korea & the harvest dinner

It's been a week in our Asian Cuisine class, and though I have been learning a lot, I cant shake this cloud over every one of my days. I hope it goes away because I haven't been enjoying school as much as I used to. Yesterday I had the opportunity to work at the Hudson Harvest Dinner, that showcases the harvest of the season with a 6 course dinner made with (mostly) all items from right here in the hudson valley. Everything we tasted was simply prepared but had so much flavor, it was delicious. Here are some pictures from our first day doing cuisines of korea, and some from the dinner, though I didnt have much time for pictures.

korean bulgogi marinating:

beef short ribs:

scallion salad

daikon radish salad, mu chae:

Kim chi:

jap chae, a vegetable and glass noodles dish, garnished with egg crepes and scallions:

completed beef short rib plate with rice:

beef bulgogi:

At the harvest dinner, these were some of the hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hour:

Salad course:

And plating the entree:

Cheese plate:

With some berries and fruits for adding on:

wokin asian cuisine

I have an excuse for going missing. My life has been so hectic and busy that my lack of sleep has led to some eye issues? I think not sleeping has dried them out so I can barely keep them open these days. Not to mention being up at 4:30/5 everyday to go to my american cuisines class, which is now over. Here are some more pictures from the class that I didn't get a chance to post before. Tuesday we start cuisines of asia class, which should be a lot of fun considering most of us haven't learned lots of the techniques we are about to encounter. Hopefully it will be a good distraction and way to get my mind off things.

6 weeks to go and still no externship, I just can't find a place I'm in love with, meh...

moqueca with seafood and coconut milk:

brazilian braised goat:

ceviche sampler:
fejoida, brazilian ribs and linguisa sausage:
brazillian mixed grill with chimichurri:
yayy:
Pescado al Veracruzana
street platter with tamales, empanadas and sopes:
chicken mole with fresh tortillas:
quesadillas with rice and 2 sauces:
grinding corn on a matate:

during service:
jerk game hen:
curry goat:
guava glazed ribs:

dan's birthday bash

Today was my friend Dan's birthday so we embarrassed him by singing every chance we got. Here he is with the biggest rondeau (pot) of collard greens on campus.

Our kitchen (and Amber posing):

Today we made creole/Louisiana cuisine and finally having the courage to bring in my camera, I snapped a few shots. Though personally I have been distracted lately, we put out delicious food. On the menu today was: shrimp & alligator gumbo, sweet potato & peanut soup, mixed greens with peanut dressing, fried chicken & mashed potatoes & collard greens, crayfish etouffee, grilled vegetable jambalaya, beef brisket with hush puppies and fried onions, and the dish Taylor and I made, stuffed quail with sauteed spinach and red beans and rice. Pretty impressive menu for 14 students, I'd say.

Here is a goat head.. we cooked the meat in a curry sauce for tomorrow:

Here are the boys on the fried chicken station plating up during lunch service. Each station had 2 people and 3 or 4 plate components that they are responsible for. Our menu changes every other day:

Here is the crayfish etouffee being plated during service:

And the vegetable jambalaya:

Here are the quail I made stuffing for and fried:

They were so small, even when they were stuffed they fit into the palm of my baby hands:

Here was our completed dish:

After we sell out of our food we make platter for "family meal," a term used to describe food we eat as staff. Here is my partner Taylor with our platter for family meal:

Everyone enjoying each others cooking:

new hatred for cuisines of americas

What a week. We completed our first week in cuisines of americas, and I have to say, all the warnings about our chef were true. Up to now, though we have had strict chefs or precise ones, we've never quite had one like our current chef. It makes me sad that for the first time since starting school here, I don't want to go to class. I can't even really be myself because I am afraid of the possible backlash from the chef.  So far, I haven't been told that "I won't make it in this industry," (though she did tell someone that). I'm sure it's coming.

Without time to breathe, much less take pictures, my blog will probably be missing in action for a while, but hopefully will return soon. After this class we are onto cuisines of asia, which should be a lot more interesting and fun. Other than the tense classes, my life is filled with trying to get some sleep, finding an externship and getting time to talk to my friends. Have a great weekend everyone.

onto american cuisine?

I admit I sort of failed at posting during skills 3, mostly because it was our first production class and I didn't want to waste time taking pictures, and I figured blogging without pictures wouldn't be exciting enough.

So skills 3 has come to an end, next week we start Cuisines of the Americas, with a Chef who we have heard is very strict. Though personally I wasn't at my best, skills 3 went great, with Chef Zifchak seeing the potential in me that I have been looking for in a Chef.

We worked through various cooking competencies, roasting & grilling to braising and poaching, each day making 30-40 portions to sell to students for lunch. It was invigorating and we learned a little bit about how the future kitchens will be. 

I only got to take pictures on the last day so here is a random selection

Our vegetarian plate of risotto cakes, smoked tomato sauce and vegetable medley

Making pierogis

Sauteed chicken with fines herbes sauce and fresh pasta:

Shallow poached flounder with my fresh tomato linguine and vegetables: