I'd like that well-med-rare-done

The wedding reception was at a small inn, the food there was surprisingly good. For dinner there was an appetizer, entreé, and dessert. The appetizer consisted of a selection between a soup (leek and potato with stilton) or a basic salad with vinaigrette. For the entreé we had a selection of either Chicken, Beef, or Fish. Being a red meat lover I opted for the Beef.

Grilled Tenderloin of Beef
Topped with Wild Mushroom in a merlot sauce
Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Mushrooms, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans are hard to screw up. The only complaint I do have about the three of these sides is that the roasted Green Beans were not tender, they were well undercooked. I like vegetables cooked to be fork tender or al dente, whoever cooked the beans should have tasted and checked for doneness before plating.

I'm always wary whenever I order red meat, I like my red meat medium rare and I seldom receive it this way. Harold McGee's book, On Food and Cooking, defines medium rare as:

• Meat temperature: 130°F/60°F
• Doneness: Medium Rare, 135-145°F
• Meat Qualities: Resilient to touch, less slick, more fibrous, releases juice when cut, opaque, ligther red.

The problem that arises is that the USDA defines meat doneness by the following scheme:

• "Rare": 135-145°F
• "Medium Rare": 145-155°F
• "Medium": 155°F
• "Well": 170°F

For all except well-done the suggested cooking temperatures by the USDA are approximately 10-15° degrees higher than the proper cooking temperature. I suppose this is for the safety of the general public but it's still a giant pet peeve of mine. There's nothing worse than paying $30 for a steak, ordering it medium rare, cutting into it, and then seeing a pink or grey-brown centre.

There's nothing I really have to say about the dessert they served. We had my father's wedding cake served with vanilla ice cream and a raspberry coulis.

I was impressed enough with the food that I spoke to the sales manager, Franklin, about possible employment. Once I finish university in December I want to get into a decent restaurant. I'm looking for a place that will allow me to learn and pick up the basic practical skills necessary to work and survive in a public kitchen. I chatted with Franklin for 5 minutes about my situation and what I wanted to do. He smiled at me, shook my hand firmly, and told me to apply when I'm ready. This place looks hopeful.

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duck, duck, wonton.

This past weekend was my father's wedding, we threw a miniature cocktail party at my house before the reception. I threw together a bunch of things that I thought people from both sides of the family would like. The food was passable but could have been a lot better if I had more time, I had to prep a lot the night before which lowered the quality of the food as it had to sit overnight.

Clock-wise from the top:

1. Roast Beef with cream cheese, parsley, and horse radish
2. Bruchetta Pomodoro
3. Smoked Salmon with cream cheese, dill, and capers

The one canapé I'm really proud of creating was an open-faced duck wonton. I had deep fried wonton skins to make a cup which I then first filled with caramelized Bartlett Pears and then shredded braised Duck leg. I didn't manage to get a picture of it but I will be definitely making it again in the near future. At first I originally wanted to do an Asian Mango Salsa with the Duck but was unable to find any Mango. Switching to Pears was a last minute decision. This was the most difficult canape to make and I was really worried, but I was fully satisfied with the results. There was a crispiness from the wonton skin, sweetness from the Pear, and a savoriness from the Duck.

This cocktail party was a good opportunity to flex my culinary muscles and work on creativity. I love cooking with Duck.

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starting from scratch.

I'm an aspiring cook that has never worked in the food industry and has yet to have any formal training. Right now, I'm a 22 year old student in university that's two months away from obtaining a Hons. BSc in Physical Sciences (Physics). When I tell people what I want to do in life I'm usually given a perplexed look followed by the condescending toned question, "why?" Here's why...

I grew up as sheltered and lonely child who watched a lot of TV. When I was 10 or 11 years old the afternoon television program I took a liking to was The Urban Peasant with James Barber. It was a simple 30 minute cooking program hosted by a man who had a passion for making wholesome and honest food. Watching that show made something inside me just turn on, food was suddenly important. I saw food as a way to be creative, a way to express myself, and a way to entertain and impress others.

I was left home alone a lot and started to play in the kitchen. I would cook the foods I saw on TV cooking shows or even attempt to recreate a dish I tried at a restaurant. I usually didn’t have all the ingredients, tools, or skills to make the food I wanted to but I was happy in the kitchen. It’s probably the first place I knew I was really happy.

At 11 years old the other kids in school would say they’d want to grow up to be things like a police officer, teacher, scientist, animator, or actor. The first thing I said I wanted to be when I grew up, “I want to be a chef.” I was teased, laughed at, and thought to be weird but I didn’t care. I was going to be a chef, I would go to culinary school, write cook books, be on TV, and own a restaurant.

Being born into an Asian family I was discouraged to grow up to be a chef, I should be a doctor, lawyer, dentist, or another high paying job. I eventually pushed/forced cooked aside and pursued the sciences. In my final years of high school I settled on the idea of being a teacher, which is how I got to be where I am now.

In the beginning of third year at university someone suggested several books on cooking for me to read (but that’s for another entry). Reading them, I started to seriously think about food and going to culinary school. Since that time I’ve gone back to my love and passion for food. Food is life and important.

I was happy in the kitchen, I always was, and I want to go back to that. I’d also like to think I have some natural talent at cooking and a somewhat decent cook. If I don’t try and live this dream I’ll regret it for the rest of my life, and I can’t live with regret that large. In a way I’ve reverted back to my 11 year old self where all I want to do is think about food and cooking.

This is this is my passion, this is how I define myself, this is love...

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a warm plate.

I’ve been thinking that I have needed something to help motivate my cooking as well as a place to write down my thoughts on all things food. I’ve had a journal for seven years but it has never been solely dedicated towards my passion of gastronomy, the culinary arts, and food. This will be place to express my thoughts, feelings, and ideas on food as well as present my own creations.

I’m still just beginning to learn this craft of cooking. I want to push myself to learn new skills, try new flavors, take risks, push boundaries, and grow creatively.

Here’s to a new beginning, cheers and bon appetite.

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