Hiding Behind My Stock

   Since my next course will be the fabled Culinary Skills 1,  I have decided to cook my way through the course outline in preparation for the class....... kinda Julia Childish, ( movie Julia and Julia). So yesterday I went to a butchers and purchased beef bones to make stock. I have the textbook already and have made the stock from it once before, therefore I figure it will be a fairly gentle introduction.
Alright, I'm afraid to try anything else........... I'm kinda intimidated by this course.
I need to pick up carrots, celery and more onions today then I should be good to go. I'll probably make it tomorrow and read up on coagulating proteins today. Last time I made this it made the air in my house smell like steak all day mmmmmmm.

Then I'll look at what else I'm supposed to cook. I need to buoy up my confidence first. Stock's easy as long as you don't let it boil. I can do that.

Usually.

Cheers,
Christine

I'm Back!

I have just finished a gruelling 4 months taking a required nutrition course. If anything made me think of not finishing my program it was that course. I experienced the true joys of group projects, note the sarcasm, and the wonderful...... more sarcasm, pace of quizzes and tests every 3ish weeks.

It's a bit of a blur, hence the "ish". 

Ugh.

The only real highlight was that I got to do a study on medieval nutrition, which I must say, was extremely cool! I learned all about how to stuff and cook a boars head, no I didn't actually do it, and dress it so it still looked like it had eyes and skin and stuff, and about cooking peacock and fowl so it still looked alive. Really neat!

Ok, some of you might be getting sick at the thought, my apologies....... but I just pictured castles, medieval music, candles and long beautiful dresses. 

PLUS I got to read lots of books on medieval cooking, gingerbread, roast pig..... that I would do, mincemeat and that vegetables were evil. 

Yes they were evil. Apparently the medieval philosophy concerning food was just a little off. Vegetables were not considered healthy according to the ancient Greek philosophy of the Humours. Since the European medieval doctors adopted this teaching...vegetables were baaaaaaad. 

Except the peasants couldn't afford too much meat....... so they had to eat the poisonous veggies.

So guess who was healthier???

Many a glass of red wine was drunk while I wrote my paper and watched this video.  I thought it was interesting and funny, but I'm a little weird, 

so I'll just give you a clip to see......

Cheers, Christine

Edward Street Bistro Review

I'm almost done....the review was much longer but it had to be no more than 800 words.

The Edward Street Bistro and Marketplace, located on 14785 Yonge Street, Aurora opened in the fall of 2010. It’s owner David Mintz had come from successful catering background in the entertainment industry. Many of its reviews, which used phrases like “over priced” and “incorrectly served”, are published on the public restaurant database Open Table. A Star critic praised the creativity of the food but complained of  “ details lacking” in service and inconsistent quality of food. However, Edward’s did win the Open Table Diner’s Choice Winner for 2011.

    The reservation system allowed me to be met only with an answering machine, asking for my name and number. I love technology as much as anyone, but for an upscale restaurant I would have liked to speak to an actual person. This was not available even though it was Monday night and the diner hour. So I made an online reservation.

    I parked in Edward’s underground parking and was greeted in the bistro by a friendly hostess who was expecting me and took my coat. She asked me where I wanted to sit which surprised me; I had made reservations and had asked to not sit by the door. She then had to remove settings from my choice of table. I received my menu as I sat down and within 2 minutes I also had water and a breadbasket. My server suggested a Shiraz, which I enjoyed through the appetizer and entrée. An Australian 6 Rows Shiraz’09, I’m not a wine expert, but it was delicious.

      I had picked out my entrée, Roasted Ontario Lamb Sirloin, but asked my server to suggest an appetizer to go with it. She suggested the “Tuna “Nicoise”, seared tuna loin with a wasabi edamame mousse. I asked how the wasabi was served with the tuna and she assured me it was positioned to be dipped into as a guest chose. I chose the tuna and then waited only 10 minutes for it to arrive.

     When my tuna came out and I was disappointed to discover that all of it was placed directly on top of the wasabi mousse. The eight tuna medallions were wonderfully rare and seared beautifully on the edges and had a fantastic melt in your mouth texture.  The few medallions that were not in the mousse had a light delicate flavor, which was delicious. The rest tasted like wasabi. It was served with a mix of salad greens lightly dressed with vinaigrette with a few baby tomatoes and dehydrated black olives and some lightly cooked halved baby potatoes. This would have made a nice accompaniment for my fish if I could have tasted it. I tried to scrape as much of the wasabi off as I could and hoped my server was more accurate about my lamb.

     My lamb arrived 10 minutes after my appetizer had been removed.  There were three, thick, glistening lamb steaks, resting on a layer of steamed green beans, baby carrots and broccoli. Underneath this was a bed of chorizo sausage and white bean ragu. The lamb was superb, moist and very tender.  It’s edges held a delicious smoky flavor, gloriously caramelized. The vegetables were tender crisp, lightly steamed except for the broccoli, which was buried under the meat and mushy. Underneath the vegetables lay the chorizo and bean base, which was appropriately seasoned to allow the chorizo to shine. The sausage was neither dominated by the ragu, nor did it overshadow the lamb.  But the star of the dish was the lamb. I had read several reviews complaining about small portions for the price at Edward’s Bistro. Although this was a $30 entrée, I was hard pressed to finish it and felt the generous portions of meat were worth the price.

     There were only four choices on the desert menu and all fairly large. I chose the double chocolate creme brulee.  I was told it was not a traditional brulee as it had a chocolate ganache center. The presentation was acceptable, with fresh berries and chocolate shavings as garnishes, but the dessert may as well have been a cheesecake. It was rich and overly dense with barely a hint of a brulee-like consistency.

    After my meal my server, who turned out to be the floor manager, took me on a tour of the kitchen at my request. She was very friendly and informative explaining the organization of the kitchen. The Executive Chef Brad Kelsall was away with the Sous Chef Dave taking his place. He was busy, but my introduction was rewarded by a smile and wave done the less.

The bistro’s website is www.edwardstreet.ca. The phone number 905 841 9500 (ext 3) is available for reservations for groups. The Open Table states a range of $30-$50 per person, which I think is low for three courses.

Tonight's the Night!

After deciding which restaurant I would be reviewing for my assignment I went online to read reviews which had already taken place.

Not the most encouraging.

The locals for the most part enjoy the comparative upscale environment the location offers. However those who reviewed the restaurant on Open Table also seemed to offer a large amount of grace ( too much? ) for mistakes by the servers in taking orders. Wrong things delivered to the table, or even cooked by the chef, were mentioned by more than one guest. One review written by a "professional ", in a Toronto paper, was particularly scathing, but she was comparing it to a downtown Toronto restaurant which I don't think is accurate. Although the restaurant itself projects itself as comparable to Toronto.

So how am I doing writing like a restaurant critic? I haven't even gone yet! I know I have to be critical but I can't help but struggling feeling like I am being a bit mean. I mean I'm the one who would just eat the wrong order and not say anything. I usually apologize if I ask the server for anything beyond the minimal requirements.

 Soooo.... off I go to eat! That's tonight. 6:00pm, table for one please. I had to place my reservation on Open Table as I tried twice to call to speak to a person on the phone and got an answering machine. Hmmm I didn't like that, I prefer people. :)

 BUT ....I'm trying to keep positive! I will be hopeful that this will be a good experience since I like eating out. I like trying new food. Even if they mess it up a bit, I didn't make it! That's always a treat. I am going by myself since I can't afford to take anyone with me. I will try to think objectively and not look suspicious. Then go home and put on my snobby hat and write my review.

Do you want to hear it when I am done?

Ciao!

Christine

Undercover Assignment

Well, so much for getting my textbook. That's right it didn't happen. But I did spend the evening with a very dear person so all is good. Since my instructor________ has been scanning the pages in the relevant books I can still read the sections requested.

The font is just a little small, and rather light coloured when printed off.
However with a magnifying glass and a suitable light I'll be fine.
Lots of squinting, ............ lots.
Bifocals may need to upgraded to a telescope.

I have read the requirements for my first assignment. I need to go, and eat at, and then review, a new restaurant. After this I will present my findings to the class, based on what I have learned in the course so far. Since I rather like verbal presentations and I am a capable writer this shouldn't be too difficult. I have even picked out the restaurant. I am reading and researching the relevant people who work there now, including the owner. I am also studying their website which is extensive.
   I just can't figure out how to eat there and not look like I am reviewing the place. I am not a known food critic so I won't be recognized. But I will need to make copious notes because I simply won't remember the details for later. Heck, I can barely remember my postal code!

How do I take copious notes, which I am going to need to do, without being noticed?

I'm going downtown today to get my textbook. Actually I will be there for other reasons so I thought I would pick up the book as well. I'm going to bring my two oldest daughters with me so maybe I will show them around a little. Maybe take them to the massive shopping centre in the city. My eldest should like that.
I need to get inspired to cook more deliberately these days. Dinners here are being thrown together around   4:30 and they usually involve something canned. Last night I made fish and green beans which was a step up from my usual fare these days.
I need inspiration...any ideas?

Cheers Christine

I'm sorry for my long absence oh wonderful reader! I had great intentions of taking one semester off and acquiring 2 exemptions from my program while also taking the emergency first aid course.

I did none of that.

But I do want to finish this program! So I am registered in a new course for this winter. The Art of Eating and Dining. I took the first class this past Saturday morning. ( I need to point out what an incredible sacrifice this for me to give up my Saturday morning for 4 months)
I try not to think about it.
I tried not to think about it as I stood in the dark, in minus 1 million degree weather, while it was snowing, waiting for my bus at 7:15 AM.
My body does not register life until at least 9:00 AM.

But when I got on the bus, it was so warm and comfy. I almost forgave the school for scheduling my class at a sub-human time on Saturday.
I listened to classical music on my new iTouch (yes I am spoiled) and watched the sun come up as I settled into my nice, warm, soft seat.
Sunrises are beautiful.
I'm beginning to see the point of mornings......but don't tell anyone.

My class was actually the second class in the course since I was away for the first. I found out that I will have my first writing assignment and quiz due in two weeks.
No pressure, guess I'm hitting the ground running.
I don't have the text book yet. Haven't downloaded the notes yet...... kinda struggling to get up to speed.

January sleepies have got me, I just want to hibernate and plant seeds for my garden.

Probably get the textbook tomorrow.

The Point of Mis en Place

Mis en Place is the technical term for your work area while cooking. In cooking school I am marked for how well my mis en place is organized before I start preparing any dish. If I maintain a clean and orderly mis en place during my cooking process.....a better grade for me. The importance of this concept hit home , literally, last night as I was preparing for company to arrive.

I had spent the afternoon shopping for clothes with my four children. It was hot , 40° hot, and my car is not air conditioned. Nevertheless we had  experienced a successful trip, until my son,... for the first time, started to try on dress shirts by himself. Watching his bare feet twist and dance under the change room stall, as he tried to navigate the small buttons by himself, I started to panic. This was a new step of independence for him and I wanted to support him.  However I  only had a certain amount of time, because I was expecting company that evening. I had a carrot cake at home I still needed to make icing for. I started to remind myself that I had picked an easy dessert and it would not take long to finish. I have decorated so many cakes I could.... almost..... make the icing in my sleep.

So leaving the store with my son and his three new shirts, I successfully convinced myself it would be OK...."I'll be fine....I'll be fine...no problem...I can do this."

One and a half hours before company was to arrive I started to clear a work area on my counter. Bowls .....check, recipe.......check, mixer......check. I had enough time to make the cake twice over if I wanted, lots of time! I pulled the cream cheese out of the fridge and the icing sugar out from under the counter. This would be a breeze! In went the icing sugar and cream cheese and butter, .....oops I should have creamed the fats first. Ah well, I told myself confidently, if a chef in training can't handle a little recipe adjustment then I hadn't learned much! ...On went the mixer,.... so a little too much icing sugar flew out of the bowl...no problem! 

The mixer whirled, the icing looked....well......a little grainy....I applied the mixer some more.....still grainy. But heck, what could go wrong? It was icing! The easiest thing in the world to make. My daughter walked by and asked for "a finger full" of the icing. She excitedly dipped her 9 year old finger into the white mass to taste Mommy's latest yummy thing. I watched her face with confidence...ignoring my personal confusion over the graininess. Her surprised stare as she tasted the icing was followed by a polite, reassuring "It's nice mommy, really..............what is it? It isn't very sweet". 

Nice?..... What is it?.....These were not the words of someone who had just had "a finger full" of her favourite thing! I decided to taste it myself.....it was horrible! It wasn't just lacking sweetness, it tasted foul! Again I told myself........  if I was in class, I would be expected to fix the icing ......so by jove..., I was going to fix it! In went more icing sugar and vanilla,..... vanilla solves everything.

 Mixer on, I tasted it...... GROSS! I stared at the icing in amazement. I have literally made and decorated cakes for years! What the heck was wrong with it? I pulled out a second bowl and added a small scoop of the first icing to it with more sugar and vanilla. Mixer on........tasted again.......AWFUL! 

By now I was beginning to feel like I was dreaming. I stared at the white mass in my bowl in total confusion. You can't mess up icing! Icing sugar and fat, that's all you need! It has to work....there is no way it can't work! I added more sugar and vanilla and water to the bowl,.... my icing was beginning to look like play dough. On went the mixer....this time I tried it frustratedly, it had to work! There was nothing that could go wrong!...Still gross....all that sugar and still gross.....I had added almost twice as much sugar as needed and I still couldn't taste it! 

I stepped back from the counter in a stalemate. I had no idea what to do. 

Slowly I left the kitchen and walked downstairs to my husband. I sat on the stairs with my head in my hands in confused defeat. " I can't make icing....I have no idea what's happening...I feel like I going insane!" My wonderful husband stared at me as if I had two heads. I may as well have told him I had forgotten how to walk. " What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

"I mean I can't make the #**$# icing," I snapped confusedly, "and I have no idea why!" I looked at him helplessly, apologized, and asked him to taste it. I think I was vainly hoping that during my absence the icing would have magically righted itself. He went into the kitchen, looked silently at the collection of bowls on the counter and the sprayed icing sugar covering everything from the coffee maker to the stove. Tasting the contents of the bowl, he looked at the partially emptied bag of icing sugar, sitting on my counter.  The bag of icing sugar from our local bulk food store. 

You know the kind.... 

....clear 

.....no markings

......the contents, identified by a tag the customer writes on and attaches themselves.......

I always lose those tags

"Is that icing sugar?" he asked

Nope, it was cornstarch..... I had been trying to make icing with corn starch and no sugar, not good. My wonderful husband went out and bought more ingredients. Everyone loved the cake, extra carrots, raisins, with a brown sugar walnut crumble on top of the icing....my kids are having it for breakfast.

This chef in training gets the point of mis en place now...

and not losing those little tags from the bulk food stores!

Cheers, 

Christine

Snow Storm in May

Pride cometh before a fall........

I fell.....oh boy... I fell

My first class in Culinary Desserts was, I thought, going to be a gentle introduction to the industrial kitchen. It would be gentle because I would be learning how to pipe icing, something I have been doing for years.

HAHAHA

My happy dream of a simple class began to dissolve on the bus when , to my horror, I realized I had forgotten all my notes and that day's recipe at home, on the dining room table. After calling my daughter to look up the phone number for the college, I tried to contact the school. My multiple attempts                 (apparently everyone at college had left their notes on the dining room table as well - joke ), were rewarded when a kind person told me I could go to the library a block away from my school and use the computers there.

These are city blocks.....big blocks.

I had not allowed time for this but, thanks to bus schedules, I did have a half hour of extra time.

So I ran......found the library......and had someone translate the workings of a PC to me ( I have a mac). I then got my notes and ran to class.

So what if everyone had nice, plastic covered notes in nice neat binders, and I had a sheet of paper and a pen. I had my nice neat binder too, ...at home,... on my nice neat dining room table. I could bounce back! With my head held high I went into class where I picked a station directly in front of the Chef, because my dad always said to sit at the front of the class........ note the hint of coming doom. Then I began to set up my equipment and measure my supplies.

This is when I realized that my new scale, was quite a bit smaller than the bowl I needed to measure my sugar in.

Seriously.....I put the bowl on my cute little digital scale...and completely lost the scale. My brain knew it was there.... but my eyes couldn't see it. It was only when I  bent down and looked under my bowl that I noticed a tiny shape peeping out under the bowl's base. My scale was barely readable in the shade under the bowl..... and I needed to read it to measure all my ingredients.

I did it...... it took me a bit longer..... but I did it. I ended up crouched under my bowl, peering and squinting like someone who has lost their keys, under the car in the dark. I had everything measured except for my icing sugar, which was half measured .....catch the next hint of coming doom, when Chef called us up to the front for the demo to explain the class.

When I got back from the table to finish measuring my sugar I noticed someone had bumped my bowl off the scale. This meant I would have to remeasure and sift two and a half kilos of icing sugar again......and I only had one large bowl.

 This is when it gets painful, feel free to look away if you don't wish to see the next part.....

Because of the sifter's large size and the smaller bowls I was now forced to use, the icing sugar went into the bowls.....and onto the counter...and onto our notes......and onto our tools....and onto the floor.

We ended up with five small bowls on our table and two large bowls....... I think at this point we were trying to find comfort in large numbers. The sifter was designed for the large bowl, because no one would try to sift 2.5 kilos into 5 small bowls, .....except us! We had a snow storm in May at our station.

Did I mention we get marked on our organizational abilities and neatness of our work area? Don't forget I am sitting directly in front of the Chef.....

The rest of the class was uneventful. I saw, I came, I piped....she said I had a good technique....she is kind.

Next week will be better :)

Cheers,

Christine

Today Baking - and Uncomfortable Shoes

Today I start my baking course, .....I don't have the usual jitters. I have made much of what we will be making before, so I feel I am not venturing into the complete unknown.

Famous last words??

I have to wear a complete uniform for this course and safety shoes. I have tried on many pairs in two different stores.

They all hurt.

I can only say, it is a revealing characteristic about me, when my biggest concern about starting my cooking course is........how much my feet will hurt and whether I can make it 4 hours without going to the bathroom.

My family is waiting in great anticipation to see what I will bring home...........me too!

Cheers,
Christine

Baking starts tomorrow! And I added recipes...

My exam is over, phew! I past my course, double phew! Baking starts Monday! I am a little nervous about being in the industrial kitchen for the first time, but I know it will be cool,.........as in "great". Actually it will be extremely hot as the course runs through July.....and they wonder what the scots wear under their kilts..?? I wonder  what the chef's wear? Ahem...
ANYWAYS
I will need to show extreme self control as I will be bringing home an obscene amount of desserts over the next three months. Maybe I should keep a running tally of my weight....
all in favour......?
I do have a line up of friends willing to help me get rid of the deserts thankfully! I've noticed my family isn't complaining about deserts coming in regularly........ lol

Cheers,
Christine

Cheese bread worked out - sorta

Well the cheese bread worked, at least I have been told it did. It is not made with a wheat flour but with the cassava vegetable. The result is a very different textured bread, a real culinary adventure, with fresh parmesan cheese warm from the oven with a distinctive chewiness bringing forth a common reaction among many people of.....

gagging,......

 Yup I had people actually spitting it out in front of me in disgust. Not the best for my ego...although people who are familiar with the bread said I made it correctly. Not for the North American palette I guess.

Just a final exam to go then food theory is over!
Recipes to follow ( only the good ones! lol)

Christine

Gluey Cheese?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brazilian Churrasco

Last night I went to the Copa Cabana. Anyone who immediately starts humming Barry Manilow's song may move to the front of the class.
For a fixed price Latin waiters came around to individual tables with 2 foot long skewers holding large pieces of meat. They would then shave off thin wafers of meat onto your plate. There was probably 15 different types of meat seasoned with everything from traditional sea salt to funky marinates. We were given a card, red on one side and blue( traditionally green) on the other. You turned the red side up if you wanted them to stop with meat, the blue side up if you wanted a break. My group from class all ate until we were in pain.  Then we enjoyed the buffet......

It was carnivore heaven,

Midterm in two weeks...

Maybe by them I'll fit back into my jeans! lol

Christine