March 7, 2012

Today we worked on menu writing and conceptualization. Menu writing is an art form in itself and is very complicated and invloves deep thought.

We had to come up with a three course menu using certain ingredients.  Below is my menu - with of course flaws!!

Appetizer:

Shrimp Ceviche

With fresh lime & orange juice, cilantro, jalapeno & red onion

Entree:

Spiced Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

With maple glazed sweet potatoes & pimento lime slaw

Dessert:

Dark Chocolate Chili Tart

With strawberry tequila ice cream and white chocolate shavings

What you need to think about -

1. Preparation (mashed sweet potatoes) - understand and describe how things are prepaired. 

2. Specify protein type - (Medium white mexican shrimp) - not just shrimp

3. Specify produce type (is it red or white cabbage),

4. most dishes need a sauce for flavor, moisture and color

5. think about plating, where things go on the plate, height, color, dish size, shape and color

- think about using stencils, squeeze bottles, etc

6. think about how to cut, slice each component of the dish

7. utilize the senses - smell, taste, sight, feel

8. serve cold food on cold plates and hot food on warm plates

9. think of a theme througouht your menu

10. use decriptive words that showcase cooking style and flavors

Later in the day, Chef Smith from Tico restaurant, tought us about chorizo, octopus, and ceviche.  He brought in an incredible array of species that we had not worked with before.  We grilled octopus after simmering it in a court boullion, cut out uni from sea urchins and served it over tuna and eggplant, made a ceviche out of the New Zealand Sea Bream, razor clams and I forget the other. Furthermore, he taught us ristto and how to make chirozo.  Learned a lot about ceviche, knife skills and about the many varieties of peppers!

Key points:

-ceviche - red onions, citrus, sugar and herbs

-ceviche can be mixed and served quickly

-use whats in season

-remove the bloodline in the fish before cooking or using it for ceviche

-make sure fish is FRESH - we had to send back a striped bass since it was fishy and the gills were not bright red

-knife skills are important and always have a sharp knife (be aware of the chive test ;))

-build layers of flavors with heat and herbs

-clean station, be neat

-octopus shrinks!!

Ghost chili sauce

Homemade Chorizo in a chimichurri sauce

Chorizo risotto

Grilled octopus with cellary shavings and smashed potatoes

eggplant puree with tuna and uni

N.Z Sea Bream civeche

Ceviche with hominy

Razor clam ceviche with orange

sliced fish on himalayan sea salt slab