BAKESHOP, PASTRIES AND DESSERTS

It has been a little while since my last post, where I had the opportunity to help cook an eight course meal for the president of the Vancouver Island University and invited guests.
I have also since then had some summer work experience at a little restaurant here in town, called 'The Wesley Street Restaurant'.

Summer has also been a time to rejuvenate, spend time sleeping in, eating breakfast on the porch with my girls, having BBQ's, sleeping in, spending time at the outdoor pool, reading books, enjoying being at home, more family time and friends time,...

Now that the summer holidays have come to an end, I am back at the university, back in the kitchen, back to a busier routine.

During my first week back at school I was able to sign up to help at an oyster bar, for a private function at the new university campus in Duncan BC.

I had never shucked an oyster before let alone eaten one. This was a good opportunity to do both.

The oysters we were serving came fresh from Fanny Bay, which is located about an hour north of Nanaimo. They were harvested the night before.
When you eat an oyster raw, you will be able to detect flavour differences depending on where the oyster comes from. Our oysters are mainly called pacific oysters, but as I was told, they were imported form Japan and China in the mid nineteen hundreds.
The brine in the oysters reflects the area where they come from and just as you can have different flavours in wine or cheese, depending on the area, your can have different flavours of oysters.

I tried my first raw oyster. Definitely had a taste of the ocean and would fall in my opinion under the category of acquired tastes (who likes coffee the first time they try it?).

My first rotation back at the university is the bakeshop and I am thrilled to learn all about gluten development, creaming methods, geletanization, yeast fermentation,... I often think about my childhood. There are so many visual and sensory memories I have about growing up in a bakers house, and I am realizing that I want to preserve some of the things that are part of my heritage. I want to be able to bake and cook the things I remember growing up and build on those recipes and develop them into my own.

Dessert Presentation: Plum Tart, Plum Compote and Mascarpone Cream

Today I made Brezeln, with the help of some of my classmates and I also baked Baguette and Potato Parmesan Bread.

I got some encouraging feed back from my baking instructor, Chef Gower, today.

I am proud to be my fathers daughter!

President Dinner

Last weekend I had the opportunity to help cook a dinner for the President of Vancouver Island University and 20 invited guests.
The dinner was held at an oceanfront property called Milner Gardens, in Quallicum Beach, about a 40 minute drive from the university.

It was a lovely sunny Spring day. Some of us had never been to this location, though it is open to the public for a nominal fee. You can tour the gardens and woodlands and if you like, also enjoy a cup of tea and scones or sandwiches in the heritage building.

For the dinner we had done a lot of prep work in the kitchen at the university. The kitchen at Milner Gardens was tiny compared to what we are used to.

I had cooked off 12 life Lobsters and together with Michelle, a co- student, took them apart.

While we got as comfortable as possible in the kitchen, the servers, also university students, were setting the tables.

Each menu item for the evening was accompanied by a wine. The menu for the evening was as follow:

1.)  Halibut Fennel Fish Tacos

      Blue Mountain Sparkling (BC)

2.)  Warm Atlantic Lobster, Shellfish Dumpling, Marinated Hearts of Palm, Asian   Greens, Thai Style Sauce

       Blue Mountain Sparkling (BC)

 

 

3.)  Duck Broth Pho Style, Vegetable Noodles, Thai Basil

      Chateau Musar Vin Blanc (Lebanon)

4.)  Smoked Tuna, Saltspring Honey Mussels, Arugela Greens, Sweet Cicely and Yoghurt Pannacotta, Arctic Roe, Rhubarb Soy Ginger Dressing

      Joie Vineyards (BC)

5.)  Sparkling Palate Cleanser: Raspberry - Rhubarb Sorbet with Sparkling Elderwater

6.)  Seared Elk Chop, Soft Polenta, Wild Celery and Fiddleheads, Oyster and Morel Mushroom Compote

     Aglioniko Reserva (Italy)

7.)  Cheese Plate: Blue Cheese, Sheep Cheese, Gougere, Quince Paste, Bread

      Petit Verdot (Spain)

 

8.)  Fresh Berries and Chocolate

     Venturi Shuze Brandenburg No.3 (Vancouver Island)

The dinner took about 4 hours to serve. The guests had a wonderful time eating, drinking and enjoying the beautiful surrounding of the location.

We, the students, were well instructed by our Chef. We even got so sample most of the food we prepared that day.

It was an educational experience for me. I am very grateful for being given this opportunity. I love cooking.

             Thank you Dr. Nilson, thank you Chef Rogers. It was a great day!



Sensory Tasting Menu - Class of February, 2011

This week, the students in my class and I were invited to a 'Sensory Tasting Dinner', at the Vancouver Island University Discovery Room Restaurant.
The dinner is part of the curicculum and is menat to serve an educational purpose as well as well as the peasure of a good meal.

In a previous post I described the location of the 'Discovery Room Restaurant' and it's unique view overlooking the Georgia Straits. It was a beautiful evening and we could see the Northshore Mountains of the Lower Mainland as well as Mt. Baker (Washington State) in the distance.

We were greeted by our Program Chair, Chef Rogers, who stimulated our brains as we were sensing and tasting our food that night.

The menu for the evening indicated that we would be served an eight course meal, which was designed and prepared by the 'A la Carte' Chef Instructor, Chef Gabler and the Senior Students of the Culinary Arts Program.

The tables were set according to the menu of the evening. For some, this was quite confusing. The instruction for the use of your cuttlery was as follow : "Take your cuttlery from the outside to the inside".

Chef Gabler introduced each course  and pointed out what to look for in texture, colour and taste.

First Course:

• Tuna Carpaccio, Wasabi Aioli, Watercress Salad, Sweet Potato Straw



The tuna was soft in texture and buttery and mild in flavour, which was balanced by the spicy, slightly bitter wasabi aioli and the crunchy texture and peppery flavour of the watercress salad. Beautiful presentation. Very delicious. 

Second Course:

• Blue Cheese Tart, Baby Frisee, Caramelized Walnuts, White Wine Poached Striped Beets

Again there was a balance between creamy texture of the tart and crunchyness of the frisee and the walnuts. The sensory balnace was created by the savory taste of the blue cheese and the fruity sweetness of the compote as well as the caramel flavour of the nuts.

Third Course:

• Chicken Consomme, Game Won Tons, Shikate Mushrooms



 

This was my favorite course. The consomme was crystal clear, with a delicate flavour and it was served nice and hot (I hate lukewarm soup!). There were two kinds of Won Tons. Two were deep fried and crispy where the third one was boiled and soft.

I would have liked to order a big bowl "to go".

 

Fourth Course:

• Tea poached Spring Salmon & Pan Seared Tilapia, Baby Green Pea Coulis, Stinging Nettle Risotto, Purple Baby Carots

The colour, texture and flavour had a nice balance in this dish. The salmon was buttery soft in texture and mild in flavour, where the Tilapia was pan seared and therefore had a crunchy texture with a more strong almoust 'muddy' flavour. The risotto was nice and creamy and seved hot.

Course Five:

• Rhubarb Fennel Sorbet

(You might wonder (as I did), why to introduce a dessert in between two main courses? The answer is, to cleanse your palate, after eating fish. Please note the size of the sorbet.)

The presentation of this small but very effective course was out of this world. The Sorbet was served on a carved block of ice to keep it from melting.
One of the important but often challenging details of serving great food is to serve hot food hot and cold food cold.

Sixth Couse:

• Lamb Chops, Sweet Potato Pave, Asparagus, Rosted Oyster Mushrooms

This was the second main course and though we are taking our time eating and enjoying some good table conversation, I am starting to feel satisfied (not full). I know dessert is still coming...

Course Seven:

• White Chocolate Mousse, Passion Fruit Curd, Crispy Chocolate Base, Raspberry Compote





The dessert was perfect. Crunchy base balanced by the smooth texture of both, the mousse and curd. The rich sweet chocolate flavour was balanced by the tangy flavour of the passion fruit and complemented by the fruity raspberry compote.

By this time I am getting / being full. Unfortunately we were unable to receive a cup of coffee at this time, which would have been my personal 'palate cleanser' and helped me to continue with the last course.

So for me it was seven out of eight. But here is the last menu picture and description:

Eighth Course:

• Mignardises

This is my friend and co-culinary student Laurie and I. We had such a wonderful evening.

Thank you Chef Rogers. Thank you Chef Gabler. Thank you Senior Students...

... for this wonderful SENSORY TASTING DINNER EXPERINECE!

Garde Manger is not a 'Garden Manager' or is it?

I have completed two out of four weeks in my next rotation which is called 'Garde Manger'.
Here we learn about the identification, preparation and cooking methods that are used for vegetables, fruits, starches, salads and dressings.

I got to make among other things:

• Braised Red Cabbage with onions and apples in a braise made of red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, sugar and allspice.

• Eggplant Picatta: where you cut eggplant into 1/2 inch circles, then you soak them in salt water for about half an hour, which draws moisture out of the plant and helps prevent a soggy fried finished product. After you rinse the eggplant you dip it into an egg and parmesan mixture and pan fry the circles golden brown on each side

• Pakoras: (an Indian dish)

We started by cutting a number of vegetables into similar shape. Then we roasted spice seeds (cumin, coriander, fennel, fenu grec, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, black peppercorns and chilli flakes) in a frying pan and ground them after to a powder.

We add chickpea flour, salt, baking powder and water and coat all the vegetables.

Then we deep fry spoon fulls of veggies and batter.

We made lots... because everyone loves pakoras... customers, students, instructors... everyone!

All the food we prepare goes 'on line' to be sold in the cafeteria. We take turns serving.
It makes you feel proud to serve what you (and the others in your team) prepared.

Next week I am on 'starch'. I will get to make:

• Singapore noodles
• Wheatberry pilaf with smoked tomatoes
• Gnocchi Piedmontaise
• Daal with Turka Sauce

I am thrilled.

Culinary Arts at VIU continues ...

It was practically hours before the deadline of major ramifications for students, teachers and administration at Vancouver Island University, that job action by the Faculty Union came to an end.

It had been exactly a month since I last attended classes and during my break from school I contemplated if I could really go back and add the extra responsibilities to my life.

Well, it did not take a day for me to realize again, how much I enjoy what I learn and how much I appreciate the top instruction that makes this program so successful.
I am also getting to know the other students in my group and it is starting to feel a bit like family.

Max and Tasha

Scott

Kailem

Tyler and Jacob



I believe we work well together as a team and this week I was in their debt, because Roland (my husband) was out of town and I could not come into class on time. So every day these (super) students did my prep work in the morning.

On Friday, to thank them from the bottom of my heart, I brought in my (other places famous) cinnamon buns.

I think they liked them (judging by the offers to do my prep work again anytime I bring in some more cinnamon buns).



After being back in school for a few days all the students and instructors of the culinary program got treated to 'order in' Chinese Food.

Free food, for close to 100 culinary students, which we did not have to make ourselves, was fantastic. It was also a super nice gesture from our Program Chair, to show appreciation and support for the difficult time the labour dispute had on all of us.

I also got to attend one of the senior classes in the food lab this week.

Vegetarian cooking and menu planning:

Mauricio had a little dicing competition going with the chef.

The vegetarian lab was very interesting, and I must admit that there are many ingredients that I am not familiar with yet.

Everything was very tasty. A variety of flavours and textures.

Thank you 'seniors', thank you chef, for allowing me to join your lab this week.