The Grand Experiment

This weekend, in preparation for the first major exam of the school year, I decided the best way to prepare was to pick a selection of recipes that cover a wide range of skills we've learned...and then attempt to cook them all at once.

I invited a couple of forgiving friends over and decided to attempt this feat. Now you may recall that I came to culinary school with a great love and passion for restaurants, food and the culinary arts, not cooking.  I have never been an active home cook and no offense to my mother and grandmother, did not come from a home where cooking was a pleasure.  Cooking always seemed like a chore in my childhood home.  But throughout culinary school I have been determined to swing that pendulum and learn to love the process of cooking as much as I love the eating.

What I'm calling 'the grand experiment' (hopefully we'll graduate to 'dinner party' in the near future) began this past Thursday when I picked the menu.  From there, a trip to the restaurant supply store, a detailed shopping list and a step-by-step prep list we're created.  This was a complex undertaking, requiring a lot of thought.  Should I brunoise the carrots in the morning or while the soufflé was in the oven?  Should I infuse the milk while the chicken was resting or while I dress the salad? Should I start drinking copious amounts of wine before the guests arrive or after?* 

Now that the evening has come and gone, I can honestly say that it was a huge success! We began with a spinach salad with creamy mustard vinaigrette accompanied by brunoise carrots and best-of-the-season cherry tomatoes.  Immediately followed by sauteed Chicken with a mushroom and shallot white wine and demi-glace sauce accompanied by goat cheese souffles.  For dessert we had meringue 'floating islands' surrounded by creme anglaise and berries.  In the end it wasn't all the positive feedback that my friends and husband rained upon me, or the oohs-and-ahhs as they ate, or even the fact that everyone cleaned their plates down to the last bite that made me sure it was a success...it was that after the evening was finished and we were all glowing and full, my friends turned to me and with completely genuine looks in their eyes said, "you made it look so easy and fun."  It was in that off-the-cuff bit of feedback that it occurred to me...maybe I've transitioned from a person who loves to eat to a person who loves the entire food related process.  I just hope that'll be on the exam. 

*My mother would like me to note that in the end I opted not to drink any wine during The Grand Experiment. 

Heating up

As week four begins I am shocked at how quickly the previous three weeks of culinary school have flown by and how much ground we've covered in such a short time.  It's been a whirlwind of soups and sauces and knife skills (oh my).  And after we begin to master one skill or recipe, we start over again with the same but slightly different one.  My mind is full of measurements and methods and variations of all the projects.  

As we move forward I am becoming extremely thankful for the luxury of being able to repeat repeat repeat.  That's one of the primary differences between a robust home cook and a full time culinary student - the luxury of repeating the same project until you get it right.  Or really the luxury to get the project wrong and then learn why or how to make it better.  I'm also having a whole new appreciation for the expression 'if you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.'  Life in a professional kitchen is not for the faint of heart.  And while sometimes I'm screaming with fear inside my head, on the outside I keep telling myself to be brave and press onward.  I mean, what's really the worst that could happen other than scalding myself with 300° caramel or stabbing myself with my razor sharp 10 inch knife?

In all seriousness though I am finding my natural proclivity towards organization, detail and living with considered intentions are serving me well.  In fact some of my key take-aways so far are; do not put off something you can do now for later; clean as you go; be respectful of your tools; and above all organization and efficiency are your best friends.  These lessons apply beyond the kitchen...I just hope my husband can get on board with the new military precision efficiency being implemented around the house. 

Other fun thoughts I wanted to share.  Did you know butter consists of fat, water and milk solid - that's it - and if you remove the water and milk solids by heating (water evaporates) and then separating (milk solid will sink to the bottom) you are left with pure, clear, solid-fat clarified butter.  Think about that the next time you're dousing that lobster claw!  You can infuse almost any liquid (milk, water, liquor, etc) by heating it with an ingredient (vanilla, nutmeg, lemon zest, etc) then covering and allowing to steep.  Think of that the next time you have a tea party!  Making a delicious soup is easier than you think - sweat aromatics (cook sliced onion, leek or garlic in butter or oil until soft), add ingredient (any vegetable!) and stock, cook and then puree or blend until smooth and adjust seasoning.  Enjoy!

Week 1, Day 1

Like millions of children nationwide, I woke up on this first weekday after Labor Day ready to go back to school.  I had almost forgotten about the rush of anticipation and nerves that surge over you as you frantically get back into the morning routine after months (in my case almost a year) of non-routine living.  I was a whirlwind.  Waking up with the sun and peeking at my alarm every 20 minutes until it rang out, I finally popped out of bed, got dressed, ate a sensible breakfast with Charlie Rose in the background, strapped on my backpack, laced up my sneakers and was off.  Hubby decided to accompany me on the 2-mile walk to school, snapping photos and sharing words of encouragement just as a proud parent (or in this case partner) should on such an occasion.

Arriving at school I walked into a hub of activity; students finding uniforms, claiming lockers, awe-ing at our new knife kits!!!!  Considering it's been a good 10 years since I was in any school setting, I was eager to soak up as much as I possibly could and make some friends along the way.  I decided to ask as many questions as I could think of and really listen when others did the same.  Did you know that farmer's market eggs aren't washed, or that you can scrape mold off hard cheese and still eat it, or that 1 ounce of butter is 2 tablespoons, or that 1 1/2 quarts of soup serves 6 people? Well, neither did I.

My new classmates are as interesting and unique as I'd hoped they'd be.  There is the Alabama restaurateur who temporarily moved to SF just for this program.  The 18-year-old, fresh out of high school, scion of a farming dynasty who’s passion is in food preparation.  A woman who sold a successful company to finally follow her dream of pursuing a culinary education.  A stay-at-home-mom who decided now is her time!  I'm sure I'll get to know my 12 classmates well and look forward to being fascinated by each of them. 

Walking home after the first day, my mind and stomach full, I realized that if every day is as varied and busy as today I’m in for an incredible year.