Will you be sitting at our next Chef's Table?

Our Chef's Table quiz closed at midnight on April 23. Here are the answers to the questions that we posted.  We will announce the name of the winning entry on the afternoon of April 24, 2014. Check your email to find out if you will be dining at our next Chef's Table on May 8. 

WEBSITE QUIZ ANSWERS

1. According to Executive Director Murline Mallette, what does a culinary school give you?

(a grounding, the basics)

2. How many hours does a person have to work in the industry before they can acquire their chef’s papers (Red Seal)?

(6,000 hours)

3. Who is our newest chef-instructor for Cook Basic classes?

(Chef Steve Djerfi)

4. What is the name of our Liaison Hamilton graduate that worked in a tree-planting camp in British Columbia?

(Chef John Paul (JP) Mooney)

OK Advanced students, show us what you've got....

Chef challenged our AM Advanced students today to put their knife skills on display. To accompany their duck l'orange, they had to turn out allumette (matchstick) potatoes, fluted mushrooms, tourneed parsnip, glazed carrot flowers and a garnish of bias-cut green onions, with buttered green beans alongside. To up the ante he also took away half of the prep tables that they would normally use.

Eat first with your eyes: Nelita's duck l'orange
is enhanced by her knife and presentation skills. 

Whetting our appetites...

Last week the PM Advanced students turned out some tasty morsels to fire up an appetite. Each day they were challenged to turn out at least ten appetizers, with no repetitions from one day to the next. By Thursday they were in the groove, demonstrating their skill, speed and creativity as they plated at least a dozen appetizers each within a two-hour time frame. By the end of the day, staff were standing by, waiting for Chef to finish tasting so they could do some sampling of their own.

Tony does a last minute touch up on the rim of his soup bowl.
He created 15 appetizers on Thursday afternoon.  

Rattakone adds some sweet corn to his salad. 

Chocolate - It's not just for dessert

Our A.M. Advanced class will be presenting their Chef's Table on February 6. With the date falling so close to Valentine's Day, they decided on an all-chocolate menu. This inimitable, bitter-sweet food of the Gods will appear in a variety of incarnations, in every course from amuse-bouche through dessert.

The students did a trial run today, serving lunch to their colleagues and chef instructors. The wine, fine linens and ambiance were missing, but the advanced feedback on seasoning, texture, flavour and presentation will be invaluable when they serve their final meal to invited guests in a few weeks.

Amuse-bouche: cream cheese with paprika & chives, layered with
chocolate and served with orange coulis.  

Pan-seared salmon with candied lemon zest. The sauce had a hint of white chocolate.   

Spinach and strawberry salad with feta cheese and berry vinaigrette, garnished with shaved chocolate.

Dessert was tiramisu, served in a martini glass, and finished with grated chocolate. 

What's the common denominator?

Our Advanced students are learning to turn out great-tasting dishes with any ingredients that Chef Dan can throw at them. Can you guess the secret ingredient that was at the heart of their challenge today?

Ruthann's stuffed pepper with golden & candy cane beet chips,
raita and bhaji.  

Caitlynn's timbal with onion bhaji, beet chips, and brocolli
stir fry with yellow peppers.

Sarah waits with her two identical plates
while Chef is critiquing her classmates' food.