What Color Will My Uniform Be Today

I have stayed true to myself while in school...by the end of the day I am always the messiest student in class. If I am cooking with tomato sauce, I end up with a white and red uniform. If I am cooking with chocolate, I will be painted in brown. Last week I made a curry sauce and managed to get yellow sauce on my shoulder. Now that takes talent. I have two takes on it. One- I am trying to stand out in a sea of white chef uniforms. Two-If I have to pay $3.00 every time I do laundry I am going to make the washing machine work for my money.

Today I decorated myself in red while making strawberry filling for my Almond Fruit Torte.

ALMOND FRUIT TORTE
INGREDIENTS:
-1 1/2 cups blanched almonds
- 3 eggs
-1/2 cup Maple syrup
-1 teaspoon almond extract
-1 tablespoon agar flakes (thickening agent)
-3/4 cup water
-1 pint strawberries, sliced
-4-5 tablespoons maple syrup
-1 tablespoon kuzu, dissolved in a tablespoon water
-2 kiwis, sliced thin
-2 oranges, supremed

DIRECTIONS
-Preheat oven to 350
- Oil and flour an 8 1/2 inch spring form pan
-Powder almonds in a Cuisinart. Add eggs, maple syrup, and almond extract. Process until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
-Bake fir 20 min or until lightly golden. Top should be firm to the touch. DO not remove from the pan.Set aside
-In a one quart saucepan, soften agar flakes in water for 10 minutes. Cook covered, stirring often until agar is dissolved.
-In a separate pot, combine strawberries with 1/4 cup maple syrup and cook over medium, heat, covered, until soft. Puree in a blender. Put through sieve to remove seeds.
-Add strawberry puree to agar mixture, stirring well. Add dissolved kuzu to the pot stirring constantly, bring to boil. Continue cooking until thick consistency.
-Adjust sweetness with maple syrup, if desired.
-Allow strawberry mixture to cool slightly. Pour over cake (while cake is still in pan)
-Let mixture set then remove sides of spring form pan.
-Garnish with kiwis and oranges.

I made a whipped coconut cream by taking the milk fat off the top of the coconut milk (while still in the can), whipping it in the Kitchen Aid with some maple crystals, and vanilla. It was a nice compliment to the strawberries. It was also a nice compliment to my white chefs coat.

Great friends, fresh air, the ocean, and amazing food. Those four words sum up my weekend. A woman in my program invited the entire class to her house on Fishers island. We spent the weekend kayaking, swimming, clamming, cooking, and relaxing. It was the perfect getaway from the loud busy city.
Having eight culinary students in the same kitchen for the weekend ensures the meals will be good. On the menu- fresh guacamole, salsa, bruschetta, grilled pizzas with roasted pepper sauce, spring fava beans with asparagus, corn, and feta in a lemon dressing, and caprese salad for dinner. Followed by gourmet s'mores for dessert. For brunch we made pancakes topped with rhubarb strawberry compote and pecans. My piece of advice for everyone...invite a few culinary students on your next vacation. Your stomach will thank you.

GRILLED VEGGIE PIZZA
INGREDIENTS:
-1 cup warm water
-1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast (1 tablespoon)
-1 tablespoon rice syrup OR maple syrup
-1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
-2 1/2- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon kosher salt OR sea salt
-assortment of vegetable to grill and choice of cheese

DIRECTIONS:
-Combine water, yeast, and sweetener in a medium mixing bowl and stir until the yeast and sweetener dissolves. Stir in oil and 1 cup of flour. Stir in second cup of flour and salt. Sprinkle some of the remaining flour over a work surface and on your hands. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the work surface. Gradually knead in additional flour until the dough no longer feels sticky
-Lightly oil a large bowl. Shae the dough into a ball and rotate it in the bowl to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Punch the dough down and knead it for about 1 minutes. Return dough to the bowl and let rise again, about 15 minutes.
-Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Form each piece into small disk. Brush oil on both sides.
-On an oiled grill, grill pizza on one side for about 2-3 minutes (until cooked halfway through)
-Flip pizza. Add the sauce, an assortment of veggies, and the cheese of your choice.
-Cook until the cheese melts and the dough is cooked through.
-To speed up cooking time, once the pizza is flipped and the toppings added you may place a large bowl over the pizza (trapping the heat).

We grilled eggplant, zucchini, onions, and peppers. For cheese we used fresh mozzarella and goats cheese. For the sauce we roasted red peppers, combined them with sweated onions, garlic, and salt. Into the blender it went until creamy. It was finished off with a splash of Tabasco sauce. It was a nice alternative to the basic tomato pizza sauce.

Our best culinary creation may have been the s'mores. We grilled them on the griddle to ensure the chocolate melted entirely.

GOURMET S'MORES
INGREDIENTS:
-8 whole Graham crackers broken in half
-one Theo's organic chili chocolate bar(70% dark)
-8 marshmallows (we used vegan marshmallows found at Whole Foods. One of the girls is a vegetation and regular marshmallows contain Gelatin)

DIRECTIONS:
-Preheat griddle
-Place one marshmallow and two chocolate squares on half of the graham crackers (8 halves).
-Top with second graham cracker half.
-Wrap each s'more in tin foil. Place on top of griddle until chocolate is melted through.
-serve immediately.

self quiz

The past few days we have focused on "Food and Healing". We have been flooded with an enormous amount of useful and interesting information. All of which I am excited to share.

In the first part of class we discussed the ten steps to self evaluate your own health. I found it to be very interesting.


1. Good Appetite-humans eat for survival. Bad habits (smoking, too much caffeine, too much alcohol), diseases (cancer), and sicknesses (depression) can inhibit our appetite. If you are always overfed with an imbalance of food your energy is low and a healthy appetite is jeopardized.

2. Good Sleep- There is little down time in our culture. Always something to do, someone to see. The body needs sleep. If you do not sleep well it can be a sign of an imbalance. Most of us believe that falling asleep the moment our head hits the pillow is a sign of good sleep. It is actually sign of sleep deprivation. It takes the body 10-15 minutes to wind down and fall asleep (in a balanced body).

3.Pain- pain occurs to inform you that there is a natural imbalance in your body.

4.Memory- We have memory for learning and survival.

5. Precision in thought and action- you must be healthy and present in the moment to move thought into action.

6. Good Humor- The ability to be adaptable and flexible. Life is full of change. Within the change is a lesson to be learned. If you do not take care of yourself it may be more difficult to handle a trying situation.

7. Honesty- The understanding of when the right time is to say something and how to say it. By being honest in the right moments you are staying true to yourself and honoring the person you are.

8. Humility- If an individual lacks this they are not capable of growth.

9. Gratitude- There is something good in everything, sometimes we just have to dig. To have gratitude for the things we have rather than think about what we WANT allows us to live our life to our best potential.

10. Love (universal love not valentines day love)- acceptance of yourself is your real happiness. You must accept all of the choices you have made regardless of it they are good or bad. Once you have done this you are able to fully love yourself from within.

This evaluation is only a small fraction of what we have been learning. I will share more and how to apply it to food in later posts.

I enjoyed the "Food and Healing" lecture very much. So much that I was able to sit through lecture without a single doodle on my notes and without a bathroom break. That is a major feat for me.

Favorite Past Time

I have found a new source of free entertainment while walking the streets of New York. Analyzing the different styles of hailing a taxi. I am less than 48 hours into this game but can already tell I will never get bored with it. Within four blocks today I saw the eager man who looked like he was trying to direct traffic, the shy woman who barely lifted her arm in the air, and the overly excited woman who looked like she was going to break out into a dance (jumping up and down frantically waving her hands). I usually opt for walking or the subway, but when I do hail a taxi I am now worried that I may put too much bounce in my hail. A few spirit fingers may even slip through. I tell myself to act calm and collected but sometimes I cannot contain the inner cheerleader.
Next weekend I plan on packing a lunch of Chopped Vegetable Watermelon and Feta Salad and camping out by a bunch of taxi hailers. Stay tuned for more hailing styles...

CHOPPED VEGETABLE WATERMELON AND FETA SALAD

INGREDIENTS
1 pound plum tomatoes, diced.
1 1/2 cups diced seeded watermelon
1 large green bell pepper, seeded, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1/2 large cucumber, seeded, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1/2 cup very thinly sliced radishes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
10 ounces feta cheese, cut into small cubes (about 2 1/2 cups),
2 divided green onions, chopped, divided
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves, divided
1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1 teaspoon dried oregano

DIRECTIONS
Toss first five ingredients and two tablespoons oil in large bowl. Add half each of cheese, green onions, and mint. Mix remaining cheese, green onions, mint, and oil in food processor; add yogurt and oregano. Process just to blend (do not over-mix or dressing will get thin). Season dressing with salt and pepper; mix into salad.

We live in a fast paced world. The "to-do" list for life never seems to run dry. By the time one item is crossed off the list there is another to add. It is easy for life to become a mindless set of actions. We get distracted by the everyday motion of life rather than being fully aware of our surroundings, our friends, our families, and whatever else brings us happiness.
Put the brakes on and enjoy the day. Not only in your daily activities, but also in your eating habits. Slow down and eat foods that relax you and that you enjoy. As you do this focus on the process of eating. Acknowledge what you put in your body and focus on the flavors. Chew slowly. Digestion starts in the mouth, by taking time to chew thoroughly you are making the digestion process easier on your internal system and creating less work for your body.
Today I challenge you to enjoy a simple meal, focus on your food, chew slowly, and be aware. You will notice a difference in how you feel.

We woke up to bright blue skies on Memorial Day. On the agenda- rent bikes and ride down the westside highway (along the Hudson river), go to Brooklyn for the "food truck festival", and finish the day with a picnic in the park.
The Westside highway is a bike path that borders the Hudson River from the bottom tip of Manhattan to 125th street. Allowing bikers, walkers, and joggers to ride without ever dealing with cars or busy crosswalks.We rode from the Upperwest side down to Battery Park and then over to Brooklyn. It was no easy fete dodging the crowds of people walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Some walkers seemed to be oblivious to the the white line down the middle of the path that is suppose to separate the walking lane from the biking lane. A cyclist we ended up behind said it best when he yelled "You stupid people see a bike coming and still don't get out of the way". He may not have put it in the nicest terms (my mom taught me never to call anyone stupid) but Taber and I both agreed with him.
Once we arrived in Brooklyn we rode over to the Brooklyn Yard where a variety of food trucks were stationed. As you know from a previous post, I am a big fan of the food trucks here in NYC. Once inside the yard and surrounded by the trucks it was as if the happy fairy slapped a permanent smile on my face, I loved it. After much contemplation Taber decided on the taco truck stand and I settled on a "Hot Pink Limeade" from The Green Pirate truck. My Hot Pink Limeade consisted of freshly squeezed apple, cucumber, beet, lemon, and lime juice. Taber opted for the chicken taco which rivaled The Statue of Liberty in size. We were both satisfied with out choices.
With our bellies full and energy restored we rode back over the bridge to Manhattan and up the Westside highway. We passed skate parks, piers, basketball courts, volleyball courts, play grounds,tennis courts, and lush green grass where sun bathers were sprawled. The Hudson River Park is extremely well done. Taber and I were both very impressed with how well the space is utilized.

To add the icing on top to our perfect day we packed a picnic and took it down to the park. In our picnic basket (a fancy brown bag) was Korean marinated steak, maple glazed lotus root, and a large salad. At the beginning of the program I had mentioned to a friend of mine from class Tabers love for Korean food. To his delight she remembered this and brought him a large tupperware of authentic Korean marinated steak. He appreciated every bite of it.

I would love to post the recipe for Korean Marinated Steak, but doubt I can reciprocate the fabulousity of the dish Mia made us. Instead I will post a recipe for chicken tacos. Again, probably not as good as the tacos Taber ate from the Taco Truck. Unless you have a taco from the NYC Taco Truck you will never know.

ALMOST AS GOOD AS TACO TRUCK CHICKEN TACOS

INGREDIENTS
-8 corn tortillas
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
-1 large onion, sliced
- 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup prepared hot salsa, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Sliced scallions, chopped fresh tomatoes and sour cream, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
-Preheat oven to 300°F. Wrap tortillas in foil and bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, season chicken with salt. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Add chicken and cook, stirring until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to skillet. Add onion and cook, stirring, until they start to brown around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, garlic, jalapeño and cumin. Cook, stirring, until peppers are bright green but still crisp, 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Stir in salsa and reserved chicken. Cook, stirring, until chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Spoon into warmed tortillas and garnish with scallions, tomatoes and sour cream.

Between having Taber here, school, and the visit of our good friends Zach and Kristine I have abandoned the blog the past couple of weeks. I am camped out at a starbucks and ready to blog purge.
Taber was here for two short weeks. To say I enjoyed having him here would be a major understatement. Before his arrival I was in love with NYC, but after exploring it with him I am head over heels in love with it. We went to every area of the city at least once, three areas of Brooklyn, and even made it to New Jersey. While we were living in Italy we discovered the best way to get to know a city is to walk off the beaten path. When you set out with no exact plan you will usually stumble upon the areas of the city where sightseeing tour buses don't stop. Which also means there are no crowds of tourists (a huge plus). The cemented sidewalks of New York became our "unbeaten path". After school I would either meet Taber at the Starbucks on the corner by my school or he would be hanging out in the school lobby. In true Taber form, he was quickly on first name basis with the school secretary and a couple of the chefs. We would set out and walk with no destination in mind until our feet were about to give up on us.

One day we ended up in Central Park, where we laid on the rocks for an hour and a half watching a softball game. On our way home from the park we stopped in Whole Foods to pick up some ingredients for dinner. I showed him a few of the ingredients we frequently use at school (Kuzu, Shoyu, and Agar) that I had no prior knowledge of before becoming a student. We looked at the emu eggs, duck eggs, quail eggs, and a variety of unusual fruits and vegetables. Taber was a trooper walking through the store with me.For that I was grateful.

Another time we walked through SoHo and then Chinatown where we met up with a girl from my class and her boyfriend. Before Chinatown we stopped off at a little market place for some gelato. It brought back a flood of memories from our time in Italy. Not only did it taste like true Italian gelato but it also came with the same tiny spoons served with gelato in Italy. We polished off the gelato and then Taber had my leftovers from school for dessert (risotto, chicken in mushroom sauce, and a coconut curry tempeh). Unfortunately soon after we arrived in Chinatown the sky opened up on us and it started to pour down rain, thunder, and lightening cutting our night short.

Our walks continued for the entire last week Taber was here. I usually keep my eyes off the clock while in school and never wish for the day to be over but when Taber was here 4:15pm (the end of school) could not come soon enough.

Below is a recipe for Chicken Breast in Mushroom Sauce. One of the many dishes I brought home for Taber. He was not a fan of the pieces of mushrooms, which was fine with me because it meant more mushrooms on my plate.

CHICKEN BREAST IN MUSHROOM SAUCE
INGREDIENTS:
-4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2" thickness
-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
-8 ounces shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
-8 ounces portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced.
-1/4 cup shallots, thinly sliced
-2 teaspoon minced garlic
-1/2 cup white wine
-1 cup chicken stock
-2 teaspoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
-In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium high heat until rippling
-Season each breast with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet cook until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side
-remove chicken from skillet, cover to keep warm.
-add remaining oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high flame. Add the mushrooms in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic. Continue cooking until the mushrooms turn a dark brown (2 to 3 minutes), stirring often to prevent garlic and shallots from burning.
-Pour the wine into the skillet (remove skillet from flame when you add the wine) and cook over high heat until almost evaporated, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half
-Remove the skillet from the heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
-Slice the chicken thinly on the bias. Pour sauce over chicken

Recipe by Jenny Mattau