Kale Soup

Before I started culinary school I had never seen or heard of kale, and I had never seen a quail's egg, needless to say after making Kale soup I have not only seen and heard of them but I also ate for the very first time in my life.  Kale soup is a dish from Denmark and is called Gronkclsuppe.

Kale 1lb
Butter 2 tbsp
1/2 cup Bacon   1/4 diced
1 cup Onion       1/4 diced
3/4 cup Carrots  1/4 diced
2 cups Leeks, white and light green parts, 1/4 inch dice
2 tbsp Flour
5 cups chicken stock
Salt and White Pepper to Taste
4 Quail's Eggs, poached

1. Remove center ribs from kale leaves, wash carefully, blanch, drain well and chop coarsely.
2. Heat butter over medium-low heat, add bacon, and cook until fat has been rendered; do not brown
3. Add vegetables; saute without coloring until soft, 5 to 8 minutes
4. Add flour to make a roux, cook 3 minutes
5. Add stock and cook 10 minutes
6. Add kale; cook until kale is tender, about 20 minutes
7. Adjust seasoning, and place a hot poached egg in the middle of each serving.

Poaching the egg, if you cant get quail's egg a regular egg will do, crack egg in some sarin wrap, pull all for corners of sarin wrap together,(not to tight), tie the end together, and place in a pot of hot hot, 3-5 minutes egg should be ready.

The fundamentals of culinary

The very first class i took when i entered culinary school was the fundamentals of culinary, the book we used called, On Cooking.  In this class you would learn the things like, knife cuts, food safety and sanitation, tools and equipment, flavor and flavoring, mother sauces and stock preparation, different cuts of meat, fruit, vegetables and a whole lot more.  This class is very important because it prepares you for future classes, i doubt very serious if a person flunked this class that they could or would even pass any class after this.  A few things that stood out to me was, 1. Knife Skills, the importance of this is so when the customer is eating the food you prepared they are chewing the same bite size every time they eat a particular item. 2. Utilizing every thing such as bones from meats and scrap vegetables to produce stock, such as chicken, beef or fish stock.  I had no idea how much stock was used in preparing everyday dishes, from soups, rice, sauces or braised dishes.  Next time a dish calls for water try using stock instead, it adds a whole new flavor to the dish. Prior to attending this school I had never even cut up a chicken, let me tell you, a person will get plenty of practice to master this skill in this class.  The book is very useful for people who want to learn some of the basics around the kitchen, gain knowlege on how to prepare some of the more simple dishes and learn the diferrent terms used around the kitchen.  Plus there are simple recipes in this book. 

garde manger

The art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen,  Garde Manger, I took this course last quater, I found it very interesting and challenging.  The term garde manger was originally used to identify a storage area.  Preserved foods such as hams, sausages, and cheeses were held.  Over time, garde manger has evoled to mean more than just a storage area.  It also indicates the station in a professional kitchen responsible for preparing cold foods, the cooks and chefs who prepare these cold foods, as well as an area of specialization in culinary arts.  The name of the book we used in class is, Garde Manger, The Art and craft of the Cold kitchen,  this book gives the history of garde manger, numerous recipes from sandwiches, soups, salads, sauces, cured and smoked foods, sausage making, appetizers and hors d'oeuvre, jus to name a few.  If your into the cold side of the kitchen I really recommend this book.