Deconstructed Cherry Cheesecake

Hey Everyone,

     So, I got rather bored today and decided to whip up a new recipe to play around with. I decided to deconstruct a dish and make it unique. Now I have not made the dish at this moment; however, I'll add in any notes and make any corrections as I go along it. Leave a comment if you think there should be any changes or any way the dish can be escalated as I'll love to hear other's opinions

Here is the recipe I will be using:
Edits/Notes will be made in ORANGE


Serves 3

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp Agar Agar
2 cups Pitted Cherries
50g White Caster Sugar
Juice of half a lemon
Dash of Amaretto or Disaronno

2 Limes, juiced and finely grated
1 tbsp Granulated Sugar

3/4cup Whipping Cream
1 ounce Cream Cheese

1/4 cup Crushed Graham Crackers
1/2 tsp Honey

Method

Cherry Gelatin

1. Preheat the oven to 170C.
2. In a small pot, boil down the pitted cherries with the sugar, lemon juice and liquor until most of their juices have broken down.
3. Blend the cherries and the sauce and then pass through a fine sieve.
4. Bring back to a simmer and whisk in the Agar Agar. Simmer for 4 minutes.
5. Blitz again and pass through the sieve into a shallow container.
6. Refrigerate for about 2 hours then cut into 1.5' x 3'

Lime Sauce

1. Finely grate and juice the limes into a saucepan.
2. Add the sugar and mix until it is at a properly dissolved into the juices.

Cream Cheese Infused Whipped Cream Graham Cracker Crumbs

1. Combine the cream cheese and whipping cream into a bowl and mix together until hard peaks are formed. Store in the refrigerator until platting.

Graham Cracker Crumbs

1. In a bowl mix the honey and the graham crackers together. 
2.  Spread the mixture across a line baking sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes.
3.  Remove from the oven and crush the mixture into pieces. 

Plating

Place the cherry gelatin in the middle of the plate. Add the crushed graham crackers on the top of the gelatin. Beside the gelatin add a gallop of the whipped cream. Drizzle the lime sauce around the dish.

 

Have fun trying out this recipe, and I hope you enjoy it.

Cheers,

S

Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course: Slow-Cooked Beef Short Ribs

Hey guys,
     This week I'll be completing a recipe from Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course. As usual I will add in any special notes on cooking the dish and any tips that will help you out.

Here is the recipe I will be using:
Edits/Notes will be made in ORANGE


Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil for frying
6 thick-cut meaty beef short ribs
1 large head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
1 heaped tbsp tomato puree
1 x 750ml bottle red wine Half a bottle will usually do.
1L beef stock
150g pancetta lardons
250g small chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and halved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped flat leaf parsley, to garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C.
2. Heat a deep-sided roasting tray on the stove-top and add a glug of olive oil. Season the short ribs thoroughly, then fry for 10-15 minutes to brown really well on all sides. If you do not have a deep roasting tray that can go on the stove, do steps 2 and 3 in a skillet and then add it to a roasting tray that's been heated in the oven.
3. Add the halved garlic head, cut side down, pushing it to the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato puree and heat for a minute or two to cook it out. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the bits at the bottom. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half, then add the stock to nearly cover the ribs (you'll need less stock if your roasting tray isn't very large). Bring to a boil again, basting the ribs with the juices.
4. Cover the roasting tray with foil and cook in the preheated oven for 3-4hours, basting now and then until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone.
5. About 10 minutes before the short ribs are ready to come out, fry the pancetta for 2-3 minutes until crisp and golden. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender. Drain off any excess fat. Adding a splash of the previously used red wine is a nice addition.
6. When the short ribs are ready, remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and pass through a sieve. Spoon off any excess fat form the beef cooking liquid, then strain it through the sieve and mix with the garlic (reduce if needed) A trick to spoon off any of the excess fat is to take some paper towel and briefly lay in on the top of the liquid and skim around the top.
7. Serve the short ribs topped with the hot pancetta and mushrooms and the sauce poured around.
8. Garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley.

If you want this dish to be more of a main, add roasted aspargus and celery root puree to the plate for a fantastic meal.

This recipe can be found in Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course

See you guys later,

S

Neil Matthews: Butternut Squash Soup

Hey Readers,

    So my girlfriend is not feeling that well today, so rather than completing one of Gordon's recipes from the Ultimate Cookery Course, she has rather requested Butternut Squash Soup to be made for dinner. I decided to grab a recipe I found online instead of just messing around, due to a lack of motivation (my bad); however, I will edit in any notes or tips that should be shared after I have finished the process.

    Here is the recipe I will be using:
Edits/Notes will be made in ORANGE

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1/2 butternut squah, peeled, deseeded and diced into large chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pinch chili flakes
2 sprigs oregano, stalks removed
1 small onion, diced
300g potato, peeled and rough chopped
1 litre vegetable stock
1 star anise
50ml single cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Place the squash in a roasting tray with a tablespoon of olive oil add a little salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, then add half the garlic, the chili flakes and oregano leaves Thyme or Sage also works as a nice substitute/addition, and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the squash is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.
3. Now I believe that it's always great to find more ways to add flavour into preparing ingredients. So instead of just sauteing the onions, I started to caramelize the onions before roasting the squash. Heat and remaining olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onion and the rest of the garlic and fry for around 5 minutes until they start to soften and become translucent. Toss in the potato and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the roasted squash, vegetable stock and star anise and allow to cook for around 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
4. Remove the star anise and blend the soup with a hand blender until it has a smooth silky consistency. Pour in three quarters of the cream Make sure the cream is hot to ensure that the cream does not curdle upon being mixed in and allow to come back to a simmer.Check the seasoning - adjust as needed
5. Serve with a little more cream and a twist of black pepper Try adding something else to add texture, such as candied chunks of bacon.

For the recipe

I'll keep you posted and i will make sure to edit in notes later on.

Cheers,

S

Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course

Hey Readers,

    I just wanted to announce that I will soon be having a mini-blog-series on this page going through the recipes of Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course (Available for mobile devices). This 'series' will be focused on sharing my experiences of making and tasting the recipes and any notes that should be expressed to whom wants to give the recipes their own go.

     I do not know what recipe I will be starting with at this moment, but expect it to be shared this week.

For show times check out

For the Android App

For the Cookbook

Cheers,

S

Events of February 28, 2013

Hello Internet,

     Just to keep you posted on future events, the 28th of February myself and my family will be attending a dining experience created by last years Canada's Top Chef - Carl Heinrich. Currently I am unaware of the menu, but I will be sure to share all the details the following day. At a discounted $60 a person (due to me being a student), I am intrigued into what will be served that night for us to indulge.

I'll keep you posted on the experience,

S

Introduction

Good afternoon,

     My name is Steven Vick. I am currently a student at Brantford Collegiate Institute and in the following school year I will be attending Stratford Chef School. As predicted from my future education, I am an aspiring chef and restaurateur. I have a true passion for food and everything about it.
 
    My current experience in the culinary field includes; numerous catering events up to 150 people, Cold Apps. Cook at F.I.N.E. Restaurant in Grandbend, ON, Prep Cook at Veritas, Toronto, ON, and Line Cook at Cafe Belong, Toronto, ON. I am still working part -time at Cafe Belong as an apprentice to Brad Long, the owner.

     This blog will be dedicated to my experiences, adventures, creations relating to cuisine and dining. I will hopefully be able to include new recipes and ideas that you can utilize on your own for others to enjoy.

See you around,

S