Monday.
Nutrition class. 7am-2:30pm. I woke up at 5:30 and left at 6:30 because I thought it was important for me to eat breakfast. I was tardy to class. Oh well, that isn't too bad, right? Wrong! So incredibly wrong. 2 tardies=1 absence. 2 absences= F. You do the math. We went over 4 chapters from the book. I was dying during that part. Next, we actually cooked. We were separated into groups and were assigned different things to create. Sorbet, pizza, pilaf, etc. We were assigned the pilaf. It wasn't that great. The only delicious item was the buttermilk sorbet. It was smooth, it was creamy, and it was absolutely fantastic. Later on, I got a huge stomachache. I dont think that's particularly a good thing.
Wednesday
I made some Korean braised short ribs. Those were actually pretty delicious and almost fall-off-the-bone tender! I also made another spicy rice cake dish. I kind of added too much pepper, but then again I like black pepper. So those who liked Black Pepper, really liked that dish. Those who didn't, I dont really care about what they thought. Sorry, no pictures!
Tuesday & Thursday
Who knew making stock was such hard work? I thought you just threw everything in the pot, bring it to a boil, and let simmer until all the flavors release. Apparently that is not the case.
Let me fill you in if you're interested on how to make beef stock CORRECTLY. First, you get some beef bones and you roast them. Yes, you roast them bones. You roast them until they look completely tan (like the color of cinnamon sticks). In the meantime, make a sachet, which is a bag you make out of cheesecloth filled with some peppercorns, parsley stems, bay leaf, and thyme. Then, you are going to collect some fat given out from the bones and slather the bones with some tomato paste. Sound weird, but just do it. And you continue roasting until the tomato paste turns black, NOT burnt, just black. WTF, right? I asked Chef what the difference was between black and burnt, and he said you can smell it. And if it's burnt it was still chipping off. So, it's all in your best judgment I suppose, as long as you don't burn the product. Burning it will make your stock taste burnt. After than you need 2 parts onion and 1 part carrot and 1 part celery. Roughly chop them into large pieces because you are going to be simmering for over 6 hours. Now, with the fat that you've collected you are going to put that into a hot pan and sautee the veg until they are nicely browned. Now you're going to throw the bones into a pot and fill it with COLD water until it just covers the bones. Bring it to a boil and reduce it to a simmer. The 3rd hour in throw in your veg and sachet. Total cooking time should be 8-12 hours for best result. And then you're going to cool it down in a water bath if you're going to be storing it. (throwing it in the fridge afterwards is going to solidify the fat, making it easier to remove the fat.) The funniest dialogue of the night:
Chef: So, what do we do with the fat?
(People are yelling out different WRONG answers, but one in particular struck me as hilarious)
Anonymous: (with confidence) You put it on a hamburger, Chef!
Chef: (Wtf-ed) A HAMBURGER????
We used the stock to make an espagnole sauce (A brown mother sauce using the brown stock we made above) for the steak we were given. Chef said ours wasn't quite there yet, but to me it tasted pretty, darn awesome. It was velvety, flavorful, and SEXY! If you want, I can let you know how to make it! Just let me know! So delicious with some beef.
That night, I went home and decided to make a Korean Snack. It's like a bread with cinnamon sugar and peanut filling. When it's nice and hot, it's pretty divine. For these, I DO have pictures! Hoorah!
I took a bite out of the one on top (or 2 bites) after eating four myself. I made more than ten, but when it comes to eating my family can be a BEAST! So these were completely gone by the end of the night. I made these at night, by the way. Now, I'm going into the kitchen to make some cinnamon rolls. If it is successful I will be sure to post pictures up of my creation.
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