tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360745882011-04-21T13:12:28.873-07:00A Vegas girl at heart, trying to pursue a dream of culinary perfection in the heart of "Food City."Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1167252723756541652006-12-27T11:56:00.000-08:002006-12-27T12:52:03.846-08:00

Well, I managed an A+ on my final project in American Regional Class w/ Chef Borsich. It was on Tex-Mex cuisine and I worked extremely hard on it. I was supposed to have a partner but she dropped the class mid-quarter so I had to complete it myself. I squeeked out an A in my Culinary Skills and Baking classes as well. So far, I have never had less than an A in my classes at Culinary School! I

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1165208270126057412006-12-01T23:24:00.000-08:002006-12-09T09:52:13.390-08:00

Dear Diary.... Just kidding.... I do need to vent a bit though.The first night I MISTAKENLY found myself on the WRONG team. Just to give you a glimpse, I walked in and saw no one at my usual table, and someone called me over to their table, so I naturally went over and found a seat. Turns out the guy who annoys me the most, and who left my group in the first place, happened to be at this table.

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1164482069395025092006-11-23T11:14:00.000-08:002006-11-26T07:46:46.673-08:00

It Begins....Breast only... pretty difficult...The Cocktail Hour :)Fresh Oysters flown in from Stephany's Dad's Fish Market in Connecticuthttp://www.grossmansseafood.com/index.htmlThe Spread... King Crab w/ Garlic ButterOysters on the Half ShellShrimp CocktailVegetarian Stuffed MushroomsSausage Stuffed MushroomsCranberry Punch"The Most Beautiful Turkey Ever" -- 21lbs.Dinner is Served... And

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1164484339857808732006-11-22T23:49:00.000-08:002006-11-25T11:52:52.370-08:00

Cocktails/Hors D'ourvesSausage Stuffed Mushrooms/Veggie Stuffed MushroomsOysters on the Half ShellShrimp w/ Cocktail SauceCrab w/ Garlic ButterCranberry BellinisDinnerStartersRoasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup (vegetarian)Mixed Greens w/ Tart Apples, Pecans, Cranberries, & Mandarin OrangesMain Course(s)Salmon w/ Orange Honey GlazeRoasted Herb Turkey & Braised Turkey (pieces)Glazed Golden

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1164482332731111722006-11-16T23:17:00.000-08:002006-12-07T15:53:40.150-08:00

This week we were practicing roasting and I obviously had roasted chicken a time or 2 in my life. The good thing is we paired up for this task and I was paired with someone who I work well with. She takes good direction and pulls her weight. She also will offer good insight occasionally even though she doesn't know alot about cooking. We decided to keep the dishes simple but flavorful. The 3

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1164482156133233562006-11-13T11:14:00.000-08:002006-12-02T18:24:36.303-08:00

This week was alot of fun becase we mad A TON of Apple Pies... Some of the key things we learned were:1. When brushing Egg Wash or Milk onto pie crusts, make sure it dries before baking, or else it will darken and burn.2. Do not overfill or underfill your pies.3. Make sure to leave a small hole in the top cust of the pie to allow steam to escape, making a flaky crust, not a soggy crust.4. When

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1164482572153448062006-11-10T23:22:00.000-08:002006-12-03T20:23:21.800-08:00

This week was AWESOME. We got to practice making eggs and omelets on Thursday and we put on an entire breakfast buffet for $4 a person. Our team on Friday was responsible for the English muffin (toasting), bacon and sausage, flavored butters, some waffles, croissants (reheating), and a tasty juice beverage. Reheating the breads was easy obviously, we just needed to pay attention and not overcook

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1164482178490974452006-11-06T23:16:00.000-08:002006-12-03T14:23:13.073-08:00

Tea Time: Scones, Coffee Cake, Lemon Pound CakeI think I had more fun with this class than the ones before it. I likes all of the items we were making, and usually that is not the case. We also had a student on our team that works for a tea house so she had the best scone recipes!!!The coffee cake came out good, I made most of this with another student. We could have done 2 things differently. We

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1162850298380839022006-11-03T23:57:00.000-08:002006-11-06T15:48:40.660-08:00

I got an "A" in my Culinary Skills class! Whooo! Only one more "A" tonight, and I'll be sitting on a 4.0 at the midterm!!!

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1162511671278279472006-11-02T15:52:00.000-08:002006-11-02T15:54:31.280-08:00

I have been feeling a bit sick today. Migraine from HELL. Funny, as equipt as I am to cook myself something good. I feel like a bowl of cereal. You know, like Fruit Loops.I just want to sit for 5 minutes first and stick my head in the bag; inhale... Mmmmmmm.... Yum.

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1162511425809002482006-11-01T23:45:00.000-08:002006-11-02T15:50:25.810-08:00

I got an A!!!!In Chef Borsich's class I actually got an A! As tough as he is, I was hoping for an A-, I figured he'd give me a B. He said "A," I about lost my mind!I aced the mid-term. Got 99 of 100. Haven't missed any classes, and have gotten good grades on the quizes. Whew! What a relief. That was the 1 class I was worried about!I am shooting for a 4.0 again this quarter. I want the Dean's List

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1162510183304784822006-10-31T17:28:00.000-08:002006-11-02T15:29:43.310-08:00

I only took 3rd in the Alouette Contest. Cool to win $250 for my Salmon recipe.But I wish I could have gone on to the finals....Maybe next year. :)

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1162510022234416232006-10-30T22:26:00.000-08:002006-11-05T21:47:14.386-08:00

We had Chef Flemming Pederson tonight, he was way more difficult! We made French Bread, Pecan, and Pumpkin Pies w/ homemade pie dough. I like the way he ran the class though. It was organized, no one got ahead of each other, and we had short lectures about each item before we did the item and after. Some of the students who are further along in their studies (like 3rd/4th qtrs) get really bossy

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1162246532477512382006-10-30T14:07:00.000-08:002006-11-02T10:26:26.206-08:00

Here are the babies....Jake is the older one in the back... He's a Male, 1.5 yr old Beagle purebred. Tall. Lemon variety.Bella (Isabella)is the new one. We got her at the shelter on Saturday. She was adopted about a week ago by an experienced-with-Beagle-puppies, elderly couple. She was returned because she was too hyper. :) Go fig! Bella is a little porker already. She sits at my feet in the

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1162136046878106212006-10-29T07:19:00.000-08:002006-10-30T10:15:13.963-08:00

This weekend has been a relaxing one, no reunions or long car trips!I did want to tell you about this weekend's happenings... First, if you even like wine a wee bit, you should try the Bogle Petite Syrah. It was really good last night! I could have drank the whole bottle myself! It went great with the stuffing and Prime Rib Roast I cooked for dinner. Second, The Good Home Cookbook. I swear I am

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1161901516883538892006-10-26T15:23:00.000-07:002006-10-26T15:25:52.593-07:00

I have been posting on the Bravo Boards all day. I am so upset he is off the show! I feel like someone died!Here's one of my posts..... "He's more of a role model then most people know. He is very inspiring, encouraging, and not to mention fascinating. I can tell you that ever day when I work from 6am-4pm and have to go to school everynight from 5-11, the only classes I look forward to are his. I

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1161756826357493712006-10-24T23:13:00.000-07:002006-10-25T17:12:16.920-07:00

Today's Menu: Black Bean Soup, Ceviche, Chicken Tamarind w/ Ginger Sauce, Hearts of Palm Salad, and Candied Sweet Potatoes. My Blog is still in progress. Ceviche w/ Jalapeno/Onion topping, Hand Fried Chips, and a shot of OJ on a bed of Kosher Salt. I liked the "idea" of the Ceviche, but the bell peppers didn't do it for me. I am used to tomato and onion, pico de galo style. This was basically

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1161756759630951112006-10-24T23:12:00.001-07:002006-11-05T21:03:31.343-08:00

This week we made: Vanilla Butter Cookies, Whole Wheat Rolls, & Herb & Cheese Biscuits. The only thing I had a hand in makingreally was the Butter COokies. And boy did I make butter cookies. Sometimes when Chef gives us instructions, the class is a bit noisy and chaotic, the instructions sometimes do not make it to every table. I happen to not hear that he told everyone to make 1/2 the recipe, so

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1161756799636610362006-10-22T18:00:00.000-07:002006-10-25T10:14:38.206-07:00

This weekend, my husband and I went to California for my 10yr High School Reunion. I have 2 foodie topics to discuss: the restaurant and the produce stand. And the Alien Jerky Farm :)First, I was already peaved that we had to pay $45 each for dinner and drive 6 hours each way to get there, plus a hotel room overnight. The dinner was at La Docle Vita (Italian) in Oxnard, CA. Its a great little

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1161416310716670552006-10-21T00:36:00.000-07:002006-10-25T11:40:13.823-07:00

I got a "Top 5 Spot" out of the recipes entered for Alouette!It was the Baked Salmon Alouette. This is the recipe.Baked Salmon Yield: 8 Servings8 Single Salmon Filets (Or a large piece, to be sliced after cooking)6oz Alouette Spread – Cucumber Dill/Garlic & Herb4 tablespoons of prepared Horseradish (not cream style)3 tablespoons of Olive OilLemon & Parsley for garnish1 Cedar Plank Mix the

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1161416183627469562006-10-21T00:34:00.000-07:002006-10-25T08:59:42.953-07:00

Up and coming.... nasty Hollandaise.... Espagnole - Brown Sauce, Bechamel, Veloute, & Tomato Sauce. Spaghetti and Meat Sauce and Brocolli w/ Cheese Sauce. Rought week.... losts of frustration....The Bechamel was good, but we accidentally burned the bottom, so when we added the cheese, it had a slight burnt taste. Yuck. (ABOVE) This was aweful! I am not even sure at what point it went bad, but IT

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1161284042943306102006-10-19T11:40:00.000-07:002006-10-19T17:01:15.616-07:00

My Chef Otto passed week one of Top Chef. It is on Bravo on Wednesday nights (right after my class with him).I am so proud! I wish he could have done better, but his diologue got alot of play. He's gonna rock next week, I'm sure!!!!I told him last night that I had gone out for Hell's Kitchen last year and he was happy for me. Even though I didn't make it. :(His quote a few weeks ago was

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1161416053508998212006-10-18T22:32:00.000-07:002006-10-25T09:06:51.170-07:00

Tonight: Fried Chicken, Succotash, Roasted Turnips w/ Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, Country Gravy and Nik's Salad! I pretty much ended up helping all of the groups tonight. The Chicken we started by cutting into "8 Piece Chicken" which after Chef demonstrated it, I feel pretty comfortable with now. I have also done it 2 times for Chef Anderson. I did it alot before at home, but the little tips

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1161283219637755052006-10-17T22:00:00.000-07:002006-10-24T15:18:08.650-07:00

Today our menu consisted of the following:Onion & Tomato Tart, Hushpuppies, Shrimp Perloo, Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches w/ Slaw & BBQ Sauce... I specifically helped in making the Pulled Pork. This was terrific because I am VERY into BBQ and my favorite dish happens to be Pulled Pork Sandwiches! I do consider myself an expert. I mean, come on! If you have your own jars of homemade BBQ Sauce

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1161281256345690772006-10-16T22:00:00.000-07:002006-10-24T23:27:13.040-07:00

This week on our menu was: Kaiser Rolls, Lemon Bars, & Banana Bread... we also had to cut some cakes from last week's class. Here are some pictures of the cakes... even though I didn't bake them, I got to eat them!!!Black Forest Cake & Carrot CakeEspresso HeavenThe Kaiser Rolls came out good. We used them in a "sloppy joe's" dish which was a refreshing change from all the sweets! I thought they

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1161013916366020012006-10-16T08:50:00.000-07:002006-10-16T08:51:56.366-07:00

Over on the right side of this page there are some of my favorite links.One says Top Chef - Otto.THAT is my American Regional Instructor. Yeah, he's crazy. I think he has split personalities, because that's definately not the Chef Borsich I know.

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1160964762417253022006-10-13T22:00:00.000-07:002006-10-25T09:00:28.950-07:00

This week, we made soup. Yes. The slurpy kind....On the menu for all of us was: Vichyssoise (yes, again), Cream of Mushroom, Cream of broccoli, Clam Chowder, Spicy Carrot, French Onion, Minestrone, and Chicken Noodle. Of all the soups, we got one of the coolest in our 3 soups for our team. Clam Chowder. This would have been the sh*t and I was really looking forward to it. Until we found that our

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1160969251258931632006-10-12T18:00:00.000-07:002006-10-16T17:01:02.766-07:00

I worked on recipes all weekend for the Alouette Scholarship Contest. They had to be for about 8 people, and be using the Aloutte products. They also had to be feasible for the average consumer.I settled on these 5.Baked Salmon (topped and baked, using a paste of the Alouette Garlic & Herb Spread with Horseradish) Light Picnic Sandwiches (grilled cheeses spread with Alouette Brie cheese, Granny

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1160963312052075342006-10-11T22:00:00.000-07:002006-10-24T15:28:49.293-07:00

The menu for today was: Vichyssoise, Potato Croquettes, Scallop & Asparagus Sauté, Spinach Sauté, and Waldorf Salad. I helped specifically with the Spinach Sauté and the Waldorf Salad. Our Waldorf needed to be re-cut. It needed to be Julienne and they were Batonette. So I started cutting the apples back down to the right side. The salad came out great. I found it light and refreshing. I had not

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1160957880147340772006-10-10T22:00:00.000-07:002006-10-16T17:06:04.386-07:00

I feel more confident today. Having had 5 days last week of strait exhausted cooking, I am bound to make a better impression this week. Since he told us our recipes for our teams this week at the end of last weeks class, I had PLENTY of time to mull things over for the weekend. Our menu for the fist day is: Buffalo Chicken Wings, Caprese Salad, Green Beans, Navy Bean Soup and Chicken with Dill

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1160964291476649332006-10-09T22:00:00.000-07:002006-10-15T19:12:12.223-07:00

This week our menu was: Cinnamon Rolls, Soft Rolls, Brownies, and Foccaccia. We made the Cinnamon Rolls, into Cinnamon Apple Almond Rolls. The came out with great taste, but the other groups looked better. Theirs were BIGGER by far. We halfed the recipe like Chef said to, but I don't think they did. We also used the premade apple filling that we bypassed last week. The Soft Rolls C* and I made

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1160958388057762612006-10-06T22:00:00.000-07:002006-10-16T11:21:31.943-07:00

This week, we went over class rules, took a tour of the kitchen and equipment, and made a stock today (Brown and White - or Veal and Chicken). I am SO not happy with this class!!! The teacher is great. He's better than great. Alot of patients and very funny. The students! Arrrgh!!! It's like I am in a room of High-schoolers! Most of them don't clean up anything, and don't read the book or recipes

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1160937477097242502006-10-04T22:00:00.000-07:002006-10-15T19:10:37.316-07:00

Well, here we go with Chef Borsich again. I hope at least he can get my name right this Quarter. I hope he doesn't realize I still haven't taken Culinary Skills class yet!Day 1 we went over class rules and started our first menus and Day 2 we finished cooking them. Our Team, at least, is still made up of primarily all of my old friends from Quarter 1. I really like my "Classmates" as I'll call

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1160935581656278902006-10-02T22:15:00.000-07:002006-10-15T19:11:31.576-07:00

Well, it wasn't so bad. Let me put it this way, "There was worse."I did alot of dishes, hunting down ingredients for our mise en place, and watching demos by my classmates on how to do things. We made Chocolate Chip Walnut cookies, Soft Rolls, and Apple Pecan Cinnamon Muffins. C* and I made the cookies. Being that it was a "half" recipe, it seemed there were not enough Chocolate Chips for my

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36074588.post-1160932341977375152006-10-02T17:00:00.000-07:002006-10-15T19:11:44.803-07:00

The anxiety is overwhelming. Last quarter, only taking Sanitation and Culinary Theory has been detrimental to my hopes of aquiring any skills at all. I haven't even picked up a knife in school yet! So tonight, it's all on the line. Will I shine at least a bit? Or be the dulll anchor of the team? Again, the anxiety is killing me!

Chef Nikaelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274110529526528827noreply@blogger.com0