Trent Clinton's "Skill Test" for The Chef Next Door Academy

Thank you to my LOVELY across-the-street-neighbors, Nikki and Lowell Skidmore, for posting a link to my website on their facebook....because not an hour later, an enthusiastic young man named Trent Clinton shot me an email wondering how soon we could start some cooking classes!  I have met a lot of chefs in my day, and met a lot of people who are passionate about food and cooking....but I tell you what.....Trent puts us ALL to shame.   I thought I was bad- I cook in my dreams almost every night- but Trent already has his Christmas Dinner for his family planned down to a "T", and even has a sketch of how he wants his dish to be plated drawn on his magnetic dry erase board on his fridge.  WOW, how refreshing to meet someone who is so excited to even talk about cooking!  After emailing back and forth talking about our plans for his first class, I gave him a call to finalize the details......and we ended up talking for an hour about nothing but food.  You will all see Trent Clinton on Top Chef someday, I guarantee it.  We should all be so passionate about SOMETHING- not necessarily food, of course.   

So to put Trent through The Academy, I first had to really feel out where he is, skill-wise.  I gave him a written exam consisting of 25 fairly difficult culinary questions, followed by a practical exam consisting of 5 culinary skill tests (I won't disclose what the 5 skill tests were for any of my future CND Academy participants!)  Needless to say, Trent did fantastically well and I even learned a few things from him.  Below are some pictures from our "Skill Test" cooking session.  Trent- WELL DONE!

"The Pantry"

"The Tools"

"The Eggs"

"The Plating Test"

"The Knife Skills"

"The Secret Ingredient"

Look fun?!?

IT IS.  Call me.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

The launch of "The Chef Next Door Academy"!

For those of you who don't already know, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend The University of Alabama and graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Restaurant and Hospitality Management.  I graduated in May of 2008 and jumped right in to Culinary School at Virginia College in Birmingham at the end of June.  I participated in the "Fast Track" 9-month program and graduated with honors in March of 2009.  Now don't get me wrong......I loved almost every minute of culinary school, and like I've said before, if there was such a thing as being a "professional student" and if I could make a living by attending culinary school for the rest of eternity, I would be all over it.  I love love love school and learning and being tested and challenged on a daily basis. 

BUT.....the way culinary school is structured does not allow every student to get the full scope of knowledge they offer.  Did that make any sense?  Here it is in plain English:  Each school day has a title ("Cajun Day" or "Beef Tenderloin Day" or "Ice Carving Day"), and each day has a handful of recipes that go along with it.  The students in the class are broken down into groups of two or four.  The recipes for any particular day are split up among the groups.  Therefore, on "Cajun Day" when the recipes are Rabbit Jambalaya, Crawfish Etouffee, Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, and Red Beans and Rice and our class is split up into groups of four- one person prepares the Jambalaya, one person prepares the Etouffee, one person prepares the Gumbo, and the fourth person prepares the Red Beans and Rice.  SO, each person really only gets 1/4th of the information from any particular class (unless you are skilled at watching 3 other people meticulously prepare their dishes while preparing your own!)  I thumb through my Culinard recipes from time to time, and think to myself "Ugh! I never made that recipe! Where did this come from?" and then I realize that my partner or group-mate must have prepared it, while I prepared another recipe. 

For those people who attend culinary school simply to get the diploma so they can be more competitive in the hospitality industry, this probably didn't bother them.  But for those people like ME, who wanted to learn and soak up as much knowledge as possible so that I could be the best chef I can be.....I was a bit disappointed.  Yes, I have the diploma. Yes, I graduated at the top of my class. Yes, I am a classically trained chef.   That's all well and good....but did I get everything out of it that I hoped to?? Nope.  So that is why I have decided to start my own mini-culinary school called "The Chef Next Door Academy."

My goal is to reach out to those who don't have the time, the energy, or the money for such a HUGE commitment as culinary school.  The perfect example of someone like this is my mom.  While I was gearing up to start culinary school, she thought "Hmm, I might like to go, too.  But I only want to go on certain days.  And I don't want to have to go when it's something that I'm not interested in learning.  And I don't want to do homework and take tests.  So basically, I'd like to look at your curriculum and pick the days I want to go.  Oh well."  

Well THIS is exactly what I offer.  Build-your-own Culinary School, basically.  I will assess your skill level, then we will build a curriculum just for you....based on YOUR skill level, based on YOUR preferences, located in YOUR home kitchen, and based around YOUR schedule.   Don't eat seafood? We'll skip it.  Already a whiz with a knife?  We'll blow on past Knife Skills.  Have no interest in baking or already a pro at it?  No problem, we'll focus on other things.   

As of Friday, September 10th, The Chef Next Door Academy is open for business.   (Blog posting about Trent Clinton's "Skill Test" session to follow.)  Thanks to my incredible family for nurturing my dreams, my amazing soulmate-Taylor- for pushing me to follow them, and my wonderful clients for making them come true.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Lobster Killer

I'm sure most, if not all, of you have seen "Julie and Julia" right??  Well, do you remember the scene where Julie frets and frets over having to MURDER a live Lobster?  It is hysterical.  The Talking Heads song "Psycho Killer" plays in the background, as her adorable husband, Eric, mocks her by singing "Lobster Killer....Lobster Killer...."  She ends up taking the easy way out, and drops the unsuspecting crustacean into a pot of boiling water, killing him instantly.  Shortly thereafter, we watch as "Julia Child" played by Meryl Streep plunges her chef's knife into the skull of her Lobster, also killing him instantly, but in a more gruesome, obvious sort of way.  What a great movie.

Anyways....I've murdered many a lobster in my day- the "easy" way, by dropping them in the boiling water and closing the lid- so I haven't had to actually watch/hear them die.  But last week, our dear friend, Joseph, came in to town on his 'R & R' from a defense project in Alaska.  He offered to buy a live Lobster if I would take on the laborious task of making homemade Lobster Bisque.....um, DEAL!  After scouring through all of Huntsville looking for a live Lobster tank (thank you, Hampton Cove Publix and Jessica Erwin for steering me there!) we finally returned home with our 2-pound guy, ready to make the most delicious Lobster Bisque out of him.  Although I was still dressed in my Chef Jacket from working earlier that day, I felt like a terrified little girl when I came face-to-face with the task of actually killing the poor thing (we had to dismember him while he was completely RAW, no boiling allowed.)  Luckily, I had two men around the house who were more-than-willing to wield the knife and do the deed.  I turned my back while Taylor and Joseph stabbed the Lobster through the skull, and when I turned around to make sure they did a good enough job, they looked like two little boys holding a magnifying glass over an ant on a sunny day.  Evil!  Ha ha.

Fast forward 4 hours later, and we were scarfing down some of the most delicious bisque I've ever put in my mouth.  It was so good, I just couldn't help myself and I literally seared the entire roof of my mouth while it was still boiling hot.  Without further adue, here is the recipe for the WORLD'S BEST LOBSTER BISQUE! (Used a recipe from E.R. Bradley's Saloon in West Palm, Florida for inspiration)  It is surprisingly simple, but oh-so-time consuming.  Well worth the trouble, though.  TRUST ME!

The Greatest Lobster Bisque in the World

  
Ingredients for the Lobster Stock:

1 whole live Lobster

1/2 stick of Butter

1/2 a cup of diced Carrots

1/2 a cup of diced Celery

1 cup of diced Onion

1/2 cup of Sherry

1/4 cup of Tomato Paste

2 bay leaves

5 sprigs of fresh Thyme

4 cups of water

Ingredients for the Lobster Bisque:

2 cups of Lobster Stock

3 cups of Heavy Cream

2 cups of Half and Half

1/4 cup of Sherry (to taste)

Salt (to taste)

3 Tablespoons of Butter

 Directions:

Using a chef's knife, stab the live lobster through its head very quickly to humanely and instantly kill it. Remove its tail and claws, split the abdomen in half.

Remove the tail and claw meat from their shells, chop the raw meat, and set aside.

Boil the remaining body and shells of the lobster until bright red. 

Crush the boiled shells with your knife.

In a large saucepot, combine the butter, onions, carrots, and celery over medium-high heat until the vegetables turn translucent and barely golden on the edges.

Deglaze the pot with sherry, then add the tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, water and crushed lobster shells.

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1.5-2 hours. Strain the broth, discard the vegetables and shells, and return the strained broth to the heat.

Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid for 30 minutes, until only 2 cups of liquid remain.

Combine the reduced lobster stock with the heavy cream and half and half. Add sherry to taste.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and reduce by half- about 1 hour.

In a separate pan, melt a few tablespoons of butter, and sauté the chopped tail and claw meat until white. Divide the meat amongst the soup bowls, then pour the soup on top and serve.

Somebody please give this a whirl and let me know how it turns out for you!  A whole lobster will run you about $20.00, but the rest of the ingredients are dirt cheap.  It is well worth the time and effort for a special occasion or if you really want to impress somebody.  :)  Enjoy!  ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Cheers, 


The Chef Next Door

Healthy Cooking Demonstration at WestWind Technologies

Another fun day here at The Chef Next Door!  I had the pleasure of putting on a Healthy Cooking Demonstration for the fine employees of WestWind Technologies- one of CSC Wellness' corporate clients.  I prepared:

The ever-popular Lemon and Herb Rotisserie Grilled Chicken

 Spiced roasted New Potatoes 

Green Apple Salad 

All in a blinding fast 30 minutes!

I will be featured at these Healthy Cooking Demonstrations every other Thursday at WestWind Technologies, on behalf of CSC Wellness.  Check it out! (Look closely...click on the photo...)

Have a WONDERFUL Labor Day weekend, everybody! 

ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

The "Crostini" Lady

The Chef Next Door should be re-named to "The Chef Around Town" because I tell you what...I have been everywhere and back these past few weeks!  Cooking classes in Toney, cooking classes in Athens, boxed lunches in Research Park, cooking classes out in Madison, cooking classes in Meridianville, catering and pre-made meal drop-offs anywhere and everywhere around Huntsville, just to name a few.  Phew! Definitely been putting some miles on the vehicle.  But luckily, two spots that I've been featured at recently are within less than a mile of our home:  The Wine Cellar and My Spirited Art.   These are two venues that I hope to be doing a lot of work with in the future, and it sure is nice to be able to hop in the car and be there quicker than I can buckle my seat belt!

I happened to stroll through The Wine Cellar one day a few weeks ago in search of an inexpensive Red to get hooked on.  Right away, Will and Rhonda (the owners) befriended me and scooped me up into their weekly wine tastings.  They let me provide three flavors of my crostini which they paired some wines with accordingly for one of their Wednesday night tastings. (And let me give out a lot of business cards and shake a ton of hands, too!)  Their store is so fun and welcoming, and I can't wait to be doing wine tastings, cooking classes, and more with them in the future.

The Chef Next Door and Glinda Clardy of 

The Wine Source pairings- featured at 

The Wine Cellar's Wednesday night tasting

 

Praxis Viognier paired with 

Gorgonzola and Honey Crostini

Sables d'Azur Rose paired with 

Mozzarella, Cherry Tomato, Fresh Basil and Balsamic Crostini

Gode II Rosso di Toscana paired with 

Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and torn Prosciutto Crostini

Glinda did a WONDERFUL job pairing the wines to the flavors of crostini....and it was very cool to taste my own food on a whole different level.  Wine really does change things! Thanks, Will and Rhonda!

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I have also been an enormous fan of Rebekah Bynum's My Spirited Art for over a year now (See previous blog posting titled: "Don't Drink the Paint Water!")  Her store is filled to the brim with 40-50 ladies (and gentlemen, on occasion) every single night, so I thought I'd take a shot in the dark and see if she'd actually allow me to come set up a "free food" table for the guests on any particular night, to get my name out there in the public even more.  Well, sure enough, she is fantastically generous and basically said, "Sure! I'd love to have you do that!"  Fast forward a week or two and there I am, in front of a giant crowd of women, displaying the ever-popular crostini, among other things.  My poor "Sous Chef", Taylor, has helped me make more dainty little crostini in the past few weeks than I think he would care to admit. But boy, oh boy, are they yummy!  I got to meet a lot of great ladies and even had a catering request email waiting for me by about 7:30 this morning from a lady who was at the art class last night.  Gotta spend money to make money, right???  :)  Here are some shots of the yum-yums I gave out last night.

The "free food" table at My Spirited Art

Warm Bacon Swiss Dip in crispy Phyllo Cups

Gorgonzola and Honey Crostini

Caprese Salad Skewers with Balsamic

Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and torn Prosciutto Crostini (top)

Olive Tapenade, Cream Cheese, and Parmesan Crostini (bottom)

It was a lot of fun, and if I'm lucky enough, I'll get to be the "go-to caterer" for some of My Spirited Art's many private functions that go on several times a week. Thanks, Bekah!!

Stay tuned: There will be much more to come- 

my calendar is slowly but surely filling up!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Best of the Best BIRTHDAY Cooking Class

As if my cooking classes weren't fun enough already, how about the fact that I had the pleasure of cooking with Brian Whitten on his BIRTHDAY.....and he had absolutely no clue I was coming.  His adorable wife, Leigh Ann, called me the week before and asked if she could book me for his Birthday dinner.  She purchased a gift certificate, we planned a menu for him, and she was going to surprise him with a cooking session for his own birthday dinner.  I love and can't wait for all my cooking classes, but I was particularly looking forward to this one!  So I show up, ring the doorbell, and there is the Birthday Boy- with a totally blank look on his face, like he was expecting me to just hand him a birthday cake or something.  He had no idea what he was in for!

SURPRISE!

So while most Birthday Boys or Girls get to kick back and put their feet up while their friends and family shower them with gifts and whisk them out to a nice dinner.....this particular Birthday Boy was thrilled to get to do all the cooking himself!  And when I say "all the cooking himself", I mean it.  I hardly lifted a finger.  HE made:

GREEN APPLE SALAD WITH HOMEMADE GARLIC BUTTER CROUTONS,

WHITE CHEDDAR WHIPPED POTATOES, 

&

ROOT BEER BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Here are some shots from our session.

Thanks for having me, Brian and Leigh Ann!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Working late?

...and don't have time to cook dinner?  No worries.  Check this out!

Citrus Roasted Grouper with Garlic spiced New Potatoes

Lemon and Herb Rotisserie Grilled Chicken with Curried Baby Carrots

Watermelon Spring Mix Salad 
with Balsamic Onions, crumbled Goat Cheese, and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

Yep, you can have restaurant quality, healthy, gourmet meals delivered right to your door!

Click HERE.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

An 80th Birthday Cocktail Party

Well well well....just when I was really getting the itch to make some dainty finger foods- Howard and Emily Rogers come through wanting some h'or douerves for a cocktail party for Emily's mother's 80th birthday party!  What a treat. :)  She browsed my website and picked out 5 of my most favorite finger foods to add to the event:

 *Assorted Crostini Bar*

A variety to please any palate- all resting on crunchy but chewy Garlic Toast Points

Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and torn Prosciutto

Olive Tapenade, Cream Cheese, and shredded Parmesan

Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil, and Balsamic Reduction

Gorgonzola and Honey

*Tuscan Pinwheels*

Made with Rotisserie Chicken, Sun-dried Tomato, Parmesan and Italian herbs slathered in a Pesto Cream Cheese and rolled in a Sun-dried Tomato Herbed Wrap

*Asiago Stuffed New Potatoes*
Petite Red Potatoes are baked once, have their middles scooped out and mixed with all things yummy such as butter, sour cream, and Asiago cheese, then restuffed and baked again

*Asparagus Spirals*
Fresh Asparagus is wrapped in tiny strips of Cheesy Puff Pastry and baked to golden puffed perfection. Served with a Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

*Warm Bacon Swiss Dip in Phyllo Cups*
A smooth and creamy mixture of Swiss Cheese, Green Onions, and crumbled Bacon is piped into tiny crispy Phyllo cups and topped with...even more bacon!

I try not to play favorites, but these intricate yummy bite-size treats are some of the most fun to make...and eat. Although the Rogers opted for the "Express" option (which is why most things are pictured in their disposable travel containers), it is still fun to hand over my hand-crafted h'or douerves and wish them well on their journey.

Thanks, Howard and Emily, for the opportunity to serve you!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

New Additions

The Chef Next Door has added a few new items to the repertoire. I tend to steer clear of baby animals (namely Veal) for really no better reason than it makes me sad to cook and/or eat them....but my eyes have been opened to the wonderful world of LAMB as of late. A lovely cooking class student requested to learn how to prepare lamb, so I had no choice but to really teach myself so that I could teach someone else. Thanks to Sam's Club, which offers a pre-frenched Rack of Lamb in a vacuum-sealed package for roughly $12-$14, this was an easy task. So I'm now all aboard the Lamb Train and loving it. What a tasty little creature! :)

Grilled Rack of Lamb Lollipops with White Cheddar Smashed New Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli, and Spicy Orange Reduction

(Nom nom nom......)

Another menu item was born out of pure frugal-ness and creativity. Also a great find at Sam's Club is Stacy's Simply Naked Sea Salt Pita Chips. Love 'em. However, a certain somebody.........hmmm.......MIGHT have dropped the bag of chips on the floor before even being opened..........and they MIGHT have all broken into a million pieces. I honestly don't know who could have done such a thing. What a bummer. I refused to throw away the entire bag of tiny fragments of the delicious pita chips and instead, turned them into "breadcrumbs" in my food processor. Mixed them with a handful of Parmesan Cheese, a heavy dose of seasonings such as Garlic Salt and Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning, and the vibrant zest of a lemon- and voila! I was left with an incredibly flavorful and incredibly crunchy breading for Chicken or Fish.

Pita Chip, Parmesan, and Lemon Encrusted Tilapia with Smashed New Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli (Yep, those are the two "quick and easy" go-to side dishes)

I've also been exploring the world of Brownie Bites. I know I'm a little late on this trend, but what I lack in modern-ality, I make up for with creativity. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. And last but not least, I've decided that Mini Homemade Chocolate Eclairs aren't as big of a pain in the you-know-what as I thought they were, so now they are available for catering functions; NOT just special family occasions. Tee hee.

Mini Homemade Chocolate Eclairs alongside Strawberry Heart Brownie Bites

Peanut Butter Fudge-Walnut Brownie Bites alongside White Chocolate-Mint Brownie Bites

For recipes and/or to request any of these items for your own catering function, you know what to do.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door