I am making Brazilian Cheese bread for class tonight. Right now it looks like glue....EEPP! I am using tapioca flour which is new for me. It isn't done yet though, here's hoping!
Christine
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Crustaceans and Donuts
Yup, shellfish are it right now, lots and lots of details. I love fish and shellfish so it tends to make me hungry........ I am a little distressed to discover how many of my wonderful shellfish dishes that I love are cooked alive. EEEWW. I would love to cook lobster for my kids but they would probably disown me if they thought I murdered their dinner.
I made churros last week, that's Brazilian donuts, and dulce de leche, which is caramelized condensed milk. The kids love the donuts but I cooked the condensed milk too long and ended up with a very think, actually immovable, paste. So we just ate the donuts.
We had a lecturer visit last week and speak on coffee and tea. Very cool. I know now when I buy decaf to buy swiss water decaf. Why you ask? Because, if the label does not tell you anything, a dry cleaning chemical was used to decaffeinate the coffee. A process which manages to pass health safety,.....but still......I don't think I will buy it.
Oh I passed my midterm! 74% not the best, actually I spent a black night because I had wanted an A. I studied hard, ah well roast beef tonight!
Cheers
Christine
I made churros last week, that's Brazilian donuts, and dulce de leche, which is caramelized condensed milk. The kids love the donuts but I cooked the condensed milk too long and ended up with a very think, actually immovable, paste. So we just ate the donuts.
We had a lecturer visit last week and speak on coffee and tea. Very cool. I know now when I buy decaf to buy swiss water decaf. Why you ask? Because, if the label does not tell you anything, a dry cleaning chemical was used to decaffeinate the coffee. A process which manages to pass health safety,.....but still......I don't think I will buy it.
Oh I passed my midterm! 74% not the best, actually I spent a black night because I had wanted an A. I studied hard, ah well roast beef tonight!
Cheers
Christine
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
It Doesn't Always Work....
Yesterday I decided to repeat a culinary success I had gained last week. I had made Beurre Blanc and it had been met with rave reviews. Therefore I confidently pulled out the wine, vinegar, butter and headed for the stove.
It started well, I reduced the wine, vinegar, shallots and then added the butter..... Then my daughter got her foot stuck in the door. I mean she was half in the house and half out of the house with her foot caught in the door. I rescued her and then added the butter. Then another child managed to firmly embed a hairbrush into their sibling's head of hair. This took me a few minutes to remove. When I returned to my sauce, the gently heated liquid was at full boil and separated..... disaster.
"Never fear", I thought, "I'll just add butter!"
If you have been counting the amount of times I added butter....well you get the picture. At the end of the day my fine culinary success was creamy, yellow and just.........butter.
I handled it in a very mature manner......I sulked.
I saved it...I will use it for something I am sure!
tonight I am reading about fish and shellfish and the many ways to murder a lobster! EWWWWW!
Cheers
Christine
It started well, I reduced the wine, vinegar, shallots and then added the butter..... Then my daughter got her foot stuck in the door. I mean she was half in the house and half out of the house with her foot caught in the door. I rescued her and then added the butter. Then another child managed to firmly embed a hairbrush into their sibling's head of hair. This took me a few minutes to remove. When I returned to my sauce, the gently heated liquid was at full boil and separated..... disaster.
"Never fear", I thought, "I'll just add butter!"
If you have been counting the amount of times I added butter....well you get the picture. At the end of the day my fine culinary success was creamy, yellow and just.........butter.
I handled it in a very mature manner......I sulked.
I saved it...I will use it for something I am sure!
tonight I am reading about fish and shellfish and the many ways to murder a lobster! EWWWWW!
Cheers
Christine
Friday, March 18, 2011
Great Website...Need one for Canada though!
A great way to promote locally grown foods in season.....
Check this out! I love the idea, wish it was for Canada though.....http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/farmtotable?intcid=epi_hptile1
Check this out! I love the idea, wish it was for Canada though.....http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/farmtotable?intcid=epi_hptile1
YouTube rescued us...almost
Last night we had a lecture on rice, grains and pasta....... yes it was boring.
However our instructor took pity on us and showed us a youtube video on organic farming first.
Actually he told us our lecture was going to be dull and asked if anyone knew of a food related video we could watch first.
Sooo we learned about organic farming.
Kinda cool actually.
The alternative was to watch a video about genetically modified pigs! Look out Wilbur!
I did learn not to rinse my pasta if I am going to serve it hot with any sauce. Why?.....Because it rinses off the extra starch which causes the sauce to stick to the pasta. If you rinse your pasta the sauce all slides off, and you are left with a plate full of sauce and no pasta at the end of your meal.
This also applies to pasta salads, which is why my dressings on my pasta salads all collect at the bottom of the bowl and doesn't stick to the pasta!
Cheers,
Christine
However our instructor took pity on us and showed us a youtube video on organic farming first.
Actually he told us our lecture was going to be dull and asked if anyone knew of a food related video we could watch first.
Sooo we learned about organic farming.
Kinda cool actually.
The alternative was to watch a video about genetically modified pigs! Look out Wilbur!
I did learn not to rinse my pasta if I am going to serve it hot with any sauce. Why?.....Because it rinses off the extra starch which causes the sauce to stick to the pasta. If you rinse your pasta the sauce all slides off, and you are left with a plate full of sauce and no pasta at the end of your meal.
This also applies to pasta salads, which is why my dressings on my pasta salads all collect at the bottom of the bowl and doesn't stick to the pasta!
Cheers,
Christine
Friday, March 11, 2011
Mid term over-no second guessing!
Last week I was hit by a nasty head cold. This week I have been studying for my midterm which was Thursday night.
By Thursday afternoon I was convinced of my serious lapse in judgement in ever going back to school.
I mean WHO in their right mind, after 20 years, willing goes back to assignments and exams?
OK me...
The midterm is over now, and besides the fact that I would like to rewrite my answer to the bonus question, I think I did OK. One could think that since I am a culinary student my family has been eating well through this time, ......HA HA HA HA HA. Frozen food and soup...I think my husband has been hungry all week.
BBQ'd steaks tonight...with Béarnaise sauce and some funky potato, we did potatoes last night.
Cheers,
Christine
By Thursday afternoon I was convinced of my serious lapse in judgement in ever going back to school.
I mean WHO in their right mind, after 20 years, willing goes back to assignments and exams?
OK me...
The midterm is over now, and besides the fact that I would like to rewrite my answer to the bonus question, I think I did OK. One could think that since I am a culinary student my family has been eating well through this time, ......HA HA HA HA HA. Frozen food and soup...I think my husband has been hungry all week.
BBQ'd steaks tonight...with Béarnaise sauce and some funky potato, we did potatoes last night.
Cheers,
Christine
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Sickness and Scrambled Eggs
While my family has been hit by a lovely cold/flu combo I have been attempting to study for my midterm. I spent several hours last night reading about the properties of eggs. I now know why my hardboiled eggs have a green tinge to the edge of the yolks..........the sulfur in the egg whites react to the iron in the yolks when eggs are cooked at too high a heat or for too long. This makes iron sulfide. Which is why we should never boil our hardboiled eggs. ....oops, who knew?
It was a race which would win. The pile a kleenex on the table or the chapter on eggs.
My red nose and throbbing head called an end to the race. A tie between them was declared at scrambled eggs.
This week's class is on potatoes. At least I am studying comfort food.....
Sniffly yours,
Christine
It was a race which would win. The pile a kleenex on the table or the chapter on eggs.
My red nose and throbbing head called an end to the race. A tie between them was declared at scrambled eggs.
This week's class is on potatoes. At least I am studying comfort food.....
Sniffly yours,
Christine
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