Aloha from HAWAII !!

Welcome to Hawaii! I must admit this American Regional class has turned out to be my favorite by far. I love learning about all the different styles of cuisine that make up our great nation.

I have a new found respect for calamari. We had to clean and prep the squid. I admit I was a little freaked at first but I told myself to get a grip and to have a new experience. Cleaning the squids seemed like it'd be easier because they're not that big...boy was I wrong. Needless to say, I am now grateful that I know the proper way and am able to have a better understanding and appreciation for calamari preparers : D




Here we have the Asian Pear & Macadamia Nut Won tons. These aren't tricky at all. This is obviously before we fried them and put some powdered sugar on top. They were delicious and I'm now motivated to try different varieties of won tons because they're easier than I thought.


Pineapple Fritters with Mango dipping sauce. YUMMY! Did you know pineapples aren't actually grown in Hawaii, they have to import them for Tahiti. Always love to add a little trivia for you. These were excellent as well. The acid from the pineapple along with the sweetness of the mango sauce made the dessert amazing.



Carmelized salmon w/ Japanese steamed rice, Stir-fry vegetables, a balsalmic soy glaze, lemongrass beurre blanc, and fried basil leaves for garnish. This salmon was so delicious. The glaze and the butter sauce really put this dish together nicely. I had a mishap with the steamed rice on my first try and totally scorched it. Luckily I had plenty of time to start another batch. "Sticky Rice" requires so much care and attention to make sure it's just right. Overall i thought the dish was great and one of the more healthier dishes we've made minus the lemongrass beurre blanc (butter sauce).



Sesame Seed crusted Tuna steak, vegetable tempura, Japanese steamed rice, with wasabi mayo, pickled ginger, and sweet soy sauce for garnish.

Here's where it got yummy....

I loved making this dish. It was truly amazing and turned out better than I thought (visually). I love to pay special attention to my plating. I'm lucky enough to have a chef instructor that shows us how he would plate it and then either let us copy or create our own. I'd like to say this is a healthy dish also but not with the veggie tempura and that rice. The tuna is healthy though ha ha.

Next week is finals (done individually not as a team this time) and after that i'm on to the next chapter of my journey through culinary school. Wish me luck, I will post pictures of what I end up doing for my final next week. I'm thinking of doing just a good Caesar salad and the same salmon dish but with chicken (since they obviously can't afford to have tuna or salmon as an option for finals).

Deep South

I think i've found my favorite region of cuisine. The Deep South! Pictured above is the Carolina Pulled pork sandwich w/slaw and fried green & red tomatoes w/roasted red pepper sauce. The thing about Carolina style sauce also is that it's not sweet and has more of a vinegar taste. The rub made for the pork was amazing and had a perfect kick of spice. The best word to describe this dish... "YUMMY" I absolutely loved and ate the whole plate. We fortunately had enough pork to take some home so I could share this wonderful yumminess with my parents. Two thumbs way way up!

Here's another favorite. I almost didn't want to eat it because it was so pretty but i did. This dish is called Shrimp Perloo w/ hushpuppies. I'm lucky enough to have an instructor that goes outside the box and doesn't always go with the curriculum and throws in special stuff for us to learn such as this dish. It was really easy, the typical one pot meal. I peeled the shrimp, started the rice and my favorite part was the fact that you just cook the rice til it's done and then throw the shrimp in there so that the heat from the rice cook the shrimp. So easy yet so delicious. I added a little extra red pepper flakes because i like things a little spicier and it made it so perfect. My instructor told me this dish would be perfect to make if i am put on the spot by a potential boss.

Up next week...the Hawaii region...which means sushi...which means a happy Whitney!!!

CALIFORNIA & PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Sauteed Halibut with an apple & cherry compote, mashed potatoes, and "saffron risotto balls" sorry i don't remember to correct name for them haha. We coated the halibut with rice flour. Why rice flour? There is a Japenese influence along the pacific coast. The compote was delicious. We re-hydrated some dried cherries in some apple brandy. The dish was delicious. I highly recommend it.


Mussels in Thai Coconut Broth. I was so excited for this dish. I have never had mussels before. I was never brave enough to order them when i'm out to eat because i didn't know if i'd like them. Again you see the asian influence with the Thai coconut broth. My final verdict on mussels...just okay.

I bet none of you know that the "caesar salad" originated in Mexico. Tiajuana actually. It should be pronounced as "say-sar" not the Roman ceasar. There are so many modifications on this salad, some things are better left alone. I admit we added bacon to the salad..but i mean come on, bacon makes everything that much better.

Did you know the majority of garlic is grown in this region. Here we have cream of garlic soup. Now i know what you're thinking...garlic soup? gross right? Not the case though. We roasted a head of garlic with some olive oil salt & pepper, roasting it in the oven takes down the harshness of that garlic flavor. It has onion, leeks, potatoes, heavy cream, and chicken stock. It's then pureed and garnished with chives. Yum!

Here's my pride & joy. Sauteed duck breast w/ wine reduction, saffron risotto, and creamed spinach. I have never made or eaten duck so i was very adiment about wanting to make it. I had to fabricate the duck also, i don't know why i was nervous, i've fabricated a chicken before and duck is just like a bigger chicken. So i sauteed the duck, removed some of the fat, then made that wonderful shiny sauce you see under the duck. I used 1/2 port and 1/2 red wine, shallots, duck stock, butter, and of course some seasoning. It was delicious. I consider it the best thing i've made so far. The chef instructor came around and tasted it and said, "oh my god, f&*#ing delicious" (sorry if that offended anyone but i took it as a HUGE compliment. I didn't really care for the risotto even though it had the most expensive spice in the world in it. Saffron is about $1000 per pound. We weren't allowed to touch the can of course, the instructor came around and gave us what we needed and told us not to mess it up because we wouldn't get anymore haha. The creamed spinach was good. I'm a big spinach fan.

Rocky Mountains!

Pumpkin seed crusted trout, Annatto rice with queso fresco, topped with calabacitas con maize, This was such a delicious dish to make. Fish is realy simple to cook and takes so little time. The Annatto rice with queso fresco was one of my favorite rices we have done, probably only because i love queso fresco. The calabacitas con maize is what is on top of the fish. It has onion, garlic, zucchini, corn, serrano chile, and tomato. It was ncie to have on the plate to help even out the heavy-ness of the rice and the earthy-ness of the fish. Two thumbs up from me!

Here is where i jumped for joy! This is Porrusalad Leek Soup with a piece of yummy Navajo fry bread. Porrusalad Leek Soup is a traditional Spanish Basque soup. My great grandparents on my mother's side are Spanish Basque. I always love to find out more about my culture, especially the food part haha. It has potatoes, leeks, chorizo (yum), garlic, flour, chicken stock, and some spices. I was in heaven eating this. The chorizo brought back so many memories of eating it when i was little and hearing my grandma say chorizo like "cho-di-show" ugh puts a smile on my face everytime. i miss my granmda and great-grandma. My great-grandmother spoke Basque, she died when i was 11, but i still have so many fond memories of her and the food i experienced because of her.