This week I had my first test in my lecture. I studied A TON, and I was pleased with my grade. So yay! The test covered culinary history, equipment, measurements (like quarts to gallons and tablespoons to cups), principles of baking, twelve steps of baking, muffin and biscuits techniques, and principles of gluten. I am so excited that I know all this stuff now. I have been cooking at home for years. I can follow a recipe, and I understand the balance of flavor and texture. However, learning why and how things work is great.
In my lab this week, I made Orange Charlotte, Chinese Chicken Salad, and practiced my knife skills. The Orange Charlotte was weird and felt like a somewhat old-fashioned dessert. However, what I learned was valuable. I had to use unflavored gelatin to create the structure for the filling of the dessert. Last week I made Crème Anglaise, and my classmates made baked custard (think Crème Brûlée), the structure is provided by eggs, in those desserts. I also made angel food cake. The leavening agent in Angel Food Cake is eggs whites. So, I'm starting to formulate a foundation of how to create structure in desserts with things like baking powder, baking soda, eggs, and gelatin. Next week I am making a Panna Cotta, one of my favorite desserts, which uses gelatin sheets to create structure.
I also made Chinese Chicken Salad, which was the first savory dish I've made in class. The unit I'm learning about in lecture is salads. So, the basic structures of different types of salads. For me, it was a pretty straight forward lab. The chicken was precooked, so we just had to combine the ingredients for the sauce and cut the vegetables and compose it. I enjoyed the salad. I will keep the recipe for the dressing in my back pocket. It was a great combination of flavors: soy sauce, hoisin, ginger, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Our instructor said he adds peanut butter and uses it for Chicken Satay. I think that sounds delicious!
I also practiced my knife skills again this week, and I still have ALL my fingers. Go me! I cut up green, red, and yellow pepper for my instructor, which he used in a Southwest Chicken Soup for the weekly gourmet dinner. DMACC hosts weekly gourmet dinner for the public and donors. The students work the dinners as a class. First-year students, that's me, work the "front of house." We set up the dining room, serve all the food, and then clean all the dishes and put everything away. It's a great way to learn the front of house in a controlled environment. The second-year students do the meal planning and cooking, which I'm looking forward to doing. The food is quite spectacular. I included a picture of the Flourless Chocolate Cake that was served for dessert this week. It was beautiful and delicious!
Next week I'll be making Panna Cotta, Waldorf Salad, Potatoes, and Pudding!