A Sticky Dough is a Happy Dough

I like the fact that in class we are not using Kitchen Aids for the mixing and kneading of doughs. By doing everything by hand, we are learning to identify when a dough has been kneaded enough just by feeling it. When people move on to using machines in big production kitchens to make large quantities, they will be able to look and touch the product to determine when it is done. What has amazed me most during this past week of bread-making is that most of the doughs that we have kneaded by hand are extremely sticky initially but then come together as they are kneaded more. Even the end result is something stickier than I'm used to. The home baker will undoubtedly feel the urge to add additional flour at the onset to make the dough more manageable to knead?but this is actually the worst thing they could do.

There is a lot of science behind bread making and I have a greater appreciation for the artisan baker. Formulas were created to calculate the Desired Dough Temperature (DDT). This is the precise temperature that dough should be at after kneading and before resting. It is not something that is found in recipes on the web or in many cookbooks but rewards professionals with excellent results. Accurate gluten development, hydration, fermentation, and proofing times have to be understood to create an optimal product.

For most lean doughs (ones that have very little or no fat in them), the DDT is between 75°F to 80°F (24°C to 27°C). For enriched doughs (ones that have more butter, milk, eggs, etc.), the DDT is slightly higher to keep the fats soft while kneading.

So how do you find a DDT? The only temperature you can control in a recipe is the temperature of the water that you are adding. To find the DDT for a dough, you have to calculate the sum temperatures of certain factors: room temperature, flour temperature, mixer friction (the heat generated by mixing/kneading)¹, and pre-dough (sour dough, etc.). If your recipe includes 3 of the aforementioned factors, you multiply the desired dough temperature by 3. If there are 4 factors, multiply by 4 and so on. Once you have multiplied the factors, you subtract the sum temperature of the room, flour, mixer friction, pre-dough, etc. The value left is the temperature that your water should be at when adding it to your recipe.

It is quite amazing that when you follow these calculations, and after kneading for the appropriate amount of time, that the DDT will be spot-on. The benefit of having a DDT is that the yeast will be most active during this resting period and will produce gases which will be trapped between the network of gluten strands, creating a beautiful rise in the oven.

To calculate DDT (example):


What is also interesting to me is that you can take roughly the same ingredients (flour, yeast, water, salt, butter) and form such incredibly different products from the same things just by altering the amounts, the proofing time, the baking technique, etc. Click here for more pictures of the finished products.


¹ To calculate mixer friction multiply the total kneading time by 2 (when kneading by hand). Fahrenheit should be used when calculating DDT.

Tagged as: [ baking bread ddt dough gluten kneading temperature tips ]

39 Recipes in 10 Days

Over the past 10 days in the Pastry program at NWCAV, we have already made 39 different recipes. Flaky and sweet doughs were turned into beautiful pies and tarts. Strudels, crepes, and choux paste were stuffed with a variety of goodies. Different laminated doughs created croissants, Danish, palmiers, and cinnamon straws (among many other things).

I learned a new French technique to make puff pastry. It is called an "inverted" method where the butter remains on the outside of the dough as you complete a series of turns. There are many advantages to using the French inverted method. It creates 145 layers of fat and 144 layers of dough (versus the traditional German method which creates 145 layers of dough and 144 layers of fat)–giving the French method one extra layer of fat. What are the benefits of having the butter on the outside layer? It makes it easier to roll (even though the initial thought is that it would be harder), gives it better color and rise, and there is less of a chance that your dough will dry out as the fat layer protects it.

We have also made quick breads and now we are beginning a 7-day series on bread. The pace of the course is definitely different from culinary. In pastry, even though you may have the same number of tasks to complete it is different in the sense that it all doesn't have to come together at the same moment (i.e., when you go to plate something). At least not yet! All doughs need time to rest and proof. Other things need to be chilled or frozen before you can continue. Multi-tasking definitely comes into play here but we are easing into the course. There is a tonne to learn. Pastry is very precise and scientific and patience is an absolute must.

Tagged as: [ choux dough laminated nwcav pastry pie puff tart ]

Paris Brests

Tagged as: [ brests chantilly choux creme nwcav paris pastry patissiere ]

An Apple a Day...

It is interesting to see recipes come together and I sometimes think that good baking or cooking can easily be taken for granted. In order to get a wonderful end result, time, effort, and care needs to be put into every step. For example, doughs need to be made the day prior to allow them to rest before rolling out. Fillings and toppings need to be prepared and perhaps a glaze needs to be applied to the product at the end. Each step needs special attention and if short cuts are taken, the end result will be affected.

We finished our Apple Pie, French Apple Tart, and Austrian Apple Strudel.  We definitely fulfilled our "apple a day" quota today!

Tagged as: [ apples nwcav pastry strudel tart ]

How to Choose the Right Culinary School | Why I Chose NWCAV

This blog entry is for the people who are out there trying to decide on which culinary and pastry school to attend. Perhaps it will benefit potential students who are unsure about choosing NWCAV specifically, or attending culinary and pastry school in general.

When I decided to change careers, choosing a school that was right for me was imperative and nerve racking. I was worried about choosing the wrong school and wasting a lot of time and money and possibly becoming discouraged as I made this huge shift. The most important thing for me was that I felt comfortable with the instructors. Other things I took into consideration were:

• first impression
  
• a school that was mature and focused
• location
• reputation
• class size and age
• cost
• placements upon completion

Do your research and request information packets from each school. Once you have picked at least 3 top schools that you are interested in, make an effort to visit each one in person. I think that this is vital to be able to make an educated decision.

I met with the Chef instructors of five schools and sat through classes to monitor their teaching styles. I talked to the students, got their e-mail addresses, and asked them many questions. I tried to check in on them periodically to ask how they thought the program was going but it was difficult to keep in touch with most of them. I wanted to know their thoughts on the training, how it met their expectations, and what they intended on doing after the program.

I did a lot of research on the internet. I originally thought that I would attend Dubrulle but then discovered that it was bought by the Art Institute of America. I didn't like the way the program had changed so I was back to square one, doing more research. That was when I came across NWCAV on-line through the Shaw Guides. NWCAV was a brand new school, created and owned by Chefs who had previously taught at Dubrulle. Their mission statement connected with me and I had to check it out.

After visiting all of the schools, NWCAV seemed right for me. It felt completely down to earth and comfortable. Even though the program length concerned me a bit (because all of the other schools had longer programs and more costly ones), I felt that I would get the education that I wanted. At that time, it was brand new so there wasn't any "reputation" to check out. Ultimately, my gut told me that I should go there. NWCAV was unpretentious and what intrigued me most was the fact that it was Chef-owned. This was their baby, their passion, their livelihood, and my impression was that they would do everything to make it successful. They weren't working for someone else and just showing up. They were working for themselves and I found that extremely attractive since I hope to work for myself one day.

I must admit that I got a bit hung up with choosing a school based on the "name" but I realized that whatever you put into a course is whatever you get out of it—no matter where you are. So my advice would be to not stress out too much about a school based on its name. Make sure you feel that you can learn from experienced Chefs instructors. You have to like them. If you don't care for them or something just doesn't click, you probably aren't going to listen well.

So, did I make the right choice? Absolutely. I felt welcome at NWCAV. They select students that are serious, focused, and committed. Our group wound up being an incredible bunch of people from all over the world. I loved the pace and the intensity of the course. We studied many topics over the course of 15 weeks and each was straight to the point. Ingredients were top notch. We butchered pigs and worked with every type of protein. The course exposes you to a bit of everything. The equipment is of high quality and the space is well designed. I also loved the skylights in the kitchen and how bright it was in there every day. Our class had 21 people in it with 2 instructors present at all times with personal attention given every day. I enjoyed how every instructor has a different background and brought something unique to the table. Their instruction was extremely educational while entertaining. We always had fun learning. The Chef instructors are passionate about teaching and sharing their knowledge and they truly care about their students.

What I also realized, is that it doesn't really matter how long the program is (even though it was so much fun, we didn't want it to end). It is the beginning of a learning curve. This is a field where you can't learn it all—and you certainly can't learn it all in 15 weeks (or in 2 years for some programs). You take the training with you as you work in the industry and pick up more as you go. NWCAV's program is well planned and provides a stable foundation for you. Oh, and by the way, the cost is extremely reasonable but the training you will receive is priceless.

I wish I had something like this to read when I was out there searching for schools. I hope that it winds up helping someone to make his or her decision. It is a big decision to make and I didn't take mine lightly. I'll let you know how the pastry program goes this fall. If you have any questions, I would be happy to help. In the mean time, good luck with your assessments of schools!

Tagged as: [ culinary howto nwcav school ]

Final Practical and Graduation at NWCAV

Last Sunday, our class began the final practical by spending the day organizing our menu for the week and preparing most of our mise en place. On Monday we served lunch with 3 courses, on Tuesday we bumped it up to 4 courses, and finally for the dinner service on Wednesday, we provided 6 courses. There was a lot of excitement in the kitchen and a lot of pressure as well. We all wanted to do our best and show the Chef instructors, our families, loved ones, and guest Chefs what we have learned during the last 15 weeks.

Every day we were in high gear preparing for that first call from one of the Chefs. Timing, organization, communication, and team playing were the keys to a successful service. As the number of courses grew each day, so did the curve balls that the Chefs would throw at us. On our last night and in the midst of organizing our mise en place for service, the Chefs requested that our team prepare a chocolate sponge cake – bake it, ice it, and write on it to serve to the guest Chefs. That night each team had 6 courses to serve and all teams were switched just before service. How much pressure could we handle? Other teams had to pump out dishes that none of us had ever heard of or practiced in school. Teams had to scramble through culinary and pastry books to find recipes and get it done. Our team had to prepare a Lobster Thermador dish that was not on the menu. Another team had to make Oysters Rockefeller. The list goes on!

The last night we had some important guest chefs in the school. Chef Pierre Dubrulle who opened the Dubrulle International Culinary & Hotel Institute Of Canada (now the Art Institute of Vancouver) was judging our team's food. So with the weight on our shoulders to make him dinner (and do it well), we had to make these unexpected dishes! We were really excited to get his feedback at the end of the evening and he was very pleased with our menu. The guest Chefs marked us based on fine dining standards. All of the groups wound up in the 75-percentile grade, which was excellent considering that we have only been in school for 15 weeks.

During wrap up at the very end of the evening, we were all quite emotional. It had been an unbelievable journey for both the students and the Chef instructors. At the beginning of the term, we all came to the program with baggage and issues that we soon had to confront and deal with when working so intimately with each other. We have all changed and have grown in so many ways in this short period of time. The evening was bittersweet—we were elated and proud that we accomplished so much and also sad because we knew that we wouldn’t be working with each other anymore. We are a profound group of people who gelled like our own little family. One guest shared with Chef Tony that she could feel the love in the room that night—the love for the food and the fact that we all were having so much fun together. We all have formed close friendships that will last and the Chef instructors at NWCAV are like no other. They said that the students make the school but we are of the opinion that without the unique and beautiful relationship that the Chef instructors have, the school would not contain the magic that it does.

The valedictorians (Anna from Pastry and Brendan from Culinary) gave lovely speeches to our family and friends on graduation day. All of our loved ones supported us during this program, understood all of the homework that we had, made sacrifices, and celebrated the good days, while encouraging us during the bad ones. I believe we came out of this course not only more educated on the topic of food, but also more educated about ourselves. We became more compassionate towards other people and learned from situations on how to adapt and make things work. With permission from both valedictorians, I am posting their speeches here:


To all of my fellow graduates, I am thankful for having the opportunity to work with such a special and unique group of people. I have enjoyed meeting every single one of you and wish each of you the utmost of success in whatever path you choose.


 

Tagged as: [ exams graduation nwcav speech ]

Declaration of Independence

Today I came across a blog by Pamela Slim called Escape from Cubicle Nation. She has an extremely touching Flash video called My Declaration of Independence.

This came at a precious time and brought tears to my eyes, as we are only 3 days away from our culinary graduation at NWCAV. In the midst of all the excitement and intensity of wanting to complete our final practical in the best possible way, it reminded me how exhilarating it is that I am on my way to fulfilling a huge personal goal.

Changing jobs and attending NWCAV has been one of the highlights of my life. I couldn't have picked a better school. The Chefs there, simply put, CARE. They aim high and teach us as much as they can throughout the program. I am grateful that they have made my journey into a new career so fantastic. Even though the process sometimes overwhelms me, I am surrounded by encouraging people. I am completely elated that I am doing this rather than fantasizing about it. I have the support of my family and friends. I will screw up along the way and I do know that I will keep on going. Chef Tony, Chef Christophe, and Chef Ian have all made an incredible impression on me and I am thankful that they are the ones that have helped shape me these past few months. I am on the path that has me eventually working for myself.

If you are looking for inspiration to give something else a try, visit her website. Once you take that leap, you will be so glad that you did. I remember thinking to myself that if I was 90 years old and looked back on my life and never even tried it out, I would completely regret it. Do it - you will not regret it!

Tagged as: [ career declaration nwcav pamelaslim ]

NWCAV Farm-Hopping Field Trip

Today we had so much fun! Our school went on a farm-hopping field trip in the greater Vancouver area. We personally picked a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and salad greens for our menus/final practical that begins on Sunday.

We visited Krause Brothers' Farms first and picked gorgeous blueberries and raspberries. Next was Vista D'Oro where we gathered beans, fennel, and some beautiful tomatoes. They also have a small cooking school there and a store filled with delicious homemade jams and other items. The next stop was Glorious Garnish and Seasonal Salads. Susan kindly let us pick edible flowers, all types of lettuce, garnish, herbs and mulberries. We are thrilled that we will be able to serve our guests such lovely ingredients next week.

We stopped to eat our packed lunch. The previous day in school we cooked up a Middle Eastern and Latin buffet (the last casual cooking day of the course). On Sunday we will be finalizing most of our menu and we will be cooking for guests on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Click here to see more pictures from the day.

Tagged as: [ exams farms nwcav organic vancouver ]

Black Box Monday at NWCAV

I survived our black box assignment today. Out of trout, pork tenderloin, and quail, I wound up with the one I wanted the least which was that darn little bird. The other mystery ingredients that I had to incorporate into my dish were sweet potato and cardamom. Where to start...

I wound up deboning and marinating the quail by rubbing it with oil and a garam masala mixture. I roasted the sweet potato and whipped it with some cream that I infused with cardamom to make quenelles on the plate. Quenelles are shaped by alternating a mixture between two spoons until it forms a uniform oval shape. I blanched green beans and white asparagus and sautéed them with shallots, butter, ginger, and raisins. For the garnish, I fried julienne of leeks. I also made a cardamom beurre blanc (butter sauce) to drape over the seared quail.

Everything turned out fairly well (and I was a shocking 7 minutes early) but I forgot one of the most important rules in the kitchen - SALT! I can't believe I did this! I didn't salt the quail when marinating because I didn't want any juices to extract out of the tiny bird because there is barely anything to them. I totally forgot to salt it before searing - big mistake!

At the last moment, I accidentally turned the wrong knob on the stove and wound up burning my beurre blanc base so I quickly had to start over. On the second try, I wound up not reducing the white wine vinegar enough (so my sauce was a little on the tangy side). My plates were also too hot so by the time the chefs judged my entree, the butter sauce started to split. I had good color though and it was plated well.

Over the weekend, I was really stressed out about this exercise and then Marcelo helped to open my eyes. I had a bit of an illusion in my head. I thought that by the end of culinary school I would be able to pull fancy dishes/creations and techniques out of my butt on a moments notice. But it doesn't work that way. I think I have a good grasp on how things should be done but now what I need most is experience and repetition.

The chefs (as Marcelo correctly guessed) weren't looking for extreme ideas. They wanted us to take what we have learned in class and try to apply it to our dishes. Can we make a puree? Are we cooking proteins to the correct doneness? Do we know how to debone something? Do we know how to blanch, sauté, and sear properly? These are just a few examples but these are the important things to focus on. I am glad that I didn't stress out to try and make something out of the ordinary (and screw it up royally). I just tried to keep the dish simple and use the techniques that I have learned.

In the midst of all of the stress and pressure over the weekend, I needed to remind myself to have fun with it too! The worst-case scenario was that I would get a big fat zero and if that were the case, I still would learn from my mistakes. I went into the exercise today more relaxed and I think I did a nice job. At first I was a bit hard on myself for the errors that I had made but on reflection, I still did well. Here is a picture of my dish:

Tagged as: [ blackbox cuisine nwcav ]

Black Box | Cooking With Mystery Ingredients at NWCAV

This was a very heavy week with our food costing project. We are still in the midst of wrapping it up and preparing our packages to hand in on Tuesday. I can't wait to blog about this experience but it will take some time. Time is something that I am running short on lately! I will get to it though because it was such an interesting exercise.

Over the weekend, we also have to mentally prepare for a "black box" assignment which is scheduled for Monday morning. This is an individual assignment where we will have 2 hours to complete 2 portions of the same entree. We will be given trout, pork tenderloin, or quails to work with, a mystery spice, and vegetable, fruit, or grain. The dish will have to include these components: the protein that we are given, a sauce, grain or starch, vegetable, garniture, and garnish. This will take some research over the weekend to get an idea of what to do.

I'm sure the pressure will be similar to an Iron Chef episode but this definitely isn't a competition between students. It is another assignment to see what you have learned and how well you can perform. Wish me luck!

Tagged as: [ blackbox nwcav ]

Indian Banquet Day at NWCAV

At the end of class last Friday, Chef Ian provided us an excellent introduction to today's day of Indian cuisine. He shared wonderful stories and slides from his 6-month trip to India, Nepal, and Pakistan back in the late 80's. He is a brilliant photographer and got some amazing shots of the culture there. I have also been to India and it truly is an incredible country which I will go back to one day. That's another blog for a later date.

Today was fantastic! Executive Chef Gurpreet Virdee (from the Holiday Inn in North Vancouver) came to our school today to share his expertise with us and guide us through the 20 Indian dishes that our class prepared. For many, it was their first crack at attempting Indian cuisine, which is one of the most complex cuisines on earth.

Check out this menu that we prepared:

• Garam Masala
• Mulligatwany Soup
• Kachumber Salad
• Mutton Roganjosh
• Pork Vindaloo
• Masala Dosa
• Lemon Pulao
• Fish Amrisari
• Mint Chutney
• Chappati
• Chicken Tikka
• Eggplant Curry
• Cauliflower & Potato Curry
• Khaman Dhokla
• Stewed Tomato Chutney
• Dal Panch Phoron
• Samosas
• Carrot Pickle
• Carrot Halwa
• Chai Tea

Click here to see some shots of my classmates and the spread.

Tagged as: [ cuisine indian nwcav ]

Listening to my Gut

In a previous entry about where students think they are headed, I didn't indicate what I have decided. After considering the options, I have chosen to go straight into the full-time pastry program in September, rather than doing a culinary practical.

It was a tough decision because I got caught up in worrying about making the wrong decision rather than choosing what feels right. I felt as though I should tread carefully around any decision because I went from a secure job to being a student - which is a huge adjustment after being in the workforce for so long. Add to this, the chefs advise that if you want to be a culinary chef you have to hone your skills by doing a practical or move immediately into the job market.

I will always love cooking and want to keep exploring that field but I feel in certain ways I have been holding myself back from pastry and desserts for such a long time. I keep getting these clues as to what I should be doing but it has taken me a while to "clue in".

When I started an on-the-side, home-based chocolate business 13 years ago, I had the greatest time. I made, packaged, marketed, and delivered my chocolates to family and friends and many of my co-workers (lawyers, judges, police officers, law offices). Word spread and I was quite busy. I kept getting asked: "when are you going to open up a store"? I didn't have the experience, knowledge, or confidence back then to take on such an endeavor.

I was completely side-tracked when I discovered traveling which has consumed a large portion of the past 11 years. The events in life always seemed to take me to places where I would eat more chocolates and desserts than actually make them. When we moved to Washington, DC back in 1999, I started to question myself on "what I wanted to be when I grew up" but I didn't know where to start. Being a Canadian in the U.S., I was very restricted on where I could work (I was allowed to work for international organizations).

After a period of sulking, my husband clearly asked me "what do you like"? Every answer always pointed back to the food industry. He encouraged me to look into courses and then interestingly enough, I discovered that my co-worker, Kalimar, was in a similar situation but was on his way to taking the leap into a full-time culinary program. He quit that comfortable job that paid well to give something else a shot. I found this extremely inspiring.

I started taking classes at L'Academie and began with the part-time culinary program. After that, I moved on to the part-time pastry program and I rediscovered my love for making chocolates and desserts. The wheels in my mind started to turn again (albeit slowly) and I wondered if it was possible to take it to that next level this time around. It took almost 10 years for me to remember how much fun I had doing this--10 years! This path had been staring me right in the face for so long and I didn't see it. Strange how that happens. I finally got serious and researched full-time schools. I changed gears completely and moved to a new city to make it happen. It didn't happen overnight. It took a lot of planning but now I'm here.

During my one-on-one with Chef Tony about what to do next (a culinary practical or pastry), I realized that again I felt like I was holding myself back. Why go into a culinary practical when I still have these visions of winding up in the pastry field? I don't know what I'm waiting for. Why am I even wondering what the next step should be? I need to get into that pastry kitchen and develop those skills further!

I plan on being a sponge and learn everything I can from Chef Marco Ropke who has a wealth of experience. It will be interesting to see where I wind up doing my pastry practical ;)

If I think about the decision now, it's easy...I just needed to listen to my gut.

Tagged as: [ career nwcav practicum ]

Remember to breathe...

"It's the life of a student" my husband keeps telling me. Today I am a bit overwhelmed and have to remember to breathe. At school we went over the next 3.5 weeks that are left in the program and there is A LOT of work to do. The classes are shifting from lectures and demos to students being put into teams to develop and design their own menus.

Along with designing our own menus comes the task of food costing everything, which will be a three-day event next week. Food costing doesn't solely mean the cost of the food. There are many other factors to consider and for restaurants it can be the tipping point from success to failure if it isn't done properly. I'll try to get more into the details later this week.

Tagged as: [ culinary nwcav school ]

French Week at NWCAV

I can't believe there are only 4 weeks left in the culinary portion of the program at NWCAV. This week was French week (not that it isn't "French" week most of the time). The cuts, the sauces, the foundation of cooking - all of it is based upon many French methods.

We made some classical & regional dishes like steak tartare, salmon rillette, salad niçoise, tournedo rossini, and duck confit. We got to work with filet mignon, foie gras, and black truffles.

French week reminded me of my trip to France. I remember visiting a restaurant near the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris where we began with delicious charcuterie (pate/sausage) items, moving on to the main course, and ultimately cleansing our palates with a salad. I thought that I could not put one more bite into my mouth and I found myself exploring the cheese trolley like I hadn't eaten in days. Then came dessert and by then, I had lost count of how many glasses of wine I drank throughout the evening. I was not recognizing the fact that my mom had ran out of cigarettes and was gnawing on her nails. She finally dragged (or should I say "rolled") me out of there.

During our discussion on French cuisine and life in France, it was pointed out that it is common in Europe to not own real estate as it is just far too expensive. North Americans all strive to own that home, save for that down payment, and buy that SUV. For most people in Europe it is accepted and common to rent for your entire life. People also walk or take public transport. This lifestyle gives them a lot more freedom with their disposable income and they choose to spend it on quality food, the arts and entertainment (you know, the good things in life). We heard that North Americans spend roughly 12-15% on food while the French spend around 30%. Chef Christophe gave us the example that they won't blink when spending $100 on a capon (a castrated rooster used for a dish such as coq au vin) or $45 for a chicken - and of course, wine goes with every meal.

In Europe, regional cooking is the norm. It is the thing that chefs know how to do well. They don't rely on ingredients that were flown in from thousands of miles away which lose so much of their flavor and nutritional value "they use what grows around them" and they find ways to extract as much flavor as they can. This is a great subject to ponder. When you think about it, maybe this is why there way more mediocre restaurants than fantastic ones in North America. They have items on their menu from a list of different countries rather than focusing on their own regional cuisine.

I'm reminded of another conversation that we had in school some time ago. It is relatively easy for North Americans to open a food-related business. In Europe, you need culinary credentials before a bank will even think about lending you money for such an establishment. That is probably why there are so many incredible eateries all over Europe.

If you want to read extremely entertaining books about life in France, pick up one of Peter Mayle's books. I have read "A Year in Provence" and "French Lessons". Peter Mayle is a Brit who was bitten by the French bug and hasn't looked back. He explores many parts of France and his descriptions of the food, wine, culture, and way of life are educational while insanely hilarious.

Tagged as: [ cuisine french mayle nwcav ]

Two Lobster Tortollini and Six Poached Eggs

Did we hear that right? Two lobster tortollini and six poached eggs? During Italian week at NWCAV, it was another "restaurant day" and we had to prepare all of our mise en place for four menu items: Pizzette with Proscuitto, Portobello and Basil, Lobster Tortollini with Saffron Cream Sauce, Veal Piccatta with Potato Gnocchi, and Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis. We treat our assignment as if we are working in a restaurant and when the chef calls out an order to a particular station, we repeat it to him and begin preparing what he requested. He times us on how fast we can get our order to the table and also grades us on plating, consistency, etc. What threw all of the groups for a loop was that he started calling out items that we didn't have ready or on hand. This stuff happens in restaurants when those "special order" people show up. You know who you are!

For example, one station was asked to prepare a hollandaise sauce, one was asked for a chicken veloute sauce. Along with our lobster tortollini order we needed to add six poached eggs. The idea of the exercise was to keep you moving and on your toes and to figure out how to juggle something out of the ordinary with everything else going on.

I was paired with a different partner at the last moment just before service started. We worked really well together and had little time to discuss how we would plate all of the items and who would do what, etc., but we communicated really well with each other and got through it. Although it was hectic, we managed to get out six nicely poached eggs in between the other orders.

It was a really stimulating day and we are getting better at "restaurant day" as we move forward in the course.

Tagged as: [ nwcav orders restaurants ]