Week 3
Week 3 started with an absolutely insane monday morning, which maybe was a bit of a wake up call for us to move and work faster. But this early in the course, i hope everyday isn't like that. however it was just that monday, the remainder of the week thankfully wasn't so crazy.
October 3rd Day 9 AM: Cooking
UPON ARRIVING IT SEEMED LIKE IT WOULD BE AN OK MORNING. LITTLE DID WE KNOW THAT THINGS WOULD BE ADDED TO AN ALREADY LONG LIST OF THINGS. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO SIMPLE FRENCH BEANS BUT THEN CHANGED TO LEEKS WITH CHEESE SAUCE WHICH INVOLVES MAKING SAUCE BECHAMEL, PART COOKING THE LEEKS THEN MIXING EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND PUTTING IT IN THE OVEN. FRENCH BEANS WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH EASIER. WE ALSO HAD TO MAKE FLAKY PASTRY FOR OUR QUICHE THAT WE WILL COOK THE NEXT DAY, AND TO START PREPPING AND SOAKING OUR FRUIT FOR OUR CHRISTMAS CAKES. WE DEFINITELY DID NOT FINISH ON TIME OR CLOSE TO IT BUT WE FINALLY DID GET IT ALL DONE. AFTER WE HAD OUR LUNCH BREAK, WE HAD A MORE RELAXING AFTERNOON GETTING OUR BATTER MADE FOR OUR CAKE AND LINING OUR TINS. THIS WAS DEFINITELY THE HARDEST DAY/ MORNING SO FAR, HOPE THERE AREN'T MANY MORE OF THESE DAYS.
Avocado, melon, and lettuce salad
Roast pork
Sage and onion stuffing
Roast potatoes
Leeks with cheese sauce
Tarte frangipane
Pate demi-feuilletee (Flaky pastry)
day 9 pm: cooking
as we had a very busy morning, we had a much easier afternoon. lined our tin for our christmas cake and made the batter.
October 4th Day 10 AM: Cooking
FIRST TIME MAKING MAYONNAISE FROM SCRATCH, NOT THAT DIFFICULT JUST A BIT TIME CONSUMING AND TIRING, AS THERE IS CONSTANT WHISKING TO AVOID IT FROM CURDLING. THE CHOWDER WAS QUITE TASTY, THE PANCETTA THAT WAS COOKED AT THE BEGINNING DEFINITELY HELPED GIVE IT MORE FLAVOR AND THE FISH STOCK, WHICH ACTUALLY DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO COOK. I WOULD DEFINITELY COOK THIS DISH IN THE WINTER ON A VERY COLD DAY. THE QUICHE WAS OK, TASTED LIKE A QUICHE BUT THE PASTRY WAS NICE. BUT MY FAVORITE WAS DEFINITELY THE SIMPLE FRUIT BRULEE, IT CERTAINLY WAS SIMPLE BUT TASTY AND VERY LIGHT. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY MAKE THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN IF I HAD A BLOW TORCH. IF SOMEONE CAN SOME UP WITH OTHER USES FOR A BLOW TORCH I MIGHT INVEST IN BUYING ONE :
Fish stock
Smoked cod chowder
Quiche lorraine
Sauce mayonnaise
Coleslaw salad
Simple fruit brulee
Day 10 PM: Demonstration
Vegetable stock
Kitchen garden soup (Creme jardiniere)
Poulet saute a la Provencale
Bread rolls
Pavlova
October 5th Day 11 AM: Theory
today we learned about stocks, the different kinds of stock, what they are used for, and cooking times. we also went over different nutritional and dietary needs and special diets for example vegetarianism (lacto, lacto-ovo, vegan), pregnancy, food intolerance (enzyme deficiency, malabsportion, food allergies, DIABETES), religious beliefs (kosher, muslim/islamic, hindu, buddhist). we also learned about family menu planning focusing on nutrition, creating a balance meal as well as appropriate serving size for one person.
Day 11 PM: Cooking
AS BREAD ROLLS IS AN EXAM DISH, FIRST TIME MAKING THEM WAS A BIT NERVE RACKING. JUST WONDERING IF I CAN DO IT AND IF IT WILL TURN OUT OK. MAKING THE BREAD ISN'T TOO DIFFICULT BUT THE HARDEST PART OF IT ALL IS THAT WE NEED TO SHAPE THE BREAD INTO DIFFERENT SHAPES, SOME EASIER THAN OTHERS. BUT I GUESS IT JUST TAKES PRACTICE, SO LOTS OF BREAD ROLLS TO COME IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS.
Smooth chicken liver pate
Melba toast
Bread rolls
October 6th Day 12 AM: Demonstration
Beef and Guinness Pie
Rough puff pastry
Carottes Vichy
Creme au beurre mousseline
Gateau au chocolat
Pate a genoise comune (Whisked sponge with butter)
Turban d'Agen
day 12 PM: Cooking
Creme renversee au caramel
we did make our creme caramels that we will have for lunch tomorrow. we were also supposed to make chocolate cigarettes but instead we had to almond paste our christmas cake.
October 7th Day 13 AM: Cooking
TODAY WAS DEFINITELY A BIT OF AN EASIER MORNING AS 2 OF THE DISHES WE HAVE PREPPED AND FINISHED IN PREVIOUS DAYS (LIVER PATE AND CREME RENVERSEE). TODAY WAS THE FIRST DAY I TIRED TO FILLET A FISH. AS MOST NORMAL PEOPLE DO, I HAD ALWAYS JUST BOUGHT READY PACKED FISH FILLETS SO THERE WAS NO NEED FOR ME TO KNOW HOW TO FILLET A FISH. IT WASN'T AS BAD AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BUT AGAIN MORE PRACTICE IN GETTING THE FILLETS NICE AND CLEAN AND DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER. LOTS OF THINGS THAT WE LEARN ON A DAILY BASIS SO MANY SKILLS THAT NEED LOTS OF PRACTICE.
Smooth chicken liver pate
Trout with almonds
Steamed potatoes
Cabbage au gratin
Creme renversee au caramel
Day 13 PM: Demonstration
Filets de plie Cubat
Sole Goujons (Goujons de sole)
Sauce tartare
Rognons d'agneau a la Beaujolais
Polenta
Tarte aux fruits
Creme patissiere (Confectioners custard)
