Little Chef in the Kitchen

Nantucket❤

2012-09-01T13:50:00.001-04:00

I have been loving Nantucket! It's a culinary heaven! So many highly rate restaurants in one area! People come here to get away from reality and relax on the beach. I would come to just eat food at everyplace! It's like living in paradise with the best food you can get at your finger tips! Here are some pics so far of my trip!

Disney Internship

2012-08-15T00:17:00.001-04:00

I know I didn't post about my internship at Disney but it was a great experience I will never forget. I have added just a lot of pics from Tony's kitchen for you to get a summery of my 18 week internship. Of course this is only the food none of all the fun experiences outside of the kitchen :)

Our Project

2012-03-05T16:22:00.000-05:00

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wix.com%2Fkathydj93%2Fsaute&h=BAQFiU1sB check out our group project we created for our intro to a la carte class on sauteeing and how its changed threw out the years :) I also passed my practical!!!!!!89% on shallow poach which is one of the harder dishes to recieve for the practical! I'm so proud of my self, I exceeded my expectations. Thanks everyone who helped me get to where I am today!

Practical week

2012-02-28T09:56:00.000-05:00

This week happeneds to be te craziest week in all of my time a culinary school, practical week. I have take a 100 question test and cook for a chef. I must make a soup and whatever dish I am assigned to. I must pass in order to move on in the program. So much pressure! Wish me luck!

Busy

2012-02-06T18:27:00.000-05:00

So good news, I passed fish! I got a job as well, wel busy. I'm sous chef the next four days, I'm stressing. My computer's broken, Thank God for my roommate or my phone would also be a goner. Trying to be positive. So hard being an adult, you have to pay for everything. I am so thankful for my parents helping me out and my Dad came to visit and stalked me up for the month with food.So much to0 do in 43 days, so little time!

Culinary Institute Creations

2012-01-17T19:44:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the things I have made while at school. I know I have been bad at updating the blog, but I'm tryign to get back into it.

Crazy Week

2012-01-17T18:45:00.000-05:00

I am having the craziest week this week. Tomorrow is my writing mid-term and Friday I have a management Final along with a Fish final. My teacher's fish final is the hardest test in the school. It has the highest fail rate of all classes. I am so scared, I am studying more then I ever have before. I am extremely stressed and I just want to pass everything and be done. It doesn't help my pen exploded in my whites, so now I only have one good set, or that my tape from class broke so I can't relisten to lecture. I also have a notebook due full of about twenty passages due Tuesday for writing. My friends want me to go to Maryland, but I don't think there is a way, I have so much to do! I know I won't get anything done if I go. Did I mention I start my first production kitchen on Tuesday? That means I need time lines, recipe cards, and to be prepared. I've also been sleeping a crazy amount, but I don't have time to sleep anymore, I have shit to do! That leads me to coffee, and I am trying to keep my sanity..... I needed to vent. After Friday I will feel so much better. I am going to try to get my notebooks done before Friday and maybe even my recipe cards so I can relax. That's highly unlikely. I get into he club free Saturday though, so I may blow off some steam of the dance floor. Maybe someone will throw a "DONE WITH FISH CLASS PARTY!" because I will be the first one there. Sorry for being a downer, just stressed to the maxxxxxx! By the way, here's a wolf fish! He scares me to death!

RAWR!

A Different Approach

2012-01-09T20:48:00.000-05:00

Today I took a moment to look around and really look at myself, some serious soul searching. This Blog isn't even about food (sorry to disappoint) but about who I am, what I am, and who I am gonna be. I just watched a movie on cyberbulling, and the girl got so upset, she tried to kill herself. The movie relates so much to me because I have had feelings like this in the past. For those of you who don't know, I have clinical depression. I feel as though I need to write about my depression. First of all, I was clinically diagnosed about a year and a half ago. I had no reason to be depressed, I just was. I first went online and did a online test, which said I had it. So I talked to my parents, they were freaked out at first but then went to my family Doctor, who subscribed Counseling and later medication which makes me feel completely normal. But during all of my depression, I had a lot of moments where I hit rock bottom. I just feel like I really need to thank everyone who helped me. First I want to thank my family, they have been nothing but supportive. They have came out to New York when my depression slips back and always are there for a helping hand. When I need to be picked back up, my family has always been there through thick and thin. I love and thank you so much. I also want to say thank you to an old friend. We don't talk anymore but I hope he reads this, because he is one of the people who saved me from my lowest moments, one of the people who saved me from myself. Luke Pritchett thank you for everything, I know we don't talk but you really have saved my life and I can never say thanks enough. I never like to bring up the past but this movie really made me want to tell everyone who helped me at my lowest times how much they really did, even if they don't know. The picture above is a current picture of healthy, happy me. I am so thankful. If anyone needs someone to talk to or need some kind of support or have any "bad" thoughts, please don't be afraid to ask me, I am so willing to help anyone. Thanks for listening. :D

Loving Life

2011-09-19T13:39:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone is doing well :)! I am loving life<3 It's the happiest I've been in a very long time! I keep getting 90% or higher in math or my kitchen classes! It's amazing here! I love it so much and I am making so many friends! I am meeting people from so many other cultures! It is one of the best experiences I could imagine happening. I couldn't imagine my life without it! It's weird to say I love going to school, but I do! I love everything here!!!!!!!! :D! I miss my family bunches, but I try not to think about it because then I would be sad all the time! I miss michigan fall and sitting around my house watching football, which I can do here, but it's not the same. But I hope they don't only think about missing me, I want them to enjoy life in Michigan without me. Hope all is well in the world for the rest of you, if not keep your head up :). Everything turns out ok in the end, if it's not ok, it's not the end.

Peace & Love
-Meg

My first meal

2011-09-04T15:51:00.000-04:00

My first meal here was incredible! I had steak with mashed potatoes and vegetables! It was amazing! Here is a picture, it looks really rare, I promise you, it was perfect! I miss my family too! I want to go visit but I know I have to stay here. I have met so many great people and friends! Everyone here thinks like me, I love it! Food network is always playing, in every building, it's heaven! Today I watched someone make french fried while I biked( surprisingly I haven't gained weight!) It's amazing how you can walk down the halls hear and usually you would hear gossip, or just chatting, here you hear what the best salmon you have had or what method would you cook this kind of meat, or what is the best thing you have ever made. It's all about food! I feel like I fit right in. I am so happy to see the second chapter of my life! I have been blessed with all of the people of my past, but now I need to see what my future holds, nothings holding me back, and I won't let anything hold me back. So lets not dwell on missing family or friends, or be sad of the changes in our lives from people we have come to love, instead lets smile and celebrate the good times we have had together. Let life bring on its new beginnings and happiness for all of us. My family will always be my family and I will love them and thank them for the rest of my life for everything they have done for me. I will always be there daughter I just am living in a separate place. I am your daughter and I always will be.There are more changes with people who were like family to me. I will always love and respect you forever and always. Changes can be hard, but sometimes holding on is harder. God bless you all, I love, cherish, and miss you all so much, and I hope you all can be a part of my second chapter of life.

Peace & Love

-Megan

The Culinary Institute of America!

2011-09-04T15:27:00.000-04:00

Hey sorry I have not wrote in a while! I have been so busy getting ready and now I am here at the Culinary Institute of America. I will continue to blog, but it will be a lot less, but I will be making great food! I am making french onion soup and beef vegetable soup this week! I will upload pictures if I am allowed to take any!oh and If your wondering how I am doing, I am doing amazing!!! I love it here! It's like disney world for me! But it's school! I have some pictures I will upload :)

Baked Pastas

2011-06-21T00:49:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been into baked pastas!I made a pasta with a cream sauce, with artichoke, then just crisped it up in the oven simple easy and Delicious!

Regis and Kelly

2011-05-18T11:35:00.000-04:00

As I was watching Regis and Kelly the other day, I heard a great story. It was a man who told the story of a women he saw in a resturant. The women was weaping because the food she ate was the best food she has ever ate. Could you imagine having the power to impact someone by food that much?! I hope one day to do that to someone. If I could do that, I would be overjoyed!

Salmon Sushi Roll

2011-05-10T11:34:00.002-04:00

I found a recipe for a salmon sushi roll. I was so excited for it,until I tried it! It was nasty! It is seaweed, cream cheese, sushi rice, cucumber, and salmon. I found it online and thought I should try it. I think I will stay away from random sushi recipes because now all I have is left over grossness! I am going back to my American cooking ways! I have left over chicken from the other night and today I think I am going to make pasta with some of the chicken and I don't know what else! Also send me any ideas or recipes you have! If I like it, I will try it and you will see it up here :)

Baked Italian Sausage Pasta

2011-05-04T11:25:00.003-04:00

Now the picture doesn't do this justice. First, I made my somewhat known pasta sauce. It starts with onions and garlic sauteing in olive oil. Then I add about a cup of white wine to add richness to the dish. After the wine reduces add tomatoes to the mix to finish the sauce. I barbecued some Italian sausage until they were almost done. I threw them into the sauce to finish cooking in the sauce. This makes the sauce get the juices and flavors from the sausage and lets the sausage pick up the flavors of the sauce. Add not fully cooked pasta (about a minute underdone) to your sauce in a large pan. Add cheese over top and bake for about 20 minutes. When it comes out, it is so good and rewarding for all the work put into it. I must say it's one of my favorite dishes to make for myself and others. If i were to recommend anyone to make any of my dishes, this would be the one!

Ratatouille Pasta with Baked Salmon

2011-05-04T11:16:00.002-04:00

I was so excited about my idea, I went home and made the ratatouille pasta. I found some Salmon in the freezer as well so I made some of that as well. For the pasta I started with cooking up some diced squash, zucchini, onions, garlic, and any other vegetables I found in my fridge. Then I sauteed them in some olive oil. I cooked them down in some white wine to give the dish a nice richness. Then I let the wine reduce giving you a nice rich vegetable sauce. I tossed in the pasta and finished cooking it in the wine mixture. Topped it with some cheese and it's finished! But before I did that I took my salmon and put olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and a little chili powder on it. I wrapped the salmon in aluminum foil and placed it in the oven for about 20 minutes. In my case after 20 minutes the salmon wasn't completely finished, So I stuck it under the broiler which made it crispy and delicious!

Ratatouille pasta idea

2011-04-26T11:43:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited!!!! I have been try to eat healthier so when I get home I am going to create ratatouille pasta!!! I can't wait it will be soo good I couldn't wait until after I posted it to come up with an idea!

Northwood Dinner

2011-04-18T11:39:00.003-04:00

So I have this dinner coming up for my Pro-Start class. It's so frustrating because my teacher put me in charge of the menu, recipes, and plating. Every time I do it, she changes it all and shoots down all of my ideas. I can't help but feel frustrated and discouraged. The most frustrating part is that she wants a grocery list but doesn't like any of my ideas for the meal, so how can I make a grocery list if we don't know what we are making? eh! But here's the menu so far it sounds decent.

Appetizers: Still up in the air- either crab cakes, Philly cheese steak pizza, Cajun shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, and southwestern egg rolls.

Salad:Greek, was a leek and loaded baked potato soup :(

Main: Fruit stuffed pork with duchess potatoes and sauteed veggies.

Dessert: White chocolate bread pudding.

Any advice? Anyone?

New Grill+other exciting things

2011-04-11T11:04:00.002-04:00

So lately I have been busy with lacrosse, work, and my Northwood class. For some reason I am the one in charge of the whole cooking aspect in the back of the kitchen. It is an honor but so very stressful and frustrating because no one else does anything. Thank God for a few of my friend in the class that helped me out. But I just am a little stressed, I am really excited to be the leader. But that should keep me busy for a while! We also got two new grills, a charcoal and just electric! I can't wait to grill everything this summer!!!!!!

Sick

2011-03-22T22:54:00.002-04:00

I wanted to take a second to say sorry for not posting in about three weeks, I have been very sick. I havn't cooked in a week and I've been super stressed. I soon will cook after I get back from my trip to Mexico. I'm sure I will post some pictures of the beach and food! But enjoy your spring break! I certainly will!

Kick Ass Risotto!

2011-03-03T09:36:00.002-05:00

Today I made the best risotto of my life. It was cooked with tomatoes and onions first. Then some white wine. So delicious! A hint of garlic and onion powder sets it over the edge. I couldn't have been more happy. It's a good feeling knowing what you can do. I was told not to go to culinary school but I know more then ever if I set my mind to it I will succeed. But I know that even the best chefs like Julia Child were brought down. When she went to culinary school, she was the first women to attend culinary school in Paris. But even she never gave up. Just thinking about Julia child makes me smile. I watched her movie today as well and wow, she gets defeated so meany times but always gets up. The best inspiration I could ask for. I know I will never meet Julia but her story and cook books will always give me hope. You rock Julia and thank you for inspiring me.

B.S.T.Sucess!

2011-02-18T08:01:00.002-05:00

Yesturday as I was in my first hour, my teacher pulled out reciepes we had chosen. I chose mine to be the bacon spinich tomato pasta I have written about priviously on this blog. My teacher gave me a doubting look when I woke down the reciepe but when she tasted it there was no more unsure feelings. Every person in the class loved it , personally I was shocked. They thought it was the best thing they had made all year! The feeling of being a successful chef made me feel so wonderful! It was perfect timing because now we are goint to see The Culinary Institute of America today! Yay! I am going the in August so we are checking it out again!

Football food!

2011-02-06T19:29:00.000-05:00

Here's are football feast! It was so good!
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Snow day soup!

2011-02-02T12:23:00.000-05:00

So I made some snow day soup and snow day hot cocoa! Too bad all we had was chicken, noodles, onions, white wine, and tomato paste to make with it! Oh well! We got a foot of snow and its still coming!
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Stuffed peppers, potato cakes, and crab cakes (with a hint of dessert!)

2011-01-30T10:49:00.000-05:00

I stuffed peppers with onions, garlic, rice, sausage, and put cheese on top! Then I baked them, so good! I then made a potato cake which you have to layer the potatoes and cook them until a crisp on one side, flip them onto a plate and flip it back so the other side. Then bake it until it is soft-so good!!! Then I made some crab cakes with bread crumbs,lemon zest, celantro, crab, mayo and sour cream. Then I covered them in bread crumbs and pan fried them. The sauce I made is. A saracha cream sauce. It is just saracha, sour cream, and mayo. Finally dessert I made my sugar cookie with cream cheese frosting and fruit cake- so good!!! I can't wait for next weekend-super bowl- good food is coming our way!
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