On our last day in the kitchen, we paired up in teams for a cook-off of assorted hors d’oeuvres. I think we were all feeling more nostalgic than competitive, though, as we suited up in our chef’s whites and entered the Le Cordon Bleu kitchens for the last time (well, minus the pending exam!!). It…
I think it’s only fitting that we tackle the ever finicky soufflé as our last dessert prepared at Le Cordon Bleu. This particular combination of flavors doesn’t strike me as authentically French, but hey, it has chocolate so I won’t complain. The batter or appareil de base for the soufflé is a mixture of two…
This dish is inspired by Bouillabaisse Marseilles, but instead of the traditional fish stew we’re concentrating the broth to make a rich jus with all the same flavors. And, rather than filleting half a dozen different fish, thankfully we are only butchering one! They must be having mercy on us at the end of the…
Admittedly, I have taken several weeks off from blogging because of the summer months. But, it’s given me good perspective to look back on the last few dishes from Le Cordon Bleu. At the time I was completely absorbed with the pending final practical exam. I spent most of my time visualizing the intricate dance…
Venison in June is just slightly out of season… But I was willing to sacrifice seasonality in the interest of our curriculum for an amazingly delicious session on game (we also saw the chef prepare grouse and partridge!). Here we used venison loin (or saddle) that had already been removed from the rack, so there…
At first glance, this dish didn’t even seem French considering the ingredient list included lemongrass, bok choy, beansprouts, ginger and sesame oil. But sure enough, there was foie gras and all was well 🙂 We’ve cooked Veal Piccata before using the traditional method of dredging it in flour and pan-frying. But here we’re using the…
In the last wine lecture of the course we finally delve into the ever important, but exceedingly complex art of pairing wine with food. There are classic pairings like red wine with red meats and white wine with fish. But these are quite general guidelines and the ideal variety of red or white wine can…
Unlike past terms, in Superior Cuisine there has been an emphasis on creativity. We have freedom to in how we plate each dish and we’ve been challenged with mystery baskets to come up with dishes all on our own. And in today’s workshop we got to design not just one dish but a 3-course menu!…
A timbale is just another name for a tin cup or dish in which something is cooked and then, usually, turned out for serving. A sweet version would essentially be a little cake stuffed with a gooey filling, for example an orange cake with lemon curd filling. But in this dish we opted for a…
Hot Pan Behind You! 