A modern day Portuguese adventurer

In the Liaison kitchen
for Chef's Table.

Nuno Cordeiro sits in the foyer at Liaison, pouring over the ads on the job board. He zeros in on positions with Fairmont Hotels – a chance to travel and work in Dubai, Beijing, maybe even Hawaii.

Nuno at a recent burger challenge. 

He was born and raised in the Azores, the Portuguese archipelago known for its surf, sun, volcanic landscape and laid back way of life. Make no mistake though, this ambitious 26-year-old is no slouch. His life in Ribeira Grande on the main island of San Miguel was an active one; working in adventure tourism, skippering on a whale-watching boat and leading back-country hikes and jeep tours.

It was adventure, as well, that brought Nuno to Canada, with hopes of becoming a commercial pilot. A change of heart brought him to Liaison to follow his passion for great food instead.

“I could have studied in this field in Portugal,” he admits, “but I would only be learning the basics of European cuisine.” It is the multicultural influence in Canada that he finds most appealing. “When I talk to people from other countries, they are using the same ingredients, but in a thousand different ways.”

Starting an hors d'oeuvres test at the pasta machine.

Nuno will graduate from the Chef de Cuisine program in August. Over the next few years he plans to travel and work, gathering different perspectives. He is looking forward to gaining a broad range of experience before deciding where he will eventually open his own establishment. 

The lawn chair's a-callin'....

Our staff have been working hard to get students through their studies this summer. It’s time to take a break from the heat of the kitchen, so we can relax and soak up some sun. Liaison College Hamilton will be closed for holidays for two weeks - from July 19 to August 6. There will be no-one in the office during this period, and no open house on the evening of July 24 or August 31.

Food as Art

Chaud-froid takes the creative process beyond the mouth-watering, well-balanced, multi-hued meal, creatively plated with eat-with-your-eyes appeal. Count yourself among the fortunate few when you discover a dining establishment that adds show-stopping works of art to a cold buffet, created with this time-intensive technique.

With emphasis on eye candy, the Advanced students in June cut wafer-thin slices of veggies to arrange on a béchamel background, and put their sculptural talents to work before finishing with a glossy aspic glaze. The cold creation had to ultimately be edible. With this in mind, they prepared their food in steps, paying particular attention to keeping the underlying cooked, stuffed chicken breasts at a food-safe temperature.

Ready. Set. Action ......

Murline Mallette, our fearless leader,
is comfortable in front of the camera.

Kevin takes time out from Cook Basic for a quick interview.

What would it be like to work in front of the camera? Our students got a quick taste last week when Liaison’s head office brought a video team to the Hamilton campus. Though the experience is not likely to qualify them for a stint on Hell’s Kitchen, you may just spot them on Liaison College’s YouTube channel.

Katy and Nuno push through their
exam as the camera rolls.

Katelyn picks up knife skill
tips from Chef Bill. 

The morning Cook Advanced class was in the midst of an exam in the kitchen, giving the videographers a chance to film their creations at the stove and on the plate. The Cook Basic class, meanwhile, were learning the difference between a brunoise and batonnet. Chef Bill demonstrated a variety of vegetable cuts that always challenge novice knife skills. He turned a few students loose to flute some unsuspecting mushrooms while the camera-shy amongst them tried in vain to dodge the frame.

Head office will be filming at all of the campuses in upcoming weeks. Check their website and YouTube channel in the months to come for their latest short clips on campus life.

Break a leg....

Last week an entourage arrived at the Liaison Hamilton campus like a ceremonial procession behind a sacrificial lamb. Well, actually, it was a leg of veal, and the occasion was not a celebration or a right of passage. The visitors were from Delft Blue Veal, delivering not only the week’s meat supply but also an educational exchange of sorts.

Vito Giglio makes quick work of a leg of veal.

While Carol Gibbons (retail merchandising director for Delft Blue) and Ross Blaine (Director of Innovation and Sustainability) snapped photos and kept the video camera rolling, Vito Giglio, the production manager from their Cambridge packing facility rolled up his sleeves and set to work. While Cook Basic and Advanced students watched, he broke down the leg into roasts, steaks and scaloppini, answering questions as his razor-sharp boning knife made quick work of the leg and flank.

Chef Bill shares his preferences for cooking various cuts.

Though our chef-instructors are no strangers to the process of breaking down sides and quarters into manageable cuts of meat, the speed at which Vito worked demonstrated his considerable skill and experience. Once the major cuts were off the shank bone, Chef Bill broke it open, exposing the soft marrow to illustrate where it should be cut for osso buco. He shared his own experience and preferred methods for cooking the various cuts – valuable information for the Delft Blue personnel that accompanied Vito to the Liaison Hamilton campus. Chef Dan got in on the action, grilling the flank steak, slicing it thinly across the grain and dressing it up with a monter au beurre sauce that would make any foodie weak in the knees. He barely had it plated before it disappeared to the clink of a dozen forks followed by lip-smacking groans of approval. 

Chef Dan will inspire the artist in you

Have you ever wondered how chefs create unusual and photo-inspiring cakes? This is your chance to learn some of those secrets. We are running a six-part series on Cake Decorating with Chef Dan Notley, every Wednesday evening (6:30 – 10:00 pm) from June 13 through July 18.

Chef Dan has thirty years of experience in the kitchen, a repertoire of cakes that are playful works of art, and a teaching style that puts even the most timid students at ease. He will inspire your creative side using fondants, butter creams, gum paste, royal icing and air brushing techniques on flat, tiered and sculptured cakes.   

Space is filling up quickly. Reserve your spot before June 4 by calling 905-308-9333, or email liaison.hamilton@sympatico.ca.

Questions? Call or email us for more information.

 

Pssst.. pass the message...it's quail for lunch if we get it right!

Jaime, Katy and Zak waiting in silence
in the kitchen.

When a story is whispered from one person to the next, how closely does the final message resemble the original? That’s the premise behind today’s exercise for the morning Advanced class. The students were not allowed to speak though: They told the story with their prep work.

They shopped for their own vegetables yesterday, but were otherwise in the dark about the single dish they would prepare this morning as a tag team. They waited with  blindfolds on as Chef Dan brought four fresh quails from the cooler.

Katy chopped herbs, trussed the quail and put it in the oven
after Zak and Nuno had taken their turns at the table.

Zak was first to remove his mask, and the only one to receive instruction on what dish they would prepare. He had fifteen minutes, working in silence, to pave the way for the other three students. He turned on the oven, then set to work on the mise en place, prepping the vegetables, herbs and quails. Everything was laid out in bowls to let the rest of the team know what dish they were making.

Nuno was second up. His first move was to check what veggies were prepped. With focus and speed he blanched the leeks and stuffed the quails before handing the reins to Katy, who then trussed the birds, browned them on the stovetop, and put them in the oven. By the time Jaime had sat through 45 minutes of listening to rustling, rattling and chopping, smelling the herbs, warm veggies and roasting birds she was ready to work, finishing the quail, the plating and presentation.

The point of the exercise? Working the line in a kitchen is hectic. It requires team work, careful observation, and the ability to jump in and take over, sometimes with no advance explanation. After doing this lesson a couple of times, the students have a better sense of what that will be like, and can look forward to that kind of environment with confidence.