Culinary Techniques on adventures of an omnomnomnivore in NYC

Culinary School Food Porn: What We Cooked

Fri, 25 Apr 2014 23:12:49 -0400

The less photogenic dishes (sauces, knife work) are omitted, but otherwise this gallery gives you a pretty good sense of what you’ll be cooking in the Culinary Techniques class.

Fish Sticks, Waffle Basket, Pepper Remoulade

A Hot Rack

Short Rib Pot au Feu with Horseradish Sauce

Garniture Bouquetière

Onion Tart

Scallops with Sauce Americaine

Assiette des Crudites

Viennese Escalopes

Split Pea Soup

Duck a l’orange

One Fighting Lobster

Rack of Pork with Braised Lettuce

Chicken Fricassee

Macedoine des Legumes

Chimay Stuffed Eggs

Hot Braising Legs

Fish in Parchment Paper

French Fries

Salade Nicoise

Duchess Potatoes

Steak and Bearnaise Sauce

Mussels with Cream and Mushrooms

Grilled Chicken with Devil Sauce

Basque-style Omelette

French Onion Soup

Puff Pastry Fruit Tart

Potatoes Anna, Hash Browns

Eclairs

Potato “Sundae”

Pear Tart with Almond Frangipane

Cream Puffs

Souffles: Cheese, Chocolate, Grand Marnier

Lamb Stew

Scalloped Potatoes

Hunter’s Chicken

What I Learned in Culinary School (and Why I’m Quitting)

Mon, 14 Apr 2014 23:34:50 -0400

After 22 classes and 110 hours in the kitchens, I am sad but proud to have finished the Culinary Techniques course at the International Culinary Center.

We began on day one by struggling to chop some onions and carrots, and trying to memorize the French names of all the new equipment. Some of us cut ourselves simply pulling knives out of our bags. Somehow that lesson took five hours to cover. We were green as the tray of herbs that was passed around for an identification lesson.

So You Think You Can Cook: Signing Up for Culinary School

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 11:11:16 -0500

A Spooky Eyeball Caprese

For a year while attending the University of Gastronomic Sciences, I was constantly asked, “How’s culinary school? Are you going to be a chef?” I would patiently explain that no, that’s not really what gastronomy is about.

Don’t get me wrong, I spent A LOT of time cooking during that year, with some of the freshest, most affordable produce I’ve ever seen in my life. Our class potlucks were lavish, internationally diverse and subtly competitive; everyone worked hard to bring their A-game to the table. Since coming to New York (land of take-out and tiny kitchens), I have yet to be surrounded by cooks in the same intensity and density.