An Amateur Chef’s Way To Fame

French cuisine is the first choice of many people who want to take up cooking classes. This is irrespective of their interests of becoming a chef or just wanting to learn how to cook French cuisine as a pastime and so these people opt to learn to cook all the pastry and culinary dishes that are native to France.

It is interesting to note that a great deal of residents of the United States and of all ages are becoming ore interested in learning French cooking techniques and dishes. Perhaps this is the very reason one will find a good deal of cooking classes popping up every where in the country offering to tech the very best of French recipes and cooking tactics. These French cooking classes are also being offered through the internet as well. One can sign up using their credit card and receive online tutorials at specific times everyday or through email. This beats attending formal classes every ay and also does away with the commuting and turns out to be much cheaper that the usual physical study class. But then there is the lack of personal supervision and you are left to learn most of the recipe by trial and error methods.

There are French Amateur Cooking Schools in the US and these schools are led mainly by an individual or a group of people who have honed their skills in the preparation of French cuisine. Some of these people running these schools are renowned chefs or are at least lending their names to the schools. It is always better to opt for a physical school rather that learn French cooking over the internet.

Most youngsters who venture their applications for French cooking classes do so with high hopes of growing into renowned French cuisine chefs. They want to be qualified enough to either run their own restaurants or get employment in the great French hotel kitchens in the US. This is not doubt a very glamorous career to pursue however, there is a lot of work involved and one has to be really good preparing the French dishes people are so used to eating.

French cooking schools in the US have coaching programs that are sure to make a French connoisseur cook out of you, provided you have the ability to grasp techniques that are alien to your style of cooking. Every day you will be adding to your knowledge of spices and the ways they need to be used in different dishes. You will also be learning very useful tips that will make your eyes pop at the very simplicity of the task that makes all the difference. The instructors of the French amateur cooking institutes in the US are well versed with all the techniques and tricks that chefs need to know and are only more than eager to pass their knowledge on to their students.

So if you love French food and are in the process of deciding on a career for yourself and you are considering becoming a chef , then you best join up for an amateurs French cooking course and then move on to a greater institution from where you will walk out a full fledged French chef – even if you are American!

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Gourmet cooking from Milan

Osso buco (or ossobuco alla milanese) is a dish that comes from Milan, Italy. The veal literally melts in your mouth after cooking for 2 ½ hours. In an article on spaghetti and meatballs, I mentioned that Italians usually do not mix pasta (or other starches like rice) with meat in the same course. But osso buco is almost always served with a special rice recipe called risotto alla milaneses. I might also add that osso buco is frequently topped with gremolata which is a mixture of garlic, lemon peel, and Italian parsley (see below).

Ingredients (serves 6):

    * 6 – veal shanks about 2 inches thick and crosscut (i.e., cut across the bone)
    * ½ cup – all purpose flour
    * Salt and pepper
    * 8 tablespoons – butter
    * 2 tablespoons - extra virgin olive oil
    * 1 – onion, finely chopped
    * 3 – celery stalks, finely chopped
    * 2 – carrots, finely chopped
    * 2 cloves – garlic, minced
    * ½ bottle – dry white wine (e.g., chardonnay)
    * 1 can (14.5 ounces) – diced tomatoes (e.g., Hunts brand)

Gremolata:

    * 2 lemons – remove the peel from the lemons in long strips with a vegetable peeler and then mince
    * 3 cloves – garlic, minced
    * ¼ cup – finely chopped Italian parsley

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Rinse the shanks (to remove any small bone particles) and then salt and pepper each side.

Veal shanks crosscut.

In a large frying pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter on medium to medium high heat and then add the olive oil. Dip each shank in the flour to cover, shaking excess off, and place in the pan. Once the veal has browned well on both sides, remove and place in a baking dish (the dish I use is about 10 x 14 inches and 2.5 inches deep).

Browned veal shanks.

Pour off any excess fat or oil in the pan and then add 4 tablespoons butter along with the onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and tender. Add the wine and make sure you scrape the browned particles off the bottom of the pan while you are waiting for the wine to boil. They should come off easily. Once the wine boils, reduce the heat, add the tomatoes, and mix well. Pour the contents in the pan over the shanks in the baking dish. Spread the vegetables over and between the shanks, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 2 ½ hours.

To make the gremolata, simply mix the ingredients together. I usually serve each person a shank topped with the vegetables and juices and sprinkled with the gremolata. I recommend that you serve risotto alla milanese along with the shanks. Enjoy.

serve with rice and topped with gremolata

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Chocoholics, Rejoice! Two Easy Recipes for Chocolate Sheet Cakes

Here are a couple of recipes that are perfect for busy chocoholics.  The Chocolate Fudge Sheet Cake makes the average 9 x 13-inch size cake better known as 1/4 sheet cake.  The Easy German Chocolate Sheet Cake makes a large cake that serves 48.  It is perfect for parties or taking to church socials, family reunions, workplace luncheons, etc where there will be a large crowd.  It is simple as it uses a cake mix.

EASY GERMAN CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE

1 pkg German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 large egg
2 egg whites
1 3/4 cup water
nonstick cooking spray
1 can (14-oz) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 lb powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 to 4 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixer bowl combine cake mix, egg, egg whites, and water. Beat mixture at medium speed of electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes or until creamy. Spray a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan with the nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the sweetened condensed milk, coconut, and pecans. Spread the mixture over the warm cake. Broil on lowest oven rack about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a medium mixer bowl, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla using medium speed. Beat mixture until blended; gradually adding milk, beating until smooth and spreadable. Spread over the cake.

Yield: 48 servings.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE SHEET CAKE
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter
4 oz semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and milk together. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix until well blended.

Melt the butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over gently simmering, not boiling water. Cool slightly. Blend chocolate mixture into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. After cake is cooled, spread with your favorite frosting.

Enjoy!

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Napolitano Cannelloni: Italian dish

Napolitano Cannelloni is a spectacular dish with a deep rich tomato sauce over thin noodles stuffed with cheeses, egg, and prosciutto. I will discuss making noodle dough, mozzarella, and prosciutto in other articles, but even with store-bought ingredients, the dish will be a sensation. One of the ingredients, prosciutto, literally means ham in Italian. But in English, it refers to the cured, dried, and spiced ham found in most supermarket delis which the Italians refer to as prosciutto crudo meaning raw.


Ingredients (serves 6):



    * 12 oz ricotta cheese
    * 2 large eggs
    * 8 oz mozzarella cheese (fresh!) cubed
    * 4 oz prosciutto, chopped
    * 4 oz parmesan cheese grated Ragù finto tomato meat sauce – make what is called for in the recipe.
    * Egg pasta – if you make it yourself, you should make 14 - 4" x 6" rectangles of thin dough. See my homemade pasta. If you use my recipe make sure you make the dough thinner than suggested in the recipe (one notch). You can also buy the manicotti shells found in most supermarkets. Fresh dough is out of this world, and I always recommend it.
    * Fresh basil


Mixing



In a large bowl mix the eggs and ricotta cheese until it is creamy. Add the mozzarella, prosciutto, parmesan, and one tablespoon Ragù finto sauce then mix.


Eggs and ricotta


Pasta and Cannelloni


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. The pasta should be cooked in salted water al dente. Once the rectangular pasta has cooked (rinse with water to cool), place on a clean cloth. Disperse the cheese mixture evenly among the 14 pasta rectangles and roll each up (leave the ends open). I use a 10" x 14" glass baking dish and spread generous amounts of the tomato sauce on the bottom before I lay the pasta in the dish. The cannelloni should be in one layer. Use the rest of the tomato sauce on top of the cannelloni along with some grated parmesan cheese if you choose. Cover and bake for 15 minutes and then uncover and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the sauce is browned. Garnish with basil and serve.

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Chocolate Chess Pie and Hoosier's German Chocolate Pie

Bring on the chocolate!  And bring on the pies, chocolate pies that is!  This Hoosier's German Chocolate Pie combines three of my very favorite ingredients; chocolate, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk.  The Chocolate Chess Pie is a wonderfully rich chocolate pie, especially when topped with whipped cream.  A maraschino cherry atop the whipped cream would add a special touch.

HOOSIER'S GERMAN CHOCOLATE PIE

This is from an old Indiana Rural Co-op Newsletter

4-oz pkg German Sweet Chocolate

1/4 cup butter

14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

1/2 cup pecans

Melt chocolate with butter over low heat until melted.  Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk.  Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, eggs, and vanilla together.Gradually blend in the chocolate mixture.  Pour the mixture into pie shell.  Mix coconut and pecans and sprinkle over filling.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the top is puffed.  Filling will be soft but will set while cooling.  Cool at least 3 hours before cutting.  If the top starts to get too brown during baking, cover loosely with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.

CHOCOLATE CHESS PIE

1 baked 9-inch pie shell (very lightly browned)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter,  melted

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Whipped cream for garnish

Place oven rack in the lowest postion and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, cocoa and flour until it is lump-free.  Stir in the melted butter.  Mix the eggs, one at a time, into the sugar mixture; mix until smooth.  Stir in the milk and vanilla.  Pour the mixture into the baked and cooled pie shell.  Bake on the lowest rack of 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack and garnish with whipped cream.  Top whipped cream with maraschino cherries, if desired.

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Green Minestrone

This recipe assumes you know what you are doing as far as a good stock is concerned (intermediate class, folks), and that you know a thing or two about the cradle of Western Civilization's Culinary arts, that is to say, no, not French, but Italian cuisine.

There are more variations on minestrone than you probably imagine. The Latin root of the word simply comes from 'that which is served,' but in modern Italian it has come to mean 'soup plus one.' In other words a substantial soup or stew. Minestrone is often considered to have come from the 'poor school' of Italian cooking though that need not be so at all. The pot also generally receives whatever happens to be lying around the kitchen that day.

This minestrone contains no tomatoes and gets it body from prosciutto ham bones. These can be found in Italian delicatessens but may take some hunting down. You may substitute Italian ham for the bones, but if you do, add the ham meat at the last minute or it will become mealy.

Ingredients you want:

-Two quarts to a gallon of stock made from prosciutto ham bones

-An optional number of well thought out green vegetables such as snap peas and green beans (French are attractive)

-Any white legume (I like the big French ones shaped like lima beans but navy beans work fine), properly soaked and parboiled

-Hominy is an interesting option that may be used along with the beans or instead of them

-A bowl containing at least four ounces of pesto


I assume that if you've followed me so far, you'll know how to proceed from there.

About the greens: I do use parsley at the risk of it clashing with the pesto but start it at the beginning of the main cooking process. I will use regular onions, but prefer leeks if I have them. I don't use leafy vegetables such as spinach because I find them either to be messy or overwhelming. For the latter reason I also stay away from broccoli (though a bit cabbage lends a hand to things). Mild, firm vegetables are best. Try treats like asparagus (white or green) or freshly hulled artichoke hearts (don't know what to tell you to do with the leaves though!)

I avoid cloves, garlic (though some is in the pesto), or any strong spice in this dish. A strong flavor of prosciutto is de rigueur. Finally, guests spoon in the pesto themselves after the dish is served and on the table. This soup is guaranteed to make them forget all about the entre to follow. Buon appetito!

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French Cuisine Influenced By Egypt

People who taste the various recipes of French cuisine are sure to fall in love with French food and most people who love French food are quite surprised when they hear that French cooking is greatly influenced by Egyptian cooking. This is because French cooking has been influenced by Egyptian cooking to a great extent because of the trade that took place between the two nation's centuries ago. This can also be seen in Italian cooking where you will find plenty of orient influence in many of their recipes.

Napoleon Bonaparte who ruled France is a prominent figure who played an important role when it comes to introducing Egyptian influence in French cooking. It was he who encouraged this to a great extent. Napoleon Bonaparte tried to conquer Egypt as early as 1798 and it was this historical adventure that brought about the introduction of various Egyptian recipes in French cooking. There were 400 ships carrying nearly 34000 soldiers who were pressed into service to conquer the Port of Alexandria and other places in Egypt. But the whole operation proved to be a disaster but it ended up with many soldiers developing a taste for Egyptian food and bringing back recipes with them when they returned home.

An important influence of Egyptian cooking is the use of wine to soften meats and also to change the feel of vegetables. Many people think that it is part of French cuisine but actually wine has been in use by Egyptian and Mediterranean people in their cooking for many centuries. Bamya is a dish which consists of okra and meat made into stew. Though this is unique to the Egyptians it can also be found in French cuisine. Here is this recipe the okra's slimy texture needs to be removed and to do this the okra gets trimmed at its head which is conical in shape and the vegetable pieces are soaked in a mixture of vinegar and red wine for half an hour.

Fish is actually a major staple diet in Egypt and it is also found to a large extent in French cuisine. Most French cuisines contain at least a single dish made of fish. The Mediterranean Baked Fish is originally an Egyptian dish and it is quite a great favorite in France and is often referred to as "Poisson 'a la grecque " but the credit goes to the Greeks as having come up with this unique recipe than the Egyptians. But it has been clearly established that the original recipe comes from the kitchens of Egypt.

The various spices and cooking methods which are used for French cooking are mainly due to the Egyptian influence. France has many great recipes which are truly unique to its own culture but it can also be said that many of the famous French recipes have Egyptian influence.

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Easy and Fast Pasta Recipes

Nowadays, an increasing number of people are choosing to live alone. And it's still shockingly tricky to obtain recipes intended to make just a single portion. Pasta is a versatile staple that might be used to prepare a vast collection of dishes.

Making Italian Pasta
Since pasta swells while preparing, it will get to be tough to judge precisely the amount essential to make a single portion. Around 1 cup, or 100 gm of dried italian pasta is adequate for 1 portion, however this will differ according to appetite. It is advised to test and discover how much pasta is enough. If in doubt, cook a little extra: left-over pasta is very simple to make use of, so don't throw it out.

This article takes for granted that the reader before-hand understands how to cook pasta. If doubtful, look at the instructions on the container. Additionally, check out the microwave: many of them have an auto-cook feature, which saves on meals as it's possible to prepare the pasta in the bowl you eats from.


Mediterranean Pasta
If you happen to have any extra roasted peppers, make use of them in this recipe. Chop the roasted peppers into bite-sized pieces. Stir with the pasta along with 1/2 tablespoon pitted, chopped black olives and olive oil. Crumble on feta cheese and stir in, along with dried oregano and paprika to taste. If you have used at least 80gms of vegetables, that counts as one portion of the five-a-day aim.


Lemon, Olive and Black Pepper Pasta
Whisk in sync 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin is especially nice) with the juice of ? a lemon (about a couple of tablespoons). Stir in heaps of freshly ground black pepper. Chop five pitted queen green olives. Stir all cooking elements collectively with the pasta.

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Classic Potato Salad Recipes

Classic Potato Salad Recipes: All American Potato Salad

Here's a recipe that shows you how to make potato salad that is often served for lunch, dinner and potlucks.

4 cups cooked potatoes, diced (don't add salt to water when cooking)

4 hard cooked eggs, diced

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1/4 cup green pepper, chopped

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

2 tablespoons sweet relish

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons salt

Directions

In a bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, onion, green pepper and celery. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; mix thoroughly. Add relish mixture to potatoes and mix well.

German Potato Salad Recipe:  Best German Potato Salad

Here's one of those delicious potato salads that never goes out of style.  Makes a really great light meal.

4 pounds potatoes, boiled and sliced

1/2 bunch green onion, chopped

1 small yellow onion, sliced

2 German gherkin pickles, chopped

1/8 pound ham, chopped and cooked

4 boiled eggs, sliced

1 cup chicken bouillon

White vinegar

Pickle juice

Salad oil

Directions

Slice the potatoes and place in a bowl. Pour the bouillon over the warm potatoes to marinate. Add in the onion, pickles, ham and vinegar. Mix in pickle juice, salad oil, salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Classic Potato Salad Recipes: Hidden Valley Ranch Potato Salad

Here's a really easy red potato salad to make for a quick side dish.

2 pounds red potatoes, cooked

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

1 cup prepared Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing

Paprika or black pepper

Chives

Crumbled bacon (optional)

Directions

Cut the slighty cooled potatoes into 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onions and salad dressing; toss gently. Sprinkle with paprika. Garnish with chives and crumbled bacon. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe for Potato Salad: Sweet Onion Potato Salad

If you like sweet potato salad, this is one recipe you'll make often. It features potatoes, sweet onion, sweet apple, sweet pickle relish and zesty steak sauce.

3 pounds red potatoes, peeled

1 large sweet Bermuda, Vidalia, or Walla Walla onion

1 cup celery, sliced

1 large golden delicious apple, diced

1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

20 large pimento stuffed olives, sliced

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons white wine or tarragon vinegar

2 tablespoons A-1 Steak Sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender; drain. Let potatoes cool down. Cut into cubes. Slice the onion into quarters; slice quarters into thin strips. In a bowl, combine the potatoes, onions, celery, apples, olives and pickle. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard and steak sauce. Pour over potatoes; mix gently while being careful to not break up potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

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Old Fashion Recipes for Never Fail Cake and German Apple Cake

These cake recipes will take you back to the days when mom and/or grandma baked delicious desserts just for you.  Perhaps the 'never-fail cake' will remind you of a birthday cake she made for one of your early birthdays.  Or a delicious piece of white cake topped with fresh fruits or berries from your backyard garden or orchard could be a favorite memory.  

Perhaps the apple cake will remind you of picking apples in the fall and coming in from the cold to the scents of apple desserts coming from grandma's kitchen.  One of the best things about vintage recipes is the memories they bring to mind.  Of course the tastes are special, too!  Get the kids in the kitchen and let them bake up some memories of their own with you.  While working together, you can share some of your poignant memories with them.  It's a great thing to pass family stories down to your children or grandchildren.


OLD FASHION NEVER FAIL CAKE


1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or lard
1 egg
3 tbsp cocoa
3/4 cup sweet milk*
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tsp soda
1 rounding cup flour
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream sugar and butter, add unbeaten egg and beat. Add cocoa to egg mixture, blend well. Add flour and milk alternately. Last add hot water with soda dissolved in it. (Batter will be thin.) Pour into a 9x13-inch prepared baking pan. Bake 35 to 40minutes at 350 degrees. Frost with your favorite frosting.

*This is regular milk; not sweetened condensed milk. The old-timers referred to regular milk as sweet milk vs buttermilk.


GERMAN APPLE CAKE


This recipe is said to be from an old church cookbook. I have no way to trace its origins.

2 large or 3 small eggs
1 cup salad oil (butter flavored)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups thinly sliced apples
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat eggs well, then add oil. Continue to beat while adding 2 cups sugar. Add vanilla and the sifted dry ingredients, mix well. Add the thinly sliced apples and walnuts. Pour into a 9x13-inch baking pan that has been greased and lightly floured. Bake 40 to 60 minutes until done.

ICING:

2 small packages of cream cheese
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar.

Mix all ingredients well with an electric mixer. If too thin, add powdered sugar until of the right consistency to spread. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, if desired.
Enjoy!

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