This week was all about gratins, souffles, grains, and legumes.  We started the weekend, with finishing up the poaching lesson.  We made Papiettes of Sole, yup, another french word that I had no idea what it was.  I now know that a papiette is a piece of meat or fish rolled up and stuffed with a savory filling, not to be confused with a papillote, which is the parchment paper envelope that steams protein and vegetables by baking it in the oven.  This Dish was topped with a pan sauce made from the poaching liquid of fish stock, lemon juice, sweet french wine, shallots and finished with heavy cream.

Gratin

We started a gratin lesson, and it was really easy.  Thinly cut potato slices are simmered in milk until tender, and then a small amount of heavy cream and seasoning is added and cooked.  Once the simmering step is complete the potatoes are layered in a buttered gratin dish with gruyere and parmesan cheese.

Soufflés

We made carrot timbales, which cook like souffles, surprisingly tasty.  Who would have thought a dish made manily of carrots, eggs and cream would be good?

Someone turned off the oven, so we had to turn it up to 500 and ended up browning the souffle to much, but it was really delicious for a broccoli souffle.

We finally started cooking some healthy dishes, with a quinoa salad, a farro dish with sausage and potatoes, and a wheat berry salad with a vinagrette, the wheat berry dish will not be repeated.

Though not perfect, my risotto, was delicious and cheesy, this is a great impressive dish for a dinner party.

The lima bean dish was really good, I had no idea how much time it took to make lima beans taste pleasant.  All of my life I have turned and run the other way from lima beans, but these beans were so good.

These Cuban black beans, were so good.  We cooked them foe a long time with a ham hock, onions garlic and bell pepper.

The last thing we made was crispy falafel, and a yogurt sauce.  Everything was so delicious

This weekend, we start breakfast cookery.  I can’t wait to cook eggs, every way possible.  Now that I am well into my studies at The Institute of Culinary Education, I have been reflecting on what I am learning and the pressure is on for what my next move will be.  I’ve decided to do an extra post sharing my reflections, and