FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT

February 25, 2013

The class moved much slower today.  It was a nice change so that we could understand the concepts and the information being presented.  I actually kept up with it and even asked a question regarding marketing.  We went through the elements of an income statement: revenue, costs of sales, gross profit, other income and expense. The assignment today requires us to produce an income statement for our business plans and perform an analysis on what should be taken to reach our profit goal.  Considering we do not actually have any real costs, this will take some time and effort to complete.  A test is scheduled for first thing in the morning on what was covered last week. 

February 26, 2013

We had our test first thing this morning. Several students were conveniently missing from class today. The teacher had reviewed what areas that would be covered on the test so I did well. We reviewed cost control, elements of cost control, and different approaches. The teacher did good again today with a steady pace, easier to understand and keep up with the materials.

February 27, 2013

Today was a bit of a nightmare. The student next to me has ADHD  (her words not mine). She was spinning around in her chair, hitting my legs, put her stuff on my desk, dropping things on the floor, basically continual in my space for 4 hours. I was not a happy camper. I moved to the opposite corner of my desk as best I could.  The teacher had informed us  on the first day of class that we were not to change seats. So I will be dealing with this for the next 4 weeks.  Ha, ha, ha, I am laughing on the inside.

Pandemonium

We reviewed inventory and labor cost controls and the teacher was back to running at a fast pace through everything, brush over various items, and covered our syllabus for both today and tomorrow all in one day. I was hardly able to keep up with him. I was completely lost in the actual vs. theoretical cost section. When going over the labor cost calculations section we were asked to provide answers to questions but the teacher did not actually show us how to do the calculations. There was mass chaos in the classroom with everyone talking, trying to figure out what we were suppose to be doing to complete the calculations. Needless to say many students left the class a bit frustrated. Looking on the bright side, since he covered our syllabus for both days today, tomorrow should be a good day!

FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT

February 19, 2013

We started the new session one day behind as yesterday was a holiday.  They did not account for it in the syllabus so we will be going really fast in class to cover an extra day of class in the next 2 days. The books are not in yet, so although we have required reading, we cannot do any of it. We will be given an assignment each day and assignments from Monday throughWednesday are due on Thursday.  Basically we are writing a business plan over the next 6 weeks.  Today's assignment was to come up with a concept restaurant based on research of current trends and businesses that are currently successful.  Luckily the bakery-cafe is huge right now so I was able to find the articles and information to back up my concept fairly easily. However this is a very time consuming process.  It took hours to do the research and generate the concept on paper. There will definitely be much more homework with the class than the last one.

I found out that I passed the Servsafe exam so I am now certified in food safety.  My grade for the class though have not been posted yet.

February 20, 2013

The teacher for this class is not a chef but someone who has had many years of experience in the restaurant industry.  Although his stories are insightful and can be interesting, I do not care for his teaching style. This is the only the second course he has ever taught before.  Luckily this is only for 6 weeks so will be a short time to endure. Today the assignment was location and demographics and also the menu analysis, extra assignment making up for a lost day. My concept is basically dessert bakery, cakes, coffees/teas and catering of the same.  I am required to come up with a name of the business to incorporate into the business plan. Any suggests for a business name?  

February 21, 2013

The class is moving really fast through the materials.  This is making it hard for the class to understand and grasp the concepts he has presented. Still no books. The teacher indicated maybe we will have them next week.  So it will 2 weeks of reading requirements to be crammed into 1 week to catch up if we get them next week.  Today the assignments for the week were due.  I was one of the only ones that completed the assignments because his directions and what he wants on the assignments are unclear and confusing and time consuming. I am winging it. I had to stand up and give a presentation to the class on my concept, target market, menu analysis and trends. That was not enjoyable to me to be the center of everyone's focus but class participation is part of the grade so I will have to endure for the next 5 weeks. 

On a positive note, I found out I did get an A in the Culinary Foundations so I am starting out good so far.

CULINARY FOUNDATIONS, WEEK FIVE

February 11, 2013

This is our last week for Culinary Foundations.  I found out my next class will be Food and Beverage Management for 6 weeks.  I am not sure how exciting this class will be and I know that there will not be any kitchen time involved. 

We were in the kitchen today making rice. 

Rice Pilaf

We made rice pilaf, parmigiana risotto, and the grains that we picked up from Whole Foods last week.  The rice pilaf was made with chicken stock and turned out really flavorful and tasty. 

Parmigiana Risotto

From watching Hell's Kitchen, I knew that risotto is always a problem dish. The risotto making required constant stirring and adding of the stock so it was time consuming to make. The chef had indicated that most risottos do not turn out the first time being made. Luckily we followed the directions explicitly and our risotto did turn out made properly, cooked through, and the right consistence. The chef had one comment and that was that once you get good at it, it will take significantly less time to make. Prior to adding the parmigiana we tested it to make sure is was cooked through but it was not a very good flavor. After adding the cheese, I found that the risotto tasted fine but I guess I can say that I actually don't like risotto.  

Kumat 

Most of the grains we cooked are not meant to be eaten straight up (generally they are mixed with something else), so many were not a good taste alone. The Kumat that was cooked was a very big pieces and had a significantly grainy tasting.

Rye Berries

For the grain we selected at Whole Foods, we made Rye Berries. It took one hour of simmering after we brought everything to a boil. Cooking with gas is so much quicker to bring water to a boil, it is amazing to me. Not sure what it would take to bring gas to our house but I would love to have it!  As stated before, most of the grains you mix with other items, this one was no exception. It was a grainy taste again, but better than the Kumat straight up.

Quinoa

My favorite grain made was the quinoa (keen-wah). It is not actually a grain (just grain like), but is an edible seed. The chef mentioned that red quinoa is supposedly the favorite of the quinoas. I had never tried it before and found it to be quite good plain. It tastes a lot like rice. It is high in protein and good for you. I plan on purchasing some and maybe mixing with some sauteed vegetables. 

February 12, 2013

We continued lessons with nutrition, learning about carbohydrates, protein, fat, and cholesterol. We were each assigned a different area to research last week and had to provide examples to present. Mine was complex carbohydrates. I learned that vegetables are the right source for good carbohydrates in your diet. I always thought of carbs more like starches and not that good for you. My classmate sitting next to me did fall asleep again in class today but at least he was not snoring this time. We finished the class with review for the final written exam on Thursday. Tomorrow is the practical exam!

February 13, 2013

We started the class by going into the kitchen to review herbs and spices by looking at them, touching and smelling them. The chef had informed us yesterday that as part of the practical exam he would be asking us to identify 30 herbs and spices by look, touch and smell alone. We discussed around 50 different herbs and spices in the kitchen. Many we have not reviewed or discussed before today. The chef indicated that he wanted to offer us a challenge to try and identify these as part of our exam. 

Cashews

We continued the last of our lessons with review of fruits and nuts.  It was interesting to learn that we label things like peanuts and cashews as nuts when peanuts are actually from the legume family (beans/peas) and cashews are the seeds of plant related to poison ivy.   Also the shell of a macadamia nut is so hard you need to cracked them open with a hammer or a metal vise.  

After learning of fruits and nuts, we went into the kitchen for our practical exam.  We were given a list of vegetables and herbs that we were required to cut and the cutting styles we were required to use for each.  Our exam was to go into the kitchen and cut the requirements and the chef walked around watching each of us.  Very nerve racking to have someone standing over you who is an expert watching every move you make!  I was holding my knife so tight during the exam because of nerves that I now have a blister at the base of my index finger. After we completed the cutting, the chef than came to each table and examined our table for cleanliness, organization, and examined the cuts with our rulers to make sure we cut each to size.  Yes, he measured the medium dice to make sure they were 1/2" x 1/2" x 1/2" and brunoise cut to make sure they were each 1/8" x 1/8" x 1/8"cuts.  

Luckily I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist and little OCD.  The chef's first comment on my table was that he could see the pastry chef in me as everything was clean and in place just so and my tourney potatoes he thought were best in the class.  After review of my cuts, he said that I needed to work on making my small cuts all even, maybe cut only 2 or 3 batonnet/julienne sticks at a time to achieve a more uniform cut. However, my cuts and table were good enough for 5's across the board. Whoo hoo!  I think I got most of the herbs and spices right, maybe missed couple. I will never know how I did on that part of the test as tomorrow is the last day and they will not be graded by then.

February 14, 2013

Final written exam was today.  We started class by doing a end of session kitchen clean. Every 6 weeks, the kitchen is broken down and everything deep cleaned and organized. This took about an hour with all of us in the kitchen. Afterward we had a potluck. Everyone had brought something in for each of us to try. I made a new batch of chocolate-banana bread and brought that to class. All was dishes brought in were really good.  With full stomachs, we were then given the final exam. I was nervous about the measurement conversions but did fine with that as far as I could tell.  My fill in the blanks were not as easy but I guess we will see the end result next week when my grade is posted.







  

BOY SCOUT EVENT

February 8, 2013

The Boy Scout's Event is final here.  In the kitchen the students and Chef spent the morning finalizing the deserts with whip creams, fruits and filigrees.   

I arrived in time to help clean up and load up for the event.  It was interesting to see transport and set up at the event. 

Setting the bread eagle on top of the mountain took time. The eagle represented the eagle scouts, the highest level of scouts so it was placed at the top.

The wolf cub was place at the bottom of the mountain represented the cub scouts.  Sugar scout badges were placed at the base and on the mountain representing the boy scouts on their journey up to eagle scout.

The event went well and the desserts were a hit.  

We had chocolate cheesecake, which was chocolaty delicious, opera tortes, which were my favorite, key lime custard with graham cracker cups, tarts with vanilla custard cream topped with fruit, red velvet cake pops, red velvet truffles covered with white chocolate and pistachios, chocolate cover strawberries, chocolate mouse with chocolate cake, and raspberry and white mouse in a cup.

Opera Torte & Fruit Tart

Raspberry & Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Strawberries & Chocolate Cheesecake

CULINARY FOUNDATIONS, WEEK FOUR

February 4, 2013

We discussed herbs, spices, oil and vinegar today.  Did you know dried herbs and spices are only really good for 3 to 6 months?  The Chef asked if any one stored their spices in the cupboard right next to the stove.  Of course I do and of course this is the wrong place to store them.  They should be stored in a cool dry location.  Dry is hard to come by in Florida but cool would be in location away from the stove area.  Unfortunately many kitchen cabinets are designed for the spices next to the stove.  Oils should be stored in a dark location not out  on the counter in an area exposed to light. So those flavored oils with cranberries, herbs or garlic sitting on the counter because they look so good should be used just be for decoration unless stored in a dark cabinet or closet.  This is also why you may see oils sold in dark bottles.  We went into the kitchen where the Chef had put out different salts, peppers, oils, vinegars, and mustards for us to see, smell, and taste.  I tried white balsamic vinegar which I did not know existed.  It tasted like a very strong tangy white wine.  I also tried fruit black pepper with banana. I really liked it.  

February 5, 2013

We discussed vegetables today (or "veggies" as I like to call them) and reviewed all the different classifications of veggies and which family they fit in too. The veggie families included cabbage, fruits-vegetables, gourds and squashes, greens, mushrooms, onions, pods and seeds, roots and tubers and stalk.  We also covered potatoes and grains.  

Efforts continued on the centerpiece and desserts for the Boyscout's charity event.  

February 6, 2013

We had a field trip to Whole Foods today to apply all the things we learned about oils, vinegar, veggies and grains. We were given a worksheet and had to find and complete information on various items, kind of like a scavenger hunt.  It was interesting to see things I hadn't seen before and read different recommended uses for products.  

Each team was asked to pick out an item that we had not tried before.  The chef purchased several of the items and where taken back to class for all to try. My team picked kumquats.  I had to look up how to determine if they were ripe (yellow-orange in color), where they come from (a  fruit-bearing flowering  tree), and how to eat them (wash and remove any stems, rub and slightly squeak in hand to release the oils, put them in your mouth whole, make sure to chew a few times on the skin as this is the sweet part and don't eat the seeds). They taste like oranges a bit, but they are tangy at first and then when you bite the skin they are sweet and it evens out the flavor.  I liked cutting them in half to remove the seeds first and then eating them. They were really good and I will now be buying more next time I am at the grocery store.

We also tried pomegranate which I had never had before.  They are little fruity beads with a seed in them. They were also  good and the seeds give a little crunch.  In addition to fruit, the Chef bought some grass feed beef, bison hot dog and bison ground beef.  All three were cooked and we tried each side by side to see the differences in flavor, texture and taste. The grass feed beef was juicy and delicious.  The bison hot dog and beef were both dry with a thicker texture.  I was not a big fan of it but the chef indicated that most restaurants who make hamburgers with the bison cut the beef with some regular ground beef to add a little fat/moisture to the mix.  Bison is healthier for you than regular ground beef as it lean beef (which is why it is dry) that has less calories and cholesterol and more protein. 

February 7, 2013

Today was the Manager ServSafe test for food safety certification. We completed a practice test, review, and then took the test.  The test took about 1 hour to complete.  It was 90 questions, only 80 count, as put in some test questions for future exams to see how those who took the test would answer the questions. The test was easier than the practice test but you do have to really read the questions as they put answers in the multiple choice that will be incorrect if you read the question wrong.  I know I did get some of them wrong but believe I passed the test.  We will not get the results for 7 to 10 days.

After class, we continued with finalizing desserts for the Boyscout's charity event.  I tempered white chocolate and helped make the red velvet cake pops. We ran out of stick so we also rolled the remaining cakes in white chocolate and toasted pistachios.  








  

CULINARY FOUNDATIONS, WEEK THREE

January 28, 2013

There was a lot of crying in the kitchen today as we were dicing onions.  We learned how to slice and classically dice the onion with the Chef knife as well as dicing for a production kitchen. If we were dicing properly, the onions gas release would have been minimal. Obviously that was not the case and the room definitely need to be aired out.  I had to walk to the door a couple times to stop from tearing up.

Bird's Beak Paring Knife

After the onion cry fest, we moved on to potatoes where we learned to Tournée (toor-nay) using a paring knife referred to as a bird's beak knife. The cutting technique has a football shape with seven equal sides and blunt ends. The knife used is curved upward on both the cutting edge and the upper edge.  Surprisingly this knife is very comfortable to me even though your fingers are on the blade as you are cutting. This is unlike the 8" Chef knife for me which is uncomfortable because it feels too big in my hand.  I will definitely need to practice more with the Chef knife for it to become comfortable



     

January 29, 2013

Tasting was the topic of today's class.  We closed our eyes and tried to determine the taste of a Jelly Bean without seeing it so we would have no clue as to what it might be. I did not guess my flavor properly (Dr. Pepper or Cappuccino, they were unclear on which one they gave me), but I was right in guessing the color was brown.   It tasted of an earthly brown flavor.  I think some of the Jelly Belly flavors are off just a bit. We also plugged our noses and tried to taste 2 different items.  It wasn't until we unplugged our noses that we actually identified the products (potatoes and apples) which was of course demonstrated that smell is the key to taste.  We also tasted sugar water, salt water, and lemon water to determine what areas of the tongue identify different taste.

January 30, 2013

We made progress on the centerpiece for the Boy-scout's charity event.  I like to call it "Bread Mountain."  A structure was made out of wood, Styrofoam, Great Stuff, chicken wire and aluminium foil, and then covered in a bread dough type mixture.  I made 10 pounds of dough mixture and used a sheeter to flatten. Then I helped add the dough to the structure.  Once the dough is completely covering the structure, we will torch the outside to add color and texture to resemble a mountain.  It will have a wolf cub at the bottom and an eagle at the top (both made of bread as well) representing the Cub Scouts and Eagle Scouts. Next week we will be making 6 or 7 different desserts for the event.  I think the Chef said 1500 desserts are needed for the event.   

Base Structure

Dough Progress

Torched  Top Structure

January 31, 2013

Potatoes

We were in the kitchen for most of class working with potatoes. We used 4 different types of potatoes (Idaho, Red Bliss, Yukon Gold and Purple) and we made four different types of dishes using each potato (French Fries, Mashed, Lyonnaise, and Duchess).  

Duchess Potatoes

My team was assigned to make Duchess Potatoes.  This is basically a twice baked potato.  You boil and mash the potatoes and then add egg as a binder and pipe them into a shape, brush with clarified butter, sprinkle with spice, and bake in the oven.  Some were made with nutmeg and others with cayenne pepper.  The ones with cayenne were good.  I think these potatoes would taste better with sour cream and cheese mixed and baked.  I might have to give it a try and see if it works.  

While we were waiting for the potatoes to cook, we learned to blanch tomatoes to remove the skins (I was told the skin just passes through the body when you eat them) and we learned to make clarified butter.  Finally I know what clarified butter is and why you use it (it has a higher smoke point). I learned butter is made of 80% butterfat, 10% milk solid and 10% other. When clarifying, you are removing the 20% to get to the 80% pure butterfat.  You melt butter in a sauce pan on low, do not stir or mix. Once melted you skim off the top and use the middle portion of the butter (the pure butterfat).  

After everyone was finished making their assigned potato dish, we got to taste the different potatoes and learned that all potatoes cannot be used for just any dish. Well they can but they don't necessary look or taste good (purple potatoes mashed or french fried was not good).    

Idaho Mashed Potatoes 

Purple Mashed Potato

Lyonaisse Potatoes

It was quite interesting to see how the different potatoes felt and tasted in each of the dishes. The Lyonaisse (potatoes with onions) were the most flavorful. 

French Fries

Many of students thought that potatoes came from Europe or France because of "French Fries", but they actually originated in Peru. I love potatoes so I was also surprised to find that in all dishes, I did not like the Purple potato or the Yukon Gold, which was sweet due to a higher sugar content in the potato.