Friday 1/29/10 – Potatoes

You say po-tay-to, I say po-tah-to…let’s call the whole thing off!

As potatoes are a classic, wonderful starchy side dish, and sometimes main dish, we learned roughly eight different ways to easily prepare potatoes….and then we ate them all. By the end of class, we all had the tell-tale fried film on our teeth and our stomachs were rumbling, in a bad way. And then, the minute I walk in the door to our apartment, ready to relax for the weekend, the first thing I see is….A POTATO!! I just couldn’t get away from them! I felt like they were everywhere – on the carpet, in the bathroom, on Steve’s face, crawling on my arms. I just could not escape the tuber.

Those French and their language, my goodness gracious. We made pommes dauphinois, pommes dauphin and pommes darphin. Please tell me how I’m supposed to learn the different between the three. We also made fantastic French fries, which are confusingly not called French fries in France, they are Pommes Pont-Neuf, or Pommes Frites, depending on the size. Regardless, they were delicious, and chef made some fantastic home-made ketchup for dipping. Apparently the key to a great deep fried potato is to blanch them in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes (again, depending on size); this ensures the middle is nice and cooked before you fry the outside. We also filled pastry bags with mashed potatoes and an egg binding mixture and piped them out into fun shapes and then baked in the oven…like buttah! This is not something I would do for an ordinary dinner, but I could see these being fun appetizers at a party! Tawk amongst yahselves.

RANDOM RECIPE OF THE DAY

I pulled this dinner out of thin air the other day after getting an idea from Bon Appétit magazine. If you’ve never heard of quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), you should definitely try it! It’s a grain-like seed, and is a very easy and quick substitute for rice. It’s also packed full of protein, and makes a yummy side dish that can be mixed with almost anything.

THYME-CRUSTED PORK CHOPS WITH MUSHROOM AND SHALLOT QUINOA

Serves 2, but very easy to double for a family

You will need:

PORK CHOPS:

-2 center-cut bone-in pork chops

-3 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves pulled off of stems

-1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt

-1 teaspoon black pepper

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

-1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth

QUINOA:

-5 mid-sized button mushrooms, washed, peeled and quartered

-1 shallot, sliced or diced

-1 cup quinoa

-4 leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped

-1 bay leaf

-2 cups water

-1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

-1/2 cup red wine (whatever you have hanging around will do – if using white wine vinegar make sure you use white wine)

-2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 325˚F.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Once melted, add the shallots and mushrooms and cook until moist and soft, but without creating color. If the pan gets too dry, add more butter. Once the shallots and mushrooms are ready, add the red wine vinegar and the red wine to the pan, along with the bay leaf, and stir. Bring this to a boil and cook, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until reduced by 90% (the pan will be almost dry).

Meanwhile, heat a stainless steel oven-safe sauté pan (VERY important that it’s oven-safe!). Mix the thyme, black pepper and salt with a tablespoon of olive oil to make a rough paste, and rub both sides of each pork chop with the mixture. Once the pan is screaming hot, add 2 tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil (don’t use olive oil, it will burn at such a high heat) and sear each side of the chops for about 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, and put the whole thing in the oven. The pork chops will be done when the internal temperature registers 145˚F, or about 12 minutes.

Once the mushrooms and shallot mixture has reduced, remove the bay leaf and add the quinoa, water and sage and stir well. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Once all the water has cooked out (about 15 minutes), remove from heat and stir.

Serve the pork chops on a bed of quinoa with your favorite green vegetable or salad. Yum!

Wednesday 1/27/10 – Tournage

Class was boring. I apologize, but I have nothing to say.

Pish posh, I always have something to say! Tournage, tournage, tournage. I just really don’t know how to describe it. In french it literally means “to turn”, and the results of tournage are vegetables cut into 7-sided footballs of varying lengths, from 2-9 centimeters…so maybe I DO know how to describe it. Regardless, they’re pains in the butts, and a classic example of how detailed and meticulous les French are. We spent hours cutting potatoes, turnips and carrots into perfect shapes, then cooked each in different ways for a final plate.

The big news is that we switched station partners! It was a huge shock, really turned our little worlds upside down. D and I had gotten into a routine and were working well together…perhaps that’s why chef decided to scramble everyone! I was moved to the station at the front of the class and will now be working with Chad. He’s really nice (and I’m not just saying that because he washed my tools…..) and I think I’ll definitely learn a lot from him (I’m saying that because he washed my tools). Chad made us look smart when he suggested I preheat our oven to get it started, and 10 minutes later when chef asked who had preheated their ovens we were the only team…thanks Chad!

I started at the bank today. Back to the ‘ole grind, ridin’ the rails, burning’ the candle at both ends. It was a typical first day, but I am amazed at how different this opportunity will be from a previous job. Back then, I was a miserable shell of a human soul, trying to find a way off of that sinking ship. In this office, with these kind, professional people, I can see myself having enough motivation for a job well done, yet when the clock strikes I’m heading home (or to class). No more late nights, unpaid overtime and unrecognized talent! The best part is that the project is over at the end of March, so I don’t have to worry about long-term – it’ll be over before I know it!

Being down on Wall Street, I couldn’t help but think of a story my friend Rachel told me. She once passed a homeless man on the street who was carrying an invisible briefcase and was holding his hand up to his head like a make-shift cell phone, screaming, “I said sell!! BUY BUY BUY!” I want my money with whatever investment firm he thought he worked for.

RANDOM TIP OF THE DAY

Making your own butter is easy! Ok, pull your jaw off the floor and grab a carton of heavy cream.

You will need a stand mixer, unless you want your arm to fall off. Pour the heavy cream in the mixing bowl, and whisk at medium-high. After about 20 minutes the cream will turn into beautiful thick foam. (This can be sugared and used to top your favorite dessert!) Let it continue at medium-high for another 15 minutes or so, and it will suddenly turn into a pale yellow solid stuck to your whisk (this is your butter) and a thick milk in the bottom (this is buttermilk…save to make amazing Saturday morning buttermilk pancakes a la Lindsey.) Squeeze your solid butter in a paper towel to release the remaining liquid. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator (length TBD, I’ll keep you posted!)

To summarize: Pour cream, turn on mixer, relax on couch, eat butter.

January 25th, 2010 – Salads

We got our official test scores back. Chef rescinded his comment that “Real chefs get a B+,” but that’s ok because I GOT AN A+!! I’m still not sure how, but I studied pretty hard and am quite proud of myself. I don’t know how much it actually counts, because this is a curriculum where obviously cooking ability counts more than vocabulary, but nevertheless it’s still important to know the concepts and terms. Yahoo!

Steve and I don’t eat in a lot of fancy restaurants….ever. For obvious reasons: (1) it’s expensive and (2) we both love to cook. So my idea of a nice salad is a heap of romaine lettuce tossed with red onions, avocado, feta cheese and some oil and red wine vinegar (courtesy of my in-laws, the Blazeks). Before I started night classes, we ate that salad at least 5 nights a week. Apparently the French have a different definition of salad in mind.

We started with a Macedoine de Legumes, which is basically a handful of green beans, carrots and beets cut into macedoine, or small cubes, mixed with peas. All are cooked in boiling water and mixed with a nice, light handmade mayonnaise (see previous post). Then, using decoratively cut cucumbers, the mixture is formed on the plate with a sort of tall, round cookie cutter and topped with goat cheese. Finally, we removed the cookie cutter and topped the whole thing with a small piece of Gravlax, the salmon we cured last week. Beautiful and surprisingly delicious! I could charge $17 for that at the restaurant around the corner but, seeing as Steve is currently supporting our household I’ll just make it for him (but send him the bill later.)

We also made the classic Salade Nicoise, a ridiculous plate of strategically placed cut and cooked vegetables. If I paid close to $20 for a salad at a nice restaurant and that’s what they brought me…..problems. It’s so exciting, though, to be able to use our creativity to make a beautiful and delicious dish. While there are some specific ways and processes to do things in cooking, plating the food is a fun way the chef can use a personal touch. Finally, we seared our duck confit, which has been hanging out in its own fat for about a week now, and served it (to ourselves) with a bitter salad tossed with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette. I also snagged another duck leg, along with a nice vat of duck fat, to bring home and cook for Steve. I was lucky enough, too, to snatch up some leftover foie gras from the Level 2 students, but passed on the blood sausage. What a fascinating school I go to, where these international delicacies are just floating around for anyone to grab and cook how they please. I can only imagine what was going through the mind of the person sitting next to me on the subway! “Oh these? Just duck fat and liver, no big deal. Sorry about the smell, the next stop is mine.”

January 22nd, 2010 - Emulsified Sauces

So the first test was ok. I say ok, because I’ve now learned that water is not the same as cold water, and I have now memorized the derivates of béchamel. I did pretty well, don’t know my exact score yet but Chef Phil said that real chefs get a B+. So I’m feeling better about my mediocrity.

We made emulsified sauces in class, which include mayonnaise, hollandaise and béarnaise, the naise-s I guess. It takes a lot of manpower, pure upper arm muscle, to whip these babies into place and by the end of class I was hurting. That’s pretty sad, but I’m alright with admitting it. I may or may not get winded walking up the subway stairs. Whipping egg yolks for 4 minutes left my muscles on fire and my spirit feeling used.

Warm emulsified sauces require the use of a bain-marie, or a sort of home-made double boiler. On our industrial stoves we boil the water, turn the flame off, cover the pot with a hand towel and place our working bowls on top and begin the frantic whipping. With the stove’s pilot lights being dangerously close to our hand towels, it became commonplace, every 10 minutes or so, for half the class to start yelling “SOMETHING’S BURNING!” followed by a distant response, “IT’S ME, I’VE GOT IT.” Little brushfires were popping up around the kitchen, small wisps of smoke floating up from makeshift bain-maries, followed by frantic smothering and the smell of singed cotton. While it’s embarrassing to catch your station on fire, I feel worse for Chef, who had to taste spoonfuls of 24 different mayonnaises, and then 24 different hollandaises, plus another 24 béarnaises. Yuck. I felt like I should get him some shaved turkey on wheat and charge him $5.49.

At the end of the night, we rewarded ourselves with a yummy orange-liquor dessert, which involved pouring a sugary hand-whipped concoction on top of 6 perfect slices of orange, and then flaming the whole thing under the broiler. Due to a sliigghhtt oversight by D and I, we had to abandon our efforts and start from scratch, 15 minutes into the operation. Assistant Chef Cheyenne had already brought the ingredients down to the basement storeroom, and as the reality set in that we no longer had any ingredients to work with, the scene was unfolding before our eyes like some sort of war documentary. “Grab the Grand Marnier…get down!!” “Thereeee’s noooo tiiimmeee!!!” Near me, an orange peel explodes and I am dodging puddles of egg whites. I look down, and there is a crimson Grenadine stain slowly forming on my stark white uniform...I yell, “It’s too late!!!” Alas, we weren’t ready to give up, so we had to scrounge up some orphaned oranges and frantically juice them, use scraps of sugar and forget the whole liquor part entirely. We were so fast and precise that, considering we were very far behind the other groups, still managed to get our dessert in the broiler just in time! Victory tastes good.

RANDOM TIP OF THE DAY

Peeling your own tomatoes is easy and economical! Start with a pot of boiling water and a bowl of ice water. Using a paring knife, carefully core out the top stem, removing the small cone-like shape. Then, make a small ‘X’ on the opposite end of the tomato. Drop the tomato in the boiling water - after about 15 seconds, you will notice that the ‘X’ you created is starting to peel away, and the skin looks loose. Scoop it out and immediately drop it into the bowl of ice water. Don’t leave it in there too long, though! You can then take the tomato out and the skin will practically fall off for you, leaving a beautiful red flesh, ready to be sliced and thrown into your favorite dish.

January 20th, 2010 – Preservation Methods

Good news! Remember that test that I killed myself studying for? Permanently engraving the French names for all of the kitchen gadgets and the basic processes onto the inner folds of my brain, spending hours memorizing tedious recipes and cooking them mentally over and over? Well………..the test is on Friday. Oops! Guess I was a little ahead of myself.

In class, we learned the basic processes of preservation, such as dehydration, curing and brining, pasteurization and pickling, among many many others. We prepared a duck confit, which we’ll begin to cook on Friday, and also dry cured a huge salmon (called Gravlax) and cooked several vegetables a la Grecque, which is basically the stereotypical way of saying that it’s cooked with olive oil, an acid (wine and/or lemon juice) and several herbs, served hot or cold. The vegetables can last a good amount of time in the refrigerator because the acid inhibits bacterial growth and the olive oil prevents oxidation. Our cauliflower (or choux-fleur) were inedible. Literally inedible. The look on Assistant Chef Ryan’s face as he tasted them was priceless. We were very time crunched, running around the kitchen trying to plate our vegetables, that we forgot Rule #1 in Chef Club: Don’t talk about Chef Club. Oh wait. Rule #2: Always taste your food first before presenting. I don’t think he’ll ever eat another choux-fleur ever again. You’re welcome broccoli industry.

I’ve been very fortunate to have had some crazy and amazing experiences since moving to New York City two years ago. I also get myself into some unbelievable situations, but that's mainly due to my awkwardness and complete ignorance of what is appropriate in social situations. It’s hard not to experience ridiculous things every day in this city, where screaming homeless men, racing sirens and dog excrement on the sidewalk don’t even make me turn my head anymore. I’ve worked on Madison Avenue, loitered at the famous Tiffany & Co., lived next door to the projects, sighted celebrities and movies being filmed in my neighborhood and have even been thisclose to being invited to lunch at SoHo House. And now, I can add a short career on Wall Street to my resume! Starting next week, I will be temping at a large banking institution, doing what I assume will be some sort of data management and/or executive assisting. They are willing to work around my school schedule, and the project only lasts until March 30^th so I’ll be able to decide if I want to continue temping or focus more on school. I had to venture downtown today to start the process, since I can’t work in the building until I have been screened. Apparently they have their own branch of security, and boy did they swarm on me when I strolled in there, oblivious to the big armed men blocking the door because I was busy admiring the beautiful cast iron work in the lobby. Luckily I don’t look very threatening so I was escorted through the building, and should be able to start work soon! I’m excited to start earning money again, because Lord knows we need it, but I’m nervous about the work-school-life balance. I’m going to be EXTREMELY busy over the next few months! Good busy, though, and busy equals money. I’ve been busy before, but I have a feeling this will be ten times more fun.