Culinary school

July 2011 Schedule A Class

I have recently started the Columbus Culinary Institute July 5th 2011. I am loving every minute of it and wished I would have done this a long time ago. I am currently learning how to cut Julienne, Batonnet, Brunoise, Fine Julienne, Tournes, Chiffonade, and (med,small,large) dice. We have days where we are allowed to make anything we want. This happens when there is a lot of food that needs to be used before it goes bad. This has definitely been a learning experience and had taught me to be a cleaner person in the kitchen.The key is to get your mise en place (everything in its place) together before combining and cooking. I spend 3 hours everyday just cooking. We have made a lot of items that you normally just buy in a store. For example thousand island dressing, Caesar dressing, and mayonnaise. Recipes will follow for these items.  

Friday Salad Bar

Mayonnaise
Egg yolks                            4                       Salt                                     l tsp
White Pepper                     TT
Dry Mustard                      1 tsp
Wine Vinegar                     3 Tbsp
Salad Oil                            28 fl. oz
Lemon Juice                       TT

This recipe makes 1 qt.
1) Add the egg yolks and mix until thick and lemon-colored.
2) Add the dry ingredients and half the vinegar.
3) Whisk the oil into the mixture slowly and occasionally adding some vinegar.
4) Add lemon juice to taste
5) Refrigerate

 Caesar Dressing

Garlic, chopped                   1 Tbsp
Eggs                                    2
Parmesan, grated                 4 oz.
Balsamic Vinegar                 2 fl oz.
Red Wine Vinegar               2 fl.oz.
Whole-grain Mustard          1 Tbsp
Dijon-style Mustard            1 Tbsp
Anchovy fillets                    1 oz.
Salt                                    1 Tbsp.
Black Pepper                     1 tsp
Vegetable Oil                     12 fl oz.
Olive Oil                            12 fl oz.


1) Combine Egg, Garlic, Parmesan, Vinegars, Mustards, Anchovies, Salt and Pepper and mix for approx 1 minute.
2) Add the oils in slowly
3) Combine until oil is mixed into the other ingredients


Thousand Island Dressing
Red Wine Vinegar                                    1 Tbsp
Granulated Sugar                                      1 Tbsp
Mayonnaise                                              1 pt.
Ketchup                                                   8 oz.
Sweet Pickle Relish                                  6 oz.
Hard-cooked Eggs, chopped                    4
Fresh Parsley, chopped                            2 Tbsp
Green Onions, chopped                           1 bunch
Salt and Pepper                                       TT
Worcestershire Sauce                              TT


1) Combine vinegar and sugar and mix until sugar is dissolved.
2) Add the remaining ingredients and mix
3) Adjust the seasonings with Salt, Pepper, and Worcestershire Sauce.

Ooey Gooey Cookies

www.pauladeen.com

 These cookies have been a huge hit at my office. I have made them with vanilla and chocolate cake mix. They are both equally delicious even though everyone liked the vanilla cake mix better. I am going to try a marble swirl with both chocolate and vanilla. I will let you know how they turn out. This recipe is very simple and they are really gooey. People think they are not cooked enough, but that is why they are ooey gooey cookies!

 Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
1   (18 ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
1   (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1   egg
1   stick of butter, room temperature

Pizza from the heavens

There is a little restaurant in Grove City, Oh called Plank's. There is no website, however, it is always packed with people. When the waitress took our orders we realized she was from the same county we grew up (Morrow County). It is crazy how many people I have ran into that have come from the same small villages I grew up. She suggested the pizza and said it is a customer favorite, so I decided to try it. I had the white pizza, which had no tomato based sauce. It was topped with black olives, lots of mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, sausage, and olive oil. The crust was fantastic and tasted like dark beer was added to the dough. The price was very reasonable and the food was great. If you are in Grove City please check out this place, you will not be disappointed.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

www.thebumblecollection.com

This recipe can be changed in many different ways. You can use any flavor of pudding and any type of chips. I have been making these cookies ever since I learned how to bake. These are better than traditional chocolate chip cookies because the pudding makes it soft and chewy.

By popular demand this is the recipe:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of butter softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 package of pudding mix (any flavor you like)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Combine the flour and baking soda set aside.

Mix the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, pudding mix, and vanilla. Beat until cream. Add the eggs and mix.Gradually add the flour mixture.When all combined add the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Bake for 8- 10 min or until golden brown.

Lentil soup

www.natureproducts.net

I have not experimented much with lentils, but if you are a vegetarian this super food can be replaced with meat. It has a high protein content and is recommended to consume if you have an iron efficiency. Some lentils require soaking the night before cooking. Lentils shouldn't be eaten raw and you shouldn't mix old lentils with fresh ones because they will cook unevenly. So now that you know a little bit about lentils here is a recipe from a coworker that made this recently.

2 cups of yellow lentils

One can of chicken broth

One can of tomato sauce

One medium raw onion

3-4 cloves of fresh Garlic

3-4 tea spoons of roasted cumin

2-3 table spoons of olive oil

2-3 tea spoons of Salt

Fresh carrots (optional)

Fresh celery (optional)

Mix all the above ingredients and bring the mix to a boil till all ingredients are cooked.

Pour the mix into a food processor and mix.

Add chicken broth as needed depending on the thickness of soup you like.

Delicious buffalo chicken dip

Photo Courtesy of:The Doctors Dishes Desserts Decor

If you try this recipe you will not be disappointed. I have become addicted to this stuff ever since my neighbor made it. If I could I would eat it every day with some tortilla chips. You can use this recipe for sports events and just everyday parties. I know that whenever I am invited to a party with this recipe on the table it is the first dish to reach the bottom. It takes just a few ingredients and heat and presto it is done.

Ingredients:

2 cans of shredded chicken or 2 chicken breast boiled and pulled apart
1 Cup of ranch dressing
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup of hot sauce
bag of tortilla chips
cheese on top after everything is melted

Combine all the ingredients except the cheese and put in a little crock pot or oven at low temp for 30 min. Once all the ingredients are blended then spread the cheese on the top and serve warm.

Java Bean Salad

I received this recipe from a coworker and wanted to share it with everyone. It is really good and has no meat. So for all you vegetarians this recipe is for you.

1 Can of fava beans – can be found in the international section at Meijer’s

½ lime or lemon – medium size

1 clove of fresh garlic – big size

4 table spoon of olive oil

2 table spoon of Tahini- sesame paste - can be found in the international section at Meijer’s

2 table spoon of roasted cumin powder - can be found in the international section at Meijer’s, not usually sold roasted, so you might want to do that before you use it.

1 fresh tomato cut in small pieces

¼ of fresh green pepper cut in small pieces.

Few branches of fresh parsley cut very small

Salt

Heat the fava beans, mash the can content in a ball, add all the above ingredients and mix. You can have Fava beans salad with pita bread or crackers.