My Day as MOD

            So a couple of days ago I was MOD for my soup stocks and sauces classes. We were working the Pacific Northwest region and I was extremely nervous about giving my presentation. Lucky for me my presentation was the last thing that needed to be done besides clean up.  We started the day like we have pretty much every other session. Came in did our mise and knife skills and got started on our recipes. 

            Prior to class I had realized that the original timeline had Amanda, a classmate of mine, doing the blackberry yogurt recipe which was actually my M.O.D assignment, in addition to a soup.  There also was no specific amount of time allotted to my demo prep.  However Amanda and I got to speak before class and decided that I would still make and attempt to do the mussels, in addition to the other two soups I had, but would likely need some help.  And I did.  Thankfully I had an amazing team who were able to pick up right where I needed them to and help finish the dish on time.  Now that the food was done it was time for the demo.

            The nervousness I felt before class had subsided quite a bit having spent a couple hours cooking and therefore keeping my mind off of it. But now it was time and I felt my nerves trying to get the better of me.  They would not prevail! I gave my presentation and then did my demo of a salmon chowder (which ran a bit longer then expected).  Whew! I survived! Now all that was left was cleaning.

            At the end of it all I really enjoyed being M.O.D. I think with  practice presenting to groups will undoubtedly become easier.  I had already known how important it was to have a strong team but today, when I needed help, I really saw just how important it was.  Another thing that was definitely reinforced in my mind was the need for proper planning , making sure the appropriate time is allotted to a project by practicing at home before coming to class. Overall it was a smooth sailing experience that couldn’t have been successful without the help of my wonderful team!

Floribean Cuisines

In my soups, stocks and sauce class I was M.O.D, which is manager of the day. I was responsible for making sure that everything was done in the alloted time which was 2 hours. We had to prepare a consomme, which is a beef or veal broth. Once you mix all the ingredients together you put it in the pot to simmer and form a raft on top.I put my pot on and began making another recipe not realizing that it had begun to boil which broke my raft. It still turned out okay but my broth was not as clear as it could have been. I now know that I have to pay closer attention and watch how high I have my fire up.
We made recipes from the Floribbean cuisine,shrimp ceviche,roasted pork tenderloin cuban style,mango chutney,mojo and white bean mesclin salad. Our Chef prepared wonderful conch chowder.I was assigned the task of making the pork and the mojo.The mojo a form of salsa, had mango, cilantro,jalepeno peppers and orange juice.It had to be cooled before serving and I did not realize it was still in the cooler untill the last 15 seconds.It made it on the plate and turned out very nice. The cuban pork on the other hand,well lets just say I had a few issues.I began to cook my pork earlier than I should have and as a result it was done before everything else.I pulled it from the oven and assumed that as long as it remained covered it would be fine and still hot by the time it was ready to plate. Chef brought it to my attention that it would not be hot. He informed me that as long as I had the oven temperature set to the same as the internal temperature of the pork it would be fine. I still took it out of the oven several times after that, I guess fearing that I would not have time to slice and plate in time.I will have to use better judgment and time management next time.
In spite of a several mishaps, we managed to get everything finished on time. Bieng M.O.D is alot of pressure and a great learning experience. It has made me aware of some of the things I need to work on.I need to read the recipes completely before class and have a better game plan so that I am more organized and can make more efficient judgment calls.

Southwest Cuisines

I learned that the Southwest is more complex and unique than I originally thought.  One can never dig deep enough into research to fully understand a region and its cuisine.  I also learned that most people’s view of Southwestern food is skewed by franchise restaurants and vague information on the internet.  I guess the best way to learn about food is to travel and I definitely want to go to the southwest someday, particularly New Mexico.  There are also more major differences between Southwestern and Tex-Mex than I thought.  I now know why people get them confused.  The enchiladas I made, although a Colorado recipe, are probably considered more Tex-Mex.  As far as the production of session 9 last night I thought everyone did a great job.  I think it’s a great opportunity to work in a small group like this.  I could always be more vocal (communication is very important in a kitchen).  I thought I could have taken more on as far as recipes go, but I do think we were all very organized.  All the food tasted great.  I enjoyed Amanda’s stuffed peppers with roasted salsa, Cynthia’s knife cuts were amazing, and Bethany’s quail was very tender.  Next time I will remember to get the fat out of the soup with a paper towel.  If I could change a few things about session 9 I would have gone into detail about some authentic recipes from New Mexico, and I would have been more vocal.