Better world for a international culinarian

I study at the culinary institute of america. It is one of the world's premiere college in culinary arts, baking and pastry. It is considered to be the harvard of culinary. Today was a special day for the all the future culinarians of the institute. We had our most awaited career fair. Being an international student at this prestigeous college, i had the previledge to meet representatives from various hotel's all over the world. It is not surprising to any student that about 80% of all the recruiting companies had a C.I.A (Culinary institute of America) graduate as the managers and directors. There was also a sad issue for a international student like me, having dreams to pursue a future in this country, has only companies that can offer a J1 visa or a H2b visa (these visas allow the recipient to work for the company for a short period of time 1 year) and head back to the home country. It is a tricky situation for any international student who has spend thousands of dollars just to get a degree form this prestigious college and not being able to even repay the loans let alone save some. It came as a surprise to me as one of the leading company in the entertainment, restaurant, tv station, movie production business (a name well known among the american public but ii would wish to keep it personal),came on campus for the fair had a strange approach towards me. Cheap labour is what would be the right word. I was adviced to work for one year with them have a name on my resume that i have worked with this property and need to leave the country after this one year period. There are thousands of students like me who face the same problem, Is this exploitation or a bias approach. You can be the judge.

Pate d Choux

This is a versatile recipe of pate d choux, which can be used for various uses in garde manger, pastry and stuffed pate d choux is something which we see in various hotels for display. As i was talking to chef Levy (the instructor for baking and pastry skills at the culinary institute of america), he jokingly told this would be a good test for any bakers or culinary professionals as this looks one of the easiest item to prepare but this includes a lot of skills to prepare. It is the right consistency that is required for the mixture to raise and leave the inside of the pate d choux hollow. The pate d choux can be stuffed with cream, marscapone, it is used in the filling of foie gras that is first prepared into a fine paste and then piped into the pate d choux. The techchiques have evloved from the past, the most intresting of the presentation with the pate d choux is the swan which has it's wings body and the neck piped sepearately and then once baked in the oven at 450*F for the the initial heat to brown the surface and then it is slowly cooked for it to retain the hollow shape. The different segements of the body,neck and the wings are then assembled together and held by the stuffing.

The recipe for making pate d choux is:

Water/diluted milk 1Pint
Butter 8oz
Salt 1tsp
Sugar 1/2oz
Eggs 10ea
Bread flour 11oz

These are the ingredients that are used in the production of pate d choux. As i had mentioned water or diluted milk is because, milk contains lactose which helps in the caramalization process and the pate d choux being baked initially at 450*F gives a dark brown color which does not enhance the eye appeal of the end product.

Method: Video 1 Video 2

• In a sauce pan pour the water add sugar and salt and bring it to a boil.
• Once it comes to a boil add the butter to the pan and let it melt and let is boil.
• When it is come to a boil add in the flour and immedietly mix it with a wooden spatula.
• Mix it thoroughly until the liquid in the mixture dries out.
• Transfer the dried dough to the mixing bowl and gently add the eggs one by one into the mixture until it gets a even glaze.
• Now the mixture is ready to be piped.

The other variation of the same recipe is Pommes d fin which is mashed potato mixed with pate d choux and fried in a deep fryer. This needs to control the amount of liquid being used accordingly as the potatos contain moisture.

Dutchess cookies

This is the dutchess cookies after baking

When you have guests in your house, waiting for the professional chef at home (the host) to prepare cookies for the tea party. It is best to have something that is simple and not tiring but easy to bake and also not expensive. This is just one of that wonderful cookies that you can try at home.

Ingredients:

Almond flour 8oz

Sugar 6oz

Cake flour 1.5oz

Egg White 4oz

For the common Maringue:

Egg whites 8oz

Sugar 3oz

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 450*F
• In a clean bowl mix Almond flour, sugar, cake flour and egg whites together.
• In a mixing bowl pour the egg whites and whip with a hand held blender until it gets frothy
• Keep the blender at high while generously adding the sugar until it comes to a stiff peak
• Fold in the mixture(almond flour, sugar, cake flour and egg whites) and mix everything together.
• Pour the mixture over a cookie mold or pipe it according to your requirements
• Bake it in the oven until it get a even golden brown color.

Crystal maze

Sugar decoration

Lobster salad with Mint oil and petite greens

I started a conversation with my long lost friend on the net, as we were about to say audios amigo, he reminded me that he was going to the farm in arizona which harvested lobsters. That sparked an idea of posting this wonderful recipe that i tried during my stay at arizona. It is not a time consuming process but a simple and easy one that can be done with ease.

Makes 4 portions

Ingredients

Lobster claws 4ea

Extra virgin Olive oil 2.5tsp

White wine 1.5 cup

Salt to taste

Peppercorns whole 1tsp

Thyme 3stems

Shallots chopped 2tsp

Bay leaf 1ea

For the salad:

Basil leaves 1/2cup

Blood beets petite 1/2cup

Lemon zest 1ea

For the Dressing:

Lemon juice 1ea

Mustard 1/2tsp

Blood orange juice 1ea

Extra virgin olive oil 2Tbsp

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Mint oil:

Water 3cups

Extra virgin oilve oil 3/4cup

For garinsh:

Apple (thinly sliced) 1ea

Method:

• In a shallow pot pour the put the olive oil saute the shallots put the peppercorns and then add the white wine to this.
• Place the lobster claws in the pan with the liquid and add the bayleaves, thyme add salt, cover it and let in simmer the liquid until it is reduced to 1/4th.
• Break the claw and extract the meat and keep aside.
• In a bowl place the mustard add the olive oil and mix thoroughly, gently add the lemon juice and keep whisking and then add in the blood orange juice similarly, saeason and keep it aside.
• To make the mint oil, pour the water in a shallow pot bring to a boil (have ice bath ready before starting), plunge mint leaves into the boiling water for 25 seconds, and immedietly plundge into the ice bath.
• Remove the mint leaves patt it dry on a paper towel and place it in a blender, add the extra virgin olive oil and blend it thoroughly
• Strain it through a cheese cloth or coffee filter.
• Line a tray with parchment paper and spray it with oil, place the sliced apples on top and place another clean tray flat on top and place it on a hot surface and dry it.
• When it is ready for service toss the greens in the dressing and place it on the plate. Place the extracted claw meat on the plate and drizzle with the dressing.
• Drizzle the mint oil around the salad and garnish with the apple slice.

Avial a Indian dish making waves

Avial goes with rice and also with Indian bread (Chappati)Avial in its true form

When my wife called me to talk about the posts on my blog she was very much enthusiastic in her voice and she told i have a surprise for you. I was eager, to know what was in this surprise for me and here it is the surprise she gave me. My mother and wife, made sure that the photo's were taken of the dish with the accompliments and sent it to me.

Indian dishes, have a unique flavor with the addition to spices that has come down from generations. This is reflected in every households in India. Festivals that are celebrated in India, has its relation to food. It is common throughout the country to have a unique dish that gets its origin in a perticular state or region. Towards the south of India is a state called Kerala, were my parents are from, they bought with them the regions most famous dish avial, when they decided to settle in Bangalore (another state in south India).

Yield 5 portions

Ingredients:

Carrots jardiniere 2 oz

Drumstick jardiniere 2 oz

French beans jardiniere 2 oz

Turnips jardiniere 2 oz

Potato jardiniere 2 oz

Plantain jardiniere 2 oz

Yam jardiniere 2 oz

Eggplant jardiniere 2 oz

Radish jardiniere 2 oz

Curry leaves whole 1/2 oz

Coconut Oil 4 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Water 1 Cup

For the Sauce:

Coconut grated 4 oz (1 ea)

Thai bird chili 2 ea

Cumin Seeds 1/2 oz

Coriender Seeds 1/2 oz

Yoghut 1/2 cup

Method:

• Wash the vegetable thorough and cut them into jardiniere.
• Add salt, turmeric powder, curryleaves, one thai bird chili to the vegetables (except the plantains, beans and potato steam seperately), steam them in a covered pan with the water.
• In a blender add the grated coconut, 1 thai bird chili, cumin seeds, coriender seeds and yoghut and whip it up to a fine puree.
• Remove the half boiled vegetables from the pan and pour the puree and heat it up until it comes to a simmer.
• Add all the vegetables to the puree in the pan and cook it covered for about 8 minutes.
• Once cooked add Coconut oil on the top and place it covered until service.

During service the avial can be garnished with fried curry leaves and grated dry coconut (not in photo)

Dover sole paupiette vin blanc

Dover sole paupiette vin blan

As i had mentioned in my earlier post there is nothing like starting the day with a good breakfast, it is the same with starting a dish with a objective that unique taste and bringing out the true flavors in them. Dover sole needs to be handled gently as it is quite tender when fresh and also once cooked. With a thin flesh the filet can be shaped into a paupiette and also hold stuffining in them. This dish that i would like to present here is served in different ways, but to bring out the uniqueness of this fish i chose this recipe.

Yield: 5 portions

Ingredients

Flounder fillets 2 lb.
Red pepper, Julienne, blanched 1 ea.
Carrot, Julienne, blanched 1.5 oz.
Yellow squash, Julienne 1 oz.
Zucchini, Julienne 1 oz.
Salt and white pepper, ground. as needed
Butter, whole 1/2 oz.
Shallots, minced 1 ea.
White wine 1/2 Cup

Fish fumet 3/4pint.
Fish Veloute 3/4 pint.

Heavy cream 1/2 Cup
Lemon juice, (optional) t.t.
Salt and white pepper, ground. t.t.

For the spinach:

Fresh spinach without stem 1 lb

Mushroom (any) sliced 10 oz

For the fish fumet:

Method:

• Trim sole fillets, portion at 2.5 oz. each (usually 1 ea. fillets). Place fillets skin-side up.Season with salt and white pepper. Place vegetable julienne across thefillet. Roll (or fold) the fillets, (tail to head).
• Briskly butter a shallow pan lightly with whole butter(reserve butter for spinach), sprinkle with shallots evenly.
• Place sole/vegetable rolls on the bed of shallots, add wine and fish fumet.
• Bring liquid to just under a simmer over direct heat. Place a piece of buttered parchment paper just enough to cover the pan for the moisture to be induced into the fillet. Place entire pan in 300-325ºF oven.
• Check the fillet after about 5 minutes, press against the flesh to check for doneness if gives to pressure then it should be done.
• Remove sole and place in warm area.
• Place pan with the liquid (seasoned) over direct heat and reduce by 2/3. Add the veloute, and simmer for 1-2 minutes Add cream, reduce to nappé’(should coat the surface of the spoon), seasoning to taste with salt, white pepper and hint of lemon juice (if needed).
• Strain through fine strainer. Hold until ready to serve.
• In a saute pan add oil, heat the oil add shallots once it is melted add the sliced muhrooms. Once it changes color, add the spinach toss it and season with salt and pepper.
• When ready for service, place the paupiette on the centre of the plate and pour the sauce around it and on the side of the fillet.
• Place the spianch on the side.

Fat facts

In recent years, our knowledge of foods have grown to a great extent. This is being used by people all over the world. The aspects that worry us the most is the fat in the food that we eat. Fat has been considered to be an untouchable, in the past years, but these non-scientific beliefs have taken a new turn. Fat is considered to have a good amount of impact on our brain development according to recent studies. There has been books on diet plans, advertisments have shown there are different pills and treatments out there to take care of the body fat and reducing fat in our body. Fat is considered to be the villain to be avoided at all times. Excess of fat is truly unhealthy due to high risk of coronary disease, obesity and certain types of cancer. Fat coushins all the vital organs, helps in maintaining body temperature.Current dietary advice places an emphasis on the type of fat with regards to the amont that needs to taken. According to the recommended dietry intake the value of fat that is needed per day is about 25-30% of the daily value.

Fat by itself is not a cause of obesity, what people fail to recognize is that the amount of calories consumed per day effects the total balance. Per gram of fat contains 9 calories, whereas 1gram of carbohydrates is 4 calories, hence it is easy to consume high amount of calories in a few bites by eating foods that are high in fat.

Bavarian Cake

A bavarian cream cake is basically vanilla sauce that has it's shape retained by gelatin. The reason that it maintains it's texture and strength is due to the aerated structure. This is derived by measuring out equal proportions of ingredients in terms of weight. The bavarian cream as such can be used for various dessert preperations.

To make the Bavarian cream, we need to whip the cream, mix it with the vanilla sauce. The vanilla sauce should be allowed to cool and should maintain a temperture that is just warm. Any kind of flavoring needs to be added at this point. It is desirable to add extra flavoring as the whipped cream would reduce the final flavor of the product. (It is recommended to have the molds ready before preparation as the bavaraian cream will set soon).

Bavarian Cream:

Gelatin 1oz

Water 8floz

Heavy cream 32floz

Vanilla sauce 32floz

• Have the molds ready before preparation.
• In a bowl immerse the gelatin, until it is bloomed.
• Whip the cream to a soft peak.
• Have the vanilla sauce warm, into the sauce add the bloomed gelatin.
• Blend one third of the vanilla sauce with the whipped cream fold gently (as it is aerated it may loose volume)
• Mix in the remaining vanilla sauce and fold thoroughly.
• Pour the mixture into molds of your choice and refrigerate.

Vanilla sauce:

Egg yolks 12ea

Milk 1quart

Sugar 8oz

Vanilla extract 1/2tsp

• Heat the Milk and sugar with the extract to a boil.
• In another bowl whip the egg yolks thoroughly
• Add 1/4 portion of the mixture gently into the whipped egg yolks and temper it.
• Whisk it thoroughly and then add it back to the mixture and whisk it thoroughly, once it comes to a boil remove from heat and let cool.

Hard Ganache

We have seen those beautiful chocolate coated desserts, as we walk down the streets of New York. The smell of freshly baked breads filling the side walks, it just tempts us to walk in sit down, have a piece of that finely decorated desserts, with a cup of expresso. The clean silvers neatly arranged on the table, just welcoming you to join them to enjoy the freshness. It would be good to know how those shiny neatly coated chocolate desserts are made. The sheen of the chocolate depends on the tempering process. Usually tempering is done on a marble surface with the temperature being monitored. The ideal temperture for tempering dark chocolate is 84-86*F and in the case of white chocolate it would be 82-84*F.

There are different ways by which a dessert can be coated with chocolate and one of them is ganache which in french translates to: an emulsion of chocolate and cream. Ganache may also be made with butter or other liquids in place of cream.

There are two types of ganache (soft and hard).

Soft ganache:

Dark chocolate 1#4oz

Heavy cream 32floz

• Place the dark chocolate in a bowl
• Heat the cream to a simmer
• Pour the hot cream over the cocolate. Allow to stand for 1 minute, stirr until it is mixed thoroughly.
• It can be refrigerated for further use (needs to be melted on a double boiler when it is ready to be used again).

Hard ganache:

Dark chocolate 4#

Heavy cream 32floz

• Place the dark chocolate in a bowl
• Heat the cream to a simmer
• Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Allow to stand for 1 minute, stirr until it is mixed.
• It is recommended to use the hard ganache immedietly (as it hardens quickly)
• Also can be stored in refrigerator for further use (needs to be melted on a double boiler when it ready to be used again).