Comparison of knife skills:
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| First day in the kitchen |
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| Last day |
Comparison of plating and cooking skills:
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| First assignment |
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| Last assignment/Final |
Showing posts with label Portfolio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Portfolio. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Portfolio Final Thoughts
I learned some extra tips for cooking such as recipe conversion and how to navigate around a professional kitchen. I also found the section on food safety particularly valuable. You see so many stories of restaurants that are on the "Dirty Dining" list and you definitely don't want to be on that list as a dining establishment! There were a few assignments that I had already cooked at home prior to taking this class, but it was good to do them in a different recipe and in a professional kitchen to get the extra experience. Some new techniques I learned were the different vegetable cuts (Especially the tourne), tomato concasse, making bechamel sauce and buerre blanc. I had made spaghetti and linguine pasta before but it was a great experience making ravioli. Overall, it was an enlightening experience.
Comparison of knife skills:
Comparison of plating and cooking skills:
Comparison of knife skills:
Comparison of plating and cooking skills:
Week 8: Final Project
Our last assignment was your choice of making:
I started the rice first since it needed time to cook in the oven. I used chicken stock, shallots, salt, pepper, bay leaf and butter with jasmine rice.
I tourne'd a set of 3 zucchini and carrot and par boiled them for a few minutes before blanching them. I also started on the buerre blanc, adding the shallots, seasoning, and white wine and reducing until the liquid was a syrupy consistency. I then added the butter pat by pat, monitoring the heat frequently to make sure the sauce didn't break.
I used a glaze of butter, sugar, and salt in a saute pan and cooked the zucchini and carrot until done. At the same time I started the salmon, patting it dry, seasoning it, and pan frying it in clarified butter.
Prep: The biggest issue with prep was making the buerre blanc sauce. Due to the heat of multiple burners on at the same time in close proximity, the pot needed to be taken off the burners frequently so that it did not get too hot. Adding some more chilled butter helped bind the sauce back together when it was slightly starting to separate. For the glazed carrots and zucchini, I would use clarified butter for next time as the solids separated creating a white foamy appearance to the sauce which needed to be strained out and taken off the vegetables. The salmon was nicely browned but a small amount of white albumin exuded through the meat.
Presentation: I placed the salmon on top of a shaped bed of rice with the tourne vegetables along the side. I drizzled the buerre blanc sauce over the salmon and along the sides of the plate in a swirl pattern. A parsley garnish completes the plate. While I'm happy with the plate I would add the drizzled swirls of sauce in a quicker motion to create more of a fluid line.
Taste: The salmon is well cooked and tender. The vegetables were cooked and slightly sweet from the glaze. The buerre blanc went well with the salmon and vegetables, and the rice pilaf was tender and richly flavored from the butter and seasonings.
Overall: The plating is pleasing to the eye, the flavors all go well together, and all the elements are nicely cooked.
- Ravioli or salmon
- Potatoes or rice
- Your choice of vegetable(s)
I started the rice first since it needed time to cook in the oven. I used chicken stock, shallots, salt, pepper, bay leaf and butter with jasmine rice.
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| Finished rice pilaf |
I tourne'd a set of 3 zucchini and carrot and par boiled them for a few minutes before blanching them. I also started on the buerre blanc, adding the shallots, seasoning, and white wine and reducing until the liquid was a syrupy consistency. I then added the butter pat by pat, monitoring the heat frequently to make sure the sauce didn't break.
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| Adding more butter to the buerre blanc |
I used a glaze of butter, sugar, and salt in a saute pan and cooked the zucchini and carrot until done. At the same time I started the salmon, patting it dry, seasoning it, and pan frying it in clarified butter.
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| Final Plating |
Presentation: I placed the salmon on top of a shaped bed of rice with the tourne vegetables along the side. I drizzled the buerre blanc sauce over the salmon and along the sides of the plate in a swirl pattern. A parsley garnish completes the plate. While I'm happy with the plate I would add the drizzled swirls of sauce in a quicker motion to create more of a fluid line.
Taste: The salmon is well cooked and tender. The vegetables were cooked and slightly sweet from the glaze. The buerre blanc went well with the salmon and vegetables, and the rice pilaf was tender and richly flavored from the butter and seasonings.
Overall: The plating is pleasing to the eye, the flavors all go well together, and all the elements are nicely cooked.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Week 7: Fried Chicken, Pan Gravy, Glazed Beets, Duchesse Potatoes
The beets were julienned and placed in a pan with the sugar and water and allowed to simmer.
In the meantime, the potatoes were cooked, then mashed with butter, salt, and pepper.
They were placed in the piping bag and shaped into a flower-like pattern.
The potatoes were placed in the oven until the edges were golden brown
The gravy was made with chicken stock, flour and oil.
A roux was made and the chicken stock added in, continuing to heat until thickened. Salt and white pepper were added to taste.
From the start the oil was placed on the burner to heat until 360 F.
The chicken was fried until golden brown, then finished in the oven until it reached an internal temperature of 180 F.
Final plating:
Prep: The glaze on the beets was a little watery still on plating. I would reduce the sauce more for next time. No problems with the prep for the potatoes. The gravy was done before the chicken was ready and turned out a little thicker on plating from the continued heat. I would add some more water or stock to the gravy for next time to attain a better consistency. The chicken was still undercooked when the skin turned golden brown so it needed to be finished in the oven which extended the expected cooking time.
Presentation: I decided on spreading the beets in a fan shape, placing the chicken on a pool of gravy, with a duchesse potato below the chicken. I used parsley as garnish. I might add some of the beet glaze on the sides of the plate in a dot or swirl pattern to fill the empty space on the sides of the plate for next time. I also might restrict the chopped parsley to just the chicken or not at all.
Taste: The chicken had a crispy outer coating with tender chicken and was well seasoned. The gravy was thick but tasted good with the chicken. The beets were "al dente" and lightly sweet. The duchesse potato tasted good except for the cooked browned outer coating, which tasted dry. Maybe brushing some melted butter onto the cooked potatoes would make the texture better, or adding cream and/or more butter to the mashed potatoes before piping.
Overall: I think the dish was successful with plating, and overall tastes good.
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| Beets starting to cook |
In the meantime, the potatoes were cooked, then mashed with butter, salt, and pepper.
They were placed in the piping bag and shaped into a flower-like pattern.
The potatoes were placed in the oven until the edges were golden brown
The gravy was made with chicken stock, flour and oil.
From the start the oil was placed on the burner to heat until 360 F.
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| Pot of oil |
Final plating:
Prep: The glaze on the beets was a little watery still on plating. I would reduce the sauce more for next time. No problems with the prep for the potatoes. The gravy was done before the chicken was ready and turned out a little thicker on plating from the continued heat. I would add some more water or stock to the gravy for next time to attain a better consistency. The chicken was still undercooked when the skin turned golden brown so it needed to be finished in the oven which extended the expected cooking time.
Presentation: I decided on spreading the beets in a fan shape, placing the chicken on a pool of gravy, with a duchesse potato below the chicken. I used parsley as garnish. I might add some of the beet glaze on the sides of the plate in a dot or swirl pattern to fill the empty space on the sides of the plate for next time. I also might restrict the chopped parsley to just the chicken or not at all.
Taste: The chicken had a crispy outer coating with tender chicken and was well seasoned. The gravy was thick but tasted good with the chicken. The beets were "al dente" and lightly sweet. The duchesse potato tasted good except for the cooked browned outer coating, which tasted dry. Maybe brushing some melted butter onto the cooked potatoes would make the texture better, or adding cream and/or more butter to the mashed potatoes before piping.
Overall: I think the dish was successful with plating, and overall tastes good.
Week 7: Roasted Vegetable Soup
We started with chopping the vegetables into small dice, then seasoning them and tossing them with oil. They were placed in the oven to roast. I also placed a head of garlic to roast as well.
The vegetables were then placed in the Vitamix and blended with some roasted garlic.
Once the vegetables were blended they were placed in a pot to heat and thicken.
Final plating:
Prep: Prep was straightforward. All the vegetables were chopped into small dice, roasting was no problem and blending the vegetables went smoothly.
Presentation: To add some extra visual appeal I added cayenne pepper, parsley and a sprig of parsley. The bowl was placed on a triangular butter plate, but for next time I would use a small saucer.
Taste: The soup had a fresh vegetable flavor but seemed to be missing some flavor element. Simmering the soup for longer to concentrate the flavor might help to add more depth, and adding a small amount of butter or heavy cream might add more richness. I would also use paprika next time instead of cayenne for a different flavor profile.
Overall: I think the presentation was successful, but there could be some small changes to make to the soup for better flavor.
The vegetables were then placed in the Vitamix and blended with some roasted garlic.
Once the vegetables were blended they were placed in a pot to heat and thicken.
Final plating:
Prep: Prep was straightforward. All the vegetables were chopped into small dice, roasting was no problem and blending the vegetables went smoothly.
Presentation: To add some extra visual appeal I added cayenne pepper, parsley and a sprig of parsley. The bowl was placed on a triangular butter plate, but for next time I would use a small saucer.
Taste: The soup had a fresh vegetable flavor but seemed to be missing some flavor element. Simmering the soup for longer to concentrate the flavor might help to add more depth, and adding a small amount of butter or heavy cream might add more richness. I would also use paprika next time instead of cayenne for a different flavor profile.
Overall: I think the presentation was successful, but there could be some small changes to make to the soup for better flavor.
Week 7: Teriyaki Pork with Stir Fried Vegetables
Our assignment was to make teriyaki pork with stir fried vegetables.
Final plating:
Prep: No problems with prep for the pork. The vegetables were cooked well, but I would use slightly less oil for next time.
Presentation: I used a small plastic container to shape the rice. The vegetables bordering the rice create some visual interest, and the pork with teriyaki sauce is plated on top. Although I think the plate looks fairly balanced, I would add some more pork to the dish by adding it to the vegetable border in addition to the pork on top.
Taste: The pork was very tender and went well with the teriyaki sauce. The vegetables are cooked but still crisp and well seasoned.
Overall: All the elements in the dish went well together and tasted good. Presentation-wise, there are a lot of different colors and textures that make it visually appealing.
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| Cooking the vegetables |
Final plating:
Prep: No problems with prep for the pork. The vegetables were cooked well, but I would use slightly less oil for next time.
Presentation: I used a small plastic container to shape the rice. The vegetables bordering the rice create some visual interest, and the pork with teriyaki sauce is plated on top. Although I think the plate looks fairly balanced, I would add some more pork to the dish by adding it to the vegetable border in addition to the pork on top.
Taste: The pork was very tender and went well with the teriyaki sauce. The vegetables are cooked but still crisp and well seasoned.
Overall: All the elements in the dish went well together and tasted good. Presentation-wise, there are a lot of different colors and textures that make it visually appealing.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Week 6: Pan-Fried Tilapia, Spaghetti Squash, Au Gratin Potatoes
Our assignment for the day was to make a pan-fried tilapia with buerre blanc, spaghetti squash, and potatoes au gratin.
Prep: The tilapia was seasoned, dredged in flour, and pan-fried in butter until golden brown on both sides. No problems with prep, although a lot of care was needed to prevent the fish from breaking when plating it. The spaghetti squash was placed in an oven with about an inch of standing water and left to cook. Cooking took longer than anticipated. The potatoes were sliced, par-boiled, then covered with bechamel sauce and cheese on top. For the buerre blanc, the minced shallots and wine were reduced to a syrupy condensed liquid before the butter was added pat by pat. Temperature was monitored very closely to keep the sauce from breaking.
Presentation: I placed the components of the dish diagonally to create more of a dramatic effect. The tilapia was very large so I needed an equally large dish to plate it with. The swirls of buerre blanc help fill the empty spaces on the plate and help to reconfirm what sauce is on the fish. There was so much yellow and brown in the dish that I need some extra color to make the dish look more interesting. I used paprika to provide some red tones and placed a sprig of dill for garnish. I would use parsley garnish for next time instead of the dill.
Taste: All the elements of the dish tasted good. The tilapia in particular had a light crispy breading, and the fish was tender and flaky. The buerre blanc sauce went well with the flavor of the fish and you can taste the richness of the wine and butter, with a hint of the shallots.. The spaghetti squash had a delicate light flavor and the potatoes were well cooked and were well seasoned.
Overall: Definitely a dish to make again!
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| Buerre Blanc ready for the plate |
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| Final Plating |
Prep: The tilapia was seasoned, dredged in flour, and pan-fried in butter until golden brown on both sides. No problems with prep, although a lot of care was needed to prevent the fish from breaking when plating it. The spaghetti squash was placed in an oven with about an inch of standing water and left to cook. Cooking took longer than anticipated. The potatoes were sliced, par-boiled, then covered with bechamel sauce and cheese on top. For the buerre blanc, the minced shallots and wine were reduced to a syrupy condensed liquid before the butter was added pat by pat. Temperature was monitored very closely to keep the sauce from breaking.
Presentation: I placed the components of the dish diagonally to create more of a dramatic effect. The tilapia was very large so I needed an equally large dish to plate it with. The swirls of buerre blanc help fill the empty spaces on the plate and help to reconfirm what sauce is on the fish. There was so much yellow and brown in the dish that I need some extra color to make the dish look more interesting. I used paprika to provide some red tones and placed a sprig of dill for garnish. I would use parsley garnish for next time instead of the dill.
Taste: All the elements of the dish tasted good. The tilapia in particular had a light crispy breading, and the fish was tender and flaky. The buerre blanc sauce went well with the flavor of the fish and you can taste the richness of the wine and butter, with a hint of the shallots.. The spaghetti squash had a delicate light flavor and the potatoes were well cooked and were well seasoned.
Overall: Definitely a dish to make again!
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Week 6: Breaded eggplant, Risotto, Tourne Zucchini
The sliced, peeled eggplant was placed in flour, eggwash, and breadcrumbs. We placed it in the fryer until it was golden brown.
Presentation: I tried several different plating combinations and decided on a stack of eggplant with risotto in the middle. It was a little bit like a breaded eggplant sandwich. For next time I would probably place the sauce in a small amount on top of the eggplant instead of on the periphery.
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| Frying Time |
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| Golden brown and ready to plate |
The risotto was cooked in a pan, slowly adding water until the rice was cooked. We tourne'd some zucchini and sauteed it to go with the eggplant, risotto, and tomato sauce.
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| Finished result |
Prep: No problems with prep for the eggplant. We used the standard breading procedure (Flour, eggwash, breadcrumbs) using freshly toasted breadcrumbs and frying was easy. The risotto took a long time to cook. No problems with tourne cuts and sauteeing the zucchini.
Presentation: I tried several different plating combinations and decided on a stack of eggplant with risotto in the middle. It was a little bit like a breaded eggplant sandwich. For next time I would probably place the sauce in a small amount on top of the eggplant instead of on the periphery.
Taste: The eggplant was lightly crisp and tender on the inside. I would add a little more salt and pepper for next time. The risotto turned out very dense but well cooked. The zucchini was tender and had a delicate taste. The sauce went well with the eggplant.
Overall: The dish was successful, but I would place the sauce in a different part of the plate for next time.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Week 6: Clam chowder
The week started with some deep frying, slow cooking, and rice stirring.
It's chowder time!
Rendering the bacon for the chowder. A roux was made with the bacon grease and the celery and onion were sauteed in the same pan.
Prep: No problems with prep. The bacon rendered nicely, and the roux made the chowder a nice thick consistency.
Presentation: I used a more dramatic looking bowl to create more visual interest. Some sprinkled chopped parsley adds some more color and texture difference. The vegetables and bacon in the chowder add some textural and color difference inherently.
Taste: The chowder vegetables were tender but not mushy. The flavor was a balance of creaminess and earthy smokiness with salinity from the bacon. There were plenty of clams in the chowder. I might even add less clams to the chowder for next time to make more of an even ratio of meat to vegetable.
Overall: I think this chowder was a success. It was flavorful, the vegetables were cooked well, and had a good consistency. Plating was simple and effective.
It's chowder time!
Rendering the bacon for the chowder. A roux was made with the bacon grease and the celery and onion were sauteed in the same pan.
Finished result.
Presentation: I used a more dramatic looking bowl to create more visual interest. Some sprinkled chopped parsley adds some more color and texture difference. The vegetables and bacon in the chowder add some textural and color difference inherently.
Taste: The chowder vegetables were tender but not mushy. The flavor was a balance of creaminess and earthy smokiness with salinity from the bacon. There were plenty of clams in the chowder. I might even add less clams to the chowder for next time to make more of an even ratio of meat to vegetable.
Overall: I think this chowder was a success. It was flavorful, the vegetables were cooked well, and had a good consistency. Plating was simple and effective.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Week 5: Poached Salmon, Scalloped Potatoes, Asparagus
Our potato dish was a side to go with some poached salmon and asparagus. We sliced the potatoes to 1/8 inch and par boiled them before placing them in a half pan, layering with bechamel sauce and cheese.
Prep: The potatoes took a longer than anticipated to finish. I would par boil them for longer next time. There were no problems making the bechamel sauce and layering was easy.
Presentation: Placing the cube of scalloped potatoes on a diagonal in a diamond shape helps add more of a dynamic element to the dish. If I were to make this again I'd place the asparagus lengthwise along the top and bottom of the potato/salmon border for greater cohesiveness instead of the corners of the dish.
Taste: The potatoes were well seasoned and the bechamel sauce with cheese adds a creamy richness to them. The asparagus got a little over-grilled, but were tender on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside, and well seasoned. The dill sauce was... interesting due to the type of yogurt that was pulled for class (Vanilla flavor). I would use plain Greek yogurt for next time. The fish was slightly overcooked and thus a little tougher texture wise. For next time I would pull the salmon from the poaching liquid sooner. I would also add a little more seasoning to the fish.
Overall: The plate looks fairly balanced in terms of color, and all the elements work well together.
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| Ready for the oven |
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| Finished result with the salmon |
Prep: The potatoes took a longer than anticipated to finish. I would par boil them for longer next time. There were no problems making the bechamel sauce and layering was easy.
Presentation: Placing the cube of scalloped potatoes on a diagonal in a diamond shape helps add more of a dynamic element to the dish. If I were to make this again I'd place the asparagus lengthwise along the top and bottom of the potato/salmon border for greater cohesiveness instead of the corners of the dish.
Taste: The potatoes were well seasoned and the bechamel sauce with cheese adds a creamy richness to them. The asparagus got a little over-grilled, but were tender on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside, and well seasoned. The dill sauce was... interesting due to the type of yogurt that was pulled for class (Vanilla flavor). I would use plain Greek yogurt for next time. The fish was slightly overcooked and thus a little tougher texture wise. For next time I would pull the salmon from the poaching liquid sooner. I would also add a little more seasoning to the fish.
Overall: The plate looks fairly balanced in terms of color, and all the elements work well together.
Week 4: Cheddar Leek Soup
Prep: The sauce was starting to taste grainy from the separation of cheese with water. Adding cream helped bring the consistency back to normal.
Presentation: Since the soup is basically only one color, I added some parsley and cayenne powder to add more visual appeal. A simple but more modern bowl adds some extra interest in the presentation.
Taste: The soup is rich, creamy, and you can definitely taste the cheddar and a subtle hint of leek.
Overall: A hearty, rich, yet smooth tasting soup.
Week 4: Fettucine Alfredo
Our next foray into pasta making was to make fettucine with alfredo sauce. We used the hand crank machines instead of the Kitchenaid attachment (I prefer the ease and quickness of the Kitchenaid when comparing the two but I'm sure there's a substantial cost difference!). After flouring the pasta to make sure it didn't stick, the raw fettucine was ready to cook:
I mixed the pasta with the sauce, and topped with some Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and some chile flake for some heat and color.
Prep: The pasta started sticking together after running it through the machine but covering it with more flour helped to separate each strand.
Presentation: I added as much color as I could to make the plate stand out since I had white colored food on a white plate. I think the dish looks balanced and the colors make the dish pop.
Taste: The sauce was luxuriously creamy and cheesy with the mix of cheeses. The pasta was cooked al dente and had enough seasoning on it.
Overall: A creamy well flavored dish with a touch of spicy heat.
I mixed the pasta with the sauce, and topped with some Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and some chile flake for some heat and color.
Prep: The pasta started sticking together after running it through the machine but covering it with more flour helped to separate each strand.
Presentation: I added as much color as I could to make the plate stand out since I had white colored food on a white plate. I think the dish looks balanced and the colors make the dish pop.
Taste: The sauce was luxuriously creamy and cheesy with the mix of cheeses. The pasta was cooked al dente and had enough seasoning on it.
Overall: A creamy well flavored dish with a touch of spicy heat.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Week 3: Grilled Chicken
Our main assignment for the week was to make a dish with grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, and tomato concasse.
Prep: The potatoes were roasted in a hotel pan with salt, pepper, and garlic. The chicken tended to stick to the grill despite prepping the grill and putting oil on the chicken. I would put more oil on the chicken for next time to prevent this from happening again. The chicken has some good grill marks, but I would like to see more defined cross-hatch grill marks for next time.
Presentation: I think the presentation is well balanced in terms of plating and color. The potatoes served as a base to lay the chicken on, and the single sprig of basil helped add more color to the dish. The tomato concasse served as a nice border for the chicken and potatoes.
Taste: The chicken was well-seasoned and tender. The potatoes were cooked, but extra time in the oven would give them more flavor as they brown more.
Overall: Overall I'm happy with the dish. The presentation turned out well and I think the dish looks balanced. I would like to get more defined grill marks on the chicken though, and I would like more browning of the potatoes in the oven.
Prep: The potatoes were roasted in a hotel pan with salt, pepper, and garlic. The chicken tended to stick to the grill despite prepping the grill and putting oil on the chicken. I would put more oil on the chicken for next time to prevent this from happening again. The chicken has some good grill marks, but I would like to see more defined cross-hatch grill marks for next time.
Presentation: I think the presentation is well balanced in terms of plating and color. The potatoes served as a base to lay the chicken on, and the single sprig of basil helped add more color to the dish. The tomato concasse served as a nice border for the chicken and potatoes.
Taste: The chicken was well-seasoned and tender. The potatoes were cooked, but extra time in the oven would give them more flavor as they brown more.
Overall: Overall I'm happy with the dish. The presentation turned out well and I think the dish looks balanced. I would like to get more defined grill marks on the chicken though, and I would like more browning of the potatoes in the oven.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Culinary Class! (Expectations and goals)
I signed up for culinary classes recently. While I love cooking at home for friends and family, I've wondered, would I like cooking in a more professional setting? Ultimately, I want to know the basics such as butchering, cooking for a large number of people, and techniques for cooking large-scale. So join me as I go through the ups and downs of learning to cook in a professional kitchen.
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