So busy....

I know I haven't made any recent post here. I have been super busy with work. I accepted a job with Whole Foods as a Fish Monger, and with the holidays it has been crazy. And there has been some things with school that have caused me to evaluate things and where I am going. I will keep everyone posted. Have a wonderful Christmas.

College football....

Well, with it being a BIG college football Saturday, I will not be cooking anything today. But I do have to blog a big.....BOOOOOMER SOOOOONER for my boys.

New Whole Foods employee....

Yes, I accepted a position with Whole Foods in the seafood department. I am so exited. Everyone I met has been awesome so far and I am looking forward to it. I have heard nothing but great things about the company. I will keep everyone posted.

And these are the kids

That are always underfoot, waiting for pieces of food to fall from the cutting board. This would be them after getting a big snack of something I made. And yes, I usually make a little extra for them, just the healthy stuff....none of the fried or heavy creamed goodness.

And here is what you can do with the excess filling for the chicken pies...

I took the excess filling, added 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 3 cups chicken stock and let simmer on the stove for an hour. And here is the chicken soup that came out.....



This was the perfect remedy for my partners cold.

It is a chicken pie day.....

So last night I had a dream I was eating chicken pie.....so of course that gave me a craving for today. So after reading some recipes online, I took a couple and modified them a bit and this is what I came up with.

It is now in the oven for 1/2 hours.....finished product will soon be posted.

And here it is after 2 hours.....took a little longer to cook than I thought it would.

Here is a cut out of the pie.....yummy
Now here is the recipe:

2 large russett potatoes peeled and diced
1 large yellow onion medium diced
1 leek, julliened
1 red bell pepper
Fresh rosemary, minced
fresh sage, minced
fresh parsley, minced
1 medium bag mixed vegetables
2 chicken thighs and legs, boneless and cubed. (I use dark meat over white meat for my pies due to the higher flavor they impart)

1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed into 4 tablespoons chicken stock

2 tablespoon sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onions, leeks, and bell pepper until they are translucent. In a seperate pan, fry the potatoes until tender in 1 tablespoon oil. Remove the potatoes from the pan and set aside along with the onions, leeks and peppers. Flour the chicken, and mix in the fresh rosemary, sage and parsley, then place in fry pan with oil, lightly browning. Mix chicken in with the other ingredients and set aside to cool.

Now, this is the easy part. I would usually make my own puff pastry, but with time in short today, I went with the pre made frozen dough. make sure it is pliable and not frozen. Line the pie pan, and use a fork to make holes in the bottom. Fill the pan with the filling and even it out. Place the top of the pastry on and use a fork to pinch the edges. Use a knife to place small slits in the top to vent the pie while cooking. Brush with a beaten egg and place in the oven 350F for 30-45 minutes (until crust is golden on top).

Remove and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

If you have any questions let me know.

Bon Apetit

1st challenge.....

So here is my first posting for my first challenge with the Daring Bakers. It was a lot of fun making the potato bread, I will be trying this recipe again soon.



Here are some photos, the loaf came out REALLY big because I couldn't find my loaf pans! Oh well. It still came out really well.

PS, I will post the recipe and everything tomorrow.....I have a 5 page report due for class in the morning on Sicilian and Sardinian Cuisine influences on modern day cuisine.....yeah, fun stuff. Wish me luck.

Just a little update.

Really, not a lot to say. I am working on a report for my Euro Cuisine class. It is a lot of work and a ton of research. It is over the influence from Greece and Sicily. It should be interesting. I'll keep you posted on it's outcome.

ok, rethinking the externship....

So, with a lot of thought now going into where I really want to go, and live, and after much discussion with my boyfriend, we are rethinking it. The externship will probably take place here in San Francisco. Since I am looking for a position here, it would only make sense to do my externship here too. But we shall see.
On another note. I made this amazing breakfast this morning. I forgot how homemade gravy with bacon and eggs can taste. yummmm.

End of Week 2

This was the end of week 2 in wine class. I think I am actually tired of wine, having to taste 5 or 6 per day. I have learned a lot, and now appreciate the different styles much more. Not that I am turning into a wine snob or anything. lol.

Besides that, I am just focusing on finding a prep/pantry/line cook position. So if anyone has any information in the San Francisco area, let me know.

Other that this, not a whole lot new going on. I am looking forward to getting the next week over with and back to actually cooking. We go into European Cuisine, then American, and finally Asian. So YAY.....cooking, cooking, cooking...I am so ready to get back into the kitchen.



Until later,

Ciao'.......
(and the pic below isn't my creation, but I am looking forward to reproducing it, I think it is a totally sexy Bostini Cream Pie)

New Class

So I am in Wine Appreciation now. I am totally loving it. Being able to read wine labels and understand what information is being presented is awesome. Not a lot more to say at this time, nothing really exciting going on.

So, now I am starting to get excited.

I have been sending resumes out for my externship in Vegas. Now I just wait to hear from the chefs and take a trip down there to interview and look at houses. Also shopping for a car, first time in almost 10 years. Whoa.

Ok, so the decision is made!

After much discussion and weighing the pros and the cons, it is decided...Las Vegas. Housing is affordable, the industry is booming, and it seems like a good place to start my career.

So that is where things stand. I will have a date here in the very near future.

Externship Research...

So, here it is, Saturday morning and I just finished my resume and cover letter for my externship applying. Now I am researching restaraunts and chefs and trying to figure out where I want to go. Chances like this only come around once in a lifetime, and when else would I have the chance to travel and train under some of the best culinary minds. So I have been looking at places like Miami, Germany, Italy, London, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Chicago, Philly, Boston, New York, etc, etc, etc.......That is where things stand now. I will keep everyone posted.

Kitchen Math and Computer Knowledge....

Ok, so today was a pretty boring day at school. We started computer knowledge and it is pretty basic.......so I spend the whole 5 hours in class coming up with new recipes and working on my resume. BTW, I have to interviews this week, one with a vietnamese fusion place and a new contemporary american place. Kind of nervous, the interview process is one where I go in and take my knives with me, and they give me a black box, and I have to create somthing from that black box.......it is like a mini Iron Chef. IT is good practice, and will help me to gain some confidence in my skills.

Ok, on a non-food thing, I am off to run with my rugby team, need to lose some of this keg I have gained of a belly since starting CCA. Below is one of my canapes I produce, it is a deviled quail egg on a brown bread croutini....

Start of the dreams....

When I was a child I use to watch Julia Childs on TV. I spent hours in my grandmothers kitchen, watching her cook and reading her recipes and cook books. And after years of struggling to find my calling. Bouncing from career to career feeling empty and un-insprired. I decided to follow my dream, my calling, my passion and go to culinary school. So this is the start to a journal, that I can write in, write down my experiences, both good and bad. I can post recipes that I want to share. This also will give me a way to look back on things and reflect on what worked and what didn't. And to see where my life has taken me. This is also a way to share with my family and loved ones on what is going on in my culinary life.

So I will begin here. I started school back on May 21, 2007. A lot has gone on so far. I have been through basic skills, much of which I already knew, but was able to learn a lot still and hone some of the basics.

From there we move on to Butchery. That I loved. Everything from learning how to fillet fish to preparing a tenderloin, to breaking down and butching a whole pig. I learned enough that I will never buy unprepared meat again, I will just buy the basic cuts and prep the rest myself.

From there we went to Garde Manger, which is cold food prep. I loved learning how to make Canepes and forced meat. A lot of this will come in handy when I cater a private party here and there.

From there we went to Bakery and Pastry. Well, what can I say.......sweets, sweets and more sweets. I have to say, I really excelled in this class, thought I wouldn't like it, but oh so much the different. I loved making sorbets and cakes and souffles.....yummy....then on to....

Contemporary Cooking....this was interesting and very challenging. I love cooking with heavy cream and cheeses and meats and glutens and eggs......well not in this class. Everything from vegan to octo-lavo to macrobiotics. I did learn quite a bit and will be able to apply this when it comes to creating specific diets for my diners.

So, that is where I am now......for the next few weeks it is on to the business classes and wine appreciation...so, I will update more soon, and post some picutres.

bon apetit..