Ive made a decision…sorry to say it but I’m going to have to knock my posting down a notch. Doing it daily is just too much. I want to get back to doing & posting Chef interviews and now that the weather is improving, farm visits are just around the bend. I miss that stuff and there is no way with all the LCB posting I do during the week that I am able to muster the time & energy for any of these other projects. Make sense? Plus, I’m becoming a real asshole with all this pressure riding on my shoulders. I need some downtime away from my computer…you know, to do normal things like take yoga classes, ride horses, read books, have beers with my man, play with the dog, dig around in my backyard etc.  So here’s the plan, I will post weekly instead of daily in regards to LCB from this point on..meaning this is my last official “daily” entry, so lets get on with it.

Roast Chicken with Natural Gravy. I love roast chicken…in fact, I just love chicken. We cut mirepoix (carrots, onion & celery) and placed it at the bottom of a cast iron pan. Then, prepared the bird by first trussing it (harder than it looks) then sliding butter & rosemary under its skin. From there, it was only salt, pepper and a quick rub of oil before throwing the whole thing (chicken placed a top the mirepoix) in the oven for an hour or so. When it came out (smelling incredible I might add), the bird was put aside to rest and a gravy was created using the pan drippings (+ additional stock & cornstarch).

Oh, and need I not forget- we made Eggs Benedict as well. I have a confession to make- I’ve never had Eggs Benedict. Ever. Its just not a dish that has ever appealed to me. The whole English muffin/ham/egg/gloopy sauce bit- I think the combination confused me more than anything else. I get the egg, I get the ham but whats with the English muffin? Don’t you have to be a senior citizen to enjoy those? That’s Grandma food (no offense to Grandmas). And the hollandaise…don’t get me started on that goddamn hollandaise. No matter how perfectly executed, the dish always kind of looks like a train wreck to me (I blame the sauce). In any case, we put one of these messes together today- made the hollandaise, poached a couple eggs, toasted up some muffins/ham on the stove top and then assembled the Benedict on the plate. I will admit that it didn’t taste half bad….I liked the ham & the egg anyway.

Today, we were magicians (I know, I know, this is where I should throw in a Wizard of Oz reference)…although none of us was aware of it at the time. In the beginning, I was skeptical myself. Yes, I’ve made fresh pasta in the past but pasta is one of those foods that I don’t quite believe is actually going to turn out until it actually does.

Flour, eggs and a drizzle of olive oil went into a bowl to be combined. Once the mixture evolved and took on a more solid dough-like feel, the blob was moved to a floured tabletop. This, of course, was where the real work began- the kneading. Fold and push, push and fold, using the heel of my hand I worked the dough continuously until it reached a nice elastic consistency (this took about 20 minutes or so- long enough to get a good ache going in my wrist). Back into the bowl, I loosely formed a round, covered it with plastic wrap and set the dough aside for the next half hour or so to rest.

Later, a portion of the dough was fed through a pasta machine to make long, thin smooth sheets. These sheets were cut into Fettuccine. The other half of the dough was cut and shaped into Tortellini.

The fate of the Fettuccine? Fettuccine Alfredo. Heavy cream and butter were combined in a saute pan and brought to a simmer. Parmesan cheese was added and when sufficiently thickened (this happens fast), the mixture was removed from the heat. Noodles were cooked (fresh noodles are speedy in comparison to the dry variety), then added into the pan with the sauce to toss. Here, more cream and cheese can be (and were) included before plating to adjust the viscosity of the sauce and add a kick more creaminess (never a bad idea).

On to the Cheese Tortellini. First, a filling consisting of a mash of ricotta & parmesan cheese, egg yolks, chopped parsley and nutmeg was fashioned. Then, carefully, noodles were painstakingly rolled, cut, filled and folded- when shaped they shared a close resemblance to a fat little fortune cookie. Next, the Tortellini were dropped into bubbling water to cook then drained and paired with a sauce of our choice. My partner and I decided to toss ours in a bit of sweet browned butter (butter, nutmeg, clove, brown sugar) to finish.

This is my Friday folks and let me tell you…its nice to end the week on such a high note. Unfortunately, tomorrow, I have personal appointments to attend to during school hours. My make up assignment for what Ill be missing in class? A video. Vanessa (who will also be M.I.A) and I will make a short film that will document us completing Fridays lesson on our own. This means that my next entry will be a video posting which will be available for viewing sometime this weekend.

Potatoes are boiled then peeled prior to passing them through a food mill. Flour and egg is added and a smooth sticky dough is created. The dough is cut and divided, then rolled into long ropes on a floured surface. From there its a matter of simply cutting the dough into short stubs and shaping those stubs by rolling them on the times of a fork. Into a hot pot of boiling water for a quick cook, followed by a fast fry in an oiled pan to develop a little color. We topped ours with a simple tomato sauce (olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, tomatoes, garlic, bacon, red wine- sauteed & reduced) and presented it with a dusting of grated Parmesan to finish.

That was certainly the highlight of the day, as the other recipes we prepared were unmistakably potato through and through.

Scalloped Potatoes. In a ceramic ramekin, Bechamel sauce was layered in turn with thinly sliced potato. From there it was placed into the oven and covered in foil. In the last 10 minutes or so the foil was removed in order for the top to brown. This recipe was very similar to the Potato Au Gratin we whipped up yesterday- different sauce, same technique…oh, and minus the bread crumb topping.

Potato Pancakes. Peeled potatoes into a large bowl then tossed with lemon juice. Next, they are squeezed of any excess moisture via china cap. That liquid released from the potatoes is set aside so the starch is allowed to settle out at the bottom. The liquid up top is then carefully drained off from the starch and that starch is scooped out and combined with the potatoes in the bowl. Lost? Understandable…its easier to demonstrate than to describe. Now- onion, eggs, parsley, salt & pepper are stirred into the mixture until all is sufficiently bound. Patties are then hand shaped into lil’ pancakes and pan fried until crisp and browned.

I took the gnocchi home…left the rest of my creations behind. Keeping my fingers tightly crossed that we have reached out potato threshold for the time being- hoping that tomorrow brings something, anything other than spuds.

Now onto the always exciting potato! Ill be honest…personally, I’m not a fan. Not. A. Fan. For the most part their consistency reminds me of baby food and I find them totally tasteless. Whats that you say? Oh, potatoes are buttery and delicious? No, you are wrong my friend- what is actually “buttery & delicious” is the butter IN your potatoes. The potatoes themselves? Merely a pasty vessel for other flavors. Those OTHER flavors are what make the potato itself palatable. True? I think so. Alright, anyway…today we ventured into potato preparation. Did it make me love potatoes more than I did previous? Nope. Was it fun and interesting to do? Yessum.

First- Potato Anna. Fancy fancy. Peeled boiling potatoes are very thinly sliced (by mandoline ideally) then arranged in shingling circles in a cast iron pan. A bit of clarified butter is added to the layers, then the whole thing is fried (and carefully flipped) on the stove top or finished in the oven. Its really a very pretty dish- it emerges as this delicate, slightly crisp golden brown nest of spuds.

Second- Potato Au Gratin. We sliced and layered this one as well. In a small ramekin, thin slices of potato and pours of cheddar sauce are alternated until the ceramic bowl is filled. A smattering of bread crumbs & paprika is sprinkled on top and then into the oven it goes. When cooked through and all bubbly like- its ready to eat. I failed to give mine a knife poke to see if it was done before I brought it up to Chef. It wasn’t. Nice one.

Lastly…Whipped Potato & Potato Dutchess. Whipped potato is essentially mashed potatoes but lighter and more carefully prepared. Potatoes are boiled until cooked, then placed through a food mill to achieve the correct consistency. Butter and hot cream/milk is beat in as well as salt & white pepper to taste. Still tastes like baby food to me… a very rich creamy baby food. Finally, Potato Dutchess. This one is made by incorporating egg yolk into whipped potatoes. That mixture is then piped out through a star tipped pastry bag into these lovely little swirly stacks. Those little swirly stacks are then placed in a hot oven to brown. This is another pretty one- it emerges looking like something I would be interested in eating, all ornate and golden delicious…that’s when I remind myself its potato and pass.

Another impressive tid bit of today- for the last 30 or so minutes of class, we were shown a piece of the movie Food Inc. Such a truly brilliant film everyone should see and well, its fitting to have it shown at a culinary school. The message/information it conveys is so important and its especially relevant for folks that study and/or plan to build a life or career based in food. Such a fantastic call to view it during class. See? Chef- he’s a good egg.

Three recipes- Black Bean Cakes with Salsa, Masoor Dal & Lentil Salad. All centered around the lovely legume.

First, Black Bean Cakes. Little patties consisting of sauteed (then coarsely pureed) onion, garlic, jalapenos, cumin, oregano, and black beans were shaped then quickly fried to create a bit of a crust. The Bean Cakes are then finished off with Salsa Cruda (chopped tomatoes, green chile’s, onion, cilantro, lime & salt) and plated for Chefs approval. All went swell…the Black Bean Cakes were delicious and the salsa pairing perfectly complimentary.

Next, Masoor Dal (Red lentils with Spices). I love Dal- it’s my chicken soup. Comforting, filling…it has never failed to make me feel better during times of illness and/or unease (general or specific). At home, I make Dal often and you know what? It never gets old. In class, we started off by toasting our cumin seed in a bit of oil. From there water was added to deglaze and then red lentils were introduced to the pan along with garlic, ginger, fresh cilantro, turmeric and cayenne. The mixture was brought to a boil then dropped to a steady simmer. Wasn’t long before the lentils grew tender and the Dal was ready to serve. I like to add garam masala, fenugreek and cardamom at home but alas these were not options today- which was fine…the Dal turned out tasty in any case.

Lastly, Lentil Salad. Green lentils were cooked until softened then tossed with parsley, lemon juice and olive oil as well as brunoise cut celery, carrot & onion. The salad was then arranged on lettuce leaves to plate.

Personally, I didn’t care too much for this last recipe. I mean, it was alright but nothing to write about…Lentils + finely cut mirepoix essentially. Blah. Maybe it truly was a banal dish…or maybe its my current disdain for carrots fueling this indifference.

But yes yes, moving on to  the cooking done today in class. First- Broccoli with Roasted Red Peppers & Bacon. The addition of bacon pretty much sealed the deal here- of course it was going to be tasty. We first roasted the peppers on the range top, charring their skin. Then placed them in a plastic wrap covered bowl to steam before peeling and slicing them thinly. All the while, broccoli was blanched and bacon pieces were crisped in a separate pan. Using a slotted spoon, the meat was pulled out/saved, and the pan (with the rendered fat) was used to saute the broccoli & red peppers. Lastly, the crisp bacon was tossed back in to finish it off.

Braised celery was next on the docket…not the most exciting dish. Celery was cut up and sauteed in butter. Next, chicken stock was poured in and then the whole bit was placed in the oven. A short while later, it was brought back up to the stovetop and the celery was extracted leaving the liquid behind. To thicken the broth/butter mixture into a sauce, we made a beurre manie (butter+ flour) and slowly whisked a bit of it into the liquid to create that proper sauce consistency. Very mild in flavor…this dish reminded me of the types of veggies you find at Chinese restaurants. You know, the Chinese side dishes that consist of an unexciting yet fancily cut vegetable doused in an ambiguous mostly flavorless sauce? The sauce always has that silky almost snotty consistency which for some reason is almost enjoyable in that capacity. Weird.

Moving on. Turnips with Orange & Cumin. Cumin seeds were gently toasted then butter was added along with thinly sliced turnips. After these had sweat for a few minutes, orange juice was squeezed in. The turnips grew nice n’ tender while the juice reduced to form a sticky glaze. Out of the pan and on to a plate. I appreciated the flavor of this recipe but it struck me as almost too sweet. But then again, I dont have much of a sweet tooth and rarely care for sugary foods.

One more thing- we Roasted Acorn Squash. I dolled mine up with butter, cumin and nutmeg before sticking it into the oven. Pulled it out 30 minutes or so later then cut it into soft thick slices. From there, the squash went into a pan with a lil’ bit of butter & brown sugar for some caramelization. Delicious. I love squash…particularly Acorn.

Thats it folks. Thats all I have- every last bit, every last precious drop. Now, its due time I start my long quiet weekend.

The classroom is obviously very different- no sitting, no drinking, no nothing. Nonetheless, we got it done and all in all it was hardly painful…just slow & sweltering (20+ folks standing in close proximity over hot ranges, it gets a tad sweaty). Started by sauteing butter, onion and a pinch of garlic (I added some caraway seed here to make it interesting). Then the rice was mixed in until it became well coated with the fat. From there, it was all about slowly feeding the rice hot broth while stirring and making sure not to add more stock until the arborio absorbed what it had been given. Easy does it…and hey, 30 minutes or so later when the rice is tender but still a tiny bit firm, in goes the butter and the cheese (and a squeeze of lemon in my case). Chef Wolf shared a fantastic finishing touch (learned from a fellow chef) worthy of passing on: to make the risotto extra creamy, in the end, add a liaison consisting of whipping cream & egg yolk. Just a touch of the fluff goes a long way and the result is pretty extraordinary- it takes it up a notch, transforming a simply creamy Risotto into one that is astonishingly velvety & rich.

In class, we created that pleasant comfort, that gratifying nourishment in the form of Shrimp Bisque & Potato Chowder. Most obviously, the key component to these soups really is the cream/milk. The addition of these fats is whats responsible for that tongue coating belly warming sensation.

The Bisque was started with a little butter, some onion & carrots tossed together with a smattering of flour in a saucepan. When those ingredients had softened, we added lobster & shrimp shells (the shrimp meat was set aside), herbs (thyme, bay leaf, parsley stems), white wine, brandy and tomato paste. In with a quart of stock, a pour of heavy cream (heated) and then the mixture was left to simmer. When the flavors had properly developed, the bisque was pureed then strained (to get the shell fragments out). The finishing touch was adding the shrimp meat back in to the soup for a quick poach over medium heat. The rosy color, savory aroma, the rich buttery almost sweet flavor…this bisque had me wiping at the sides of the emptied pot with my fingers on the way to the dish pit.

Potato Chowder- good, but not quite as good as the bisque. Fine diced bacon in a pan to render the pork fat. Pulled just the bacon out (left the fat) and placed the meat in a separate pot with a chunk of butter. Added onions & celery, cooking over medium heat until tender. From there added a little flour to create a roux and cooked the mess for 4 or 5 minutes. Next, introduced the stock and brought it to a boil. Added the potatoes, simmered it until the vegetables were tender. Slowly stirred in warmed milk/ cream and seasoned to taste. If available I would have added a little fresh dill here in the end or maybe a pour of an infused olive or truffle oil.

Ah, but onto my carrot (gag) puree. Sweating onions in butter to begin with, I then added stock and carrots. Enter spices…pinches of cayenne pepper, chili powder, allspice, clove, white pepper- plenty o’ salt. With the heat at a simmer the whole mess softened quickly and I was able to puree away. Turned out well…I liked it anyway. Took it home, crumbled some crisp bacon on top and called it lunch.

Next: consomme. I had never made this particular type of soup until today and it was, well, interesting. The process is a bit more…complex? Is that the right word? Its just more delicate, slightly more labor intensive than your run of the mill soup. To start, ground meat, mirepoix, tomatoes, herbs & spices are added to whisked egg whites. This is what will later form a “raft”- these are the clarifying ingredients that collect the impurities of the stock. On with a pot and in with some stock to which you add the eggy meaty spicy melange. Now, up to a simmer and here is where the constant stirring comes in. With a slow hand, the added ingredients need to be kept circulating in order to prevent them from sticking/burning to the bottom. The egg begins to bind the solid ingredients that hover at the top (thats the raft folks). When this occurs, the stirring stops and a pocket is made for a spoon to pass through so as to baste/wet the float. After its finished on the heat, the consomme is strained twice through a paper/coffee filter lined chinoise. What results is a rich, flavorful soup so clear that you should be able to discern the date on a quarter placed at the bottom of a bowlful. The flavor is unexpectedly bold and besides that, the stuff truly is gorgeous- the liquid near glows.