Fish & Seafood

“Something smells a little fishy around here…”

This week we learned about seafood! We had our choice of: Live Lobster, Mahi Mahi, Shrimp, Salmon, Tuna, or Swordfish. This is how I feel about these choices:

Mahi: Gross. No thanks.

Lobster: YUM!

Shrimp: YUM!

Salmon: Yumm!

Swordfish: Never had it.

Tuna: Meh. But it's nice in sushi. 

I originally was going to make the swordfish because I had never eaten it before. But I couldn’t decide between the two recipes he gave us. One was a recipe with a bunch of bell peppers and I am just not a fan of cooked bell peppers. The other recipe was swordfish that had a coat of sesame seeds and I’m not really into sesame seeds. No one chose to do Salmon. So I asked what the recipes were for the salmon and I wasn’t really sure about those either. I was feeling SUPER indecisive today and I didn’t know what I wanted to make, so I put all my choices in my chef hat and had my teacher pick! My teacher said "no" to two out of the three choices. So his 3^rd pick was marinated grilled salmon with a fruit salsa. I was down. I’m glad I ended up with salmon.

The salmon was marinated in soy sauce, minced ginger, and garlic. I was only supposed to marinate the fish for 15 minutes. It makes sense because if I left it in the marinade for an hour, it’d end up wayyyyyy too salty.

The fruit salsa consisted of:

Tomato that had been seeded

Papaya - diced

Pineapple - diced

Green onions - sliced

Jalapeno - minced

Garlic - minced

Lemon juice

Cilantro - chopped

And salt.

I used a whole jalapeno and it was pretty spicy. But good! I have never had papaya so that was new for me. It tastes like a melon. But kind of bland. It’s weird. But a pretty fruit for sure!

Today, we got to pick our starch. I could’ve made mashed potatoes but I didn’t want to make that. Too many dishes. We had some purple sweet potatoes and red sweet potatoes. I chose the red sweet potato. I sliced the sweet potato pretty thin because I wanted to do a sort of scalloped sweet potato but I went with what I knew. I added brown sugar, BUTTER, orange zest, and a little sage! OH MY GOD! CAN WE TALK ABOUT THESE POTATOES FOR A MINUTE?! They tasted sooooooo good! Like, heaven. Pure bliss. I loved it. They turned out perfectly. J

Kohlrabi

Red Sweet Potatoes don't even look red. 

For our vegetable, we got to choose between kohlrabi (kole-robbie) or okra. I had no idea how to cook either one. At Social, they make a kohlrabi puree that goes with the seitan (say-tan). It tastes really good! Like, broccoli. Or a radish, but without the bite. I julienned my kohlrabi and sautéed it in brown butter. I added a little bit of fresh basil and too much lemon juice. Next time I won’t add so much lemon. Or I just won’t add lemon at all. Too much lemon takes away from the flavor.

When it came time to plate, I did really well. I had good height, color, perfect grill marks, just everything. 

Last week, I did terribly. I didn’t like the vegetable we made. My scalloped potatoes didn’t turn out (don’t add orange zest to potatoes). We roasted a half of a chicken that turned out AMAZING. I just didn’t feel like blogging last week. I killed it this week! I want to either go down south for my externship or I want to go somewhere along the coast. I want to learn more about seafood. It’s ironic though because I am deathly afraid of live fish. I don’t even like little goldfish in a fish tank. I just can’t. I don’t like minnows. I don’t like big crazy salmon with teeth. If it’s alive, no way. I do think that seafood is beautiful. Food is art. Seafood is an art-form that I want to master. I definitely know how to cook salmon perfectly. (I can thank Noonan’s for that bit of experience.) I am good with seafood. And it shows whenever I cook it.

I’m just really excited that I’m learning and everything in my life is going really great for me. Today, the passion just flowed. I know this is what I want to do because I can feel it. I get so many compliments from classmates and my teacher. It feels good to finally be good at something. I got to make a chutney the other night at Social and it was all my call.  Winter pear and star anise chutney. I’m just really proud of how far I’ve come. I went to RVC. Originally I wanted to go into graphic design. Then I switched and decided that I wanted to cook. I got a job at Josef’s and I learned a lot there. I got my Assoc. of Arts and went to Blackhawk. I got my job at Noonan’s and got my experience up. Two years ago, I made it a goal to get into Social. I got it. I’m doing well in school and I’ve got everything that I want. My friends are the best of the best. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my mom, dad, and sister. I’m just extremely blessed and I feel great! Everything is coming together for me and I couldn’t have asked for my life to go any other way because everything happens for a reason!

Game Time!

Today started off like a normal day. I slept for about 11 hours and woke up still very tired. Today was game day. We talked about game. Deer. Rabbit. Pheasant. ETC. I’ve never been big on venison (deer). It tastes game-y and sometimes it’s tough. I’m just not a fan. So first we talked about what we’d be making in the kitchen in class, then we went down to the kitchen. We were waiting outside of the kitchen and one of my classmates had a song stuck in his head. He started talking about it and I sang it, very badly, because I LOVE that song! Everyone laughed but I was asked to sing it again. So I did. My classmates are turning into friends, and I don’t really care how they feel about me either way. I think they like me though. Who knows.

We had four options to choose from: duck, rabbit, venison, or pheasant. I wanted either rabbit or pheasant because I had never made either one. I liked the rabbit recipe more so I chose rabbit. Another kid and I made that together. At the beginning, I wasn’t doing so hot. My mind is in the kitchen off and on at school. Today, I was dead tired so it was another day where I was screwing everything up. I just wasn’t paying attention fully. I got in trouble for it too. My mind has been on work and other things. Not really at school. I mean, it is at school and I’m not lazy. I was just tired.

Our vegetable of the week was broccoli shoots. It tastes like broccoli but has a longer stem. Our starch was potato pancakes. Our rabbit came out really well. My potato pancakes tasted really good! My broccoli got a lot of good compliments. People were impressed and that made me feel really good. I hope I don’t have people thinking that I’m showing off. I’m just trying new things that come to me. Either way, I’m having fun.

Yesterday the Epicurean Club (cooking club) went to Abreo for dinner. You had to sign up ahead of time and I’ve always wanted to try the food there and this was the perfect opportunity. Abreo is the mother restaurant to Social. Social is my dream job. The food was amazing! There were 7 of us that went out. All girls. The chef that came with us was Chef Katie. She is a pastry chef. I haven’t had her yet for a class so it was nice getting to know her and for her vice versa. The executive sous chef came out and talked to us a lot and me and her introduced ourselves because word had gotten around that I was the new kid at Social. She was super nice and very skilled! I was definitely impressed. Back to the food; we ordered one of everything on the menu. I wasn’t big on 2 of the things but everything was amazing nonetheless. I would definitely recommend the Beet Napolean or the Australian Barramundi. Go try it out!

Potato pancake mixture

Fry it up!

After being in the oven for an hour or so.

Braided broccoli shoots.

I love this picture.

Chef moved my broccoli. *Final Product*

I’ve always known that being a chef is going to be very hard, especially physically. I came to the realization yesterday that everything that has happened to me lately has happened for a reason. I’m ready to start this new chapter at Social. I want to be one of the best and learn from the best! I won’t have much time for anything but I’m ready to make this positive change and become a better chef. I’m so ready. I’m nervous but I’m confident in my abilities. I can do this!

Rack of Lamb

This is the better blog!

Yesterday was the day where we focused on lamb and veal. The lamb I made and tried of others was really good. I have had lamb before when I was in England. It was the best lamb I have ever eaten. Even though that was my first time, it set the bar extremely high. I’ve never had veal the way we had it yesterday. Veal is a male baby calf. Depending on who you are and what you believe in, you may not believe in veal. There are two types: formula fed and free range. Formula fed calves are the ones that are kept in a cage (only slightly bigger than their body) to restrict movements and are fed a nutrient rich formula. By restricting their movements, the meat is lighter in color and more tender. Buuuuut I’m not down with that. Free-range calves are allowed to roam freely and eat grasses and other natural foods. Their flesh is a reddish pink. When it comes down to it, I just get sad knowing that I’m eating an 8 month old calf. I know that they are raised for food but I don’t know. I’m not sure how I feel about veal just yet. But at this moment, I don’t want it.

From the movie, Ratatouille.

Our vegetable of the week was zucchini and yellow squash. I channeled my inner Remy from Ratatouille. I wanted to layer my squash and so I did. At my dads, we always make veggies in aluminum foil. Potatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, etc. Then we put it on the grill and let it roast. Yesterday I put it in the oven. I layered my squash and between every layer put clarified butter and chopped garlic. I also added a squeeze of lime juice. When I opened up the foil, the smell was absolutely fantastic! I’m not even exaggerating. It looked pretty but best of all, it tasted fantastic!

We also had to make Spaetzle. Don’t even worry about pronouncing it. I messed mine up. It’s a lot of work and requires wayyy too many dishes. I’m not giving up on it, it just wasn’t even fun to make. It looked weird too. It tasted like an egg noodle. But little baby spermy egg noodley things. A lot of us said we never want to make it again. I’m sure we will though. He usually has us make the hard things twice.

On to the good stuff! I made rack of lamb yesterday! I was pretty excited about it because rack of lamb was a big seller when I worked at Josef’s. I never got to make it, I only got to watch. But yesterday I made it and it turned out amazing! It was so tender. I loved it. We made a mint pesto and let it marinate on top of the lamb for an hour or so. Then we put it in the broiler until the top got perfectly crisp. Then we finished it in a 350 oven. I was told to cook mine to medium. It came out perfect.

Looks like an alien face.
That is the Spaetzle under the veggies.

And last but not least, the best news! I have gotten a new job. I have wanted to work/learn at Social ever since the first time I had eaten there. I worked my ass off this summer. Working two jobs and taking in all that I could. 2013 was the year I would apply at Social and hopefully get in. I love the food at Social but most importantly I love that they use seasonal ingredients and have their own garden. I don’t have the most experience but that is why I’ve wanted to work there. So I could get my experience up at a restaurant that I love. To me, Social is my favorite restaurant in Rockford and I’m so proud that I am now a part of this team. I have worked so hard for this and I plan on working my ass off every day that I work there. I just want people to know that hard work DOES pay off and if you have a dream, GO FOR IT. Don’t let anyone tell you “you can’t do it.” When you reach that dream, don’t stop there. Keep going and work harder. I couldn’t have done it alone and I am so lucky that I have the best support system and I appreciate every ounce of support I have ever gotten. If I had one word to describe myself right now, it would be BLESSED.

Extra pictures:

Marinating

Broiling

Salmon

I’m going to make this blog short and sweet.

On Monday, we were shown how to clean a fish; a big ole salmon. We each had to cut out a filet, but I cut mine a little too big. (Not my fault, my teacher showed me where to place the knife.) Anyways, I was feeling reaaaaaal sick that day. I ALMOST went home. But I stuck it out like a champ. I made seared salmon with some peach sauce. It was supposed to be a mango sauce but we didn’t have any mango. I don’t like mango but I was willing to give it a shot as a sauce. We also were supposed to melt brie cheese over the top but we didn’t have brie so I had to use goat cheese.

We also had to make some sort of special potato that ended up tasting pretty good and I’d do it again. I forgot the name but that’d besides the point right now. We had to add something to our potato and I don’t know why but I wanted to use beet. I just let my imagination go crazy. I made a sauce. I put a whole bunch of stuff in there. White wine, goat cheese, butter, heavy cream, salt. I didn’t like how it turned out so I just added water and brown sugar and it turned out a really pretty color and sweet. I made some sweet beets.

My teacher said that my plate presentation had the best height in the class. Which is a good thing; the higher the better. Overall, I’m glad I stayed because the salmon turned out perfect and I loved it.

Hot Chocolate

Homemade Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon

Fill whatever mug you want to use with milk. Whatever kind of milk you want. 2%, whole, skim, etc.You can also use heavy cream if you aren't on a diet or if you want a richer flavor. Pour that into a saucepan to fit your milk. Turn the heat in between low and medium. You don't want scalded milk. Next add 2-3 heaping TBS of Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder. Whisk it really good to make sure that the cocoa is incorporated thoroughly. Get all of the clumps worked out of there. Next give it a nice squirt of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. Next add sugar to taste. You either like it sweet or you don't. So you be the judge of sugar. Next add a tsp. of ground cinnamon. Keep on whisking. If you want a little kick of caffeine, add a tsp. of instant espresso powder. Once everything is mixed together and you've got your ingredients all working together and nice and hot, pour your hot chocolate and enjoy it! I was pretty impressed with the result of this hot chocolate. Hints of cinnamon and rich chocolatey goodness. 

PORK!

Monday was a calm day. Both classes were held in classrooms. We talked about ethics in Menu Design. Ethics as in knowing what is right and what is wrong. We talked about many different examples. After a while some people went off on rants about Obamacare and the noise level was rising. I was getting really stressed out. I’m not saying that I didn’t agree with what was being said, I just realized that I don’t handle these kind of debates very well. My teacher noticed the funny look on my face and he asked why and I just kind of yelled, “THIS IS SERIOUSLY STRESSING ME OUT!” Everybody laughed. I love debates and all that good stuff but when people start going crazy, I just get ready for the shit to hit the fan. My fight or flight response is usually flight. I just hate politics.

Today went well, I think. Our class was small. There were only 6 of us in the kitchen compared to the usual 10 or 11. The theme was pork. I had been hoping all day that we’d get to make mashed potatoes! And we did! Duchesse Potatoes. These complicated potatoes with egg and a pastry bag and a whole lot of dishes. We had to add an extra ingredient of our choice. Sometimes, I try to stay away from the usual “mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese” or bacon. Meh. I put goat cheese in mine. Goat Cheese Duchesse Potatoes.

We also had a veggie of course. Today was BRUSSEL SPROUTS. I was pumped! I’m tired of green beans, and spinach, and whatever else. Give me something good! I love Brussels. We had to boil and shock our Brussels but we had to add 2 other ingredients and we couldn’t sauté them. So we could grill them, steam them, or roast them. I roasted mine with grapes and honey. That sounds so weird. BUT IT TASTED SO GOOD! Roasted grapes taste like grape jelly! Go figure, right? They taste really fresh and the sugars are enhanced and it’s just really good! Try it sometime.

The pork. We had a few different recipes to choose from. Some Carolina Barbecue ribs, chimichurri kabobs, Asian ribs, and a few others. I chose the Pork Tenderloin Au Poivre (Aw-pwah). I picked this recipe because I’ve never had pork tenderloin so I wanted to give it a shot. Me and another lady made this recipe. The recipe requires you to kind of pound your tenderloin medallions. The other lady had to pound hers, but the teacher didn’t want me to pound mine. He wanted me to cook mine to a perfect medium.  You might be thinking, “What?! NO! You have to cook pork all the way through! You’ll get worms! Or get sick! And die!” But what if I told you that that is an old wives tale? Well, it is. YOU DON’T HAVE TO COOK YOUR PORK WELL DONE! If you haven’t learned anything new today, then there you go. You’re welcome. ;) So the chef challenged me and I accepted. I was a little nervous because I was working with a new meat. I had to sauté the medallions. Then remove them from the pan. Add wine and vinegar to deglaze the pan. Let it reduce. Add cream, salt, and pepper. Let it reduce. And then HEY! I’ve got a nice sauce. My medallions did come out to a perfect medium and that made me feel pretty good. My sauce came out perfect as well.

Don't plate things to look like a smiley face!

Basically, I did really good today. Except with my plating. I don’t know why it is so damn hard for me to figure out how to plate some food! Some day I’ll get it. My potatoes were used as an example because they came out perfectly and I cooked my medallions to medium, as requested. Overall, even though I’ve been having a rough couple of weeks, I proved to myself today that I don’t suck. It’s all in my head. I just have to get out of my head, believe in myself, and have faith that everything will be allllllllright. Thanks for reading!