This is not really cookbook related, but it’s not too far off-topic…
First of all, I was having one of those “I wish I had gone to culinary school” moments this morning and started googling programs at Le Cordon Bleu. Once I saw the tuition numbers and remembered how much debt I am in over my grad school loans, that fantasy quickly dissolved. However, then I saw this. Full day seminars from professional chef instructors at LCB’s Boston campus. Not too shabby.
Of course, the Culinary Institute of America one-ups them by offering similar weekend classes but also a boot camp. I wonder how many people who do this actually have chef experience. Regardless, I think it sounds pretty cool.
I, on the other hand, must shamefully admit that I tried to cook tilapia last night, except I used previously frozen filets, and they were pretty disgusting. Didn’t Spike Mendehlson get booted off Top Chef Chicago for using frozen scallops? And let’s not even talk about what would have happened if a contestant did that on Hells Kitchen. It’s kind of a shame because I made a citrus bagna cauda sauce from scratch, minus the anchovies.
I’ve also been forgetting to take pictures of some of the things I’ve been trying out, which is not necessarily a bad thing because my photography skills are nothing to write home about. *cough/hint/cough* I did make falafel the other night, utilizing a food processor and smashing the hell out of chickpeas, scallions, onion, flat-leaf parsley, egg, & other spices. With cucumber-yogurt sauce on the side. I don’t want to toot my own horn, and by no means am I some kind of culinary goddess (remember: frozen tilapia, seriously!!) but this dish did sort of rival the infamous Mamoun’s Falafel in my former Manhattan neighborhood. Sorry Mamoun.
In other news, I’m craving pizza and am wondering what Giada would do. Whatever it is, I’m sure it would include basil.
