Last week was my birthday. We celebrated with a trip to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. My husband, Giles, and I stayed in a lovely condo right on the beach with Jay and his wife, Michele. We spent the days lounging by the pool, strolling by the sea, drinking rather a lot, and dining in the many many farm-to-table inspired restaurants that have replaced the touristy places that served crappy, toned-down Mexican fare. For my birthday dinner, we ate at Casiano's, where there is no pre-printed menu. Instead, Chef Casiano Reyes draws inspiration from the freshest local ingredients to present his own approach to food. It was such an amazing experience, and a refreshing respite from the typical tourist traps.
Immediately upon my return, I reported to the International Culinary Center for the preliminary competition round that would select the six students who would represent the ICC in the Intercontinental Hotels Culinary Clash. Was I insane? Did I think I stood a chance of winning? Well, to be honest, not really. I had hopes that I might hold my own, but mostly I wanted to see, first hand, how much skill and technique and knowledge I was lacking PRIOR to commencing my studies. Turns out, it's rather a lot!
My brother and I talked a lot about how to approach the competition. We even planned possible pantry recipes and practiced making pasta in our condo in Cabo. My friend, Claudine, had suggested making pasta as a strategy for demonstrating some differentiating technique. We all assumed there'd be some standard pantry, in addition to the Key Ingredient, which was to remain secret until the last moment.
On Monday morning, I reported to the school and was able to pick up my knife kit and uniform a couple of weeks early. The president of the school and some of the administration were pretty excited that I was willing to take this on before even starting my studies (or else they were all having a really good laugh at my expense?!). I don't think the chef in charge of the students was that impressed. He must have thought I was either insane, or insufferably arrogant for assuming that I could compete against students who had all been through the entire program and were well on their ways in their externships. He gave me a very cursory explanation of the kitchen and equipment, and actually asked me, "Have you ever even cooked before?!"
Nevertheless, I gave it my best shot. We were allowed to go into the kitchen and set up our "poste de travail" -- setting out our tools, grabbing bowls and pots, and getting our workspace organized. Obviously the other students had been doing this on a daily basis, whereas I could only watch and try to copy what they were doing and take my best guess as to what I might need. Once we were all set up, we finally got to look at the Key Ingredient, which turned out to be Strip Steak, and the pantry, which turned out to be a LOT more limited than I had expected. In hindsight, the pantry was likely stocked to suggest specific recipes. I was still stuck on recipes I had planned on in anticipation of a full pantry. I was so busy trying to figure out what I could make based on what I had planned and what was available, that I overlooked some obvious alternatives.
I decided to prepare a potato savoyard, which is a lighter version of gratin. There wasn't any cheese, there wasn't even any milk. But there was a veal stock, and there was cream and butter, and there were shallots and garlic and onions and I had salt & pepper. I could do this.
I also grabbed mushrooms and a red bell pepper from the pantry. There were no carrots, no celery, so I couldn't even do a decent mirepoix. But there was wine, I could do a reduction and use the bell pepper and shallot to flavor it, I guess?? And I could use the mushrooms and onion as a garnish.
The first thing I did was to turn on the oven as the chef had instructed. Or at least I thought I did. Then I spied the mandolins, so I grabbed one to make slicing my potatoes easier/faster. Uh... what do I use for a gratin dish?? I tried asking the chef, but I wasn't going to get any special help. He told me to use "whatever is in the kitchen." I found a hotel pan that might work, and threw in a parchment sheet to line it, hoping to make it easier to pull out later.
Equipment in place, I started cooking. I smashed up some garlic and threw it into a "russe" (which I then knew only as a saucepan) with some cream and veal stock. I seasoned it and let it come to a boil. There was no nutmeg but I didn't think it'd matter too much,.
Meanwhile, I sliced up my potatoes and placed them into the sauce as I went. I cooked that a bit then I was ready to put it all into the dish I had prepared. I went to pop the assembly into the oven...only to discover that it wasn't on! YIKES! I figured out what I had done wrong, got the oven set to the right temp, and crossed my fingers.
That done, I started my red wine reduction. I brunoised the red bell pepper with a shallot and quickly sauteed those in another russe. I added red wine and veal stock, and left it to simmer down.
On to the garnish. I grabbed a sauteuse (previously known as a saute pan), cut up some onion and mushrooms, and threw them in with some butter & seasoning to sweat.
People are starting their protein!! I haven't even looked at mine yet. Chef just called 10 minutes, I should be fine. I grab my steak and season it, grab another sauteuse (the grill was totally clogged), throw in some butter and olive oil, and get it on the cooktop. I check my garnish, my reduction, they're both fine. I'm worried about my potatoes and want them to cook as long as possible.
Five minutes remaining, my steak isn't done. I pull out my potatoes, they MIGHT be done?? I cross my fingers and grab a 3" ring and cut a round where the thinnest potatoes were. My steak is going to need to rest before I can slice it, so I quickly pull it out of the sauteuse and set it to rest on the rack I had grabbed. I get the potatoes on the plate, THEN taste what's in the pan. OMG, they're actually cooked through!! One minute left, holy crap. I slice up the steak and get it on the plate. I go to strain the reduction onto the plate, but the chef calls time. I don't manage to get the garnish on there either, so it's not really a very complete plating. BUT!! I got my protein on, and my potatoes cooked. I'm happy.
Shockingly, I did not win one of the six coveted positions that would move on to the next round. But I hope I didn't come in absolutely last. I was incredibly impressed with the other students and their platings, and realized that I had oh so very much to learn. I can't wait.
Immediately upon my return, I reported to the International Culinary Center for the preliminary competition round that would select the six students who would represent the ICC in the Intercontinental Hotels Culinary Clash. Was I insane? Did I think I stood a chance of winning? Well, to be honest, not really. I had hopes that I might hold my own, but mostly I wanted to see, first hand, how much skill and technique and knowledge I was lacking PRIOR to commencing my studies. Turns out, it's rather a lot!
My brother and I talked a lot about how to approach the competition. We even planned possible pantry recipes and practiced making pasta in our condo in Cabo. My friend, Claudine, had suggested making pasta as a strategy for demonstrating some differentiating technique. We all assumed there'd be some standard pantry, in addition to the Key Ingredient, which was to remain secret until the last moment.
On Monday morning, I reported to the school and was able to pick up my knife kit and uniform a couple of weeks early. The president of the school and some of the administration were pretty excited that I was willing to take this on before even starting my studies (or else they were all having a really good laugh at my expense?!). I don't think the chef in charge of the students was that impressed. He must have thought I was either insane, or insufferably arrogant for assuming that I could compete against students who had all been through the entire program and were well on their ways in their externships. He gave me a very cursory explanation of the kitchen and equipment, and actually asked me, "Have you ever even cooked before?!"
Nevertheless, I gave it my best shot. We were allowed to go into the kitchen and set up our "poste de travail" -- setting out our tools, grabbing bowls and pots, and getting our workspace organized. Obviously the other students had been doing this on a daily basis, whereas I could only watch and try to copy what they were doing and take my best guess as to what I might need. Once we were all set up, we finally got to look at the Key Ingredient, which turned out to be Strip Steak, and the pantry, which turned out to be a LOT more limited than I had expected. In hindsight, the pantry was likely stocked to suggest specific recipes. I was still stuck on recipes I had planned on in anticipation of a full pantry. I was so busy trying to figure out what I could make based on what I had planned and what was available, that I overlooked some obvious alternatives.
I decided to prepare a potato savoyard, which is a lighter version of gratin. There wasn't any cheese, there wasn't even any milk. But there was a veal stock, and there was cream and butter, and there were shallots and garlic and onions and I had salt & pepper. I could do this.
I also grabbed mushrooms and a red bell pepper from the pantry. There were no carrots, no celery, so I couldn't even do a decent mirepoix. But there was wine, I could do a reduction and use the bell pepper and shallot to flavor it, I guess?? And I could use the mushrooms and onion as a garnish.
The first thing I did was to turn on the oven as the chef had instructed. Or at least I thought I did. Then I spied the mandolins, so I grabbed one to make slicing my potatoes easier/faster. Uh... what do I use for a gratin dish?? I tried asking the chef, but I wasn't going to get any special help. He told me to use "whatever is in the kitchen." I found a hotel pan that might work, and threw in a parchment sheet to line it, hoping to make it easier to pull out later.
Equipment in place, I started cooking. I smashed up some garlic and threw it into a "russe" (which I then knew only as a saucepan) with some cream and veal stock. I seasoned it and let it come to a boil. There was no nutmeg but I didn't think it'd matter too much,.
Meanwhile, I sliced up my potatoes and placed them into the sauce as I went. I cooked that a bit then I was ready to put it all into the dish I had prepared. I went to pop the assembly into the oven...only to discover that it wasn't on! YIKES! I figured out what I had done wrong, got the oven set to the right temp, and crossed my fingers.
That done, I started my red wine reduction. I brunoised the red bell pepper with a shallot and quickly sauteed those in another russe. I added red wine and veal stock, and left it to simmer down.
On to the garnish. I grabbed a sauteuse (previously known as a saute pan), cut up some onion and mushrooms, and threw them in with some butter & seasoning to sweat.
People are starting their protein!! I haven't even looked at mine yet. Chef just called 10 minutes, I should be fine. I grab my steak and season it, grab another sauteuse (the grill was totally clogged), throw in some butter and olive oil, and get it on the cooktop. I check my garnish, my reduction, they're both fine. I'm worried about my potatoes and want them to cook as long as possible.
Five minutes remaining, my steak isn't done. I pull out my potatoes, they MIGHT be done?? I cross my fingers and grab a 3" ring and cut a round where the thinnest potatoes were. My steak is going to need to rest before I can slice it, so I quickly pull it out of the sauteuse and set it to rest on the rack I had grabbed. I get the potatoes on the plate, THEN taste what's in the pan. OMG, they're actually cooked through!! One minute left, holy crap. I slice up the steak and get it on the plate. I go to strain the reduction onto the plate, but the chef calls time. I don't manage to get the garnish on there either, so it's not really a very complete plating. BUT!! I got my protein on, and my potatoes cooked. I'm happy.
Shockingly, I did not win one of the six coveted positions that would move on to the next round. But I hope I didn't come in absolutely last. I was incredibly impressed with the other students and their platings, and realized that I had oh so very much to learn. I can't wait.