1st annual pie contest

Taber has been here less then 24 hours and has already had the pleasure of being a judge in a pie contest. Today the chef instructor decided to add some excitement to class and turn pie making day into a pie contest. We would be judged on the taste of our pie and the presentation of it. It felt more like a day at the county fair rather than culinary school, and I liked it. My entry was the French Walnut Pie. I was happy with both the final taste of it and pie crust design I went with.
Taber was invited into the class at 3pm for the judging process. I gave him a quick lecture on using the "mother spoon" to scoop pie onto his plate and another fork to eat his pie. I had visions of Taber going down the pie line sticking his fork in every one. After the sanitation rundown, he was given a pen and set on his judging way. He did not need to be encouraged to indulge in each pie. I don't know if he was being bias, but my pie was one of his favorites. He also gave high ratings to the Shepards Pie (we had two savory pies in the mix) and the Key Lime Pie. The Maple Pecan Pie came in 1st, Shepards Pie 2nd, and my pie (French Walnut) came in 3rd place. Look out Washington County Fair, pie day at culinary school has inspired me enter future pie contests.


FRENCH WALNUT TART
Recipe by :The Natural Gourmet Institute
INGREDIENTS:
-2 unbaked 9 inch pie dough
-1/2 cup maple syrup
-1/3 cup rice syrup OR honey
-2 tablespoon barley malt syrup
-1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
-pinch sea slt
-1 cup almond milk
-3 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
-2 tablespoons cashew butter
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/4 teaspoon orange extract
-1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
1 tablespoon arrowroot dissolved in
-2 tablespoon cold water

DIRECTIONS
-Preheat over to 350
- Roll out first dough and place in tart pan; chill for 15 minutes with unrolled, second dough. Trim edges of the rolled sough, allowing 1 inch overhang. Cover and chill for 30 minutes more. Roll out other half of dough and transfer to sheet pan. Cover and chill until ready to use.
-In medium pot, combine sweetness. Bring to a boil, lower hear and add lemon juice, salt, almond milk, and walnuts.
-Whisk in nut butter, extracts, and brandy. Add arrowroot slurry. Mix on medium low heat until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and cool.
-Pour walnut mixture into tart shell. Place top dough over filling, trim and seal edges. Cut a few steam vents.
-Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes until crust is firm and golden.
-allow to cool before serving.

*if cashew butter is very thick, loosen it up with 1-2 tablespoons of water or nut milk.

I Scream I Scream We All Scream for Ice Cream

Ice cream, sorbets, granita...yes please. Last Friday was "frozen desserts" day. We made a variety of different frozen desserts ranging from classic flavored ice creams to unusual flavored granitas. I was in charge of the chocolate ice cream. The word "chocolate" in the recipe title should have been bold and capitalized. Even with the absence of eggs, cream, and milk it was the most decadent chocolate ice cream to have ever touched my lips. To make it vegan, I used a coconut milk, almond milk base and added two tablespoons of cashew butter for extra richness. As a thickener I used Agar. Agar is a sea vegetable in a flake form that acts as a natural thickener (like corn starch) without adding a flavor. The most critical ice cream connoisseur would NOT have noticed it lacked dairy.
After completing my assigned ice cream we were asked to create an improv ice cream in groups of four. Our group took one look at the available ingredients and decided on "mojito ice cream". A twist on one of the ultimate spring/summer cocktail. To make it we steeped fresh mint leaves in almond milk, added rum, maple crystals, and lime. Once it was thickened, we churned it in an ice cream maker which turned the mixture into a blissful creation. This ice cream was worthy of a menu position in the top ice cream parlor. To rim the glasses we boiled down maple crystals into a candy and broke it up to resembled salt. The added maple crystal "salt" as a glass rim put a margarita twist on the final presentation, but we still called it a mojito.
The high-quality ingredients and freshness of the frozen desserts we created came through in the flavors. I was pleasantly surprised that the ice cream made with coconut and almond milk had the same creaminess as the one made with cream and eggs. I dipped my spoon in all of them (a couple of times).

Beet and Onions Vinaigrette

Hate is too nice of a word to describe my feelings towards beets as little as two months ago. I was convinced they were dirt balls covered in red dye. That earthy flavor is now what I love most about them. My feelings towards beets turned around on my moms last night in New York. We went to a fantastic restaurant where she ordered the beet and goat cheese salad. I took a bite to make her happy (beets are her favorite)and to my complete surprise I found myself self going back for seconds, thirds, and then fourths. Now I cannot get enough of them.

This recipe is light, simple and delicious. Perfect for a hot summer day. Try to buy beets with leaves, trim them to within 1 to 2 inches of the bulb and leave on the root. This will keep the beets from losing their color during cooking.

BEETS ND ONIONS VINAIGRETTE
recipe from "The Natural Gourmet". Written by Annemarie Colbin (the founder of my school)
INGREDIENTS:
-3 medium or 6 small beets
- 2 medium onions
-1/4th cup brown rice or apple cider vinegar
-2 Tablespoons umeboshi vinegar (optional.I did not have any of this so I left it out)
-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
-1 bunch arugula or watercress

DIRECTIONS:
-Boil the whole, unpeeled beets for one hour in water to cover
-Meanwhile, slice the onions into thin crescents. Bring water to boil in a 2-quart saucepan, drop in the sliced onions, then drain them immediately in a strainer.Place the onions in a salad bowl. Combine the vinegars and oil and pour over the onions. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the beets.
-When the beets are finished cooking, drain and set side to cool. Working with wet hands, peel by slipping off their skins and stem end (it will come off easily) and running under cold water.
-Slice the meets and add to onions. Toss gently and let stand for 30 minutes more.
-Serve on a bed of watercress or arugula.

I apologize for my less than great photo skills. I have yet to figure out how to capture the food so it looks as appetizing as it tastes.

Today was a great day. I had a picnic at Riverside park with three girls from school. We spent the afternoon soaking up the sun while a blues band played live music. Great friends + sunshine + live music + yummy food + a beautiful view of the Hudson equals a perfect Sunday afternoon. To add to its perfection, Taber will be here in less than 24 hours. He arrives tomorrow a 5pm. I am beyond excited for him to get here.

It has been two months since Taber and I have been together. Although time has flown by, it still feels like forever ago that I said goodbye to him at the airport. I am thankful Taber and I are able to have a functioning, loving, and supportive relationship from a distance. Of course it is not ideal, but it allows us to pursue our dreams. By supporting and encouraging each other to follow our dreams it allows us to be our best self. Doesn't the saying go "marry the person that brings out the best in you". If that is the case, then Taber and I have hit jackpot. Regardless of how far away the pursuit of our goals take us, we support one another. Is it hard? Absolutely. Would I have him here every second of the day with me it I could? Absolutely. Thanks to the physical distance Taber's baseball career brought upon us, we are well equipped on how to have a loving relationship through distance. If we did not have this knowledge, I never would have considered packing up and moving to New York to pursue my dream. I am extremely thankful that regardless of if we are close enough to share creamer for our coffee or on opposite sides of the country, Taber and I are able to love and support one another.

His timing could not be more perfect. This morning I woke up to a clogged shower drain. Trying to be Mrs. Fix-it I shoved a pencil down the drain hoping to unclog some of the hair (or whatever else lurks in an old shower pipe). Not such a bright idea. The pencil broke in half leaving me a clogged drain with half a pencil stuck in it. When I informed Taber that I would need his services to unclog the drain his response was "It may be tricky now that there is a pencil shoved down there". I believe that was his nice way of saying "Really Krissie, you really thought that sticking a piece of wood down the drain would help?" I guess Mr. Rotter Rooter won't be hiring me anytime soon.

For the picnic I made a beet, onion, and arugula salad. I have a new found love for beets so it was my first time making them. My kitchen looked like a murder scene after boiling, peeling, and cutting them but the salad turned out great. I will post the recipe tomorrow.

New York keeps me on my toes. I never know what to expect when I walk out my front door. I was reminded of this today when I walked out of my apartment and was greeted with 10 blocks of street vendors selling food and art. The food ranged from specialty food items, restaurants with booths set up, down to the classic funnel cake. I also saw a few vendors selling fried oreos. Does an Oreo really need to be fried?
As I was walking through the foodie street fair my only wish was that it was one week later. Taber arrives on Monday and he would have been in heaven. He and I would have had a great time walking through together. Each loving it in our own way. I would enjoy looking at the menus, seeing the different flavor combinations, and the clever marketing. Taber would enjoy eating it all. The only downfall of his time spent roaming a food festival would be deciding on what to eat. If I had chosen for him today, he would have been torn between the Empanda Mama and Gourmet Steak Sandwich. In the end the steak being cooked on an open fire pit for all to see would have won him over. I would have gone for the classic roasted corn. The popping of the sweet roasted corn kernels in your mouth are worth the package of floss it takes to get your teeth clean after eating it.

As far as I know, the food/street fair goes on throughout the summer. When Taber gets here I plan on tracking it down. I also plan on having floss in my purse, because I will eat an ear of roasted corn.

Below is a recipe for roasted garlic corn. Rather then smother the corn with butter try brushing it with a roasted garlic and sea salt paste. This will cut down on the saturated fat and take the flavor up a notch. Great for grilling on a summer night.

ROASTED GARLIC CORN
INGREDIENTS:
-1 head garlic
-2 teaspoon olive oil
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-6 ears of corn

DIRECTIONS for ROASTED GARLIC SPREAD
-Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.
-Drizzle olive oil over the head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic is well coated. -wrap with aluminum foil.
-Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.
Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. Use a small small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove. Use a cocktail fork or your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.
-With a fork, mash the garlic heads with the salt.
-Spread on hot corn.

DIRECTIONS FOR GRILLED CORN
-Clean that corn by cutting off excess silk hanging from the end and remove loose husk.
-Completely submerse all of the corn you will be cooking under water. This will provide extra moisture for cooking. Let the ears of corn soak for at least 15 minutes prior to cooking.
-While your corn is soaking, prepare the grill.
-Remove the corn from the water and pour out any excess
-Place the corn on the grill.
-If you are using a gas grill, keep the heat on med-high and turn the ears every 5 minutes.If you don't turn them enough, the corn will char.
-The ears will turn brown and might even catch on fire. The water that you soaked them in is steaming them inside the husks.
-Once they are browned all around, remove from the grill.
-Grasping one end with a dish towel, peel the silk and leaves from the top down (like a banana). They should all come off in one piece.

Mother's Day from Afar

For the second year in a row I am miles away from my mom for mother's day. Last year Taber and I were in Italy and this year I am here in New York. Although I am not physically with my mom on mother's day I am still celebrating her. My mom is beautiful, compassionate, smart, strong, giving, and trusting. My sisters and I are extremely blessed to have her as our mom, best friend, and role model. If I were in Washington for Mother's Day I would make her a poached egg breakfast sandwich with walnut pesto and arugula. For dessert she always skips the cake and goes straight for the frosting. So I would make her a large batch of homemade frosting.

Poached Egg Sandwich with Walnut Pesto, Shaved Parmigiana cheese and Arugula

INGREDIENTS:
-1/2 whole wheat english muffin, toasted
-1 free range organic egg, poached
-1 Tablespoon walnut pesto (recipe below)
-shaved parmigiana reggiano cheese
-1/4th cup arugula

DIRECTIONS
-Spread Walnut Pesto on toasted english muffin
-Place the arugula on top of pesto
-carefully place poached egg on top
-top with freshly ground salt, pepper, and shaved parmigiana reggiano cheese



Basil-Walnut Pesto
-3/4th cup walnuts, toasted
-2 cups packed basil leaves
-1 garlic clove
-2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
-1/4th cup extra virgin olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
- Preheat over to 350.
-Place walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes.
-Rub some of the walnuts to loosen skin. It is not necessary to remove all skins, only what readily comes off.
-Place Walnuts and the rest of the ingredients in food processor. Process until smooth adding more olive oil if needed.
combine all ingredients in food processor

Random Thoughts

-When I am walking home from school with left overs in my purse and pass a tall skinny model I want to offer her food.
-I love to walk past the fresh flower markets. Note to Taber...When you get into town I will gladly accept some of these fresh flowers from you:)
-Only in a New York City Gym would I witness a man practicing his tap dance routine between sets of push-ups.
-When I make the train just before the doors are about to close I feel like I have conquered the world.
-I wonder why individuals feel the need to listen to their IPOD music so loud on the subway that I can hear it...from the next train over.
-There should be a regulation on how much cologne one is allowed to put on before entering a crowded subway train.
-New Yorkers are fantastic at multitasking. I have seen a man sleeping as he was walking to work, a woman reading the newspaper as she was grocery shopping, and a man walking his dog while text messaging and eating a bagel.
-When I walk across the street on a "No Walking" sign I am convinced that Taxi drivers speed up to try and hit me.
-I will take the route with the most sunshine. Even if it takes me longer to get to my destination.
-I have yet to decide if some train rides are bumpier because the train is older, the conductor is asleep, the conductor is drunk, or the conductor is bitter and wants all the passengers to spill their coffee, the conductor wants us to start the day off with motion sickness from trying to read the newspaper while being whipped around.
- According to the newspaper the train conductors have been asked to limit their commentary.
-The other day in class the Chef asked us what drives us. I said "success" and she said "Wow, you aren't holding anything back". It turns out she thought I said "sex"!I made sure to clarify.

And finally. The longer I am here the more I fall in love with this city. Sometimes when I drift off to sleep I think about Taber and I (and Aussie and Payton of course) spending an afternoon in the park across from our Greenwich Village apartment. After the park we would wonder to Magnolia Bakery and pick up some cupcakes to have for dessert after going to Blue Hill (farm to table restaurant) for dinner. The only way to make this dream a reality is to have several million dollars in the bank account. I have to go buy a lottery ticket now...

Cookie and Babies

I usually set three alarms for the morning and drag myself out of bed on the third one. Today was different. I jumped out of bed as if I had already had 5 shots of espresso. It was cookie baking day at school and I was excited. Today we baked 16 types of cookies. Yes, 16 different types. I was in my element the entire 6 hours of class and did not hide it well. A classmate came up to me and said "I can tell you love to bake, you have had a permanent smile on your face the entire day". I imagine I looked a bit abnormal smiling at the kitchen aid mixer while it whipped my butter to a light and fluffy consistency. My happiness is not easily contained.
Part of the reason we had so many cookies is because we made a variation of the same recipe a few times. For one batter we would use olive oil as the fat, another coconut oil, and lastly butter. We did these variations for the jam print cookies. I preferred the cookies made with the olive oil. It provided a moist cookie with a minuet olive oil flavor. If you did not know there was olive oil in the batter you would not be able to pick up on its flavor.

After tasting and critiquing the cookies we were able to bag them up and take them home. With my sugar high still in full drive, I started on my walk home. A few blocks from school I passed a homeless man asking for food and money. Whenever I walk by homeless people asking for food it pains me. Especially when I have a bag of food in my purse. Depending upon what leftover food I have taken from school that day, I will sometimes offer it them. The bag of cookies was weighing down my bag and too good not to share, so I offered the man some. His response..."thank you" and "will you have my baby". Will you have my baby? Cookies I can do. But a baby? That is getting a little greedy. I responded with "no thank you" and continued on my way.

Here is a list of the other cookies we made...Rolled Fig, Maple Pecan, Walnut Tea Cresents, Peanut Butter, Rugelach, Macaroons, Chocolate Biscotti, Pecan Tuiles, Raspberry Linzer, Black and White Checkered, and Chocolate Pecan Cherry Bars.

Mr. Caesar Would Approve

There is one dish that is always requested and present our family gatherings. Susie Frank's (my aunt) Caesar salad. It is, hands down, the blue ribbon of Caesar salads. The beauty of it is it's simplicity. It is light and refreshing enough for a hot summer day but can also round out a steak dinner on a cold winter night. She has mastered the ratio of olive oil to lemon juice perfectly. Having been spoiled with her Caesar salad my entire life, I am always skeptical of other Caesar salads. Before biting into them I know they will not live up to the standard I have become accustom to. Which is why I usually avoid them entirely. The other day at school we were given a recipe for "Vegan Caesar Salad". Before making it I had my mind made up that it would be the first and last time I would make it...I was wrong. The dressing turned out to be fantastic. I now have the recipe stared in my recipe collection. No Caesar dressing will ever live up to Susie's, but the Vegan Caesar dressing comes in at 2nd place. Give it a try, it may even end up starred in your recipe collection too.

VEGAN CAESAR SALAD
INGREDIENTS
-2-3 garlic cloves (if they are big only use 2)
-1 tablespoon white miso
-2 Tablespoon lemon juice
-1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
-1 tablespoon mustard
-1/2 teaspoon umeboshi paste
-1 teaspoon shoyu
-1 ounce silken tofu
-6 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 sheet nori, crumbled
-1 head Romain lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
-2 cups homemade croutons
-freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
-In a blender, combine garlic, miso, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, umeboshi paste, shoyu, tofu, olive oil, and nori. Blend until mixture is smooth and creamy.
-Toss salad with croutons and dressing; serve immediately.

Scallop Ceviche

Ceviche is something I have been wanting to make for awhile. My sister, Melanie, told me about a recipe she and her husband, Chris (who is an amazing cook) made awhile ago. Since then, I have been eager to have a hand in the union of raw fish and acid. My day came a few weeks ago and I made this scallop ceviche.

INGREDIENTS
-1 pound sea scallops, cut into coins (1/2 inch thick)
-1 jalapeno pepper, cut into bruniose
-1 medium red pepper, cut into bruniose
-1/2 small onion, minced
-2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into small dice
-1 clove garlic, minced
-2 teaspoons rice syrup (optional)
-2 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
-2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
-sea salt
-black pepper
-1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
-1/4th cup lemon juice

GARNISH
-1 avocado, peeled and cut into 16 slices. and brushed with lemon juice
-2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS
-In a large bowl, combine scallops, jalapeno, red pepper, onion, tomatoes, garlic rice syrup, cilantro, parsley, salt, pepper, citrus juices.
-Toss gently but thoroughly, being certain scallops are well coasted with citrus juices.
-Cover and refrigerate for at least 40-60 minutes, or until scallops lose their translucent appearance. Stir occasionally.
-Serve in individual chilled bowls and garnished with avocado and parsley.

Grilled Ginger Lime Chicken Breast with Papaya Salsa

Here are a few recipes worth trying...

GRILLED GINGER LIME CHICKEN BREAST WITH PAPAYA SALSA
- 6 Organic Free Range chicken breasts (skinless and boneless)
-1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
-3 tablespoons grated ginger
-1/2 cup olive oil
-1 Tablespoon black pepper
-2 Tablespoons Shoyu

DIRECTIONS
-Combine the lime juice, ginger, olive oil, pepper, and shoyu
-Pour over the chicken
-Allow to marinate in refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
-Grill on a hot grill until cooked through (juices run clear)
-Slice on the bias and serve with the papaya salsa

PAPAYA SALSA
-1 Papaya
-1/4th pineapple
-2 scallions, cut on the bias
-1 Tablespoon cilantro, minced
-1 jalapeno
-juice of 1 lime
-1 Tablespoon ginger juice

DIRECTIONS
-Peel, remove seeds, and dice papaya into small dice
-Peel, remove core, and dice pineapple into small dice
-Cut scallions on the bias
-Mince Cilantro
-remove seeds and membrane of jalapeno, mince
-Combine all ingredients in a bowl with lime and ginger juice
-Refrigerate for 1 hour or over night. Remove 30 minutes prior to service.

Back in Business

I have spent the last couple of weeks fully emerged in school. Between after hour stewarding, homework, recipe testing, and studying for my midterm I have had no time to write.
I took (and survived) my midterm yesterday. The only traumatic experience of it was burning myself on the convection oven and almost bursting into tears after giving the chef the first course I had prepared. Luckily I held myself together and kept the tear ducts in check. I was not happy with my vinaigrette I had made, which is why I almost broke into tears. Apparently the chef was satisfied with it. I got a 95% on the cook tech part of the midterm. 100% would have been better, but I will take the 95%. I have not yet seen the actual test, so I don't know what I was marked off for. The chef only showed us our grade as we were walking out the door.