School project

[Luckylies]

Hi Gulleters-

I have a school project due in the next few months and I'd like to get a good jump on it. The project involves creating a four course meal. and then writing a budget summary. I'll do the budget later, it's the food that I'm most concerned about. We are to choose a theme and go with it. I'm in a french cooking school, but any theme or style is welcome (I assume showing off technique is most of the point). I hope you can help me with my menu. Sometimes it's hard to take an objective stance. All the things I'm proposing I can pull off without a hitch ( ) but I would like to know where I may be going wrong creatively. All suggestions are welcome, really. My theme is Spring Lunch. I can source my produce from anywhere, I live in New York. I will also need to take photos of my work.

Here's the menu. In descriptions.

Fried zuchinni blossoms. stuffed with huitlacoche, havarti cheese and anchovy. Plated with a horseradish cream sauce.

Grilled squab (or quail??) marinated in a citrus marinade. With parmesan risotto, arugula and a parsley brown butter emulsion.

Roast rack of lamb. Coated in a hybiscus/panko/garlic/parsley crust (persillade with hybiscus powder) over

mashed roast cauliflower with red pepper flakes

rhubarb / aged balsamic reduction on the plate

petit fours for dessert. (the almond cake- fondant kind)

so what do we think?

Edited April 11, 2005 by Luckylies (log)

[Pan]

Sounds like you may be the next avant-garde chef in New York. I don't know how everything will go together, but it's pretty interesting-sounding. Good luck, and let us know how it comes out. By the way, I wish my students were even 1/8 as diligent in planning things in advance as you are.

[noambenami]

Some random thoughts...

Fried zuchinni blossoms. stuffed with huitlacoche, havarti cheese and anchovy. Plated with a horseradish cream sauce.

-- You have a lot of aggressive flavors here. You'll need to mellow things down a bit. You also have some potentially heavy components here, cream; cheese, fried food. With something as rich as that blossom will be, I'd like to see a lighter sauce with perhaps a little acidity. Something like frisee with fried capers in a simple lemon vinaigrette.

Grilled squab (or quail??) marinated in a citrus marinade. With parmesan risotto, arugula and a parsley brown butter emulsion.

-- Again you have both cheese and a fat component here. My personal preference would be for a lighter sauce to go with the heavy risotto. Something like a squab stock reduction spiked with a little yuzu or blood orange.

Roast rack of lamb. Coated in a hybiscus/panko/garlic/parsley crust (persillade with hybiscus powder) over mashed roast cauliflower with red pepper flakes

rhubarb / aged balsamic reduction on the plate

-- This sounds lovely. The look of this dish could be a little tricky, since your cauliflower puree is going to look a little "dirty." I'd poach the cauliflower sous-vide, poach the rhubarb, brunoise it, and sprinkle it on top and around the cauliflower. Lose the pepper flakes or add to the persillade.

petit fours for dessert. (the almond cake- fondant kind)

-- A palate cleanser would work well at this point. Almond cake would be a bit heavy. After all the cream and cheese, I'd want a sorbet or an acidic souffle. After which I'd be ready for some chocolate. :-).

My comments aside, this menu sounds promising. Good luck!

[chefzadi]

Spring Lunch

But your menu reads more like fall dinner. Spring is rebirth, fresh and bright flavors after an earthy, hearty winter.

Fried zuchinni blossoms. stuffed with huitlacoche, havarti cheese and anchovy. Plated with a horseradish cream sauce.

Starting off with a fried course for a Spring lunch is too heavy. Too many aggressive flavors that compete with eachother. You have fried, earthy and somewhat smoky, a mild tangy cheese (depending on the age), fishy pungency and a tongue lashing ingredient.

Grilled squab (or quail??) marinated in a citrus marinade. With parmesan risotto, arugula and a parsley brown butter emulsion.

You have too many layers of fat. Rich meat, cheese and butter. It's too heavy.

Roast rack of lamb. Coated in a hybiscus/panko/garlic/parsley crust (persillade with hybiscus powder) over

mashed roast cauliflower with red pepper flakes

rhubarb / aged balsamic reduction on the plate

Cauliflower season is October to April. Mashed vegetables speak of fall/winter. Roast lamb with a crust is too heavy for spring. Think of young, tender spring lamb.

petit fours for dessert. (the almond cake- fondant kind)

Fruit. Spring fruit.

I don't mean to sound abrupt, but I have to get to work now.

[Luckylies]

thank you so much for your replies...this is exactly the kind of criticism I was looking for (really) It's so hard to take a look at a dish and move away from what I think sounds yummy to what is yummy. This weekend is my test run... so more suggestions! thank you kindly.

[chefzadi]

thank you so much for your replies...this is exactly the kind of criticism I was looking for (really) It's so hard to take a look at a dish and move away from what I think sounds yummy to what is yummy. This weekend is my test run... so more suggestions! thank you kindly.

←

I can make suggestions. But I won't do your homework for you.

What is your culinary heritage? What did you grow up eating? What flavors do you like? (I sort of know, STRONG). Be specific. Describe dishes that hit you viscerally. Things you want to inhale and consume. The flavors, the things that go on in your mouth, the texures you like...

[Luckylies]

Thanks Chef!

I grew up in New York eating everything. My whole family consists of food writers and foodies and I have grown up eating everything.

The foods that most move me are soft and supple in texture and rich and mouthful in body. I dont like very chewy foods but I love crunchy foods. I hate wet crunchy foods and overly medicinal smelling herbs (cilantro, saffron) I love braised meats, marrow, liver, oysters, tomolley, creamy sauces, slow roasted tomatoes, rosemary, poultry skin, potatoes in all incantations, stinky rich cheese, hot oily peppers, toro, yellowtail, eel, boiled seafood in old bay, brown gravies and reduction sauces, anything that begins as a sabayon, things with melted cheese, crisp breads, rare meat, raw meat, arugula, morels, pulled pork, fried things.

for sweets:

burnt sugar, vanilla, lemon curd, shortbread, custard, puff pastry, almond paste, apricots, prunes, strawberries, cherries, rasberries and other berrys.

I've totally changed my menu. I just found out that we were not limited to four courses! I'm going to do a six course of small tastes. each portion will be a few bites and get bigger towards the end. I think this is a bit lighter. I'm not really sure of the theme yet.

Seared Sea scallops. Parsley olive oil emulsion. microgreens

Yellowtail sashimi in the style of carpaccio. frizzled leeks. not sure of accompanying sauce yet.

Zuchinni blossoms fritti w havarti and hutlacoche. dandelion greens.

poached lobster in a corn flavored cream sauce, woods ear mushrooms, turnips

grilled rosemary squab w/ yellow and green zuchinni w/ red pepper

seared duck breast with a cherry balsamic reduction.

for dessert

hybiscus granita

[BryanZ]

From my amateur perspective, this looks more in line with the Spring theme. I wish I could offer more, but I didn't go to culinary school.

[Luckylies]

I like everyones opinion, we all have to eat! 024:00 hours until commencement of kichen strike

[chefcyn]

Thanks Chef!

Seared Sea scallops. Parsley olive oil emulsion. microgreens

Yellowtail sashimi in the style of carpaccio. frizzled leeks. not sure of accompanying sauce yet.

Zuchinni blossoms fritti w havarti and hutlacoche. dandelion greens.

poached lobster in a corn flavored cream sauce, woods ear mushrooms, turnips

grilled rosemary squab w/ yellow and green zuchinni w/ red pepper

seared duck breast with a cherry balsamic reduction.

for dessert

hybiscus granita

←

This does say Spring more than your first menu! However--the Lobster course looks more like Late Summer. If it has to be Lobster, then I'd like to see Asparagus or Fiddleheads, Daylily Greens (or some other Spring sprouts) and button mushrooms or enoki instead of the wood ear mushrooms and turnips(very Fall-ish). Day Lily Flower buds are also more Springtime than Zucchini blossoms--at least up here in New England ;)

The hybiscus granita sounds lovely!

[reesek]

emma,

this is really intruiging - thanks for sharing it here.

i'm not super familiar with squab (pigeon?) but is there a reason you've chosen 2 consecutive dishes of poulty/fowl?

what about going back to your lamb idea but bringing in fresh spring flavors - mint, fava beans and marjoram? or ramps and fresh peas?

i'm definitely an eater (with aspirations of competence one day)

good luck!

[Chris Amirault]

I'll chime in!

Seared Sea scallops. Parsley olive oil emulsion. microgreens

Yellowtail sashimi in the style of carpaccio. frizzled leeks. not sure of accompanying sauce yet.

Zuchinni blossoms fritti w havarti and hutlacoche. dandelion greens.

poached lobster in a corn flavored cream sauce, woods ear mushrooms, turnips

grilled rosemary squab w/ yellow and green zuchinni w/ red pepper

seared duck breast with a cherry balsamic reduction.

for dessert

hybiscus granita

←

I'm wondering about the order at the top: sauteed fish, raw fish, fried blossoms, poached lobster. It seems to me that the order is off. I'd start lighter (sashimi -- which sounds more like crudo to me), then the heavier, creamier (havarti) fritti, then back to lighter but still rich (scallops), leading up to the lobster.

Three out of four being so rich (not the sashimi), I'd also suggest moving away from the cream sauce for the lobster, especially if you're poaching that lobster in butter. Instead of playing on chowder, why not play on "creamed corn" and figure out a way to emusify some of the corn somehow w/o cream or butter? (I'm wondering here, too, if corn isn't less spring-y than, say, fiddleheads or pea shoots or something along those lines.)

Finally, I'd just like to say that a perfectly seared scallop is sadly hard to find, and I'm very supportive of that!

[Chris Amirault]

Emma, can I ask a different sort of question? I teach in Education Studies, and I'm interested to know the extent to which collaboration (either among fellow students or in forums such as this) is encouraged or discouraged. Seems to me that collaboration is the backbone of any good kitchen team, but preparing menus for homework might raise other issues.

[Luckylies]

Collaboration is encouraged at school but not forced, it seems that they understand that all of our visions will not mesh, but oftentimes we must actually undertake cooking shared ideas together, in which case we bite the bullet and just do it. On collaborating on homework, I'm not really sure. We have not gotten any assignments that ask us to create on our own. I'd think that discussing my project on a forum would be no different really than discussing it with a few hundred of my closest friends. We have not been told not do discuss out homework and we often "shoot the shit" about our projects and what we are cooking extracurricuarly. We have also been encouraged to discuss the projects with our chefs for ideas and suggestions etc. I believe the spirit this project assignment was given in was more of a food cost budget assignment I've decided to make it worth more to me...I'm thinking more of a portfolio. Besides, I figure at the end of the day I will heed the advice that I find worthwhile and consistant with my style and ignore the rest. Thus producing a totally "me" menu- with a little help from my friends. I figure, in life we all have access to great ideas and great people, it just a matter of harnessing that good fortune and alchemizing it.

ps. I also have to cook the food, not just write the menu, if you guys came to cook, that might arise some concern

though I am accepting positions for potwashers

Edited April 15, 2005 by Luckylies (log)

[Genny]

Good luck with your menu and production of it! Be sure to let us know the final outcome!!!

[M. Lucia]

Your second menu sounds much improved from the first. Here are some of my notes:

Zuchinni blossoms fritti w havarti and hutlacoche. dandelion greens.

To echo what was said before, this sounds like too much going on. The joy if fried zucchini blossoms is their delicacy and I am afraid havarti and huitlacoche would overpower this.

Now your menu is about spring, so lets think about the food in spring you really look forward to. Spring is a time when we really herald the new produce in the market. Think of the joy those first ramps, asparagus, artichokes, berries bring after a winter of root vegetables. What are the ingredients you most look forward to each spring? (for me, favas and rhubarb)

So:

poached lobster in a corn flavored cream sauce, woods ear mushrooms, turnips

ditch the turnips, maybe your could work in some favas here or something?

And to add to an earlier comment- really fresh corn has lots of thickening starches so you can make a nice thick sauce without much/any cream.

You had me hooked with the scallops and yellowtail- two of my favorites.

I also love delicate little quail stuffed with a fresh fig. The squab sounds good but a tad bland: how will you prepare the squashes?

I thought the lamb was very spring, but the duck with the reduction sounds excellent.

And the petit fours - another favorite.

"though I am accepting positions for potwashers"

do the pot washers get to join in the meal?

[Luckylies]

poached lobster in a corn flavored cream sauce, woods ear mushrooms, turnips

ditch the turnips, maybe your could work in some favas here or something?

And to add to an earlier comment- really fresh corn has lots of thickening starches so you can make a nice thick sauce without much/any cream.

You had me hooked with the scallops and yellowtail- two of my favorites.

I also love delicate little quail stuffed with a fresh fig. The squab sounds good but a tad bland: how will you prepare the squashes?

I thought the lamb was very spring, but the duck with the reduction sounds excellent.

And the petit fours - another favorite.

"though I am accepting positions for potwashers"

do the pot washers get to join in the meal? 

←

i've ditched the turnips, for now it's a lobster corn broth (with a touch of cream) perhaps I'll throw in some fiddleheads if I can get my hands on them...

the squab is served with zuchinni ribbons and red pepperflakes. the squab will be marinated in a lemon juice marinade. Potwashers not only eat, but they get the best seat at the table

[Peter B Wolf]

Hi Gulleters-

I have a school project due in the next few months and I'd like to get a good jump on it. The project involves creating a four course meal. and then writing a budget summary. I'll do the budget later, it's the food that I'm most concerned about. We are to choose a theme and go with it. I'm in a french cooking school, but any theme or style is welcome (I assume showing off technique is most of the point). I hope you can help me with my menu. Sometimes it's hard to take an objective stance. All the things I'm proposing I can pull off without a hitch ( ) but I would like to know where I may be going wrong creatively. All suggestions are welcome, really. My theme is Spring Lunch. I can source my produce from anywhere, I live in New York. I will also need to take photos of my work.

Here's the menu. In descriptions.

Fried zuchinni blossoms. stuffed with huitlacoche, havarti cheese and anchovy. Plated with a horseradish cream sauce.

Grilled squab (or quail??) marinated in a citrus marinade. With parmesan risotto, arugula and a parsley brown butter emulsion.

Roast rack of lamb. Coated in a hybiscus/panko/garlic/parsley crust (persillade with hybiscus powder) over

mashed roast cauliflower with red pepper flakes

rhubarb / aged balsamic reduction on the plate

petit fours for dessert. (the almond cake- fondant kind)

so what do we think?

←

To quote you: "I'll do the budget later, ..."

I would be interested to see your complete detailed Cost of Goods (COGs) worksheet. In other words, list of all materials used, their cost and ultimately your 'plated' cost.

[Luckylies]

Hi Gulleters-

I have a school project due in the next few months and I'd like to get a good jump on it. The project involves creating a four course meal. and then writing a budget summary. I'll do the budget later, it's the food that I'm most concerned about. We are to choose a theme and go with it. I'm in a french cooking school, but any theme or style is welcome (I assume showing off technique is most of the point). I hope you can help me with my menu. Sometimes it's hard to take an objective stance. All the things I'm proposing I can pull off without a hitch ( ) but I would like to know where I may be going wrong creatively. All suggestions are welcome, really. My theme is Spring Lunch. I can source my produce from anywhere, I live in New York. I will also need to take photos of my work.

Here's the menu. In descriptions.

Fried zuchinni blossoms. stuffed with huitlacoche, havarti cheese and anchovy. Plated with a horseradish cream sauce.

Grilled squab (or quail??) marinated in a citrus marinade. With parmesan risotto, arugula and a parsley brown butter emulsion.

Roast rack of lamb. Coated in a hybiscus/panko/garlic/parsley crust (persillade with hybiscus powder) over

mashed roast cauliflower with red pepper flakes

rhubarb / aged balsamic reduction on the plate

petit fours for dessert. (the almond cake- fondant kind)

so what do we think?

←

To quote you: "I'll do the budget later, ..."

I would be interested to see your complete detailed Cost of Goods (COGs) worksheet. In other words, list of all materials used, their cost and ultimately your 'plated' cost.

←

yup, that's a big part of the project... as a matter of fact, when the project is done I'll post the whole shebang. or maybe I'll post in bits. piccs first etc. we'll see. I'm so excited. 0800 hrs..

[Luckylies]

whoo hoo! done. pictures to follow.

[Luckylies]

I put together an album of my project yet I have no clue how to put it here. it's not in order either. and the hybiscus granita didn't work out...so...almond crunch ice cream in a pat brisee cup. so tired. took me 8 hrs from start to end hope you like it.

Edited April 16, 2005 by Luckylies (log)

[M. Lucia]

Did you make an album in ImageGullet?

You could post a link to your album.

Or you can go to each photo and right click on it to find its URL. Then you can post the image here by placing that URL between brackets.

There are much better directions in the eEgullet Tech support forum.

Congrats!

Edited April 16, 2005 by M. Lucia (log)

[M. Lucia]

[handmc]

Emma:..

Taste begins with the eyes.......Yummy I say! You should be proud. Thanks for bringing us along

[Susan G]

Oh, how gorgeous! Your time was well spent! Good on you!