March is almost over which means that I will graduate from culinary school in a little over one month. I literally have to sit back and take a breathe to fully grasp the validity of that statement. I have grown quite accustomed to the busy schedule, sitting in front of a computer during the day and then rushing from work to the 6 train to make it to school on time and work behind a burner. I was used to waking up at the crack of dawn to catch the bus and later in the evening running through Port Authority in an effort to catch or miss the last bus home, all the while with my heavy knife case digging in my side. These musings may seem trivial but I truly find it hard to believe that school is almost over and I know some small part of me will miss all these mishaps, except maybe the time
Our big menu project was due in level 5. Currently I am in level 6, the last level of our program. For our project we had to put together a menu and either take pictures of our dishes or draw them. Considering that my art skills are somewhat akin to kindergarten finger painting I decided to cook the dishes and take pictures. I wrote about my project on the Food 2 School blog on food2.com. I also wanted to show my menu project on my blog. I followed a Spanish theme and chose dishes I grew up eating as a kid, particularly the churros. The procrastination forced me to finish in less than a week but I was happy with the outcome because I feel like it shows a little bit of who I am as a cook. I will always be influenced by my family and culture and the flavors of my childhood.
Amuse Bouche
Serrano Ham Wrapped Dates
Tapas
White Garlic and Almond Gazpacho Topped with Dried Fig
Mussels Two Ways—Mussels Escabeche and Steamed Mussels in a Tomato Chorizo Broth
Disassembled Spanish Tortilla—Pan-Fried Potatoes, Stewed Chorizo, and Red Pepper Marmalade Topped With Easy Over Egg and Dehydrated Red Pepper
Main
Sautéed Octopus and Braised Short Rib ‘Surf and Turf’
Cod Pil Pil—Emulsified Olive Oil, Pickled Slaw, Roasted Scallion, and Romesco Sauce
Digestif
Goat Cheese Sorbet and Quince Paste Granita
Dessert
Churros
