Up date

Its been a while since I have posted to here. Just to catch up all the people of the page. I am a Professional chef now. Always still learning and growing with food. You can learn something everyday and it is always good to keep learning this way life never gets boring.

I am in the process of working to set up my own bakery in Utah. Starting small by trying to get into farmers markets and small events. I have to get a cottage license first that allows me to create home produced items. So that is a work in progress. I do have another blog page going for that which is  zkitchenzink.blogspot.com if you want to check it out.

I am a grill chef/cook at an upscale restaurant in Park City, UT. Grappa is an Italian restaurant that serves great simple food. It part of Bill White Enterprises. I love working there. I am constantly learning something and growing as a chef.

Stay tuned I will try to keep a better update as to the world of a new chef and my growing pains.

Savory Palate Week 4

Its been a while since I have had some time to update my journal on here. Restaurant class has been alot of fun. There are so many ingredients that we are using. I urge people to come and have the experience of fine dining cooked by future chefs.  Each dish is pleasing to the eye and taste buds. I have been working on a face book page for the restaurant. 

This week I was working the breads station, where I made Cardamom Pulla and we had Teahive cheese, smoked blue cheese, Varzi salami, cured Chorizo, a mustard made with squid ink. It was a very interesting dish. We had six dishes this week to include a chef's dish and then there was the bonus of our specialty drink that we made. Working in the back of the house is a good experience for me, it raises my expectations when I go out and apply for jobs.

The ingredients used in this weeks meal was a Truffle Tremor Goat Cheese, Coffee infused duck, Smoked Salmon, Lobster Mushrooms,and  Cardamom. Those were just the speciality ingredients. Next week there is talk of using Turtle in our food along with blood sausage.. I will try to keep everyone updated. Below are pictures of dinner.
Happy Eating.

 our take on Oysters Rockefeller

Savory Palate - Week 1

This quarter is restaurant. This is an experience that students get to learn front of house and back of house. We have input on the menu and decor that goes on the tables. Its a very unique experience for the students and the diners. The students put out a five course meal, and a couple extra dishes if that is decided for the day.
The diners get to experience the window into the kitchen and get to watch students cooking and taking direction from the chef instructor in the kitchen. They are also presented with a wonderful menu of exotic, seasonal, and fresh ingredients. Because the room is small, its reservation only, but its worth it. Diners also get to critique the students meal at the end of the night. Its a very positive experience for everyone.

Having started this class, I am in the front of the house. I have posted pictures below of us learning to set the table, and some of the food we started to cook on day 1. This quarter restaurant is at night and we serve two nights a week. I am excited to learn both sides of a restaurant and for the challenges that come ahead. So if your in the area, come have dinner. It will be a great experience.

Happy Eating

The picture above is duck skin that has been rendered. The duck fat will be used for Duck Confit. Next to it is the beginings of roasted squash for a chutney dish.

European Class

I have been trying to keep up with the dishes we make. I haven't been very good at posting them on here. I have been posting them on my face book site for Z Kitchen Zink. This is the class I like because there is no final. He just lets us cook. It has been a challenge, in that there are many foods I have walked away from in the past because they look gross or just unappealing. I have learned to try everything. I may not like it, but I can say that I have tasted different food and have some kind of personal opinion on it. European Cuisine is very old school and very heavy food. I have heard the trend is changing and would love to know more about it. 

I found German food to be very heavy and rustic. In our group, there were a few people that were in a hurry to leave so they cut corners as to how the food was made and it did not come out as nice as I thought it should have. Below are some pictures of the German cuisine we cooked along with Switzerland. I found that country interesting. I would love to one day travel there and actually taste the food. I am open to all comments about the food. Its a good way to help improve or have a different perspective on it. 

Happy Eating

Sugar work

I am finding out the longer I work with confections. I like sugar. It can do so many different things. It takes a lot of practice to get it exactly how I would like it. I have had many failures in class when it is not working and deciding that its going to be a bitch.  I think if I ever get the chance to spend time with an confectioner that does a lot of sugar work, I would jump on it.  It seems very simple to melt the sugar to a high temperature.  Out here in Utah its 285*F, pour it and let it be. Cool thing is, if your going to mold it, you have to work with it while it is still very hot. I have a whole new respect for those chefs at Disney that make the candy canes. In fact I want to be one of those guys. Interestingly enough there is a science behind all the sugar work. If it is too humid the sugar sucks in all the moisture causing it to be sticky and brittle. Learning about the sugar was one of my favorite lessons in the class. Below is some of my sugar work along with other classmates. Some of the interesting items that came out when we were working with sugar.
Happy Eating

Jelly Candies

Sorry I have been gone so long. School has been keeping me busy with creating so many different treats and dishes. Soon to be updated here.

That being said. This is about Jellies. They are very much a pain in the butt to work with and gelatin smells like bone marrow. Its gross. On the lighter side, they do make some delicious treats. I have not listed the recipes because it is very easy for them to go wrong. I have below a number of pictures of what I have been working on and what some of the final products look like.
I do like making the gummy bears and the pb&J candies. Those I would have to say came out to be the best product I have. I am listing them in Z Kitchen Zink as a product that I would sell.
I would also have to say that cornstarch is very messy to work with. It does the trick of holding the shape of your gummies, but it gets everywhere. There is a difference when using pectin and gelatin. They hold differently. The bright red pot is gelatin gummy.

Happy Eating

Classical French

Last week we still were visiting France and making classical dishes. I have to say my favorite of the week was Duck a l'Orange. We also did oysters on the half shell and stuffed Swiss Chard. The plan for the following week was to do Coq au Vin but I was unable to attend that class. I like being able to  expand my knowledge of food and share with all my readers the different foods I learn to make and eat. I do have to say, you have to soak the Swiss Chard before rolling it or it doesn't cooperate so well.

Duck recipe is posted below

For Duck
1tbsp                  kosher salt
1tsp                    Ground coriander
1/2 tsp                ground cumin
1tsp                     black pepper
1 (5-6lb)              duck ( we used duck breast it was faster)
1                          orange, juiced halved
4                          fresh thyme sprigs
4                          fresh marjoram sprigs
2                          fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs
1                          Small onion, into 8 wedges
1/2 cup                 dry white wine
1/2 cup                 duck stock, and veal stock, chicken stock or reduced sodium chicken broth (use any)
1/2                        carrot
1/2                        celery stalk

For Sauce
1/3 cup                 Sugar
1/3 cup                 Fresh orange juice (1-2 oranges)
2tbsp                    white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp                   Salt
1oz                        Sherry wine ( not the vinegar)
2-4 tbsp                 duck or chicken stock
1tbsp                     unsalted butter, soften
1tbsp                     All purpose flour
1tbsp                     fine julienne of fresh orange zest removed with a vegetable peeler

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 475*F
Stir together salt, coriander, cumin, and pepper. Pat duck dry and sprinkle inside and out with spice mixture. Cut 1 half of orange into quarters and put in duck cavity with thyme, marjoram, parsley and 4 onion wedges.
Squeeze juice  from remaining half of orange and stir together with wine and stock. Set aside.
Spread remaining 4 onion wedges in roasting pan with carrot and celery, then place duck on top of vegetables and roast 30 minutes.
Pour wine mixture into roasting pan and reduce oven temp. to 350*F. Continue to roast duck until thermometer inserted into thigh registers 170*F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours more. Turn on broiler and broil duck 3-4 in from heat until top is golden brown. about 3 min.
Tilt duck to drain juices from cavity into pan and transfer duck to a cutting board reserving juices in pan. Let duck sit 15 min.

Sauce
While duck roasts, cook sugar in a dry 1 qt heavy sauce pan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar melts into a deep golden caramel. Add orange juice,vinegar, and salt and simmer over low heat stirring occasionally until caramel is dissolved. Remove syrup from heat.
Discard vegetables from roasting pan and pour pan juices through a fine mesh sieve into a 1qt glass measure or bowl , then skim off and discard fat. Add enough stock to pan juices to total 1 cup liquid.
Stir together butter and flour to form a beurre manie. Bring pan juices to a simmer in a 1-2 qt heavy sauce pan, then add beurre manie, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add orange syrup and zest  and simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce is thickened slightly and zest is tender. about 5 min. Serve with Duck.

Here the sauce is too thin

This is what the sauce should look like.

 another dish we made. Lamb stew

 Always need dessert. Macaroons.

Happy Eating.