A Week Full Of Good Food

This has been a really fun week.

We started with antipasti: Olive alla ascolana, talk about tasty. This was a class project. 85 olives stuffed with a meat stuffing, breaded and fried. We got to munch when we cooked. I will really enjoy using this recipe again. While we were eating our olives we cooked stuffed cabbage, and raw beef capaccio with a spicy mayonnaise dressing. After we had a lady speak on cheeses. Everything she brought us to taste was better than the next. This is an example of her cheeses. She had everything displayed so dramatic. When she spoke to us she talked with such excitement. She really loves her job.

The next day we did stocks. This was not as fun but really a great foundation for things we need to create great food. We also did a pesto. This pesto was different from other pesto I have eaten. It was a rustic pesto. All the ingredients were chopped instead of totally ground up. Anyone who likes pesto should try this it creates a different flavor and texture.

Pesto We

1 oz pine nuts

1/3 oz garlic chopped

4 1/2 0z basil chopped

1 oz parmigiano reggiano cheese grated

1/2 oz percorino romano

4 1/2 oz extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste

Toast pine nuts. Add everything together. Enjoy

Then we moved on to bean soup. This is good but not worth wasting time writing about. Then to the best of the best, PASTA. We made Pasta all'uovo ( fresh egg pasta), Pasta al nero di seppia ( squid ink pasta), Pasta verde ( Green Pasta ), and Orecchiette. This was so much fun. This is Courtney and Eddie Displaying there ability to create PASTA. The last picture was our class Ragu Di Carne ( Meat sauce). We needed something to dress this good fresh pasta. This last picture is my pasta with a sage butter sauce. This did great. I did not break my sauce. I really like the sage butter sauce. Well friday was Lasagna di carne, Ravioli, Besciamella, and Tortellini all bolognese. This was awesome. I enjoyed every minute of my day. The lasagna was very different from what I usually make but just as good. Making the pasta and shaping it was fun. I can't say I created the best shapes but they were pretty good.

I went home this weekend and spent a very romantic time with my husband. We went to dinner at Bone Fish Grill on friday when I got into Raleigh. On sat we went on a boat ride and took a nap. I don't sleep as well without my Stevie, and that nap was much needed. We got up went to see the movie Salt and dinner at Ruths Chris, always a great Steak. Got Bumped from my flight on Sunday. That is why I am a day late posting my blog.
See you next week

Yvonne

A Week Full Of Good Food

This has been a really fun week.

We started with antipasti: Olive alla ascolana, talk about tasty. This was a class project. 85 olives stuffed with a meat stuffing, breaded and fried. We got to munch when we cooked. I will really enjoy using this recipe again. While we were eating our olives we cooked stuffed cabbage, and raw beef capaccio with a spicy mayonnaise dressing. After we had a lady speak on cheeses. Everything she brought us to taste was better than the next. This is an example of her cheeses. She had everything displayed so dramatic. When she spoke to us she talked with such excitement. She really loves her job.

The next day we did stocks. This was not as fun but really a great foundation for things we need to create great food. We also did a pesto. This pesto was different from other pesto I have eaten. It was a rustic pesto. All the ingredients were chopped instead of totally ground up. Anyone who likes pesto should try this it creates a different flavor and texture.

Pesto We

1 oz pine nuts

1/3 oz garlic chopped

4 1/2 0z basil chopped

1 oz parmigiano reggiano cheese grated

1/2 oz percorino romano

4 1/2 oz extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste

Toast pine nuts. Add everything together. Enjoy

Then we moved on to bean soup. This is good but not worth wasting time writing about. Then to the best of the best, PASTA. We made Pasta all'uovo ( fresh egg pasta), Pasta al nero di seppia ( squid ink pasta), Pasta verde ( Green Pasta ), and Orecchiette. This was so much fun. This is Courtney and Eddie Displaying there ability to create PASTA. The last picture was our class Ragu Di Carne ( Meat sauce). We needed something to dress this good fresh pasta. This last picture is my pasta with a sage butter sauce. This did great. I did not break my sauce. I really like the sage butter sauce. Well friday was Lasagna di carne, Ravioli, Besciamella, and Tortellini all bolognese. This was awesome. I enjoyed every minute of my day. The lasagna was very different from what I usually make but just as good. Making the pasta and shaping it was fun. I can't say I created the best shapes but they were pretty good.

I went home this weekend and spent a very romantic time with my husband. We went to dinner at Bone Fish Grill on friday when I got into Raleigh. On sat we went on a boat ride and took a nap. I don't sleep as well without my Stevie, and that nap was much needed. We got up went to see the movie Salt and dinner at Ruths Chris, always a great Steak. Got Bumped from my flight on Sunday. That is why I am a day late posting my blog.
See you next week

Yvonne

Good And Tired

Wow! So much has happened since last week. They have demos in the theater at school. I was lucky enough to see two great food artist. The first was Chef Kotani, he makes sobo noodles. It was amasing. He took a small piece of dough and worked it into a 40 by 40 inch square. He used three long thin poles. Then he folded and cut the dough into a thousand noodles. It is hard to describe. The other was Chef Cesare Casella, he was instramental in getting the Italian program started. His program was on beans. I never realized how many different kinds of beans there are.
Over the weekend I visited Murray's cheese shop. I wanted to get some things I could munch on at home. They are usually really busy. I got there alittle early and got the grand tour. The man who waited on me told me that cheese was his life. I purchased some: Smoked Speck, Columbus Felino (salame made in Parma), Vacherin Friborseois Alpase (very creamy swiss mountain cheese), Pecorino Ginepro (it is soaked in a bath of balsamic vinegar). These have been great to have around. I usually come home at night and I will pick at the meat and cheeses. This week we had a whole day on cheeses. With a guest lecturer on cheese. Her company is Forever cheese Inc. We got to try and we learned about 11 cheeses. We also made cheese this week. Mozzarella and Ricotta, that was fun. The ricotta was great, and so easy to make.

1. 1 quart whole milk
2. 1/2 teaspoon citric acid (health food store)
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt

cream if needed ( I did not)

Place milk in pot bring to boil not rolling 190 degrees. Add salt and the citric acid, stir. Turn off heat and let rest 10 minutes. Ladle into a strainer lined with cheese cloth. You can let sit one hour, we squeezed the liquid gently and ate it. We put honey and balsamic vinegar on it, YUM. I don't even like cottage cheese.

A couple of my classmates making mozzarella. The chef said the stuff we make at school is just ok. So I won't give you that recipe.

During the rest of the week we made so much. Here is my list.

1. Brushetta All Pomodoro
2. Panzanella ( bread salad, sounds weird but very good)
3. Bagna Cauda ( it means warm bath, dip for vegetables)
4. Vendura Sott'olio ( vegetables in olive oil)
5. Caponata ( great sweet and sour antipasto, Loved it)
6. Insalata Di Funghi ( mushroom salad)
7. Peperoni Arrostiti con Acciughe ( roasted red pepper with anchovies,Very good)
8. Verdure Miste Sott'olio (Mixed vegetables marinated in vinegar)
9. Carciofi Sott'olio ( artichokes in olive oil)
10. Sopressata Di Polpo ( terrine of octopus, we try that next week. I'm not sure I want to, let you know next week)
11. Tartara Di Tonno ( tuna tartar)
12. Ostriche ( oysters)
13. Vogole (clams)
14. Crudi Di Pesce ( raw fish)

This is my caponata and the classes Roasted tomatoes.

We get to try the tomatoes next week.

I can't believe how much we are learning. The chef said most of my food was really good. Some needed more salt or more acid, but most was just very good. I can't believe how much salt we use. None of it taste salty, but I hestitate to use as much as I probably need to use. If I was using enough he would not tell me to salt it, and it is always better.

I come home at night so tired. I feel every one of my 53 years. Learning is hard work. My first test, Italian. Wow, how many years since my last test? I think I did real good I will find out Monday. The only part I am not sure of was the speaking part. I cannot think fast enough to come up with the correct tense. I know it but not nearly fast enough. Hope this gets better.

Cleaned my apartment, washed, and ironed my cloths on Saturday morning. Then went shopping. I got a knife bag to tote my knives back and forth to school. They tell us not to leave them in the lockers. I plan to leave the rest of the tool kit and bring just the knives home. That will take away 10 pounds. After my knife bag was purchased I window shopped all over Soho. Such great stores. I don't understand people talking about a depression. There are people everywhere spending alot of money. I heard a young girl (22 about) say, "I have to have this dress its only 280 dollars. I won't buy a 280 dollar dress just for the heck of it. I was amazed. All the stores are packed morning to night. I studied today and wrote my blog. I will call Steve next and then I will read my kindle. Life is good and tired

Yvonne

I treated myself again, it was so good last week.

What was I Thinking

Hello everybody, I am still alive and on this great adventure. There have been a couple of times when I thought, ( What the @$^^$%$^$$# am I doing here.) Then they pass and I think, this is good. Now that I have cleaned and redecorated I will present my room. It looks real good now. I am happy here.

Location, location, location, and this is a great location. If you click on my pictures 2 times they get bigger and you can see them without your glasses.

Before Steve left we checked out the chelsea market. These are some great cupcakes. We were told they taste as good as they look. We also tried a lobster roll. Steve helped me eat it. Even though you only see me.

Steve wanted to find someplace I could eat and feel ok by myself. We found a nice bar/ restaurant called Centro Vinoteca. www.centrovinoteca.com It is only about 4 blocks away. They serve wine by the bottle or the quartino. When wine came in liters it was a quarter of a bottle. Now it is a third of a bottle but it is still called a quartino. All $12.00 and under qrt. are 1/2 price from 5pm till 7pm, and they give you a small plate. This is a great deal. A glass and 1/2 and a small plate for $6:00. I went saturday by myself and ate dinner at five so it would not be busy. I had scallop and shrimp ravioli with English peas, it was great. The Bartender and waitress went out of their way to make me comfortable. The waitress is from NC and went to ECU. I really enjoyed my one good dinner this week. I eat at school for lunch and snack at night. The lunches are good but it is lunch. I study, study, study, and have not caught up. My Italian teacher says to stop trying so hard. That I am doing fine. I really don't know how not to try hard.

Time to stop playing. School is now in session.

Tools of my new trade. That is ONE BIG SERIOUS KNIFE.
I usually use a much smaller chef knife. I also don't hold it correctly. I am going to have to relearn my cutting skills. Chef says ( he tries to be gentle, but us older ones know he is refering to us), alot of people think they have a better way to cut, but this is how we do it here. I am not very exact this way. So off to the grocery store for five pounds of potatoes. How many pounds before I get it right? I am not sure but butchering five pounds did not help. I guess I will get another five pounds tomarrow. Not much exciting this week. It was very hot and exhausting. We were standing in the kitchen dressed in full uniform and sweating. The ovens and burners were not even turned on. The first day in kitchen we learned: general rules of hygiene, regulation dress uniform, talked about first aid, and Knife skills. The second day we learned: how to sharpen our knives, piano di lavoro or "work area", different types cutting, the washing process, and how to make a brushetta al pomodoro. We even got to eat ours. I have to learn all the terms in Italian. It is all just memory, so it is not hard just takes time.

The only time the streets here have been empty was today at 7:30. It is truly a city that does not sleep. Late last night I looked out my window and the streets were full of people, about 12:30. I love watching the street and wondering why they never feel a need to be home. I love my home.

Today is Sunday. I walked this morning for an hour then got a great pastry. Everywhere you go there are the most incredible bakeries. The bread in the windows looks terrific. I Then cleaned and did laundry, that did not take to long. I butchered some more potatoes. In between all that, I memorize as best I can.

Steve and I talk on skype every day. We talk about an hour and sometimes more than once. I think we will use it at home when this is over. It must be the skype, we never talked this much when were together. I like talking to him. My mom has learned to use Skype and calls me. I really enjoy our talks.

Talk to ya'll next week

Yvonne

My Last Week of Retirement

Monday started with a trip to Richmond ,Va. to help Lindsay move. She needed me by 9:00am. We moved, unpacked, put together 2 pieces of furniture (with lots of bad words on my part), and hung all her pictures. She only told me I was yelling at her twice. That is a record. At 5:00pm on Tuesday I collected a chopped salad and a carnivore pizza at Sette, (www.settepizza.com/) The food was great even 1 1/2 hours later. The crust was crispy and the roasted tomato sauce was an extra touch. The balsamic dressing was some of the best.

Wednesday was perfect. I packed and talked to friends. So many called, I would be real sad except I am coming back to all the great people in my life.

Thursday morning I was up at the BUTT CRACK OF DAWN. Steve takes me to Starbucks to meet Cindy. She must be a great friend to get me to the airport this early. The trip was uneventful, no flats or traffic.

New York airport, not pretty but who cares my luggage is here. I am on my way to my apartment. The taxi cab is so New York. Will not speak to me because he stays on his phone the entire time. He tries to let me off 2 blocks from my apartment, with 70Lbs. of luggage, NOT. He than backs up 2 blocks on a one way street in lunch hour traffic. Then he wants to be friendly.
My new home, 160 Bleecker St. for 2 1/2 months. This place was not as advertized. Air conditioner is broken, internet doesn't work, and it's filthy. I wanted to cry. And if you know me, that does not happen often. Trips to the store for cleaning supplies and other stuff. I am now armed with what I need. A brigade of repairman of several different nationalities were all very friendly, helpful, and supportive of a newbie in New York City. Hours later and I find this place exceptable. Not perfect but very New York, this is a adventure after all. I have 2 hours till orientation. I walk to Bathazar's (www.bathazarbakery.com/) sit at the bar and order a late lunch. I am starved, I have not eaten all day. I have a caramelized goat cheese tart and a roasted beet salad. I have a glass of red wine and chat with my bartender. A nice young boy from NC. He is going to marry a New York girl. His future father-in-law says anyone from NC is good for his daughter. Our reputation preceeds us. FYI roasted beet salads are on every menu, they are the thing right now.

Orientation was very easy. There are five of us shall we say baby boomers. I felt pretty good about that. The chef told us that the older people sometimes make the best students. They are giving up more to get here.

Steve comes in at 5:30. I am excited to see him. The apartment is clean and looks better. He walks in and says, "I like it, I thought you were going to cry. I was worried." Well cleaning helped but I refuse to clean the blinds. Besides they are so dirty that no one could see into my room with they wanted to.

We walk and find a restaurant Steve has read has the best seafood in New York. The www.nycfoodie.com has great restaurant reviews written by a guy that just loves food. Lure (http://lurefishbar.tumblr.com)
Steve ordered Shrimp tempura sushi with spicy tuna on top and Fresh shrimp and tagliatelle pasta with homemade Italian sausage bolognese tomato/ basil pesto. My food was good but his was special.

It's Saturday and we walked for miles today exploring. We ate street food and covered about 10 miles before it was over. I would lose weight if I would stop eating. That's the Bleecker St. Pizza behind Steve. Food Network's best pizza in NYC. Really good and different crust.
Tonight we are eating at Commerce Restaurant, (www.commercerestaurant.com) We were told this was a good place on a Greenwich Village food tour last year, and told others. They said it was great. So we had to go. The story is a sea captain had two daughters that hated each other. He built them separate houses across the street from the restaurant. The houses back up to each other with no windows on the side facing each other. One sister eventually killed the other. The frescos on the walls of the restaurant depict the story.
Roasted sweet potato tortellini with hazelnuts, pomegranite and buerre noisette Marinated Hamachi ceviche with yuzu, tomato, chili, and cilantro
Milk poached veal meatballs with spring onions, chanterelles and asparagus
Bread was little pretzels, rolls, and soft herbed breadstickes so hot the butter dripped off. The butter was really good too.

In New York they are putting pianos around the city and inviting people to sit and play. On our way home we had the pleasure to sit and listen to a artist play.
This piano is chained down, but that did not hurt the sound.

Sitting in my apartment with my Steve and drinking good coffee. Thinking about ya'll. Happy Fourth of July
Yvonne