School's in!

Yesterday was the official start of school. I don't have to be on campus until Wed, but my online classes opened yesterday. I have a real love/hate relationship with the first few days of the semester. I love getting the new school supplies and getting organized but I hate the cluster fuck that comes with setting priorities, and getting a feel for what can be last minute and what can't wait. Some classes are very casual and require only common sense, while others demand attention ASAP. I actually have already turned in 4 assignments, primarily start up stuff. I am as ready as possible for tomorrow on campus, having packed my knives, and cleaned my uniforms after 6 months of non use. I had to drop all in person classes last Jan after a car accident.I will be taking Quantity this semester which basically translates to working in the school's restaurant until December. I am excited about the pace, and the menu, according to the syllabus, looks great. We will be briefed this week on Fall's menu selections, and I will share it with you as soon as I can. I will also be keeping everyone up to date on what we learn in my classes and post recipes with technique notes and observations as they are discussed at school. Now I feel like I am getting closer to the mission of my blog...an outlet for school and life from an older student's perspective. Beware! Until I catch my groove and less serious students are weeded out due to natural selection, there will likely be lots of ranting. However as a crumb, I offer this... Public speaking online. Yeah, I found it humorous and sort of an oxymoron, too. That is until I signed up for my in person presentation. Now it makes a little more sense.
Okay, y'all..... it's go time!

Dry Run or The 5 Ps

Prior preparation prevents poor performance.
Yup, I don't know if you care to call me anal or just a dork, but I did a dry run on the extremely cost effective biscuit recipe tonight. It went well. So well in fact, we had bacon biscuits for dinner. The ham is being saved for tomorrow. I did make one ham biscuit tonght just to have the hub test for quality of portion size. I got a 2 thumbs up. All systems go!

Sausage!

It is approximately 5 million degrees here, and we are hungry. I really do not feel like "cooking" but we have to eat, right? Ahhhh, one trip to Earth Fare later and we are stoked about dinner. The easy way. Hans All Natural sausages are our favorite solution for the dinner conundrum. Delicious and easy to prepare, these amazing treats come in several varieties, my fave being Spinach and Feta. The Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic always makes it into the basket as it's the hub's fave. They come in so many flavors, surely anyone can find a favorite. For those seeking heat, I find the basil and sundried tomato recipe will do you right.They all go well with nearly anything, but usually, I whip up a pasta salad or some other easy side. Tonight it was a quick fettucine alfredo. Of course, the sausages can also be used in most recipes where sausage is an ingredient.We like to mix and match, and these sausages are priced right for even the most frugal among us to pick up a couple types. I am not sure about other places, but Hans also can be gotten from the butcher at Whole Foods and Earth Fare. This is great for the noncommittal among us as you can literally get one of everything so you can do some sampling and find your "flavor fit" The fresh (arriving frozen as one butcher let me know) sausages are slightly larger than those that are prepackaged, so an adjustment will have to be made for portioning. All in all, these sausages save me from spending time in the kitchen on hot days, and are great for a busy winter day as well. I highly recommend this easy delicious food to all, they are wonderful. Priced right, they are great for any budget and perfect for large or small groups of diners.


What has this got to do with the chef in training? I have garde manger in the spring, and this food makes me look forward to the charcuterie portion of the class so much more. The rant? I'm not sure my husband will like my links as much as he adores Hans.

How do you do ribs?

Barbeque is a very personal thing that raises passions in the most passive people. Everyone will tell you their kind of barbeque is The Best. Texans prefer beef barbeque with a sort of tomato based sauce, while southerners revere the pig. This is about all we can agree on, the vehicle of sauce delivery. Born and raised in South Carolina, I believe in my heart of hearts that mustard based sauce is the best way to go. North Carolinians are fans of the vinegar based stuff. In a house divided, the cook wins. Since my husband is not allowed to cook, I win. Not that he doesn't always have a choice, seeing as how we brought back 3 bottles of sauce the last time we visited the mountains. Luckily, he doesn't make me fix him his, but I would.
My method for fixing ribs is fairly straightforward. I cheat by boiling them through the danger zone in water with pickling spices. Next I soak them in sauce briefly then grill them for about 7 minutes on each side painting them with sauce after flipping. I then use some reserved sauce and give them one last onceover at service.
We usually take advantage of the warm grill, often cooking corn or other veggies on the grill as sides. Of course, the grill is often a valuable tool for preparing a most excellent bananna split for desert. Just remember to leave the peel on while cooking, it makes handling that much easier. Grilled pineapples are also great garnish for pina coladas or homemade ice cream.

Date night dinner

Saturday, I visited a great butcher shop, Ted's. I just love steak, and being my father's only child to actually live with him after the divorce, I love my grill. We made big plans to celebrate a friend's birthday yesterday, but he backed out and we were tired. So tonight is sorta date night. Normally filet is not on the menu on some random Monday. However due to the beauty of the meat I simply cannot will not freeze them for another day. I am not a big fan of thawed meat anyways, and to be honest the freezer is an abyss where some things never see the light of day again once they've gone in. That is until the offending frozen object falls out onto my foot. Then it is banished for good. So back to the steak, we frequent a restaurant that serves boursin on their filets. It is a delicous alternative to the tried and true Bernaise. I did a little checking and after finding it at local grocery stores for about $7.00 for 8 ounces, decided to experiment. A former employer and I were chatting and after comparing her recipe with other ones I'd come across I found a formula that works for our tastes. Since I really have no rant today, I thought I'd share with you how I do it for way less than grocery store prices. Like all things culinary, this is just what we like. The formula is basic, and of course you can tweak the herbs you use and make it your own....

Boursin
4 oz cream cheese
4 oz butter
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp shallot minced
squirt lemon juice
Mix together and use salt and pepper to taste
It is imperitive you use butter not margarine, as the margarine seems to coat the tongue, inhibiting the herb taste.
Sometimes, I use a mix of oregano, basil, dill, rosemary, and garlic for a more "traditional" boursin.
This is a great toy.... play with the flavors to find a combination you like.

Menu for a mid July gathering

As promised, this is lowdown on what I will serve this weekend.

Hors d'ouvres:
Grits dip with blue tortilla chips
This is another signature dish that unbelievably was on the frequently requested list during my tenure out west. Recipe to follow

Salad:
Lime and blue cheese slaw

Protein:
Lime chicken grilled
Easiest marinade in the world! Recipe to follow.

Veggies:
Grilled summer squash and carrots or silver queen corn (nothing but nothing beats fresh silver queen corn, brother!)

Starch:
I'm thinking some roasted tarragon lime potatoes (credit Ruhlman's discussion about herbs for that one)

Dessert:
Grilled bananas with vanilla ice cream and a strawberry sauce

There is alot of grilled stuff on the menu, but considering I am a charcoal girl (take that Hank Hill) I really like to get maximum use. I also love my little porch, and would rather entertain out there weather permitting than spend time inside over a stove.

Grits Appetizer
1 cup grits
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sundried tomato pesto
1- 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese

Prepare grits using milk in lieu of water. End result should be creamy but not wet. Stir in pesto and 1 cup cheese. Transfer to oven safe serving dish, cover mixture with remaining cheese, and brown. I usually serve it with blue tortilla chips for the color contrast.

Chicken Marinade
1 can of limeaide
tbsp minced garlic
tbsp oregano
I hate to use a Rachel Ray word, but I am not a pastry chef concerned with exact numbers. Eyeball it. I usually marinate my bird for at least a couple hours. Tenders work good for skewers for a barbeque party when you want something besides burgers and dogs.