Category Archive for 'Vegetarian'

Day 7: White Trash Day

Wednesday, July 18th, 2007

Good ole’ swirly bread. Apparently my desire to learn the breads of my childhood does NOT impress my classically trained chef-instructor who has a passion for the natural fermentation process. I am excited about cultivating yeast and making artisan bread, but a well-rounded bread intensive would not be complete without some marble rye and cinnamon […]

Day 6: Sticky Buns, Bagels, Cracked corn bread

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

Quite the variety! Today we learned the ins and outs of sticky buns. Basically they are pretty easy but sticky and full of sugar. Lots of sugar. We used a yeasted dough which definitely put it ahead of Cinnabon refined processed crap. We made a schmear, which is basically melted butter, brown sugar and honey. […]

Brioche exposed

Friday, July 13th, 2007

This is brioche. The photo is someone else’s because I didn’t get a photo of the finished product. People love brioche and rave about it up and down. I don’t know how I had gone through life not having an opinion on it. Brioche is basically 95% butter. We tried to form it one afternoon […]

Day 4: Bread

Thursday, July 12th, 2007

Today was the last day of the week. We perfected our brioche technique and made chasson with the remaining puff pastry dough. Chasson is basically a sweet turnover. We used round fluted cutters and then rolled them into oblong shapes, filled it with apricots and blueberries, egg-washed the edges of one side and folded over […]

Bread Intensive, Day 3

Wednesday, July 11th, 2007

Golden Raisin-walnut bread, whole wheat croissant, 5 grain levain, brioche loaf, puff with goat cheese and heirloom tomatoes. Today was amazingly productive. I think I now have some insight into the world of a baker. And I enjoy it, so it must be a good sign. Lots of multi-tasking. Yesterday, we made our pre-ferments for […]

Bread Intensive, Day 2

Tuesday, July 10th, 2007

This week I have started a special bread intensive class at school. I know, I know, I graduated Culinary School last month. But there is still more to learn! I am not interested in taking the desserts and breads program (please, baking with endless eggs and butter? not my style) but I get so excited […]

COD planning continues.

Saturday, June 2nd, 2007

So far I’ve plated my entree (but it’s too ugly to post), my appetizer and here’s my dessert. My first attempt was quite embarrassing. Somehow I had the brownie in a triangular shape and I quenelled the ice cream and my dessert became a vagina on a plate. I think this plating is much more […]

Mai e ‘ai

Wednesday, May 9th, 2007

Appetizer: Bok choy, morel and goat cheese wontons. Soy-ginger dipping sauce Salad: Wood sorrel, arugula, taro croutons, pickled fiddleheads, dried hibiscus, lemongrass vinaigrette Intermezzo: Shiso granita, adzuki gelee Entree: Macadamia nut encrusted tempeh, coconut lime sauce, mango salsa, forbidden rice, pea vines Dessert: Mocha poi decadence, strawberry ice cream, li hing mui

COD Notebook is in!

Wednesday, May 9th, 2007

One step closer, still a lot of work to do. I don’t quite understand yet how chefs can come up with menus at the drop of a hat that have a theme and flow between courses. It must get easier with experience, or they all steal someone else’s ideas. This COD (Chef of the Day, […]