culinary school

I left the desk behind and went to culinary school. 2009/2010.

Crab Enchiladas with Bacon and Orange Sauce

02/14/2011 | 6 Comments | Topics: culinary school, entree

This recipe is compliments of our cooking school, where I sometimes teach classes (I teach at a school as well as offer private cooking classes out of my home). I changed it a tiny bit. I like to think of it as enchiladas for guests. I make enchiladas all the time for my family: midweek. I toss together chicken, some salsa and bottled enchilada sauce. Roll ‘em up,… [more]

what are your favorite kitchen tools?

07/02/2010 | 6 Comments | Topics: culinary school, just talk

I knew it. I had my favorite kitchen tools as a cook. But then I went to culinary school. And wondered if my favorite, lovingly-worn out kitchen toys would start getting less attention. Get left on the shelf, forgotten in a drawer—icons of a novice cook. I remember watching myself… would my preferences completely change [because of culinary school] or would I retain my enthusiasm for using kitchen shears?… [more]

5 weird things I learned at culinary school

03/02/2010 | 12 Comments | Topics: culinary school, just talk

Sure I learned how to fabricate a chicken and make bechamel; we clarified butter and practiced our knife cuts. We used chinoise to strain our sauces and hailed the art of cooking an egg. We used bain maries and whisked emulsions, studied food culture across the US and learned to look at plate presentation with a trained eye. I adored culinary school. But beyond the… [more]

Central Plains Cuisine

06/06/2009 | 2 Comments | Topics: culinary school, places to go

The central plains (across the midriff of America) is considered the bread basket of the United States. It has a ‘corn belt’ and a ‘wheat belt.’ This region is the main source of food crops for the US. Beyond grains, you will find dairy farming and cheese making, an abundance of game, poultry and freshwater fish. In American Cuisine—one of my culinary classes—we are learning about cuisines of varying regions… [more]

Pacific Northwest Cuisine

06/02/2009 | 4 Comments | Topics: culinary school, places to go

When you think Pacific Northwest cuisine (PNW), what comes to mind? Perhaps stone fruit, nuts, berries, fish, shellfish… maybe mushrooms or lettuce greens such as nettle, dandelion and sorrel. Here is a quick list of ‘typical’ PNW foods, as relayed by my American Regional textbook: Alaskan Halibut Apples Asparagus Berries: blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, lingonberries, raspberries, salmonberries, strawberries Cherry Farmstead Cheese: cougar gold, tillamook Clams: Geoduck, Manila Clam, Razor Clam… [more]

you quesadillas will never be the same: green chili chutney.

05/16/2009 | 3 Comments | Topics: culinary school, dip, sauce & syrup

The truth is, I often make quesadillas. They are a knee jerk response to ‘what’s for lunch’? In their simplest form, I just make them with cheese and refried beans… and maybe a smear of salsa if I add in a few extra seconds for prep. I am a big fan of crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, so my humble little lunchtime quesadillas often spend 2-3… [more]

Californian Cuisine

05/12/2009 | 1 Comment | Topics: culinary school, people to see, places to go

For class, we would often do culinary summaries of various regions around the U.S. I enjoyed learning about various individuals who made significant contributions in the evolution of Californian cuisine. It is a huge, wonderfully productive state, famous for their fusion, fresh and locally farmed foods in addition to their international success in the wine industry (see the movie Bottle Shock—it’s great). Here was my summary: California produces more… [more]

Tex Mex Cuisine

03/20/2009 | 5 Comments | Topics: culinary school, soups

I took a class called American Cuisine. Each week we would focus on a different region of America, to familiarize ourselves with its flavors, historical influences and topography, and how they informed the table tops in this part of the country. One week was all about Tex Mex. Texas is its own unique state, unlike any other. ‘Tex-mex’ cuisine was born out of poor man’s Mexican food and includes corn,… [more]

Southern Cuisine

02/21/2009 | 4 Comments | Topics: culinary school, places to go

I am taking a culinary class called American Regional Cuisine; in it, we are reviewing popular, familiar and historic cuisines in varying parts of the country. This is a quick sketch of Southern Cuisine: Big meals, barbecues, fish fries and iced tea. Southern hospitality has a reputation for invitation, exuberance and an abundance of comfort food. Southern cuisine comes from: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina… [more]

Asian fare: spring onion pancakes

02/17/2009 | 4 Comments | Topics: culinary school, starters

I am taking Asian cuisine this quarter. It is not my usual fare—though I enjoy the flavors and am intrigued by the many tastes. In fact, I had a choice of a handful of different classes and effectively made myself take Asian: just for exposure sake. Asian cookery is known for its different techniques and emphasis on texture; it is often quite counter to what is ‘classic’—aka French—cuisine. Some… [more]