This is a class assignment that I write about at the end of each week called Highlights and Challenges. If you are new to my blog I am enrolled at The Natural Epicurean Culinary Academy in Austin, Texas and this is my online journal (among other things!).
HIGHLIGHTS
1. Describe: What did you find especially exciting, interesting, inspiring, satisfying and/or fun this week in the kitchen?
This week we discussed many things in our foundation series such as:
grains, beans, tofu and tempeh as well as a lecture about conscious cooking.
The recipes that I was surprised by was the Teff porridge, black-eyed pea salad, chickpea sliders, sunflower cheese, and seitan! Teff, seitan, sun cheese...what are these crazy words :P It's good food trust me.
After class today I went to my favorite grocery store, Wheatsville Co-op, and bought and bag of Bob's Red Mill vital wheat gluten and made some seitan! I used the recipe on the bag and I plan on using it for sandwiches or maybe a stir-fry for dinner. It made my house smell like a restaurant along with the bread my husband made...mmmm!
As I mentioned before black-eyed pea salad was great. I have never liked them before, but that's because I ate them without any flavorings so it was bland and not very memorable. This salad will be something I'll make for the family to try along with the seitan.
Here are some photos of this week's recipes we made at school.
This is dolmas, risotto cakes, pan fried rice cakes, and a summer black bean salad.
This photo includes granola, Teff porridge, vegan cheesy grits, cereal bars, and muesli.
This has black bean hummus, black-eyed pea salad (Texas caviar), baked beans with tofu, and Indian chickpea sliders.
This last group of food includes tempeh kabobs, orange ginger glazed tempeh, tofu in tomato cream sauce, and tofu migas.
Oh and check out this bean pic. Chef Inge whipped these up in a pressure cooker. Aren't they lovely! Black, chickpea, pinto, butter, and I believe navy beans :)
The other thing that I liked this week was the lecture about conscious cooking and self care. I appreciated the importance of taking care of yourself through quality food, yoga, meditation, or whatever it is you prefer to do to release stress. The instructor actually took us outside and we did some light exercises, which might have looked weird to people driving by, but that's what you would expect to see in Austin. A bunch of culinary students in uniform out on the lawn tapping our chakras :P I liked it and I felt really good afterwards!
2. Reflect: In what ways have you begun to apply, develop or incorporate this and/or how does this influence your professional goals?
I'm thinking that I'd like to get back into yoga because I remember how it made me feel. But I'd rather wait for that to happen after I complete this culinary program. Yoga was a peaceful place for me and I liked the serenity I felt afterwards.
After our seitan demo today, as I mentioned earlier, I had to make this immediately. I get so inspired watching Chef Inge demonstrate to the class new recipes and/or techniques that I want to try them when I get home. I have been feeling that way a lot lately. I'd like to get into the habit of making my own stocks on the weekends. I have been making granola lately and it is so easy to do and the ones you buy at the grocery store are so expensive!
CHALLENGES
3. Describe: What did you find especially challenging or difficult in the kitchen this week?
It was challenging to go from a group of three to a group of two in lab because I was mentally preparing myself to do a certain thing, but then stuff happens, which is out of my control, and I was a little discombobulated temporarily.
My partner and I looked at each other and then laughed it off! It's not the end of the world and we made it work. We were exhausted and it's a little funny to see us walk to our cars after class because we are total zombies. I am so tired and can't think straight.
4. Reflect: What might you do to meet and overcome these challenges or difficulties?
It's a matter of perscpective and being able to look at things/situations for what they are and keep moving forward.
Thanks for stopping by! See you next week :)
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