Crave of the Day 2.27.14

KIMCHI. It already makes me want to salivate even just saying the word. Talk about the unbelievable combination of sour and spicy that can turn anything from bland to BAM. Needless to say, I would probably add kimchi to anything...I've eaten it on top of burgers, in tacos, mixed with vegetables--you name it, and kimchi is ready to bring that flavor to the rescue. 

Rolling in Sugar

Yes, that was the definition of last week. We entered the pastry module last Monday, and boy were we ready to eat sugar. But I think by Friday, all we wanted was a handful of salt. 

Everything was, DELICIOUS, no doubt about that! We tasted our way through ice creams, sorbets, meringues, cakes, the list goes on and on. I could hear my sweet tooth shouting for joy, as I consumed more and more sugar. The day began on a sugar low, rose to a sugar high by lunch, and crashed to a halt at dinner--now repeat that cycle X five. Whoa buddy...looking back, every second was worth it. 

First Course: Apple Tart

Second Course: Meringue Chipwich (in short :))

Third: Pear Tart 

And these were only the beginning...

The greatest story of last week surrounds this beautiful cake: 

There was a feeling in my gut that this cake was not going to make it all the way back to my apartment. Yes, I had a cake box for transportation, but I knew something was going to go awry (especially since it was also suppose to rain). 

What do ya know? We leave school, it's raining...yay, my cake is going to be soaked. I wrapped the cake box in a plastic bag to take caution. Thinking this was a smart choice, I continued on my journey home. 

But oh no, that is not how the story ended. As I crossed an intersection and stepped in a huge puddle, the cake box slipped out of the plastic bag and fell onto the ground in the middle of the road. Heart attack, yes. Expected, slightly. In one word the cake was: demolished. 

Lesson: take caution when carrying cakes wrapped in plastic bags while walking in the rain. 

Crave of the Day 2.21.14

Today, when I returned from my lunch break, I found a surprise sitting on my cutting board waiting for me--a Cayenne pepper brownie. I knew that the Cayenne and chocolate combination was becoming popular, but didn't really know what to expect. 

Voila! Crave of the Day was met-- I never want to eat another brownie without Cayenne pepper again.  I highly recommend you try it! The richness of the chocolate is wonderful when you first take a bite, but a couple of seconds later the heat from the Cayenne intercepts the sugar to create a wild flavor combination that is spicy-sweet. I'll share the recipe when I receive it.

Crave of the Day 2.16.14

Priceless.

Gotham West Market

Where did I find myself today??? All the way over on 11th Avenue between 44th and 45th Streets to visit the new Gotham West Market. It seems like new little gourmet markets are popping up daily (I'm not opposed to that!). 

As for the market, it was bustling and housed unique food stands. Highlights for me, let's see: ramen shop (score!), awesome sandwiches from Court Street Grocers like a confit pork shoulder sandwich (hello delicious), unique fresh food and juices from the Little Chef. And that's only the beginning... 

I can never avoid the kitchenware shops, and The Brooklyn Kitchen has a unique selection of local food goods as well as kitchenware products. They also have a kitchen used for cooking classes in the back, which was very intriguing. All in all, it was a good adventure, even in the blowing 20 degree wind. 

Crave of the Day 2.12.14

It's both a good and bad thing that Dean & Deluca is on my walk to the subway. Every day it seems like the store is tempting my guilty conscience to grab some sort of snack. Today I was lured in to buy one of my favorites, the triple chocolate chip cookie. One bite and my Crave of the Day was met, bon appetit. 

Whip it Good

Yesterday, I learned how 'whip it' from Francois Payard, one of the world's best pastry chefs. After already being full from another wonderful day of school, I still easily managed to eat 2 desserts made by Mr. Payard himself, I mean I could never say no to Francois! 

He began by making a dessert comprised of chocolate rice krispies, topped with chocolate mousse, and finished with chocolate filo dough, caramel sauce, and nuts. Can I just shout YUM to the world.

This recipe was where I learned one of Payard's secret techniques (oh-la-la)--when combining cream and melted chocolate, whip the cream well before adding to the melted chocolate pot in order to prevent the cream from boiling over. This allows the cream to incorporate smoothly into the chocolate, and prevents the cream from going crazy!

And, as most people would think...one dessert was just not enough, we had to surrender our taste buds and try a second! Next, Mr. Payard made a palate-cleansing sweet inspired by a pina colada. It was served in a shot glass with a warm mango sauce on the bottom, and a spiked whipped cream on top. I was shocked by how savory the dish was, the acidity of the fruit was perfect for cleansing the palate after a rich meal. This little pina colada transported me to the beach for all of 5 minutes before entering the 20 degree NYC afternoon breeze, hello winter.

So if you get the chance, either pick up a Payard cookbook or visit his store yourself--your sweet tooth will thank you.

Week of Champions: Food-Style

I never know how wonderfully I am going to eat on any given week in culinary school...but I must say, everyday is a delight and outrageously delicious. Let me share my recent Week of Champions (and I don't mean college-style) at C-school. It was one scrumptous week, I think my classmates will agree, we were food drunk.

This is a collage of just SOME of the dishes we made all in a week...let's see, starting from the left: duck, mussels, escargot (heck yes!), lobster, chicken, scallops, and steak. And that's only about half of the dishes we made. Can you see what I mean? Our taste buds were in heaven the entire week. This collage just shows the diversity of dishes we make on any given week of school.

To our Week of Champions, and may there be many more to follow.

*All dishes cooked and photographed by the Loud-Mouthed and Hungry Girl.

Crave of the Day 2.8.14

Sooooo, the Crave of the Day today, hmmm. Well, Saturday mornings always mean some sort of awesome, large, brunch that is carbolicious and over-the-top to get you through the day (at least that's what I believe :)). I don't know about you...I woke up craving double chocolate chip pancakes, that is chocolate pancake batter with chocolate chips melted inside, topped with some warm, maple syrup. That's what I call Saturday morning perfection.

CHOPPED: C-School Style

Today was Day 20...a day that had been daunting us since we began school. On the last day of every level, we have a practical where we are timed on our cooking skills and then graded. High stress, exceedingly high expectations from the chefs, and if you don't finish your task you may think the world is ending--think Chopped--once chef says go, you go (I think each student's inner Iron Chef was seeping through--the adrenaline was crazy). 

So we began the day with our tough faces (they may have looked a little more serious than below ;)): 

And chopped...

And chopped some more...

And chopped some more, to the point of developing a nice blister...

All with our eyes moving from the clock to our vegetables and back to the clock.

Did we pass? Thankfully yes, the cooking gods were helping us out. 

And we celebrated with a great round of drinks. Cheers to the completion of the first level, only 20 more days until we are Chopped again...

Crave of the Day

I find myself constantly daydreaming of recipes and things I want to eat...how can you not when food surrounds every inch of you everyday? Sooooo, I thought it would be fun to begin sharing Craves of the Day (or maybe every other day :)), and feel free to post a comment with your Craves too! 

On this snowy, wet, Wednesday, I found myself craving something warm and chocolatey...and like magic, the pastry students delivered warm, chocolate croissants at the end of our level 1 final today...my Crave was officially met, DELICIOUS SUCCESS.

Super Bowl Saturday: Cookin' with the Pros

I was raised down the street from The Ohio State University. The may not mean much to some people, but if you come from Columbus, OH you know one thing and one thing real well--football. This is the one activity the city shuts down for every Saturday, cancels all their plans, begins tailgating in the wee hours of the morning, and cries after the last bowl game because we have to wait an unbearable number of days to see the Buckeyes rush the field again. Needless to say, I love the sport.

So today when I saw former OSU Buckeye and current NY Jets player, Nick Mangold, I felt my mouth drop and stomach flip.

Today, I ended up with a fantastic adventure assisting a chef with cooking for a VIP Super Bowl event. This is where I found myself mingling with sports fans and NFL football players, after searing filet mignon and assembling delicious steak sandwiches with dangling, melted cheese amongst a roudy and anxious crowd of football fans. Let me say, it is priceless to watch and talk to a crowd of intoxicated individuals demolish a loaded steak sandwich in one bite.

Former Patriot, Matt Light, assisted our chef with a butchery demo--I never thought I would see a professional football player use a trussing needle on a crown roast of pork, but today I was proved wrong.

The event was a touchdown in terms of food, music and fun. Hope your Super Bowl Sunday keeps you screaming loud and your stomach hungry.