5 days, 5 sauces: Day 5, Espagnole

Espagnole ingredients

 After four days of creamy delicious mother sauces, we finally made it to Friday, Day 5. One thing that you should know about Espagnole is that it’s a French sauce not Spanish. It’s a classic brown sauce that is made from beef stock, mirepoix (carrot, onion, celery), tomatoes and thickened with roux.

5 days, 5 sauces: Day 4, Tomato

The ingredients

Day 4 (or Tomato Sauce Day) began bright and early! I decided to use the Tomato Sauce in lasagna and make it ahead of time for Dad and Jordan. I would not be attending dinner last night as I had a cooking date with Grandma and  my cousin Lauren, and Mom was going out as well. (ironically we had lasagna too for dinner). I started making the Tomato Sauce with just a few simple ingredients. I gathered my “mise en place” of chopped onions, minced garlic, canned crushed tomatoes, a bay leaf and a couple of herbs and spices I had on hand. I sautéed the onions in a sauce pot until translucent, and then I added the garlic. Next came the crushed tomatoes but you can certainly used whole canned and crush them on your own (it adds some fun).

5 days, 5 sauces: Day 3, Chicken Veloute

Veloute Sauce simmering

Just the name Veloute might sound like you’re about to embark on a real culinary challenge, but don’t be fooled, it’s a very easy sauce to make. A Veloute is made with any white stock such as chicken, fish or vegetable. Veloute is not necessarily the finished product though. It is used in the traditional Supreme Sauce, which is made with cream and mushrooms, but you can strain the Veloute and serve it as simple gravy.

5 days, 5 sauces: Day 2, Béchamel

The ingredients for Béchamel 

Tuesday is Béchamel, a thick sauce used in most heavy creamed dishes. It is made from a white roux, which is a combination of melted butter and flour. I was trying to think of an easy dish that everyone can use Béchamel in. What I came to realize is that if you have ever made macaroni and cheese from scratch before, you have successfully made Béchamel.

5 days, 5 sauces: Day 1, Hollandaise

 

Hollandaise Sauce on Asparagus. A great way to make vegetable taste even better!!!

I decided to take a little project/experiment upon myself for this week. I’m going back to basics and revisiting the 5 mother sauces (Hollandaise, Veloute, Tomato, Espagnole, and Bechamel). The names might seem challenging but there easy and accessible to make, plus they're delicious in their own unique way. I want everyone to know that you can make these sauces and incorporate them in easy and simple to make dishes.

Teen Chef Week: Au revoir C’est Si Bon!!

 The Teen Chef's of C'est Si Bon and Friends

Three weeks came and went at the speed of light. It seems like it was just yesterday that I arrived in Chapel Hill and with a blink of an eye I was back home in sunny (and HOT) South Florida. My last week at C’est Si Bon was something to remember. Some of this years Teen Chefs came from New York, Michigan, Kentucky and of course, North Carolina. The teen’s started to arrive on Sunday while Emily, Aileen (assistants) and I prepared the first meal for them. Smoked turkey legs, grilled squash and eggplant, shrimp with a remoulade and 7-Up pound cake for dessert (and yes it is made with 7-Up soda, it's a southern thing). The dishes were to take center stage in the Teen Chefs first lesson of the week, food photography. When all the teens had arrived they were introduced to photographer Eugene Paul Cottrel and each given a dish to photograph. They spoke about tips, lighting, and the importance of food photography in the modern world. After the lesson dinner was served and the teens and I were off to Fickle Creek farm where we sleep for the week. On Monday morning the teens got up early to cook breakfast with Ben (one of the farm owners). Eggs with Swiss chard, yogurt with fresh fruit and granola were on the menu. The first cooking class of the week was given at Watts grocery by Chef and owner Amy Tornquist with Sous Chef James Naquin.