Final Market Basket. The rules for the evening were written on the whiteboards in the classroom.
What I learned
- Two hours to create two dishes using all the ingredients on the tray selected.
- Students had roughly 20 minutes to determine their menu and any additional ingredients they might need to make their dishes.
- The dishes should be plated presentation style for Chef to taste and family style for the class to try.
- We could use a recipe we prepared in class or make a dish using a recipe we learned elsewhere.
Observations
- The class assistants were available to answer questions, make and retrieve ingredients from the commissary
- Unlike the first Market Basket, the class was pretty relaxed. Smiles. Chatter. Joking. Or was it nervous energy?
- Chef told the class that Market Basket was not a competition. Despite this reminder some teams positioned themselves closer to stoves than they had been in previous weeks.
- It turns out the class was nervous and a bit stressed about the activity. For some students this resulted in taking other student's utensils without asking in order to complete a task or leaving dirty dishes in order to stay on track.
- Seven trays were prepared for 14 students. Only 13 students showed up for class. Chef asked the class what they would do. Someone would either join a team or cook solo. Yikes!
Self Realization
- The missing student was Marl. I had a choice to make, join another team or cook alone?
- I chose to cook alone. Timing of dishes has been my Achilles heel in the past so cooking alone would be a good way to find out if I made any progress.
- My tray had brussel sprouts, mushrooms, potatoes, strawberries, tilapia, scallops. There ingredients were tansformed to roasted potatoes, brussel sprouts sauteed with bacon, scallops and tilapia in a cream sauce with sauteed mushrooms, and strawberries macerated in Grand Marnier and garnished with orange slices and mint.
- When Chef approached my dishes to taste them he told me, "I no reservations about tasting your dishes. You are the only person in class who cleaned your work space before asking me to taste your dishes. I like watching you cook, there's a soulfulness about you when you cook." I was stunned. I had no idea that Chef had been observing me cook.
- The hardest dish to prepare was the macerated strawberries. I'm allergic to strawberries so tasting the dish was out of the question. Chef added balsamic vinegar to the strawberry dish. Angie reminded me that I can ask the assistants to try a dish.
- While I missed working with Marl, I proved to myself that my timing skills have improved. I did it!!!
Be well,
Technicolor girl
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