Day 5 - Mayo, Spinach and Green Beans

Today we made mayo which was fun and tasty. I didn't realize how precise but simple the process is to make mayonnaise. I don't think I'll ever buy a jar of mayonnaise again.

Next came Haricots Verts Amandine which is just the French name for green beans with sauteed almonds.

I cooked mine perfectly with a nice al dente but failed horribly on the seasoning. I didn't put nearly enough salt or pepper on the beans.

The final dish of the day was Sauteed Spinach which again I cooked and strained perfectly and looked great on the plate but this time added a bit too much salt.

Hopefully before the month is out, I'll become better at gauging the amount of spices needed on each dish. Switching from Iodized salt (which I've learned is not healthy for you) to kosher and sea salts has confused me a bit because the amount needed is different. You need a bit more salt when using kosher and sea salts.

This past week I've twice had the opportunity to try food from the KA kitchen. The kitchen is staffed by students in the 4th portion of the school. I have to say I've been pretty impressed with what I've tried. On Wednesday I had a wonderful Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Ravioli with a delicious Braised Pork Loin. On Friday I got to try a delicious Duck Salad and a Pork Cheek with Lemon Risotto. I have never had the cheek of the pig before and it was so tender and tasty. I highly recommend it as a cut of meat. To top things off on Friday, I was served an amazing Apple Tarte Tatin with Homemade Ice Cream.

So with my first week in the bag I can safely say that I've learned a hell of a lot in 5 days and it's only going to get more intense. We have a quiz on Monday to recap this past week so besides chopping and slicing this weekend I'm also studying the text book.