Gordon Ramsay | Cookalong Live Recipes

This past week, Gordon Ramsay's new Cookalong Live show aired (see our previous post on this here).

The premise: at-home cooks prepped a bit in advance and then cooked, real time, a 3-course meal along with Gordon Ramsay.

Photo of Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Chili and Tomatoes by Rouxbe

For those of you who weren't able to cookalong but want to try the recipes, we have re-created these recipes (inspired by the show) on our site and have highlighted the skills and techniques required to properly execute both the appetizer and main dishes.

Photo of Steak Diane with Sauteed Potatoes and Peas by Rouxbe

If you have recorded the program, you'll notice that the quick, catch-you-up videos don't exactly replicate the steps that were executed during the cookalong live show. Also, the recipes posted on the Fox website aren't consistent with the steps shown on TV.

We felt that critical steps for a successful dish were rushed and not clearly covered in this airing, nor in the recipes on the site. We loved the line Gordon said, "Look at that color. No color, no flavor. REALLY important." We know this was fast-paced TV but come on, the steaks looked gray and almost no "color". For someone who is just learning, these visual cues can be quite confusing.

You can't just throw the steaks into a pan and they'll magically caramelize, like the steaks below. Before you even add the steaks, you need to know how to heat your pan properly to develop the best sear. There are many techniques behind cooking a steak and it's just not as simple as it was made out to be.

Attached you'll find step-by-step recipes, along with many skills and techniques, for Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Chili and Tomatoes and Steak Diane with Sauteed Potatoes and Peas.  Gordon's recipes are really delicious - we just elaborated to help ensure everyone has success with these dishes (and no singed eyebrows).

Flambéing shouldn't have been shown in this episode. Even though it was, we wish the safety issues would have been stressed a lot more, along with better instructions. One of the biggest dangers is to pour alcohol directly from the bottle. Yes, chef's that are trained and who are comfortable in the kitchen can get away with this, but never should anyone do it over an open flame. The alcohol can catch fire and actually travel up into the bottle and explode. I wonder how Fox would have dealt with that one. Don't be fooled either - the flame is huge (as you can see below) even with just 1/3 of a cup as the recipe calls for.

Here is Paul, who is a rookie in the kitchen (just ask his wife...I don't think she has actually ever seen him in the kitchen). At first he is nice and calm...

At this point, you can see the shock in his face, even though he knew what was about to happen. He didn't realize how high the flames would actually get. Good thing he doesn't use much hairspray!

And for the millions of American's who don't own gas stoves, refer to this drilldown: How to Flambé with an Electric Burner.

While the show may have been entertaining for some, Rouxbe is as serious about teaching people proper cooking techniques as Gordon is on his other shows (such as the British versions of Cookalong Live and Kitchen Nightmares). We highly respect Gordon Ramsay, but why does it seem when his shows come to America they aren't as serious and have a big case of the Hollywood syndrome? Hell's Kitchen is a prime example.

 

Tagged as: [ rouxbe ]

Rouxbe Gift Cards - The Perfect Gift for Anyone That Loves to Cook!

Have a friend, family member or colleague that has a passion for cooking and an endless quest to become a better cook?

Gift them a Premium Membership to the world’s first-ever online cooking school. Membership includes full access to all of the instructional video content, cooking school lessons and personal chef support at the Rouxbe Cooking School.

Purchase Your Rouxbe Cooking School Gift Cards Now!

Tagged as: [ rouxbe ]

Learn How to Sear | Rouxbe Online Cooking School

Learn how to sear in the Rouxbe Online Cooking School.

Searing is what gives many roasts, stews, braised dishes and even certain types of seafood that gorgeous, rich color and sweet flavor.

It is a common mistake to use the terms pan-searing and pan-frying interchangeably. While searing is somewhat similar to pan frying, it is generally done over higher heat and is used to quickly brown the surface of foods without cooking them internally. In this lesson, you will learn how searing works. You will understand when to sear foods and how to sear on the stove top so you can add intense flavor and color to your cooking.

Happy Cooking!

The Rouxbe Cooking School Team.

Tagged as: [ rouxbe sear searing ]

Learn How to Season with Salt | Rouxbe Online Cooking School

Any chef or confident cook will tell you that knowing how to season with salt is as crucial as any other technique you will learn. You may have already mastered many cooking techniques, but if your food isn’t seasoned properly with salt, it won’t matter – the flavors will be bland and unappealing.

In this lesson, you will learn about the types of salt which are commonly used during the cooking process and how salt affects food. You will also learn how to season with salt and when to salt food during the cooking process, so you can bring out the best flavor in your food.

Happy Cooking!

The Rouxbe Cooking School Team.

Tagged as: [ culinary rouxbe school ]

How to Make Madeleines

Many people say that one either loves culinary (the savory stuff) or they love pastry (the sweet stuff) - that can't love or do both; but, I tend to disagree. By default, I tend to cook more than I bake, so, when the opportunity strikes to make some sort of pastry treat, a little sparkle in my eye appears. For me, when I get to pick up a piping bag - whether it is for piping truffles, putting icing on a cake, or batter into a pan - I get a bit giddy.

Madeleines are shell-shaped, tiny French cakes with a long history. These soft and moist cakes have delicious, lightly-crisped edges. While there are a few different methods in which to make these, this recipe is quick to put together and can be one of those "go to" treats when you unexpectedly have company coming. They are also a great hostess gift or can help to cheer someone up. We actually took a batch of these to Dawn's little niece who is currently fighting cancer. She's definitely a positive, little trooper and she was so pleased to be able to pass them around to share with everyone!

While I have learned to let go of recipes in the culinary world, with baking I get to feed that part of my personality that loves to measure, be exact and follow certain rules. It never ceases to amaze me how many different things can be made out of butter, sugar and flour. Once you learn a bit about the function of ingredients and how they produce certain textures and flavors, you have a better understanding of the whole process of baking, so there's no need to be afraid of it. It's just like learning a new cooking technique. Madeleines are best served warm, so they are one of those pastries that you don't have to wait for them to cool completely before diving in (and that's a good thing, as it's almost impossible to wait for them). This easy-to-make batter keeps well in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days so you can have freshly-baked madeleines any time. Click on the link to view the full text recipe for Madeleines. Happy Baking!

Tagged as: [ pastry ]

Lesson on Determining the Quality of Chocolate

If you have followed this blog, you will know that I absolutely love chocolate. Today is an exciting day for me at Rouxbe, as we released the first lesson on CHOCOLATE in the Cooking School.

Many people don't even know where chocolate comes from and the amount of careful work it takes to it get from bean to bar. What is really sad, is that a lot of people don't know what quality chocolate even is...they are used to mass-produced chocolate made from low-grade cocoa beans which is also loaded with artificial ingredients. Once you watch the lesson on the Basics of Quality Chocolate, you'll be able to pick up a package and understand what a label really means.  

If you aren't already a Rouxbe member, make sure to sign up for your 30-day free trial.

Happy Chocolate Eating!

Tagged as: [ chocolate rouxbe ]

Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year to everyone and Merry Christmas to those who are Ukrainian! Unless I'm back home, I don't make it a habit to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas which falls on January 7th. I laughed at the thought that if a Ukrainian wanted to make a New Year's resolution on January 1st such as "eat less carbs", they'd be screwed.

I remember when I was a kid, we'd have Christmas Eve dinner on the 6th, which would consist of 12 traditional dishes (none of which would contain meat). There'd be things such as cooked whole wheat kernels, fish, cabbage rolls, beets, mushrooms, potatoes, beans, bread and perogies. Carbs...and lots of them. It's in my blood.

The baba in me emerged and I decided to make some perogies this past weekend, using my late grandma's recipe that my aunt passed to me. Although I could have rolled the dough a little thicker, she must have been around in spirit because they tasted pretty darn good.

Makes 3-4 dozen

Making the Filling

4 medium yukon gold potatoes
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ounces cheddar cheese

Peel and cut the potatoes into even pieces. Cover with cold water and add about 1 teaspoon of salt per liter of water. Bring the potatoes to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until tender. In the meantime, grate the cheddar cheese. Once the potatoes are done, drain and reserve the water. Rice the potatoes while they're hot and add the grated cheese. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool.

Making the Dough

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 cup warm reserved potato water
1 tablespoon vinegar

Place the flour and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Form a well and add the potato water, grapeseed oil and vinegar. Stir to combine and form into a dough. Turn out onto a counter top and knead until smooth, about 5-10 minutes, adding more flour, if necessary. Keep the dough slightly tacky (don't add too much flour or the dough will become too tough). Place into a clean bowl, cover the surface of the dough with a piece of plastic wrap and cover the bowl with a cloth towel. Let rest for about 2 hours.

Once the dough has rested, divide into 4 portions. Roll out onto a floured surface to about 1/4" thick. Don't roll the dough too thin, especially if you plan to fry the perogies (they'll get too crunchy). Cut out rounds with a 2 to 3 inch cookie cutter. You can even save the extra pieces of dough to cook and/or fry as well! Fill with about 1 tablespoon of the potato filling. Fold and stretch the dough in half, making sure to pinch the seam very well so they don't open up during cooking.

Once filled, place onto a towel-lined tray and cover with another towel to prevent them from drying out. Alternatively, they can be placed onto a parchment lined tray and transferred to the freezer to cook in the future. Once frozen, transfer to a sealed plastic bag and freeze for two to three months.

To cook the perogies, bring a large pot of cold, salted water (1 teaspoon per liter) to a simmer. Add a few perogies at a time. Stir gently so they don't stick to the bottom. Simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes until the perogies float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve immediately or transfer to an oiled baking sheet to cool in the refrigerator (if frying). The perogies brown better if they are cool (or cold) prior to frying.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add some butter. Fry the perogies on both sides until golden. Serve immediately with sour cream, fresh bacon bits and slow-cooked, golden onions. Enjoy! Click here for a few more pics.

Tagged as: [ recipes ukrainian ]

Merry Christmas!

Here's wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season! During your family get-together, why not join forces and browse the projects on GlobalGiving. Even the smallest donation will make a difference for those who are less fortunate. Happy Holidays!

 

Tagged as: [ donations globalgiving ]

Gift Rouxbe for Christmas!

If you have already experienced Rouxbe, you'll know a few things: 1) your cooking skills have improved; 2) it's the only online source that clearly shows you "how" and "why" things work; and 3) people think you're a rock star and keep inviting themselves over for dinner!

So, if you're wondering what to get that "person who has everything" or that friend or relative who doesn't have the first a clue about what to do in the kitchen, give them a Rouxbe membership this Christmas. Not only will they have access to full, step-by-step video recipes, they'll be able to enroll in the World's first-ever, at-home professional cooking school. See the following post taken from Rouxbe's blog for instructions.

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The gift of cooking this holiday season.

Buying a kitchen tool for a holiday gift is one thing...buying a friend or loved-one the learning tools for cooking success is a complete other story. What we're talking about here of course, is 'gifting' a premium online instructional cooking membership to Rouxbe.

The Rouxbe Cooking School delivers the World's first-ever, at-home professional cooking school curriculum in high quality, close-up video to home cooks around the world. The School features a graduated video series, complete with progress reporting, evaluation quizzes, chef and community support. Click to view a sample of the lesson format here. It's like having your own personal cooking school and professional chef in the comfort of your own home.

Since the School's official launch this past July (2008), aspiring home cooks from over 140 countries have enrolled and completed over 4,000 lessons and evaluation quizzes. The site also features an instructional video recipe section featuring recipes that have been driving over 95% success rates since the site launched in late 2006.

Two Membership options are available: Annual Premium Membership ($99) or a Lifetime Membership ($199). 15% of all membership fees go to Rouxbe for Life - the Company's social program to feed hungry children in developing countries. To date, the company has fed almost 60,000 kids.

To find out more, please click on the button below and send us a quick note. We'll have someone here at Rouxbe send you further instructions on how to make it happen. 

Happy Cooking from Rouxbe!

Tagged as: [ culinary rouxbe school skills techniques ]

Terranova Holistic Food and Health Classes

For those interested in a healthy activity with a nutritional twist, join Chef Ian Lai at the Terranova Rural Park in Richmond. Start your day with an invigorating yoga or tai chi class, followed by a healthy breakfast or brunch. Or simply enjoy an evening learning some culinary essentials and wine appreciation. Call the Thompson Community Center at 604-718-8422 to register.

Beginners Tai Chi and Breakfast (Classes start September 27)
Join Tai Chi instructor Anthony Lee-Hem and Chef Ian Lai for a great start to your morning.
Sun style Tai Chi from 7:00 - 8:00AM followed by a healthy breakfast.
10 sessions for $200

Beginners Hatha Yoga and Power Breakfast (Classes start October 29)
Yoga Instructor Jodi Stokes and Chef Ian Lai will rev up your day.
7:00 - 8:00AM with breakfast to follow.
(Wed Thurs or Fri)
8 sessions for $160

Culinary Essentials (Thursday nights) 
Chef Ian Lai hosts an evening of culinary education.
Thursday nights 7:00 - 8:30PM. 
October 2 - Turkey
October 23 - Salmon
October 30 - Japanese
November 6 - Soups
November 20 - Crab (Additional $10)
November 27 - Chicken
December 11 - Stews
December 18 - Lobster (Additional $10)
$30 per session

Family Hatha Yoga and Brunch (Classes start October 1)
Start your weekend off right with Yoga instructor Jodi Stokes and Chef Ian Lai.
This is a half hour parent and child yoga class.
9:00 - 9:30AM or 9:30 - 10:00AM.
Brunch served at 10:15 AM for both sessions.
8 sessions for $160

Wine and Food Appreciation (October 17, November 21 and December 12)
Join Sommelier DJ Kearney and Chef Ian Lai for an evening of wine and food appreciation. 
7:00 - 8:30PM
$55 per session

Tagged as: [ culinary organic yoga ]

Top 10 Dishes for the Fall Season

Fall has to be one of the best seasons. How can't it be with all of those warm, comforting dishes? Click through to Rouxbe's Blog to see a few of our favorite fall recipes.

Tagged as: [ comfort culinary fall recipes rouxbe video ]

The Flavor Bible

Well, they've done it again! Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg have released The Flavor Bible, an inspiring guide to help cooks better understand how to pair and balance flavors from around the world. I have turned to their book, Culinary Artistry, for ideas and "flavor pals" for years. With input from many well-respected chefs, The Flavor Bible takes heightening the flavor experience to a whole new level.

When I first really started cooking and learning proper techniques, I was very focused on recipes and had a hard time letting them go. Although I honed my skills and understood cooking processes, I would get tripped up from time to time on how to combine flavors. Culinary Artistry provided a lot of guidance. The book freed me to experiment and understand my own flavor combinations...without having to rely on a recipe.

Today, The Flavor Bible was delivered to my door. I can hardly wait to dive into it and learn more about the flavor possibilities. This is one bible that I'll definitely be reading before bed.  

Tagged as: [ basics books culinary dornenburg flavors page pairing ]

The Second Annual Chef's to the Field

A little overdue, but the Second Annual Chef's to the Field event held in Richmond was another huge success! This year, I was able to take quite a few photos and sample a lot of wonderful food. One of the prettiest food samples, I thought, were these edible flowers designed by one of the competitors, Pan-o-Pan.

Soon after the chef's had their harvest orientation, they were racing through the fields gathering all the needed produce. They had only 90 minutes to create 4 dishes.

The mystery ingredient this year: fresh B.C. sardines!

The first-place winner of the coveted "Green Cuisine Award" was Raincity Grill. Using local produce and ingredients is certainly not foreign to them. Just visit their restaurant to sample some delicious Pacific Northwest cuisine. Congratulations also go to Aurora Bistro for their 2nd place finish and Tapenade Bistro with 3rd placement. You can visit Terranova's website for more detailed information about the event.

It was great to see so many people come out and support Ian Lai's vision and the Terranova Schoolyard Project. Click here for more pictures from the day and see you next year!

Tagged as: [ competition culinary organic richmond terranova ]

Dove Chocolate

Recently, I was approached by Matchstick, a word-of-mouth marketing agency who is working on behalf of Dove chocolate to launch their all-new line of chocolate. I was sent a package of 4 varieties: 71% cocoa, Dark, Dusk and Milk and was encouraged to share the sample packs with my chocoholic family and friends. Not so hard to give out free chocolate.

When asked to participate, I wasn't sure what kind of package to expect. I had asked what percentage of cocoa was in the new line of chocolate and the person on the phone didn't seem to know. No problem, but when I received the package, I was a bit disappointed that out of all the samples, there was only one bar of 71%. It was hardly enough to conduct a proper survey with such a small sample. However, I had people sample them from the lightest to the darkest: milk, dusk, dark, and a tiny nibble of the 71%. I also did not tell them what it was for. Just that I wanted their honest feedback on the chocolate they were about to eat. 

I recorded people's comments as they sampled each one. Here is a compiled list of results:

Milk Chocolate (first in line to taste)
- didn't taste it until finished eating, then it had a bite in the back of the throat
- cheap milk chocolate bar, unnatural, trying to be fancy, thick
- too sweet, sugary
- isn't Dove a brand of soap? don't usually buy milk chocolate, it tastes like it's for kids
- tiring in back of throat
- smooth texture, I like milk/white chocolate though, wouldn't buy but would eat if given
- weird, doesn't melt, pasty and chewy, not natural, has a caramel flavor
- can taste chocolate, not very strong, tastes like caramel, soft, smooth, creamy
- ok texture, dry flavor, lower quality than used to
- ok flavor, good for smores

Dusk (second in line to taste)
- more flavor, chewier, creamier, very sweet on after taste - really sweet actually
- too sweet, too thick, liked this one better though
- better but still too sweet
- too sweet still, couldn't eat a whole chocolate bar of this
- less creamy, don't like the flavor
- just average
- liked it better than milk, layers of flavor, heavier texture, couldn't eat a whole lot
- pasty, same texture, seemed saltier, better flavor
- better than the milk chocolate
- stronger flavor, chewy
- ok flavor, good for a treat on its own
- sticks to my teeth

Dark (third in line to taste)
- less bitter, smoother, less after taste
- trying to be high end but not
- like this one better than dusk at first, but weird aftertaste, less waxy
- like better but weird aftertaste, less sweet up front, not as creamy, waxy coating in mouth
- liked the aftertaste, little bit bitter, better texture, not as thick aftertaste, bittersweet
- not as bitter
- bitter, not as much flavor as other dark chocolates
- let down, yucky aftertaste, makes me like dusk better
- sweeter caramel flavor, moister, would buy
- too strong, hits back of throat instead of taste buds, bitter
- had a squishy, oily texture that didn't do it for me
- this one is the most disturbing

71% (fourth in line to taste)
- bitter, chalky, longer after taste
- I'm used to flavor left behind from chocolate, this one was bitter and lingered, more cocoa taste but crumbly
- horrible, not much taste
- much waxier, bitter, not much flavor
- very different, bitter aftertaste, creamy but no flavor
- same flavor, slightly different consistency, doesn't feel as mushy, same bitterness, not very chocolaty
- seems synthetic
- tastes like lard (not like chocolate)
- is this the same one as before? bitter, not as sweet
- I prefer the texture of dark but found the flavor elusive, not as robust, I had to move it around and think about it to find the flavor

Overall Comments:
- wouldn't buy; usually buys Lindt, Denman Island Dark Chocolate, quality chocolate from Spain
- wouldn't buy, seems cheap/fake
- educated about cocoa content, so I wouldn't buy
- wouldn't buy as a gift and won't take extra samples to eat
- wouldn't buy based on no cocoa content - it's the first thing I look at on the list of ingredients
- why do I only get one small piece of 71%? (because there was only 1 bar in the whole lot)
- none of them melt in your mouth - wouldn't buy
- none really seem like the kind of thing we'd normally have in the house

What I found interesting, is that most people, even if they aren't foodies or pastry connoisseurs, know about cocoa content. The general public is more aware of what quality chocolate consists of and I think, unfortunately, Dove fell short on this one. Overall, people seemed to like Dusk the best, but weren't racing out to buy it.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of quality, dark chocolate, so I wouldn't purchase the milk, dusk or dark (especially because no cocoa content is listed). For me, there are many superior chocolates out there which contain 71% cocoa mass. I feel bad that the reviews aren't the greatest, but I was asked to provide honest feedback. Not-so-great chocolate makes me sad.

Tagged as: [ chocolate ]

School is In!!! - Rouxbe's Online Cooking School Launches

We did it! Today Rouxbe launched the world's first online Cooking School! Now, you can learn all of the skills and techniques that I learned in culinary school - close up, in the comfort of your own home. Twenty lessons have been released (15% of the school so far) and will continue to be released now every couple of weeks.

Having gone through the full-time culinary and pastry program at NWCAV, I can honestly say that the information packed into these quality videos is unlike any learning experience. I am certain that the Rouxbe Cooking School will boost the confidence of any cook, whether they are an at-home cook or a newbie in the industry who might not have been able to afford the tuition of a full-time program.

With every Premium Membership ($99 per year or $199 for a lifetime membership), you can have access to all of the up-close and detailed courses (try a free sample). We are trying our best at Rouxbe to break the thought pattern that good cooking must be complex. Learn the foundations of cooking, and you'll be well on your way to having more fun and success in the kitchen.

Tagged as: [ culinary online rouxbe school ]