It wasn't the most excited day in my life. Scratch that, every day is the most exciting day of my life. (You have no idea what goes through my brain whilst idle.) The recipes were alright, I guess; just two standard and classic vegetable mixes. Everyone knows the beauty of ratatouille, mostly thanks to the 2007 Disney namesake film. It's basically a hodge podge stew of vegetables, and can be made with anything you have available, for the most part; we added eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, onions and green peppers to ours. Since it's usually made in large batches, Chef said his favorite way to use up ratatouille leftovers is by adding eggs and making an omelet. Sounds yummy! I think it would also be good wrapped in a savory crepe, perhaps one made with wheat flour and topped with gruyere.
We also made a layered/baked vegetable dish called Confit Bayaldi, which is simply sautéed onions and peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, Japanese eggplant and tomatoes layered in a pinwheel and sprinkled generously with thyme and garlic. It's doused with olive oil and baked, covered, for a long time, or until the layers start to blend together and compress. I mean, it wasn't that mind-blowing. I probably wouldn't really make it again, unless I had the exact ingredients, and only those ingredients, available in my kitchen and they were all going bad at once. Or if it was a matter of life or death, like if I got an anonymous call from someone who claimed to have taken Ellie hostage and the only payment they were requesting was Confit Bayaldi…only then would I consider making it again. I'd have to weigh the benefits and risks, because right now the only thing Ellie really does that's worthwhile is scream outside our door all night, puke on the rug and sit on the coffee table when we're not home. All I'm trying to say is that I'd consider it.
We only completed two recipes on Monday because we spent the first half of class taking a painfully long and boring HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) exam to be ServeSafe certified. It's training through the National Restaurant Association (NRA) that teaches food handlers how to be safe in the kitchen, including preventing food borne illnesses and proper storage and kitchen procedures. It's not a required certification, and is actually a perk of the school to give us the opportunity to be certified, but the information is very bland (not like our food!! Ha…ha…ha…) By the end, I was so ready for the test to be over that I swear I indicated on my scantron that yes, food handlers should still come to work if diagnosed with Hepatitis A, should never cover their hair and should always store food at room temperature uncovered on the counter. Now, I don't know if those are correct, but….it was worth a try. Maybe I'll be the first food handler to be ServeUnsafe certified. That's a resume builder!
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