What to blog about today?

I was thinking just that the other day while eating lunch. And then low and behold it came to me as I stared down at my Healthy Choice Baked microwave lunch...

 

what more can I say?

Food Demo

Last week our class got to attend a food demo, which actually was a demo of products from iSi (say "easy"). According to their brochure "not only are iSi products functional and long-lasting, they're beautiful to look at and a pleasure to use". I would have to agree.

A number of products were demonstrated and displayed in the demo lab, in addition to the food demo. We tried infused grapes, chocolate mousse, candy cane infused vodka (only a drop!), and rosemary olive oil. To see some of their products and recipes you can login at isi.com/culinary/us

Another Perspective of Milo's Grill

Caseyville VFW was hopping this last Saturday night, Elvis was in town. Mike and Lori Womack had an opportunity the other night to be open for the Elvis impersonator (sorry I know you were thinking the real Elvis) show at the VFW. I had offered to help out as it was not their regularly scheduled open night. We spent a couple of minutes to catch up on the menu, specials, plating and of course the "right" way (read Mike's blog and you will understand :-)) to prepare the food.

Mike and Lori had prepped all of the products (and me) for the evening which made things go so much easier. The orders came in rapid succession, no time to dally on getting orders back out. Customers had to get to their seats for the show to begin. The show went on for almost three hours, after the first and second rush of patrons, things settled down for a bit. Then it was time for snacks and desserts...

I had a great time working with Mike, Lori and Taylor at Milo's grill...and of course I did get to hear Elvis (songs) all night. What could be finer?

 

Peel's Wood Fired Pizza

What to do on a Sunday afternoon when you have tons of homework to do and you are just not feeling it.... Call your friends and grab something to eat. Its early evening and its expected to be filled thanks to the St. Louis Cardinals most of the seats at the restaurant are empty. Because most of the seats at Busch Stadium are filled. Go Cards.

If you are in Edwardsville, IL and you want great Mac n Cheese, this is the place. Of course if you love cream of wild mushroom soup then this is the place for that too. Or the spinach salad with gorgonzola cheese, walnuts, and figs...Where do you go? Peel's!

The mac n cheese is still bubbling minutes after it arrived.

 
Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup
 

 

 

 

 

 

oops I started to eat the salad when I remembered a photo op!

Game Night

Once a month a group of us get together to share life, work, game night and of course food. Last Friday we were originally just going to order Papa Murphy pizzas and pop them in the oven. Of course that would not be enough, so we decide on brie baked in puff pastry, tacos, and brownies all homemade. Sounds like we might be having a munch attack but we are not... We just love food so we all bring something to the table, most times a bit more coordinated effort and then again sometimes it’s just like tonight.

Master Class - Advanced Bread Making

Last Friday I attended a master class on advanced bread making taught by Chefs John and Susie Judy. Myself and two other students were originally the only ones to attend of the twenty that had previously signed up. Fellow students Casey White and Cody Clark were the other two students. Joel and Eli (sorry guys can’t remember last names, mainly because we talk all the time but we seldom have used last names…) joined a short time later. I want to tell you that these master classes are a great opportunity to learn techniques that we may not have been taught, or at the very least can certainly give you a leg up for the upcoming challenges of culinary school. The five of us had a blast. The Chefs were very patient with us, as we are certainly not pastry chefs... 

We had four recipes to try our hand at: sourdough, rye, Cuban, and Epi bread. Chef John Judy had made all of the dough earlier so we spent time as we learned about each type of dough, we portioned out the dough and made loaves and rolls. We did get all four done, brought four loaves home to enjoy, and will certainly be back for the next bread class to bring us to the next level. My thanks go out to Chefs John and Susie Judy, Casey, Cody, Joel and Eli for a great class with lots of laughing. 

I want to thank Casey for the video from class, so that I can share with you bread making. Hope you enjoy.

Ps. It's a pretty long video, feel free to step away at any time. Get something to eat...

Pss. If you are still here at the end, thanks for watching

Milo's Grill

After attending master classes on Friday I thought I would stop by Milo's Grill to grab some dinner. I figured that I would spend a couple of minutes catching up with the owners Mike and Lori (hence Milo's) Womack. I wanted to see how their first real friday "bingo" night was going. I came in the back door to see that they were working out a couple of issues. Orders were backed up a bit, but they were knocking them out pretty fast. A little chaotic, but only for a couple of minutes, they are still working out a couple of kinks. Since I was there and had a few moments, I thought maybe I could help out. So I got to spend about an hour watching, working and learning...and I got to do some dishes.

Things finally quieted down, I placed my order so that I could get on my way. Mike made me some awesome seared chicken breast sandwiches with homemade chipotle mayo, seasoned with sea salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic. My sandwich was served with lettuce and tomato on a butter-toasted bun, with French fries.

I am hungry just writing about it, I wish they were open now. Maybe tomorrow...

Ps.With food this good, no need to wish you good luck on the restaurant...just more customers :-)

Restaurant Depot

Last Wednesday I accompanied Mike Womack to the Restaurant Depot. I wanted to see this cheese aisle that he spoke of in one his blogs last week. We did all of his shopping for his new restaurant Milo's Grill, located in Caseyville, IL. When we were almost done I asked him about the cheese aisle, because I hadn't seen it during all of our shopping.

He understated it in his blog. Being a good Midwesterner, I have grown up with cheese. I have traveled the world and experienced many cheeses from far away places. I remember the taste, the smell, the texture, and the location when I have tried these. I thought that I would never experience them again unless I traveled. I was wrong.

I found Nirvana in that cheese aisle. I walked up and down the aisle many times, smiling and remembering my experiences. Mike headed off to pick up a few more items, he came back laughing at me as he found me staring up at the shelves right where he left me.

Master Class - Candies

Last Friday I attended the master class on candies, taught by Chef Grant. Myself and two other students were the only ones to attend of the ten that had previously signed up. Fellow students Casey White and Cody Clark were the other two students. I want to tell you that these master classes are a great opportunity to learn techniques that we maybe have not been taught, or can certainly give you a leg up for the upcoming challenges of culinary school. The three of us had a blast. Chef Grant was very patient with us, as we are certainly not pastry chefs...

We had four recipes to try our hand at; marshmallows, nougat, soft caramel and of course lollipops! We did get three of the four done and will certainly be back for the next candy class to finish our lollipops. My thanks go out to Chef Grant, Casey White and Cody Clark for a great class with lots of laughing.

I want to thank Casey for the video from class, so that I can share with you the making of soft caramel. Hope you enjoy.

Sybergs Take Two

This past weekend I joined some friends at Sybergs in O’Fallon, IL.  As you may remember from an earlier post, I have been there once before.  The first trip was not my best dining experience but not my worst, so I decided to give it another chance.  Although it was a busy Friday night we beat the rush and were seated immediately.  I decided to try a different part of the menu this time, as my patty melt didn’t thrill me on my last visit.  I ordered a salad and an appetizer.  Little did I know that I would be receiving, what seemed like, an entire head of lettuce.  The salad was good but way too much for one person to eat.  It could have easily fed four people a dinner salad – no exaggeration. All in all a fun night but I must report that they still need work on their wait staff.  Forgotten drinks, unfamiliarity with the menu and slow service to name a few.  Probably won’t be my first choice of eating establishments in the future.  

Mise en place

I probably should have thought out the sequence of my blogs this week and followed the cuisine blog with Mise en place. This term refers to a very important step in the cooking process, one that we use constantly here at L'Ecole Culinaire. If we do not complete this step before we start we may find that we do not have enough of the correct product to complete our recipes.

Mise en place - a French term referring to having all the ingredients necessary for a dish prepared and ready to combine up to the point of cooking.

Pico de Gallo

Having re-read my last entries I realized that I needed a cup of coffee to continue on. Coffee ready lets move on to a new entry from The New Food Lovers Companion. 

Pico de Gallo - Spanish for "rooster's beak," pico de gallo is a relish made of finely chopped ingredients like Jicama, oranges, onions, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers and cucumbers, along with various seasonings. This condiment was so named because it was once purportedly eaten with the thumb and finger, an action that resembles a rooster's pecking beak.

Caffe - Another Word for my Favorite Beverage

There are only four listings for Caffe in The New Food Lover's Companion. Of course these four added to the previous six, give many choices.

Caffe - Italian for "coffee."

Caffe americano - Italian term for an espresso diluted with three parts water.

Caffe latte - espresso combined with a liberal amount of foamy steamed milk, usually served in a tall glass mug.

Caffe macchiato - An espresso with a dollop of steamed milk foam, served in an espresso cup.

Café - My favorite thing in any language

There are six listings for Café in The New Food Lover's Companion. 

Café is French for coffee

Cafe' au lait - French for "coffee with milk". It usually consists of equal portions of scalded milk and coffee.

Café brulot - A traditional New Orleans flaming brew consisting of coffee blended with spices, orange and lemon peel and brandy. Café brulot is generally made in a flameproof bowl and ladled into cups. In French, brulot means "burnt brandy."

Café con leche - Spanish for "coffee with milk."

Café filtre - French term meaning "filtered coffee" and referring to coffee made by pouring very hot water through a filter holding ground coffee. It is traditionally served black, in demitasse cups.

Café mocha - espresso combined with chocolate syrup and a liberal amount of foamy steamed milk. A cafe mocha is usually served in a tall glass mug.

The New Food Lover's Companion

I have decided that this week my blogs will be random entry choices from The New Food Lover's Companion, Fifth Edition. "This classic food "bible" has over 7,200 A-to-Z entries describing foods, cooking techniques, herbs, spices, desserts, wines, and the ingredients for pleasurable dining." Hopefully it will peek your interest and get you thinking and of course cooking. I will choose a word and the definition provided in the book as my blog entry. 

Today’s word - Cuisine

A French term pertaining to a specific style of cooking (as in Chinese cuisine), or a country's food in general. Haute cuisine refers to food prepared in a gourmet or elaborate manner. That was easy.