Monday, April 4, 2011
I was soooo looking forward to my first day of school.....
....but I was in a total daze. I was so interested with my instructor. He is a master chef and out of the thousands of great chefs in this country, there are only between 70 and 80 master chefs and he is one of them. I could not sleep at all the night before so I went in my first day with red, watery eyes, sniffling, yawning and hobbling about as a result of work from the day before. Then after getting out of school...about 2 oclock....or so..... I'm all cozy in the chair with my 11 month old niece...and we're both almost asleep(she's laying on her back on my chest with her little cheek pressed against mine)(so frickin adorable!)....when I get a COMPLETELY unexpected call call. They needed me to work.... at 4, and I did. Now that I have officially been awake for over 38 hours straight, I'm going to bed...gotta be up in 4 hours.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
7 days, 8 hours, 50 minutes until....
....begins the first day of school...and the next big step in my culinary career. April 4th I begin my "diploma program" at Le Cordon Bleu. At first I was very alarmed at the fact that the school, has dropped their AS degree program. They have basically cut the entire program in half. I would say that I am nervous about the difficulty that may certainly present itself along with the the workload of school...but I certainly love a challenge and I have the utmost confidence in myself and my culinary abilities.
Up until now I have worked in restaurants from burger joints to semi-fine dining establishments. I have worked from the ground up and learned everything I know from working in kitchens under different chefs. The whole reason I started this blog was to serve as a journal to document my schooling. I have heard wonderful things about Le Cordon Bleu, usually from former students that have found success with running one or more kitchens in reputable restaurants. I have, on the other hand, heard some very terrible things about the school as well, most always from students that have made it no where in their career. This is fine with me. As with anything in life, you get back what you put into something.
I have worked with "chefs" that completed their schooling through Le Cordon Bleu were just plain lazy. They had absolutely no sense of purpose or drive inside of themselves, than to be anything more than a slightly over-paid and self-glorified line cook. When I tell people I'm going to Le Cordon Bleu and they start to say negative things about the school, I quickly realize that they are yet another lazy person with no drive or ambition and certainly no love for their "craft".
It's funny that the chefs I know that have attended Le Cordon Bleu and have succesful executive chef postions now in reputable restaurants throughout florida (and beyond) were always hard-workers to begin with.
I am fully confident in the direction I'm moving in and look forward to challenging myself to become the best chef I can be. I'm already studying some famous restaurants in and out of the country that accepts some externships. I can't wait to run a kitchen again, except now as a trained chef with absolutely full control of my budget and menu creation. Once I have completed my schooling, spent 2-5 years as a sous chef, and attained an executive chef position, I will spend much more time creating new exciting recipes, flavors, and move quickly into the study of molecular gastronomy. After ten years from now I will have at least one restaurant. That is my goal and that is what I will do. Remember you heard it here first!haha
No recipes today. I have not made any specials in quite some time but I am going to change that as much as I can starting tomorrow night, if my sous chef Nat has not already created one. We'll see when I get there.
Goodnight!
Up until now I have worked in restaurants from burger joints to semi-fine dining establishments. I have worked from the ground up and learned everything I know from working in kitchens under different chefs. The whole reason I started this blog was to serve as a journal to document my schooling. I have heard wonderful things about Le Cordon Bleu, usually from former students that have found success with running one or more kitchens in reputable restaurants. I have, on the other hand, heard some very terrible things about the school as well, most always from students that have made it no where in their career. This is fine with me. As with anything in life, you get back what you put into something.
I have worked with "chefs" that completed their schooling through Le Cordon Bleu were just plain lazy. They had absolutely no sense of purpose or drive inside of themselves, than to be anything more than a slightly over-paid and self-glorified line cook. When I tell people I'm going to Le Cordon Bleu and they start to say negative things about the school, I quickly realize that they are yet another lazy person with no drive or ambition and certainly no love for their "craft".
It's funny that the chefs I know that have attended Le Cordon Bleu and have succesful executive chef postions now in reputable restaurants throughout florida (and beyond) were always hard-workers to begin with.
I am fully confident in the direction I'm moving in and look forward to challenging myself to become the best chef I can be. I'm already studying some famous restaurants in and out of the country that accepts some externships. I can't wait to run a kitchen again, except now as a trained chef with absolutely full control of my budget and menu creation. Once I have completed my schooling, spent 2-5 years as a sous chef, and attained an executive chef position, I will spend much more time creating new exciting recipes, flavors, and move quickly into the study of molecular gastronomy. After ten years from now I will have at least one restaurant. That is my goal and that is what I will do. Remember you heard it here first!haha
No recipes today. I have not made any specials in quite some time but I am going to change that as much as I can starting tomorrow night, if my sous chef Nat has not already created one. We'll see when I get there.
Goodnight!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Oh my god it has been such a long time since I have written a new blog!!!
So let me start of by saying, yes, it has been almost 3 months...yes I made some specials...but there are a few changes. First off I am STILL waiting to get into Le Cordon Bleu...I really do hope that the way the admissions department works is not a reflection of the type of schooling I will recieve there!lol
Anyways, I no longer work at Harmoni Market in College Park. I left there to work with Chef(Robert Walker) at The Boathouse in Winter Park, FL, a few miles from my house. Before I left Harmoni I made many many specials but since chef was gone I was always too busy to write my blog.
So just to share a few little specials I did....
Now typically when I make a soup or stew or something like that, I tend to just eyeball my measurements and my Jazzfest Cajun Gumbo is a perfect case in point.
JAZZY CAJUN GUMBO
(with approximate measurements)
1 lb. Andouille Sausage sliced or chopped
1 lb. shrimp (16-21)
1/2 lb pancetta diced and crispy
1 lb. roasted chicken breats
2 large onions (1 white, 1 red) rough chopped
4 bell peppers (2 red, 2 green) rough chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
1 whole garlic bulb minced
1 cup creole or blackening seasoning
1 qt fish stock
1 qt chicken stock
2 lbs fresh okra sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
4-5 bay leaves whole
10 roma tomatoes chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-1 cup of chocolate roux (just a dark roux-flour and butter)
I started it off by cooking my meats one at a time on high but using the same pan. (My recipe for the restaurant was about three times this amount and I used a 5 gallon pot, but at home you can just use an 8qt stock pot if you like) and I keep the grease from the pancetta in the pan. I then add in my olive oil,onions, celery and peppers and sautee them and deglaze with some chicken and fish stock. I then add the tomatoes, garlic, and okra, along with the remaining fish and chicken stocks and cook until everything is thoroughly stewed and add the remaining seasonings and let simmer on low for a couple hours. If you notice a lot of the juice has evaporated, or if you have accidentally overseasoned a bit, you can add more chicken or fish stock(broth) to the pot. Bring it back to a boil and slowly stir in one tbsp of roux at a time making sure to fully incorporate the roux into the gumbo. Do this until your gumbo has reached the desired consistancy. It should be thick and hearty in the end and the best damn gumbo you ever tasted!! I recommend it with some of chef Lindsey Walkers utterly delicious cornbread at The Boathouse in Winter Park! :-)
BRAISED PORK CHOPS in a RED WINE and OLIVE SAUCE with APPLE, FENNEL, SAUSAGE STUFFING and SPICED CARROTS
For the sauce you will need:
2 cups marsala drinking wine(real marsala wine!)
2 cups merlot drinking wine
1 cup veal stock
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leave(dried)
4 shallots finely diced
1/2 cup leaks roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh cremini(baby portabella's)
1/2 cup carrot roughly chopped
2 tbsp black peppercorns
1/2 cup of minced kalamata olives
1/2 cup butter diced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Get a 2 qt saucepan and heat up half your olive oil(1/8 cup). Drop into the pan, your shallots and sweat them for a few minutes until any liquid is au sec and deglaze your pan with a 1/2 cup of merlot. Add in your leaks, carrots, mushrooms, and olives and sautee once again until all liquid is au sec(almost completely gone) and then deglaze again. At this point you may add any remianing wine and ingredients(except for butter) and bring to a boil and reduce by half. Remove from heat and strain out liquid through a chinois so you are left with only the liquid reduction. While still hot, slowly stir in your tiny diced cubes of butter one at a time until desired thickness is acheived.
For the stuffing you will need:
1/2 lb of sausage crumbles
1 diced fennel bulb
1 diced onion
1 diced apple
1 gallon of white bread crumbs
3 cups chicken stock(broth)
2 cup cremini
1/2 cup dried cranberry
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp thyme
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lime zest
6 tbsp butter melted
First, cook sausage crumbles if not already done so. Then pour in together chicken stock over and mix into the bread cubes in a 4 qt mixing bowl and then add all the ingredients together. Make sure to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients together. Then place into a 4" 1/2 hotel pan and cook on 350 degrees for about 30 minutes covered and then take out of oven, pour melted butter over top of stuffing and cook another 10-15 minutes for a nice crust on top.
For the pork chops all you will need will be some center-cut pork chops with or without the bone and some bacon or pancetta grease. In a hot saute pan, put enough grease to almost cover the bottom of the pan and then sear the chops in the grease until each side is browned but the meat is still med rare inside. Finish them off in the oven at 400 degrees for about ten minutes(or more depending on how you eat your pork chops.
For the carrots: Well I'm sure I have written about them before and they are always a crowd pleaser so check it out.
LAMB STEW
This is really an easy and super delicious stew that appeals to the masses!
For the stew you will need:
2 quarts water
4 large tomatoes
1 large red onion diced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 cinammon stick
1 cup chick peas
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp veal stock
1 large diced carrot
6 sliced cremini
1 cup beef stock
3-4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp allspice
olive oil
1lb of lamb(cheapest cut still has great flavor)
Basically for this one you will just sear the lamb on both sides in a stock pot really good and then remove from pan and set aside. Then add the onion and garlic and saute and deglaze with some of the beef broth veal stock. Once cooked, add all remaining ingredients and lamb and bring to a boil for 5 minutes and then simmer for a couple hours on low until reduced to desired consistancy. Then...enjoy!!
Ugh...it's late...goin to bed...write more tomorrow.
Anyways, I no longer work at Harmoni Market in College Park. I left there to work with Chef(Robert Walker) at The Boathouse in Winter Park, FL, a few miles from my house. Before I left Harmoni I made many many specials but since chef was gone I was always too busy to write my blog.
So just to share a few little specials I did....
Now typically when I make a soup or stew or something like that, I tend to just eyeball my measurements and my Jazzfest Cajun Gumbo is a perfect case in point.
JAZZY CAJUN GUMBO
(with approximate measurements)
1 lb. Andouille Sausage sliced or chopped
1 lb. shrimp (16-21)
1/2 lb pancetta diced and crispy
1 lb. roasted chicken breats
2 large onions (1 white, 1 red) rough chopped
4 bell peppers (2 red, 2 green) rough chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
1 whole garlic bulb minced
1 cup creole or blackening seasoning
1 qt fish stock
1 qt chicken stock
2 lbs fresh okra sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
4-5 bay leaves whole
10 roma tomatoes chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-1 cup of chocolate roux (just a dark roux-flour and butter)
I started it off by cooking my meats one at a time on high but using the same pan. (My recipe for the restaurant was about three times this amount and I used a 5 gallon pot, but at home you can just use an 8qt stock pot if you like) and I keep the grease from the pancetta in the pan. I then add in my olive oil,onions, celery and peppers and sautee them and deglaze with some chicken and fish stock. I then add the tomatoes, garlic, and okra, along with the remaining fish and chicken stocks and cook until everything is thoroughly stewed and add the remaining seasonings and let simmer on low for a couple hours. If you notice a lot of the juice has evaporated, or if you have accidentally overseasoned a bit, you can add more chicken or fish stock(broth) to the pot. Bring it back to a boil and slowly stir in one tbsp of roux at a time making sure to fully incorporate the roux into the gumbo. Do this until your gumbo has reached the desired consistancy. It should be thick and hearty in the end and the best damn gumbo you ever tasted!! I recommend it with some of chef Lindsey Walkers utterly delicious cornbread at The Boathouse in Winter Park! :-)
BRAISED PORK CHOPS in a RED WINE and OLIVE SAUCE with APPLE, FENNEL, SAUSAGE STUFFING and SPICED CARROTS
For the sauce you will need:
2 cups marsala drinking wine(real marsala wine!)
2 cups merlot drinking wine
1 cup veal stock
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leave(dried)
4 shallots finely diced
1/2 cup leaks roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh cremini(baby portabella's)
1/2 cup carrot roughly chopped
2 tbsp black peppercorns
1/2 cup of minced kalamata olives
1/2 cup butter diced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Get a 2 qt saucepan and heat up half your olive oil(1/8 cup). Drop into the pan, your shallots and sweat them for a few minutes until any liquid is au sec and deglaze your pan with a 1/2 cup of merlot. Add in your leaks, carrots, mushrooms, and olives and sautee once again until all liquid is au sec(almost completely gone) and then deglaze again. At this point you may add any remianing wine and ingredients(except for butter) and bring to a boil and reduce by half. Remove from heat and strain out liquid through a chinois so you are left with only the liquid reduction. While still hot, slowly stir in your tiny diced cubes of butter one at a time until desired thickness is acheived.
For the stuffing you will need:
1/2 lb of sausage crumbles
1 diced fennel bulb
1 diced onion
1 diced apple
1 gallon of white bread crumbs
3 cups chicken stock(broth)
2 cup cremini
1/2 cup dried cranberry
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp thyme
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lime zest
6 tbsp butter melted
First, cook sausage crumbles if not already done so. Then pour in together chicken stock over and mix into the bread cubes in a 4 qt mixing bowl and then add all the ingredients together. Make sure to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients together. Then place into a 4" 1/2 hotel pan and cook on 350 degrees for about 30 minutes covered and then take out of oven, pour melted butter over top of stuffing and cook another 10-15 minutes for a nice crust on top.
For the pork chops all you will need will be some center-cut pork chops with or without the bone and some bacon or pancetta grease. In a hot saute pan, put enough grease to almost cover the bottom of the pan and then sear the chops in the grease until each side is browned but the meat is still med rare inside. Finish them off in the oven at 400 degrees for about ten minutes(or more depending on how you eat your pork chops.
For the carrots: Well I'm sure I have written about them before and they are always a crowd pleaser so check it out.
LAMB STEW
This is really an easy and super delicious stew that appeals to the masses!
For the stew you will need:
2 quarts water
4 large tomatoes
1 large red onion diced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 cinammon stick
1 cup chick peas
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp veal stock
1 large diced carrot
6 sliced cremini
1 cup beef stock
3-4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp allspice
olive oil
1lb of lamb(cheapest cut still has great flavor)
Basically for this one you will just sear the lamb on both sides in a stock pot really good and then remove from pan and set aside. Then add the onion and garlic and saute and deglaze with some of the beef broth veal stock. Once cooked, add all remaining ingredients and lamb and bring to a boil for 5 minutes and then simmer for a couple hours on low until reduced to desired consistancy. Then...enjoy!!
Ugh...it's late...goin to bed...write more tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Things to talk about...Crab Cakes with pineapple-cucumber salsa...blackened Mahi...bolognese sauce...steak with creamy sweet potato, truffle and goat cheese puree...chicken picatta!
Ugh...where to start. I wanted to do this blog on a daily basis but it appears I have not written anything in over a week.lol. I have been trying to get things figured out with Le Cordon Bleu and when I will actually be able to start classes.
So since I usually write about the specials I made that particular night or the past couple nights, here are a few in a row and if anyone likes them then they can check them out.
Chicken Picatta
2 Chicken breasts, boneless
2 tbsp shallots finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp capers
Juice of 1 lemon and pinch of zest
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp fresh parsley
salt n pepper to taste
1 loose packed cup of fresh arugula (optional)
1/2-3/4 cup flour
3 tbsp of unsalted butter
First I pounded the shit out of the chicken and lightly coated them with the flour and some salt and pepper. After setting them aside, I placed a hot saute pan over my burner and threw in my olive oil, shallots, garlic and diced onion and cooked them for about 3 minutes or until au sec and then deglaze the pan with a little of the white wine. I then add the rest of the olive oil and the chicken. I cook the chicken for approximately 1 minute and then add in my capers, lemon juice and zest, remaining wine and I reduce the liquid by half (or until thickened slightly). I then add in the fresh arugula (for mine) and remove from heat. I then dice the butter up and slowly stir into the sauce to thicken. I poured this over some basmati rice and garnished it with a pinch of fresh parsley and julienne strips of manchego (a delicious sheeps milk cheese) over top. Oh and yeah....you guessed it...served with grilled asparagus!!LOL
Alrighty then...on another night, I pretty much took the easy way out and just blackened a mahi filet. I served it with my morrocan spiced carrots and a cucumber-pineapple salsa across the mahi filet. This dish really needs no special introduction or attention for that matter. Basic, simple, and delicious were the ingredients. We sold a bunch of them.
Now....whats better than fresh salsa???? Fresh salsa...the next day!!! Of course when you give your salsa, dressing, sauce, marinade, or anything along those lines, time to sit and meld together longer, it's gonna be really good!
So I decided to make maryland style crab cakes the other night...SUCCESS!!!
Maryland-Style Crab Cakes
1 lb of fresh lump crab meat
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup mayonaisse
1/2 cup cream cheese diced
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 egg
1 tsp of dried tarragon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tbsp of lobster base (optional)
a pinch or two of old bay seasoning (optional)
I basically mixed all the ingredients except for 2 eggs and the panko bread crumbs. First I mixed into a 4 qt mixing bowl, the mayo, cream cheese, dijon mustard, 1 egg, tarragon, cayenne and lobster base and set aside in cooler for ten minutes. Then I took another 4 qt bowl and mixed my rep peppers, onions, and plain bread crumbs together thoroughly and set aside for 5-10 minutes in fridge. Then I mixed the two bowls together into 1. I then took a 4 oz scoop and scooped out leveled scoops of the mix onto a sheetpan (flat side down) to chill in fridge for around thirty minutes or so. Then I take another sheetpan and press down slightly to even out all the mounds with flat tops and bottoms and then I place each cake into an eggwash and then bread in the panko bread crumbs. After that, I returned them to the fridge until needed for an order. I cooked them in olive oil in a pan and served over arugula with the cucumber-pineapple salsa and remoulade on each side. Sold out half way through dinner!!
Another night I made a Strip Steak with rutabaga (a type of turnip) and potato smash on side. I served a creamy truffle, goat cheese and sweet potato puree over the top of the steak. With braised pearl onions and mushrooms.
Truffle, Goat, Sweet Potato Puree
1 large sweet potato peeled and diced
4 oz of fresh soft goat cheese
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 oz of truffle oil
1 tsp of dried tarragon
pinch of nutmeg
1 tbspoon of brown sugar
I took a 1 lb strip steak and seasoned it only with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. After grilling the steak to temperature I set aside to rest a bit. While this is happening I had one large sweet potato diced, and boiling down in a pot. In another pot I placed about 1/2 cup of heavy cream, goat cheese and truffle oil and reduced the liquid by a third. When the sweet potato is done, I add the cream mixture to the pan and mix thoroughly using an immersion blender until the texture is a silky, velvety cream that melts in your mouth. I also took a 1 lb bag of pearl onions, peeled them, and cooked them in some balsmic vinegar for 20 minutes or so and then tranferred to another sauce pan where I added olive oil and some merlot for deglazing my pan. I then lowered my heat and continued cooking the onions in oil and deglazing with the merlot. I also took a lb or so of brussel sprouts and cooked them "amanda style".LOL I first blanched them in boiling water and then an ice bath. I then cut up a lb of bacon and a whole onion and started cooking it in the pan and threw in the brussel spouts and cooked them down until thoroughly carmelized througout the pan, using some of the balsmic glaze from the other pan as well.
I'm sure there was something else to write about but it's late and it's my moms birthday and Im goona go hang with her now :-)
So since I usually write about the specials I made that particular night or the past couple nights, here are a few in a row and if anyone likes them then they can check them out.
Chicken Picatta
2 Chicken breasts, boneless
2 tbsp shallots finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp capers
Juice of 1 lemon and pinch of zest
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp fresh parsley
salt n pepper to taste
1 loose packed cup of fresh arugula (optional)
1/2-3/4 cup flour
3 tbsp of unsalted butter
First I pounded the shit out of the chicken and lightly coated them with the flour and some salt and pepper. After setting them aside, I placed a hot saute pan over my burner and threw in my olive oil, shallots, garlic and diced onion and cooked them for about 3 minutes or until au sec and then deglaze the pan with a little of the white wine. I then add the rest of the olive oil and the chicken. I cook the chicken for approximately 1 minute and then add in my capers, lemon juice and zest, remaining wine and I reduce the liquid by half (or until thickened slightly). I then add in the fresh arugula (for mine) and remove from heat. I then dice the butter up and slowly stir into the sauce to thicken. I poured this over some basmati rice and garnished it with a pinch of fresh parsley and julienne strips of manchego (a delicious sheeps milk cheese) over top. Oh and yeah....you guessed it...served with grilled asparagus!!LOL
Alrighty then...on another night, I pretty much took the easy way out and just blackened a mahi filet. I served it with my morrocan spiced carrots and a cucumber-pineapple salsa across the mahi filet. This dish really needs no special introduction or attention for that matter. Basic, simple, and delicious were the ingredients. We sold a bunch of them.
Now....whats better than fresh salsa???? Fresh salsa...the next day!!! Of course when you give your salsa, dressing, sauce, marinade, or anything along those lines, time to sit and meld together longer, it's gonna be really good!
So I decided to make maryland style crab cakes the other night...SUCCESS!!!
Maryland-Style Crab Cakes
1 lb of fresh lump crab meat
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup mayonaisse
1/2 cup cream cheese diced
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 egg
1 tsp of dried tarragon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tbsp of lobster base (optional)
a pinch or two of old bay seasoning (optional)
I basically mixed all the ingredients except for 2 eggs and the panko bread crumbs. First I mixed into a 4 qt mixing bowl, the mayo, cream cheese, dijon mustard, 1 egg, tarragon, cayenne and lobster base and set aside in cooler for ten minutes. Then I took another 4 qt bowl and mixed my rep peppers, onions, and plain bread crumbs together thoroughly and set aside for 5-10 minutes in fridge. Then I mixed the two bowls together into 1. I then took a 4 oz scoop and scooped out leveled scoops of the mix onto a sheetpan (flat side down) to chill in fridge for around thirty minutes or so. Then I take another sheetpan and press down slightly to even out all the mounds with flat tops and bottoms and then I place each cake into an eggwash and then bread in the panko bread crumbs. After that, I returned them to the fridge until needed for an order. I cooked them in olive oil in a pan and served over arugula with the cucumber-pineapple salsa and remoulade on each side. Sold out half way through dinner!!
Another night I made a Strip Steak with rutabaga (a type of turnip) and potato smash on side. I served a creamy truffle, goat cheese and sweet potato puree over the top of the steak. With braised pearl onions and mushrooms.
Truffle, Goat, Sweet Potato Puree
1 large sweet potato peeled and diced
4 oz of fresh soft goat cheese
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 oz of truffle oil
1 tsp of dried tarragon
pinch of nutmeg
1 tbspoon of brown sugar
I took a 1 lb strip steak and seasoned it only with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. After grilling the steak to temperature I set aside to rest a bit. While this is happening I had one large sweet potato diced, and boiling down in a pot. In another pot I placed about 1/2 cup of heavy cream, goat cheese and truffle oil and reduced the liquid by a third. When the sweet potato is done, I add the cream mixture to the pan and mix thoroughly using an immersion blender until the texture is a silky, velvety cream that melts in your mouth. I also took a 1 lb bag of pearl onions, peeled them, and cooked them in some balsmic vinegar for 20 minutes or so and then tranferred to another sauce pan where I added olive oil and some merlot for deglazing my pan. I then lowered my heat and continued cooking the onions in oil and deglazing with the merlot. I also took a lb or so of brussel sprouts and cooked them "amanda style".LOL I first blanched them in boiling water and then an ice bath. I then cut up a lb of bacon and a whole onion and started cooking it in the pan and threw in the brussel spouts and cooked them down until thoroughly carmelized througout the pan, using some of the balsmic glaze from the other pan as well.
I'm sure there was something else to write about but it's late and it's my moms birthday and Im goona go hang with her now :-)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Break time... and...appetizer...Salmon Mousse Amuse Bouche(sort of)
The other night Eric Hassard made the special for the evening and I must say it was fantastic for two reasons. One reason is that I needed a break for a day, but the bigger reason is that he was able to sell about ten of his specials on a very very dead saturday night. He made a scallop pasta sauce with a tomato cream base(similar to vodka sauce) and it was delicious!
Now for me, I spent the duration of dinner doing some very deep cleaning in the kitchen with John(asst GM). The stove looked spectacular when we were done with it. There is even more cleaning planned for the near future going even deeper inside equipment. John, along with myself(and anyone else that cares), completely believe in a pristine kitchen, being clean inside as well as outside. I'm a bit of a hard-ass about cleanliness.lol I truly believe that when you love what you are doing you are more likely to take alot more pride in your work.
So, Sunday came and went. Brunch was okay as far as profits go. I really wished we could have been busier.
I made a salmon mousse and chilled it in the fridge. I took a small 2 inch ring mold and cut out two circles of sourdough(preferably ciabatta). I thoroughly coated them in olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper and sent them through the impinger(an open convection oven with conveyor belt) a couple times to make them nice and crispy. I then took a 1 ounce ice cream scoop and put one (level) scoop of the mouse on top of each sourdough piece. I layered a few julienne strips of fresh mozz across the top and sent them through the impinger one more time. When they came out I placed two slice of grape tomato on top, pinch of dill, a pinch of lemon zest and a small squirt of lemon juice over top, both served over a small bed of fresh arugula. It was tastey. Dont know if it sold, my shift was up.lol
Now for me, I spent the duration of dinner doing some very deep cleaning in the kitchen with John(asst GM). The stove looked spectacular when we were done with it. There is even more cleaning planned for the near future going even deeper inside equipment. John, along with myself(and anyone else that cares), completely believe in a pristine kitchen, being clean inside as well as outside. I'm a bit of a hard-ass about cleanliness.lol I truly believe that when you love what you are doing you are more likely to take alot more pride in your work.
So, Sunday came and went. Brunch was okay as far as profits go. I really wished we could have been busier.
I made a salmon mousse and chilled it in the fridge. I took a small 2 inch ring mold and cut out two circles of sourdough(preferably ciabatta). I thoroughly coated them in olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper and sent them through the impinger(an open convection oven with conveyor belt) a couple times to make them nice and crispy. I then took a 1 ounce ice cream scoop and put one (level) scoop of the mouse on top of each sourdough piece. I layered a few julienne strips of fresh mozz across the top and sent them through the impinger one more time. When they came out I placed two slice of grape tomato on top, pinch of dill, a pinch of lemon zest and a small squirt of lemon juice over top, both served over a small bed of fresh arugula. It was tastey. Dont know if it sold, my shift was up.lol
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Ugh....It's Crunch-Time baby!!
....whatever. So last night I did a very simple special that was so delicious! I basically just made a gazpacho and mussels over linguine with some garlic herb crostini.
I came to work and started the Gazpacho right away and check to see if we even had mussels in stock to begin with.
For the Gazpacho, I took ten tomatoes, 2 large jalapenos, 1 long "seedless" cucumber, 5 cloves of garlic, 1 bushel of cilantro, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin seed, half of a fennel bulb, the zest and juice of 1 lime, 1/2 cup olive oil or so, and 1 tbsp of sea salt. I removed most of the excess tomato seed and all of tomato cores, the jalapeno seeds and cucumber seeds as well. If you want it a little more spicy you may add a little cayenne. I roughly chopped all these ingredients and added all the the food processor and pureed it all thoroughly.
I then took a hot saute pan and threw in about 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp of garlic minced and 1 tsp shallots minced and cook for 30 seconds or so, until the scent is released from the garlic and shallot mixture. Then I dropped in 12-13 fresh live mussels and splash it just a bit with some white wine. Then I poured 2oz. of fish stock over the mussels and then 6oz. of Gazpacho over that and cooked for 2-3 minutes. I dropped in 8 oz of fresh linguine and tossed thoroughly. I chiffonade(very very thin slicing) some fresh basil for a garnish on top and two pieces of garlic herb crostini. Yummy as hell!!
We had a meeting this morning for the kitchen staff only and it pretty much went as usual covering all the basics, except that my boss(one of them) tells me that it should take no longer than 20-30 minutes to come up with a special....hmmmm, so that would mean I would have to try and guess what me might have in stock. The other day I bought some watermelon from Publix (I was reimbursed for of course) and somebody ate it, or took it home or whatever. It's almost becoming like my own nightmare version of chopped(my favorite cooking show). I get a mystery basket(of sorts) and have between 20-30 minutes to complete the dish. It has to make sense, taste amazing, have a great presentation, and be something that we can easily produce during high volume... I must say, I do love a challenge:-)
I came to work and started the Gazpacho right away and check to see if we even had mussels in stock to begin with.
For the Gazpacho, I took ten tomatoes, 2 large jalapenos, 1 long "seedless" cucumber, 5 cloves of garlic, 1 bushel of cilantro, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin seed, half of a fennel bulb, the zest and juice of 1 lime, 1/2 cup olive oil or so, and 1 tbsp of sea salt. I removed most of the excess tomato seed and all of tomato cores, the jalapeno seeds and cucumber seeds as well. If you want it a little more spicy you may add a little cayenne. I roughly chopped all these ingredients and added all the the food processor and pureed it all thoroughly.
I then took a hot saute pan and threw in about 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp of garlic minced and 1 tsp shallots minced and cook for 30 seconds or so, until the scent is released from the garlic and shallot mixture. Then I dropped in 12-13 fresh live mussels and splash it just a bit with some white wine. Then I poured 2oz. of fish stock over the mussels and then 6oz. of Gazpacho over that and cooked for 2-3 minutes. I dropped in 8 oz of fresh linguine and tossed thoroughly. I chiffonade(very very thin slicing) some fresh basil for a garnish on top and two pieces of garlic herb crostini. Yummy as hell!!
We had a meeting this morning for the kitchen staff only and it pretty much went as usual covering all the basics, except that my boss(one of them) tells me that it should take no longer than 20-30 minutes to come up with a special....hmmmm, so that would mean I would have to try and guess what me might have in stock. The other day I bought some watermelon from Publix (I was reimbursed for of course) and somebody ate it, or took it home or whatever. It's almost becoming like my own nightmare version of chopped(my favorite cooking show). I get a mystery basket(of sorts) and have between 20-30 minutes to complete the dish. It has to make sense, taste amazing, have a great presentation, and be something that we can easily produce during high volume... I must say, I do love a challenge:-)
Friday, November 12, 2010
Strange night, pretty good special
Well last night was a little slow for a ladies night. I felt kinda weird all night. It wasn't really busy, but we were busy enough for a while to make it seem busy, yes and no. Make sense?lol
About 2:30pm I texted LJ and asked him to please start a fish stock for me. He did and when I got there it was smelling good. I chopped and added the last couple scallops from the line and some other things. The fish stock was made with water, salmon trimmings, scallop, shrimp, onion, pepper(red and green), celery, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme.
I wanted to use a fish stock in my seafood special for a nice deep flavor.
If you want to make a stock of any sort but your not sure how, just collect the bones or carcass of a chicken, beef rib bones, fish bones, pork bones and scraps of each of the those as well. You should always save your carrot, celery, pepper, and onion scraps at home(the ends, the peelings) in a freezer bag in the freezer.
Anyways, your going to want about an 8 quart stock pot(just a big ass cooking pot). If you don't happen to have the veggie scraps on hand then you will need one large onion(yellow or red) roughly chopped, 2-3 entire stalks(with leaves) of celery chopped, 1/2 red pepper, 1/2 green pepper, 1 small carrot roughly chopped. Put all of that into a bowl and set aside.
Pour a 1/4 cup of olive oil into the hot stock pot, then about 2 oz minced garlic, 2-3 oz minced shallot and let cook for 1 minute. Then drop in your bowl of vegetables(or an equal amount in weight of saved veggie scraps) and cook until the olive is gone. De glaze the pan with a little water and just a splash of wine if you prefer. Now dump in your 6 quarts of water into the pot and add any extras you wish to add. In this case I added thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf which worked perfectly to make my stock much more hearty and rich.
Now depending how strong you would like the flavor to be, you may opt to just throw the bones into the water, or you could(ahead of time) broil the bones in the oven for a bit. This is what I do at home. Have to cook those bones before they go into the water. As I said though, it is based on your personal preference. dump in any meat and skin scraps you have along with the bones.
Now you just bring it all to a boil and stir every few minutes for until the liquid has reduced to half in the stock pot. At this point, I would just let it simmer a bit longer, perhaps an extra hour. Then you just strain out all the muck that will be leftover and the juice you see is your stock!
When Amanda and I were living together we would always have like 5 quarts of chicken stock and 5 quarts of beef stock and freezer baggies of veggie scraps and bone scraps at all times. A little production kitchen for two.LOL
Anyways, my fish stock was done. I took one large diver scallop, scored and seasoned it and pan seared it. While that was happening, in a hot saute pan I squirted about 2 tablespoons olive oil, dropped in a teaspoon of garlic and one of shallots as well. I then drop 4 fresh mussels into the pan and small squirt of white wine and let it cook a minute. I then dropped in 1 diced scallop, 2 oz of rock shrimp, 1 oz sliced Davina(roasted) tomatoes, then ladled in 4 oz of fish stock and about 2 oz of cream. While that is cooking I slightly seasoned (salt,pepper,cayenne,cumin) two of our medium to large 16/20 shrimps and oil and grilled them. While the sauce is starting to simmer, I set aside my pan seared scallop, along with the four mussels from the pan. I go back to my pan and start to toss it up. I add sea salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. I then add 8 oz of fresh linguine and toss thoroughly.
I then threw 2 pieces of fresh sliced ciabatta into the oven for a couple minutes. While that is happening I use tongs to pull the pasta out of the pan and into the bowl as well as the shrimp and scallop. There is a couple ounces of sauce left in the bottom of my pan. I set it aside for the moment and place the mussels in around the plate like a compass-like formation. I then placed the pan seared scallop in the middle and a shrimp leaning against each opposite side of the scallop. I used the remaining sauce to drizzle across the mussels and once across the middle(the scallop and shrimps). I take the two pieces of crostini(ciabatta in this case) and spread a tiny smear of fresh garlic herb butter(I made here and there while doing the rest.LOL) across each and place across the bowl from one another facing opposite directions.
It tasted very good I thought. It sold like 3...maybe 4. I know the servers made it vanish rather quickly so I felt pretty good about it. Apparently some people thought it sounded fantastic but just couldn't see paying the price for it. WHAT? Seriously? It was priced about 8 dollars below what it would easily sell for in other restaurants with similar menu's to ours. What can I say?lol
Some people are way too busy being "experts" to enjoy anything in life. Hopefully the people that did order it, enjoyed it immensely. I don't recall any feedback at all last night so who knows.lol
About 2:30pm I texted LJ and asked him to please start a fish stock for me. He did and when I got there it was smelling good. I chopped and added the last couple scallops from the line and some other things. The fish stock was made with water, salmon trimmings, scallop, shrimp, onion, pepper(red and green), celery, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme.
I wanted to use a fish stock in my seafood special for a nice deep flavor.
If you want to make a stock of any sort but your not sure how, just collect the bones or carcass of a chicken, beef rib bones, fish bones, pork bones and scraps of each of the those as well. You should always save your carrot, celery, pepper, and onion scraps at home(the ends, the peelings) in a freezer bag in the freezer.
Anyways, your going to want about an 8 quart stock pot(just a big ass cooking pot). If you don't happen to have the veggie scraps on hand then you will need one large onion(yellow or red) roughly chopped, 2-3 entire stalks(with leaves) of celery chopped, 1/2 red pepper, 1/2 green pepper, 1 small carrot roughly chopped. Put all of that into a bowl and set aside.
Pour a 1/4 cup of olive oil into the hot stock pot, then about 2 oz minced garlic, 2-3 oz minced shallot and let cook for 1 minute. Then drop in your bowl of vegetables(or an equal amount in weight of saved veggie scraps) and cook until the olive is gone. De glaze the pan with a little water and just a splash of wine if you prefer. Now dump in your 6 quarts of water into the pot and add any extras you wish to add. In this case I added thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf which worked perfectly to make my stock much more hearty and rich.
Now depending how strong you would like the flavor to be, you may opt to just throw the bones into the water, or you could(ahead of time) broil the bones in the oven for a bit. This is what I do at home. Have to cook those bones before they go into the water. As I said though, it is based on your personal preference. dump in any meat and skin scraps you have along with the bones.
Now you just bring it all to a boil and stir every few minutes for until the liquid has reduced to half in the stock pot. At this point, I would just let it simmer a bit longer, perhaps an extra hour. Then you just strain out all the muck that will be leftover and the juice you see is your stock!
When Amanda and I were living together we would always have like 5 quarts of chicken stock and 5 quarts of beef stock and freezer baggies of veggie scraps and bone scraps at all times. A little production kitchen for two.LOL
Anyways, my fish stock was done. I took one large diver scallop, scored and seasoned it and pan seared it. While that was happening, in a hot saute pan I squirted about 2 tablespoons olive oil, dropped in a teaspoon of garlic and one of shallots as well. I then drop 4 fresh mussels into the pan and small squirt of white wine and let it cook a minute. I then dropped in 1 diced scallop, 2 oz of rock shrimp, 1 oz sliced Davina(roasted) tomatoes, then ladled in 4 oz of fish stock and about 2 oz of cream. While that is cooking I slightly seasoned (salt,pepper,cayenne,cumin) two of our medium to large 16/20 shrimps and oil and grilled them. While the sauce is starting to simmer, I set aside my pan seared scallop, along with the four mussels from the pan. I go back to my pan and start to toss it up. I add sea salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. I then add 8 oz of fresh linguine and toss thoroughly.
I then threw 2 pieces of fresh sliced ciabatta into the oven for a couple minutes. While that is happening I use tongs to pull the pasta out of the pan and into the bowl as well as the shrimp and scallop. There is a couple ounces of sauce left in the bottom of my pan. I set it aside for the moment and place the mussels in around the plate like a compass-like formation. I then placed the pan seared scallop in the middle and a shrimp leaning against each opposite side of the scallop. I used the remaining sauce to drizzle across the mussels and once across the middle(the scallop and shrimps). I take the two pieces of crostini(ciabatta in this case) and spread a tiny smear of fresh garlic herb butter(I made here and there while doing the rest.LOL) across each and place across the bowl from one another facing opposite directions.
It tasted very good I thought. It sold like 3...maybe 4. I know the servers made it vanish rather quickly so I felt pretty good about it. Apparently some people thought it sounded fantastic but just couldn't see paying the price for it. WHAT? Seriously? It was priced about 8 dollars below what it would easily sell for in other restaurants with similar menu's to ours. What can I say?lol
Some people are way too busy being "experts" to enjoy anything in life. Hopefully the people that did order it, enjoyed it immensely. I don't recall any feedback at all last night so who knows.lol
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