Decide to go another cross-stitch because I am bored...

I have decided to go another cross-stitch because I was really bored. Sometime when I am off from school or on break, I sometime have errands to do but sometime you already did it or had finish it. It had been a while since I stopped doing the cross-stitch in order to focus on my school, but sometime I finish all of my homework and have nothing to do. That how it happened when you don't have job and you still looking for one. It will take while for it.

So anyway, I decide to start a little bit of cross-stitch. This one will take a lot longer than you think. But who know when will it happen. I found one picture of cross-stitch that I want to do. Here it is...

For some reason, I always like the lighthouses. I would love to visit one of those lighthouses, I might want to visit all of the lighthouse. I have no idea why I really like lighthouse, I think they are the beautiful thing I ever seen. In some day, I would like to visit lighthouse in East coast or other different places.

For this cross-stitch, I only begin. So keep eye for the future progress...

One more thing, this image that I got from http://www.crosstitch.com/ where you can find different levels of cross-stitch and different themes with it. I hope you enjoyed it.

We still learn everyday that never end...

We do learn everyday as you thought that you stopped learning in school. Even you are finished with school, but no, we still learn everyday by TV, Music, news, and many mores. That how I felt when I am in culinary school. I really enjoyed it everyday. I have learned a lot of new stuffs and my cooking had quite improve a lot but it is not fully there yet.

The first class that I took called Garde Manger. Garde Manger means to serve cold food and to keep. It is like making hors d'oeuver, canape, and many. It was somewhat my least favorite because I cannot stand with the chef teacher. I do enjoy learning but my chef teacher wasn't very good. I mean my chef teacher is not organized at all and it always change like every minute and seem cannot stay track of it. I mean chef teacher always change every last minute. Also my chef teacher does sometime yelled at us if we make any little mistakes. I was like why don't chef teacher teach us the right way so that we can know and learn from it. But thank god, I am done with that class. I have learned a lot of things. I believe for myself in the future, I am not that kind of person to create little fancy foods to serve that so small. I am going to share you some pictures so that you can get the ideas of what I did.

Reuben Sandwich                                                                Cherve Tarts                                      
                                                                                                                     
I chose them because it was one of my best skills that I had.

My second class that I took called American Region. American Region is the different area in USA. We started from New England to Mid-Atlantic to Southern to Floribbean to Creole/Cajun to Tex-Mex to Southwest to California to Pacific Northwest. So that is kind of different area that we learned to cook. This is somewhat of weird class because my chef teacher (different one) had Celia disease which mean allergy to wheat so have to eat gluten-free. Sometime, my chef teacher will give us gluten-free flour and some other things in the food that we can use. It is the way for us to learn when we work in restaurant. It is important for us to know it. But the one thing, sometime we don't use gluten-free and use regular as all-purpose flour, my chef teacher cannot taste it. My chef teacher would ask us, what it taste like. So that is the hardest part of it, but I still enjoyed this class a lot. I am going to share some pictures for you.

 Creole Jambalaya 

 Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Pork Flautas with Guacamole and Salsa

I hope you enjoyed this blog. Feel free if you are interesting to know about those recipes or other one. Just let me know and I will be more happy to share with you.

Short Story of becoming Chef

I am just here to tell you short story of my overall of becoming chef as study in Culinary Arts school. I just want to tell you how I did and what I have learn in my classes that I took last year. I have learned a lot of new stuffs in school and help me improve my cooking. Also I have ate some really weird food that no one is willing to try. I mean like, I have taste octopus, oysters, and goat meat. I do have the guts to eat them because I have to taste them. Also I have put my hands on the seafood that none of my classmates would be willing to do. I will tell you more as we goes.

I took four classes in Fall Quarter 2012. I have three in-class and one online class. I took Portfolio class, it is nothing interesting because it is all about prepare your portfolio and prepare your resume and interview. It was the one of easiest class ever.

The second class that I took as online is Menu Management  That where we created our own menu for our "future" restaurant. We do a lot of discuss online which I really enjoy it a lot. Because we get more involved and give each other feedback more than in class. Also this teacher who teach online class, he had ask my permission to use my menu design to show to the class. I was surprised that he ask me because he really like my menu design. I am glad that I do have creative styles.

The third class that I took is Classic European Cuisine. This class, I really enjoy the most. I mean, I have learned a lot and help me speed up my skills. This is the only class that I cooked a lot of weird food. I mean, we cook many different regions. I learned about British, France, Italy, Germany, and Scandinavia  This class, is that I have taste oysters, octopus, and goat meat. One time, we were prepare the Italy cuisine. My team that we share the table together, did not want to do the seafood, because it had octopus, squid, and shrimp with potatoes. I was willing to do it because it did not bother me. I cooked it up and serve to my teacher. She like the flavor of it and the overall of everything.

This is Octopus, Squid, and Shrimp with potatoes.

I want to share with you with one of recipe that my teacher love the flavor and ended up ate the whole thing. I was surprised with that. I am glad that I did it well. Check the recipe on the bottom of the page.

The fourth class that I took is Fundamental Class. This class is more of beginner as the progress how things works in the kitchen. We learned about the knife skills, the scale of the ounces to cup, making the stock, and many different things. However, I was little ahead of them but I still learn a lot of new stuffs. It is fun because I have this odd teacher who is not organized and always change her mind many time. But I still enjoy her class which I am taking her class this Winter quarter. I hope she is better in the morning than at night time.

So that is the overall that I took. I really enjoy it a lot. I got all As in those classes and I am on President's Honor Roll. I am glad that I did it so well.

Here is the recipe of Tomato Bruschetta (This is the one that teacher ate it all)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Red onions, shaved very thin
• 1/2 cup Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, 1/8 inch (I recommend you to boil tomato for 1 minutes, it is easier to peeled the skin off)
• 1/2 cup Yellow Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, 1/8 inch (I don't peel it, because it was too hard, but cut it 1/8 inch)
• 1/4 cup Shallot, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 8 Basil sprigs
• 1/4 cup Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
• To taste = salt and pepper
• 8 of 1/2 inch slices bread

Procedure

1. Soak red onions in ice water 1 hour; drain and dry (the reason to soak because red onions had strong flavor, it is the way to reduce it)
2. Combines tomato, shallots, and garlic; toss
3. Remove 8 nice basil leaves for garnish. Finely chop remaining leaves and combine with tomato mixture.
4. Add the oil and vinegars; correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Let marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes. 
5. Lightly grill or toast the bread slices. Cool it.
6. Add red onions to tomato mixture and correct seasoning
7. Set bread slice on plates and top with tomato mixture.

Hope you enjoy it!

My Christmas Story with Foods

Now, it is beginning of Christmas story...it is not like the movie "The Christmas Story". I am just talking about my cooking on Christmas day that I enjoyed it a lot. Because cooking the ham is so much easier than the turkey, because it take longer to cook than the turkey...however it is up by the weight of it. I ended up bough 10 pound of ham compare to 4 pound of turkey. But I love the ham because of the glazed. Also I do make other dishes as well. I really enjoy it a lot. The foods were delicious and also the family like it a lot.

This is the green bean casserole that caused my mom to love it even more...

The rolls, which are my favorite...

The stuffing that are going into stuffing ball. I make two different kinds of stuffing ball. One had the celery, parsley, and onion in it, also I add the cranberry in it. The other one had apple and cranberry in it. My family like it. 

This is Cheddar Mashed Potato casserole, this is the only the most funny thing ever happen. I know that I add too much in this dish. However, I was considering because it will might caused overflow when baking in the oven. So I decided to go for it. I baked it for 30 minutes, (it was supposed to be) But after 15 minutes, it was overflow and caused a lot of smoke. So I had to take it out early. The fire alarm had been going off for like 15 minutes. We had to have all the three doors open to get the smoke out. But this dish ended up really good. 

The stuffing balls are ready to be cook in the oven...

The beer-honey glazed Ham...it is so good...

The green bean, as after it was done cooking.

Now, at last...the dessert that I make is Eggnog Cheesecake...Yummm!

So that is my Christmas story with the food. I am glad that it ended really good. 

The Whole Part of Cross-stitch

It came at last that I have finished the whole part of the cross-stitch. It took me a year and two months to finish the whole thing. If I did not attend to school, then this cross-stitch could be finish in October. But I am glad that I did went to school. But there is one little part that I had to finish first to complete the whole thing. I did this part 18 on December 19th and finish on December 22, 2012.

Here is the image of part 18 of cross-stitch

And now, I had to sew to put in together and it came look really great. Here is the final of whole cross-stitch that I am proud of...

Also it look same from this image of the cross-stitch

So I will frame of my proud work that I have done for a year and two month...

Finally, the Cross-stitch Part 17

Ah! Finally, I started to finish up the part 17 of cross-stitch. I know it had been a while. I had to put on hold because I was in school and nearly had no time to do the cross-stitch. So now, I am on winter break for three weeks. I have decided to take the opportunity to finish it up. It was only little part and easier to do to get it finish. I have start this part 17 on September 29 and it was put on hold on October 4th. However I started a little because I was on Thanksgiving break, so I started on November 19th and then again I put on hold to finish up the last three week of school. I put on hold on November 24th and start again on December 12, 2012. As now I have finish today with all of the cross-stitch part 17.

Here is the part 17 of it...

Here is the whole thing of the bottom before I will rejoin the rest of it.

But right now, I have one more part that will be add. I have the feeling that it could be finish in a week or so. Just keep eye for the final result of the cross-stitch.

Oh Yummy! Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Tired of old same pumpkin pie? Just want the pumpkin pie to taste different but still like the pumpkin pie? Here is the idea of Pumpkin Cheesecake pie...

Before the Thanksgiving came, I was doing research on many different things. I want to do something different for this pumpkin pie. I do love the traditional pie but I decided to do something different this year with little of new kind. I came across to this recipe that I found on this website "Taste of the Home", after I read it and it sound really good. I know that this recipe is required a lot of cream cheese. I thought that they were nut to have that many of cream cheese. But lucky in the store, they were on sale so I took the chance of that. Here is the website for this recipe... Deluxe Pumpkin Cheesecake

So I just go ahead and write it down for you because I did it little different way but it is mostly same things.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

• Two graham ready pie crust
• 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened, divided
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat 1 package of cream cheese, ½ cup sugar and cornstarch until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in remaining cream cheese, one package at a time until smooth. Add remaining sugar and vanilla. Add 4 eggs; beat on low speed just until combine. (If you don't have mixer, you can use by hand mixer, I suggest you to use whisk and act like machine)
2. Place 2 cups filling in a small bowl; stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Remove ¾ cup pumpkin filling; set aside. Pour remaining pumpkin filling over crust; top with remaining plain filling. Cut through the knife to swirl. Drop reserved pumpkin filling by spoonful over cheesecake; cut through with a knife to swirl.
3. Place the pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake at 350 degree F for 55 to 65 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove the pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge to pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. 

You can add chocolate syrup or whipping cream, or anything on the top of the pie of your taste. Enjoy it!