Risotto

For class this week it was all about rice. I learned about the many different ways to make rice and different rice dishes. In my group in class I was in charge of making the shrimp and chicken jambalaya . It turned out pretty good but, it got a little dark on the bottom. I also learned how to cut a whole chicken which is something I had never done before.
For the homework we were to make a risotto dish for our loved ones so I made a three cheese risotto that actually ended up being a for cheese risotto because I took a suggestion from a comment and added ricotta as well. I found the recipe on the food network website by Emeril. My family and I thought the risotto turned out very well and was really good however, the cheeses used were very strong flavors. The risotto in the picture has a little bit of broth surrounding it and is topped with ricotta cheese and parmesan crisp.





http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/emerils-three-cheese-risotto-recipe/index.html

Steak and Potatoes

This weeks class was a learning experience in many ways. In the kitchen I learned how to work as a group to create a meal. Before, I mainly cooked on my own in my home and did things myself so I didn't have to rely on anyone else. I liked the teamwork involved with working with a group. I also learned to become more prepared for classes this week I didn't hear that we had to write out the recipe if we needed it so at first I was a little lost without it. Next week I will come fully prepared for class. In class I practiced my julienne cutting skills and even though they arent perfect yet I am pleased that I haven't cut myself. As far as cooking we made several dishes and I learned a lot in the process of making them. I learned different tips how how to make a good steak and how to make a good plated presentation instead of TV dinner style. Most of the dishes we made in class I had never made before so it was nice to try something new and that I would make. For instance I had never made French Fries from scratch before and was surprised about how easy it was to make. I also was surprised with how good the Spinach Cream was and that I liked it so much considering I don't particularly enjoy spinach. I actually ended up making the Spinach Cream and Caramelized Onions for my family this weekend both of which they enjoyed and are looking forward to trying some new dishes I will learn in class.

French Omelet

Week one of Culinary School and the task at hand is to make the perfect french omelet, no white spots, no brown or burnt spots, just yellow and not runny. The omelets I tried to make in class didn't turn out one had brown on it and the other was really runny on the inside. So for my homework I tried again, again, again, and again until I was able to get it just right. I feel confident that if needed to I would be able to get it right much quicker. And after making the perfect omelet I felt much more accomplished because it did take me many tries to get it right. I never would have thought that making a simple thing like an omelet would take so much time and be so difficult.