Breakfast Sausage Patties

Good evening everyone.  Hope that everyone out there is doing well and having a really great evening.  I know that I am feeling better today so all is well and I am ready to tell you about what we did today.

We are still in Healthy Foods so some of these things may not sound too good but I have to tell you that they all turned out very nice and tasted very good (with the exception of the Seitan).

Culinary word of the day:  ylang-ylang  (E-lahn-E-lahn)

Breakfast Sausage Patties

Today, we started out making about a 50 gallon stock pot of chicken stock and then we went on to our regular tasks and the first one was Breakfast Sausage Patties.

Breakfast Sausage patties

4 oz. minced onions

1 qt. Chicken stock

8 oz. raw long-grain white rice

3 lb. cubed pork loin

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tbsp. poultry seasoning

2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 fl. oz. corn syrup

1.  In a medium sauce pot, sweat the onions until translucent in 2 fl. oz. of the stock.  Add the rice and 22 fl. oz. of the stock and bring the liquid to a boil.  Cover the pot tightly and cook in 350 degree oven until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 10 minutes.  Spread the rice on a sheet pan and chill completely in the refrigerator.

2.  Combine the port, salt, poultry seasoning, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a large bow..  Add the cold rice to the meat and grind the mixture through a coarse die into a bowl set in an ice bath.  Slowly stir the corn syrup and remaining 1 cup of cold stock into the meat mixture.

3.  Make a small patty of the sausage and dry saute to test for seasoning and consistency.  If necessary, adjust the seasoning with additional herbs and adjust the consistency with additional stock.

4.  Portion the sausage into 1 1/2 oz. patties.  Dry saute the patties and drain on absorbent towels.

 

Herb-Breaded Chicken

 So, myself and my gal-pal Angie did these Sausage Patties and I have to admit for a short time there we did not know what we were doing but by the time it was made I did understand the process and they turned out quite well.

Next up Angie and I made the Herb-Breaded Chicken ... we skipped the Creamy Mustard Sauce part.  Since we made the chicken stock the minute that we got there we had to do something with the chicken as it would not last over the long weekend that is coming up.  We have off an extra day so we needed to do something with the chicken so it wouldn't go to waste. 

Tortillas de Papas

Meaning for culinary word:

A large tree native to the Philippines (Cananga odorata); the oil made from its flowers has a strong, flower like aroma and bitter flavor and is used in soft drinks, ice cream, confectionery and baked goods.

Next and last up for today we made a Tortillas de Papas.  I was not very involved in the making of this as other team members were working on it but to me it sort of looked like a giant omelet with some unusual things in it.  Some of them were red potatoes, onions, artichokes, roasted red peppers, roasted yellow peppers, parsley, thyme, 20 egg whites and 10 whole eggs and goat cheese.  I did not taste any of this dish but as you can see it looks quite delicious.

So for me that is all for today.  I have a very exciting couple of days coming up and I need to get ready for them.  I am going to have a visitor and I am so very excited about it.  My son and his new wife are coming to stay 3 days with me over this Holiday weekend ... yea!  I still have school tomorrow (only bookwork day, so not too bad) and then after school I will be busy ... and then when I wake up he will be here.  I can't wait to see him and his new bride.

Have a really wonderful evening and I will check in with you again tomorrow when I get home.  Signing off for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Seitan

Seitan in the raw

Good afternoon all my fellow readers.  Sorry that I did not post anything yesterday but when I got home from school I did not feel well so I didn't even get on my computer.

Culinary word of the day:

yufka  (yoof-kan)

Seitan finished with soy sauce dip

I did however want to tell you about the Seitan and how it turned out when we were finished with it.   I think in the post before I got to the part where you soak the dough in a bowl covered with water for over 30 minutes and when you put it into a colander and you start kneading and rinsing until all of the starch is washed away and the water runs clear and it starts forming into a ball again (like regular dough would do).  Then we put it in the fridge over night and yesterday we made it into like little patties and marinaded them in a sweet and sour soy sauce that we made to go with it.  After it marinaded for an hour or so then we fried them on the flat grill until done through and diagonal sliced them on a platter and had the soy sauce for dipping. I don't care what anyone says ... it does not taste like or resemble any kind of meat that I ever had!

Yellow-fin Tuna w/Citrus Salad

Other things that we did yesterday were a Bouillabaisse (this being a fish stew with the following fish:  perch, halibut, sea bass, little neck clams, mussels, lobster, shrimp and  sea scallops). and we did a Spicy Asian Grilled Shrimp.  We also had to make our own 5 spice powder (szechuan pepper, star anise, cloves, cinnamon and fennel seeds) for our Grilled Shrimp.  Then we had to make a Grilled Yellow fin Tuna with Citrus Salad.  I like the Citrus Salad very much ... it tasted very fresh with grapefruit sections (pink and white), orange sections, blood orange sections, lime sections, and lemon sections.  And the spices that got mixed in the citrus were diced red onion, minced roasted jalapeno, black pepper and julienned fennel.

Meaning for the culinary word of the day:  Very thin, Turkish pastry dough; similar to phyllo dough and used to make sweet and savory pastries.

Well everyone that is all I have for now about yesterday.  It was a very interesting day as I don't like fish so much but I made it through and our stuff turned out very good.  So you all have a really wonderful evening and I will check in again very soon.  Signing off for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Healthier Chicken and ....

40 Clove Chicken, roasted potatoes and green peas with shallots

Good afternoon everyone.  Hope that every ones day is going well.  It is a little nicer outside so that should make everyone feel a little better ... I know that I like it a little cooler.

Culinary word of the day:        olla (ohl-lah)

Today we made "Healthier Chicken".  I thought that chicken was pretty healthy to start with but I guess that it is true ... you can make it healthier but in order to still have a lot of good flavor you need 40 cloves of garlic with it and 4 cups of white wine.  It was very good!  We also made these "tourner (toor-nay) potatoes.  That means that we cut the potatoes into football-shaped pieces with seven equal sides and blunt ends.  As you can see by the picture that ours turned out pretty good but they were not good enough to put in a show ... practice .. practice .. practice.  Each time we do something again it looks a little better.  The steamed green peas we just added some shallots and more garlic for flavor.  We cooked with NO fat of any kind in this entire meal ... and after we ate, ours was entirely gone.  All of it so it must have been good ... I only had garlic, potatoes and peas ... no chicken for me today.

Also today we did something that I have never done before ... and I had never heard of it either.  Very interesting I have to say and I can say that I still don't understand the process.  We made "Seitan" (SAY-tan).  It is often referred to as "wheat meat," is a form of wheat gluten, the insoluble protein in wheat.  A staple in the diets of Buddhist monks for centuries, seitan has a firm, chewy texture and a bland flavor.  Seitan is made by preparing a dough from wheat gluten or wheat flour and water.  The dough is repeatedly rinsed to remove any remaining starch or bran.  The spongy pieces of seitan are then simmered in a broth of soy sauce or tamair with ginger, garlic and kombu (seaweed).  And when eating it you are suppose to think that you are eating some kind of yummy MEAT!  I don't really think that I can be fooled ... how about you?  Today though however we only did the mixing part and the part where you soak the dough ball under water for 30 minutes or so and then you put it in a colander and with the water running you keep kneading until the water runs clear and after it falls apart then it will start to form a ball again.  Then at this stage we wrapped it up and put it away until tomorrow ... can't wait finish it and see what the heck this stuff is suppose to look like.  This one is a first for me.

Meaning for the Culinary word of the day:  A round earthenware pot with a globular body, a wide mouth and handles; it is used to heat or hold water and to cook stews in Spain and South and Central America.  That's pretty interesting, right?

So, that is it for me today.  Hope that you enjoy this post ... I know that I enjoyed the day at school very much.  It is always more exciting when you learn something that you really never knew anything about before ... and today was that day for me.

I will check in again tomorrow and let you know about the "Saitan" and anything else that we do.  Have a really great evening and take care.  Signing off for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Sunday

Good morning everyone.

Culinary word of the day: oeufs a la neige (OUF ah lah nehzh)

I have to tell you I went way out of my box yesterday before the day was over.  I had watched every tear jerk er movie that there was on TV last night and almost couldn't stand it anymore and then moved on to the show called "Coming Home" ... very happy/sad cry type show ... so, I said to myself at 1 AM that I needed to get out of here and here some music and see some people and breath in some fresh air so I decided to go up to the corner and see my friend.  I have to tell you that since I do not do these things anymore ever that I walked in and the music was up way loud and the door was open and Keego was rocking.  But as far as seeing people ... I was one of the only ones out that late/early at night except for my friend.  She needed help with cleaning and closing up and I wasn't ready to go home again so I pitched in and we had a good time working together.  She did all the icky stuff (bathrooms) and I did the bar area and we were done at 5 AM and I was home again.  Thank you Karen for putting me to work and keeping me out for a while!

Congratulations Jodie and Russell!  I wish you all the best in your life together!

I am watching Hurricane Irene coverage and I am so happy that I am not on the East Coast and I am feeling so bad for all of those people that don't have any power and who have damage.  I will be checking in with my friends on the NJ Shore later to see how they are.  I will pray for everyone.  I hope that this is not an indication of a bad Hurricane Season.

Not too much to do today but get things ready to go back to school tomorrow ... which I am looking very much forward too!  I cleaned out my entire knife kit so it will be ready to go and now I have to wash my uniform and that will be done and I guess later I will go over "Nutrition" again and see if I can remember some of it.  I will be glad when that test is over and then the next one will be on "MATH" and I know that I will be in way over my head for that one ... it may not be an "A" for me on that one.  I just do not get it or understand it ...

Meaning for Culinary word of the day: French for snow eggs(what in the heck is a snow egg?) and used to describe the dessert known in United States as floating island.

Take care everyone and have a great day.  Signing off for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene

Good morning everyone.  I think that we are having a better morning then the people in the Hurricane's path.  I will pray for all of them as I have been around some hurricane's myself living for 6-7 months of each year for past 25-30 years in Florida.  It can be very scary and you can not even imagine the devastation if you have not experienced it ever.  It is a terrible thing to have to go through and with the state that the country is in already ... this storm is not a welcome one.  And the Hurricane season is just beginning.  I will pray that the season is a light one and that all of the people make it through the winds and water of Irene.

Culinary word for today: prik dong (preek dong)

Not too much to report today.  I have to do some cleaning of my apartment today and get some things ready to go back to school on Monday.  We will have another long weekend next week because of the Labor Day weekend so there will be extra time to do things that don't get done.

Last night I stayed up and finished the recipes for the PLM News Letter.  I think that they will like it very much.  I gave them a Potato and Leek Soup recipe and a Mexican-American Corn Bread to go with it (very easy to make) and a Peach and Ice Cream Dessert recipe to finish off the meal. 

I have asked my gal-pal (Angie) to come over to study today but I don't know yet if she is able to make it.  But the last time that we studied we got way ahead of the game and it made the class a lot easier.  She is also a very good student and I enjoy working with her.

Well, for now I will leave you and pray for all of the people in Hurricane Irene's wake. I just heard that she made land-fall in NC and it is moving north.  Best of wishes to my friends on the NJ Shore.  Please stay safe.

Word of the day meaning: A Thai bottled chile sauce made from chiles, onions, apricots, lemon, garlic and vinegar. Sounds very good, doesn't it?

For now ... be safe and stay well.  Have a good morning ... good bye for now from 1HappyChef.  :) 

Special Credit ... Cakes

Hello everyone, I am not sure where to start.  The special credit class was wonderful and had a huge mixer full of the yummy butter cream ... so, I got my fix.   Kiki and I were on making the butter cream and that was a good thing because then it was very close to me ... the ingredients for it are unbelievable ... but it is very good.  First you take 2 dozen egg whites and mix it with 4 cups of sugar over a double boiler and whisk and whisk and whisk until you think that your arm is going to fall off and the sugar is dissolved and then you put it in the mixer with the whisk attachment and beat it for 10 minutes to cool it down a little and bring it to peaks.  When that happens you put in 5 lbs. of butter cut up into little pieces and 1 1/4 lbs. of sweetex (Crisco) and you beat it again for 10 more minutes and when it is done you are left with the best tasting butter cream ever.  I took several pictures of everything that I am sure you would like to see, I am just unsure how to place them yet until I am done writing.  

Culinary word for the day:  Simplesse

My cake

My cake is a chocolate chiffon ... cut in 1/2 and filled with chocolate ganache and then covered with the crum coat of butter cream and cooled in the cooler for 10 minutes and then brought out and finished with the butter cream final coat and then decorated.  Mine had two hand made roses on the top with piped leaves and a green border around the top and the bottom with Dorsey written in the middle under the roses.  It turned out very nice and it tasted very good.

This would not be a good cake to put in the PLM News letter as it would take too long and it is way to expensive to make at home.  And all of that butter and Crisco can not be that good for you, right?

The entire group from today

We had an indecent at school today that was kind of weird ... there was a stranger in the class and non of us knew who he was but that would not be unusual because there is the potential for students from 7 classes to come to these workshops so it was only a little strange and he had on a uniform and everything.  But come to fine out he sneeked in and pretended to be a student.  I have to tell you ... his cake was a flop and he could not decorate it.  I did not get a picture to show you but what I want to know is why would someone get up in the morning and just say ... hey, think that I will go bust in on a Culinary Class today?  Pretty nervy I would say ... I think that the guy who sneeked him in is in trouble.

Simplesse:  The proprietary name of a fat substitute made from egg and milk proteins and used in processed foods.

Well folks, that is it for me today.  It has been a long day and I am tired.  I think that I will relax the rest of the weekend and try and get my work done around my apartment.  I have let it go way too long.

Hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend.  Enjoy yourselves and your loved ones.  Signing off for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Good Morning

Good Saturday morning everyone.  Well, I am up early today .. probably looking very forward to the Pasty Class today.  I can't wait to get into the butter cream again.  I don't know if you knew but there are many different kinds of butter cream and as you add more butter and sugar they only get better and better ... and oh so smooth.  I am slowly becoming oh so round from all of the butter cream so I am happy that this is a one time class and that we are not going back to it full time.  I am gradually becoming very interested in baking now so this class will be a wonderful refresher for what we have already learned.  I didn't think at any point in my life that I ever wanted to make/bake or have anything to do with Pastry .. but here I am getting very interested.  Chef says that I especially have a knack for bread baking so for now I will go with it and see what happens.  At the end of this journey at Dorsey I wonder what I will be?

What do you think of the new look of the blog?  Is there anything that any of you would change, write differently, add more about something?  Do you like the recipe included?  Would you make it bigger/smaller or funnier or more personal or not so personal?  Would you add more pictures ... what would you like to see and read about?

Just checking in and will be back after school with pictures of the Pastry class.  Have a great day... be back later ... good bye for now from 1HappyChef.  :)

Nutrition Class today

Hello everyone.  Not too much to report today as we were in the classroom all day today.  We are learning Nutrition and I have to tell you that it is not easy at all.  I thought that the ServSafe book was hard ... well, I am here to tell you that ServSafe doesn't have anything on this Nutrition book.  It is awful ... I can read it for hours and when I am done I still do not have a clue.  The test is in 3 weeks ... I hope that my smarts kick in soon or I will be up a tree with this one.

Not too much to report about food today, the other two kitchens were cooking but I didn't take any photos so there is nothing to share until tomorrow. 

Tomorrow I am going to Special Credit Pastry class, and I am very excited.  I have not had any butter cream now in just over two weeks and I am missing it very much.  No, all kidding aside I am considering being in the Pastry Field in some way.  In the beginning I was not sure but now I think that I am really liking the Pastry part of this ... so, the extra credit will just be gravy ... I will enjoy the class very much.

So, tomorrow I will have pictures for you ... until then have a really great evening and enjoy the cooler weather ... I know that I am.  Until tomorrow ... good bye from 1HappyChef.  :)

Gluten Free Bread and Healthy Soups

Good evening to everyone out there. 

Today in school we (team 1) made Blueberry and Yogurt Soup, Wheat Berry Salad, Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Delicious Homemade Gluten-Free White Bread and last of all Roasted Poblano Chilies and Corn Soup.  This soup was wonderful.  I do have a couple of pictures that I will enclose you you can see for yourself at the end of this post.

It was suggested to me in a meeting yesterday that maybe I should put a recipe or two now in then is the posts just in case any of you out there would like to try and make some of this stuff yourselves.  I am not sure I would try the bread unless you have already seen this process as it doesn't look anything like regular bread when you are making it ... it is very soupy/wet and it is made with yeast but you put it into the vessel that you will be baking it in and then you proof it and then also the baking time is a lot different.  The only thing to say about that is slow and low.  Regular bread is often backed on a high temp. for a much shorter time.

So, if I were to pick a recipe to put in this post ... that is a tough one ... I would pick the soup but I don't have a picture of either so I guess that I will go with the Cinnamon Raisin Bread, OK?

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Swirled into a gluten-free dough, raisins and cinnamon combine to create a well-loved breakfast bread.  Finish the bread with a classic vanilla icing, or for an earthy sweetness, a warm honey glaze: either will enhance a bread that is sure to be a positive start to any day.

3 cups        Flour Blend #5

2 teaspoons   Salt

2 tablespoons Instant Yeast

1 cup         Sugar



Cinnamon Raisin Bread

1 tablespoon  Guar gum               

6 each        Egg Yolks

1/2 cup       Melted Butter

1 3/4 cups    Sparkling water

1 Cup         Raisins (dark or golden)

2 teaspoons   Cinnamon

Flour Blend #5 (strongest)

White rice flour   9 oz.

Tapioca starch     6 oz.

Soy flour, de-fatted  6 oz.

Whey powder        3 oz.

*Mix all together and keep in container ready to use.

Instructions for bread making:

 1.   Combine the flour blend, salt, yeast, sugar, and guar gum in a mixing bowl using a whisk.

2.   In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, butter, and sparkling water.  Blend wet into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

3.   Stir in the cinnamon and raisins gently to achieve a swirled or marbled effect.

4.   Scoop mixture into greased 8"x4"x2 3/4" loaf pans, filling about two thirds full.

5.   Proof the bread in a warm, humid environment for 40-50 minutes.

6.   Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven, with steam, for 45-55 minutes.

7.   Once the bread has risen to the top of the pans, vent the oven and continue baking for 8 - 8 minutes.  The bread should be firm at the center with an internal temp. of 200 degrees F.  If it is not the proper temp. bake for 5 minutes longer.

8.   Remove from oven and un-mold into cooling racks.

For the record this is not my recipe but for the life of my I can not find out who's it is either ... but I do not take the credit for it.  I will take the credit for making it and for how wonderful that it tasted, enjoy!

So, if anyone out there has any ideas about posting or not posting the recipes please let me know.  It is a lot more time consuming but if you like it I will keep it up once or twice a week.  Let me know what you think in the comment box ... I will be waiting to hear from you.

 

Wheat Berry Salad .. very healthy for you!

So, for now I will be letting you go.  Have a really great night ... signing off from 1HappyChef.  :)

Gluten Free Bread



Gluten Free Roll ... magazine cover ready!

Good late afternoon everyone.  Today was quite an exciting day for me as I had an appointment with the Oakland Press (a very nice girl names Valerie) about putting my blog in the OP ... Of course I said, yes, lest do it so in about a little over a week you will be able to see my "blog" in the OP on line and sometimes it will be printed in the hard copy of the paper.  I am really geeked ... this is the most exciting thing that has happened to me in a very long time!

So, I was going over some things about the blog and what could be improved upon and she had some very good ideas.  One was to put on the title for the day what actually the food was that I am showing and talking about and another suggestion was to put in the receipt for on of the receipts that I am talking about that I have a picture for so if you wanted to make it you could and she suggested that I start printing in black again as it is easier to read.  I listened and wrote down everything that she said.  She also is linking me up to FB, Twitter, and Google so I can track how many people check me out from where everyday and how many followers that I have at any given time.  Also, I can do some advertising for people if I want ... there is way more to this blogging stuff than I ever could have imagined but I have started it now and enjoying it more than ever so I think that I will be doing it for a very long time to come ... even after school.

So, for today I am only showing the picture of the "gluten free roll" that we made.  Chef said that it was pretty enough to be on the page in a magazine ... wow, that is so cool!  I am not writing the receipt today as I left my book in the car but starting tomorrow I will bring it in so I can write down the receipt with the picture.

Enjoy your evening everyone.  Check in tomorrow with you ... so long for now, 1HappyChef.  :)

Healthy Eating Monday

A very good afternoon to everyone out there.  Boy, I sure was tired today from not getting any sleep at all last night.  Early to bed for me tonight ... I will miss Bachelor Pad ... oh NO!

This Healthy Eating portion of this class is getting much easier to understand and a lot less complicated.  Today my team (table 1 as we are called) made Tofu Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Veg. stock, Sweet Potato soup and my greatest achievement from today is the Pita Bread.  I had never made it before and you should see (you will see a picture will be attached of everything) but the process it not too difficult and only one rise and then you make little balls and roll them out thin in little circles and then right into the open ... 5-7 minutes and walla.  It was so amazing to see them rise up and get the holes in the middle so when you cut them in half they will be little pockets.  Simply amazing ... I am liking this healthy cooking better and better as time goes by.

Tomorrow will be more of the same but we are making many different kinds of "gluten free bread".  Today we have to mix the flour mixtures so we would be ready in the morning to just start on bread and of course there will be more soup too.

Have a great night everyone and take care.  Signing off from 1HappyChef ... :)

Isn't that just the coolest looking Pita Bread that you ever saw?  I can take it ... let me know.

1 AM and can't sleep

Good early morning everyone.  I don't know what it is about Sundays but I never can sleep on Sunday nights.  I know I need a good nights rest to do well at school on Mondays but I guess after the three days off my clock gets messed up.  I don't know what causes it, I eat and shower early and watch TV until I think I am falling asleep and as soon as I turn off the TV I am wide awake again ... I don't know what to do.  Please help ...

I talked to a few people today one of whom I have not talked to in about 10 years.  Her name is Sandy and we used to live next to each other when we were growing up.  That was a very nice surprise to catch up with her.  Then I talked to my son, Shane.  He just got married a year ago to a girl named Sandy.  They used to live in UT and now just about 1 month ago they moved to PA.  They are planning to come and see me and stay with me the last week in Sept. so that will be very exciting.  I have not seen him in about 5 years now so I am very much looking forward to their visit.  And then last I talked to my very best friend in the entire world ... Pinky.  She lives with her husband Bob on the NJ Shore. They have an absolutely breathtaking spot on a pie shaped lot that has the Inter- coastal waterways on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other side. Over the almost 30 years that we have been friends (we lived in the same condo complex in FL right on the South Grand Canal on the Ocean side) she has always been there for me and supported me in anyway that she could and now she is having many medical problems and I wish that I were a little closer so I could help and support her.  Maybe when I am finished with school and if something changes I will get a chance to see/help/support her again for all of the kindness that she has shown me over all of these years?  I know that the first person who I should see/help/support if anything changes is my MOTHER.  Right now she is my biggest supporter in everything school ... she is even helping me with the monthly payments.  Thank you MOM always, I do appreciate everything that you do for me and your continued love gets me through everyday.

Well, I usually do not write about things that are so very personal and close to my heart but someone not too long ago said that I should put a little bit more about me in it to make it more personal.  I was just writing about school experiences and the day to day cooking but I wasn't saying much about the person going and doing this ... so, tonight because I could not sleep you got a little piece of me so maybe that will help you understand the "blog" a little more.

I was married to the "love of my life", and I was going to do anything to make him happy and he loved to eat so I guess that you could say that I started cooking to please him.  To see that big smile on his face ... I could give him anything and he always said that he loved it (even if it were burned and I knew it was bad ... he would sing my praises).  The more that he pretended to love it (there was some to love occasionally) the more I cooked and the better I got at it and the more I loved it and .... here we are now.  He is not with us any longer but I am sure that he is up there being very proud of me.  Hell, I am very proud of me for what I have done in the first 6 months ... straight "A's", perfect attendance, I have made the Dean's List and I have gotten 2 Competency awards ... more awards to come in 4 weeks from now.

I am taking this very seriously and I can't wait to finish and see where this takes me ... maybe into a cooking job, maybe to school for another year ... who knows what the future holds?  All I do know for now is that I finally have a reason to get up in the morning and be proud of the way I am spending my day and how well I am doing ... it will all work out as it should when it is suppose to, right?  Maybe I will become a famous writer?

Getting tired, hope that I can sleep now.  Catch up with you tomorrow after class with some pictures.  Have a great sleep ... over 1HappyChef.  :)

Overcast Sunday

Good morning everyone.  Looks overcast and not too nice out today for the last day of the weekend for cruising and festivities all around.  Maybe it will clear up later?  At least right now it isn't so warm but I would bet that the humidity is way up.

Not too much to report other than I had 3 pieces of the homemade bread that I made last night and it was very good.  Nothing like homemade warm bread with butter and homemade jam on it.  Fresh out of the oven ... oh so good!

Tomorrow we are back to school and we will be making soups all week and gluten free bread.  I wonder how that works?  Anyhow, I was on-line for a good part of yesterday getting some recipes that had to do with soup and gluten free food.  It is very interesting and it is certainly food that I should be eating all of the time (but I don't).  I could probably loose some weight, lower my cholesterol (401) and just feel better in general if I would follow a diet like this.  I am looking forward to making these things and hopefully getting motivated to start eating "healthy". 

Well, you all have a wonderful last day to your weekend and I will check in tomorrow with pictures of the soup and bread to see what you think of "healthy cooking".  Take care everyone ... over and out from 1HappyChef.  :) 

PS> the picture enclosed is a "MOON Flower" growing out of a crack in the cement in my MOM's backyeard.  This is one determined flower to live and be this beautiful!

A Storm was brewing

Good evening everyone.  I just wanted to share with you what I finally decided to do this afternoon with all of this extra time on my hands.  It all started when I wanted a piece of toast and didn't want to go to the store to get bread so I decided to make some ... it is oh so good too!  I made a couple of French Baguette's and I have to tell you that they turned out just as good as the good ones that you buy and not all that hard to make.  You do however have to have all of the stuff on hand to make it but the process is fairly simple and doesn't take up much time at all ... not as much as you would think.  The longest part of the entire process is the rising part and beating down and shaping and rising again ... then the egg wash and in the oven it goes with a pan of boiling water so the steam will make the crust just like the ones that you buy at the store.  I will enclose a picture so you can see for yourself.  I had two pieces of it warm out of the oven with real butter ... and wow, I have to tell you to die for ... very good.  I wish that you all could have some so you could see for yourselves. 

Anyhow, the storm was not too bad in Keego Harbor today.  Just a little wind, some hard rain but not for very long and a little thunder.  I have heard that it got pretty bad in some spots and that there are a lot of people without power.  I feel for them as it is no fun without electricity, here we are fine though.

So, until I check in tomorrow stay safe and dry.  Have a really great weekend and take care.  Signing off for now from 1HappyChef. :)

Way too much time in the kitchen!

Happy Dream Cruise weekend everyone out there. I don't know long long that it is going to stay nice out ... looks like a bad storm coming. Hope not as the Dream Cruise helps a lot of charities and communities. I used to attend the Dream Cruise for many years ... but that is over now and all I think about these days is "cooking" and cooking related anything. I have cooking on the brain ... morning, noon and night. Actually cooking is all that I have thought about in one way or another for my entire life. We used to entertain and I always had a flare for putting out a pretty good and good looking dish to pass. Or we used to do theme nights like say German or Polish and put out an entire meal with the theme ... those days were wonderful and a great experience and discipline. Not everyone can do something like that ... not everyone even wants to do something like that, but I do and I plan on doing the best that I can.

In school I am doing really well so far ... it is only going to get harder from here on out so I hope that I can keep up the good work. I do not understand the math ... I get the basics but beyond that ... no clue! The hands on is very easy for me ... at least I excel at part of it, right?

Well, it is Saturday and my homework is done and this afternoon has been a little boring but maybe there will be a good movie on in a little while? I sure hope so. So for now ... have a great weekend and I will write more tomorrow. Signing off for now from 1HappyChef. :)

8.18 @ Dorsey Culinary Academy/Waterford

Good afternoon to all of my readers.  How are you all doing today?  Bad storm coming they say ... I don't see it as the sun is bright as can be right now.  Today was a day for "Nutrition".  I was thinking back in the last MOD that "ServSafe" was going to be the bad of all bad to pass but for me ... not so much.  I got through that fairly easy but this nutrition stuff is very confusing ... and a whole bunch of new words that I have never heard of.  Good luck D!

One of the kitchens today were cooking food from Thailand.  Mostly with a lot of different spices and they cook with a lot of fish and some strange things that I did not recognize so I went in the other kitchen where they were making pizza and right in the corner I spy- ed a "sticky bun" ... just sitting there waiting for me.  It was warm and gooey and oh so good.  So that was my lunch ... a sticky bun ... no strange stuff. 

I will post pictures from today's feast so you can see how good the other classes are doing.  One of the classes is a MOD ahead of us and one is a MOD behind us ... they are doing very well, both of them.

No school tomorrow so I will check in before we go back on Monday.  So for now have a wonderful wonderful weekend and you all take care.  Signing off for now from 1HappyChef ... D  :)

8.17 @ Dorsey Culinary Academy/Waterford

Good afternoon to all my fellow readers out there.  As promised I will be writing again every day that we have school so I can keep you up to day on the day to day in the Culinary world.  Today we are still making "Healthy Cooking" and today was a healthier day than yesterday.  We are really getting the hang of it now ... we should be much better after an all day of Nutrition tomorrow.   At least we should understand it better ... new book in hand and I am ready ... bring it on.  I got my review today and I am running "98%" across the board with extra points to spare.  I am very proud of my accomplishments so far in this cooking school and I plan to keep up the good work. 

Today we made Spanish Tomato Toast, Low-Fat Hummus, Indian Relish (very tasty!), Cauliflower Crostini and last was Sweet Potato Hummus.  I am enclosing pictures of all of the dishes and you can judge for yourselves.  I have to tell you though it it was all quite good because it all had a lot of spices in to take the place of what would make it good with fat and what not.  Most of the things had a lot of garlic ... garlic is good but even after brushing my teeth I still taste garlic.  Oh well ... the price you have to pay to eat healthy, right?

So, today is over and tomorrow is book work all day but I will check in when I get home to let you know how it went.  You all have a wonderful evening and I will be back tomorrow.  Signing off for now from 1HappyChef, D  :)

Tuesday @ Culinary Academy in Waterford Dorsey

Hey everyone, how are you all doing today.  I am a little sluggish today ... can't get back into the swing of things and being on my feet for hours at a time.  I am sure that it will take an "older person" such as myself to get back used to it ... but hey come on ... it has been already 2 days since we have been back.

Anyhow, I found out today that we are cooking healthier right now and NOT cooking healthy.  I realized that we don't know nearly enough for us to cook healthy.  There are too many things to know that we have not gone over yet but we did get a new book today to add to our book collection that I sure will help us out very much.  I can't wait to get in to it and see what it is all about.

Today however, we made some rice and chicken dishes and they were very very good so I would say that they are not entirely healthy ... they just taste way too good.  And I do know that I put a pad of butter here and a little sugar there and so on so there is much to be learned.  My mind is open and waiting for all of the new knowledge.  Bring it on ....

I am enclosing pictures from out food today and then will sign off until tomorrow night.  Tomorrow we are doing more healthy cooking and getting reviews ... those I can't wait for either.  I am doing so good right now I look forward to the reviews ... who would have thought?  Certainly not me.

So everyone have a wonderful evening and I will check in tomorrow.  Signing off from 1HappyChef.

Monday @ Waterford Dorsey 8/15

Hello everyone out there.  Boy, it has been a long time since I wrote on here.  There wasn't much to write about the past couple of weeks as with mid-terms and then with 10 days off (which I am very happy are over with) and we are back to school now.  It is moving fast now ... we are in "Healthy Cooking" and so far what I saw today ... pretty healthy!  Today we made a vegetable soup stock and then made a noodle soup from it with vegetables and we made some fruit platters with different healthy dips.  I have to tell you that it was quite a treat to eat some real food instead of all of the cake and sugar that we had to eat the past 6 weeks.  I am very happy from this break from sugar ... yea!

So, this week so far we have made the soup and fruit platters and it will be more of the same tomorrow and Wednesday.  Since we are in the beginning of it we have a lot to learn ... "what makes it healthy"?  I will post some pictures that I took today of the soup and fruit and more to come during the week.

This week also is review week again ... I already know how I have been doing ... (very good) so I am sure that I will be able to live with my review.  I am thinking that I will be getting more awards in the coming week too so I am pleased with my work so far.

Well, I have homework to do so I will check in with you tomorrow.  Have a very good evening and for now ... good bye from 1HappyChef.  Take care.

Mid-terms @ Waterford Dorsey

Good Friday afternoon everyone.  Sorry that I was not writing this past week but we had a pretty crazy week with mid-term exams and practical exams.  I was very prepared for these tests so it came pretty easy for me and this time I did not loose sleep the night before or break out in hives or have a break down.  I guess that I am finally getting used to going to school.  I happen to have done very well on the test results that I have gotten back so far ... there is just the test from yesterday that I don't know the score of yet but I am hoping that even though it was a test about cow, veal, lamb and fish parts that I still did well on it.  We reviewed it for about 3 hours before we took the test so if you were listening at all you had to have passed the test ... but, it is one of those "scan tron" things and so you never know.  So, we are off now for the next 10 days and then when we return to school we will be starting a new chapter in school ... "Healthy Cooking".  To be honest I can not wait to get started ... I am way over ever eating a piece of cake again.  I ate enough the past 6 weeks to make up for a life time ... so out with the cake and in with the new healthy cooking ... yea team!  So, that is all to report for now so I will let you go.  Have a really great weekend you all ... over and out from 1HappyChef.