Tuesday, June 28, 2011
First Official Day of School - Ratatouille
Okay so today was my first official day of School. Uniformed with new knives in hand. Today was the start of our Vegetable module. I can't believe how much I have already learned. Now to the fun part!
Today I made my first ever Ratatouille. The recipe is below. I am not a hug fan of the combination of vegetables but the first bite really was delish!. I forgot to take picture before I plated it for the Chef so here is a picture I took once I got home.
I looked so much better before I cut it apart. So I am not a huge tomato person either but I did appreciate how great it would be for someone that does like tomatoes. The goat cheese on the top was an unexpected perfect match for the dish.
I had so much fun in the kitchen today. It is wonderful using industrial equipment and having everything available. I am thankful that ( I feel) that my kitchen is pretty close to what a professional chef would want in their home. Not just equipment wise, which anyone who has been in my home knows I have almost everything a chef could want, but also the way I stock it. So right now I need to clean my house and get ready for dinner. Here is the recipe!
Keep in mind that this is my version of a Ratatouille and not the original recipe.
1 cup crushed tomatoes 1/4 onion 3 garlic cloves 2 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper Paprika garlic powder onion powder
red chili pepper flakes 2 tomatoes 1 smaller eggplant 1 thin long bell pepper
Zucchini mushrooms goat cheese fresh thyme
fresh rosemary
I placed a little over a cup of crushed tomatoes into a baking dish. added the diced onion, 3 sliced garlic cloves, 1 Tbs olive oil, salt and pepper. I took it upon myself to add in some paprika, finely diced red pepper and some red chili pepper flakes to the sauce. I also added a few pinches of garlic and onion powder. Mix this all together. Remember that it doesn't take a lot of pepper flakes to make the meal to spicy.
Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, and zucchini about 1/16th of an inch thick. Cut the top and bottom off of the bell pepper and carefully remove seeds, leaving a tube, slice thinly. If the mushrooms are large enough to layers with the other veggies then slice them. If you have small mushrooms you can dice the mushrooms.
Layer the veggies in any order you like around the dish. Season the layered veggies with salt and pepper. I also sprinkled lightly with paprika. I then took my diced mushrooms and filled the whole in the center of the circle of veggies. Drizzle lightly with oil and sprinkle with chopped leaves of thyme and rosemary, cover and baked 45-55 minutes at 375. Garnish with goat cheese. I like to put my goat cheese on about 5 minutes before it is done and finish cooking it with the goat cheese.
Today I made my first ever Ratatouille. The recipe is below. I am not a hug fan of the combination of vegetables but the first bite really was delish!. I forgot to take picture before I plated it for the Chef so here is a picture I took once I got home.
I looked so much better before I cut it apart. So I am not a huge tomato person either but I did appreciate how great it would be for someone that does like tomatoes. The goat cheese on the top was an unexpected perfect match for the dish.
I had so much fun in the kitchen today. It is wonderful using industrial equipment and having everything available. I am thankful that ( I feel) that my kitchen is pretty close to what a professional chef would want in their home. Not just equipment wise, which anyone who has been in my home knows I have almost everything a chef could want, but also the way I stock it. So right now I need to clean my house and get ready for dinner. Here is the recipe!
Keep in mind that this is my version of a Ratatouille and not the original recipe.
1 cup crushed tomatoes 1/4 onion 3 garlic cloves 2 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper Paprika garlic powder onion powder
red chili pepper flakes 2 tomatoes 1 smaller eggplant 1 thin long bell pepper
Zucchini mushrooms goat cheese fresh thyme
fresh rosemary
I placed a little over a cup of crushed tomatoes into a baking dish. added the diced onion, 3 sliced garlic cloves, 1 Tbs olive oil, salt and pepper. I took it upon myself to add in some paprika, finely diced red pepper and some red chili pepper flakes to the sauce. I also added a few pinches of garlic and onion powder. Mix this all together. Remember that it doesn't take a lot of pepper flakes to make the meal to spicy.
Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, and zucchini about 1/16th of an inch thick. Cut the top and bottom off of the bell pepper and carefully remove seeds, leaving a tube, slice thinly. If the mushrooms are large enough to layers with the other veggies then slice them. If you have small mushrooms you can dice the mushrooms.
Layer the veggies in any order you like around the dish. Season the layered veggies with salt and pepper. I also sprinkled lightly with paprika. I then took my diced mushrooms and filled the whole in the center of the circle of veggies. Drizzle lightly with oil and sprinkle with chopped leaves of thyme and rosemary, cover and baked 45-55 minutes at 375. Garnish with goat cheese. I like to put my goat cheese on about 5 minutes before it is done and finish cooking it with the goat cheese.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Excited!
Okay I am so excited about tomorrow. My first day of school. I have everything ready for the morning. I know that tomorrow I am getting my books. I am not sure if I am getting my knives and uniform. I hope we get to do something hands on tomorrow and I hope it isn't a short day.
So I got my "Bistro" Crocs on Thursday and I wore them tonight to do dishes, since I have a cement floor right now that hurts my feet. It was like heaven. I have owned regular Crocs before but this pair is special. I haven't been this excited in a long time. I feel like a silly school girl!
So I got my "Bistro" Crocs on Thursday and I wore them tonight to do dishes, since I have a cement floor right now that hurts my feet. It was like heaven. I have owned regular Crocs before but this pair is special. I haven't been this excited in a long time. I feel like a silly school girl!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Nitza Villapol - Cuban Cooking
Well it's been a couple of days since my first post. I am still as excited as ever to start my Culinary class on Monday. I just ordered my Bistro Crocs and they will be here tomorrow.
In the meantime, I have decided to take my grandmother's Nitza Villapol's - Cocina al Minuto from 1958 and translate it to English. I was raised with Spanish/Cuban cooking but I don't tend to use it in my home a lot. I thought what better way to broaden my horizon. I am learning as I am translating it and there are recipes from around the world. I can't wait to get to my kitchen to try some of these.
I would like to take my Culinary education and open my own business. One of my choices is to own a catering company or have a shop. I grew up in Glendale near the famous Cuban Portos. My family has known them since they came here. Where I currently live, there is no CUBAN ANYTHING! So I am hoping that my 1/2 Cuban heritage can set me apart. I don't just want to cater just Cuban food but I think the Cuban food will help me get noticed.
I am just getting through the soup portion of the book and now I want Lobster Bisque. Anyway I may write more later on today. Just wanted to pop in.
In the meantime, I have decided to take my grandmother's Nitza Villapol's - Cocina al Minuto from 1958 and translate it to English. I was raised with Spanish/Cuban cooking but I don't tend to use it in my home a lot. I thought what better way to broaden my horizon. I am learning as I am translating it and there are recipes from around the world. I can't wait to get to my kitchen to try some of these.
I would like to take my Culinary education and open my own business. One of my choices is to own a catering company or have a shop. I grew up in Glendale near the famous Cuban Portos. My family has known them since they came here. Where I currently live, there is no CUBAN ANYTHING! So I am hoping that my 1/2 Cuban heritage can set me apart. I don't just want to cater just Cuban food but I think the Cuban food will help me get noticed.
I am just getting through the soup portion of the book and now I want Lobster Bisque. Anyway I may write more later on today. Just wanted to pop in.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
This is it!
Well this is it. I am to start my first official Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management course on June 27th.
To take you back for a second, I tried to start this quest when I was 17, 10 years ago, at the Pasadena Cordon Bleu. Because I was under the age of 24, I needed my families permission and financial assistance to attend the program. I was told by my grandmother that being a chef was degrading, not a position for someone that was intelligent. I was taken to dinner by my attorney uncle to discuss what a stupid, low life choice going to culinary school was. My Mom, was neither for nor against it but did not want to give financial support for it. I was left with no choice.
I went to Medical Assisting school, surely a job in the medical field would please every one. I was an A student, I even did my externship with UCLA. I couldn't find a job and went on to EMT school. I bounced around from one program to another. Did I want to be in the medical field? Did I want to be a teacher? I have spent over $10,000 going to schools, trying to find out who I am. I was miserable.
It was while trying to crash a class with 50 other students, at a traditional school, and learning that the only traditional school in the entire area was cutting back classes, that I decided it was not for me. It was going to take me 5 years to get a two year degree because there weren't enough classes. That degree wouldn't have led me to where I wanted anyway.
As I sat the next day crying, asking my self once again, what I wanted to do, something clicked in my head. I now had a husband, home and 3 year old child to take into consideration. I knew since the day my daughter was born that I wanted a job that would be convenient for me to be a good mother and wife. I knew that I wanted my own business.
During these 10 years, the culinary world became something completely different. With Emeril and Mario, the Food network. A few years ago, my grandmother actually asked me, why don't you become a chef like all these famous people on TV. I couldn't believe it.
Within one hour of this culinary epiphany, I was at the school, signing papers. I had called my mom on the way to the school and my mom was thrilled that I had chosen what I wanted. At 17, she thought I was too young to throw my self into an expensive program, at 27, she was thankful I may have actually found what I wanted to do. She reaffirmed, reminded me of, and supported my passion for cooking. she gave me idea after idea of the wonderful things I could do in the culinary world.
So we come to now! I just ordered my Crocs online, I signed all my financial paperwork, I unfortunately found out that I will have to pay $5,000 out of pocket for my course. Luckily I can make monthly payments over the 10 month course. This will be pretty steep considering I have to pay for extra preschool hours for my daughter. Her school is only until 12:00 and my class is until 1:00 so I have to pay for an entire day of school for her instead of 1/2 a day. It is a sacrifice, but a short one.
Well this is probably enough for my first blog. I am sure that no one out there is reading but I want to take people along this culinary journey. So join me if you have a few minutes.
To take you back for a second, I tried to start this quest when I was 17, 10 years ago, at the Pasadena Cordon Bleu. Because I was under the age of 24, I needed my families permission and financial assistance to attend the program. I was told by my grandmother that being a chef was degrading, not a position for someone that was intelligent. I was taken to dinner by my attorney uncle to discuss what a stupid, low life choice going to culinary school was. My Mom, was neither for nor against it but did not want to give financial support for it. I was left with no choice.
I went to Medical Assisting school, surely a job in the medical field would please every one. I was an A student, I even did my externship with UCLA. I couldn't find a job and went on to EMT school. I bounced around from one program to another. Did I want to be in the medical field? Did I want to be a teacher? I have spent over $10,000 going to schools, trying to find out who I am. I was miserable.
It was while trying to crash a class with 50 other students, at a traditional school, and learning that the only traditional school in the entire area was cutting back classes, that I decided it was not for me. It was going to take me 5 years to get a two year degree because there weren't enough classes. That degree wouldn't have led me to where I wanted anyway.
As I sat the next day crying, asking my self once again, what I wanted to do, something clicked in my head. I now had a husband, home and 3 year old child to take into consideration. I knew since the day my daughter was born that I wanted a job that would be convenient for me to be a good mother and wife. I knew that I wanted my own business.
During these 10 years, the culinary world became something completely different. With Emeril and Mario, the Food network. A few years ago, my grandmother actually asked me, why don't you become a chef like all these famous people on TV. I couldn't believe it.
Within one hour of this culinary epiphany, I was at the school, signing papers. I had called my mom on the way to the school and my mom was thrilled that I had chosen what I wanted. At 17, she thought I was too young to throw my self into an expensive program, at 27, she was thankful I may have actually found what I wanted to do. She reaffirmed, reminded me of, and supported my passion for cooking. she gave me idea after idea of the wonderful things I could do in the culinary world.
So we come to now! I just ordered my Crocs online, I signed all my financial paperwork, I unfortunately found out that I will have to pay $5,000 out of pocket for my course. Luckily I can make monthly payments over the 10 month course. This will be pretty steep considering I have to pay for extra preschool hours for my daughter. Her school is only until 12:00 and my class is until 1:00 so I have to pay for an entire day of school for her instead of 1/2 a day. It is a sacrifice, but a short one.
Well this is probably enough for my first blog. I am sure that no one out there is reading but I want to take people along this culinary journey. So join me if you have a few minutes.
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