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Learn The Culinary Tricks of the Pro’s
Have you ever watched a cooking show on TV and wished you could learn more culinary techniques? Now is your chance. When you study in a culinary program, you may have the opportunity to learn a variety of new cooking skills that allow you to impress your family and friends with exciting meals and dishes. You could learn:
- Knife techniques
- Meat preparation
- Seafood preparation
- Soufflé
- Flambé
- Stocks and bases for soups
A culinary program can teach you the techniques you need to become a professional. You may have the opportunity to take hands-on classes in foreign foods, desserts and pastries, beverage selection, American cuisine, and more. Most culinary programs also include classes in hospitality management, customer service and menu selection to help you prepare for new career opportunities. Get started today to learn exciting new culinary skills.
Are you ready to start down the path toward a culinary career? Get your culinary education today!
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The Tallest Soufflé Ever: The Do's and Don'ts
by Woojay Poynter
Here are some highly effective trick and myth-busters to a higher plateau of baked soufflé.
A baked soufflé is a batter of whipped egg white and a flavored base. Egg white is whipped up to at least a medium, but often a stiff peak and the flavored base is frequently a derivative of béchamel sauce. The first thing you can do, to bake a higher soufflé is to whip up a better meringue. Here are some suggestions to any great egg white meringue:
- Use clean equipment absolutely free of grease and yolk. Any fat is a disaster for foam construction.
- Use a copper bowl as copper reacts with egg white to form a more stable foam.
- Use egg whites that are slightly warm, not straight out of a refrigerator.
- For a soufflé, you need 1 egg white per about 1 cup of flavored base.
Next, the flavored base should be overly seasoned to compensate for the meringue Once the flavored base is made, here are some important suggestions and myth-busters for a great height:
- When mixing the flavored base and meringue, be sure to fold in the meringue gently. Common mixing technique is to RAPIDLY mix 1/4 of meringue into the flavored base, and then SLOWLY FOLD IN the flavored base into the remaining meringue.
- McGee writes that traditional dressing the inside of ramekin, (butter and flour/cheese for savory, and butter and sugar for sweet) is UNNECESSARY!
- Despite the claim that final batter should be baked right away, ramekin can be filled and sit for up to an hour.
- Since alcohol evaporates faster than water and much of the expansion of soufflé is due to steam, using alcohol or flavored liqueur is a great way to increase the height.
- For those creative types, stick to round ramekins. Round shape ensures even expansion of soufflé.
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| Chocolate Soufflé |
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| Prep Time: 15 minutes |
| Cook Time: 30 minutes |
Ingredients
| •1/2 cup heavy cream |
• 1/3 cup sugar, more for sprinkling |
| • 5 oz. fine dark chocolate, finely chopped |
• 2 Tbsps. unsalted butter, softened |
| •5 eggs, separated, yolks beaten, whites beaten to hold stiff peaks |
• 2 Tbsps. all purpose flour |
| •1-1/2 tsps. vanilla extract |
• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar |
Instructions
| Preheat oven to temperature 400 degrees F. Bring cream and 1/3 cup sugar to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Immediately remove from heat. Add chocolate and butter, whisking constantly until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Combine egg yolks, flour and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer or whisk until pale yellow. With mixer running, slowly add half the chocolate mixture. Gradually beat in remaining chocolate and set aside. Gently fold one fourth of egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites. Butter a 1 quart soufflé dish and sprinkle with 1 Tbs. sugar. Transfer mixture into soufflé dish. Place in center of oven. Bake 25 minutes. Increase heat to temperature 475°F. Very gently remove soufflé from oven. Dust top of soufflé with half the confectioner's sugar. Return soufflé to oven and bake another 5 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with remaining confectioner's sugar or top with whipped cream.* |
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Cheese Soufflé |
| Prep Time: 10 minutes |
| Cook Time: 45 minutes |
Ingredients
| • 6 slices white bread, with crusts trimmed |
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened |
| • 1/2 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded |
• 3 eggs, beaten |
| • 1 tsp. cinnamon |
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted |
| • 2 cups milk |
• 1/4 teaspoon salt |
Instructions
| 1. Spread butter on bread slices and place 3 slices on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with 1/2 of the cheese, and then repeat layer. In a small bowl beat together eggs, milk and salt and pour over bread layers. Refrigerate, and allow to stand until the liquid has been absorbed, several hours or overnight. 2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. 3. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking for 35 minutes more, or until brown and fluffy. ** |
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Brown Sugar Whipped Cream
This is a fabulous addition to any dessert and would be the perfect final touch to a Chocolate Soufflé.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Ingredients
• 1 cup whipping cream, chilled
• 1/3 cup sour cream, chilled
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1-1/2 tsps. vanilla extract
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a chilled bowl. Beat with chilled beaters until peaks form. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) *** |
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If you are ready to begin a culinary program, there is no need to wait. Enrolling is easy, and you could get started sooner than you might think. Most culinary schools offer classes starting at many different times throughout the year. Many schools also offer financial aid to those who qualify. Prepare to become a food service professional. Enroll today in a culinary program.
Programs vary by location.
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The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago |
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Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minneapolis, MN |
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Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Boston, Cambridge, MA |
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Pennsylvania Culinary Institute,
Pittsburgh, PA |
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Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Atlanta,
Tucker, GA |
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Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts Dallas |
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Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami,
Miramar, FL |
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Orlando Culinary Academy |
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Texas Culinary Academy
Austin, TX |
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California School of Culinary Arts, Pasadena, CA |
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California School of Culinary Arts, Hollywood, CA |
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California Culinary Academy, San Francisco, CA |
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Kitchen Academy Sacramento |
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Kitchen Academy Seattle |
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Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Las Vegas |
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Scottsdale Culinary Institute Scottsdale, AZ |
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Western Culinary Institute, Portland, OR |
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