Buffet Platters

So it is week 8 school and we did buffet style platters. We built a meat, vegetable, fruit, cracker and cheese displays and though it seems simple the concept is fairly hard. When cutting the vegetables you need to have a base plan that you want on the plate (in reality the customer would specify). A simple cut such as a large dice compared to a spear or julienne cut. The platter needs to be close and tight so that when someone takes some food that the overall presentation does not get effected.You also got to think how the person addresses the plate from their view and know exactly what would attract them. During our official presentation Chef had us look closely at what people took and how. To an odd surprise, most people do not like taking the back parts of the platters while they will strip the front area of the plate. This, to a cook, means you need to place the most expensive part of a platter in front so the costumers take that first. Another part is how customers do not like reaching over to get a specific food. Most people we saw tried everything except the two plates in the back which rarely got toughed. Overall i think i was a very fun way to make food and over was very happy with the presentation.

Pates, Terrines and Galantines

When asking people if they have ever tried some form of pate, most people will say no. This style of making meat is just not very popular but also goes unnoticed when people do make them. Almost everyone at some point in there life has made meat loaf? Well that is a form of a pate. A Pate, Terrine or a Galantine is simply ground meat, known as forcemeat in the culinary world, wrapped in some form of lining and then baked. The different styles of these pates differ in the from of what it is wrapped in, if the meat is emulsified or how it is cooked. Most pates and terrines are baked while a galantine is usually poached.
First off i want to talk about how a galantine works and differs from other pates. For example we made a chicken galantine in class. The first step is to cut one whole chicken from the back to take off all of the skin and meat off the body of the chicken. This can prove to be harder for some people because you neek to keep all of the skin in one sheet without holes.

After carefully cutting the chicken you tenderize it and place it in the fridge. Now yet another tricky part shows up, the part on emulsifying the chicken. We use the 1:1:1 rule (1 lb chicken, 1 cup cream, 1 egg) in which you place the chicken, spices and the egg in a blender or more preferably a robotcoupe and pulse till smooth. Now the tricky cream part, if the cream isn't cold enough or the robotcoupe is too warm the cream will break and you got to do it all over again. After this you just place the mousse into your flattened chicken, roll it up with cheese cloth and poach it till it hits 155 internally.  Your end result is a rolled chicken galantine:

 
  All in all it is hard work but regular pates and terrines are a bit more simple. A pate uses a dough to wrap the meat in and if you don't keep the meat cold enough before baking it turns into a hollowed piece of bread. Terrines are the same concept but wrapped in bacon, ham, and other very thin meat cuts. The difference from the galantine too is how you bake it and not poach it. You need to bake it in a water bath unless it is wrapped in dough then after it is cooked in needs to be weighed down overnight. This makes it so the meat fully binds and will not have pockets or meat that is like sausage in the middle.

(see pictures page for full presentation)

Seafood in the Mountains

So this one is for my hometown folks or anyone who happens to visit Park City, UT. Park City is very well known its skiing, movie festivals and great hiking. Hidden in a resort is a very fancy buffet that most might not know of. "Seafood Buffet" is a sitting style buffet that is both self serve and portioned servings located at the "Deer Valley" resort. The great part about eating at this buffet is they are focused on flavors. They only give you a small portion and separate it from other foods on your plate. That way you can eat each section and appreciate what each has to offer. On the flip side there is a full salad and cold (Garde Manger) section that you are free to do as you please.
The over all menu of the restaurant changes over time so every time i have been there the food changes. You have a range from salad, soups, hot-cut meats, desserts and much much more. Usually they provide a unique dish such as alligator or "odd" food items such as that. Personally i think it is a big step in what we need as to explore what food can give us. Too many buffets use the same items and use comfort foods to please the customer.
The hitter of this buffet is the price and timing to get it when it is open. The cost is about $60 a person which if you have a large group can prove to be very expensive. Due to the prime location and how high class the chefs are it does seem sensible. With all the seafood you can eat such as king crab, clams, mussels, assorted dishes with fish and more. Keep in mind Utah doesn't have a ocean near so all of the seafood has to be delivered from far distances which can rack up the price. Also a thing about this buffet is it is seasonal, only open selected times of the year but if you willing to try some exellent buffet food i would highly suggest this place.

The Reality of a Waiter

To all you food loving readers who like a good read i have a great book selection for you. The book "Waiters Rant" by Steve Dublanica is a easy read, funny and draws you in to keep reading. This book is a story of Steve's life for being a waiter at several restaurants. It shows a vivid image of how it is to be a waiter and also gives insight on how to get a good job as a waiter and how to be a great customer. These funny, yet eye opening stories are sure to please readers and make you respect the job of being a waiter.

The Seattle Cheese Festival

So today was Seattle's Cheese Festival down at Pikes Market. This even was full of all kind of cheeses from goat, cow and some sheep. Some of the stands had cheese more focused on artisan cheeses or world styles. All of the stands let you try their cheese and could of course buy them if wanted. Depending on the cheese the price would range from 5 to about 11 dollars at most. All are also local which can be bought in limited grocery stores but you end up paying way less for the cheese at the festival. The festival also included a wine tasting tent which cost 10 dollars and had a wide range of red and white wines to taste and sample with cheeses. I would highly suggest this event to any cheese lover in the Seattle or even Washington area. Other states might have the same kind of event so go out an check out your local cheese providers if you have an event like this.

The Good Kind of Mole

So in Salt Lake City, UT there is a small local Mexican chain called "The Red Iguana".  I will not be giving a full review but i did get to try their moles. For those who do not know what a mole is, it is a sauce that uses fruits, vegetables, spices and cocoa as the base of the sauce. It is the equivalent to a "curry" in India but originated in the Latin American region. The Red Iguana's main specialty are these moles. When i went i had it on the go but you still get a sense of how much food and flavor you get when you order one. Just one of the dishes could easily serve two people and maybe even still have leftovers. Flavor wise they are unique in many ways; they are homemade moles so all of the ingredients are fresh. These moles also range in the area of flavors, most moles are heavy in cocoa but you can select from more fruit or vegetables oriented moles. Overall this has to be one of the best places i have tried to get a very great quality mole. I will say i have not tried anything else BUT i assume it would be just a great as the moles. They have many locations located though Salt Lake and i would suggest going to check it out if you have a love for Mexican food or want to try something new. 

The Grand America

So this mothers day me family went out for a brunch at the 5 star hotel, "The Grand America". This high class hotel hosted a fine dining buffet. This all sounds very fancy and high class when really it is a bit of an overstatement. The dining room was set up in a very professionally manner as with the whole music set up and how the chefs presented. The plating was very nice and all the servings were a good size (though traditionally much smaller). One thing i though was a great idea was how they had a kid section full of kid friendly foods. On that note, kids are allowed to dine there and it does provide great service to them. The rest of the food served might to a bit too complex in flavors or have too much vegetables to their liking. For me the down side was the flavor aspect. It was all unique and had interesting flavor combination but none really performed the way i imaged it would. On a fine dining scale i would give this just a 2 out of 3 Michelin Stars if i could. It is a great place to try something new but lacked a little bit in the whole fine dining aspect. With a cost of 60 a person it is a little bit pricey but you can get your moneys worth. This hotel is located in Salt Lake City, UT.

The Hurricane

No far from where I live there is a restaurant that looks like it is in a bit of a shady area but makes up for it with its food. The red brick colored building with the dim, yet noticeable painted writing of “The Hurricane” on the side. When you enter you are seated by the casual waiters who seat you in what looks like a 70’s style hamburger shop. The next step is to order; from juicy burgers to cold shakes to creamy pasta, the Hurricane has all of the classic American food. The burger of choice is the “Hurricane Burger”, stacked high with crispy bacon, a juicy hamburger patty, a side of assorted crisp vegetables and freshly fried French fries. After your meal you will be glad you went to this hole in the wall restaurant for their delicious burgers. Overall i Would give them a 5 out of 5. This is a great college hangout place or even for the family who is just traveling through.

The Art of Sausage

Today and yesterday i have learned how to make sausages. To be honest i wasn't as hard as i though it was going to be. Its a simple blend of flavors, grinding then packing them into casings. I have also learned what a scotch egg is, a boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, battered then deep fried. It sounds a bit goofy and gross but overall was a great item. The mix of egg and sausage went very well together and would gladly order them if i every found one in a restaurant.