Culinary School - Q6 Week 8 Latin

Menu: Run Down, Ensalada de Aguacate y pina, Pepperpot Soup, Arroz con Pollo, Sweet Potato Cake

Summary: This week we are working on poaching, simmering, pilaf method rice, baked custard.

Food: Our Run down was prepared correctly. The fish was cleaned properly and turned out nice and flaky. Chef said it was very good. I tasted it but thought it was too fishy. I prefer lighter flavored fish.

The Ensalada de Augacate y pina was really good and refreshing. I liked the flavor of it a lot. Chef said it had the right amount of dressing. It wasn’t overdressed which is a good thing. This salad is really flavorful. Chef said it was good!

I didn’t get to taste the Pepper pot soup because it had shrimp in it but it looked good. Chef said that it had unusual flavors. We should have put the okra in the soup to cook for a little while. It would help thicken the soup. The temperature was correct and Chef said good job!

I really enjoyed the Arroz con Pollo. The chicken was cooked through and had good color. The rice was fluffy. Chef said we did a good job on it and that the flavor was good.

The Sweet potato cake was good. I think I was expecting it to be more like a cake but it turned out to be much more like custard. The flavor was nice with the cinnamon. Chef said we had a good idea with using the cinnamon whipped cream and he said it was really good!

Culinary School - Q6 Week 7 Latin

Menu: Jerk Chicken, Bean and Stew, Plantain Croquettes with Cilantro sauce, Polenta, Chutney, White Fish salad, Coco Quemada

Summary: This week we are working on bean preparation, Pureeing, sugar work.

Food: The Jerk Chicken was good. Chef said it was not as spicy as he thought it would be. The Rice was perfectly cooked.

Our Plate with the Croquettes, Polenta and Chutney was nice. Chef said it was awesome. The chutney was really tasty. The Polenta could have used a little more seasoning but it was cooked properly. The Croquettes were really good with both with the Cilantro sauce and without it.

The cold White Fish salad was good. It really had a kick to it. It would normally be served on pieces of toast but we didn’t have any bread in class.

I really liked the coco quemada. It was sweet and chewy. Chef said the sugar was properly caramelized and that it was good. I think I might even make this again soon.

Culinary School - Q6 Week 6 Latin

I guess I missed this week 6 class and had to write a restaurant review to make up for not having a journal entry.

Latin – Missed Journal

Restaurant Review - Pampas, Palo Alto

Pampas is a Brazillian Churascaria. I had the rodizio. That is the "meat buffet". The servers come around carrying skewers of different meats and carve you off a hunk. The rodizio is priced at $44. That includes all the meat you can eat, plus the unlimited side bar that consists of salads, pastas, cheeses, vegetables, and a bunch of other stuff.

This is a list of the meats.

Picanha traditional Brazilian cut of top sirloin seasoned with rock salt and olive oil
Cordeiro leg of lamb marinated with garlic and mint
Costela de Cordeiro lamb chop marinated with garlic and ginger
Lombo pork loin with coriander adobo
Medalhão com Alho tenderloin filet seasoned with garlic and herbs
Medalhão com Queijo tenderloin filet with parmesan
Maminha tri–tip seasoned with rock salt and olive oil
Frango chicken thighs marinated with smoked paprika and lemon
Frango Picante chicken legs marinated with garlic, chili peppers, and vinegar
Linguiça house-made Brazilian pork sausage
Abacaxi slow-roasted pineapple
Peru turkey breast wrapped in smoked bacon
Fraldinha skirt steak with onion-herb marinade
Coração de Frango marinated chicken hearts (available upon request)

The meats were all delicious! My favorite was the Picanha. So good! And, I even ate a chicken heart!

For dessert I had the Chocolate Torte. It was served with caramel ice cream and a toffee made with brazil nuts, and bacon. Yummy!

The best part of the night was after dinner. We got to go into the kitchen and meet Chef Nikki Baverso. She is the executive chef, at just 26 years old. That's about the coolest thing ever! She was so great explaining how things work and even said she would be happy to take some of us on for a stage!

Culinary School - Q6 Week 5 Latin

Menu: Ceviche de Pescado, Tamales de Espinaca y queso, Pabellon Criollo

Summary: This week we are working on steaming, tamale building, simmering and deep frying.

Food: Ceviche de Pescado – The Ceviche had a good flavor but we should have drained off some of the excess liquid. The presentation was nice and the garnish was perfect. Chef said that the fish was cooked perfectly.

Tamales de Espinaca y queso – None of the class got the tamales fully cooked because the dough took so long to prepare but Chef said we gave it a good effort. I think they were within about 30 minutes of being fully cooked. They tasted pretty good for not being fully cooked.

Pabellon Criollo – This dish had an interesting presentation. It is laid out like the Venezuelan flag on the plate. The rice in the center, the beans on one side and the meat on the other. It is then garnished with the fried plantains. I wanted to cook the beans to redeem myself after the beans I cooked a few weeks ago that were deemed too salty. Chef said they were very nicely cooked and seasoned. The rice was properly cooked as well and was very good. The beef was seasoned very well and was delicious! The plantains were very good. We just need to be careful not to over salt. This can be hard for me because I like salt... I mean, if they made salt lick for humans, I would have one hanging from my rear view mirror so that I was handy!

Holy cow, it's been a while...

i don't know what happened.  i just totally flaked out.  let me work on getting this caught up!

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!