In addition to stocks, in my second day of my cooking class, we also made two basic sauces. The first being a basic white sauce known as Sauce Bechamel, and the second being a white gravy known as Sauce Veloute.
To make either sauce, you start off by making a roux. A roux (pronounced 'ru') is a mixture of melted butter and flower, to which you add milk for a Bachamel, or white stock for a Veloute.
The ratio of flower and butter to liquid is 1/2 an ounce of each to 1 cup of liquid, and of course, salt and pepper to taste. Additionally, for a Sauce Bachamel you will also add 1/4 of a bay leaf and freshly grated nutmeg (a micro-plane grater will be your best bet).
When making the roux, you want it to get to a "wet sand" consistency before adding the liquid. Once the milk or stock is added, keep mixing it until the roux is completely mixed into the liquid.
In our cooking class, to know when our sauces were almost done, we learned that if you scoop some of the sauce up and pour it back into the sauce and it doesn't make any noise, it is almost done.
If there are lumps in your sauce, which there most likely will be when you make it for the first time, do not worry. Simply pour the sauce through a strainer and you are good to go.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
five types of stocks
A stock is an extract from cooking meat bones and/ or fish bones and/ or vegetables in water. There are many different uses for a stock, such as sauces, soups, braises, consommé’s and aspics.There are five different types of stocks
A white stock - made with blanched veal or beef bones, along with a mirepoix (a mirepoix is a rough chop of stewing vegetables, such as onions, carrots, celery, and sometimes leek.
A chicken (white) stoke - made with chicken bones, along with a mirepoix.
A brown stock - made with chicken or beef bones and vegetables. The different between a brown stock and a white stock is for a brown stock, you first brown the bones and mirepoix in the oven, and then tomato paste is added and cooked longer.
A fish stock - made with fish bones, along with a mirepoix.
And lastly, a vegetable stock - a vegetable stock is made when meat is not desired. Although, a vegetable stock is quick and easy, it is, however, the lightest of stocks and therefore generally not used for sauces.
A white stock - made with blanched veal or beef bones, along with a mirepoix (a mirepoix is a rough chop of stewing vegetables, such as onions, carrots, celery, and sometimes leek.
A chicken (white) stoke - made with chicken bones, along with a mirepoix.
A brown stock - made with chicken or beef bones and vegetables. The different between a brown stock and a white stock is for a brown stock, you first brown the bones and mirepoix in the oven, and then tomato paste is added and cooked longer.
A fish stock - made with fish bones, along with a mirepoix.
And lastly, a vegetable stock - a vegetable stock is made when meat is not desired. Although, a vegetable stock is quick and easy, it is, however, the lightest of stocks and therefore generally not used for sauces.
my first days in cooking school
On August 8th I started my first day of the 20 week, Pro 1 cooking class at New School of Cooking.
The first class was our introduction day, getting to know our teacher Laura Weinman, getting to know our way around the kitchen, kitchen and food safety, and lastly, some chopping.
My second day was much more interesting. We covered stocks and and the beginning of sauces.
A stock is an extract from cooking meat bones and/ or fish bones and/ or vegetables in water. There are many different uses for a stock, such as sauces, soups, braises, consumme's and aspics.
To my surprise there are actually five different type of sauces, a white stock, a chicken stock, a brown stock, a fish stock and a vegetable sauce.
The first class was our introduction day, getting to know our teacher Laura Weinman, getting to know our way around the kitchen, kitchen and food safety, and lastly, some chopping.
My second day was much more interesting. We covered stocks and and the beginning of sauces.
A stock is an extract from cooking meat bones and/ or fish bones and/ or vegetables in water. There are many different uses for a stock, such as sauces, soups, braises, consumme's and aspics.
To my surprise there are actually five different type of sauces, a white stock, a chicken stock, a brown stock, a fish stock and a vegetable sauce.
Monday, August 16, 2010
grilled veggies
For the past few weeks, I've been making grilled zucchini and eggplants. They are just so good and so easy.
As with any time you are cutting vegetables, or anything else for that matter, you want to try to cut things into roughly the same sized pieces so that they take the same amount of time to cook.
I sliced the zucchinis and eggplants, cutting them the long way.
I, also, intentionally keep the skin on otherwise everything would completely fall apart and you will end up with a bit pile of mush.
Next, I coat them in a mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dries basil, dried oregano, and paprika.
After that, I placed them on a cookie sheet, make sure not to pile up the veggies too high or the ones at the bottom won't cook as fast as the ones on top.
Stick them in a preheated over set to 375 degrees, and let them cook for about 30 minutes or so, maybe more depending on how much you cook.
You can, also, cook them on the BBQ, but for that you want to cut them a little bit thicker.
As with any time you are cutting vegetables, or anything else for that matter, you want to try to cut things into roughly the same sized pieces so that they take the same amount of time to cook.
I sliced the zucchinis and eggplants, cutting them the long way.
I, also, intentionally keep the skin on otherwise everything would completely fall apart and you will end up with a bit pile of mush.
Next, I coat them in a mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dries basil, dried oregano, and paprika.
After that, I placed them on a cookie sheet, make sure not to pile up the veggies too high or the ones at the bottom won't cook as fast as the ones on top.
Stick them in a preheated over set to 375 degrees, and let them cook for about 30 minutes or so, maybe more depending on how much you cook.
You can, also, cook them on the BBQ, but for that you want to cut them a little bit thicker.
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