Culinary School - Q6 Week 4 Latin

Latin – Week 4


August 2, 2011

Menu: Sopa de Palmito, Ceviche de Championes, Vatapa de Galinha, Pirao de Arroz, Couve a’ Mineira, Ensalada de Tomate y Cebolla, Crepes con Salsa de Dulce de Leche

Summary: This week we working on blanching, sautéing, stewing and sugar work.

Food: Our first dish was the Sopa de Palmito. The Soup tasted good but had a little too much cayenne pepper on the top. It also could have been a little warmer, but The flavor was good and it was the proper texture. Chef said it was a nice job.

Sopa de Palmito

Next up were our Ceviche de Champinones and Ensalada de Tomate y Cebolla. The Ceviche was very spicy but tasted good. Chef said it was a good job. The Tomato and Onion Salad was very good. The tomatoes and onions were properly sliced and the onions were prepared correctly. They did not have that oniony taste. Another good job!

Mushroom Ceviche and
Tomato & Onion Salad

The Vatapa de Galinha was good. The sauce was perfect but the meat was not cut and taken off the bone. The Kale was good. It was seasoned properly and cooked properly.

Vatapa de Galinha

The Pirao de Arroz ok. The taste was correct. The serving side was a little large. It tasted a little like coconut flavored paste but was yummy with the Dulce de Leche on it!

Pirao de Arroz

And finally, the Crepes con Salas de Dulce de Leche. I thought they were fantastic. We had a nice presentation. The crepes were correctly browned. A really nice job with the Caramel. Although, I would have liked it better without the Rum. Chef said it was excellent.

Crepe with Dulce de Leche

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!

Culinary School - Q6 Week 2 Latin

Latin


July 25, 2011

Menu: Sopa del Ajo, Nopales en Chipotle, Arroz Blanco, Pavo al Vapor en Recado Colorado, Pico de Gallo and Salsa de jitomate cocida, Pickled Onions, Frijoles Refritos, Churros & Hot Chocolate

Summary: This week we are practicing steaming, pickling, marinating, pureeing, bean cookery, dough frying and piping.

Food:. Sopa del Ajo – Our soup was presented at the correct temperature. The eggs were incorporated correctly and the flavor was very good.

Sopa del Ajo

Nopales, Arroz Blanco, Frijoles Refritos – Our nopales were cut to the right size and cooked well, I thought they were very spicy but I like that! The rice was really nice. It was very well cooked. The Beans were well seasoned and cooked properly. They could have used a little bit of fresh cheese on top.

Frijoles, Nopales & Arroz

Pavo al Vapor en Recado Colorado, Pico de Gallo and Salsa de jitomate cocida, Pickled Onions – Our Turkey was good. I thought the sauce was a little bit sweet but it was still good. I really liked the Pico de Gallo and the pickled onions. The Onions were spicy sweet.

Turkey Achiote

Churros & Hot Chocolate – The hot chocolate was really good. Smooth and Creamy! The spices in it were delicious. Our Churros were a little doughy and under cooked in the centers. I am wondering about the dough recipe. I followed it exactly but the dough was very stiff. I would like to experiment with the recipe some and see if I can get it to work out right. But, dipping them in the hot chocolate they were fabulous!

Churros & Mexican Hot Chocolate