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.