A lot of people ask me what got me started cooking. Well, my mother is going to hate this, but she was the inspiration. Why do I say that she will hate this? I never liked my mother's cooking when I was growing up. I always knew that there was better food out there, somewhere. In my mother's defense, she had six people to feed on a very limited budget. I have to say now that all of her children are grown up, she is a much better cook.
Anyway, it was my grand parents who took me to my first fancy restaurant for lunch. That's when my dreams of better food were realized. It was after my first communion. I can't remember how old I was but I was very young. They took me to an elegant place called The Gelston House in East Haddam Connecticut. I was dressed to the nines, jacket, tie and all. I felt like a bigshot when I ordered a Roy Rogers (male version of a Shirley Temple). I can still remember what I ate that day. I had a shrimp cocktail and a club sandwich. For a little boy that was some fancy food. From that day on, I was in love with food.
I remember making cream of broccoli soup when I about eight. I followed a recipe in
The Joy Of Cooking. It came out great. I was so proud. I gave a tupper ware of soup to my mother's friend, a self proclaimed gourmet, Beth Mckinney. She praised my soup making skills.
When I was fifteen, my best friend Seth and I rode our bicycles to the docks about eight miles from our neighborhood and got summer jobs as busboys on a small cruise ship. The ship ran two cruises per day serving lunch and dinner. We worked six days a week from about 9:00 am til about 2:00 am for $3.50/hour. I still to this day can't figure out how we kept up that pace, but we did.
One day I went to work and I walked into the galley to start my shift and the chef asked if I would mind washing dishes. The regular dishwasher had called in sick. I said that I would be happy to. Before the customers came aboard, There were only pots and pans to wash which I quickly caught up with. The chef asked me to do some simple prep work which I gladly did. It is pretty standard for dishwashers to peel potatoes, carrots, chop onions, peel shrimp and such. I absolutely loved working with food. I was hooked.
That was twenty two years ago, and I haven't left a kitchen since, until now. Since those days I have had the opportuny to work for some of the best unknown chefs in the business at the some of the finest restaurants and clubs anywhere. I have run my share of kitchens too. I am currently only working from home. I cater weddings and small parties. Because of my love for food, and I have extra time, I decided to start a blog. I want it to be imforative and instructional, sort of like a little cooking school.
I welcome any comments and questions. As my good friend Chef Josh says, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask. If you ask a question, I will answer to the best of my ability.
The five mother sauces
Veloute - Stock thickened with roux-often finished with cream or butter.
Bechamel - Milk thickened with roux.
Tomato - Yep. It is what it sounds like.
Espagnole - Brown sauce, made with roux, veal stock, roasted veal bones and mire poix[pronounced mere pwaw (celery carrots and onions)]. Tomatoe paste, red wine and herbs are usually added as well.
Hollandaise - Heated (cooked over a double boiler) egg yolk, clarified butter and lemon juice.
The five mother sauces were designated by Escoffier. Virtually every culinary school and textbook still follows his guidelines today. Amazingly, 75 years after his death, his techniques are still pertainant.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Auguste Escoffier
Born
28 October 1846(1846-10-28)Villeneuve-Loubet, France
Died
12 February 1935 (aged 88)Monte Carlo, Monaco
Georges Auguste Escoffier (28 October 1846–12 February 1935) was a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. He is a near-legendary figure among chefs and gourmets, and was one of the most important leaders in the development of modern French cuisine. Much of Escoffier's technique was based on that of Antoine Carême, one of the codifiers of French Haute cuisine, but Escoffier's achievement was to simplify and modernize Carême's elaborate and ornate style.
In today's culinary world, one could argue that there are two more mother sauces not mentioned by Escoffier. They are:
Vinegarette-An emulsion of oil and vinegar. Dijon mustard is often used to aid in the emulsion.
And mayonaise-An emulsion of egg yolks, oil and vinegar or lemon juice. (similar to a hollandaise but not cooked)
Bechamel - Milk thickened with roux.
Tomato - Yep. It is what it sounds like.
Espagnole - Brown sauce, made with roux, veal stock, roasted veal bones and mire poix[pronounced mere pwaw (celery carrots and onions)]. Tomatoe paste, red wine and herbs are usually added as well.
Hollandaise - Heated (cooked over a double boiler) egg yolk, clarified butter and lemon juice.
The five mother sauces were designated by Escoffier. Virtually every culinary school and textbook still follows his guidelines today. Amazingly, 75 years after his death, his techniques are still pertainant.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Auguste Escoffier
Born
28 October 1846(1846-10-28)Villeneuve-Loubet, France
Died
12 February 1935 (aged 88)Monte Carlo, Monaco
Georges Auguste Escoffier (28 October 1846–12 February 1935) was a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods. He is a near-legendary figure among chefs and gourmets, and was one of the most important leaders in the development of modern French cuisine. Much of Escoffier's technique was based on that of Antoine Carême, one of the codifiers of French Haute cuisine, but Escoffier's achievement was to simplify and modernize Carême's elaborate and ornate style.
In today's culinary world, one could argue that there are two more mother sauces not mentioned by Escoffier. They are:
Vinegarette-An emulsion of oil and vinegar. Dijon mustard is often used to aid in the emulsion.
And mayonaise-An emulsion of egg yolks, oil and vinegar or lemon juice. (similar to a hollandaise but not cooked)
What is Roux?
Roux (pronounced rue) is used as a thickening agent for soups and sauces. It is made up of equal parts flour and fat. Clarified butter is usually the fat of choice. You can use margarine, oil or rendered fat from meat. The flour and fat are cooked together in a pan over medium/low heat stirring continuously. Melt the fat and stir in the flour. It is best to use a wooden spoon. Referring to the color, there are basically three stages of roux with varying shades in between.
They are:
White- The mixture is cooked only long enough to lose the raw flavor of the flour without imparting any color. It will be a little gritty in texture. It is used for white sauces and soups, like béchamel or New England chowder.
Blonde- This roux is cooked a little longer as to pick up a blondish color (go figure). It will be a little smoother than a white roux. It is used to thicken pale colored sauces, soups and gravies, like chicken gravy.
Brown- This roux is cooked longer, so it develops a deep brown color and nutty flavor. If you burn it, throw it out and start over. A brown roux is used to thicken sauces such as espagnole or brown gravies. It is important to note that the darker the roux, the less thickening power it will have. A brown roux will be about 2/3 less potent than a white roux.
A roux can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator up to a month. In some instances it can be made right in the pan you are making your sauce or soup in. I like to do this with white gravy for biscuits, with the rendered fat from the sausage. New England clam chowder is traditionally started with salt pork or bacon, so you can make your roux from that rendered fat as well.
To thicken a sauce or soup with a pre made roux, add roux a little at a time. To prevent lumping, make sure that your liquid is very hot and use a wire whisk to incorporate. Remember, your roux will not reach its’ full thickening potential until the sauce/soup comes up to a boil.
When adding liquid to roux, you don’t want the liquid to be excessively hot, or it may not homogenize properly and will be lumpy.
They are:
White- The mixture is cooked only long enough to lose the raw flavor of the flour without imparting any color. It will be a little gritty in texture. It is used for white sauces and soups, like béchamel or New England chowder.
Blonde- This roux is cooked a little longer as to pick up a blondish color (go figure). It will be a little smoother than a white roux. It is used to thicken pale colored sauces, soups and gravies, like chicken gravy.
Brown- This roux is cooked longer, so it develops a deep brown color and nutty flavor. If you burn it, throw it out and start over. A brown roux is used to thicken sauces such as espagnole or brown gravies. It is important to note that the darker the roux, the less thickening power it will have. A brown roux will be about 2/3 less potent than a white roux.
A roux can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator up to a month. In some instances it can be made right in the pan you are making your sauce or soup in. I like to do this with white gravy for biscuits, with the rendered fat from the sausage. New England clam chowder is traditionally started with salt pork or bacon, so you can make your roux from that rendered fat as well.
To thicken a sauce or soup with a pre made roux, add roux a little at a time. To prevent lumping, make sure that your liquid is very hot and use a wire whisk to incorporate. Remember, your roux will not reach its’ full thickening potential until the sauce/soup comes up to a boil.
When adding liquid to roux, you don’t want the liquid to be excessively hot, or it may not homogenize properly and will be lumpy.
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