Jonathan Exner Culn lab

In class this week Jess and I had the fun of making cream of tomato soup. The soup simmered for an hour and then was put through a ricer. I added Bechamel to thicken the soup. After that I made cheddar crackers even though they were over done. Learning how to make dressings made the class the most interesting. I like how the balsamic vinegar emulsified and it turned out good. It was better having homemade ingredients rather than store bought. The croutons that were made were amazing. I liked the French onion soup too but it was a little bland. The salad bar was good and had a variety of foods to chosse from. I liked the pickled beats and celery I’ve never tried either of them. Overall class was fun and time flew by fast.

Culinary Lab this week was probably one of my favorites. I like seafood a lot so learning how to cook more of it was a good experience. The class was able to fillet our own flat fish, it was tough removing the skin seeing how the fish weren’t that fresh. We seared scallops and made our own cream sauce with onions and garlic. I also learned how to peel and devein shrimp. I never knew why shrimp were butterflied the way they are. Seeing and doing this process made me more aware of why shrimp look the way they do. The shrimp was cooked using a solution out of Worcestershire sauce, water, black peppercorns, bay leafs, and lemon. Shrimp was also cooked in salted water. The color turned a pinkish color and had good flavor. Mussels were also steamed in different sauces. Chef showed us how to fillet Salmon and some people were able to grill the salmon. The fatty fish was also poached and came out to be amazing! Using the fillet of our flat fish we were also able to make Paupiettes with mousseline farce. We also cooked our fillets with onions and lemon En papillote. Towards the end of the class we made shrimp scampi. Using butter and wine we made made a sauce for the scampi. This lab was more than worthwhile, I cant wait till next lab.

Culinary lab this week was ok. Cooking Striped Bass was a lot easier then fabricating chicken. We used all dry heat methods to prepare our fish. Striped Bass is a round fish and very lean, it was really good. We made goujonettes which were deep fried fish sticks. We also seared a trounche of fillet. Cooking a la meuniere was my favorite. The lemon with butter sauce made a great combination even though I over cooked my fish a tad. Scaling the fish was my least favorite part. The scales went everywhere and it never seemed like I could remove them all. The fish moved all around the cutting board and had a mind of its own. Deveing the fish was new to me as well. The whole process wasn’t too tedious but had its complications. Cooking fish was fun seeing how I love see food almost as much as red meats.

Lab this week went by very fast. Much like last week, the class was required to fabricate our own chickens. Using a pouching solution we were able to cook our chicken breasts. We then prepared Coq au Vin using red wine combined with aromatics and chicken. Jess and I ended up burning some of the FOND, we left the burner a little too high. My tenders en papillote came out fairly well. It needed more seasoning however, the presentation was nice and the food was tender. Making butternut squash stew with class was fun. The stew was amazing!!! I could have eaten maaad lots of it. It was a plus that we were done early to relax before advisor meetings. I look forward to the seafood portion of lab!

Tuesday was an experience. Cutting a whole chicken was something new. I now know where  the specific cuts and parts are in a variety of poultry. Then putting the pieces on ice kept them cold until we were ready to go back. The thighs were pounded out, stuffed, and then pan fried. The turkey legs were coated with seasoning and placed in the oven. When they reached 160 degrees they were finished. Our chicken breasts were sauteed and place in the oven to finish cooking. Using the FOND and aromatics; then reduced with white white, Veloute sauce was added. Veloute was made from chicken stock and a blonde roux. The chicken tenders were my favorite. Using simple F.E.B., the chickens tenders were cooked to a nice golden brown. The wings we cooked also came out great. Our speed was a little off seeing how we ended class a little later. Over all I know the class did the best we could. We are all still learning and need practice and repetition. I look forward to next lab.

Culinary lab this week was a challenge. During our practical exam we were given thirty minutes to make various cuts. I had trouble with my tourne and medium dice. After the practical we were able to make glazed carrots. I was more than happy with the outcome of our carrots. After that we learned how to make one of the five mother sauces. Learning to make Bechamel will forever be beneficial to me. As a class we were also able to see an acid, base, and neutral experiment. The base and acid solution gave broccoli, cauliflower, and red cabbage different texture as well as color. Then in time we were able to blanch our own carrots and then shock them. I was then asked to make F.E.B. for fried zucchini and onion rings, both breaded and battered. The fried zucchini was amazing! After three pieces I was still hungry for more. Finnaly we were taught how to roast peppers. The texture of the pepper became soft and rich in flavor. I plan on using this technique a lot through the future.

Had spent the class making various grains and pastas. Lacking a partner challenged my day. We learned how kneed our own pasta doughs, roll, and cut them. We sauteed onions in butter and oil to make barley and risotto. As a class time was also spent preparing a tomato sauce. The classes bread pudding wasn’t finished cooking but, it still looked like a well made product. As clean up manager for the day I lost my time management skills. I now have a better understanding of the requirements a cook or chef faces everyday.

Lab this week went a lot smoother. Stations were set up representing many different breakfast items from eggs Benedict to Pain Perdu. Making Hollandaise Sauce will take some practice but I was pleased with the outcome of my pouched egg. My classmates and I are finding out what it means to hustle. Getting out of class a few minutes early was a good indication we can function as a whole. It would seem I have an endless array of questions to ask however, I’m not afraid to ask and expand my knowledge in the Culinary field. I was extremely happy to learn one of the five Mother Sauces and hope to learn several variations to create new dishes. I look forward to next weeks lab using other starches such as fresh pasta, risotto, tomato sauce and even Bread Pudding!

Much more involved this week! In class we all prepared Dauphinoise, Duchesse potatoes, and pommes frites. Chef Backus Foster showed us the proper way to make baked potatoes, roasted waxy and russet potatoes. Time management was a bit of an issue however, will surely be improved in time. We learned how to caramelize onions, cook garlic in oil and blanch tomatoes to remove the skins. Cleaning could have went a little smoother. Lab was fun this week but I had enough starch to last me a couple weeks. After tuesday know more of what is expected of me. Team effort is the primary goal of the class, not only with deuces but also as a whole. I plan on finding more time in the lab for needed practice.

Culinary lab was a great look into what is expected of me for the remainder of my time at Suny Delhi. The expectations are high but the reward of education and knowledge is worth while. Starting out with mandatory uniform inspections shows how serious the field is when it comes to professionalism. Practicing vegetable cuts is something I need to work on. I like the fact we can utilize time in the lab when its open for other students and communicate with each other. I learned everything from dicing an onion to the proper tourne of a potato. I also learned the names of my equipment, tools, and my way around the kitchen. Working with a partner is an easier way to learn and assist, its going to be a good semester.