Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Friday, December 19, 2008

Cooking Principles - Braised Chicken and Celery


Combining a dry heat cooking method beginning with a moist heat cooking method finish gives us a braise or stew.
Braising: larger cuts, less liquid
Stewing: smaller cuts, more liquid

Sushi Variations, 12-11-08











Thursday, December 11, 2008

Pizza and Focaccia




Italian style rustic flat breads:

What's your favorite topping?








Foie Gras and Caviar


































Foie Gras: the enlarged liver of a duck or goose
Specialty of Alsace and Perigord (France)
  • Two Lobes: split, de-vein
  • Always take care to not over-cook; will melt away
  • Grades A, B or C based on condition (blemishes) and size
  • Process originated 2500 BC by the Egyptians
  • Perfected in the 1800's by the French

Caviar: True caviar is the roe (eggs) of sturgeon: available in three categories based on size and color:

  • Beluga: most expensive from largest fish (can weigh up to 1800 lbs)
  • Osetra: considered by many to be the best quality: medium sized, golden yeloow to brown in color
  • Sevruga: smallest
  • Pressed: smaller and broken eggs are drained and pressed to a jam-like, spreadable consistency
  • Malassol: "Lightly salted"
  • Commonly served accompanied by minced onions, chopped hard cooked eggs (whites and yolks seperate), lemon, sour cream or creme fraiche, buttered toasts, blini, brioche

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Garde Manger Presentations 12-03-08














  • Aspic: savory jelly traditionally produced by reducing a well made double consomme


  • Use in proper concentrations; thinner and delicate for cut food glazing; thicker and sturdier for covering platters and centerpieces

Monday, December 1, 2008

Vegetarian Products



















Todays lesson included the use of a variety of meat analogs: meat substitutes for vegetarian dining.
These include Silken and Firm variations of tofu: soybean curd made by coagulating soy milk then pressing into molds; Result is low in calories and contains no saturated fat or cholesterol. Silken Tofu retains a higher water content, allowing it to be used like a mayonnaise or in dressings.












Also, Seitan [Known also as "wheat meat"] This is wheat gluten, made by washing away the starch leaving a malleable substance which can then be shaped into a variety of forms.










As well as Tempeh: fermented soybeans formed into a cake; higher fiber, protein and vitamin content than tofu.