Feeling Salty

Day 49

Perfectly poached eggs. Ideal temperature. Good taillage. Nice consistency on the sauce—and it didn't break!

Overboard on the salt. Uh, oh, oh, oh, oh: the white stuff.

It's funny, because when I started culinary school, everyone warned me that the chefs are always criticizing students for not using enough salt. So as a habit, I always add an extra pinch just when I think a dish is flavored to my taste. For the most part, it's been OK; I've usually been told my sauces are well-seasoned. Today, I guess I had a heavy hand on the hollandaise sauce, which was served over poached eggs and cooked vegetables.

For the amuse bouche, one of my teammates—who happens to be from Thailand—made beautiful Thai egg netting, which we wrapped around medium-rare slices of steak, caramelized pears and goat cheese. It was pretty awesome.

Tomorrow is that two-dish thing: Each student has to prepare the fish dish from earlier in the week as well as the lemon tart. After cooking, we're taking an exam.

Talk about adding salt to a wound.

Total Immersion

Days 47 and 48

To sous-vide or not to sous-vide: That is the question.

During the past two days, our class has been learning about the cooking method that uses airtight plastic bags placed in hot water well below the boiling point. Meaning "under vacuum" in French, sous-vide maintains the integrity of ingredients by heating them for an extended period at low temperatures.

Although the technology has been used overseas for years, it is relatively new to the U.S. Most restaurants don't have the machines because of their cost and regulations. (Botulism can result if not used carefully—probably something a business doesn't want associated with its name.)

Restaurants can, however, participate in low temperature cooking without worrying about rules. The chef showed us food prepared by both low temperature and sous-vide cooking.

Our class won't be doing much with these methods until Level 5, but it was a good introduction to something with which I haven't had much—if any—experience.

Besides the cooking methods, we stuck to our regular schedule and each prepared a different dish on our respective teams. Yesterday, I made the chicken grandmother-style (a roasted bird accompanied by bacon lardons, pommes rissole, caramelized pearl onions and sauteed mushrooms); today I was in charge of the lemon tart. Both dishes turned out well, with minor adjustments here and there.

No big fixes necessary this week. Then again, I haven't had to make consomme.

Hill Yeah

Day 46

Dan is the man.

Dan Barber, that is. The chef, who opened restaurants Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, is someone I truly admire. Not only is he an amazing chef (hello Michelin), he's also an

avid supporter of sustainability: The menus at both restaurants feature food straight from the farm in Westchester County, N.Y.

On Saturday, I was honored to have the chance to work with Barber and his team at Le Grand Fooding, a culinary extravaganza which pitted New York against San Francisco chefs. Each team highlighted one dish. The Blue Hill group made beet sausage grilled on carbonized pork bones; it was accompanied by an apple cider mustard, beet ketchup, yogurt, pickled vegetables and a beet puree. Perfect.

I helped plate the dish and then passed them to chef Barber to finish. I had to keep reminding myself that this was really happening. I know that probably sounds crazy to some, but it's true. I usually don't get star-struck—except when it comes to chefs. They'll stop me in my tracks.

Still smiling inside from Saturday, I walked into class today with my daily recipe in hand, hoping for the best. I was poissonnier again, so I was assigned the fillet of barramundi, American style. Looking at the number of steps involved, I was a little worried about completing everything in time. Turns out I had nothing to worry about: The sauce was perfect, and the fish and mussels were cooked well. Oddly, the shrimp—which should be the easiest part—were undercooked. Overall, though, a successful dish.

I'm making the dish again Friday. I'll be sure to check on that shrimp prawnto.

In the Clear

Day 45

Phew—I made it.

Consomme was a breeze the second day; I had no problems whatsoever. Good thing, considering I had two dishes to make this time around.

Every Friday in Level 3 is a practice midterm where we have to complete two dishes in a certain amount of time. The only difference is that on test day, we draw random dishes out of a hat as opposed to knowing what we're making ahead of time.

Besides the consomme, we also prepared the center-cut pork chop with green peppercorn sauce. The pork was cooked perfectly, the sauce was superior and the pommes darphin had a crunchy/creamy contrast. One glitch, though: I was about a minute late plating. I think that's an easy fix.

Alright, I'm beat. I'm gonna kick up my feet, watch Barefoot Contessa finish her truffled mac 'n' cheese and wish I had a bowl of it in front of me.

TGIF.

The Italian Job

Day 44

"Life is too short not to eat well."

That's the sign posted above the checkout area at Eataly, the 50,000-square-foot specialty Italian market in Manhattan's Flatiron District that I finally had a chance to roam. There are no words to describe this place besides "amazing." From the giant lobster mushrooms and the shelves of honey to the homemade pasta counter and the station dedicated solely to fresh mozzarella, Eataly is true perfection.

I ended up there this evening after a lousy day at school, hoping a glass of wine and some prosciutto di San Daniele with figs would put a smile on my face. It did. (So did the real dinner at Shake Shack afterwards.)

In regards to the not-so-good day, it started with a failed consomme. I did it incorrectly and had to start over. Embarrassing for me, but the chefs didn't seem to mind. "That's what we're here for," chef told me when I thanked him for his help. It was nice to hear, but I still felt like an idiot for messing it up.

C'est la vie, the French would say.

Either way, I get another shot at it tomorrow. Each student is making the same two dishes: consomme and the pork chops I made earlier this week. We have to complete four plates of both recipes at designated times. It should be interesting.

I'll think about it in the morning. Right now, I'm going to enjoy the Super Tuscan I purchased from Eataly's wine shop, watch a movie with Ryan and remind myself the weekend is near.

Sprouting Up

Day 43

One student's description of the jump between levels in culinary school was perfect: Level 1 is like preschool, Level 2 is kindergarten and Level 3 is high school, she said.

It's amazing how much the pace has changed in the last three days. When times are written on the board, the class as a whole seems more focused on getting the job done. I'm guessing it has something to do with accountability.

For me, one of the most interesting things to observe is who is and isn't a team player. I'm all about helping others because of that little thing called karma. Who's gonna help you if you haven't lifted a finger for them?

Speaking of teamwork, my group had an awesome performance today with our amuse bouche. We toasted bread rounds and made tiny sandwiches with roasted brussels sprouts and red peppers, sauteed shiitake mushrooms, crisp bacon, and mascarpone with thyme. They were almost too cute to eat.

I was patissier for the rotation, so I made the apple tart. After all my freaking out about having to make the pate brisee dough, I was rather pleased. While my top apples could have used a bit more time in the oven, my whipped cream quenelles had a nice shape. Thank you Broadway Panhandler for your abundant supply of inexpensive tools. (FYI, there are so many things I want to buy there that I don't need, such as a ceramic dish with a photograph of a strip steak and a wooden meat and cheese board in the shape of a pig.)

The school hosted a career fair today after class, which I attended. It was a good opportunity to meet face to face with top restaurants, speciality markets and food-related magazines, nonprofits and more. I wasn't expecting a job out of it—at least not immediately—but I hoped to gather a small list of contacts for future reference.

The fair did its job.

Beet It

Day 42

I'm loving the amuse bouche thing.

It's a great opportunity to use our creativity—something that we haven't really been able to do much of since we've been focusing so much on techniques. Today, our team roasted beets and sliced them on the mandoline. Next, we spread goat cheese on one side and wrapped it around a roasted asparagus tip. Finally, we drizzled aged balsamic and walnut oil on the plate.

It was beet-iful.

OK, enough of the horrible puns and onto the pork portion of the program. I was assigned saucier today, which means I

preprared the sauteed center-cut pork chop with green peppercorn sauce. The pork chop was perfectly cooked and the sauce was killer. (Whoever has a batch of veal stock at home, I will gladly come over and cook this dish for you. It's that awesome.)

Pommes darphin—shoestring potatoes cooked in clarified butter in a small saute pan then finished in the oven—was the side dish. A bit oversalted, according to the chef's critique. What can I say? I'm a sucker for salt.

None of that tomorrow, though; I'm working the patissier station. Sweet.

Skating on Ice

Day 41

Well, I can say I made it through the first day of Level 3, but I can't say I walked away unscathed.

Here's how this level works: Every week comprises four recipes from a different station in the classic French kitchen brigade (poissonnier, saucier, patissier and garde manger), which are rotated among a four-person team. Each person is responsible for one dish—for now, at least.

I was assigned poissonnier, which meant I handled all fish preparations. The dish was sauteed skate wing with brown butter, capers, lemon and croutons. If you're not familiar with skate, it's a cartilaginous fish that looks similar to a stingray. It's filleted much like a flat fish (i.e. flounder) but I found it to be trickier—and definitely disgusting. A layer of sticky slime coats its body, and barbs run the perimeter of the fish. Even after wearing gloves for protection, a barb went right through my finger and ripped off the top of the latex.

Ouch.

After a trip to the first aid box, I moved on and finished the job. The sauce turned out well, as did the potato accompaniment (a vapeur-size tournage). However, my fish could have definitely been more golden. Overall, not too bad, though—especially considering all the stress of the unexpected.

In addition to the four main dishes, each team is also required to make an amuse bouche (a bite-size hors d'oeuvre also known as a canape). A list of available ingredients is written on the dry-erase board in the morning, and we can use those plus whatever else is in the room. We presented a poached quail egg on a bed of amaranth, topped with hollandaise, parsley and fish roe. That's what I call love on an Asian spoon.

Post-class, I headed to the Park Avenue Armory to volunteer for the StarChefs International Chefs Congress. There wasn't much work to be done since the event ended by 5 p.m., but it was well worth the trip: I was able to meet one of my idols and fellow Clevelander, Michael Ruhlman.

It was a ray of light to a helluva day.

Practical Application

Day 40

Quartering a chicken, check. Filleting a fish, check. Preparing creme anglaise, check. Piping creme chantilly, check.

I completed all those tasks today, along with taking a written comprehensive test. I'm exhausted. I'm also ecstatic—chef posted our grades soon after class ended, and it turns out I'm heading to Level 3. Looks like all that practice paid off.

Despite my physical and mental fatigue, I found energy to celebrate. I went out to dinner at Back Forty with some friends, and we munched on pork jowl nuggets, yuca fries with red onion aioli, fried squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese and fresh doughnuts with Concord grape sauce. We then headed to Grape and Grain, a lively neighborhood wine bar in the East Village, and ordered a couple bottles.

Level 2, check.

That's the Spirit

Day 39

Bottle of red, bottle of white...

As we uncorked a dozen wines today, I momentarily traveled back in time to 2003. That year, I was wrapping up my studies at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and enrolled in a wine tasting class.

Most people chuckle when I tell them this; I'm sure they're imagining Beringer and mayhem. (Yes, it got a little rowdy at times—after all, it was college and most of the students had just

turned 21.) But the course wasn't an easy "A"; it was three credit hours and greatly detailed viticulture and enology. We tried numerous top-notch wines, including several $100-plus bottles. My professor, Jack Keegan, was extremely knowledgeable. I'd love to take a course with him again, as my palate has refined significantly since the days of drinking Natty Light and eating La Bamba burritos.

The most memorable experience from that class was in its final days. We had a significant amount of leftover, unopened bottles, and the professor invited everyone over his house in downtown Oxford where he cooked up a storm and we finished off the wine. (I especially remember his boeuf bourguignon. Yum.)

Today obviously wasn't quite as extensive, but it was definitely a great review on the world of wine. We tasted seven varietals—all grapes I'm familiar with but labels I've never tried. I found a few I really liked and will definitely be looking for them on the liquor store shelves, especially since none were more than $20. Can I say steal?

Sadly, the relaxing day came to an end when the reality of tomorrow's practical hit. I quartered a chicken one more time and I'm feeling more confident about it.

Time to put a cork in Level 2 and move on.

Playing Chicken

Day 38

So, what's for dinner—chicken or chicken?

One of my favorite movie quotes (from "Tommy Boy" for those who don't know) has become my life story lately as I prep for my Level 2 practical. On Friday, I have to quarter a chicken and fillet a fish in 30 minutes. I feel fairly confident about the fish, but the chicken is another story.

In order to get it down, I've been buying chickens at home and honing what skills I have. The result: a lot of chicken pieces. Roasted chicken was on the menu tonight, and later this week I might make chicken paprikash, a family favorite.

I have chicken coming out of my ears.

As mentioned in my previous post, today was "Flounder Your Way." It was exciting to see the diversity of recipes; I was impressed with my classmates' creativity and look forward to the upcoming levels when we get to experiment a little more in the kitchen. Personally, I was happy with my dish given the circumstances. With the provided ingredients, I decided on sauteed flounder, a carrot ginger puree, and potato zucchini pancakes with a roasted garlic mayonnaise. Note to self: Remember that flounder is the star of the dish—not potato pancakes. Make the pancakes smaller next time.

Tomorrow, wine is the star as we're tasting a dozen varieties. It's seems like a good way to relax our minds before the big exam Friday.

I don't mean to be a chicken, but I don't want to think about it.

Glutton for Gluten

Day 37

I tend to think there's a little Italian in everyone.

I've never met anyone who doesn't like pasta, and I can't imagine any reason not to be a fan. Obviously, there are those who avoid carbs like the plague to keep off the pounds as well as those who are required to stay away due to gluten allergies. To the latter, I feel for you—my best friend discovered she had a wheat allergy (now gone, thanks to a great doctor) in her 20s and was unable to eat pasta for a good chunk of her life. It disheartened me to see her pass up some of her favorite dishes.

To the non-carb-eating dieters: What are you thinking? Stop being a sadomasochist and enjoy life a bit. It's not going to kill you. And just think: Wouldn't it be horrible if your afterlife involved a gluten allergy? Think about it...

Pet peeve, sorry. Had to get that off my chest.

I, for one, reveled in pasta eating (and making) today. Dishes included ricotta-filled ravioli with tomato sauce, potato gnocchi in brown butter sauce, and spinach lasagna with meat and bechamel sauces. I think I can now confidently break out the pasta attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer. (I'm embarrassed to say I've had the accessory for four years and never used it.)

We have a big assignment ahead of us tomorrow: our first experimental dish. Called "Flounder Your Way," the idea is to create a plate based on a list of provided ingredients; we have the morning to make it. I'm interested to see what my classmates produce.

Time to use my noodle and figure it out for myself.

Say "Cheese!"

Day 36

Today was pretty damn near perfect.

It started with a cheese tasting and ended with meeting Anthony Bourdain and David Chang. Only a Shake Shack burger with the two chefs could have possibly made it better.

Prior to starting culinary school, a friend of mine sent me information about a panel discussion with Bourdain and Chang at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. I immediately purchased tickets online knowing full well the event would sell out. It did.

The two spoke candidly for 1 1/2 hours about their careers, what it means to be a chef, sustainability and, of course, food. During the last part of the discussion, the chefs answered questions that audience members wrote on notecards. I'm happy to report both Ryan and my questions surprisingly made it into the conversation.

While serious at times, the event was fun, casual and—most importantly—honest. That's what I love about them: They're not afraid to speak their minds, and they're definitely not trying to impress anyone.

Afterwards, I shamelessly purchased Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential" (which I've already read but didn't own) and Chang's Momofuku cookbook, and I was able to get their autographs and snap some pictures. (Yes, I've met Bourdain once before, but who's counting?) I left with a smile as big as my stomach after some ramen and pork buns at Momofuku Noodle Bar.

Dairy was the big cheese in class today. We tasted varieties of cow, goat and sheep's milk, yogurt and cheese. Chef suggested we use a "spit cup" so we didn't have to swallow all the items but could still get a good taste. I didn't even pick it up; in other words, I ate everything.

Then, in a move reminiscent of egg day, I went home and made a cheese sandwich. It wasn't any ordinary sandwich, though, complete with Manchego, prosciutto, figs, jam, spicy honey mustard and arugula on ciabatta. Bring on the cheese, please.

Delicious, but I'm still thinking about my fictitious Shake Shack date...

'Tis the Season

Day 35

Season, season, season!

As a chef, one of the most important elements of cooking a great meal (and one of the easiest mistakes to avoid) is properly seasoning your food. There's nothing worse than a bland dish; it's wasted calories and dollars in my opinion.

But the word "season" means more than just adding salt and pepper, especially nowadays in the U.S. where more and more consumers are thinking about the affects of how their food is sourced (once again, thank you Michael Pollan). Shopping and eating according to what's in season is a great way to help the food industry get where it needs to be.

One way to do this at home is shop at farmers' markets. Obviously, the vendors are selling what they're growing now. Plus, the food comes from a small mileage radius, which helps minimize fuel usage. I think that's one of the things consumers don't think about: That garlic you've tossed in your shopping cart may have traveled thousands of miles by ship. Why not choose the bulb from Farmer Joe a couple towns over?

Our nation is all about immediate gratification.

I know not everyone has access to a great farmers' market, if any. Fortunately, I have one right down the street and another a few avenues away. (Click here for a list of markets in the five boroughs.) If accessibility is a problem, pay more attention to the "place of origin" label on a product and then make the right decision.

Another common complaint I hear about organic and/or locally sourced food relates to its cost. Sure, the items are usually more expensive. So forgo one of the weekly dinner plans. Moreover, it's all about the rule of supply and demand in economics: The more demand, the more farmers are likely to participate, and thus the greater chance prices will decrease.

To engrain the importance of seasonality in cooking, our class made two dishes today that used ingredients currently available: pan-seared tuna with gazpacho vinaigrette and black olive couscous as well as charred shrimp and squid with white beans, citrus and herbs.

Speaking of seasons, the Cleveland Browns' regular season kicks off this weekend. Time to brainstorm Sunday game-time recipes and stock up on beer. (Too bad I'm not in town to buy brews from Great Lakes Brewing Co. I could totally go for a Burning River Pale Ale—or maybe one of the seasonal selections... )

Here we go Brownies, here we go! Woof! Woof!

Veggie Tales

Day 34

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

That's sage advice from author and journalist Michael Pollan, passed down to my class by the chef currently teaching us about nutrition. Among his most famous works is "The Omnivore's Dilemma," which raises questions about why we eat the way we do. I'm sad to say the book is sitting on my shelf unread, but I plan to get to it as soon as I have time.

However, I recently rented "Food Inc.", a documentary that touches on both "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation" (another book on my to-read list). The movie is unsettling; it makes you take a deeper look at where and how your food is sourced. It should be required that every American watch this film.

We briefly discussed Pollan's research today during our second nutrition lecture, and I imagine we'll go into greater detail tomorrow when we cover sustainability. I wish it was something we covered more because people need to know what they're putting in their mouths so they can make better decisions.

Unsurprisingly, our recipes today were vegetarian: artichoke heart, fennel and watercress salad with grapefruit citronette and toasted walnuts; falafel; and roasted spaghetti squash with tomato caper sauce. Judging from everyone's empty plates after lunch, I think the meal was enjoyable.

I wish I was able to veg out and start Pollan's book tonight. Instead, I need to hit the books.

Pep Talk

Day 33

Silence emanated from the school's theater today. I suppose that's what happens when a master's at work.

World-renowned chef Jacques Pepin demoed basic culinary skills to a full house, and the crowd watched in awe. There weren't many questions—not because onlookers knew everything, I imagine, but because they were fascinated by his presence. I know I was.

He made flowers from butter and tomato skin, deboned an entire chicken barely using his knife, and completed what will be our Level 2 practical in something like three minutes. (The practical entails filleting a fish and quartering a chicken in a half-hour; our class was told many don't finish.) I had to keep reminding myself how long I've been doing this compared to his experience.

Chef Pepin's knowledge, teaching skills and ability to capture the attention of everyone in the room reminded me so much of my class' current chef, who was also in Level 1 with us. I feel very fortunate to have had such a great instructor, and I know he'll be greatly missed when we head to Level 3.

But I'm not going to think about that right now (tear). We still have another week with him.

In class today, we prepared striped bass over lentils. I wasn't a huge fan of the dish, but it allowed me to practice my filleting skills, which I desperately need to improve. Minced flounder won't get me an "A" on my practical.

If only I could get a private lesson with chef Pepin...

Load of Crepe

Day 32

Last day of pastry = time for a celebration.

Today wasn't as hellish as it has been, but it wasn't easy breezy either. For one, we had to finish a recipe that we didn't get to last week—the bande de tarte, which was created from the puff pastry dough—as well as make two types of crepes in a stainless (not nonstick) pan.

First were crepes suzette, sweet, butter-and-orange-laden crepes flambeed with brandy. Next were savory buckwheat crepes filled with ham and mushrooms and topped with melted gruyere. Yum—although nothing is better than crepes in France.

I was a high schooler when my mom, dad, brother and I

visited Paris. We stayed with a family

during the week (thanks to a foreign exchange

program in which my

brother was involved) and they spoiled us with local dishes, including crepes. The daughter, Solene, was 16 at the time and had a killer recipe. Her secret: beer.

When I was looking through Tuesday's recipes

and saw "beer" in the list of ingredients, I had to laugh. Guess it wasn't such a secret after all. However, Solene used beer in the batter while we used it in the filling.

We did use beer in the banana fritter batter. We deep-fried the fruit and plated the doughy bits on top of cinnamon sauce. I was a happy camper.

Tomorrow is Part 1 of nutrition. Two thumbs up to that considering all the sugar and butter I've consumed over the last week and a half.

It's time to do the body good.

Philled to the Gills

There's lots to love about the City of Brotherly Love.

I'm surprised it's taken me so long to visit Philadelphia, especially considering the drive from New York is a mere two hours. Ryan and I were itching to get away for a couple days, and we decided the Sunday and Monday of Labor Day weekend would be a good time.

We arrived in Philly around 1 p.m., checked into our hotel and headed to Reading Terminal. Since it was a Sunday, a number of the vendors were closed, but we still got a good glimpse of the market. Tempted by the freshly-sliced corned beef, we opted for a reuben from Hershel's Deli and then grabbed a cone from Bassetts. The cinnamon ice cream reminded me of making it at home when I was younger.

That night, we had reservations at Morimoto and ordered the omakase menu, or the chef's multi-course tasting option. Wow. I dined at the chef's New York restaurant three years ago and was blown away. The plates were just as beautiful and tasted just as good.

On Labor Day, I suppose we were feeling a bit patriotic after touring Independence Hall, so we stopped by City Tavern, a restaurant that maintains the customs and food of 18th Century America. I tried shrub (a fruit vinegar) mixed with rum, and Ryan went for a Thomas Jefferson 1774 ale.

Of course, we couldn't leave Philadelphia without eating the obvious: a cheesesteak. Bypassing the Geno's and Pat's rivalry, we traveled to the city's outskirts and visited Dalessandro's. If I'm being completely honest, I have to admit that I prefer 99 Miles to Philly in New York. I'm all about authenticity, but good food is good food, right?

Glad there's such a thing as free speech. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to Phil you in.