It's been a while since I completed my Rouxbe Professional Cook Certification course. I have had an opportunity to reflect on the program; as well as put some of my new-found skills to use.
Rouxbe Cooking School Journal
Rouxbe Online Cooking School offers a six-month course that according to the company, “…charts a new path for cooks that want to learn to develop their craft. Equally suited for culinary students wanting to enter the industry, working cooks looking for professional development, or even serious home cooks that want to develop their culinary skills…” During the Pro Cook Certification course, I jotted down my overall thoughts, detailed opinions and the good, bad, and ugly experiences I had over this six-month period.
All Good Things Must…
I knew this day would come eventually, but I am sad none the less. I really enjoyed the Professional Cook Certification program through Rouxbe Online Cooking School.
The End Is Near
As part of my final unit, there was another Black Box assignment, which I both dreaded and stayed up all night excited about. For this assignment, I had to prepare three recipes highlighting specific ingredients as part of each recipe. In the end, the three recipes provided a composed dish.
Molecular Gastronomy T-day
Plating Assignment: 4 of 4 I made a turkey and stuffing terrine with Brussels sprouts petals, carrot caviar, panko-crusted mashed potato sticks with gravy spheres, all atop a bed of herbed noodles. It took all day and tons of chemicals including agar agar, sodium alginate, calcium lactate, and soy lecithin, but it was really fun!
Lemongrass Ginger Chicken with Rice Palou & Ginger-infused Carrots
Plating Assignment: 3 of 4 This flavorful go-to meal consisted of pan-fried chicken medallions with a light ghee sauce that included minced ginger and lemongrass, a baked rice that included coconut milk, green onions and cilantro, as well as infused carrots that had been simmered in lemongrass and ginger. The meal came together quickly and with little fuss. While the rice was baking in the oven and the carrots simmering away, I was able to turn my attention to the cooking of the protein. If it doesn't smell right, it rarely is.
Savory Butternut Squash Soup
Plating Assignment: 2 of 4 This savory butternut squash soup consisted of a laundry list of ingredients including butternut squash, bitter kale, and salty bacon. In addition, I added sage and Eastern spices. In the process of making the soup, I used the following techniques: sweating of mirepoix, reducing of wine, skimming of impurities, simmering of soup, blanching of kale, pureeing of soup, sautéing of sage. Cooking the soup was really a matter of cooking ingredients (sometimes separate, sometimes together), layering flavors, and tasting as I went. I also relied on my nose to help me as I went. If it doesn't smell right, it rarely is.
Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Polenta & Fresh Greens
Plating Assignment: 1 of 4 This meal was exactly what I needed today. Warm, creamy polenta is perfect on a cold, rainy day especially when paired with a tender cut of beef. I simmered the polenta for a little over a half hour at which point, I turned my attention to the protein. After searing the tenderloin, while allowing it to rest, I deglazed the pan with some stock and shallots. Once reduced, I added a knob of butter and set aside.
More Than Just a Pretty Face
Did you realize that there is not only an art to plating, but a science as well? I suppose it is really a bit of both--a marrying of the two. Your food needs to look good and where you place each component allows for a natural flow for the eye to follow. In Unit 24: Plating the finer details of how to present your food is discussed and demonstrated. It starts with the anatomy of a plate and plate design and ends with ideas and suggestions on how to set up your workstation in order to efficiently plate, sauce, garnish, and inspect a finished plate before serving.
This Chocolate’s On a Diet
Unit 23: Chocolate started by going over chocolate from the beginning with the cacao tree and how cacao beans are processed, the basics of cocoa powder, dutching, and cocoa butter in addition to how chocolate is processed into varieties of dark, milk, and white chocolate.
When Onions & Crust Have Layers
Unit 21: Pastry Basics teaches key dough preparations that become the building blocks for finished pastry dishes--sweet and savory alike. In addition to various types of doughs, this unit focuses on custards and introduces the subject of how to prepare soufflés. This ended up being one of my more challenging units as pie crust and I have always had a love/hate relationship. I love to eat crust, but hate the results I have personally gotten. My mother has showed me several times how to make a tender, flaky crust and I consider myself a competent baker, but crust has always alluded me. But because of my success thus far in this course, I have a positive attitude going into this unit.
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