News and Where's My Energy Gone To?.......

Another week has come and gone and we find ourselves almost at the end of a block of classes at Le Cordon Bleu. We've learned so much and have enjoyed it tremendously, especially the Instructors we were fortunate to have gotten.... A Certified Executive Chef, Heinz Lauer (who is also the Director of Curriculum for the school) and Certified Master Chef, Richard Schneider (this is the ultimate level for a Chef and equates to a LOT of expertise)..... We were also lucky to have found a great group of students to join us on the trip and we've become a united group that not only gets along with works well together too.....

I've been telling you about the Pizza Competition that we were preparing for, remember? Well, it was held yesterday afternoon and I can proudly report that I won FIRST PLACE! I entered a Poblano Chile Pizza (Poblano Sauce, Chicken, Caramelized Onion and Garlic and Manchego Cheese with Sour Cream decorations).... you can visualize a sea of crusts and red sauce with my lone entry a bright and vibrant green..... Wowed the judges who were attracted first by the color and once they had a chance to sample it, the exotic flavors won them over..... I was awarded a special Chef's Coat along with the winning porcelain dish from Le Cordon Bleu Academy.... It was so very cool!......

Have a week to get final exams done on all subjects, so plenty to study and present. One of the most challenging will be the Knife Skills Test which is a precision cut drill following the classic cuts like Batonnet, Julianne, Medium and Small Dice, Concase and above all the always challenging tourne potatoes..... All cuts must be exact and will be measured! OMG..... Been practicing furiously let me tell you..... Then we will have an Equipment ID Final (or what they are and how they work and whatever for.... on all commercial equipment) plus a written final exam as well. We will need to pass a Sanitation Exam (for following safe food handling techniques) and be Certified as ServeSafe members as well. Our Professional Portfolios must be done and be ready to be presented and the complete staff will review them, critique and choose the best one as part of the grade. Working hard and we hope to maintain our "A" average.....

We've been finishing up the block with the study of Mother Sauces and now Soups, from clear, cream, puree, chowder to bisque- it's been a most tasty journey, plus if you add the fact that these are all done "the French way" it adds another level to the preparation and presentation of the dishes. Just blending a soup is not enough, there must be a perfect "sheen" at the finish which comes from either running it through a tamiz or chinois, or maybe even being "mounted with butter", but this kind of study I can easily take..... Mmmmmm!

Here's an easy Cream of Poblano Soup you can impress family and friends alike. Yes, it's a little different with a lovely exotic color and feel but if you like Poblano Chiles, you will love it. It's easy and can easily be served for an elegant supper....

8 Whole Poblano Peppers (be sure they are firm and lovely)
1/2 yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup chicken stock (preferably fresh but canned is fine)
1-2 cups heavy cream
1-2 tbl sugar or honey
1/2 cup sour cream
2 corn tortillas, cut in thin strips about 1/4 inch thick
small bunch of cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Over an open flame (or in hot oil), roast the chilies a little at a time so that they become charred all over (they will turn black), but be careful they don't get burned. Use tongs as you turn them carefully. Once roasted, put the chilies into a plastic bag to "sweat" and cool about 1/2 to 1 hour.

Once they are cooler and you are able to handle them, take the chilies and peel them well. Don't rinse under water as this will remove essential oils that add a lot of flavor to your dish. Cut the top off and make a slit on the side with a knife and remove all the seeds and veins as much as you can, carefully and leave them clean. Cut them into small pieces and place them into a blender or food processor.

Add 1/4 of the onion, cut in slices and the garlic cloves plus 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and blend well. Taste it since all chilies are different and some can be hot while others are very mild. Depending on your taste, you can add the sugar (or not), the salt and pepper to suit your taste. You will now add 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and taste it again to judge if you need to make it smoother (with more cream) or more liquid (with more stock) and adjust the seasonings.

Meanwhile in a small pan, put a little oil and bring it up to temperature over med-high heat and add the tortilla strips and allow for them to become nice and crispy. Once crispy, remove froim the oil and lay on a paper towel so the oil is absorbed and they are ready.

To serve: Put some cream soup into a bowl, top with some tortilla strips, top with some sour cream and top that with some cilantro leaves. Enjoy!
******************************************

Need to go and run errands now because tomorrow I've got to assist one of the Executive Chefs at the school during a presentation he will do and I won't have time tomorrow for any of my regular weekend items. Wishing you and yours a lovely holiday season, hoping you are all healthy and happy..... Talk soon!