Menu Project

While in level 5, every student must submit a menu project. The menu can be on anything that you want, as long as you choose a theme and can write a related research paper. The paper needs to include the reason for your theme, the history of one ingredient used and a wine pairing for one of the courses. We have to then either cook the menu at home and take pictures of it, or provide illustrations. Since I am an awful artist, I decided to make my dishes at home. We also had to illustrate cooking and plating techniques we have learned up to date, as well as cost out one of the courses with a price per receipe (for 8 servings) and a cost per person.

Of course I waited to until the very last minute to complete the cooking, so after getting the pictures developed I was definitely not pleased with all the platings, but by this time it was too late to do them over. Oh well. In any case, thought I would share mine with you.

I based my menu on the Victorian Era, since a lot of advances in the culinary world came at this time. For example, Louis Pasteur completed his first tests on pasteurization, the first culinary school opened up, and the first cookbooks with step by step instructions were published. It was also a time when the upper class took great pride in entertaining their friends with 10-12 course meals, while also enjoying "smaller" 5-6 course meals when dining with just the family. The meals usually began with a savory soup, then moved onto a fish course, followed by heartier meat courses and finally dessert.

Many of my dishes were based on recipes by a lady well known during that time, Miss Elizabeth Beeton. I also aimed to make dishes with ingredients and spices typical of the era.

So, here is what we have.

Course 1: Oxtail soup





Yep, I was able to find oxtail at a meat market on the UWS. Actually tastes very similar to beef shortribs, and yes I made Nate taste it too! Pretty good actually!

Course 2: Curried cod over a vegetable macedoine salad with potato cocottes



Course 3: Veal Collops with sorrel sauce, served with sauteed spinach and truffled potato gratin



This is actually the course I am the least happy about the plating...um no garnish??? Oops. I almost omitted it from the menu, but felt I had to do at least 5 courses to stay in theme with a typical victorian meal. If I had the time to do it over, I would have also changed the plating to add some height to it, and perhaps sauced the plate as opposed to the meat. Sigh.

(Oh, and for those of you saying, "what the heck is a veal collop?", it is basically veal pounded thin, rolled up with bacon stuffed inside, seared and then finished in the oven. It was actually quite tasty!)

Course 4: Lamb fillet served with red currant sauce and mint butter, parsnip puree and balsamic honey roasted cipollini onions



I paired this course with a Ferarri Carano Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has rich tannins and a coffee/blackberry/currant aroma. Tannic wines are good to serve with fatty foods, since the fat helps to minimize the astringent effect of the tannins, and make our food seem more flavorful and juicier.

Course 5: Classic Victoria Sponge Cake



I don't have my Kitchenaid stand mixer yet - this was a gosh awful experience making by hand!!!!!!!

(Oh, and it cost me $1.41 per person for this dessert, so think about that next time you pay $8 for a dessert at a restaurant! Ha, ha!)

No Pressure

Jacques Pepin came and had dinner at my school tonight. When the order came in for table 1, my chef said to me, "no pressure or anything, but table 1 is Jacques Pepin".

Um, OK.

Shit.

I had heard during prep earlier in the evening that he was lurking in the kitchen. But that is not unusual. He does that often and sometimes you just look up expecting to see your Chef or classmate, but instead you are greeted with his cheery face. "Hi, chef!" is usually my embarrassing reaction. However, his presence is usually a result of some other event going on at the school, so rarely does he stay to actually have a meal.

I am in poissioner now so tonight I did the spiced monkfish over a bed of green lentils. A lot of the time we make stuff in bulk so it lasts 2 or 3 classes. Good thing tonight I made a fresh batch of the lentils. Actually, I had made it, but the intent was to use it on Wednesday, and finish the stuff we had from Friday. Sudden change of plans. As for the fish, they actually went to the store room and got the freshest one they had (as opposed to the ones we used the rest of the night that were filleted yesterday).

He never came back into the kitchen after his meal so I have to assume my dish did not totally disgust him.

And on we go.....

A Look Inside L'Ecole

CLICK HERE TO WATCH :-)