On ability...

I started this blog about a year ago.

At the time I was an avid home cook, but looking back at my ability then; now I can't even believe I was able to cook the things I could with that skill set. I could do the things that all home cooks should be able to do well; make an omelet, break down a chicken carcass, fillet a whole fish (most fish are sold drawn), properly prepare a steak to desired temperature, sauté, rudimentary baking, and fruit/vegetable cookery. Most home cooks can do these things, if you can't I recommend that you learn how to.

I'm in my fifty-fourth week of culinary school; I will only be in the building for another sixteen weeks. Fifty-four weeks does a lot for one's confidence in the kitchen. The most important thing a cook looking to be better can learn is proper knife skills. Beyond that I think you should learn how to cook what you love to cook and fuck everything else. You're going to cook at a higher level if you love and respect what you're working with. You should, of course, know the fundamentals and be able to go through the motions.

The reason I wrote this is because my chef surprised us with a fundamentals practical today. I'm big enough to admit that it was rough for me. The lack of practice has really made me rusty and has humbled me. The practical went like this:

Potato 3 min.

4 Batonnet

4 Julienne

2 Large Dice

4 Paysanne

Carrot 2 min.

1 Tourne

5 1/4" Rondelle

5 1/8" Rondelle

Garlic

1 clove, paper thin slices, 10 sec.

2 cloves, minced finely, no time limit

Basil

3 leaves, chiffonade, 10 sec.

Mayonnaise

1 egg

Vinegar

Oil

2 Eggs, Over Easy

Uh...two eggs.

To be fair the last two were easy enough, but the former skill sets really shook me up. I'm disappointed in myself for letting my skills fall to that level. So with that.

Practice, practice, practice.

TCA

I am an asshole. I do not keep this blog updated, no longer!

Now that my classes have started I'm going to use this as a testing ground for the food I'll be preparing for grades. I cannot wait for pasta!

Boring food.

Harira!

Lamb, Potatoes, Diced tomatoes, Cherry tomatoes, Corn, Cilantro, Celery, Carrots, Red onion, White onion, Lentils, Pasta, Salt, Pepper, Turmeric, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cayenne

The Cherimoya

The cherimoya (Annona cherimola) is a species of Annona native to the Andean-highland valleys of Ecuador and Peru. It is a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub or small tree reaching 7 m tall. The leaves are alternate, simple, oblong-lanceolate, 7-15 cm long and 6-10 cm broad. The flowers are produced in small clusters, each flower 2-3 cm across, with six petals, yellow-brown, often spotted purple at the base.

The fruit is oval, often slightly oblique, 10-20 cm long and 7-10 cm diameter, with a smooth or slightly tuberculated skin. The fruit flesh is white, and has numerous seeds embedded in it. Mark Twain called the cherimoya "the most delicious fruit known to men."

I was at the grocery last night to pick up a few things for a harira I was making, and I came across eight ripe cherimoya. I was pretty surprised since these are grown in the Andes, so I went ahead and grabbed two. I would've bought more but these guys alone cost me six dollars.

I think I might make a pie with them.

Grand Opening