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Daughter of two professional chefs provides a young adult's perspective on food, restaurants, and eating!! follow us on facebook @Francis Xavier

Author: Chef Francis Xavier

Notes from the Garden, Mise en Place for sauce Béchamel

Notes from the Garden, Mise en Place for sauce Béchamel

The Kitchen is set. Startup is done and Mise en Place underway. Next on the list [while Pommes Marquise is getting golden brown] – is the Béchamel.

Notes from the Garden. Pommes Marquise

Notes from the Garden. Pommes Marquise

Once the Kitchen is set up, transitioning to misen place for service. Here is a structured approach

Notes from the Garden. Morning Startup of the Kitchen

Notes from the Garden. Morning Startup of the Kitchen

Lists bring clarity and focus, spark creativity and provide structure to thoughts. Startup kitchen list is a guide and inspiration for setting efficient and inviting cooking space.

From the Kitchen File: The Morning Kitchen Startup List

  • Light the Stove
  • Collect Equipment
  • 4 saucepans
  • 2 wooden spoons
  • ladel
  • sieve
  • mushroom
  • conical strainer
  • fine chinois
  • table spoon
  • tea spoon
  • 1 oz weightservice dishes
  • 4 silver trays
  • fry pan
  • calendar
  • 2 bowls
  • pot for water jacket
  • grease proof paper

From the Kitchen File: The Morning Mise en Place List

  • Pomme Marquise
  • Sauce Béchamel
  • Puree Egyptienne
  • Croutons
  • Buttered Carrots
  • Tomato Concassee’

From the Kitchen File: The Morning Mise en Place Vegetable List

  • Potatoes – Peel One Pound Potato, Place in water and cover with white bread.
  • Tomato Concassed’ – One pound of tomato [eyed]
  • Onion, one – brunoised

From the Kitchen File: Side Preparation List

  • Oil for Potatoes
  • Oil for Croutons
  • Greased proof paper
  • Bechamel sauce
  • Greased baking tray
  • Chopped parsley
  • Cut up the croutons 1/4″ dice
  • Remember to get string.
A Quick Paella

A Quick Paella

A quick Paella with a surprise Ingredient Sometimes, culinary surprises come from the most unexpected places. Strolling through the grocery store, i spotted a package of yellow rice. It’s Bright, saffron -hued grains promised convenience, but i wasn’t expecting much beyond a quick side dish. […]

Traveler’s Culinary Adventure – Churchill Downs

Traveler’s Culinary Adventure – Churchill Downs

As I reminisce about the day at Churchill Downs, the images of grand Fascinators and the thundering hooves of the racehorses are vivid, but what lingers most is the memory of the meal that is extraordinary and timeless. amid the historic back drop f the […]

Cooking with Cousins

Cooking with Cousins

Cooking with cousins is a mixed of tradition and creativity. Steven’s latest culinary experiment brought those memories rushing back. This time, it is a smoked pork lion – two hour labor of love he proudly documented in photos. Along side the photos came is notes: “Smoked 6 pork tenderloins at 250F degrees two hours for an internal temperature of 150- 160F. Hawaiian rolls on deck, melted butter and garlic salt to bate the rolls in.” This was a trial run for his upcoming big cook: Cook for the firehouse crew.

Now I’m waiting on his firehouse review and possibly making it into the FireHouse Cook Book. If the trial run was anything to go by, they are in for a 3 Alarm treat.

Stay tuned.

A Family Tradition: Spaghetti and Peas

A Family Tradition: Spaghetti and Peas

In our family, spaghetti and peas isn’t just a dish; it’s a comforting ritual that brings us together, reminding us of simpler times and shared stories. Growing up, it was the meal that brought everyone to the table, a reliable classic that somehow managed to […]

The Basic Cookery – Blanching

The Basic Cookery – Blanching

Blanching is one of those culinary techniques that often goes unnoticed, yet it plays a vital role in many dishes. At its core, blanching is a simple process: Briefly boiling vegetables and then plunging it into ice water to stop the cooking. While it might sound basic, this method opens the door to enhanced flavors, vibrant colors and improved textures

The first step in blanching involves immersing vegetables, in rapidly boiling water. Remove from boiling water, the vegetable is shocked in ice water. This stops the cooking process and locks in the color.

Though blanching is a straightforward process, its application are vast. It teaches us something fundamental about cooking: that something the most simple is the foundation to the greatest impact.

Traveler’s Culinary Adventure: – Texas Barbecue Trail. Houston

Traveler’s Culinary Adventure: – Texas Barbecue Trail. Houston

Texas: a land where barbeque isn’t just food – its a rite of passage, a gathering of cultures and flavors. I have driven a stretch of road and the unmistakable aroma of smoke meats guiding to the heart of Texas Barbeque. The adventure takes winds […]