Just a Taste April 14, 2008
Posted by halfawake in Entertainment, Photos.Tags: braising, cooking, culinary arts, food, lamb, stews, we get to wear chef costumes
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I’ve been taking a 14 week Intro to Culinary Arts class for fun, and it’s been… delicious. So far, I’ve consistently forgotten to bring my camera in to record the finished products every week, but I couldn’t resist snapping a cell-phone shot of the braised lamb shanks we made recently.
Our side dishes that night: Whipped potatoes with rutabaga, and French-style peas.
Other main courses served that night: Vegetarian Chili, Braised Moroccan-Style Chicken, Ragu Blognese, Osso Buco, Choucroute, Duck, Oyster & Artichoke Gumbo, Cioppino.
I meant to ask if they have you all wearing chef’s coats and toques.
I don’t know what a toque is… But if it’s the hat, then yes we’re wearing tall (paper) hats. We also wear baggy pants with a dark plaid pattern that my officemate calls “hammer pants”. I’ll see if I can get a picture at some point.
Pictures would be awesome. But no worries if you can’t. I have 5 of the same outfit. My hammer pants are quite baggy. And yes, the toque is the paper hat.
sounds (and looks) great! I think I’d really enjoy a class like that.
But, on a more practical note, the menu sounds like it would be pretty long on preparation. Would you say these are items you’d make yourself on a regular basis, or stuff you’d save up for a special dinner? I guess I’m at the stage of life where a minimalist meal like meatloaf and a salad appeals, just because it’s quick to prepare.
Perhaps someday when I have control of my schedule again…
It’s a mix. There are some things that would be reserved for special occasions, and also some dishes that are easy once you have practice doing it, but the first time or two can be confusing. There’s also some that take a looong time, but are very low maintenance (you leave it stewing for a few hours while you go do work). And I should tell you, we’ve made some mighty fine meatloaf and salads in this class :-D.