What's Cooking?

[ness]

2 hours ago, rps said:

First step in classic Hollandaise or Bearnaise.

Hmm. Did not know that.

Welp, tonight, and for a few nights to come, it will be ho-made chicken noodle soup made it from an actual chicken. I cut out the back and used it and the wings (with celery, onion, carrot, bay leaves and peppercorns) to make a stock. Then used that strained stock to cook the breasts, thighs, carrots, peas and herbs. I like to do it this way because I think the chicken is more tender and juicy with a shorter cook time. Cooked noodles separately in heavily-salted water and added them at the end. When you put this stuff in your mouth it tastes pretty good.

[snagged in outlet 3]

3 hours ago, rps said:

First step in classic Hollandaise or Bearnaise.

My favorite Randy!!

[Chief Grey Bear]

22 hours ago, BilletHead said:

   Wow some super looking eat right here!    I know the area where Ness resides and I don't mind driving North a few miles to The Ness household   We have been in some food comas here too. Had a friend in for what we call the goosefest. They travel from Arnold near St. Louis for a few days between Christmas and New Years for water fowling. This year because of the rain it came a it later and we hunted into the New year. Well they bring food and I mean lots of food. We started last Wednesday and Brad cooked a rack of lamb on the charcoal grill. Pam cooked sliced potatoes in cream and then added fresh spinach. Oh my what to say? The coma has begun. Next Evening it was super thick rib eyes over charcoal again. Baked potato. Sliced not quite through with a piece of bacon weaved through the slices, slathered with butter and wrapped in foil then baked in the oven. Food coma still going:) We did not hunt New Years morning but again started the day eating Belgian waffles. That afternoon before our hunt it was fried fish, asparagus and of course black eyed peas. After yesterdays hunt bookoos leftovers to clean out the fridge. No photos of food, too busy eating and hunting. If you want the hunting report it will be shortly in the migratory birds,

BilletHead still in food coma.

Dang!! 

[rps]

3 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

My favorite Randy!!

May I ask indulgence for an anecdote?

The teaching program at Le Cordon Bleu in London was arranged in three parts. Basic, Intermediate, and Bad to the bone. At the end of the third segment, they administered exams for the the victims. Those foolish enough to try for the Gran Diplome in Cuisine and Patisserie took exams (five hours) on consecutive days. Each day you had a list of ingredients and an expected list of products.  For example, a sugar sculpture, a tempered chocolate dessert, a bon bon, and a brioche for patisserie. All the ingredients were required to be included in the final products, and some were ringers like marzipan.

You were given the list of ingredients and the product list a week before the event so you could plan and practice.

I  remember wondering why I ever signed up for the event - I was the only person there who did not plan to become a real chef. I was the dilettante. However, once I said I was in I had to do my best.

So, on the day of the cuisine event, we had to produce an appetizer pastry cup that was finished with a poached egg, garlic sauteed spinach, and a hollandaise. After I practiced, I discovered I could make the hollandaise early and put it in a warmed thermos to hold until presentation. That is what I did.

At the school, one of the porters (kitchen help) was French and had been there quite a while. He was known to help the students and we all loved him. In the middle of the final, just as I sent my work out to be judged, he nudged me. In heavily accented English, he said, "Ilku needs help." Ilku was a very nice Turkish woman who had a job offer based on successfully passing the course. My response was, "What?" "Did you you use all of your Hollandaise?" I told him no. He told me to look away. I did. When I looked back, my thermos was gone.

After the judges marked our presentations, one of the traditions was that we sat down with the judges for a critique. When I sat for mine I was confident but very curious how I stacked up. They started with the mandatory apetizer. Jan, the spokesman told me, "Randolph, your appetizer was the second best of the class. Only Ilku's hollandaise put her first."

 

[snagged in outlet 3]

That sux but it is funny.

I bet it was delicious!!

Pete

[Mitch f]

16 hours ago, rps said:

May I ask indulgence for an anecdote?

The teaching program at Le Cordon Bleu in London was arranged in three parts. Basic, Intermediate, and Bad to the bone. At the end of the third segment, they administered exams for the the victims. Those foolish enough to try for the Gran Diplome in Cuisine and Patisserie took exams (five hours) on consecutive days. Each day you had a list of ingredients and an expected list of products.  For example, a sugar sculpture, a tempered chocolate dessert, a bon bon, and a brioche for patisserie. All the ingredients were required to be included in the final products, and some were ringers like marzipan.

You were given the list of ingredients and the product list a week before the event so you could plan and practice.

I  remember wondering why I ever signed up for the event - I was the only person there who did not plan to become a real chef. I was the dilettante. However, once I said I was in I had to do my best.

So, on the day of the cuisine event, we had to produce an appetizer pastry cup that was finished with a poached egg, garlic sauteed spinach, and a hollandaise. After I practiced, I discovered I could make the hollandaise early and put it in a warmed thermos to hold until presentation. That is what I did.

At the school, one of the porters (kitchen help) was French and had been there quite a while. He was known to help the students and we all loved him. In the middle of the final, just as I sent my work out to be judged, he nudged me. In heavily accented English, he said, "Ilku needs help." Ilku was a very nice Turkish woman who had a job offer based on successfully passing the course. My response was, "What?" "Did you you use all of your Hollandaise?" I told him no. He told me to look away. I did. When I looked back, my thermos was gone.

After the judges marked our presentations, one of the traditions was that we sat down with the judges for a critique. When I sat for mine I was confident but very curious how I stacked up. They started with the mandatory apetizer. Jan, the spokesman told me, "Randolph, your appetizer was the second best of the class. Only Ilku's hollandaise put her first."

 

Ha ha, great story! Shows the subjectivity in the process, maybe they didn't properly cleanse their palate in between yours and hers!

kind of reminds me of the movie " Bottle Shock" 

[ness]

It's clean-out-the-freezer week at stately ness manor. Tonight a couple Swai filets in a lemon caper sauce, along with some frozen okra. Blah. 

 

[joeD]

BTW: Clarified butter is nice to have on hand, no, scratch that. Clarified butter should be in your fridge if you are somewhat "serious" about your cooking. However, we can skip the process of skimming and defatting regular butter by visiting our local international food store and buying "ghee."  Usually found in the India aisle. "Ghee" comes in a jar, keeps well in the fridge, and, is, actually, clarified butter. Melt it and you'll see. Clear as a bell with good color and flavor. Just outstanding for cooking dishes where a little less butter fat makes a huge difference. Just spoon it out from your jar in the fridge. No muss, no fuss.

OK> Carry on with regular programming.

[ness]

51 minutes ago, joeD said:

BTW: Clarified butter is nice to have on hand, no, scratch that. Clarified butter should be in your fridge if you are somewhat "serious" about your cooking. However, we can skip the process of skimming and defatting regular butter by visiting our local international food store and buying "ghee."  Usually found in the India aisle. "Ghee" comes in a jar, keeps well in the fridge, and, is, actually, clarified butter. Melt it and you'll see. Clear as a bell with good color and flavor. Just outstanding for cooking dishes where a little less butter fat makes a huge difference. Just spoon it out from your jar in the fridge. No muss, no fuss.

OK> Carry on with regular programming.

I knew all that, just didn't want to come across as a know-it-all blowhard so I kept it to my self ?

Seriously, thanks for the contribution. 

[joeD]

I can take it Ness. If you give it out, you better durn take it too. I'm quite sure I've earned all the s***  coming my way. 

"...ppreciate it."