This Week in Culinary School: Steak, Popovers and Donuts

Steak Au Poivre made three ways

Not having a nose that is functioning properly and taste buds that are not on their game makes for a rather frustrating week.  Perhaps I should back up a bit.  I have been sick all week.  This past Sunday, I was inexplicably exhausted.  Usually I'm like the energizer bunny - I seriously keep on going and going.  Not this week.  Although no one likes being sick, I find that I get seriously frustrated when it happens because that means that's a couple of days that I can't smell or taste anything, which to someone who is constantly trying to create new recipes is a rather important.  Sigh.

Lemon- Thyme Popovers

Since I'm on this self-pitting rant, let me further say how sad I was that my nice little head cold happened to arrive just in time for steak day and rich dough day (i.e. donuts and cinnamon buns, etc). And I couldn't taste a thing all week.  It's so sad to look down at a plate of beautiful steak slices, nicely colored with a bright pink sheen and a puffy lemon-thyme popover and to not be able to taste a darn thing.  Oh woe is me.  

 My Sour Cream Poppyseed Bread

Anyway, while I putter off to take another round of cold medicine, I'll leave you with pictures from this week at school and some cool take-aways of what I learned.  Hopefully I can shake this thing soon...I have high kitchen aspirations for this weekend!

Jess's Glazed, Sprinkled and Boston Cream Pie Donuts

Key takeaways from this week:

1. I learned how to breakdown a chicken a couple different ways.  The coolest by far was learning how to beak it down using the "glove-cut method" which is exactly as it sounds: using your gloves and just the slightest bit of help from a knife to totally debone a chicken.  I think someone's going to be attempting a Turducken at some point soon..

2. I made popovers.  I love, love, love popovers and their delightfully crispy crust and soft airy center.  I had never made them before and they aren't all that tricky either.  What took me so long?

3. I also learned how to "tourne" potatoes, which is a really long and complicated cut of taking a regular Russet potato and whittling it down until it sort of resembles a small football that has seven even sides.  If you are ever presented with a plate that has tourned potatoes on it, you should walk back and give the chef a high five or even a hug because man did he work for that..

4. There's a whole big world of bread out there and I'm just scratching the surface.  This week a lot of our breads were stuffed with all sorts of delicious things and then shaped into things of beauty.  Who says food isn't art?

Sophie's Cinnamon Buns