week 8 is over!!! midterms are over!!! i'm alive!!! lol. it was a really stressful and difficult week but i am happy to say i did not fail either of my midterms, although during the practical i was envisioning less than 60%.

but i'm getting ahead of myself:

monday we did a dry run of the practical midterm, with 4 of us to a stove and dividing up a number of tasks that would be on the midterm. i took on too many things and had to hand some over in the midst of all the chaos which did not do much for my confidence. we also marked ourselves, and i didn't do that well :(

tuesday we went in for our written midterm starting at 8:30am, and we had 3 hrs to complete it. i finished around 10:00am and took the rest of the day to practice for the looming practical the next day.

wednesday: i practiced a few things in the morning, then headed to school for my practical, which started at 12pm (there were 4 waves of students so we would only be 2 to a stove at a time) upon arriving, i learned that the two waves before me had gotten trout and chicken, the two exam options i feared the most! which meant that i would be getting either consomme or quiche, which i was quite happy about. we were allowed to go in 10 minutes early to set up our station, pull out our knives, etc. this is the list of things i had to produce in 2 hrs:

1 bowl of consomme celestine (includes julienne of carrot, leek and crepe)
4 crepes on the side (make a whole batch)
1 ramekin of hollandaise
1 recipe of profiteroles
3 turned zucchini
1/4 cup of rutabaga, brunoise
1/4 cup of carrot, julienne
1/4 cup of potato, small dice

everything was going alright until i looked up and my consomme was BOILING! NOOOOOOOOO!! one of the chef's told me i had time to fix it but it was really hard for me to try to remember how to do that. i knew that i knew it, i just could not pull it out of my brain. about 10-15 minutes later i did, and i wasted about 5 minutes getting the ingredients and everything ready. then JUST as i was about to start, a different chef told me i didn't have a bad looking product already, and i should think about what's important to finish. ugh. so i discarded all that and focused on the other things. another frustrating thing was crepes, which i have made a bajillion times, and i could not for the life of me get the consistency or heat right! i finished 5 minutes late, and after i presented my tray and went back to do my dishes, i really almost cried. i felt awful. and very disappointed in myself because i KNOW how to do all those things, and well. the stupid time restraint got me. a few minutes later the chef's called me over for my critique. i would have gotten 83%, but because i was 5 minutes late, i got 78%. i miraculously managed a 26 out of 30 on my consomme (!!), and a 10 out of 10 on my profiteroles, which they said were the best they'd seen in a while! unfortunately my hollandaise was just about to split, and my crepes were not great, and i got 7's and 8's out of 10 on all my knife cuts. i felt better after my critique, but still really disappointed because i should've done better. they also mentioned that they knew the time would be hard for me, which is kind of embarrassing that it's that obvious that i'm slow :(

thursday we had the opportunity to redo parts of our practical for make-up marks. they had me do hollandaise, rutabaga brunoise, and crepes again (i was the only person that had to redo crepes!), and also a cream soup. i did everything better, and pulled my 78% up to 86%! unfortunately, if you do the math, i would've ended up with 91% if i hadn't been late :( but it's over, and for me, that's the important thing.

friday was back to normal, and we made mussels (very similar to the last time we made them) and french fries! which we ate at 11 in the morning and the chefs had some beer in the fridge which they let us have (my partner was very excited to have ours all to himself).


the second meal was Venison Steak with Garlic Flan (ours ended up more of a custard), turned vegetables, Blackberry Sauce and Parsnip Chips. i didn't mind the venison, but my partner didn't like the mussels and so i ate most of them myself, and was kinda full :D



Non-school events this week included:
- supper at a pasta restaurant on Tuesday with my cousin Matt and two of his friends (HUGE portions!!)
- i helped out one of my chef's with a private party at our school for some lawyers and insurance people on Wednesday (after my midterm!! i know i'm crazy). kind of a mini cooking class. it was fun and very tasty! the dessert was a chocolate mousse that was the chef's grandma's recipe. and when you freeze it it tastes like chocolate ice cream!
- supper at an african restaurant with our life group (or one member of it anyways) on Thursday
- thrift store shopping also on Thursday, where we got Scattergories, Whoonu, and a Harry Potter Scene It game all for $4 each!! also some 'new' jeans for phil whose pants are outgrowing him :P
- last night phil and I made brownies together while listening to Christmas music and then watched a movie :)
- i tried hot yoga today, which was 75 minutes long in a heated room, and i have never sweat so much in my life! like pouring down my entire body sweating! i was familiar with all the poses which helped, at least my brain didn't have to work as hard as my body was :P the only thing was that we did shavasanah in between 2 flows, which threw me off cuz i've only ever ended with that. so i was expecting us to be done, and then the instructors was like "and this will be our last flow" it was kind of downhill for me from there cuz in my mind i was done lol. i have a whole month free at this place though, so i think i'll try some not-as-hot classes next :P

alright, i think that's long enough for today!

Part 1 of How to Make Cream Puffs!

Cream puffs start with profiteroles (the dough part), which is made from choux (shoo) paste.

You will need:
1c. water
80g butter
pinch of salt
1c. AP flour
3-4 eggs

piping bag with 1/2" round tip, no fancy edges
parchment paper
preheat oven to 400F

Step 1: bring water, salt & butter to boil


Step 2: add all the flour all at once and start stirring!


Step 3: keep stirring, i know it hurts :P the mixture will start to look like mashed potatoes. you want to stir for a good 3-4 minutes to dry the dough out a little once it's combined properly.


Step 4: cool the dough (works best if you spread it out on something) to lukewarm. This is important because you are about to add eggs and you don't want to cook them.


Step 5: return dough to pot. whisk each egg with a fork individually and add to dough one at a time and stir until fully incorporated. Once you get to 3 eggs, you can do a 2-finger test to see if you need more egg or not. the dough should feel like chewing gum between your fingers, staying together when you pull your fingers apart a bit. You can add the whisked egg 1/4 egg at a time until you've got it right. the consistency is more important than using all the eggs!



Step 6: transfer the dough to a piping bag and push it all towards the tip. the tip i use is about 1/2" in diameter, and just round, no fancy edges.


Step 7: use a bit of the paste as glue to hold your parchment paper down (trust me).


Step 8: pipe the paste onto the pan, piping in the same spot until the paste is the size of a twonie, then stop, and flick the tip up, like a hershey kiss. mine are pretty ugly cuz that's my second pan and the paste wasn't coming out as nicely. Wet your finger with water and pat down the tips just a little bit.



Step 9: put in oven, and do NOT open the door for at least the next 12-15 minutes. When the overall color is a light golden brown, turn the oven down to 350F, and check them periodically. They should end up being a darker brown than golden brown all the way around, top to bottom. You can rotate the pan in the oven if you want.


I didn't space mine properly, which is why they have all mushed together. no matter, they were still tasty! And here's how they should look on the inside:


*makes a little over 40 puffs, which can be frozen (empty) if not using right away. They are also yummy to eat plain.
Part 2 will be the filling and chocolate ganache topping!

Monday: Pastry Day


Profiteroles filled with Creme Patissiere and drizzled with Chocolate Ganache (also known as Eclairs), and as if that wasn't enough, swimming in Creme Anglaise :)


Poached Pear Tart made with Blitz Puff Pastry

Tuesday: Tarts


Quiche Lorraine w/ spinach, bacon, tomato, gruyere cheese, carrot, and leek. Yum!


Lemon Tart w/ Meringue

Wednesday: Brunch


Gratinee of Artichoke 'Benny' (includes smoked salmon, poached egg, and hollandaise sauce)


Ricotta Stuffed Pannetone, French Toast Style (with Berry Sauce) and Pancakes


English Muffin (which we made) with Tomato & Tarragon Fondue, and French-style Scrambled Eggs

Thursday: Middle East Day 1 (YUMMY DAY! also, very full stomach day)


Clockwise from top left: pickled cucumbers and beet/radish mix, Taboulleh, Hummus, Babajanoush, which we ate with Zaatar bread, which is pita dough!


Stuffed Syrian Pancakes (pancakes, stuffed with ricotta/walnuts/chocolate & deep fried, then brushed with syrup and dipped in pistachios)


Manti (ground beef mixture wrapped in dough, baked, then covered with chicken stock and simmered, and served with yogurt-garlic sauce)


Lamb Kofte w/ Sweet & Sour Okra on Zaatar Bread
(not kidding, we ate all that in one day)

Friday: Middle East Day 2


Yogurt Soup w/ Cooked Stuffed Chi Kofte


Octopus Salad


Quail stuffed with Pomegranate Seeds


Salmon Kofte


Pheasant Bestilla (phyllo dough wrapped around layers of pounded pheasant meat, scrambled eggs, and...wait for it...sweet almond filling. i thought it was weird)

next week Tuesday and Wednesday are midterm exams, and i'm quite nervous about the practical (wednesday) where we'll be given a list of dishes/tasks to finish in a 2 hour period. Luckily, we get to see the possibilities (there are 4) beforehand and create what we call a game plan for each to bring into the exam. I think that i do have the skill to do well, i just hope i don't get flustered and mess myself up. If you think of me Wednesday between 12pm and 2pm, i could use your prayers!

Trout Meuniere with Apple Beurre Noisette - the tutorial!

i made this for supper on Saturday, and i took a bunch of pics so you can make it too!

First: buy a trout! the one i used was perfect for two people, and was about 9-10" in length. They usually come already gutted for you, and you can see how to fillet it in my previous post. anyways, i guess i should list what else you'll need so you can buy them at the same time as the trout :P

*remember, these amounts feed 2 people a decent amount, but will not stuff you full.

1 trout
2 new potatoes - boil them ahead of time
half an apple (i used braeburn)
1 thick slice of bacon (like 1cm thick - deli's should be able to cut you a slice)

2T cold unsalted butter
olive oil
flour (for coating the fish in just before frying)
1T lemon juice
chopped parsley
salt & pepper

for this recipe, we are leaving the skin on the trout, and cutting each fillet in half like so (season both sides with s & p):



Slice the apples:


And the potatoes (no worries if the peel comes off) and season both sides with s & p:


and the bacon: fun fact, a slice of bacon is called a 'rasher', and the pieces cut like this are called 'lardons'.


Then set yourself up (for success, as my instructor would say) with two pans, some flour to dredge the fish, salt, pepper, lemon juice, butter and olive oil.


start out by rendering the bacon in a pan over medium-high heat; don't add any butter or oil, the fat on the pieces will melt off.


once they're nicely crispy (even if they look burnt, they'll still taste good), remove from the pan and put the potatoes in the same pan. (i tried to avoid the burnt area) and turn the heat lower, you should only hear a quiet sizzle.
*also, preheat the second pan, medium heat - not too high.


Once the potatoes are golden brown on one side, turn them over and get going on the fish pan:
- put a tiny bit of oil in the pan, wait a few seconds, then add 1T of the butter. it should foam, wait until the foam goes down a little before adding the fish. just before you put the fish in, coat them in flour, tapping off any excess (excess will make the pan sauce cloudy), and place skin side down in the pan.


once the fish is turning white on the sides, turn it over and add the other T of butter, try to disperse it evenly, and then add the apples. the apples lower the temp of the butter and prevent it from browning too much.


incase you're wondering, i forgot to dredge my fish, just like i forgot in class :P

once the fish is done, the potatoes should be done too (sprinkle parsley on top), and you plate it in this order:

potatoes
fish
apples
sauce - add a bit of lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper to the pan before you pour it on top
bacon


et voila! i hope you enjoy this dish, i think it tastes like camping :)

How to Fillet a Round Fish (ie salmon or trout)

I'm using a Trout:
- cut off all fins (not tail)


- check if there's any black icky stuff on the inside. if there is, scrape it out with a spoon. don't worry about trace amounts left behind, just if there's big globbies, they can make you sick.


- *all directions are designed for right handed people* turn the trout so the head is at your left hand. hold your knife at an angle towards the head, just behind the collar (imagine if it's wearing a necklace). cut through as much on this side as you can, then flip the fish over and do the same thing on the other side, eventually removing the head completely. don't be afraid to cut through some bones. (sorry, i was having so much fun i forgot to take a pic)
- turn the fish so the head-end is at your right hand, and position your knife so it's on top of but as close to the backbone as possible, that way you won't miss too much flesh. the idea is to slice your way back to the tail, and it helps to hold the side of the fish with your left hand whilst you're slicing.


you want to come through the skin right before the tail. then flip the fish over so the backbone is facing you, and do the same thing. this is a tad trickier cuz you can't see as well. just get your peepers all up in there! remember to keep you knife as flat as possible so you cut evenly OH and you will be cutting through a number of small bones, just don't cut through the backbone.


you should now have three pieces that look like this:


(don't worry about the red parts, it's just bruising, and you can throw out the tail part)
now it is time to slice off the ribs. use your fingers to feel where the top of the ribs are, and place the blade of your knife there. slice under the ribs, but as close to the ribs as possible, you can touch the ribs on the outside with your other hand cuz your knife won't slice through, and then you can feel if you're going too deep with your knife.


once you're almost to the bottom, flip the almost-detached ribs over, and cut them off completely.


repeat this on the other fillet. also trim any fatty strips, and if there are still some bones around the collar, cut those away too. next is my favorite part! removing the pin bones. starting at the head end, you can feel where the bones are, then drag the tip of your knife along to uncover the tops of the bones so they stick up a bit. then you just pull them out with tweezers, and you will probably rip a bit of the flesh out too, don't worry about that. make sure you get all the bones, if it seems like there was a gap between two, there's probably still a bone in there. also, one or two of them generally hide out at the head end sticking out horizontally.



(if you look really closely at the above pic, there's a tiny piece of bone sticking up in front of the knife blade)


at this point i thought you might like to see what my boning knife looks like. i'm sure you can use a paring knife for such a small fish, and i use my larger chef's knife for large salmon. whatever knife you use, make sure it's sharp!



now you're ready to make the recipe in my next post! (which is coming tomorrow)