My wife and I were given a tour of the Atlantic Culinary on Friday by Chef Mike Ciufetti. He showed us all around the campus and introduced us to many of the staff. They have a terrific operation out there. Mike also treated us to a wonderful 8 course dinner that was one of the best I have ever eaten. Here's to making friends in the CEC network! Thanks Mike.
I have to say about that area, Maine and New Hampshire, that they sure love their food. We didn't have a bad meal out there. The lobster was great! We visited The White Barn Inn and it was great. I would recommend it to anyone visiting New England.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Stollen
Some of my collegues and I got talking about stollen. It's a German Christmas cake made with yeast and candied fruit. It is delicious and I thought I might try to make some before Christmas comes. Well yesterday I made some. One of my friends suggested a recipe from "Artisan Bakers Across America" by Maggie Glezer. This a book well worth picking up even if you don't intend to make stollen.
The stollen is a very soft and low gluten dough. It feremented slowly but surely. Usually recipes use dark raisins but all I could find were golden ones. Oh well, they worked fine. It also has a lot of orange and lemon zest. I think I could use some work on my shaping of the final dough but it went well. The dough is also filled with a line of marzipan down the center. I baked it off last night and after it cooled for a bit, I brushed it with clarified butter, rolled it in vanilla sugar and dusted it with powdered sugar. What's not to like here?
You're not supposed to eat it while it is warm.......but when have you know me to do what I am supposed to do. I was still very good warm but a little too moist and soft. This morning I got up early to make coffee and have some of my stollen. Whew! What a flavor! I can taste the yeasty goodness and all the different sugars help to make a great crust on the bread/cake. The line of marzipan that was a little too much last night has mellowed to a smooth almond background flavor.
Another one of my friends told me of a German baker she worked for who would bake it in September and glaze it with apricot glaze. He would then cover it and leave it for Christmas time. The aging worked in the breads favor. I don't know if I can wait that long. Oh, here comes the family. They are enjoying it quite a bit. I guess I'll have to bake some more to try the aging process.
Let me know your experience with stollen.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Chef Herve Chabert
Chef Herve Chabert has been working well with our laminated doughs
class this week. He has integrated into the class so much that it
looks like he is co-teaching the class with our instructors. What a
novel idea. He showed several French techniques for shaping brioche
yesterday and they were wonderful. Tomorrow is his last day and we are
having a lunch for him with food indigenous to the Chicagoland area.
Should be tasty. I'm bring brats and others are bringing pizza,
frangos and other Chicago items. We can't wait til he comes back.
I'll keep you posted on the rest of his visit and subsequent ones in
the near future.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Bread Guild Live!
The next podcast is here and we visit Bread Guild while they are making pizza. Let me know what you think. Come to bread guild on September 11th for French Breads
Bread Guild Live!
Bread Guild Live!
Friday, August 19, 2005
French Culinary Terms
The next podcast is here and we deal with French culinary terms. Chef Germain Peladeau and I talk over a list of commonly used words in the classical kitchen. It's a very relaxed 9 minutes of fun and information. Chef Peladeau was one of my teachers years ago right here at CHIC. I look up to him; I have to he's much taller. No, seriously, he is one of the best chefs I have ever met. I hope you enjoy and learn from the recording.
French Culinary Terms Link
Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America Culinary Glossary
Allumette: a “matchstick cut”, 1/8 by 1/8 by 2 inches, most often applied to potatoes.
Anglaise: a vanilla stirred custard consisting of milk, sugar and egg yolks.
Aspic: clarified stock with addition of gelatin, used to garnish many cold preparations.
Ballotine: a hot or cold dish made from a mousseline style farce (forcemeat). Often the dish is poultry stuffed with forcemeat and then poached or braised.
Batonnets: a classical cut measuring ¼ by ¼ by 2 ½ inches, 2 inches for ACF competition.
Bavarois: a cold dessert composed of rich custard, whipped cream, various flavorings and gelatin. It is French for “Bavarian cream”.
Bechamel: a mother French white sauce made by stirring milk into a butter-flour roux. The thickness of the sauce depends of the proportion of flour and butter to milk.
Beurre Manie: equal part butter and flour (uncooked roux) kneaded together to separate starch molecules. Used to thicken soups and sauces.
Blanquette: a white stew made by poaching or simmering meat in liquid, finished with a liaison. The meat is not browned before simmering as not to impart color to the finished product.
Boudin (blanc) Sausage: a sausage made with forcemeat comprised of veal, pork, chicken or rabbit. It is French in origin.
Brunoise: a classical cut measuring 1/8 by 1/8 by 1/8 inches
Brunoisette: a classical cut measuring 1/16 by 1/16 by 1/16 inches.
Cheveau: a “hair-like” classical cut measuring 1/32 by 1/32 by 2 inches usually done on a mandolin.
Chiffonade: a classical cut where leafy vegetables or herbs have been rolled tightly then sliced thinly into ribbons.
Chinois: a metal conical sieve with and extremely fine mesh. It is used for pureeing or straining.
Ciseler: thin cuts similar to a chiffonade, may also refer to the thing scoring of skin or fish or game birds.
Concasse roughly chopped vegetables usually referred to tomatoes, which have been mongered, and the seeds removed.
Coulis: a sauce made from a puree of vegetables or fruit, either raw or cooked, served hot or cold.
Court Bouillon: aromatic poaching liquid made from mirepoix and an acidified liquid (usually wine or citrus).
Crème: cream
Demi-glace: a sauce made from 50% espangnole sauce and 50% brown veal stock that is reduced by 50%. Some contemporary interpretations omit the espagnole sauce and simply reduce brown stock.
Emincer: a cut that typically refers to a thin slice of onion or shallot performed by cutting from top to bottom of a “halved” item not by cutting across the rings.
Escalope: a French term for a very thin, usually flattened slice of meat or fish.
Espagnole: a classical mother sauce consisting of brown stock, brown roux, caramelized mirepoix, and tomato product. It is used with brown stock and reduced to form demi-glace.
Farce: a raw protein emulsification used for stuffings.
Fond: stock, there are three types: fond blanc which is white stock, fond brun which is brown stock and fond de vegetal which is vegetable stock.
Fricassee: a white braise or stew. Product is sweated in fat imparting no color and finished in sauce (no liaison).
Fumet: a concentrated stock.
Galantine: poultry poached and served cold
Garde manger: means pantry where cold foods are prepared.
Gaufrette: a classical “waffle” like cut done on a mandolin.
Hollandaise: hot emulsion of egg yolks, classic reduction (or white wine and lemon juice), with clarified butter, salt and pepper and cayenne pepper.
Julienne: a classical cut measuring 1/8 by 1/8 by 2 inches
Macedoine: refers to a medium dice for mixed vegetables or fruits.
Mignonette: a classical small “fry cut” measuring ¼ by ¼ by 2 ½ inches.
Mirepoix: a blend of aromatic vegetables used for flavoring soups, stocks and sauces. It consists of 50% onion, 25% carrot and 25% celery.
Mousse: French term for froth or foam. Rich airy dessert made with fruit puree or chocolate and the addition of whipped cream and or beaten egg whites.
Noisette: “nut” or “hazelnut” sized pieces of beef filet from the tail or butt end of the beef tenderloin. These pieces are approximately ½ ounce in weight and are often sautéed and finished quickly with a sauce.
Parisienne: a sphere shaped cut made by using the parisienne scoop.
Pate a Choux: cream puff or éclair pastry. Made from a thick paste of flour, milk and eggs.
Pate Brisee: broken pastry used for pie dough and for savory presentations such as quiches. Prepared from fat, flour and water.
Paupiette: refers to a thin slice of meat, usually beef or veal, which is rolled around a filling of ground meat or vegetables.
Petit Fours Sec: refers to an uniced or unfilled petit four such as a small butter cookie or palmier.
Pomme de terre: potato, literally “apple of the earth”.
Remoulade: an emulsified sauce similar to the gribiche except with the addition of chives, Dijon mustard, anchovies, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce.
Roulade: a technique that incorporates rolled meat with a filling that is similar to a paupiette but usually browned on the outside before being finished.
Roux: a mixture of flour and fat that is cooked slowly over low heat. It is used to thicken sauces and soups. There are three types: roux blanc, roux blonde and roux brun.
Royale: a clear consume made from chicken stock, garnished with custard cut into various shapes. The basic custard mix of 1 quart of heavy cream, 10 whole eggs and salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
Sabayon: French word for zabiglione made by whisking egg yolks, white wine and sugar over heat.
Sauté: a technique of cooking quickly in very little fat, high heat. It means “to jump” in French.
Supreme: traditionally a boneless, skinless chicken breast with the tenderloin removed. A skin-on version with the arm joint cleaned and intact may also be considered a supreme or “airline breast”.
Terrine: a shaped mousseline style farce binding with vegetables or other cooked items cooked and then served cold.
Tourner: refers to “turned” vegetables cut into football shape with seven equal sides and ends left flat.
Veloute: a classical mother sauce made from white stock (fish, chicken,veal or vegetable) and a white or blonde roux, salt and white pepper.
Vichyssoise: a cold thick potage made from potatoes and leeks finished with heavy cream and sherry and a chive garnish.
French Culinary Terms Link
Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America Culinary Glossary
Allumette: a “matchstick cut”, 1/8 by 1/8 by 2 inches, most often applied to potatoes.
Anglaise: a vanilla stirred custard consisting of milk, sugar and egg yolks.
Aspic: clarified stock with addition of gelatin, used to garnish many cold preparations.
Ballotine: a hot or cold dish made from a mousseline style farce (forcemeat). Often the dish is poultry stuffed with forcemeat and then poached or braised.
Batonnets: a classical cut measuring ¼ by ¼ by 2 ½ inches, 2 inches for ACF competition.
Bavarois: a cold dessert composed of rich custard, whipped cream, various flavorings and gelatin. It is French for “Bavarian cream”.
Bechamel: a mother French white sauce made by stirring milk into a butter-flour roux. The thickness of the sauce depends of the proportion of flour and butter to milk.
Beurre Manie: equal part butter and flour (uncooked roux) kneaded together to separate starch molecules. Used to thicken soups and sauces.
Blanquette: a white stew made by poaching or simmering meat in liquid, finished with a liaison. The meat is not browned before simmering as not to impart color to the finished product.
Boudin (blanc) Sausage: a sausage made with forcemeat comprised of veal, pork, chicken or rabbit. It is French in origin.
Brunoise: a classical cut measuring 1/8 by 1/8 by 1/8 inches
Brunoisette: a classical cut measuring 1/16 by 1/16 by 1/16 inches.
Cheveau: a “hair-like” classical cut measuring 1/32 by 1/32 by 2 inches usually done on a mandolin.
Chiffonade: a classical cut where leafy vegetables or herbs have been rolled tightly then sliced thinly into ribbons.
Chinois: a metal conical sieve with and extremely fine mesh. It is used for pureeing or straining.
Ciseler: thin cuts similar to a chiffonade, may also refer to the thing scoring of skin or fish or game birds.
Concasse roughly chopped vegetables usually referred to tomatoes, which have been mongered, and the seeds removed.
Coulis: a sauce made from a puree of vegetables or fruit, either raw or cooked, served hot or cold.
Court Bouillon: aromatic poaching liquid made from mirepoix and an acidified liquid (usually wine or citrus).
Crème: cream
Demi-glace: a sauce made from 50% espangnole sauce and 50% brown veal stock that is reduced by 50%. Some contemporary interpretations omit the espagnole sauce and simply reduce brown stock.
Emincer: a cut that typically refers to a thin slice of onion or shallot performed by cutting from top to bottom of a “halved” item not by cutting across the rings.
Escalope: a French term for a very thin, usually flattened slice of meat or fish.
Espagnole: a classical mother sauce consisting of brown stock, brown roux, caramelized mirepoix, and tomato product. It is used with brown stock and reduced to form demi-glace.
Farce: a raw protein emulsification used for stuffings.
Fond: stock, there are three types: fond blanc which is white stock, fond brun which is brown stock and fond de vegetal which is vegetable stock.
Fricassee: a white braise or stew. Product is sweated in fat imparting no color and finished in sauce (no liaison).
Fumet: a concentrated stock.
Galantine: poultry poached and served cold
Garde manger: means pantry where cold foods are prepared.
Gaufrette: a classical “waffle” like cut done on a mandolin.
Hollandaise: hot emulsion of egg yolks, classic reduction (or white wine and lemon juice), with clarified butter, salt and pepper and cayenne pepper.
Julienne: a classical cut measuring 1/8 by 1/8 by 2 inches
Macedoine: refers to a medium dice for mixed vegetables or fruits.
Mignonette: a classical small “fry cut” measuring ¼ by ¼ by 2 ½ inches.
Mirepoix: a blend of aromatic vegetables used for flavoring soups, stocks and sauces. It consists of 50% onion, 25% carrot and 25% celery.
Mousse: French term for froth or foam. Rich airy dessert made with fruit puree or chocolate and the addition of whipped cream and or beaten egg whites.
Noisette: “nut” or “hazelnut” sized pieces of beef filet from the tail or butt end of the beef tenderloin. These pieces are approximately ½ ounce in weight and are often sautéed and finished quickly with a sauce.
Parisienne: a sphere shaped cut made by using the parisienne scoop.
Pate a Choux: cream puff or éclair pastry. Made from a thick paste of flour, milk and eggs.
Pate Brisee: broken pastry used for pie dough and for savory presentations such as quiches. Prepared from fat, flour and water.
Paupiette: refers to a thin slice of meat, usually beef or veal, which is rolled around a filling of ground meat or vegetables.
Petit Fours Sec: refers to an uniced or unfilled petit four such as a small butter cookie or palmier.
Pomme de terre: potato, literally “apple of the earth”.
Remoulade: an emulsified sauce similar to the gribiche except with the addition of chives, Dijon mustard, anchovies, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce.
Roulade: a technique that incorporates rolled meat with a filling that is similar to a paupiette but usually browned on the outside before being finished.
Roux: a mixture of flour and fat that is cooked slowly over low heat. It is used to thicken sauces and soups. There are three types: roux blanc, roux blonde and roux brun.
Royale: a clear consume made from chicken stock, garnished with custard cut into various shapes. The basic custard mix of 1 quart of heavy cream, 10 whole eggs and salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
Sabayon: French word for zabiglione made by whisking egg yolks, white wine and sugar over heat.
Sauté: a technique of cooking quickly in very little fat, high heat. It means “to jump” in French.
Supreme: traditionally a boneless, skinless chicken breast with the tenderloin removed. A skin-on version with the arm joint cleaned and intact may also be considered a supreme or “airline breast”.
Terrine: a shaped mousseline style farce binding with vegetables or other cooked items cooked and then served cold.
Tourner: refers to “turned” vegetables cut into football shape with seven equal sides and ends left flat.
Veloute: a classical mother sauce made from white stock (fish, chicken,veal or vegetable) and a white or blonde roux, salt and white pepper.
Vichyssoise: a cold thick potage made from potatoes and leeks finished with heavy cream and sherry and a chive garnish.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
The First Breadcast!
Well we've finally gone and done it. The first breadcast is on the web. You can listen to it here. It's 20 minutes long and describes how to make French bread. Along the way I try to give some tips as to how to make bread better. Let me know what you think. Thanks!
Breadcast Link
Breadcast Link
Friday, August 05, 2005
Some folks had asked about my experience in cooking and teaching. Here is my resume. Feel free to ask about any of the places I have worked or taught.
Thomas F. Beckman, C.C.E., C.W.P.C.
tomarge@rcn.com
tbeckman@chicnet.org
Professional Experience
1/97-Present Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL
Baking and Pastry Instructor
* Teach and facilitate students basic and advanced concepts including breads, fine pastries,
cakes, laminated doughs and others.
* Consistently develop dynamic lesson plans for all baking and pastry classes offered at school
* Partnered with academic administration to obtain NCA candidacy accreditation.
* Created and conducted demonstrations for the public on all forms of cooking.
11/95-3/99 Private Home Chef Chicago,IL
* Developed extensive low-fat recipes and menus for a family of four in Lincoln Park.
* Controlled expenses and shopped for items
* Cooked dinners and some baked goods.
5/95-1/97 Tra Via Chicago, IL
Pastry and Baking Chef
* Introduced rustic desserts for an eclectic Italian restaurant.
* Produced daily special and menu items along with various breads and pizzas.
* Supervised garde manger staff in executing desserts.
9/93 - 5/95 Ritz-Carlton Hotel Chicago, IL
Pastry Cook
* Assisted Pastry Chef in developing desserts for Five-Star restaurant outlet, room service, and
banquet operations.
* Provided daily set-up & presentation for service.
* Developed high volume production experience with mousses, doughs, and small pastries.
2/93 -8/93 Mayfair Hotel - Le Ciel Bleu Restaurant Chicago, IL
Pastry Cook
* Created desserts for classical French restaurant. Gained experienced with cakes,
chocolate, creams, ice creams and sorbets.
* Independently produced lunch and tea services for up to 400 guests.
Education
1993 The Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL
A.A.S.. in Culinary Arts, High Academic Honors
1982 Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL
B.S. in Communications
Organizations
1997-present American Culinary Federation, with CCE and CWPC certifications
1997-present Bread Bakers Guild of America
Thomas F. Beckman, C.C.E., C.W.P.C.
tomarge@rcn.com
tbeckman@chicnet.org
Professional Experience
1/97-Present Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL
Baking and Pastry Instructor
* Teach and facilitate students basic and advanced concepts including breads, fine pastries,
cakes, laminated doughs and others.
* Consistently develop dynamic lesson plans for all baking and pastry classes offered at school
* Partnered with academic administration to obtain NCA candidacy accreditation.
* Created and conducted demonstrations for the public on all forms of cooking.
11/95-3/99 Private Home Chef Chicago,IL
* Developed extensive low-fat recipes and menus for a family of four in Lincoln Park.
* Controlled expenses and shopped for items
* Cooked dinners and some baked goods.
5/95-1/97 Tra Via Chicago, IL
Pastry and Baking Chef
* Introduced rustic desserts for an eclectic Italian restaurant.
* Produced daily special and menu items along with various breads and pizzas.
* Supervised garde manger staff in executing desserts.
9/93 - 5/95 Ritz-Carlton Hotel Chicago, IL
Pastry Cook
* Assisted Pastry Chef in developing desserts for Five-Star restaurant outlet, room service, and
banquet operations.
* Provided daily set-up & presentation for service.
* Developed high volume production experience with mousses, doughs, and small pastries.
2/93 -8/93 Mayfair Hotel - Le Ciel Bleu Restaurant Chicago, IL
Pastry Cook
* Created desserts for classical French restaurant. Gained experienced with cakes,
chocolate, creams, ice creams and sorbets.
* Independently produced lunch and tea services for up to 400 guests.
Education
1993 The Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL
A.A.S.. in Culinary Arts, High Academic Honors
1982 Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL
B.S. in Communications
Organizations
1997-present American Culinary Federation, with CCE and CWPC certifications
1997-present Bread Bakers Guild of America
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Farmer's Market
It looks like it's going to be the hottest weekend of the summer. So what do I plan to do? I'm going to the farmer's market on Armitage. Hey at this hour, it's only 68°F. I expect it will be much hotter by midday. I think this market is one of the best in the city. We have lot's of great markets in the area. In fact there is one at the park at Clark and La Salle today as well. I do wonder how the drought conditions of this area and many others have affected productiona and prices at these markets. Most people will pay a premium for good produce but there is a limit. I'll find out in a few minutes. Stay cool and I will report my findings.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
CHIC Podcasts
Soon we will have a podcast from the faculty. Right now we plan to have a show about bread hosted by yours truly, of course. We also plan to add some culinary and baking terms that you might find difficult to pronounce. If you have any other ideas for shows, just let me know right here. I thank you in advance for your help. Keep your eyes glued right here for more information.
CHIC Faculty Pictures Online Now
You can see all the CHIC faculty at the CHIC website. I have completed taking the pictures of them all. I think they look great. Not only do we have a well credentialed faculty, we have a great looking one. Check out the CHIC website to see them.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Teacher's In-service
It's been a while since we talked. Yesterday, the faculty of our fine school was treated to a session by Dr. Mark Taylor. He talked about the differences in the generations and particularly about Generation Next. These are the folks born after 1979. This consitutes most of our student body. It was an interesting lecture and helped us know more about our students. Check out his websitefor more information. In addition to being very educational he is extremely funny and personable. We always love to see him at school.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Hello from San Francisco: Day 4
We have been working on laminated doughs all week. We started with six different types of croissants and yesterday started making Danish. It is interesting working with Chef Brian Wood here at the San Francisco Baking Institute. He brings a fresh approach to laminated doughs. One which I hope to bring home to our school. Today we will be working on non-laminated sweet doughs such as cinnamon rolls and pannettone. Tomrrow we will finish with one of my favorite doughs, pan d' oro, bread of gold. It is one of the bakers finest achievements. It takes four different doughs to make pan d'oro. We begin today. Well I better get to school. See you when I get back on Tuesday.
Monday, May 02, 2005
San Francisco here I come!
I am in sunny San Francisco this morning for a class on "breakfast pastries". It is part of CHIC's faculty development plan. I will be here all week reporting to you about my activities. Right now, I am getting ready to go to the San Francisco Baking Institute, SFBI. The morning is beautiful and the view from my hotel is terrific. I will show it to you in another post. Well, I have got to get going or I will miss the bus.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Roy's of Hawaii
I didn't tell you about Roy's on State street. We went there after Mass on Easter. It's right at the corner of State and Superior. And superior is a great street for this restaurant to be on. We were greeted at the door very cordially and seated at a table by the window. It was a gorgeous day so this was great. We looked at the menu and saw there were several appetizers available. We started to decide which one to have when were informed by the server that we would receive a tasting of each of the four appetizers. These included a mushroom quiche, ginger ravioli, a piece of salmon sushi and coconut shrimp. Each was delicious and because Margie does not eat sushi, I got hers. MMM.....boy! We had soup and salad and then on to our entrees. I had crab cake with poached eggs and Margie had a seafood treasure omlette. It had lobster, shrimp and scallops inside. Every piece of food was delicious and we had a great time. But what made the bruch was the service. The folks at Roy's of Hawaii are always interested in making your stay with them excellent. It shows in everything they do. Go and you will not be dissapointed.
First day of School Podcast
Hey students of food. Here's the first day at school, April 4th, 2005. Enjoy the podcast!
First Day of School
First Day of School
Welcome back!
Howdy fellow food lovers. Well that was quite a break. I know it sounds weird but I am really looking forward to coming back to school. Tomorrow we start the custards class with the same group I just finished basic techniques with. I am glad to be with you folks again. Today I am at school getting ready for the class. I am prepping creme caramel and creme brulee and some surprises. It's actually skill lab but since nobody contacted me and it's the beginning of a new term, I doubt I will have any students show up today. I see some folks coming up the path towards the school. They must have a class that starts today. There are some very white starched uniforms. I think we have some extremely new folks starting today. Welcome to all! If you are in my class tomorrow, don't forget to bring the recipe book. We will be diving right in first thing Tuesday. Get lots of sleep tonight and I will see you in the morning.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Have a great break!
I hope you had a good Friday yesterday, we certainly did. Getting to spend time with our family and nephews is always great. Tomorrow, Easter, we will be attending Holy Name Cathedral for Mass with the Cardinal. I have never seen him say Mass before so it should be a treat. I was lucky enough to see our previous cardinal, Cardinal Bernadin speak and I will aways remember that.
After Mass, we will be partaking of brunch at Roy's of Hawaii. Roy's is a special place but not just for the food. The service there is excellent. It makes you want to come back. They had sent us a menu on e-mail and it enticed us so. There's a message to you restauranteurs. E-mail works to build traffic. It didn't hurt that we were thinking about going there anyway.
School starts back up again on Monday, April 4 for some of you. April 5 is when most of the classes resume. My cohort begins on Tuesday, April 5. Have a great time off and I will see you when we get back.
After Mass, we will be partaking of brunch at Roy's of Hawaii. Roy's is a special place but not just for the food. The service there is excellent. It makes you want to come back. They had sent us a menu on e-mail and it enticed us so. There's a message to you restauranteurs. E-mail works to build traffic. It didn't hurt that we were thinking about going there anyway.
School starts back up again on Monday, April 4 for some of you. April 5 is when most of the classes resume. My cohort begins on Tuesday, April 5. Have a great time off and I will see you when we get back.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Student Government
Scott Donaldson, Vice President of the student government here at CHIC came into my class this morning and talked about involving students in the student government. A student from each of the cohorts is his goal. Volunteer in your class today. He added that soon there will be a student on the advisory board that governs the school. This is a great chance for you to step up and contribute to where CHIC is going. Get in touch with Scott at
donaldsan@yahoo.com
He would love to get you started in the student government.
Will Parsons from my current cohort is representing our class. His e-mail is
willkyndig@yahoo.com
See you in school!
donaldsan@yahoo.com
He would love to get you started in the student government.
Will Parsons from my current cohort is representing our class. His e-mail is
willkyndig@yahoo.com
See you in school!
Monday, March 21, 2005
New links on the portal
Good morning all. It's a bright sunshiny day in Chicago and shaping up to be a great week. Check out the student and faculty portals. Marlene Atkins in the Learning Resource Center has put up some links to food and food related sites. They are some tasty links!
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Finals
This is finals week and if you're in my class, baking 111, you know you will have to get your dessert platter done by Thursday. But if you are in other classes, try to get prepared for those as well. This includes your general education classes. They are just as important as the cooking and baking classes. If you bear down and work hard this week, you will enjoy your break even more. Friday is Good Friday and we have no school. Thursday is the last day of school for this term. My class will beging working on baking 113, custards, creams and fillings, on Tuesday, April 5th. I am looking forward to working with all of you at some point.
song
song
Let's Celebrate the Faculty!
You will see me around school in the coming weeks taking pictures of the faculty. We are going to have a "wall of fame". I think it will be in the upstairs foyer. Pictures of each faculty member will be accompanied by a short biography. I will keep you posted on how this project is going. I think it is great that we will be celebrating one of the things that makes CHIC so great, the faculty. If you have any ideas on this project, please let me know. I am completely open to anything you would like to add.
Exploring the web
This weekend I have had some time to cruise around the web and I have found a great site called il forno and it is a very interesting site that talks mainly about Italian food and baking. I have also been using a great piece of software called ipodderIt helps you find podcasts on the web and keeps them organized for you in iTunes. Just passing information on to you.
Monday, March 14, 2005
Podcasting
I just started recording podcasts to be uploaded to the web. I don't know if you have heard of podcasts yet but they are just audio files that you can listen to on your computer. But the cool thing is you can also import them into iTunes or whatever mp3 player you use and listen to them when and where you want. I have been listening to them for a while now. I thought I would try my hand at it. I plan to record them on a variety of subjects. I thought the first one might be on pastry cream. See how you like this one. The audio quality will get better. Hey it's my first try. Let me know what you think.
Tom's First Podcast
Tom's First Podcast
Rick Bayless
Rick Bayless will be joining us at CHIC on April 9th at 10:30AM. He is one of the best Mexican cooks in the city. His restaurants, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo have set the bar for high end Mexican food. I told you about the chef from Felchlin on Saturday. I am sure this demo will be as good. Get the most out of your school and come to the demo on April 9th. See you there
March Bread Guild: Irish Breads
Bread guild was a great success on Sunday. We had several new folks join us with the usual suspects showing to show them the ropes. We made breads from Ireland. With that idea, we got into the grains and flavors of very rustic breads. One of the new students brought along some very flavorful currents, a common ingredient in Irish soda bread and freckle bread. We listened to U2, the Pogues and Van Morrison in honor of the Irish bread. We noticed that the breads need quite a bit of water when they have whole grains in them. I was reading that you can really increase the water by about 5-7% when using whole grains. They were delicious and golden brown. Some of the students were amazed at how ugly, Irish soda bread is. You have to realize that it was made by very poor people a hundred years ago. Now it's a tradition but it doesn't compare to say...brioche. But that's a story for another day.
Next month, April, is flatbreads month. E-mail me if you would like to get on the list for the Bread Guild Newsletter. See you in school.
Next month, April, is flatbreads month. E-mail me if you would like to get on the list for the Bread Guild Newsletter. See you in school.
Saturday Demonstrations
Hey guys, boy Saturday was a lot of fun. I started early with my own demo on French Bread. It was for prospective students and they had so many great questions. They were very enthusiastic. One boy in particular was memorable. He asked what was so great about French bread. So I proceeded to explain all the art and science that goes into French bread. Then I gave him some and he went nuts. He said it was the best bread he had ever tasted. He was all of 10 years old but it still was quite a nice comment. Then as he was leaving with his parents he said something I will never forget. "boy, I hope this taste never leaves my mouth!". What a cool and unusual comment. An adult would never come up with that. I love his verve.
Later we all went to a chocolate demo put on by CHIC and Felchlin, a Swiss chocolate producer. Chef Stephen Iten was the presenter and he did a wonderful job explaining chocolate and its techniques to all of us. You must remember that there were pastry chefs, chef instructors, students of pastry and cooking and folks right off the street who wanted to learn about chocolate. He never got so technical that someone didn't understand. And yet he was very interesting to the professional cooks in the room as well.
The family that had been in my demo joined us in the chocolate demo and as they were leaving, the little boy asked if he could have just one more taste of the French bread. I said I could do one better than that. I handed him a freshly baked baguette of French bread. You would have thought I gave him a puppy. He was ecstatic! He made my day and I hope I made his. It sure can be fun at school.
Later we all went to a chocolate demo put on by CHIC and Felchlin, a Swiss chocolate producer. Chef Stephen Iten was the presenter and he did a wonderful job explaining chocolate and its techniques to all of us. You must remember that there were pastry chefs, chef instructors, students of pastry and cooking and folks right off the street who wanted to learn about chocolate. He never got so technical that someone didn't understand. And yet he was very interesting to the professional cooks in the room as well.
The family that had been in my demo joined us in the chocolate demo and as they were leaving, the little boy asked if he could have just one more taste of the French bread. I said I could do one better than that. I handed him a freshly baked baguette of French bread. You would have thought I gave him a puppy. He was ecstatic! He made my day and I hope I made his. It sure can be fun at school.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Uniforms
Hey guys, I know wearing a uniform can sometimes be a drag. I have to wear one and I would rather be in jeans and a t-shirt. But uniforms serve a purpose. They help us to be disciplined cooks. Here at CHIC we want you to wear your uniform in full. That means when you come to school be sure to bring all the pieces of your uniform. You should wear a clean white t-shirt underneath your chef coat. The printing on t-shirts looks so cheesy when it shows through the coat. You should have clean pants that are hemed. Have you ever seen those folks with the dirty, ragged bottoms to their pants? I sure wouldn't hire them if they came in my kitchen. You should have a cravatte that is tied and clean everyday. Most of all, bring a clean hat to wear both in the classroom and the kitchen. Do you see a trend in this post? Everything is clean. I want to see all of you in class with a clean uniform. I think we can still have a lot of fun in school but we need to follow these policies from the school. See you there!
Saturday, March 05, 2005
March Bread Guild
Don't forget Bread Guild is March 13th. That's a week from tomorrow at 1:00PM-4:00PM. We have fun with bread and our other members. If you are enrolled in school, you are a member of the Bread Guild. Come and join us. We will be working with Irish breads this month. Everyone is welcome! See you there.
First Week of Classes
You know that the first week of classes is a hectic one. I know that too. Take some time this weekend to think about what you have learned. I think going back to assess what you have already learned is very important. We have three more weeks in our classes until the spring break so let's bear down and work hard for those three weeks. Then we can get outside and have even more fun.
Chef Julie Walsh's Visit to CHIC
Howdy guys!
Chef Julie Walsh has been with us for the last two weeks and she has shown us a lot of new techniques. She had student and instructor demonstrations ranging from working with chocolate to artisan breads. She is a welcome visitor here at school and we look forward to having her back again later in the year. She heads back to England today where she works at the Le Cordon Bleu school in London. If you missed her this time, be sure to check her out when she returns.
Chef Julie Walsh has been with us for the last two weeks and she has shown us a lot of new techniques. She had student and instructor demonstrations ranging from working with chocolate to artisan breads. She is a welcome visitor here at school and we look forward to having her back again later in the year. She heads back to England today where she works at the Le Cordon Bleu school in London. If you missed her this time, be sure to check her out when she returns.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
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