Culinary School - Q6 Week 3 Latin

Latin – Week 3


July 26, 2011

Menu: Guacamole, Sopa de Fideos Aguada, Chiles en Nogada, Frijoles de Olla, Corn Tortillas, Arroz con Leche

Summary: This week we are practicing our roasting techniques on Chiles, Tomatoes, and Pasta. We are also working on simmering and rice cookery.

Food: Guacamole and Chips: Our Guac was Delicious! Chef used the words “Very Good” and “Awesome” to describe the flavor. Our Chips were a crunchy but a little chewy. I think this came from them being a little on the thick side. It seems we are still having trouble getting the tortilla’s to be the correct thickness. Chef liked our presentation. He thought it looked nice.

Guacamole & Chips

Sopa de Fideos Aguada: The stock we used for our soup was a little oily. We had tried to remove some of the extra oil floating on the top using a piece of bread but perhaps we should have tried the consommé method of using a paper towel. The Pasta was cooked correctly. The Soup had good tomato flavor and was the correct temperature (140°). Chef thought it was very nice!

Sopa de Fideos

Chiles en Nogada: The filling of our Chiles was very tasty, however the opening should have been placed on the bottom when plating. I got a toothpick in my bite of it, so I think Brandon forgot to take them out when he plated them. The Sauce could have used a little more seasoning.

Chiles en Nogadas with Beans

Frijoles de Olla: I thought the beans tasted great but Chef said they were a little salty. He also thought they were a little under cooked. I like them with a little texture.

Arroz con Leche: Our Arroz con Leche was really tasty. The Rice was very nicely cooked and the dish was the perfect color. I really enjoyed this dessert.

Arroz con Leche

While I love the flavors of Mexico, I am glad that next week we will be starting with South America. I am anxious to learn more about the flavors and techniques used there!