What Culinary School DIDN'T Teach Me

I've been out of school for a year and a half now, and still come across something every once in a while that I really can't believe I don't know how to make or do.  The really surprising part: They are COMMON things.  Don't get me wrong...Culinary school was amazing.  I'd love to be a "professional student" and go to Culinary school for the rest of my life.  BUT- I participated in the "Fast Track Program" which condensed the traditional two years of schooling into an action-packed, intense, 5-hours-a-day-of-nothing-but-cooking program that only lasted 9 months.  Therefore, they had to choose the best of the best, the most useful, most well-known recipes to teach us and had to weed out the "fluff."  For all of my readers who haven't gone to Culinary school, you should enjoy this.


1.  I know how to make homemade Chocolate Eclairs from scratch.......but I have no clue how to make Sugar Cookies.

2. I could make homemade Ice Creams and Sorbets all day with my hands tied behind my back.....but I would have to scour the internet for a Chocolate Cake recipe.

3.  I can make a loaf of Brioche or a Challah Braid with my eyes closed........but I have never made Cinnamon Rolls.

4.  I can make Duck Confit or Stuffed Quail for a crowd...........but this past Thanksgiving was my first real experience cooking a Turkey.

5.  I have no problem putting together Beef Wellingtons or Braised Short Ribs......but I'd scratch my head if you asked me to locate the Sirloin or Flank Steak on a cow.

6. I know how to make just about every sauce under the sun.......but I had to figure out for myself how to make Pesto.

7.  I was taught how to make Vichyssoise (a cold Potato Leek soup) and Borscht (a cold, Ukranian Beet soup)...............but I had to turn to FoodNetwork.com  to learn how to make a Tomato Basil Soup.

8.  In school, I made tiny delicate Blinis topped with Smoked Salmon and Dill......but I've never made or even eaten a Crepe.

9.  I know how to MAKE Mozzarella cheese..........but until I messed up a batch of White Queso Dip on Cinco de Mayo, I had no idea that some cheeses simply don't melt.  At all. 

10. I could carve a Swan out of ice, butcher a whole Pig, fillet a 40 pound Salmon, or make an Ice Cream bowl out of egg whites..........but I still manage to mess up White Rice every time I try to cook it.

So there.  Do you feel better about yourself????  :)


Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Cutie-pa-tooties!

Did I spell that right?  Anyway, you know what I mean.  I just can't stand it anymore, and I HAVE to post these pictures of three of the most adorable kids ever.  I am in the middle of a 6-week series of cooking classes with their adorable Mommy, and I just get so excited to see these little darlings every week.  They even drew pictures for me one week which are now posted on my "Chef Next Door" business bulletin board.  :) 

These photos are from our "Pizza Night" cooking class.  Their Mommy and I prepared the infamous Chicken and Chorizo Pizza, Pesto Pinwheels with homemade Pesto, AND........drumroll please........a Dessert Pizza just for the kiddos.  We made a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough "crust", a Chocolate Ganache "pizza sauce", shredded White Chocolate "cheese", and let the kids add their own toppings to their personal corners of the pizza.  Too fun and too cute.  I think they were pretty happy with their masterpieces.  Wish I could have stuck around to see them covered in chocolate and sprinkles later...but that's not part of the deal.  I scoot out just in time for them to sit down to dinner as a family.   If this looks like something you'd like to do for your kids or yourself, you know who to call!

(Do you see how bored the other two are while waiting on their sister to decorate her corner?? Hilarious.)

(The youngest took his sweet time making sure his corner was PERFECT.  The other two snuck a few M&M's while Mom wasn't looking....)

(Aren't they the cutest children ever??)

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Oh, the Pressure!

Have you ever been struggling with something, trying to find the answer, wracking your brain, trying to work it out, on the verge of giving up...only to find the answer is SO simple and basically been right in front of your face the whole time?  You have to give yourself a wack in the forehead and go, "DUH! Why didn't I think of that??"  Take a seat at my counter for a minute.

The Subject:  Braised Short Ribs- one of my favorite things to cook and eat, a delicious family favorite, surprisingly easy to prepare, easily taught to cooking class participants.

The Problem:  A 2-hour time constraint.  Short Ribs take several hours to braise and get "fall-off-the-bone" tender, and my cooking classes are usually 2 hours long.

Brainstorm Solutions:  Find the smallest possible Ribs that would cook a little faster...prepare a "swap out" like they do on cooking shows to bring to the class....meet for class and prepare the short ribs then meet back up several hours later for the finished results....all of these are ridiculous.

The Obvious Solution:  Make the Short Ribs cook FASTER!! 

But how?  A pressure cooker.  Duh.

I receive daily promotional emails from Williams Sonoma advertising some of their new products or sales, and on one particular day, I got an email advertising the Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker.

WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT???????  

45 minutes in the Pressure Cooker is all it takes to have Braised Short Ribs that melt in your mouth like butter.  Case closed.  I found this little beauty for half-price on Ebay, and just a few short days later, I was in Braised Short Rib Heaven....in just a fraction of the time.  Now, I can share this delectable recipe with my students and we even have time leftover for other recipes.  I simply instruct my students to pretend that the pressure cooker is a regular pot, and pretend that the 45 short minutes in the Pressure Cooker are really 4 hours in the oven.  Everything else is exactly the same.  Ah, technology.

Click here for the recipe for my Root Beer Braised Short Ribs.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Sadness and Triumph

Well, the 4th of July ended up being a very, very sad day in my neck of the woods.  Last week, Taylor and I adopted a 9-week-old Border Collie/Springer Spaniel mix from a shelter.  We named him Sawyer.  He was the happiest, cutest, friendliest, most rambunctious little puppy ever.  He and our 3-year-old Siberian Husky, Layla, took to each other like Peanut Butter and Jelly- she even let him lay across her back like she was his Mommy.  We got him neutered and treated him for all the fleas and worms his poor little body was infested with, and he was well on his way to a perfect bill of health and a long happy life as a member of our family.  But then the Parvo hit him like a freight train, and our little boy who was once bouncing off the walls couldn't even muster the strength to lift his head or eat.  After a couple days in the Animal ER being pumped with fluids and antibiotics, little Sawyer just couldn't take it anymore, and he passed away Sunday afternoon, on the 4th of July.  He was a great dog, and was the perfect addition to our family.  I'll never forget him and will love him always.  RIP sweet buddy.  Our little Tom Sawyer.

Among happier news- The Chef Next Door has won not one, but TWO contests on MixingBowl.com! My "Enchilada Pinwheels" won the Cinco de Mayo Recipe Contest, and my "Sweet Potato-Apple-Butternut Squash Puree" won the Best Baby Food Contest.  I'm not even really sure how it happened, but I guess the people really liked my entries and so did the judges.  I was beginning to think I was wasting my time entering the recipe contests, but you can count on it that I'll keep at it until I win even more!  Thanks to anyone who voted, and please check out my profile on Mixing Bowl and vote for the contests I'm entered in now: Spectacular Strawberry Desserts and Lean Beef Challenge. Hope everyone has a great week.

 *Enchilada Pinwheels*

*Sweet Potato, Apple, and Butternut Squash Puree*


Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Independence Day

Happy 4th of July, everyone!  We are busy smoking some Pork Butts and Spare Ribs out in the yard, but I thought I'd take a minute to wish you all a very happy Independence Day.  I hope you enjoy some great food, fabulous drinks, and lots and lots of fireworks. :)


Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

 

Mom's Birthday Beef Wellingtons and Father's Day Chocolate Eclairs

Every Mom has two days that are especially HERS.  These two days are reserved for honoring her, showering her with love and gifts and attention, and trying somehow to repay her for the countless hours, days, and lifetimes which she has spent making sure that YOUR life is as wonderful as possible.  Her Birthday and Mother's Day.    Oh, my poor mom.  Get this:  My birthday is May 10th.  Yep, it usually falls on or right around Mother's Day, therefore her special day is somewhat overshadowed by her daughter's birthday.  And to make matters worse, HER birthday is June 18th....usually on or right around Father's day.  Therefore, her birthday is usually in conjunction with my dad's special day.  Well, we can't change peoples' birthdays or move the Holidays, so we just have to do the best we can to make their special days super special.

This year, to celebrate Mom's birthday AND Father's day (which fell on the same weekend), I decided that the best I could do was break out the big guns and prepare a meal and dessert that are only reserved for VERY special occasions:  Individual Beef Wellingtons and Homemade Chocolate Eclairs.  Both of these items are truly labors-of-love.  Somewhere between dicing dozens of mushrooms for the Duxelle and vigorously whisking the pastry cream, I felt one of the most rewarding feelings ever.  While I was struggling to perfectly enclose the beef in the puff pastry and clutching my cramped wrist after piping dozens of Pate Choux eclairs, I realized this.   My love of cooking developed because of my Mom.  I was blessed to be able to attend Culinary school because of my Dad.  And now, I was using my special talent, that they both nurtured and encouraged, to honor THEM.  What a treat for me as a Chef.  There is no event more satisfying.

The Wellingtons were delicious.  Mom was thrilled and ate every bite.  The Eclairs...well I don't know if I've ever seen my Dad grinning from ear-to-ear like a little boy, and shoving 4 of them in his mouth as fast as possible.  I don't think any award or accolade could make me as happy as seeing my wonderful parents truly loving something that I made especially for them.  Love you guys!

Before baking:

After baking:

 Served with Root Beer Gravy! Yummy....

Homemade Chocolate Eclairs:

Happy Daddy!

 Comment if you'd like recipes for Individual Beef Wellingtons or Homemade Chocolate Eclairs.  They really aren't that difficult on their own. :)  Maybe just don't prepare them together on the same day.....


Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Copy Cat AGAIN!

Oh dear...I've done it again.  Completely neglected the blog.  Between the exciting new business ventures and the brilliant Summer in Alabama weather, I have been beyond distracted! My apologies, followers.  But make no mistake about it, I am never distracted from my first love-----cooking.  :)  If you'll refer back to one of my very first posts- a restaurant review of Luciano here in Huntsville- I describe a particularly spectacular dish that Taylor ordered for our Valentine's dinner: 

Grilled Red Grouper with a Cabbage, Pancetta, Corn, and Potato Hash topped with Eggplant Tapenade $30

It was incredible.  It was delicious.  It was beautiful.  It was expensive.  And seeing as it was the "special" of the evening, there's little to no chance we would ever be able to order it again.  Well, here is The Chef Next Door rendition- with a few changes here and there.  Guess I'll have to toot my horn for a second because I think my version was even better.  Or maybe it was just the Pawley's Island breeze filling our nostrils and the luminous sunset flooding the plates as we devoured our dinner.....who knows?  Either way, here is a delicious and for-the-most-part healthy seafood dish for you to please your friends and family with this summer. 

The Chef Next Door's Lemon Roasted Grouper with a Cabbage, Prosciutto, Corn, Potato, and Asparagus Hash

Ingredients:

1 beautiful Grouper Fillet per person

Several slices of lemon

Generous sprinkle of salt and pepper

Drizzle of Olive Oil

1 package of shredded Cabbage

1 ear of White or Yellow sweet Corn

1 bag of multi-colored petite Potatoes

1 bundle of Asparagus

1 package (or 5-6 pieces of Prosciutto)

3 Tablespoons of butter

Pinch of Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper

Garlic Salt

Balsamic Reduction for garnish

Directions:

1.  Prep all the vegetables- strip the corn from the cob, remove the woody ends off the asparagus and cut the stalks into 1" pieces, cut the petite potatoes into bite-size pieces.

2.  Place the Prosciutto in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp up.  

3.  Rub the grouper with Olive Oil, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.  Arrange the lemon slices on a baking sheet and top with the Grouper.  Arrange more slices on top of the grouper, then place it in the 350 degree oven to roast, about 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the fillets.

(Note: this is a picture from a different recipe, but I used it just for you to see how to arrange the fish on top of the lemon slices.)

4.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Separately blanch the corn, then the potatoes, then the asparagus until each item is perfectly tender.  (Corn- about 4 minutes, Potatoes- about 6 minutes, Asparagus- about 2 minutes.  Make SURE to do the Asparagus last because it will turn the water green.)

5.  Melt the butter in a skillet, add the cabbage, corn, potatoes, and asparagus and begin to briefly saute the vegetables together.  Season with salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, and a bit of Garlic Salt.  When the vegetables are hot, add in the crumbled crispy Prosciutto and toss everything to combine.  

(Sorry for the blurry photo....was in a rush!)

6. To serve, decoratively drizzle some Balsamic reduction in the bottom of a flat bowl or plate.  Place a generous mound of the Hash in the center, then perch the roasted Grouper on top, and place a slice of the roasted lemon on top of the fish. 

 

 

 Just about anything would taste good with a view like that, right?  Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did.  Happy summer, everyone!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Embarassingly Easy Caprese Salad

GORGEOUS, right??  This yummy delicious Caprese Salad never fails to impress in both flavor and presentation.  It is light but also filling, it has incredible flavor but goes well with just about anything, it is a great side dish but also could act as a main, it pleases meat-lovers and Vegetarians alike, and....it only requires 3 ingredients and if you can hold a knife, you could make this delish dish.

You need:

Several gorgeous ripe red tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella cheese (ball or pre-sliced)
Fresh basil leaves


Pay attention now....this is super difficult:

Slice the tomatoes in 1/4-1/2 inch slices.

Slice the mozzarella in equally thick slices as the tomatoes.

Pick the basil leaves from the stem.

Arrange them as such:  Tomato, then basil leaf, then mozzarella.  Repeat until ingredients are used up.

A healthy pinch of salt and pepper is all that is required for finishing this beautiful salad, but a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar would elevate it to another level of deliciousness. 

Whip up this incredible salad for a crowd or just as a simple lunch for yourself.  Either way, it is uber-satisfying and total eye candy.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Answers to "GUESS!"

Well, nobody seemed to like playing "GUESS!" as much as I thought....but if ANYBODY is interested, the answers are listed on the post called "GUESS!" below.  :)


Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

The Chef Next Door: EXPRESS!

So unbeknownst to me, when you start a business, lots of people are out to get you.  More specifically, they are out to get your MONEY.  After almost being suckered into 2 different "support your local fire department/baseball team and get tons of advertising in return" scams, I am VERY skeptical to answer my phone anymore.  If a number comes across that does not have a (205) or (256) area code, it is automatically rejected.  (I may answer a Tennessee area code once in a while.)   Well, last week, I received a call from Canada.  Yep, you guessed it: IGNORED.  No way was I going to listen to some clown from Canada try to sell me some advertising space on a Baseball poster.  Not interested.   Surprise surprise, they left a voicemail.   It started off like all the rest.

"Hi, Margaret.  My name is ____ _____ and I'm with the company ________."

I started to pull the phone away from my ear to delete the message before having to hear any more nonsense, but then I heard one tiny bit.....

"I'm calling about your pre-made meals for a friend of mine..."

Wow, could it be? A real person with a real interest in my services?  Yes it was!  A man from Canada had googled "pre-made dinners in Huntsville" and came across my website.  Turns out, a friend of his who lives down here in Alabama just had a baby, and as good friends often do, he wanted to send a bunch of meals to his friend and his new family.   So, The Chef Next Door's EXPRESS catering is officially off the ground.  I created an email gift certificate which he sent to his friend, his friend called me to redeem the gift certificate and custom-create his meals...and the rest is history.  If you or anyone you know in the Tennessee Valley is in need of some gourmet pre-made meals, give me a shout!  If you've got a weird area code........well, just be sure to leave a message. :)  Here are the meals I made for the friend and his new lovely family.

Chilled Sesame Shrimp and Noodle Salad

with Green Onions, Cherry Tomatoes, and Salted Cashews

Cornmeal Crusted Fried Shrimp and Spicy Andouille Jambalaya

served with Creole Remoulade and Green Onions on the side

Classic Homemade Lasagna

served with Parmesan Garlic Bread

Deep Dish Mexican Pizza with a Cheesy Cornbread "Crust"

served with Cilantro Sour Cream, Salsa, and Black Olives on the side

Grilled NY Strip Steak with Crumbled Blue Cheese on the side

served with Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli

Mom's Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad

with slivered Almonds and Purple Grapes

Artichoke and Grilled Chicken Casserole

with a Sherry cream sauce over Mushroom Consumme Rice

Barbecue Grilled Chicken Breasts with Honey BBQ and BBQ Ranch Sauce on the side

served with Ranch Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door