Regional Cusine - France

Glen was Mr. Mise on Thursday afternoon. Organization was his middle name. He even got an early start (below) on reducing his wine sauce!

France is a monster of a country, gastronomically speaking, and Glen was a bit nervous to take it on. With over 22 regions, no other country in the world boasts as many sophisticated restaurants, unique local markets, produces as many different varietals of quality wines, or has such an immense wealth of regional specialties as France. With over 22 regions, the French have been perfecting the art of gastronomy long before we were even a country.

Take it away Glenn!! He was all business this morning as he gave us his presentation and demonstrated a very classic Bistro Menu.

He began with a wonderful Salade Frisee Aux Lardons Et Oeuf Poche, or Salad Lyonnaise as it is called. A nice light mustard vinaigrette over frisee lettuce with a sprinkling of bacon then topped with poached eggs. (perfectly poached I must add) It was wonderful. Next he pan seared some rib-eye steaks that he covered in caramelized shallots, finishing by roasting them off in the oven. He served the steaks with a Red Wine Jus. This was a bottle of wine reduced down "au sec" with a mixture of vegetable and herbs. Then he added a few cups of veal stock and reduced it down again. (I think he spent the night in the kitchen) He strained the final liquid serving the steaks on a pool of this flavorful au jus.

Of course the perfect accompan- iment, to this steak and classic salad would be Pommes Frites!

Awesome job Glenn. We were all quite happy to have arrived in France with such a lovely meal.

We continued our day by making Coquilles St. Jacques, which are scallops baked in a wonderful sauce with wine, cream and cheese.

Definitely not a low-cal dish. We also made a Coq Au Vin, the classic chicken dish braised in red wine. A Cassoulet, which is basically a layered dish of white beans, bacon, lamb, duck confit, chicken and sausage. A pheasant casserole which is absolutely fantastic. Another team made a French onion soup and last but not least, a Tarte Tatin. Sergio took a video of Glenn and I flipping this monster of an apple dessert. As soon as I get the copy I will post it. A fantastic replay of a near disaster. This apple tart is started stove top then finished in the oven. It is inverted onto a plate to serve. (The tricky part)

Oh, and one more thing. We had french dip sandwiches that Mel made with all the leftover roast beef from the day before.

I have got to stop eating like this!

Goodnight.

Regional Cuisines of Asia - Vietnam

Jestynn was on stage first thing Friday morning. In her usual style of swiftness and efficiency, she took us through a speech on Vietnam's cuisine then demonstrated three dishes.

Jestynn is the quietest member of our class. She seemingly keeps to herself, but, with a knowing smile that is nothing short of beautiful, she doesn't miss a beat.

She began by making a chicken dish with cellophane noodles, a very traditional dish that was flavorful and peppery. I think by the time I got my camera out Mookie had eaten it all. He is fork ready for every tasting and a true bottomless pit. Half the pictures I take have to be deleted because they have his hand in them trying to get at the food. I'm tempted to write to Miss Manners for advice.

Back to Jestynn. Next she made a Pickled Carrot and Daikon Salad. Refreshing and a good accompaniment to the Spicy River Prawns. Simple and
delicious.

Like I said, quick and efficient. She did a wonderful job. It was perfect because Jestynn was the only one presenting from this country so Chef had quite a few dishes to demo and for us to make.


He jumped right in and made a Pho soup. The broth was incredible. I have tried to make this at home and can never get the flavor as intense and favorable as it is in the restaurants. Well, today I learned a little trick of using a 1/2 veal stock and 1/2 chicken stock to create this wonderful broth. Which is basically a double stock. After combining the stocks you produce this broth basically by adding to it, charred onions and ginger, blanched oxtail-type bones and an array of seasonings such as star anise, cinnamon, fish sauce and duong phen,which is like a rock candy.
We served it with all the garnishes. We also made fresh spring rolls, and a Clay Pot Cat Fish.






















What a way to end a week.
Goodnight

Regional Cuisines of Asia - Japan

I basically pulled an all nighter to get my report finished and typed up, along with the recipes and power point presentation finished,which went much faster the second time, and everything prepped and organized for my demo. I had visited Sumika's a few times for "'research" and they had given me some of their imported charcoal to use for my yakitori demonstration. Coincidentally enough this restaurant was reviewed in the paper on Sunday. I think when I went asking questions they must of thought I was with the paper and really bent over backwards to help me out. Or, they are really just very nice. Anyways, I came home that night with binchoutan charcoal, imported from Japan and a new understanding of yakitori cooking along with the lingering taste of a delicious meal. Check out the article on Sumika. Or, their website.

Their chef had showed me how to light the coals over the flame to get them ready and when they were glowing I transferred them to a little hibachi I had set up on the grill. It is a fairly smokeless charcoal with a very subtle flavor. I grilled some chicken skewers that I basted in a yakitori sauce.
I also made some little spinach bundles that I served with a toasted sesame dressing. (Horenso No Goma Ae) Very traditional. I then used the charcoal to grill a piece of sea bass that I had marinated in a miso glaze overnight, along with a couple of Nori cakes that I made from sticky rice.
My presentation went ok except I got a little confused during the miso soup demo. How can you blow miso soup? I think I was a little tired and not thinking as clear as I was on Monday,
Anyway, it's over and done. One nice thing is that now I get to hang back for the next three weeks and just watch everyone else. I can also start working on my menu for the over all final that will be at the end of June.
Chef demonstrated a Sukiyaki for us which we all made together later in the kitchen and prepared some ingredients for sushi making the next day.
I came home from school and took a nice long nap, woke up and went up to San Francisco to see Carlos Santana. What a day. No seats at the Fillmore. I think I fell asleep standing up.

Goodnight.

Regional Cuisines of Asia - Thailand

I spent all weekend learning how to do a power point presentation, (thank you Matt Maxson), practicing Thai recipes and going out to Japanese restaurants for dinner.

I put together a nice Thai menu compliments of Joyce Jue, a wonderful cook, teacher and author that I have been lucky enough to take classes from over the years. I used all her recipes for my dishes and loved learning how to navigate my way through a power point program.
Some things never change. I have never liked speaking in front of a group and I still don't. After my slide show on Thailand I began the demonstration and once behind the stove I felt much better. Pictured above are the chilies I used for my dishes and below the Kaffir lime (rind only) and leaves that I used for the curry paste. Jim Traina (taster extraordinaire) bought me a kaffir lime tree for my birthday a few years back, so I had the fresh leaves and lime on hand.





I began with a Lemongrass soup, then made a glass noodle salad, Scallops in a Red Curry Sauce, and finished with Mangoes over sticky rice and coconut milk for dessert.
Whew. One presentation down and one to go!


After I finished, Chef demonstrated a Pad Thai and a Massaman Curry with Chicken.
Another feast.
I came home, went for a run, then took a long hot shower. I still smell like fish sauce.

Goodnight.

Regional Cuisines of Asia - China

Next up is future chef, Craig. A young kid just out of high school. Craig won the high school culinary competition last year and landed a scholarship at PCI. He currently is working at AJ Stumps in downtown San Jose. He is very talented and knows his way around a kitchen amazingly well for his age.
He's also full of shenanigans. Don't let the smile fool you.

Craig put three dishes together quickly and with ease.
Orange Chicken, a Chicken and Corn Soup and Kung Pao Prawns.
I think he and Melvin didn't consult on menu choices.
We were all Kung Pao experts now.

Chef followed up with a demo on some pork fried rice, pot stickers, Beef w/Broccoli and Prawns with white sauce and Snow Peas. Lots of prepping and stir frying. The pot stickers were







fun. You got the hang of it after a few folds. Pleated on one side, flat on the other.


We worked in teams to each produce a dish then again hosted a banquet.
It was quite a spread.
Goodnight

Regional Cuisines of Asia - China

Where in the world is Bethina 425? Well, let me tell you. I have been on a whirlwind world tour that I am hoping to catch you up on over this long weekend. Much has transpired this past week in the kitchen since we began our unit on regional cooking. Check in over the weekend as last week unfolds.

We began Thursday morning (5-15) with Regional Cuisines of Asia. Chef had placed all the names of the various countries that we would be focusing on in a hat. When we finished the Baking and Pastry Unit we each drew two countries. Our assignment was to research the cuisines of these countries and prepare a presentation on it along with a cooking demonstration of a menu from that region using ingredients and cooking techniques specific to that country.
We would begin with the regional cuisines of Asia, then move on to Europe and finish with the America's and Africa.
Imagine my horror when I drew Thailand and Japan. These countries fell one day apart on the schedule. Mon and Wednesday. I felt sick. Words like demo in front of the class and, PowerPoint presentation echoed in my brain. I had a week to get ready. My blog was set aside temporarily and I thought seriously about starting zannex.

This morning began our presentations. Two days of China. As I recount the presentations, I thought it woulde be a good opportunity to introduce you to my classmates.

Meet Melvin.
Chef had told Melvin back in Current Trends that he was no longer going to be allowed to cook Asian foods for his finals. It was time to step outside his comfort zone. Chef also made it clear that you drew what you drew, no switching countries with each other. Well, Lucky Melvin drew China, but I'm sure it wasn't easy going first.
He did a great job in all his mise en place, which is key to Asian cooking. He whipped together a celery salad, Hung Pao Chicken and Sichuan style prawns dish like a pro. Good job Melvin!
Chef stepped in after that and demonstrated an Egg Flower Soup then sent us off off to prepare egg rolls, more soup, and some Lo Mein.
We finished with a big banquet style lunch, inviting the baking and pastry classes to join us.
(We're no dummies - they always bring dessert!)

Goodnight.

Garde Manger - Curing and Brining

What a great day in the kitchen. (And it wasn't the Vodka) We were hopping. Chef was back to his bubbly personality and we really started to dive in to prepping for our banquet. We were extremely productive today and I think Chef is starting to gain a little confidence in us that we might just pull this event off.
We began by cooking the pork that we will use for the rillettes. It needed to cook for a couple of hours so we started it first thing. We prepared a cure mix for the gravlax and a brine for the smoked duck. Most of the recipes we are working on now will take a few days to prepare.
When these tasks were done we had a demo on butchering a duck. It wasn't nearly as bad as the chicken massacre a few weeks ago, though I did stop at a market on the way home today and buy a whole duck. I needed to go through the process one more time to really get it to sink in. I still have a bit of trouble with producing and that darn airline breast.
Anyway, after getting our ducks in a row, we placed the pieces in the brining solution, or wet cure as it is sometimes referred to . We used the brine soaking method where the meat was completely submerged in a solution of salt, water, sugar, and herbs and seasonings. In addition to curing meats, brining also helps with flavor development and boosting moisture content.
With the duck safely soaking, where it will remain for the next 24 hours, we moved on to preparing a salmon for dry curing - which is what gravlax is.
We wrapped it in cheesecloth then covered it completely with the curing mixture. This was a combination of salt sugar black pepper and dill.
We laid it in a pan that had a little vodka and lemon juice in it then pressed another pan on top of it and tied it down so the salmon would press evenly into the curing mixture. This will stay overnight and we will turn it over first thing in the morning.
When the pork was cooked, we cooled and processed it, along with the reserved stock and spices until it was a smooth consistency. Where a confit is slowly cooked then stored in it's own rendered fat, rillettes are made by stewing boned meats in broth and fat with vegetables and aromatics. This mixture is typically stored in crocks or pots, covered with a layer of fat that acts as a seal, and served with bread or as a topping for canapes or a filling for profiteroles.
Finally, we made up a marinade for the reaming duck and left that to macerate overnight. Tomorrow we will slow cook it in rendered duck fat to produce some more duck confit.
Like I said, a very productive day.

Goodnight.

Physiology of Taste - Bulby, Spiced Aromatic, Sharp

This is the last day of the Physiology of Taste unit. The recipes we made emphasized the "Bulby" flavors and the "Spiced Aromatics," along with another tangy sauce that had a note a note of "Bitterness," sometimes referred to as "sharp," in it.

I was off today. For some reason, probably the Monday blues after spending a weekend in Carmel, I was having trouble focusing. I wanted to be back on the balcony of the Lodge at Pebble Beach, sipping wine, enjoying the view and watching the golfers come in.

Back to the kitchen.
The first recipe we made went ok. It was a seared Tilapia with a Grapefuit-Shallot-Ginger Sauce.
Grapefruit is considered Tangy and Sharp at the same time. (Like some chocolate.) We reduced it down to bring out the sweetness and rounded it out with a little butter to finish. We served it with some slices of grapefruit and Roasted Green onions that had a topping of nuts and dates. Very unusual, though it worked.

The next dish would have been nice if I had been paying attention, and not ruined it with so much soy. It was braised kale that we served with a spiced-rub shrimp in a coconut sauce, which came out a bit too salty. Chef asked my partner and I if "we were back on the crack pipe." He comes up with some interesting comments.

Tomorrow is another final. For this one, we were given a list of ingredients that will be available to us and we have to come up with a dish that uses some of the flavor profiles we have been working on.
Pork is our meat, or rather our platform. Other ingredients on the list are cabbage, turnips, prosciutto, Gruyere cheese, and apples.
Looks like a "stinky" and "sweet" day.

Goodnight.

Physiology of Taste- Salty, Picante and Sweet

I walked into class this morning to twenty different varieties of pepper and about fifteen different types of salt poured out in small bowls.

Chef told us to get a piece of bread and some lemon water and start tasting.

We do move from one unit right into the other.

After about 10 different peppers my tongue was starting to become raw. I fell in love with a Balinese Black Pepper before my taste buds gave out. The bread and water helped.

Hence, was the beginning of my next unit on Physiology of Taste and Smell.

I was so amazed at how varied these salt and peppers were in their strengths and tastes.

I was given a book titled The Elements of Taste by Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky, which I immediately fell in love with. The school copy they gave me had to be returned in four days. (The book is out of print) My husband found the book for me on line somewhere and ordered it. It was going on E-Bay for two hundred dollars but he found it at Tower books for only forty dollars!

This book breaks down the taste process and categorizes fourteen different elements of tastes. Four of these tastes elements, referred to as meaty, oceanic, garden and starchy act as foundational elements or "platforms' upon which we build recipes. A beautiful book with a very different assortment of recipes that emphasize the science of blending tastes.

We began with the "trinity" of tastes. Salty, the king of taste, sweet and picante. All three of these push taste forward on the tongue and work in harmony when balanced properly.

To develop this flavor balance we made three recipes. Pan Roasted Salmon with Aromatic Herbs, Sweet Scallops in a Pink Lentil Crust, and Watermelon and tomato Salad.

All these recipes had distinct flavors that used a combination of taste notes to enhance the dish.

The Salmon for example began with a salty taste note then moved into a aromatic spice flavor then ended with the floral herbs. Almost like a herbed gravlax. It was really quite lovely.

The scallops were quite complex. First a crunch from the lentil crust, then salt and heat from the cayenne. Then the sweetness of the scallops come through and the garden taste of peppers then a final sharp taste of celery leaves.

For the salad, the sweet crunch of the watermelon was played off by celery root and a dressing of reduced watermelon juice, honey and lemon. Refreshing, unusual and tasty.

I'm going to like this unit. I Forgot my camera today so no pictures until I get some from a classmate

Goodnight.

Essential Skills 3 - The Final: Meat, Fish & Poultry

For today's final we prepared four different dishes, complete with starch and vegetable. In the previous finals we prepared recipes that we had made in class. Today, however, three of the four dishes were ones we had never made in class. We were given the recipes for these dishes ahead of time, so of course I did a dry run at home, and, once again, the Traina's graciously offered to be official tasters.

Jimmy Allen says he going to start a tasting blog.


The four dishes I made today were Veal Marsala, Salmon En Papillote, Apricot and Bourbon Grilled Chicken, and Pork Chimichurri Kabobs.
I was pretty excited about my Chimichurrri sauce. I had a spice blend that I bought on my recent trip to Argentina, so I brought it in today and added it to my sauce. I had made a batch Monday night for dinner and received rave reviews. I knew I needed practice on the grill since this is one thing I never do. This has always been my husband's domain. I tried to get him to give me a grilling lesson, but I realized that after 30 years on the BBQ, perfection can't be taught in a night. He said it was a "sense." I needed something more concrete than that. I tried recruiting my good friend Terry (The BBQ Queen) but she was at the Keith Urban Concert. (Terry, I can't believe you chose Keith Urban over me!)
I had to go it alone. I resorted to my book and the clock. I poked it every few minutes and prayed a quick confession for all the times I yelled at Eric for overcooking the meat.
I think I got lucky. My pork and chicken were both cooked perfectly. I served the pork over rice with some grilled squash and black beans. I made some couscous with sauteed carrots and onions, and some green beans with butter and toasted almonds to accompany the chicken.

The veal Marsala came together fairly quickly. I sauteed a mix of mushrooms before making the pan sauce and served it with pureed potatoes, and a julienne of carrots and zucchini.

The Salmon E Papillote was the simplest to prepare and the one recipe we had made in class. A mix of julienned vegetables, stock and herb butter baked in a parchment pouch. This I served with rice. It did get a bit hectic at times and I was a little worried about the time, but eventually it all came together.
I felt good about my dishes as I presented them.
It seemed chef liked them as well. I received full points on all four of them along with some nice comments. Coming from a chef of his caliber, I savored every word.

Goodnight.

Essentail Skills 3 - Oysters, Muscles and Lobster

Nothing like going out with a bang! This was our last day of our unit on meat , fish and poultry. Finishing with Lobster Thermidor, steamed mussels and fried oysters was pretty nice.

We took our written final first. Out of all the finals so far, this one covered the most information. I was having such a hard time keeping all the primal cuts of beef, veal and pork straight and which cuts of meat get fabricated from what primal cut. I finally had to revert to mnemonic devices as my memory was not cooperating.
I'm glad it's over. After the test I realized that my meat thermometer had fallen out of it's plastic sleeve that I keep in my pocket. I retraced my steps back to the car and found it in the parking lot. It was totally flattened by a passing car. I guess I have to buy a new one. I don't know why we have to have them on hand every day. We never used them during our meat cooking because your supposed to go by feel to determine doneness. I did use the probe one time when I was unsure if the buffalo steak was done and chef stopped me and told me never to puncture the meat. It does looks official in my jacket pocket, though.

Back to the lobster. It is a little disturbing dropping a living thing in a pot of boiling water. I winced slightly then began to think of that wonderful lobster meat and was fully recovered by the time the meat was shelled and chopped and mixed into a wonderful white sauce, stuffed back into the shells, topped with cheese then baked.
This dish was just demoed for us. We each did not get are own lobster to cook and clean. For the tuition I'm paying we should have.
The mussels were placed in a sautoir with some wine, garlic, pepper, thyme, bay, leeks and carrots, and then brought to a boil. They only took a few minutes to steam. We removed them from the pan, reduced down the liquid, monte au beurre, (finished with butter) then poured the sauce back over the mussels and served it with some toasted bread. Fast, easy and delicious.
I have never shucked a oyster before so this was an experience. Once I got the technique and force down, it was fun. We poached the oyster slightly in it's liquid to plump it up then cooled them off in the refrigerator before breading and frying. We served them over some deep-fried leeks and a dipping sauce made with cornichons, capers, mustard, creme fraiche and some seasonings. What a way to end a great course on meats, poultry and fish.

Tomorrow - the final.

Essential Skills 3 - Fish

I was late for school today. I know I'm old enough to know better, but it really was because of daylight savings times. I want my hour of sleep back and no, I did not go to bed early to compensate. My "do as I say not as I do" motto that I used on my kids caught up with me this morning. It doesn't help that time accelerates on weekends.

More fish. I'm becoming a monger.

We began our morning by preparing a braised shark with Lemon Pesto.
I wasn't a big shark fan until this morning. We lightly seared it then setting it aside while creating a pan sauce in which to braise this full bodied white fish in for it's final cooking, we added onion, red pepper, tomato and wine along with some herbs then plopped the shark back in the pan and finished it off in the oven, covered. Served with a light lemon pesto sauce on top, it was flavorful, moist and firm.

Next we grilled up up a Acapulco Cat Fish. Farm raised since wild cat fish are pretty hard to come by these days, it is a white firm fish that that is moist and well suited for grilling. We encrusted it with a spice rub of toasted cumin, oregano. garlic, Chile powder, pepper and cayenne. Chef had made up a nice creole sauce that we garnished it with.
I decided that cat fish wasn't so bad either! Mom, can you believe I'm becoming a fish lover??

Finally, we were given a whole flounder (sole) that we gutted, cleaned and filleted. I'm starting to feel like a surgeon. This boning and filleting is getting easier each day. I think I might even be tempted to start buying my fish whole. Maybe.
Anyways, I managed to get my four fillets from this "flat fish" then rolled them up and baked them over sauteed mushrooms and wine, covered with a piece of parchment. Very delicate, these "Fillets Bonne Femme" cooked quite fast. I made a pan sauce using a fish veloute with the pan juices and voila - Fillets of Sole Bonne Femme.
I left quite happy to add a few more recipes to my limited poisson repertoire.
And I'm learning French. Kitchen French that is.

Bon Soir