Moving Onward and Upward

I apologize that it has been so long since my last post.  School, and life in general, has kept me very busy.  Since my last post, we have finished Module 3: French, Italian, and Asian Cooking, and moved onto Baking and Pastry.  Throughout Module 3, we really concentrated on plating.  Always looking for balance, color, and height on the plate.



  As far as Baking and Pastry, I have really enjoyed learning all of the science behind it all.  Bread rises because of a chemical reaction, and Puff Pastry "puffs" because the individual layers of butter melt and release steam.  I find this all fascinating, but I can't say the same for some of my classmates.  It's interesting that there is such a divide between Culinary and Pastry classes.  Those who chose Culinary have no desire to bake.  I wonder why one can't do both.  I mean, I'm certainly glad that I chose Culinary, but it's nice to get a taste of the Pastry program.

On a completely different note, I have started a new book.  "Will Write for Food," by Dianne Jacob is a tool for anyone looking to break into, or brush up on skills, in the food writing business.  She in no way sugar-coated the work that will need to be put forth, but in a way makes it seem attainable.  Each chapter ends with suggested writing assignments, which I will post on here.  As I am just beginning, I would love any feedback that you are willing to give.  Be brutally honest, as I am in the process of developing my voice and tone.  I promise that I'll be posting more frequently, and I really look forward to your comments.  Also, I would like to start answering any culinary questions that you might have.  I'm not saying that I have all the answers, but I think this would be a fun activity.  I'll be able to research what interests you, and practice my writing.

Stretching a Buck

I'm going to diverge from my usual path of posting about culinary school to talk about something that has been very near to my heart lately.  I'm sure that everyone out there has been affected in some way by the poor economy.  I, myself, am on food stamps right now.  So, I have decided that while I am not working, (and hopefully even after I am) to make my grocery budget stretch as far as possible.  This would not be possible without the wonderful information provided by fellow bloggers that I follow.  Someone out there does all the work of scouring store circulars and matcing sale prices with coupons.  And they are so gracious to provide all of that information to all of us.

I recently posted this picture on Facebook of my first attempt at "Extreme Couponing."  As I am fairly new to this whole world, I was a little apprehensive as I approached the check-out line with my folder full of coupons.  I was so nervous that some of the coupons wouldn't go through, or that I had gotten the wrong product.  Low and behold, they all went through.  The hour or so that I spent clipping coupons and making sure everything was in order really paid off.  I ended up getting over $100 worth of groceries for $16.  Ka-ching! 

Some people might think that this is cheating the system, or that they are too good for couponing.  I have always bought generic items, so I didn't think that I could possibly save money buying name-brand products with coupons.  For those nay-sayers, I ask who is too good to save money?  And why would companies spend millions of dollars on coupons if they didn't want people to use them?  As far as coupons over generic, you really do have to compare.  I have been converted, though.  Sure, I still buy generic items that I do not have coupons for, or if the generic price is still cheaper.  But I have to ask, what is better than free?  Because I have been getting an awful lot of free groceries lately.  And you can, too.  I've added links to some of my favorite blogs.  These are based out of New Jersey and Indiana, so there are stores and deals for everyone.  I hope that this helps you as much as it has helped me.

Money Saving Mom

Living Rich with Coupons

Free Sample Freak

Gotta Get My Name Out There

Next weekend, I'll be volunteering for Food Network's South Beach Wine and Food Festival.  I know, I'm pretty excited.  This will be my first real event.  I've volunteered at my school, but this time I'll be working with a chef from Miami to prepare and plate his menu.  Not only will volunteer work look good on my resume, I'm looking forward to working with professional chefs in this capacity.  School can only teach you so much.  I need to get out there and get some real experience under my belt.

I've included the link for the event if you would like to check it out.  I'll report back with how it went.  Wish me luck :)

NY Times Travel Show and Food Network's South Beach Wine and Food Festival

Sandwich Day :)

This was a nice change from some of the really rich, heavy dishes we've been making lately.  We covered your basics: Cold, Hot, Open-Faced, Grilled, and Tea sandwiches.  It made for a tasty, laid-back morning.  And it also gave me lots to consider for potential catering recipes...

Yesterday also marked the end of Module 2.  It seems like we have been flying through these lessons.  Next up will be French, Italian, and Asian cuisine.

As Requested

I really appreciate all of the positive comments I've been getting.  It's nice to know that these posts aren't just falling into cyberspace nothingness.  We have come to the end of our second module.  This section concentrated on dry and moist-heat cooking methods.  While my family has thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of my labor, I have enjoyed learning the "proper" ways of cooking.  I mean, everyone knows your basic terms: grilling, sauteing, poaching, braising, stewing, etc... but could you actually explain the execution of each?  I can, now :) 

I had posted some pictures on Facebook, and a request had been made for the recipe for Broccoli Souffle.  So, here it is.  Made correctly, this is a beautiful, light and airy, but fully flavored dish.  Enjoy...

Broccoli Souffle (Yields 6 Souffles)

Butter (as needed)
Flour (as needed)
20 oz. Broccoli (peeled and trimmed)
Milk (as needed)
2 oz. Butter
Salt, Pepper, and Nutmeg (to taste)
2 oz. Grated Gruyere cheese
4 Egg Yolks
8 Egg Whites

Coat inside of ramekins completely with butter and dust with flour

Blanch broccoli in salted, boiling water until cooked.  Shock in ice bath. 

Puree broccoli in blender until smooth.  Add milk, as needed, to help mixture blend.

Place puree in saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until milk is cooked out.  Mixture should be very thick.  Season, to taste, with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Stir in grated gruyere cheese until melted, and add egg yolks.  Remove from heat.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  (Should be able to hold whisk upside down and egg whites still stand up)  Fold egg whites into vegetable mixture in three batches.  First addition will just be to combine.  Second, fold a little more gently.  And third addition fold just to incorporate.  You want mixture to remain as light as possible.

Pour mixture into individual ramekins.  Run finger, gently, around the edge of each ramekin to form a lip, almost.  Bake in water bath for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

*You will not want to open oven at all during cooking time.  This will release steam, and the souffle will not rise

This recipe can be made with different vegetables in the same preparation.  Substitute 10 oz of trimmed cauliflower or 12 oz of unpeeled zucchini for the broccoli.

Ode to Grilled Cheese

Can one ever have enough grilled cheese sandwiches?  I think not.  I hit the ultimate jackpot this past weekend when my grocery store had marked down loaves of bread to $.19 and balls of fresh mozzarella for $.99.  I stocked up on english muffins and wheat bread, but I really wish I would have cleaned them out of the Onion Rye loaves.  This has to be the most delicious grilled cheese that I have EVER had...

My Super-Duper-Uper-Schmuper Big Idea...

Obviously I've been watching way too much PBS, but I was thinking about what I would like to do in the culinary world after I graduate.  A big part of the direction I go will depend on the kind of externship I get.  I would absolutely LOVE to be able to have an externship with a media group.  I would like to experience all the different aspects of food media.  I know that I don't want to work in a restaurant.  I've toyed with the idea of eventually starting my own catering business.  And of course there is always the very far-off dream of a cookbook or something.  Anyway, my big idea just happens to be a possible concept for a cookbook.  I'm sure that my professors will kill me for this, but I actually enjoy trying to create interesting and surprisingly good dishes from what I have in the pantry.  I'm talking making due with canned goods.  You always hear about people using the freshest ingredients to make exquisite dishes.  Well, single moms can't really afford those kinds of luxuries. 

Anyway, back to the point.  It would be called, "Pantry Raid," and it would be comprised of recipes using ingredients that most people already have in their pantry.  I'm sure that there is something like this out there already, but I sure haven't seen it.  I'm rather tired of watching cooking shows, drooling over what is being made, to only realize that I would have to spend $30+ to buy the ingredients.  So, let me know if you think I have something here.  Below is the recipe for what I made of dinner last night, using your everyday pantry items.  I thought it was pretty tasty...

Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

1 1/2-2 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken (I deboned and skinned the chicken myself)
1 28 oz can Green Enchilada Sauce
6 Medium-Sized Flour Tortilla Shells
1 15 oz can Black Beans
8 oz Shredded Cheese (Cheddar or Monterey, whatever you have on hand)
1 10 oz can Rotel Tomatoes with Chiles

I marinated the chicken in the enchilada sauce for a few hours in the fridge.  Then, I placed the chicken and sauce into a baking dish and baked at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  This will take longer depending on the size of the chicken pieces.  Just bake until chicken is cooked through.  Then, I shredded the chicken using two forks to pull the meat apart, placing it back in the sauce once finished.  In a greased, 9X13 pan, I placed two tortilla shells, then half of the chicken mixture, half of the black beans, tomatoes, and cheese.  Follow with another layer of tortilla shells and repeat.  Finish with a final layer of tortilla shells and sprinkle with a little more shredded cheese.  Raise the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 15 minutes or so to melt the cheese.

*While this was really good, another idea would be to use tortilla chips instead of the shells.  I crushed some chips on my plate anyway, and the crunch was really nice.  I also had sour cream and guacamole for toppings.  Enjoy and I would love your comments :)