Category Archives: Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School

First Quarter Review

October 15, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Here is a collection of recipes from my first quarter that made it into the notebook I had to turn in at the end of the quarter. The two copies I have will probably be the only ones I make but I want you to have access to them in the order they are in the notebook with the exception of the course syllabus, lesson plan, notes, and quizzes. I hate paper…….I hate paperwork……….and I hate doing mass print jobs; […]

Categories: Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School, Random Rants • Tags: Beef, Chicken, Cooking Blog, Culinary School, Food Blog, Fry, Roast, Sauce, Saute, Soup

Waldorf Salad

October 14, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Equipment: Mixing Bowl Tongs Ingredients: 3 cups apples. Peeled, cored, and julienned 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 cup celery, julienned 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped 1/4 cup mayonnaise Lettuce leaves for garnish Procedure: Combine apples and lemon juice; make certain the apples are well coated Add celery and walnuts Add mayonnaise; use just enough to bind ingredients Arrange salad on lettuce and serve immediately

Categories: American Regional Cuisine, Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School, Salad • Tags: Cooking Blog, Food Blog, recipe, Salad, Waldorf Salad

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Buffalo Chicken Wings (the original recipe)

October 14, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Equipment: Deep fryer Mixing bowl Tongs Ingredients: 12-14 chicken wings 6 cups vegetable oil, for frying 1/4 cup unsalted butter 3 tbsp. hot sauce, Use Frank’s 2 tbsp. cider vinegar Salt, to taste 2 cups celery sticks Blue cheese dressing- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (click) 1/4 cup yogurt 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled Procedure: Cut off chicken wing tips, reserving for another use, and halve chicken wings at joint. Heat oil to 375F, pat wings dry, and fry until cooked through, […]

Categories: American Regional Cuisine, Appetizer, Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School, Chicken • Tags: Appetizer, Buffalo Chicken Wings, Chicken, Chicken Wings, Cooking Blog, Food Blog, recipe

Braised Short Ribs

October 14, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Equipment: Dutch oven Ingredients: 3 pounds beef short ribs, bone-in English-style, trimmed of excess fat and silver skins Salt and pepper, to taste Flour, as needed 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups onions, medium dice 3/4 cup carrots, medium dice 1/4 cup celery, medium dice 1 tsp. garlic, minced 2 tbsp. flour 1/2 cup tomato, medium dice 1 1/2 cups dry red wine 2 cups beef stock 1 tbsp. thyme leaves, chopped 1 tsp. rosemary leaves, chopped 2 bay […]

Categories: American Regional Cuisine, Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School, Beef • Tags: Beef, Braise, Braised Short Ribs, Cooking, Cooking Blog, Dinner, recipe, Short Ribs

Applesauce Cake with Caramel Glaze

October 14, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Equipment: Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 cups brown sugar, packed 1 egg 3 cups flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 tsp. ground cloves 2 cups applesauce, unsweetened 2 cups raisins 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped For the glaze 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/4 cup evaporated milk Procedure Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan Cream the […]

Categories: American Regional Cuisine, Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School, Dessert • Tags: Applesauce, Cake, Caramel, Cooking Blog, Dessert, Food Blog, recipe

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Ready to turn in!!!

October 12, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Categories: American Regional Cuisine, Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School

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Food From The Mid-Atlantic States (Two that we didn’t do…I will do them at a later time)

October 11, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Roast Duck with Garlic and Honey (picture) Equipment: Ingredients: 1 Long Island Duck, whole 8 garlic cloves, peeled Salt and black pepper, to taste 3/4 cup orange or tangerine juice, fresh, save the peels 6 tbsp. unsalted butter 2 cups red onions, medium dice 1 cup parsnips, large dice 1 cup turnips, large dice 2 cups carrots, large dice 1 1/2 cups dry red wine 1/4 cup honey 2 tsp. thyme, chopped 1 tsp. black pepper Procedure: Preheat the oven […]

Categories: Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School, Beef, Dessert, Salad

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March Of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction

October 10, 2009 by ericriveracooks

I volunteered for this event last night and it was a great time. I was paired up with Chef MacIntyre from Seastar again which was fan f’ing-tastic. He had a deviled egg with ahi tuna tar tar with a little bacon and black truffle vinaigrette….it’s the best deviled egg I’ve ever had in my life and that’s not just kissing ass….it’s true. I was on piping bag duty so it was my job to pipe out over 200 of these […]

Categories: Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School, Events • Tags: Ice Sculptures, March of Dimes, Seastar

Stuffed Turkey Breast

October 7, 2009 by ericriveracooks

Here is a different way to do your turkey this Thanksgiving. Slice the breasts off the raw turkey, take the carcasses and make a stock then make a nice gravy to cover…..its’ good Once you stuff it roll it and truss it, like so: Then cook it, slice, and serve. Equipment: Twine Roasting Pan Ingredients: Turkey with breast removed Celery, small diced Onions, small diced Parsley, minced Pine nuts, toasted and crushed Unsalted peanuts, toasted and crushed White wine vinegar […]

Categories: American Regional Cuisine, Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School, Dinner • Tags: Cooking Blog, Dinner, Food Blog, recipe, Stuffed Turkey, Turkey

Food From New England: More than just Chowdahhhhhhh (9 recipes…more to come)

October 6, 2009 by ericriveracooks

The whole meal deal. Pretty much Thanksgiving dinner……Thanks New England! Boston Baked Beans (forgot to take a picture….oh no, I’ll have to make this again!!! Equipment: Sauce pot Ingredients: Navy Beans, 1 cup 3/4 cup salt pork, rind removed 1 cup onion, medium dice 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup tomato, peeled, seeded, diced 2 tbsp. dry mustard 1/4 cup molasses 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 tbsp. cider vinegar Salt and pepper, to taste Procedure: Rinse […]

Categories: American Regional Cuisine, Appetizer, Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School, Sauce, Seafood, Side Dish • Tags: Boston Baked Beans, Cobbler, Cooking Blog, Cornbread, Cranberry Sauce, Food Blog, Green Beans, New England, recipes, Steamed, Sweet Potatoes

New England Clam Chowdahhhhhhhhh

October 6, 2009 by ericriveracooks

I have a new class for this quarter and a new Chef. Our Chef is from the New England area so for our first visit around American Regional Cuisine we are visiting the New England Area. First up, New England Clam Chowder. This is the real deal. Chef gave us an entertaining talk about how frustrated he gets when he goes to a restaurant and sees someone calling clam chowder “New England Style” when it has corn, tabasco, or any […]

Categories: Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School, Seafood, Soup • Tags: Chowder, Clams, Cooking Blog, Dinner, New England, New England Clam Chowder, recipe, Soup

Quarter #2: Electric Boogaloo

October 5, 2009 by ericriveracooks

If you like apples then Washington is a great place to live. My second quarter starts today and I’m so ready for it to begin. I’ve been so bored over the last week and I figured out that I make a lot of pasta when I’m bored…….weird. Anyway, the next quarter of classes that I have is American Regional Cuisine, Nutrition Science, and Safety/Sanitation. The American Regional is the two day cooking class so you’ll start to see a lot […]

Categories: Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School

Monday Night Dinner

September 29, 2009 by ericriveracooks

I need to buy a presentation pan for fish…..yikes! Anyway, cooked some dinner up last night while I’m on my little break between quarters. I just need to keep up the practice so it doesn’t really matter who is there to eat it or not. The good thing is that there were people there to eat the food I made so that’s a plus! They left full and happy…..actually, they didn’t leave because it was for my wife and roommates…haha. […]

Categories: Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School, Dinner, Random Rants • Tags: Chocolate, Dinner, Pasta, Salmon, Soup

Quarter #1 is done!

September 25, 2009 by ericriveracooks

That’s my class after an extensive cleaning session in the kitchen. I’m going to throw my clothes away…..so……much……grease. Learned a lot of great stuff and I was able to work with a lot of fun people throughout the way. I’m ready for quarter #2. American Regional Cuisine here I come! Eric

Categories: Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School

The Last Supper, of the quarter!

September 24, 2009 by ericriveracooks

This is a weird angle and the presentation could have been better but it’s all about the flavor, temperature, and execution of the meal………..Chef was just about to critique it and I took a picture from the side. Anywho, we had our individual final and I cranked out this tasty little plate of awesomeness. These classic French recipes are my new favorite and you’ll be seeing a lot more of these on this site. They are comfort food and that […]

Categories: Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School

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Eric Rivera's Cooking Blog

Food, because I just want an excuse to cook.

Category Archives: Becoming A Chef: Blogging about Culinary School

First Quarter Review

Waldorf Salad

Buffalo Chicken Wings (the original recipe)

Braised Short Ribs

Applesauce Cake with Caramel Glaze

Ready to turn in!!!

Food From The Mid-Atlantic States (Two that we didn’t do…I will do them at a later time)

March Of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction

Stuffed Turkey Breast

Food From New England: More than just Chowdahhhhhhh (9 recipes…more to come)

New England Clam Chowdahhhhhhhhh

Quarter #2: Electric Boogaloo

Monday Night Dinner

Quarter #1 is done!

The Last Supper, of the quarter!

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