Thursday, May 29, 2014

Restaurant Review: Black Cat Boulder, CO

     I'm not sure why we haven't dined at the Black Cat restaurant in Boulder until recently as they have been open since 2006.  After a 7 course chef tasting of local, organic, and sustainably harvested foods, we are hooked!  The owners, Eric and Jill Skogan also have a 130 acre farm which is the source of about 92% of the food from their menu.  We were also told by our knowledgeable server that they will have their own beef in October.  Another reason for a return visit.
        The restaurant is rather intimate with a modest number of tables, some partitioned by billowy white curtains.  The pine paneled walls contrasted well with the black and white Harlequin flooring.  I loved that none of the silverware matched.  I read that Jill collects them where ever one catches her eye.  The extensive wine list spans over Austria, Germany, France, Italy, and the United States.  

        Since we were celebrating my husband's birthday, we began with two of their well made classic cocktails.  I had the Gentleman's Manhattan, which is preferred by ladies also.  It was prepared with Wild Turkey Rye whisky, cocchi di Torino vermouth, and the Cadillac of Cherries, the Luxardo Maraschino.  My husband imbibed the Rob Roy which was made with Pig's Nose Blended Scotch, cocchi di Torino, and Jerry Thomas Bitters.   Both served by the bartender and delicious to the last drop.
        Soon after our cocktails arrived, our server presented a visually stunning Amuse Bouche of chilled seasonal escarole and chard soup topped with creme fraiche and garnished with rapini flowers and candied orange rinds.  It was as divine to taste as to look at.   The first of the appetizers was the terrine de foie grois.  It came atop a ginger gastrique which provided the acidic balance to the richness of the foie grois.  Sweet but not cloyingly so poached figs, pickled red onions, and crushed pistachios all added to the flavor profile and texture of the dish to make it one of my all time favorite appetizers.
Amuse Bouche


Terrine de foie grois

       Before we began our chef tasting, the server kindly inquired about our allergies.  Since Don is allergic to fish, they served a different second starter to each of us.  Much to my delight, they served me the house cured trout.  It was flavorful and melted in my mouth.  I also loved the array of fresh greens which accompanied it including a parsnip puree, arugula, and asparagus.  Don was served an equally fresh beet salad with spinach and grapefruit segments with  block of herbed chèvre.
Cured Trout


Beet salad



       Next came the house made orrechiette (little ears) pasta with tender beef tongue and spring peas garnished artfully with a single red sorrel leaf.   Gorgeous and delicious.  At this point we moved on to wine.  We both settled on the Black Cat Meritage from Bookcliffs winery in the western slope.  It had a distinct terroir and tasted subtly of currants.  A good pairing to our next two plates.
Oriecchiette with beef tongue
       We had both the Heritage pork as well as the Colorado beef tenderloin.  The pork was sliced and came atop fillet beans with mushrooms and sweet spring green peas.  The beef was accompanied by rosemary au jus and a cilantro coulis with farrow, roasted parsnips, and brunoise carrots (which I can appreciate after perfecting the tiny cuts myself).  Unfortunately, I failed to snap photos of these two main courses.  I must have been heady from the drink or the aroma of the food.
        We finished with a white chocolate Bavarian which tasted like a hybrid of cheese cake and ice cream.  We loved the pistachio fig crust and pistachio cream.
Overall, I would say if you have a special occasion and want to spend a romantic and quality night dining out, the Black Cat is worth every penny.
White Chocolate Bavarian







     





  


Monday, May 26, 2014

Sunny Side Up or Over Easy

     Our new chef instructor is delightful!  He laughs, a lot.  I don't think he ever gets mad.  I mistakenly used some eggs which were a gift for the pastry chef and expected a verbal beating.  Nothing.  He even printed out attitude cards with the Buddha on the back.  A good attitude trumps anything: skill, knowledge, background, even experience.  I love it.  It's a refreshing change.  His teaching style is such that he challenges you to elevate a dish rather than telling you.  
    Last week we began by making eggs, a dozen ways, or practically.  We started with Sunny Side Up, proceeded to Over Easy, poached, scrambled, then an American Omelette versus a French omelette.  I exceeded my American Heart Association weekly egg consumption recommendation in one morning.  I heard the record was 22 eggs eaten by one student.  The thought makes my arteries harden.
    We progressed to other breakfast foods to include sweet and savory crepes, French toast, scones, frittata, quiche, biscuits and gravy, breakfast meats, granola, danishes, and even fruit platters resulting in a grand breakfast buffet to rival any fine dining establishment.  We even made 4 different flavors of Aqua Fresca (refreshing fruit water), coffee and tea.  We had white table cloths and napkins as well as stemware (set an inch from the edge of the table).  It was a beautiful smorgasbord   Next time, I'll pick up a couple homeless guys standing at the corner.
     If there is one complaint I have regarding the school, it is that you don't get to make everything on the menu.  You must vie for what you want to make each day amongst your team mates.  Our team last week was exceedingly harmonious and we were always ahead of the other two teams.  Next week, my team includes the three Musketeers (a trio of young bucks eighteen, nineteen, and twenty one years young).  This should be interesting.  I'll just pretend they're my triplets.






Monday, May 19, 2014

Something Fishy

     I just want to clarify to all my loyal readers that I am just a culinary student.  There is no reason to feel intimidated by my my cooking skills.  Much to my chagrin, my mother in law, a great cook, has vowed not to cook for me again.  In fact, at this point, I am throwing out more mistakes than actually eating.  So please, continue cooking for me!  My husband made me the most delicious steak, baked potato, and brussel sprout dinner for Mother's day.  It was much better than any we  made in class.  The steak was perfectly seasoned and seared and cooked to the right temperature.  The potato was light and fluffy and hot.  The brussel sprouts deliciously caramelized.
   I am happy to announce that I have successfully completed the first block of my culinary curriculum.  I am  very pleased with my grade of 90 on my practical, my highest practical score so far.  Of course now that I have learned what good cooking is, I am my most critical critic.  I felt I over seasoned the salad greens, over cooked the chicken and potatoes , and undercooked the carrots.  However, I had been struggling with the consistency of the Veloute and it turned out perfectly!   Victory, at last!
     The last week of Foundations was a whirlwind with 3 days of seafood when Chef could have easily spent 3 months!  We filleted both a round fish (bass) and flat fish (sole), shucked oysters, made gravlax (salmon), mussels, and fish stock.  Some people had never tasted raw oysters  before and acquired a taste for it, whereas others still do not like it.  Luckily, having grown up in Alabama with access to Gulf oysters, I cherish and devour the lovely bivalves.  We made many fish dishes by employing the seven basic cooking methods.  I learned that there is no need to fear fish cookery, and it is much more versatile than meat.  (The photos below demonstrate some of the seafood we made, again I highlighted what I made in bold).
   This week begins a new block called Culinary Arts.  We start with eggs and breakfast foods then move on to baking.  I am looking forward to making a baguette and various other baked treats as well as learning from a new chef.  
Salmon filet demo with Chef Bob


Salmon salad with capers, anchovies, olives, & hard boiled eggs

Mouilles/Mussels

Raw Oysters on half Shell with Mignonette

Poached shrimp

     

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Dedication to Dr. Leavenworth

     I feel I must dedicate this piece to my friend and colleague, Dr. Nancy Schader-Leavenworth, who lost her year plus battle with cancer early this morning.
     You see, it was the shocking news of her stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis which compelled me to pursue my culinary education.  It had not been a year from Dr. Leavenworth's retirement when we learned of her cancer.  She was someone who was the picture of health, petite and thin.  She never even smoked.  She always brought her lunch and didn't consume fast food.  She wasn't even sixty years old.  She was a dedicated and caring physician at Kaiser for many years.  
    When I heard her news, I was in disbelief.  I realized my time was limited.  I have always contemplated culinary school because of my passion for food.  But it was hard to justify leaving my profession for the unknown.  Even though I am far from "old", I knew I should seize the moment and live life to the fullest since I do not know what tomorrow may bring.  I do not mind hard work as long as I am passionate.  It had been missing from my career for some time.  
     I can say that Nancy loved what she did and she did it with passion.  She never uttered a disparaging word.  She was always kind and respectful to me.  I feel privileged to have had the honor of working with her.  

Saturday, May 10, 2014

My Culinary Family

   Next week concludes the first block (6 weeks) of the culinary arts program called Culinary Foundations.  We will have a final practical where we produce an entire meal on our own in 2 hours.  The menu will include a tossed salad with a basic vinaigrette, sautéed chicken breast with Veloute sauce, pommes de terre puree, and carrots Vichy.  There is also a final written exam covering the last 6 weeks of information.  After that, we advance to the next block called Culinary Arts where we'll be learning breakfast cookery and baking.
     After 5 weeks with my classmates, with 4 dropping out, we have become a close knit family.  I have become fond of a few of the younger ones in particular.  And they have bestowed upon me the moniker of "mom".  I am touched.   It's much better than "pit bull" as one poor gal has been referred to.  With two hours of production time to execute a meal, we must really cooperate and work as a team.  There are many moving parts and all it takes is one weak link to throw us off.  
     Some of us are definitely more zen under pressure and others could use more time on the yoga mat.  I tend to be calmer as things get more hectic.  I mean we're just cooking for ourselves.  It's not like removing a foreign body from a five year old's eye with a 20 minute appointment slot.  Then there are others who do not have any sense of urgency what so ever.  They are on one speed, not realizing the rest of us cannot proceed until their component is complete.  
     I have learned a lot from my younger classmates who have been cooking in the industry.  I am impressed with their ease in the kitchen and work ethic.  The youngest student is 18 years old and has been cooking for three years.  He goes to school M-F from 7am to 1pm, then works from 7pm to 4 am!  With the aid of Monster and coffee, he is able to be alert for class and is one of the most praised students.  I would like to adopt him, but he has a mom.
   Below are some photos of what we cooked this week: beef on Monday & Tuesday, veal on Wednesday, lamb on Thursday, and pork on Friday.  In bold are the menu component I was responsible for each day.
Beef Tenderloin and Entrecôte with Bearnaise and Alumette potatoes

Beef Bourgninone and Swiss Steak with fresh pasta and barley salad

Veal sweetbread, liver, and cutlets with brussel sprouts and spaetzel
Leg of lamb, Lamb cutlets, mushroom stuffed artichokes, Haricots Panaches, Farro salad

Pork Roast with caramelized apple puree and fried sage 


  

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

It's Just Like Golf!

     Cooking reminds me of golf.  When you are first learning how to use a  knife or swing a golf club, accuracy and consistency are your focus.  Speed (cooking) and distance (golf) will come later.  
finger cot

     If you learn correct hand placement to accurately and consistently cut with the chef/French knife, you should be able to do the same with any other knife.  Similarly, if you learn to swing with one golf club, you can apply the same method to all the other clubs and produce the same results.  Both are easier said than done.  Many of us have multiple finger cots as shown in the photo.  I am painfully but steadily making progress on the golf front.  I hope to accomplish the same with cooking.

     Unlike golf, however, you can loose weight cooking!  I was initially fearful that I may gain weight during culinary school, but so far, I have lost about a pound a week.  I haven't lost weight since going through my divorce.  And that was because I didn't eat for a week.  Not only have I been eating consistently, I have been eating richly.  Foods that I do not typically indulge in have become a daily staple:  clarified butter, chicken with the skin on, whole milk and cream sauces, and did I mention butter?  I suppose if you are on your feet for 5 hours a day as opposed to your seat 8 hours, it will have an impact on your caloric output.  Most days I find myself nodding off at 9pm from sheer physical exhaustion.  I will be more proud of graduating from culinary school than anything I have ever done.

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Chicken 7 Ways

    This week was the infamous Chicken Week.  After this week, you are guaranteed not to eat chicken again for a very long time.  Chicken is not my favorite meat.  I never order it when dining out.  I find the breast particularly boring.   I am hoping to learn some ways to jazz it up and appreciate it more.
   
     The goal this week is to expose us to the different cooking methods by using the popular and affordable chicken.  On Monday, we learned how to fabricate a chicken, which is to break it down into 6 usable parts: two each of breasts, thighs, and legs.  The chef's efficient and artful butchering skills were unmatched by any of us.  I for one cut off the tenderloin from the breast on my first attempt.   We then used the breasts that we "lopped" off and poached them which is the first cooking method.  The finished product was ok, but kinda dry.  The tarragon Veloute was excellent however.
Poached Chicken with Veloute

     On Tuesday, we learned how to truss a chicken and made roasted chicken thighs and legs with a tarragon sauce.  I think this was my favorite method to have chicken.  The skin was flavorfully crisped.  The tarragon sauce was a very good accompaniment.  The side dishes of spaghetti and butternut squash added a splash of color to the plate.  And the potatoes Anna was delicious as well as artful.
Roasted chicken with Jus lie d'estragon

     Next we learned to sauté chicken breasts and braise chicken legs.  Yes, we made both cutlets with mushrooms and coq au vin on the same day.  Regrettably, the way the program is set up at the school, one does not get to make all the menu items, but rather each person or team of two work on one part of the menu.  Otherwise, it would be a twelve hour day!  Everything was delicious.  Lucky for Don, he gets all the leftovers.
Coq auVin and Chicken Cutlets aux Champignons

    Thursday proved to be a production disaster.  What should have been a relatively easy day of spicy fried chicken fingers and pan fried chicken with pan gravy became a disaster of miscommunication and finger pointing.  I think the chef's compliments from the previous days deluded us into complacency.  We were quickly put in our place.  As we hung our heads in shame during our daily post meal critique, the chef expressed his disappointment with our efforts.  We vowed to do better tomorrow.
panko chicken strips and pan fried chicken
     On Friday, we came together and produced a delicious menu of apricot bourbon grilled chicken, deep fried potatoes, and tempura vegetables.  We concluded our hectic week with a relatively successful day.  The hardest part was cleaning out the deep fryer.  

     

Friday, May 2, 2014

Revelations

    I have some goals I want to achieve while in culinary school.  And I am already starting to develop some of them.  I hoped that I would acquire more patience as it is one of my major weaknesses.  

     Cooking requires much patience if you want to come out with a positive product you can be proud to present to others.  There is great attention to detail.  For example, you must strain sauces through a fine mesh called a chinois if you want the most velvety and blemish free sauce.  Believe me, after spending an hour on a sauce, you do not want to skimp on this step.  Sometimes multiple times.  Also, I have learned to be slow and methodical to produce the most consistent cuts so everything is cooked evenly.  It's not just for looks.  

     The most important step in cooking is the mise en place, "everything in it's place.  This is where you gather all the ingredients and equipment you will need before you even start cooking.  I am the worst offender when it comes to starting a recipe and then realizing I don't have what I need.  I would end up improvising.  I thought this was being creative but no, I'm just sloppy.  Or how about sweating onions while I'm still chopping the garlic.

    I have learned to have a greater respect for food.  You must not casually toss food about but gingerly set them down like you would a treasured piece of jewelry or your favorite nephew.  After a week trussing and fabricating chicken, I have greater respect for the ubiquitous fowl.  I handle the bird with much love.  It's still not my favorite meat, but perhaps that is due to my neophyte skills. 

    Cooking used to be a chore.  Just get something to fill the void in your stomach after a long, hard day at work.  Now, I find myself roasting a chicken and making stock on a Wednesday night!