Beans Beans the magical fruit....

You know the rest.... So why is it that beans and some other foods (cabbage, Brussels sprouts, onions) cause uncontrolled and unwanted bursts of energy? When my sisters and I were little "fart" was a naughty word, yet it was such a funny word AND part of a natural body function! Our Granny thought it was funny too and in an attempt to sophisticate the word she began to spell it "pfart". I find it all quite ironic that my older sister would marry a man whose last name begins with "pf" and the "p" is silent!?








OK, back to beans.... Well, it seems that it's all about the sugar. Beans contain a sugar called oligosaccharide. This sugar is not normally or easily digestible by the human body. When the sugar enters the large intestine it has not been broken down properly by the earlier small intestine and the abundance of bacteria in our large intestine jump on that sugar as a source of nutrition. The bacteria consume it too quickly and it therefore multiples quickly. The gas that results from the rapid multiplication is a byproduct of the digestive process working overtime on that bean sugar. The high amounts of fiber in beans also add to gas production.








Now... here's the interesting part. The majority of any given passing of gas is unscented! Only one third of people generate somewhat offensive methane gas. Mix that with the small amounts of sulfur produced and that is where the real embarrassment happens & the dog gets blamed! Check out www.discovery.com/area/stinkyon/stinkyon970815/stinkyon.html for a colorful commentary on this subject!





The reality is that beans are very good for you and there are 100's of varieties of them to choose from! It is believed that the origin of the bean is South America. Today many types of beans are grown around the world, imported and exported globally. Soybeans is the second highest exported product in the United States.





Chef has this practice in class on days when papers are due to have each of us turn in our paper and then share a 2 minute recap of our topic and findings with the class. It is designed as a learning opportunity (for those who wish to use it as such) .... he expects us to pay attention to our fellow classmates and take notes. This is of course common sense for me but the knuckle-head brigade continues to struggle with the concept!





Since this portion of class is considered lecture, we get our chairs and sit at our tables. The tables are counter height and have shelves below for bag and toolkit storage. Your chin comes to the top of the table while sitting in the chair. This is IDEAL for those who like to snooze during class! It is also perfect for my old friend Fifth Wheel! She has a tendency to keep her head down as if looking under the table to find an answer? I believe she is on her cell phone text messaging pals all morning long. So much for that NO PHONE policy!! Well Friday as Bride2B was sharing her recap on the "Winged Bean" Chef became very curious with what Fifth Wheel might be doing under her table. He bends over and peeks under the table then walks around behind her and continues looking.... She finally realizes he is watching her curiously and sits up straight. Hilarious!





Precious got another warning about his disheveled appearance. Additionally, he was reminded to walk with knives pointing down toward the ground rather than facing forward while walking. Good grief is this not common sense and did we not LEARN that key safety point in our first class back in August? Earlier this week Precious was given the task of preparing the Cauliflower Pakoras (basically deep fried cauliflower) for his group. Using his gloved hands was dipping the vegetable into the batter and dropping it into the hot oil. He had batter ALL OVER THE PLACE!!! I know this as I observed his technique while stir frying my Teriyaki Chicken and then doing the range clean up at the end of class. His station is constantly a mess and that is a huge issue for Chef! He is constantly over there telling him to clean as he goes, to keep food on the cutting board not on the table, to have a tray or bowl for vegetable peelings and scrap. Again, all things learned in our first and second rotations!!








I would like for you to meet Thug.... this dude joined our class in Baking and Pastry, he moved from a late day rotation to our early morning rotation. Lucky us! You know the type; insolent, disrespectful, back-talks, pants down around his ass rather than his waist, the one arm strut ... all attitude. (I am told that this low pants thing is actually a signal for extracurricular activities in prison... NOT a fashion statement. I guess this generation doesn't get it!) He is all about attempting to make time with the young ladies during class. Chef has his number and spends a great deal of time counseling him during class. Lucky for Chef ...Thug and Precious are in the same group! He doesn't have to walk too far to deal with these two! Friday, not long after the Fifth Wheel's table peeking episode Chef had to tell Thug to pull up his pants, he wasn't "interested in seeing all that"!



Have I mentioned that I dig this Chef instructor? All business no messing around! He even gets after the store room responsible for sending us our daily requisitions of food for class. Here's the routine. We are to be in the hall lined up for attendance at 7AM every morning. Chef will come down the hall wheeling the cart full of goodies. Boxes and bags of fruits & vegetables, herbs and such. Dry spices, salt, cans of tomatoes, beans, jugs of soy sauce, bottles of wine, sake, boxes of fish, shrimp or meats. I think you get the picture. He stops in front of our classroom, takes attendance & gives us a look over and speaks to those who need uniform instruction and attention. He then heads back down the line and shakes every one's hand and inquires of their well being for the morning. It's genuine and appreciated. So, there has been this on going feud with Chef and the store room. There are days when they send whatever they want rather than following his syllabus and then there is a back and forth to retrieve what we need.





One day last week as we were preparing to hear lecture and our production schedule for the day he asked me if I was good at math? He handed me the two requisitions from the store room and asked me to head over to the cart and see if I agreed with the totals on the sheets vs. the items on the cart. At first I was a bit confused and then he simply asked me what the total was on the two requisition sheets.... I answered $760 and some change. He than asked me if I agreed that there was that much food on our cart. My reply.. NO! He simply closed his eyes and shook his head as if in deep thought. You see, here's how it works. Every department in the school is a "business-unit". The store room charges the classes budget for the food items used. This I understand. His point and what neither of us understand is the costs associated. He used a red marker & in big bold letters wrote $760 ?? on the paper. Laid that on the cart full of food and took a photo of it. I was absolutely laughing out loud at this!! Here's this Certified Executive Master Chef taking a photo of a bag of shrimp, 4 bass fish, a #10 can of garbanzo beans & a #10 can of tomatoes, 3 boxes of kosher salt, a box of russet potatoes, a small bag of eggplant, a small bag of lemons, and a small bag of onions. Boldly & Dramatically asking the question WHY? does this cost so much? This is just another example of why I dig this Chef!!





I am told that this class is where many students are tossed or decide to step out of the program. Unfortunately for me, I am done with my studies after this class and won't benefit from the reduced student population and loss of unenthusiastic learners! For those left behind I hope that history is true and repeats itself!





I have no regrets for pursuing my dream. Nor do I have any regrets choosing this institution. Le Cordon Bleu has a deep & rich history in the world of Culinary Arts. It is very well respected and I do believe having my degree from LCB will help me in the future. However, I am very concerned about the sustainability of that prestige given the unrestricted student acceptance policy that seems to have been instituted in the last 18 months. As one who's background is in Marketing, Branding & Sales, I am "all about the brand" and how it relates to the consumer and the market. There absolutely will be some brand degradation if this path continues to be followed. The industry will begin to realize that students are being issued diplomas who are unprepared, lack the fundamentals, and are irresponsible.





A Chef instructor recently shared with me that the doors used to be locked at five (5) minutes after class began. If you were late, you were not allowed in. Period! I remarked that I wish it still was that way and was told that the school would be "hindering a students right to an education by having such policies" (the smirk clearly visible!). While I absolutely believe that education is a RIGHT not a privilege. I don't believe it's a student's RIGHT to show when the time is RIGHT for him or her!!





And the bigger, more deeply rooted issue ... What makes people think that not having responsibility is OK? It is a students RESPONSIBILITY to be on time, prepared and ready to learn. Why is it the institutions responsibility to disrupt those who are on time by late admissions? LIFE is about responsibility. We are not doing any young person a favor by issuing a pass! When you get a job you have to be on time or you don't get paid and in many cases you lose your right to that job. Whew!





It's hard to believe that I depart for ITALY in only 35 short day!!! My list of things to pack, do and prepare keeps getting longer! I am trying to figure out how to put a link on this blog so you'll see my photos and I can share a picture blog as well! My anxiety about finding work upon my return is growing and in many ways I wish that time would simply stand still a bit longer because as ready as I am to start this new adventure... I am just as ready to let it settle a bit longer! 365 days ago the idea of this began to solidify because my position was eliminated at my employer. I was pushed off a cliff and now I must learn to soar!!





Pol Sambol (a dish in Shi Lanka)


Sambol: Condiment made from fresh chilies, onions, and other flavorful ingredients (this one being pol... coconut).

2 oz. fresh red chilies (ripe Serrano or cayenne) stems removed & chopped fine
1/2 oz chopped garlic
2 oz. shallots, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. crushed black peppercorns
1 tsp. sugar
6 oz. fresh grated coconut
2 oz. lime juice
2 oz. vegetable oil (this is optional but adds to the smoothness)



Yield is 1.5 cups

1)In a mortar, combine the chilies, garlic, shallots, salt & pepper: crush with the pestle until the mixture resembles a coarse paste. You can also use a food processor for this step.

2)Add the sugar and grated coconut and continue to grind together until coarse paste consistency is achieved.

3)Transfer to a blender (or leave in processor) and add lime juice. If you are using the oil slowly add it now to smooth the paste.




Tomato Raisin Chutney

Chutney: From the far East Indian word chatni, this spicy condiment contains fruit, vinegar, sugar, and spices. It can range in texture from chunky to smooth and in degrees of spiciness from mild to hot. Chutney is a delicious accompaniment to curried dishes. The sweeter chutneys also make interesting bread spreads and are delicious served with cheese.



20 oz fresh tomatoes
1 oz chopped garlic
1/2 oz chopped fresh ginger
5 oz. red wine vinegar
4 oz. sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp chopped hot chilies
3/4 oz golden raisins



Yield: 1 1/4 cups

1) Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds to loosen the skins, peel them. Cut in quarters.

2) Combine the garlic, ginger, and 2oz of the vinegar in a blender. Mix until smooth

3) Combine tomatoes, garlic mixture, remaining 3 oz of vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan.

4) Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.

5) Cook at a slow simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture becomes thick & about 1 1/2 cups remain. Take the time with this step. Depending on how juicy your tomatoes are it could take a bit to reduce to correct consistency.

6) Add chili's and raisins. Simmer another 5-10 minutes Remove from heat & cool.

7) Taste and add additional salt if necessary.



Sources:


International Cuisine by J. MacVeigh
Professional Cooking by W. Gisslen
Food Lover's Companion by S. Herbst & R. Herbst