has more starch and becomes tender and sticky when cooked. Sushi and Risotto both use short grain rice because of these properties. With appropriate rice selection, we make:

• Basic Simmered Rice
• Rice Pilaf
• Risotto Milanese

Pasta is prepared from an unleavened dough of liquid mixed with flour, the liquid usually being egg and/or water. Flour can be used from almost any grain, and the dough can be coloured and flavoured with herbs, puréed vegetables, and is then extruded into a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This week we prepare a fresh fettuccine noodle to be used in a Fettuccine a la Carbonara. We also prepare a Spaetzle, a German dumpling made from a dough of eggs and flour.

Practical

We start potato cookery by preparing Duchesse and Croquette potatoes. They both start with the same base of potatoes boiled in salted water until tender, drained and left on a sheet pan so excess moisture evaporates. The potatoes are pressed through a food mill and have butter and seasonings mixed in, followed by egg yolks. At this point the duchesse potatoes are placed in a piping bag and piped into single portion spirals, brushed with clarified butter, and placed in the oven to bake just until the edges are golden brown. They are then ready for service. The croquette potatoes are rolled out by hand and cut into even length sticks. They are placed in the fridge to chill, then rolled in flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs. Once breaded, they are deep fried until golden brown and served.

Hash brown and rösti potatoes also start from the same base. Potatoes are boiled until nearly done, and then brought out of the water and allowed to dry. They are then grated and prepared for finishing on the stove-top by sautéing. With some clarified butter in the pan, hash browns are cooked until brown, keeping the grated pieces mostly separated. They are seasoned and ready for service. The rösti is cooked similarly in a pan with some clarified butter, but is pressed together in a fairly thin layer, allowing the starchiness of the potatoes to hold the grated strands together. Once appropriately browned on the bottom, the rösti is flipped like a pancake and allowed to brown on the other side as well. Once the colour is appropriate, the rösti is ready for service.

Pommes nature are "natural potatoes" - potatoes are turned, boiled until tender, tossed in butter and parsley, and served. Pommes chateau are prepared by turning potatoes, boiling them until they're almost ready, finishing them by sautéing, and serving. For roasted potatoes, we cut the potatoes to even sizes, place them in a roasting pan with oil and spices, and cook in the oven until done. They should be served right away to keep their temperature.

The gnocchi is prepared by boiling potatoes until done, and then putting them through a food mill. The milled potatoes are mixed with eggs and seasonings, and then flour is added to form a medium-soft dough. The dough is rolled into approximately a 1cm roll, then cooled. It is then cut into short pieces, and pressed with a fork to create a shell shape. The shells are cooked in salted simmering water until they double in size, at which point they are ready for service. We prepare a tomato sauce to serve with the gnocchi.

The basic simmered rice is prepared by measuring an appropriate amount of water to rice, bringing the water to a boil, adding the rice and covering the pot. The heat is lowered and the rice is cooked until done. It should be fluffed with a fork and then served while hot.

Rice pilaf is done by heating butter and olive oil in a sauce pot and sweating an onion and bayleaf in the heated liquid until they are tender. Rice is added and stirred to coat completely, ensuring the rice does not brown. Boiling chicken stock is added and seasoned with salt. The pot is tightly covered and placed in an oven to cook for 18-20 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is fluffy and tender. The bay leaf can be removed, the rice fluffed with a fork and served.

We prepare the risotto by starting with heated butter in a saucepan, which we use to sweat minced onion. The arborio rice is added to the onion and butter and stirred to coat the grains well. Wine is added and the mixture is stirred until the liquid is completely absorbed. Simmering stock is added one ladle at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the moisture completely before adding another ladle. This process takes about 18-20 minutes to incorporate the appropriate amount of stock, after which some butter and grated cheese are mixed in, and the rice is served immediately, to ensure the rice is not overcooked.

Our pasta dough is made by combining eggs, oil and salt in a bowl. The mixture is poured into a flour bowl and slowly the flour is incorporated into the liquid until the dough is dry and will not absorb any more flour. The dough is wrapped and set aside at room temperature to rest for 20-30 minutes. Once rested, the dough is rolled flat and passed through a pasta cutting machine to cut to appropriate size. The pasta is placed in simmering water to cook. We prepare the carbonara sauce by sautéing bacon until done, but not crispy, and then allow the pan to cool slightly. We combine eggs, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese, and add this to the bacon.
The cooked noodles are added as well and the mixture is heated until the eggs thicken the mixture. It is seasoned and ready for immediate service.

The spaetzle dough is prepared from eggs, water, salt, nutmeg, and flour, mixed together in a bowl. The consistency of the dough can be adjusted by adding more flour if necessary. The dough is then passed through a large-holed colander or "dumpling grater" over simmering water so that the dough falls into the water in small dumpling pieces. The dumplings are cooked until they float to the surface, about 2-3 minutes, then removed and refreshed. After refreshing, they are drained well as they should not be left to soak. They are then sautéed in butter and finished with chopped parsley, and ready for service.

Personal Observations

I was looking forward to everything on this weeks menu as an avid potato, grain, and pasta fan. None of the dishes disappointed me. The piping of the duchesse potatoes wasn't an easy procedure and will take some more practice to do as smoothly as Chef demonstrated. The hash browns were straight forward, but keeping the rösti in form while flipping it presented problems at first. After a few attempts this was sorted out - again, practice will help the whole thing move smoother in the future. The pommes nature and pommes chateau were both fairly straight forward, although the pommes chateau came out of the water a little too early and were slightly undercooked when presented.

The rice pilaf was a fairly easy dish that turned out very tasty. The risotto was very good as well. There isn't much to be said about simmered rice, I've made this many times - although I think I will follow my own method for preparation next time rather than adding rice to boiling water and blindly covering to simmer for an arbitrary amount of time.

The spaetzle was a new dish completely to me. Our preparation of it was slightly impacted by our being ahead of schedule and working on it before Chef had demonstrated it.

The fresh pasta was fairly simple, and the carbonara sauce very tasty. This was as close as we've gotten thus far to preparing a whole dish, and it turned out very well.

Chef's Observations

For the most part our potato dishes turned out very well. Chef said the duchess and croquette potatoes were good, as well as the hash browns and rösti. The pommes nature were very good as well, but the pommes chateau were slightly undercooked. The roasted potatoes were fine.

Our tomato sauce and gnocchi were used as an example for some of the other in class as to how the dish should appear - the sauce had a very good flavour, and the gnocchi was well formed and cooked.

Our simmered rice was slightly undercooked and as a result, a touch grainy, said Chef. Our pilaf and risotto were both very good. Our spaetzle was good, even though we hadn't waited for the demonstration. Chef said it could have used a little more colour from sautéing though.

The fresh pasta in carbonara sauce was also very good, with very good flavours and appearance, although the pasta was slightly chewy, perhaps from overworking during preparation or not having been put through the pasta cutter on a thin enough setting.

Week 5 - Breakfast / Egg Cookery

Objective

To understand the preparation and serving of breakfast dishes. This includes the preparation of a variety of egg dishes, and eggs themselves done many different ways.

Sanitation and Safety

None of the foods prepared this week are generally reason for concern. Batters are prepared from relatively benign ingredients, and the results are not considered potentially hazardous foods. Eggs do have the potential for having come into contact with salmonella previously, but this concern is resolved by safe handling of food including proper hand washing, and the appropriate cooking temperatures being observed when preparing dishes.

Information

In week five we prepare some batter based breakfast dishes, pancakes and crepes. We also prepare a Quiche Lorraine, along with a Fritatta. Along with these, many egg dishes are prepared, which are French Toast, a French Omelet, and Shirred Eggs with ham. Eggs themselves are prepared as:

• Poached
• Scrambled
• Over Easy
• Over Medium
• Over Hard
• Soft Boiled
• Hard Boiled

Key to egg cookery is to ensure that eggs are cooked an appropriate amount of time. Obviously, under-done eggs are not appealing, so they need to be cooked well enough. However, eggs cannot be overdone or they will quickly take on a rubbery texture and lose their fresh and light appearance. When cooking an egg in a pan, it is important to not let the egg pick up too much colour. An omelet should remain light, perhaps with a slight darkening. Scrambled eggs should not have any colour and be moist and fluffy.

Practical

Our practical time this week is cut in half by our mid-terms. However, as breakfast dishes are generally not large time consumers, we are able to move through quite a few dishes in one afternoon class.

We start with pancakes and crepes. We start by preparing our crepe batter as it is best when it has had time to sit for approximately an hour. We mix together eggs, egg yolks, water, milk, sugar, salt, flour, and melted butter, ensuring that an even consistency is found without over-whipping the batter. We cover it and place it aside in the fridge to sit for an hour. Once it has sat, we heat a small crepe pan and pour the batter in so it just coats the pan. The crepe cooks quickly, and once set and light brown it is flipped over to cook a few seconds longer. It is removed from the pan and ready for service.

Pancake batter is made by mixing bread flour and pastry flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, beaten eggs, and melted butter together. This batter comes out slightly lumpy but should remain this way - if over-whipped it will start to lose it's lightness and the pancakes will not turn out as well as they could. The batter is ladled into a warm pan coated lightly with vegetable oil, cooked until bubbles appear on the top and flipped. Once the bottom is browned the pancake is ready for service.

Our Quiche Lorraine is prepared by first lining a pan with prepared shell pastry and cooking it until it starts to fluff, to ensure that it will have an even doneness after cooking with the rest of the quiche ingredients. Once done, we prepare diced onion and bacon by sautéeing it and then allowing it to cool. Once cool, this is placed into the pastry along with some cheese. We prepare some egg whites beaten to a peak and fold this into a a mixture of flour, milk, cream, egg yolks. This is poured over the ingredients in the pastry, and then placed in the oven to bake for approximately 25 minutes. It is then ready for service.

The Frittata is started by sautéing mushrooms in butter until tender, and then adding chopped jalapeno pepper. We add some diced roasted pepper, green onions, and cilantro and sauté until hot. Some beaten eggs are added and this mixture is cooked evenly by lifting the eggs periodically to allow uncooked egg to flow beneath. Once they have begun to set, cheese is sprinkled over the eggs, and the dish is placed in a salamander to finish cooking. It is then ready for service.

The omelet is a similar procedure to the frittata, but we fold the egg when it begins to set instead of allowing it to set flat. Meats and vegetables are cooked or blanched before starting the omelet. Eggs are whisked together and seasoned, then poured into a pan and stirred until they begin to set. The cooked egg is pulled from the edge of the pan to the center allowing raw egg to run underneath and cook. After the egg begins to firm up, the filling and garnish is added, and the omelet is folded as desired. It can be turned over and cooked if additional time is required. The omelet should not have excessive colour, and the insides should be very soft when finished.

French toast is made by whisking together eggs, cream, salt, and some cinnamon to taste. This is placed in a shallow pan and thick bread slices are soaked in the mixture. They are cooked in a heated pan until well and evenly browned on each side, and then ready for service.

Shirred eggs are prepared by lining a small dish with thinly sliced baked ham. An egg is broken and poured into the dish without breaking the yolk. This is seasoned with salt and pepper and placed in an oven to bake until it begins to set. We then add cream and grated cheese and return to the oven to finish cooking. The dish is ready when the egg is cooked and the cheese has melted, and should be served immediately.

Poached eggs are prepared directly in lightly boiling water. Vinegar is added to the water which will help the eggs keep their shape when they are added. The eggs are cooked until the desired doneness is reached.

Scrambled eggs are prepared by whisking together eggs and milk and seasoning to taste. The egg is poured into a heated pan and stirred continually while it cooks. The eggs are done when they have set and are still moist and fluffy. They should not be overcooked to avoid colour or firmer texture.

Personal Observations

We ate a lot of eggs this day in the kitchen, but they were all prepared differently and I wasn't bored of the taste at the end of the day. Shirred eggs was a new experience for me and a very tasty dish, and simple to prepare. Ours was slightly undercooked so I will definitely keep cooking time in mind next time I prepare this dish.

The crepes were slightly intimidating, and are very fragile. However, once I was used to how they behaved it became relatively easy to cook them and they were very tasty.

Our french toast was excellent, although I often prepare this dish for myself already so I knew what to expect. Our pancakes were very good as well.

It was nice to learn how simple it is to prepare a quiche or a frittata, both wonderfully flavourful dishes and easily modified to whatever ingredients are on hand. I will be preparing these more often myself now that I know what is required.

Chef's Observations

For the most part Chef's observations were positive this week. Cooking eggs to the appropriate doneness is the primary issue that came up with our dishes.

Our quiche and frittata came out very well, as did our pancakes. Chef said our crepes could have used a little more colour, but otherwise were presented well, and had a good texture and flavour.

As I expected, our french toast was spot on. Chef said our poached eggs and shirred eggs were both slightly undercooked, but otherwise done very well. There weren't many other criticisms of our work on breakfast dishes.

Blog Notes

Mid-terms are over and I think I did a pretty kick-ass job on most of them. I guess I'll have to wait and find out!

Week 4 - Vegetables

Objective

To familiarize ourselves with the selection and preparation of vegetables to be used in a variety of cooking methods. This includes the appropriate cutting and portioning of those vegetables and presentation for service.

Sanitation and Safety

Certain vegetables arrive in the kitchen very dirty, for various reasons. In terms of leeks, they are a bulb vegetable which grows underground and has tight layers within which dirt is easily trapped, and must be washed away before preparation. In terms of some leafy vegetables such as spinach, which are difficult to cultivate without the use of fertilizers or pesticides, they must be cleaned to ensure none of these are passed through to the consumer of the dish in which the vegetables are used.

Information

During week 4 we prepare many different vegetable dishes while exploring the different cooking methods, which can generally be broken down into three categories:

• Dry heat - Broiling, Grilling, Roasting, Baking, Sautéing, Pan-Frying, and Deep-Fat Frying
• Moist heat - Poaching, Simmering, Boiling, Steaming
• Combination - Braising, Stewing

Vegetables can be broken down into the following categories as well (some examples included):

• Flowers/Buds - Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower
• Fruit-Vegetables - Avocados, Eggplants, Peppers, Tomatoes
  
• Leafy Greens - Mustard greens, Spinach, Swiss Chard
• Fungi - Mushrooms, Truffles
• Bulbs - Bulb onions, Fennel, Garlic
• Pods and Seeds - Corn, Legumes, Okra
• Roots and Tubers - Beets, Carrots, Parsnips
• Stalks and Shoots - Artichokes, Asparagus, Celery
• Baby Vegetables - A vegetable which has been harvested prematurely or purposely bred hybrids to form true miniatures.

A consideration when cooking vegetables is the effect of acid or alkali in the cooking liquid. These effects vary from vegetable, but can be broken down based on the pigment family contained within the vegetable.

• Chlorophyll - gives vegetables a green colour, found in spinach, broccoli, and many more. When cooked with an acid, vegetables with this pigment will turn from bright fresh green to a drab olive green, but will maintain a firm texture. When cooked with an alkali, the colour will stay bright green, but the texture will turn mushy.
• Carotenoid - gives vegetables an orange or yellow colour, found in carrots and tomatoes. When cooking with an acid or alkali, the colour of a carotenoid will not be affected, however acid will keep the vegetable firm while alkali will make the vegetable mushy.
• Flavonoid - are broken down into two further categories, flavonoid anthoxanthin and flavonoid anthocyanins. Anthoxanthin is found in white vegetables such as cauliflower and will turn yellow when cooked in alkali, while maintaining its colour in acid. Anthocyanins are found in red vegetables such as red cabbage, and will turn blue in an alkali while maintaining colour an acid. As usual, acid will keep the vegetable firm, alkali will turn it mushy.

With this information in hand, we proceed to the recipes.

Practical

Partly due to the low cooking time required for vegetables, and general low prep time, we are able to get quite a few dishes in this week. We prepared:

• Broccoli Hollandaise
• Cauliflower au Gratin
• Buttered Green Beans
• Spinach Sauté
• Summer Squash Fettuccine
• Grilled Vegetables
• Vegetable Tempura
• Baked Butternut Squash
• Maple Glazed Carrots
• Pan Fried Zucchini with Aioli
• Glazed (Harvard) Beets
• Ratatouille

Broccoli Hollandaise is prepared by cutting broccoli florets of equal size, and pointing the stems for appearance. The stalks can have the green skin removed and the inner white cut in a tourner to be cooked with the florets. The broccoli is then blanched and refreshed (or shocked), then warmed and dried. Hollandaise is prepared per our previous lessons experience and drizzled over the broccoli, and served.

Cauliflower au Gratin is prepared by cutting cauliflower into florets of equal size, blanching in salt water and refreshing. Once well drained, this is then tossed in a béchamel sauce prepared per our previous experience, sprinkled with parmesan cheese and then placed under a broiler to brown. Once the sauce has an appropriate brown colour and before it burns, it is served.

Buttered green beans are prepared by blanching and shocking the beans, which are then reheated and tossed in butter seasoned with salt. They are served immediately to maintain temperature.

Spinach sauté is prepared by properly cleaning and washing spinach. Sweat minced garlic and shallot in olive oil over medium heat. The spinach is added and sautéed until hot. It should then be seasoned with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste, and served.

While summer squash fettuccine sounds like pasta is involved, we are in fact preparing the vegetables to appear as a noodle in this dish. The zucchini and squash have their peel trimmed but not wholly removed to leave some colour, and are cut into thin lengths as long as possible to resemble a thin noodle. Butter is melted over medium heat and we then sweat julienne leeks, then add the squash and zucchini. The combination is cooked until thoroughly heated and tender, with frequent tossing. It is seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon to taste, and garnished with chopped herbs for service.

Grilled vegetables are prepared by cutting to uniform size around medium to large dice while skewers (if wooden) are soaked in water. A marinade is prepared of rice wine vinegar, vegetable oil, garlic, herbs and spices. Vegetables excepting the mushrooms are blanched and shocked. The vegetables are soaked in the marinade for 30-45 minutes and are then placed onto the skewers in an even pattern and grilled until done, indicated by slight browning and some charring.

The vegetable tempura is started with a batter of eggs, water, baking soda and flour. The ingredients are combined and kept as cold as possible to keep the quality of the batter high, either kept on an ice bath or in the fridge while vegetables are being prepared. We prepare a dipping sauce of soy sauce, mirin, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, and wasabi powder. The vegetables are cut into uniform sizes, placed in a flour bath for dusting to help the batter cling to them, then are battered and placed in a deep fryer. They should be cooked through but not overcooked, removed from the deep fryer and patted down on a paper towel to remove excess oil. They are then served with the dip.

Baked butternut squash is prepared by first peeling the squash and then cutting it into a medium dice. It is placed in a buttered pan, seasoned with salt, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, and brown sugar. Lemon juice is drizzled over top along with some additional butter, and the pan is then placed in an oven at 350°F to cook until tender, around 50 minutes.

The maple glazed carrots are peeled and cut into a tourner shape. They are then parboiled in salt water and refreshed, maintaining firmness. They are then sautéed in butter until tender. They are seasoned with salt, pepper, and maple syrup, then garnished with parsley and served.

Our pan fried zucchini is prepared by peeling the zucchini while leaving some skin for colour. It is then cut with a bias to lengthen the cuts, while ensuring pieces are equal size. The pieces are powdered with flour, dipped in an egg bath, and then coated with bread crumbs. They are then pan-fried in vegetable oil until the crumbs have browned and the zucchini is tender. The aioli is prepared similar to a mayonnaise with the addition of tarragon. Once the zucchini is cooked they are served with the aioli as a dipping sauce.

Harvard beets are started by cooking the beets until tender for easy removal of the skins, as well as preparing them for their glaze. The glaze is a combination of sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper which is brought to a boil and stirred until the glaze is thick and clear. The beets are added and stirred gently to coat completely, then served while warm.

The ratatouille is made by first preparing eggplant, onion, green and red pepper, zucchini, in a medium dice. Mushrooms have their stems removed and are quartered. We then prepare tomato concassée (tomatoes skinned, seeded, and roughly diced). Once the eggplant is cut, it must be purged - this is the process of removing water from a vegetable that contains excessive water. It is lightly salted and placed in a colander or on paper tower to allow water to drain away for around 45 minutes. We then sauté the onion along with some chopped garlic in olive oil. The peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms are added and sautéed until tender. We then add the tomato, along with some tomato purée or paste as needed, and stew for about 5 minutes. The ratatouille is then served hot.

Personal Observations

I was very excited about this week as we began to prepare actual dishes rather than simply the bases for dishes. Although mostly simple in preparation, none of the dishes disappointed in flavour, aroma, and general enjoyment of preparation or tasting.

While the broccoli hollandaise was not a complex recipe, it was nice to have something to taste our fresh hollandaise with. Along with hollandaise, I am becoming a big fan of béchamel sauce - it's light and creamy flavour went very well with the cauliflower, and using the salimander to give it a glaze added extra visual and flavour appeal.

Getting into coating and battering vegetables for frying was interesting as well. I don't know what you can fry that comes out tasting bad (assuming you do it right), so this was going to be a good flavour experience as well. I was surprised at how simple the tempura batter was to make, and it turned out very well. I'll be doing this many times for myself.

For the most part the cooking turned out well this week. The major folly came in our baked butternut squash. Unfortunately when preparing the spice mixture for tossing with the squash, I added too much salt. I knew it, the others in my group knew it, and we sat there hoping that we could cook it away by adding more cinnamon or believing that after cooking the flavour would not be as prevalent. While it's our responsibility to be food conscious in the kitchen and not throw food away on a whim, I look back and should have made that decision on this one. The squash came out salty rather than the buttery-sweet it should have, and this would easily have been rectified with a new spice mixture. Apart from this, we had some minor timing issues getting the correct tenderness with some vegetables in a few dishes, all cases of having undercooked them, but otherwise I was happy with our work.

Chef's Observations

In general, Chef's observations were positive this week and we didn't get too much feedback that we weren't already expecting. I take this as a good sign that we at least recognize what we're doing wrong - the next step is correcting it and making sure things are right before service next time.

Our broccoli hollandaise turned out well, with our turned stems being a little more al dente than Chef would have liked, but otherwise the hollandaise was fine, and the broccoli was drained of water well enough so that it wasn't pooling on the plate. Our cauliflower au gratin turned out well, along with our buttered green beans and spinach saute. Chef was happy with our squash fettuccine, saying we had a good texture and flavour to the dish. Our grilled vegetables were good as well.

The vegetable tempura turned out very well, Chef did not have any negative comments on this.

As expected, the immediate comment on the butternut squash was the saltiness. We knew this was coming and couldn't do much about it at this point. Otherwise, the dish was presented well and the texture of the squash was fine, it had not been overcooked. However, the saltiness simply overpowered the sweetness we were trying to capture in this dish, so it did not turn out well.

Our maple glazed carrots turned out well, although some of our cuts were irregular leaving some of the pieces firmer than others. The pan-fried zucchini turned out nicely as well.

Our Harvard beets was another dish where the vegetable had been undercooked. We tried to rectify this by cooking it longer in the glaze, but had to be careful not to heat the glaze too high otherwise it would burn and the entire dish would be ruined. After getting the beets slightly more tender, we served the dish, but it was not enough. Beyond this, we couldn't decide on an attractive presentation and ended up giving Chef just a pile of beets, on a plate which was not spotless.

Our ratatouille, one of the more difficult dishes to get a proper consistency from, we did very well. It turned out very stewy, as it should have, rather than too soupy or saucy. Chef commended us on a job well done for this dish.

Blog Notes

Not much to say this week, it's midterms coming up so I'm studying. Good times. See you next week!