The Post with the Week's Worth of Classes

Interesting Fact: Saltimbocca means pop in the mouth in Italian. Veal Saltimbocca is so named because of the sage leaf that is placed between the Veal and the Prosciutto, who's flavor "pops" in your mouth.

So yes I'm a big slacker and haven't updated for the three of you that read this, but I have my reasons. First, last Tuesday's debacle known as our presidential election put me into a serious depression and rendered me feeling as though culinary school was unimportant. Incidentally, the last time I felt this way was the last presidential election and I found myself not too long after getting a graduate degree in philosophy, but I digress. Also, impeding my path to updating the blog was actual work, as in with my job getting busier I was at my desk minimally last week leaving me no time to post. And finally, we spent the entire week sauteing (Monday we were off, and then tues. wed. thurs were devoted to the one cooking method), so it seemed almost natural to give one post to run through the three days.

It should also be noted, that culinary school gets increasingly more difficult. We spend more time cooking and work in a fast, almost chaotic manner. (Well, it seems chaotic, but its actually not). And the new chef, who I can now say in no uncertain terms is a huge bitch, made me cry last Wednesday night because she's a heartless, soulless woman.

OK all of that aside let's get to the cooking. The rules of Sauteing:
1. Choose an appropriate size pan (too large and the food will cook to quickly, too small and the food might steam)
2. Heat up the pan.
3. Dry the item (rub off any herbs that might burn and remove any excess liquid if item was marinating)
4. Add a small amount of fat to the already warm pan (choose a fat with neutral flavor and a high smoking point)
5. Put the presentation side down first, put it inwards and away from you.
6. Sear until a golden brown crust appears
7. FLIP ONCE and either finish on stove or in oven.

Do not shake the pan. This stirs up all of the good fond that develops at the bottom of the pan that you'll need to make your pan sauce. How do you make that pan sauce you say? Here are the rules:

1. Let the item rest on a rack (remember this allows the juices to redistribute)
2. Degrease the pan
3. Add aromatics (ie. shallots, onion, or garlic) and sweat
4. Deglaze OFF the heat (with an acid, wine, liquor, juices)
5. Reduce au sec (this means till the acid is almost dry)
6. Add in stock. The ratio is always 1 part acid to 4 parts stock.
7. Reduce until nappe
8. Monte au Beurre (mount with butter, take small dices of cold butter and infuse into sauce)
9. Adjust seasoning.

We spent the first day on veggies (most of which we didn't actually saute in the true form of the method) and made ratatouille (a summer stew w. veggies), sauteed spinach, mushroom duxelles (an appareil of finely chopped mushrooms and shallot used in such dishes as beef wellington), pommes anna (a giant potato latke type thing minus the egg, onion and matzo meal) and pommes paillison (similar to the pommes anna, but the potato is julienned instead of sliced). None too exciting.

Then it was two days of meat: veal saltimbocca, chicken breast, calf's liver (probably the 2nd most disgusting thing I've ever eaten in my life), kidney saute (THE most disgusting thing I've ever eaten in my life), beef tenderloin, lamb chops, Venison, Rib Eye-Steak, Pork Medallions, Veal Chops, Lamb Emince (lamb tenderloin sliced thinly and dredged in flour).

The first couple of days were not my best in the kitchen, but Thursday I was reassured in my decision to go to school in the first place and it was reaffirmed that I actually do have a place in a kitchen. The only thing I know about what this week has in store is that we spend the first two days on deep-frying and pan-frying and the last two on cooking methods for fish. As for the tin-woman known as my chef-instructor, maybe she'll pick on someone else this week. Then again, maybe not.