March 2008
2 posts
MSG: it really aint so bad
“It was a nightmare for my family,” said Jennifer Hsu, a graphic designer whose parents owned several Chinese restaurants in New York City in the 1970s. “Not because we used that much MSG — although of course we used some — but because it meant that Americans came into the restaurant with these suspicious, hostile feelings.” Even now, after “Chinese restaurant syndrome” has been thoroughly...
February 2008
39 posts
So, lately i’ve been sick with a virus. So sick that the cookery coordinator doesnt want to see me in prac classes for another two weeks. I attemped to get through a class on Tuesday but had to leave less than an hour into it because i felt so dizzy and like i was going to ralph everywhere. Not good! It actually makes me feel really bad because, well, how am i going to go in the real world...
Tonight i made Penne Carbonara for my mother and brother since i missed out on making in class. They liked it. It looked nice. It tasted quite nice too - i only ate two pieces of pasta since the dish, obviously, contains bacon (puke!) and loads of cream. But they liked it so much they want me to make it again later in the week. I reckon it’s going to turn into one of those comfort food/crowd...
What to do with Vanilla →
Even though it should be obvious.
I'm gonna get fat
Right now i’m kind of obsessed with mayonnaise and have been making lots of aioli. And eating lots of aioli with anything i can get my hands on (hardboiled eggs, coleslaw, etc.) The worst thing about knowing how to make shit properly is that even when you don’t have it you can simply whip it up. Temptation! Everywhere! And since oil and eggs are pretty much a staple in every kitchen...
How today went ...
Everything i thought i’d fuck up i aced (roux, garlic paste) Everything i was really confident about i pretty much aced (lemon wedges, segments, parsley, etc) Everything i felt OK at i flunked. He basically said “you can’t use your knife!” I felt like screaming back, “DUDE. MY HANDS ARE SHAKING. I HAVE STAGEFRIGHT! I WAS PERFECT AT HOME!” I don’t want to...
!@%$#
I have 171 pages of theory to commit to memory this evening. We’ve been studying this subject for two weeks now and although i know most of it i don’t know all of it and we need to know all of it. This is for our assessment tomorrow. We have a theory test in the afternoon and a 2.5 hour practical in the morning. Then in two weeks we do it all again with another subject. Oh joy! That on...
Groannnn
Tonight: Watch episode 3 of Hell’s Kitchen with MPW. Read Chez Panisse Vegetables in bed. Sunday: Sleep in Practice: dicing onion, chopping parsley, making garlic paste (4 cloves), cutting orange segments, making a roux (white, blond, brown.) Complete revision for subject for written assessment on Tuesday. Complete workflow plan for practical assessment. Wash and dry chefs whites. Complete...
Screw it, just grow it yourself
Speaking of produce, today i ordered $38 worth of seeds from Eden Seeds. I just feel so put off by what is on offer right now. The supermarkets suck - that’s a given, but we used to have this great fruit and veg place nearby that had existed for donkey’s years. Recently a new super fruit and veg place opened up providing unbelievably cheap, fresh produce. Everyone flocked there which...
Having what it takes
I’m DL’ing and watching season 3 of Hell’s Kitchen UK with Marco Pierre White as head chef and boy oh boy. Aside from the service part (we havent started working in the restaurant yet) it’s just like school. Our teacher-chef is just as terrifying as Marco not because he’s one of the world’s greatest and most influencial cooks but because he expects certain...
I know my chicken, you got to know your chicken
Today in our practical our teacher plonked a whole chicken on his bench, looked over at me and in his Texan drawl said, ‘if you loved the fish you’re gonna love this.’ And even though i did a shit job at boning the chicken (i’ve never even cooked with chicken, unless you count the odd chicken breast, let alone cut one up into portions) i found it a lot easier and much less...
Fish
Yesterday in our practical we learned to skin and fillet whole round (barramundi) and flat (flounder) fish. We also learned how to properly prepare prawns. We were given whole fish in all their stinky fishy juice and had to present 2 or 4, depending on the fish, fillets to our teacher. For all my bad technique and screw-upiness my barramundi fillets werent too bad, but my flounders sucked. Oh...
The 'Vue de monde' Apprentice →
Stephanie Wood’s infamous theage(melbourne)magazine story about her 4 day guest apprenticing stint at Vue de monde.
You don't make friends with salad!
Today we made salads (green, Greek, carrot and egg) and Pullman sandwiches. Basic stuff really. He also demonstrated how to make mayonnaise and meringue. For the first prac ever i wasnt anxious or scared and actually had a good time. What a difference a competant partner makes … and a smaller kitchen. I hate the kitchen we’re usually in.
1st practical assessment
Next Tuesday we have our first practical assessment. I thought it was going to be pretty complicated but we got the assessment sheet today and it doesnt seem to bad. As our teachers say “we’re here to pass you, not fail you … [cough] it reflects better on us.” So even though i’m pretty sure i’ll pass i’d still like to get a nice score. However what really...
Major Assessment
For our major project this year (aside from working in the school restaurant) we get to basically invent a restaurant or food establishment or something along those lines. Next week we’ll be given the criteria sheet and on it it will tell us what our kind of establishment it is, how many people it will seat, and what season we’re in and from there we figure out what kind of food we...
Or any other celebrity chef
If i hear one more person at school say they want to be the next Jamie Oliver i’m going to seriously hurt myself.
Farmers Market Project
I’m quite excited by one of the assignments we got given today. We are to make and design a poster promoting the upcoming farmer’s market being held at school in late March. The winner will have their poster used as the advertisement. We get the specs. next week but i couldnt wait; I’ve already started sketching and drafting ideas for mine. Also? I can’t wait for the...
Amy Scattergood on using parchment paper
Use parchment when you bake: Measure out your dry ingredients onto a sheet of paper — which you then roll into a funnel — and pour them straight into your bowl. Then reuse the same sheet to roll out pie dough (use one sheet underneath and, depending on the consistency of the dough, another on top) or line cake tins or form logs of cookie dough. Your cakes won’t stick to the pans,...
LA Times Recipe: German's Sweet Chocolate Cake →
LA Times Recipe: Custard for German Chocolate Cake →
Marco Pierre White in dot points
I was watching an interview with Marco Pierre White this evening and this is what he had to say: Plate food to eat elegantly. Let the food present itself. Don’t present contrived dishes. Understand the science of food and cooking. Always ask why, why, why. Respect mother nature. Choose good produce, cook it simply, and allow mother nature to show itself off. Build your menu around the...
Some books to read
Larousse Gastronomique Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child New Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker Elizabeth David’s Classics by Elizabeth David American Cookery by James Beard Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook by Alice Waters The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne Regional French Cooking by Paul Bocouse The Professional Chef 7th ed. The New Making...
Something to consider
Restaurant work is not part time work. It takes all of you and then some. It’s intimate and physical the way sex and relationships are. It engulfs, and tars and feathers you. It’s like your family of origin, cults, gangs and religion. We say you’re either on the train or not and after working the line for a period of time it’s easy to see why the military and kitchen work...
No-Knead Bread Video →
Perfect, crusty no-knead bread recipe courtesy of Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery and Mark Bittman of the NY Times. Can’t wait to try this out.
Learning about food and cooking is a continuous process. It’s about developing, arguing about, stealing, rethinking and having opinions. Straight up, with no god damned ice opinions. It’s reading, eating out, experimenting, taking notes, asking questions, using the same foods season after season, struggling, spending hours in the cookbook section of various bookstores, traveling, and...