A Month of Monday's- A Pictorial Tour of the Last Month

I've been gone for awhile

 Though I still have a smile :)

The past month has been a transitional period for me with final exams, starting a new job and closing my cleaning business of 8 years.  

I have so many stories to catch up and tell

I can't wait to share with you all the exciting things I have been up to.

Here is a small pictorial preview of the past month- stories to follow I promise!

Three weeks ago- this was my last day of class with my baking friends!  

The very next day I was Off to start my new job at Black Star Farms- This is the view from my kitchen window!!

One of the first things I made on the first day of work was this chocolate covered strawberry plate- 7 strawberries to symbolize 7 years of marriage for one of our Inn couples that were arriving that night.  It was an easy little project to start.

4 days after the last day of classes I was the coordinator of the Staff Appreciation Brunch at my kids school- Westwoods- From what I was told it was one of the nicest presentations ever.  Thanks to a lot of help from many Westwoods families it came together very nicely.

On the menu was assorted Quiches, Baked goodies, Granola, Fresh Fruit and Yogurt parfait bar and a beverage bar too!  Too bad I couldn't make Mimosas for those teachers :)

One week later after my first week at Black Star Farms I got to cook breakfast for the Inn.  The chef was there to help me out of course.  I made Crustless Quiches with a spicy tomato sauce on top of wilted greens with shallots. (Ray's recipe)  Everyone said it was great!  The guests all clapped for me when the Inn keeper told them that it was my first breakfast.

After my first breakfast I went over to the Oleson Center at NMC and helped Sous Chef the class "Cooking without a recipe" with Eric Patterson and Jennifer Blakeslee.  This is a beef tenderloin dish the class came up with.

The following day I made my Thai Corn Cakes over Black Stars own pork sausage topped with a poached egg, Leelanau Cheese company cheese sauce and a frizzed peppers garnish- Roasted Fingerling potatoes fan the outside.  One of the guests came up to me afterwards and asked if I had "made everything by hand".  It was sweet!

Immediately following my second breakfast at Black Star I drove out to Glen Arbor where my friend Kristin and I had planned a special dinner for our girlfriends.  We put together an amazing menu- Kristin did a great job researching the recipes and shared the kitchen for the night.  It was a wonderful evening and all the food preparation turned out very delicious.  

I made Coconut Macaroons dipped in Ganache paired with Fresh Raspberry Sorbet for dessert that evening.  The raspberries were from last summer's picking at Grandma's house!

As if the weekend wasn't eventful enough- the next day I went back to Black Star Farms to work in the Hearth and Vine cafe where I learned to make Brick Oven Pizzas!!!!  Later in the evening I stayed on to shadow with Chef Paul and and see how an entire meal can be prepared with the use of the brick oven.  Paul was like a one man band- super impressive- 4 different entrees served Rack of Lamb, Cedar Plank Whitefish, Beef Tenderloin and Rabbit, Roasted Asparagus, Polenta cakes too.  Every guest was thrilled with their meal!

Some baked goods I prepared for a breakfast meeting and for the Inn guests too!  Morning glory muffins and Walnut crusted Banana Bread.

Chocolate Chip Cookies for Evening Hospitality!!

Oriental Spiced Tuna Tar Tar Cucumber cups for evening hospitality in the Inn that I created- (don't mind the saran wrap)

Fruit trio Lollipops- Not plated yet but a fun idea. :)

Grilled Flat Bread Pizzas at Home!!

First campfire of the year on the Farm!!

NMC Barbeque with my Mom and family too.

I have not slowed down yet...  So far I love the pace and can't wait to see what is in store for the upcoming summer- Stories are on their way :)

Monday's Plate- Dishing Up The Good Times

"I want it that waaaaayyyyyyy!"  

If you were around for any part of the 1990's then I am pretty sure you heard that song line echoing from some teenage girls honda accord sound system.  In my case I had a mix tape that included this particular song, along with the other pop star princes and princess royalties of the time like Britney Spears, N'Sync, and the crooners of the chorus I just sited- The Back Street Boys.  My little sister had made the tape for me when I got married and moved away from my humble hometown.  I didn't really like the music all that much but when I listened to it I felt her presence on my long commute to and from work, and I still have the tape, though I have no way of playing it anymore.

The class was really having some fun today in the clean-up portion of World Cuisine Class!  Ryan, Leah and Jared were jamming on the dishes at the triple sink, they being the source of our musical entertainment, complete with break out dance moves and bursts of dramatic harmonies from all of our favorite mid nineties teen pop hit songs.  The rest of the class moved in and out from that station delivering the clean sauce pans, plates and spatulas to their appropriate storage spaces in and throughout the kitchen.  Someone pushed a broom, while another student next to the stoves dissolved with a cleaning towel all traces of our earlier stirring and incorporations we attempted while learning.  Every so often a teasing remark would fly from someone or another and get the whole group to fill the room with a gasp of cheerful laughter.

Our chef teacher would walk in every so often from the hall to inspect our progress and to also join in on some of our fun.  As classmates we are all so diverse.  We each come from such various backgrounds of skills, age and experiences~  All but for this one moment that we rub elbows during clean up mode.  This is the kitchen qualification that does not necessarily crave attention to our ability.  Its the time of  day when we don't have to be anxious about what we are creating.  Most of us already know how to sweep a floor or wash a dish, because we have done it a thousand times.

All that being said, our culinary abilities and skills are catching up.  As chef promised us, the more we rehearse and commit our minds and bodies to our kitchen practice, the easier it will all become.  Already there are times when we can multitask our way through production with a class partner by adding conversations about our exterior lives, and telling a joke, or singing in or out of tune to the beat of our mincing knife.  I really like when that balance can be achieved because it softens a focal edge for me and makes me stay present and sensibly aware.

I have really enjoyed my classes this semester!  It is hard to believe that in less than two weeks my first year of culinary school will be completed.  The friends I have made, the dishes we have created together and the teachers who have guided us to the discovery of our potential have all made this experience amazing.  I know that I will always regard this time in my life as something truly wonderful.

In class today with my friends I noticed that I felt a brilliant warmth in my heart and soul.  I have such a huge amount of respect for all of these people and the opportunity to work with them has been beyond enjoyable- it is truly a complete riot!  I am so thankful for that.  

Random Thoughts in the Kitchen on a Sunday Evening...

The tomato is red.  The mango is the color of a ripe golden sunset.  I'm in a mood for what I am unsure at the moment but I want to dance in my kitchen tonight. I have decided I will let the ingredients take the lead tonight, so my hands and footsteps will effortlessly follow my garden guests freshened gestures.
 Playfully I am intent on quenching my big appetite for the delicious taste of acidity and sweetness that lustfully will find a way to mingle lovingly on my tongue.  This sensation within me is like how when you turn a water faucet on and the water magically appears to your demands.  This happens because of the foundation of engineering which assures that the path of pipelines is obedient to the waters pace.  In the same way my assured hands know the same old two track that leads to knowledges soaked deep within each cell.  There is a memorized and practiced skill in my ability to function with a knife in my grasp.  It just happens naturally now and in my stride I realize that tonight I am not actually the master of my ingredients.   It is the flavors in front of me on the countertop that are commanding me into a dazed servitude.  They know their purposeful form and how they will entertain with a deserving ovation in the final plate presentation and taste.  I am home, among friends- the very essence of time and thoughtful patterns of life that soaked in the suns energy with the sole purpose of providing the needed sustenance for me and my family.

We danced, we sang, we enjoyed our time together in embraces that created spicy aromas and tingling impressions on our five seasoned senses.  Time in my kitchen is time for me and I am home within it's boundaries.

Dinner tonight was absolutely delish by the way- and everyone at the table agreed that I better write that one down!

Monday's Plate: Its a Baking Sheet This Time

I had absolutely no idea!  

What I mean to say is that laminated doughs are way cool!  This is the newest technique and skills we have been practicing in Intro to Baking class.

Its a layered dough with lots of butter - its most classically used for applications like Danish and Croissants-  and is more appropriately defined by The Food Lovers Companian as:

"A butter-rich pastry that begins as a yeast dough that is rolled out, dotted with butter, then folded and rolled again several times.  The dough may be lightly sweetened and is usually flavored with vanilla or cardamom. Baked Danish pastries (often referred to simply as "Danish") contain a variety of fillings including fruit, cream cheese, almond paste and spiced nuts."  

Our text book basically says the same thing. Thankfully Chef Fred made sure that once we started our daily production in the kitchen that we had a visual demonstration of the lamination process too.  It is always fun to watch him throw the dough around in a snow storm of dusting flour.  He makes it all look so easy.  

When we first start working with our own dough at our table I felt like a brand new mother, afraid of breaking my own baby and handling it all with extreme caution.  I know the more we practice the process the more my handling will resemble a confident and cool Mom of three.  All the folding and rolling will eventually be executed with ease and a comfortability that only comes with practice.

 

~A picture of our first laminated dough, done the original way

What is even cooler is the opportunity that Taylor (my lab partner) and I had to try a newer process of lamination that had us grate our butter layer instead of pounding it out with a rolling pin.  The grating process was much quicker and easier to assemble.

The difference in doughs was very dramatic.  The grated butter dough was much smoother, with very even laminations and after baking yielded a much nicer product than the pounded butter dough.

~The grated butter dough- look at those even laminations

The finished product had the texture and flavor that was exactly what we would hope for.  Chef Fred was so happy with the difference that he told us he might continue this technique and prefer it over the old "pounded out" technique.  

Our Croissants made from the new lamination version~

One of my classmates, Courtney used part of the grated butter dough to make a Chocolate croissant that turned out VERY nice too.  What a cool idea, and it was very very tasty too.

~Courtney's Chocolate Croissant

Laminated doughs are so much fun to make, but soooo,  mostly forbidden in my daily dietary intake.  The wild and crazy amount of butter that makes then some rich and tasty is something to be saved for exceptional occasions and special treats.  Overall the skill, the technique is something I plan to continue to practice.  It will be one of the abilities that I will store in my toolbox for the events when I really want my loved ones and guests whom I will cook for to feel extraordinarily special.

"A Tour of Italy" - The Sound of Success

I have a new favorite sound.......

This sound is a combination of perfectly un-choreographed synchronicity.  It starts with a sizzling hum paired with a preparatory clatter of pans and tongs.  It also included the jangle jingle of silverware against bright white platters followed by a joyful choir of various conversations.   This sound has a slender slice of an echo attached to it and an undeniable note of happiness at its finish.

Welcome to the hustle and bustle, and the delivery of a highly anticipated evening of great food and good friends at Lobdell's Student Restaurant inside the Great Lakes Culinary Institute.  This particular evening features the Culinary Creativity  of Chef Coburn MacNaughton's World Cuisine Students as they have prepared a "Tour of Italy" for your dining pleasures.

Our menu

This dinner was such a wonderful learning experience and everyone really showed up and showed out with their commitment to producing and plating a five course round of delights.  With focus and confidence we conveyed our culinary practice to our families, friends and guests.  From what we could discern they all left their tables with highly satisfied expectations for what was truly a delightful dinner.

Class photo at the end of the night

I am very proud of what we accomplished as a team of classmates and I feel honored to have the opportunity to work with every single person who was there- including the instructors and the students who came in to serve our dinner as the "Front of the House" staff.  This miniature taste of what it is like to work on the cooking line in a restaurant was fabulously fun and a great learning experience.  Thanks to our Sous Chef and classmate Ryan- who walked me through the routine beforehand-  I felt fully prepared for what we would need to execute once our first round of orders came in.  The plates went out, and we did everything we planned to do.  High fives all the way around as the last set of 5 plates were whisked away to their table and what a great feeling to know "We did it!"  I am sure all the other teams working on their particular course felt the same way.

The main entree team- Jared, Me and Ryan

Once again I am just completely thankful to be exactly where I am at this very moment.  Working towards my education in the Culinary Arts is the perfect fit for me and I am always looking forward to what is next onthe production list.  We only have about a month left of classes before the end of the semester and then I will be starting my internship.  I am thankful for a night like this to help prepare me for what I might be faced with this summer.

 I am extremely thankful for my family and friends who continue to support me and encourage me through this journey.  It is all so amazingly wonderful to be living every single one of my dreams.  My ambition is burning and I am ready to put the hard work in to make the impact I was meant to leave on this earth.

Table for three- our entree waiting to be delivered

One plate at a time- I will continue putting my passion into each creation :)

Preview of The Big Night: Our "Tour of Italy" Class Dinner

I am not exactly sure when it happened but somehow in the midst of the past ten weeks I have experienced a remarkable change in my comfort level at school.  It is a good change.

 The kitchens that we as students learn and work within used to feel strange and unknown to me.  I always felt like I was trying to figure out where something was located or scrambling around while trying to accomplish my daily production tasks.  Also, the classmates that  I knew were in their second year seemed so much more cooler and wiser than me. I am so far only a little first year student.  I admire how these second year classmates move through the walk-in, kitchen and hallways with such grace and comfortability.  The way they called out a hello to the chef instructors or joked with other classmates in the halls really caught my attention and I found myself looking forward to the day when I would fit in the same way.

 Overall I knew it wouldn't take me too long to find my place in the Culinary School ranks.  I figured it would be just like when you start a new job and it takes time to learn the ropes.  I also knew it wouldn't happen overnight, but I can safely say that I am definitely on my way now.  I am really liking the particular surroundings that I have come to recognize and the friendships that I have developed along the way.

The knowledge and hands on skills I am practicing are really starting to take form too.  My intuitions and ideas have a stronger sense about them.  I know this because when I transfer my performance to the home kitchen, there are certain meals and baked goods that I used to struggle with that are now turning out quite a bit nicer.  Its the techniques that are being honed- my abilities are more precise, and I have a  sharper understanding about how to create good food.  (Though I still struggle with sharpening my own knife and thankfully I have a friend who is helping me with that one.  I will be writing about him soon.)

All this being said, tomorrow is a very big day for me and my classmates in World Cuisine Class. We have been planning for this event for almost a month now and its finally here. Friday evening, March 19, 2010 Chef Coburn MacNaughton's World Cuisine Class will be presenting "A Tour of Italy" in five distinct and thoroughly planned out courses. With the help of our friends from another World Cuisine class who will be working as servers in the front of the house we will create and serve our pride and joy. This is why we are here at the Great Lakes Culinary Institute ~ to prepare food in a pleasing and deliciously tasteful manner.

This is our opportunity to practice these newly formed skills. This is a "real live" moment that requires us to expedite our "A Game" efficiently and flawlessly.

This is the instant where we merge into a new awareness.

Where we get to move up the ladder among our peers.  

We start to earn the credibility right now that we all desire in our future careers.

This is how we become seasoned and our knowledge transforms into wisdom.  

I can't wait for tomorrow night!!

I have faith that everything we set out to accomplish will be wonderful!

This is what I am supposed to be doing!


Here is a small preview of our prep this week:

Happy St. Patty's Day!


**Lots of school work tonight so this is gonna be a quickie post**

Our Green Theme Dinner included a Spinach Grapefruit Salad 
(sorry no picture)

and 

Baby Cabbage Saute'  
(we used Brussel Sprouts)


Everyone cleaned their plates which is always a good sign!  We typically have now problem involving Green items in our meals, but tonight was fun to be intentional about it.

 I have not typed up the brussel sprout recipe but if you want it then let me know.  ~Here is a link for the spinach salad- I made it vegetarian by omitting Bacon and adding one drop of smoke flavor which my husband Tod said worked well!  I am always changing up recipes that I find so that I can make them work with what I have in the fridge and my own dietary preferences.  Its a black box everyday in my kitchen and I love it!


Click for Spinach Grapefruit Salad