GRADUATION

After a long but celebratory weekend which we began as soon as our final came to an end, we all gathered back at school on Tuesday afternoon for our graduation ceremony with parents, siblings and significant others.

More raising of champagne glasses on the jump...

There wasn't much in the way of advance notice the previous week as to the details of how the ceremony would work and how many people you could bring. But my parents and my sister were able to come to the ceremony as well as my girlfriend, Anna (left), and fortunately, everyone was able to sit together. After all the support I'd been given from Anna and my family it was really nice to have them all there. Anna put up with my late hours, grumpy mornings and cooking frenzies for months and I don't exactly know how she did it (though the good food may have helped!).

We were given chef's toques to wear (we'd sized them to our heads and written our names on them last week) and we sat down at the front of the "Culinary Theater," the place where I'd seen Thomas Keller interviewed for a television series with Dorothy Hamilton, founder of the French Culinary Institute. Each chef said a few words about our class and about the culinary world we'd be heading out into and then we lined up against the wall to the left of the chefs. Our names were called out, we were handed our diplomas and we got hearty hugs and warm handshakes from our chefs before returning to our seats. It was a nice juxtaposition to the chiding (as helpful or necessary as it may have been) which we often experienced in the kitchen!

Next, two awards were given out, best GPA and best final project. I thought I might have a chance at best GPA given the fact that my attendance was nearly perfect and that I'd done well on most of my tests. But I didn't do as well on my final as I'd thought I had (58/75). I got slammed because the hazelnuts in the clam sauce were overtoasted and it was a little too salty and because my duxelles were accompanied by a little too much lemon juice. I finished up my time at FCI with an overall grade of 90/100.

I've made headway with my fetish for salt and lemon but apparently not enough for some people! When I open up my restaurant, it will probably be called, Lemon and Salt! Ah well. It would have been nice to win the award but it wasn't something that was terribly important to me. My friend Zoe Brickley (left) won the award and received a new knife.

Best GPA is nice but it wasn't that important to me-- what I was focused on was creative recognition, best final project. I'd worked on it in every spare second I had in the two months before it was due. I'd put everything I had into it, made cheeses and beer from scratch, done more than double the required number of dishes within a creative theme, all packaged in a professionally-bound book. I thought I'd come up with some pretty creative things. Before the ceremony we'd had a chance to look through our projects at the back of the culinary theater and while there were certainly some interesting themes I thought I had a pretty good chance of coming away with the award.

But it wasn't to be. While I received top marks for the project, a score of 15/15, again, my friend Zoe won the award. She created a good menu but it was largely French, featured cheeses (she works at Murray's) and noted the importance of fresh produce. I'll take this opporunity to do two things, first congratulate her, congratulations Zo!

Second, I'll have my sour grapes moment and say that as nice as her project was, there wasn't anything about it that I would say was very innovative. I thought my project was better!

The one criticism I'll make about the school regarding our final projects, there weren't any written commentaries or critiques about what we did. After all that work it would have been nice to get some feedback (I may have to return to talk to some of the chefs and get some details about what they thought, what could have been improved upon, etc.) But I got a lot out of working on the project-- I learned how to make cheeses, beer and kimchi and I had the opportunity to create my own menu. Something which I had trouble imagining at the beginning of January when I started school. And I'd be interested in continuing to come up with variations on other comfort dishes from around the world.

En0ugh, time for pictures. At left, me with Chef Janet who was an instructor with us during much of Level One and Level Two. Chef Janet makes some great dressings for family meal which we benefitted from every night.

Chef Bobby (left) was a favorite chef of most of us. While he wouldn't hesitate to let us know we were doing something wrong and to better instruct us and he could certainly cut you down quickly he didn't need to and he was very chill.


And thus, class is dismissed. We're all heading out into the culinary world in different directions on unknown adventures. Who knows where we'll all end up! After 10 months of cooking, sweating and bleeding together, it's difficult to think of not seeing my FCI friends three times a week. It was a really great experience and one that I'm glad I shared with the classmates with which I was placed. Cheers all.

FULL POST...

CELEBRATING THE END

Having finished our final exams (three hours of cooking various combinations of two dishes) our time at FCI was finally, but suddenly ending. After the last student finished cooking we were lead into the dining room for a group picture and a champagne toast. Then we were introduced to the judges who scored our dishes. It wasn't long before we were back up in the changing rooms celebrating our accomplishments (left, Chad celebrating).

We'd built up some considerable anxiety over the past ten months in anticipation of the "terrors" of the final and now that the exam was over, we were all relieved, confident and even dare I say it, a little cocky. Smiles spread easily (at right, me, with Jane).

What had we been worried about afterall? We'd been training to do this for ten months and by now we'd done our own prep and cooked for service in the school's restaurant, L'Ecole more times than we could even remember, cooking fish, steaks, desserts, salads, soups, both dishes that we'd practiced and those we'd never seen before only a few hours in advance of paying customers sitting down in front of hour handiwork (at right, Tim allowing himself to smile after the exam).

"That wasn't so bad!"
"Man, sorry about snapping at you but I couldn't believe my lamb just disappeared and I didn't want anyone touching my shit!"
"That was fun!"
"Dude, where are we going for drinks?"

After meeting with the judges, joking around, laughing with our chef instructors, and taking some more pictures we all got changed in the locker rooms, left most of our belongings, our tools, and knives in soon to be emptied lockers and headed out into the night, ready for an epic night of enjoying ourselves (at right, Christine with Sampurna).

Some of us spilled into subways, some piled into cabs and a few students even had to brave automobile meltdowns but we all made our way to the lounge in Herald Square's Koreatown where our fellow classmate, Jung Min worked. Called Third Floor, it's a great space above an optical shop, a Korean lounge on the third floor of a corner building you'd never knew housed it (at right, Jessica and Marguerite celebrating at Third Floor).

With fruit-flavored sho-chus, great Korean lounge food, large windows, attractive Korean waitstaff, Third Floor is removed from the hustle of the streets and was a great place to celebrate (at left, Tim in green, and to the left of him, Dan).

Even though the lounge was packed, not 10 minutes after we arrived Jung Min managed to kindly sequester a huge table big enough to seat about 20 of us (at left, center, Jane, right Sarah).

The Stanley Cup-like kegs of beer appeared with Grey Goose vodka bottles, fresh fruit platters, sho-chu, followed by Korean fries and spicy food all pounced upon by students who had not yet tired of recapping the almost spills, the disappearing lamb, the burned nuts, and the over-reduced vinegar sauces of the past three hours (at left, me with Lisandra).

Because we started our final at 5 p.m., didn't finish it until about 11 p.m. and didn't arrive at Jung Min's lounge until about midnight, the celebration started late and carried on into the night. I'm sure most of us assumed it would be the last time many of us would see each other all together and so even though a few of us, including me had to work the next day (a 2 p.m. start for me) it didn't prevent us from playing until long past when we should have headed home.

FULL POST...

FINAL RECAP

There were nerves, anticipation, muttering and memorizing. There were last second gasps and prayers and fumbles. The students who had complained the loudest about the most technically difficult desserts being on the final when we'd only been given one opportunity to make them for class ended up getting the dish for the final (completely by chance). Lamb went in the garbage by accident minutes before it was supposed to be plated. There was too little time and too much time (I ended up having too much time on my hands). Nuts were burned and consomme rafts bound.

But in the end we all made it, we all passed. Final reviews were given by the judges, criticisms were taken (over toasted and salted nuts brought my total score down) and I finally acknowledged that if I were ever to open a restaurant it would probably benefit from warning customers by naming it "Lemon and Salt."

What a wonderful experience...and now, a deep sigh of relief.

FULL POST...

THE FINAL, FINALLY

Well, here it is...the final. The past 10 months of work comes down to this evening.

I have to be there for a 5 p.m. start and don't expect to be updating until well afterwards. Wish me luck!

FULL POST...

STUDY AID: POSTS & PICTURES!

For ease and convenience of studying (for me and anyone else from class which this might help), here are all the dishes we need to know for the final on Friday. Mostly this is to present all the pictures of the dishes as I've fallen behind on updating the posts themselves...just too little time and too much going on getting ready for the final on Friday. This is a "study break" as it is!

We'll each either have to make two dishes in three hours. We'll either get a dish from Garde Manger and a dish from Poissonier (an appetizer and a fish dish) or a dish from Saucier and a dish from Patissier (a meat dish and a dessert).

Check out the pictures with links on the jump.

GARDE MANGER

Tomato Soup With Basil and Garlic-Sauteéd Scallops, Soupe De Tomates Au Basilic Et Saint-Jacques Sautées À L'Ail

LINK



&

Steamed Clams With Roasted Red Pepper, Almonds, And Ham, Casserole De Palourdes À La Catalane

LINK





Purée of Carrot Soup With Leeks, Sorrel, And Dill, Potage Crécy Auc Poireaux, Oseille, Et Aneth

LINK



&

Ricotta Gnocchi With Braised Greens, Mushrooms, and Prosciutto, Gnocchi De Lait Caillé Et Vergure Braisée, Champignons, Et Jambon De Parme

LINK


Sauteed Shrimp With Avocado Mousse And Tomato Coulis, Mousse D'Avocats Aux Crevettes Et Coulis De Tomates

LINK


&

Clarified Beef Broth With Essence of Celery and Mushrooms, Consommé À L'Essence De Céleri Et Cèpes

LINK





FISH

Sautéed Fillet of Bass in a Fennel and Tomato Broth, Filet De Bar Sauté Au Jus De Fenouil Et Tomate

LINK





Fish Stew Marseilles-Style, Bouillabaisse à La Marseillaise

LINK




&

Filet De Tilapia Cuit Poêlé, Sauce Au Porto, Tilapia With Wild Mushrooms In A Port Wine Reduction

LINK





Rare Pan-Seared Tuna With Gazpacho Vinaigrette And Black Olive Couscous (Nouvelle France), Tournedos De Thon A La Vinaigrette De Gazpacho, Couscous Aux Olives Noires

LINK



MEAT

Lamb Stew With Autumn Flavors, Casserole D'Agneau Automnale

LINK BUT NO PIX-- CLASS WAS CANCELLED

Sautéed Duck Breast and Braised Duck Leg With Peaches, Suprême De Canard Sauté Et Cuisse Braisée Aux Pêches

LINK





Roast fillet of Beef With Braised Lettuce, Stuffed Vegetables, and Roasted Potatoes, Filet De Boeuf Rôti Richelieu

LINK





PASTRY

Tropical Fruit Mousse and Macaroon Cake, Gâteau Aux Fruits Exotiques

LINK



&

Blueberry Financier, Citrus Sorbet, Financier Aux Myrtilles, Sorbet Au Agrumes

PIX TK

LINK

Melon With Anise And Mint & Cherry Ice Cream, Melon À L'Anise Et Menthe, Glace Aux Cerises

PIX TK

LINK

&

Crepes Flamed With Grand Marnier, Crêpes Suzette

PIX TK

LINK

Peach and Champagne Sabayon Gratin, Gratin De Pêches Au Sabayon De Champagne

LINK


&


Jacques Torres Fountain, Fontaine Jacques Torres

LINK

FULL POST...

FINAL PROJECT

I'll be keeping a link to my final project at the top of the page for a while so it's easily accessible to anyone who's interested in taking a look at it. Mind you the web version is still under construction (I have yet to include the homemade beer) but I'm pretty backed up studying for my final next Friday.

Everything will be updated in time!

FULL POST...

FINAL NIGHT IN PASTRY: APPLE DUO & CHIBOUST

I know, I know, it may seem like a little bit of a cop out but all the work is coming together at once and the recipe-cramming I'm doing for the test also involves me buying all the ingredients for the most difficult dishes and doing as complete a practice run as possible at home. But I don't want you to feel left out!

So, on the jump, pictures of my last night in pastry with a few details...

It was Christine's birthday so someone brought her in a cake for a birthday celebration. We all took a few moments to sing happy birthday but we actually still had some work to do!






This first dessert was the chiboust, a pastry cream lightened with whipped cream and beaten egg whites. We made a light citrus sauce and served it with cherry halves.





The apple duo was more complicated--not difficult. The parbaked apples became slippery; when you're placing them in the molds they don't always cooperate in the rush to make them look good. Solution? Don't rush! Just do it right once. The finished product with thinly sliced apple garish on top--nice desserts, actually.

FULL POST...

PASTRY

The initial intimidation factor of our pastry chef has largely given way and this has become one of my most favorite stations. We've learned some great added touches with Chef Alain. That he doesn't suffer fools lightly, well, I can appreciate that, especially because he does acknowledge hard work and work done well.

Pictures and a few comments on the jump...

As you see, sometimes there's just not enough for us to do. It can be seen as the ultimate efficiency to have one person putting the ice cream on the plate and another cook garnishing the plate...but consider this: I have time to take a picture and you don't see the other student in our group doing anything nearby...


A chocolate tort with hazelnut ice cream and meringue garnish. The garnishes that can really snazz up a plate. There's something to be said for simplicity and overgarnishing can be a disaster (like dry ice on a ceviche plate...why on earth would someone think that's a good idea? if it's on my plate it should be edible) but a good garnish, well-conceived and well executed...a great thing to learn.

Marinated plums, sliced thin with an ice cream and simple mint garnish.

FULL POST...

FINAL PROJECT: GLOBAL DHABAS REVISITED -- UNDER CONSTRUCTION

From Delhi Dhaba to Cornish Game Hen 'Butter Chiken-Style'

Dhabas are homey restaurants found along the highway in India that serve up staples like samosas, saag paneer and butter chicken. In Scandinavia the warm, cozy spots are kafes. In Poland, bar mleczny. This menu takes diners to the pushcarts, bistros, stage coaches and trattorias around the world and reinterprets cultural classics from these global dhabas.

My influences are located on the cross-cultural map between comfort food and road food. The earliest travels I remember were via the ingredients in the kitchen: my mother's Italian-American kitchen in Long Island, my grandmother's kitchen in rural Massachusetts and when my family moved to Hong Kong, our cook, Ah-Hing's kitchen. Watching these women cook, I developed an adventurous palante and a passion for food and cooking that led me to explore my culinary heritage and that of friends with whom I've shared many memorable meals.

Through this ten month education in the classroom kitchens of the French Culinary Insitute, experimenting in my home kitchen and exploring the culinary world of New York and beyond, I've been fortunate. Between furthering my stuy and working at the Dining section at The New York Times, I've eat in some of the city's trendy restaurants and enjoyed haute cuisine. But some of the foods I've enjoyed most are the simple standard dishes at local haunts.

This five course menu features the flavors of comfortable classics presented in refined, sleek and inventive ways.

In April I began documenting my culinary adventures on this website. It is a cook/reporter's notebook fo the making of this menu, cataloguing the influences, the trials, the processes and the final products of this menu.

Below you'll find the criteria for the final project, the menu, posts for each dish detailing how they were made, and you'll see how the project was first conceived and how it changed over the past two months. Also included are the costing details for each dish and a bibliography.

criteria, experimented on dishes in school and out, decided on a theme, meditated on a complete menu, searched for plates to fit the its style and bought the shoot materials. I've been posting drafts of the menu for the final project with the precis, continually tweaking things until it's finalized and now, finally, I've finished cooking all the dishes.

There were more ambitious plan for six additional dessert dishes and a homemade beer. The desserts will have to be cancelled and the beer is fermenting but there's just not enough time so it won't be included in the bound book. It's now time to pull together the book with the introduction and the costing. I'm still not quite finished.

See the menu on the jump now with pictures next to the finished dishes and links to the posts which described how each was made and conceived.

REMINAGINED CLASSICS FROM GLOBAL DHABAS

Dhabas are homey restaurants found along the highway in India that serve local cuisine. Between attending the French Culinary Institute and working at the Dining section at The Times, I've eaten some good food in some of New York City's trendy restaurants and enjoyed haute cuisine. But some of the food I've enjoyed most during this time and overall are still the simple standard dishes I find at local haunts. Two of my favorite upscale restaurants that I've visited since January are A Voce and Momofuku Noodle places that serve meatballs and soup. The idea is to upscale standard comfort dishes you'd find in cozy, down-home, hole-in-the-wall restaurants of different cuisines.

MENU

APPETIZER

Frozen Caprese

Homemade Mozzarella Ice-Cream, Tomato Ice-Cream, and Basil Ice-Cream with Balsamic Vinager Watercolor and Fried Basil Leaf

or

Bul Go Gi

Rib-eye steak, rice kimchi paste, romaine lettuce and seaweed wrapped in rice paper, served with kimchi and sugar-soy dipping sauce

PASTA

Pierogi In Seven Bites

Seven Pierogi: Potato Dandelion, Roast Garlic, Beef With Almond Paste and Raisins, Sauerkraut and Bacon, Potato and Cheddar, Saffron Mushroom Duxelles, and Wasabi Yams, Accompanied by Apple Sauce With Chili Peppers, Beet Chevre, Horseradish Sour Cream and Broccoli Sprouts in a Grapefruit Vinaigrette

or

Pho

Beef consommé with homemade plum paste rice noodles, spicy pork and beef meatballs, thin cuts of beef and tripe, porcini, cremini and oyster mushrooms, green onions, mint, lime, bean sprouts and chili peppers topped with a poached egg.

FISH

Seared Gravlaks

Citrus, Salt and Tequila Cured Salmon Sauteed, with Korean Flaked Chili Pepper Mashed Potatoes and Braised Arugula

or

Stoplight Ceviche

Cod With Lime Juice and Cucumbers; Shrimp In Lemon Juice With Green Peppers; Scallops in Grapefruit Juice With Yellow Peppers, Tuna In Orange Juice With Orange Peppers; and Cod, Shrimp, Scallops and Tuna in Pineapple Juice With Red Bell Peppers Served in Fried Plantain Scoops; Accompanied by Roast Corn, Tomato, Avocado and Pineapple Salad and a Shot of "Tiger's Milk," a Mixture of Ceviche Juice and Vodka.

ENTREE

Murgh Makhani

Cornish Game Hen 'Butter Chicken-Style,' Spicy, Butter-Tomato Cream Sauce; 'Saag Paneer,' Spinach With Homemade Paneer Cheese; Indian Naan Bread; & Cucumber-Radish Raita, Yogurt

or

Steak Frites

Pan-seared Filet Mignon Au Jus, With Sauteed Granny Smith and Dried Apples, Oyster, Cremini and White Mushrooms, and Light Greens with Orange Vinaigrette and French Fries Sprayed with Framboise Lambec Reduction served with Chili-Pepper Aioli

DESSERT MENU

Kha Niao Man with Cha Yen Ice Cream

Thai Iced Tea Ice Cream with Coconut Sticky Rice and Fried, Wonton-Wrapped Banana Slices With Chocolate Ganache Trimming

Navajo Frybread Fruit Taco

Frybread with Fresh Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, and Champagne Grapes Drizzled With Blueberry Honey

FULL POST...