The Back of the House

Thanks "mom". It means a lot to receive ...

2012-04-20T06:34:32.644-07:00

Thanks "mom". It means a lot to receive such an accolade from the person I considered one of the best cooks in the world during my college years. I doubt that I have exceeded your culinary talents, but thanks.

Mark, I love your blog and can't wait 'til...

2012-04-20T06:25:37.602-07:00

Mark, I love your blog and can't wait 'til I can taste some of your creations. You've come so far since I first met you almost 32 years ago!! You've definitely surpassed my humble cuisine, but at least I can appreciate not only your culinary skills, but also your writing skills. And to say I know someone who commissioned a piece of art? As the ad says, "priceless." Maybe the only thing left that I do better than you is sing.
With love from the "Maryland Mom"

Debbie, Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately, I ...

2012-04-09T10:49:04.050-07:00

Debbie,

Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately, I have not found a source for a wooden pusher and have just tolerated the plastic one. As you suggested, having one made would be the best way to go. If you do continue using the plastic pusher, I found that pushing gently and not forcing the meat into the grinder helps prevent introduction of air in the chamber.

Mark

I just made sausage for the first time this weeken...

2012-04-09T09:36:02.509-07:00

I just made sausage for the first time this weekend using my Kitchenaid mixer and attachments. My experience was very similar to yours. My biggest frustration was the stupid plastic food pusher KitchenAid now uses. Horrible! I wrote to them and was told the wooden pusher was no longer available but thanks for my inquiry.

Have you had any luck finding a wooden one? I may have to commission a woodworker to make one for me if I can't find one somewhere.

Happy sausage making!

Debbie

Hey M, Just came across your sausage post. Thanks...

2012-04-03T08:32:45.831-07:00

Hey M,

Just came across your sausage post. Thanks for this, I also have a KitchenAid mixer and have the meat grinder attachment. I was looking into buying the stuffer attachment as well and it looks like I will..it's only 8 bucks..why not?

I do have a tip for you, for the grinding at least, and that is to NOT use the 4 setting and to use number 2. I started grinding with number 4 and it just bound up and didn't grind correctly. My meat looked a lot like yours did in the grind picture...almost looks like it was pushed out the grind plate like play-doh if you will. Once that happens, the fat starts breaking down and that could be a factor of a drier sausage. I put the meat back in the freezer and changed to the 2 setting and it was night and day. It looked like ground meat should. Give it a try and see if you notice a difference.

Your sausage looks like it turned out awesome either way.

Chris

I have to admit I was amazed at how beautiful this...

2012-03-23T12:35:47.282-07:00

I have to admit I was amazed at how beautiful this meal appeared. The only thing that brought my senses to greater happiness was how delicious each dish tasted. From this experience I am certain of one thing: Mark has won, hands down, my Favorite Patron Award.

Captain F. , told you before about this place and ...

2012-02-02T06:15:11.378-08:00

Captain F. ,
told you before about this place and these books....
It's sort of our veggie bible at home. I use the recipes a lot for my catering business!

moi

Congrats on completing and enjoying Basic. I was t...

2011-12-17T06:38:36.288-08:00

Congrats on completing and enjoying Basic. I was there last week and said hello to Chef Lesourd and translator Leanne.

My recommendation for internship is that you should allow LCB to use their networking system to work for you. Determine who handles the internship assignments and make yourself known to that person and drop in on them as often as possible without being a nuisance. This way you'll stand out and they'll know that you are serious. It also can't hurt to seek out and try to meet the chefs at the restaurants you're interested in and let them know your intentions. You're doing the right thing by starting early.

Just finished intensive basic cuisine, it was an a...

2011-12-16T08:44:22.357-08:00

Just finished intensive basic cuisine, it was an amazing experience! About the internship, do you think it's too early to be thinking about it? If not, do you think I should contact restaurants I'm interested in directly without LCB's assistance?

Thanks for sharing! Haven't seen the piece or ...

2011-12-06T08:15:21.332-08:00

Thanks for sharing! Haven't seen the piece or demo by Grant Achatz but good to know how different people use different approaches for their creations.

M, this looks awesome. Really! I have a whole pump...

2011-12-06T08:08:35.130-08:00

M, this looks awesome. Really! I have a whole pumpkin that I'm not sure what to do with. I'd love to make this, except I don't make pasta.
I'm thinking we could also make a dessert variation of this, maybe sans the sage?
Your blog looks great, btw.

These pumpkin raviolis look so darn good. The step...

2011-11-24T17:22:12.591-08:00

These pumpkin raviolis look so darn good. The step by step photos make it look so easy!

Yum! That is one of my favorites! I have one of th...

2011-11-22T20:17:33.124-08:00

Yum! That is one of my favorites! I have one of those cutter, but I didn't know what it was for. Thanks! I always buy kitchen gadgets at thrift stores if they look interesting, even if I don't know what they're for. I've got a really cool tool from Italy I am trying to figure out what its' use is. (: I just found your blog and I LOVE it!

I see the Charcutepalooza Badge! Yeah! ;-) A war...

2011-11-12T08:37:42.971-08:00

I see the Charcutepalooza Badge! Yeah! ;-)

A warm welcome to the Blog Hop. Thank you for celebrating squash love with us.

Thanks for sharing your recipe and photo instructions! You made it look so easy!

Absolute perfection! What a great recipe, tutorial...

2011-11-10T20:09:33.633-08:00

Absolute perfection! What a great recipe, tutorial and photos. Thanks for sharing - I look forward to trying!

I got some butternut squash puree leftover and tho...

2011-11-10T07:15:24.972-08:00

I got some butternut squash puree leftover and thought of making ravioli thanks for the step by step and welcome to the squaslove.

Lovely, yummy recipe, I could go for a bowl right ...

2011-11-09T06:44:48.003-08:00

Lovely, yummy recipe, I could go for a bowl right now!

Hi Dimitris. Thanks for the comment. FORGET Bourda...

2011-11-06T06:26:12.259-08:00

Hi Dimitris. Thanks for the comment. FORGET Bourdain! If you want something bad enough and it makes you happy, then you can achieve it. There will always be naysayers who want to crush people's dreams.

Here is the scoop on internships. If you complete superior, then LCB will place you in an internship. They cant guarantee which restaurant, but they will guarantee an internship. You can ask for a specific place, or a specific region in France. I would try to network and pursue specific restaurants early in the game. I would recommend a Michelin starred place only because of the level of expertise at a good restaurant and what it will do for your resume and follow up jobs.

Good luck! You'll have lots of fun.

I am almost 32 and starting Diplome de Cuisine in ...

2011-11-06T06:13:31.511-08:00

I am almost 32 and starting Diplome de Cuisine in one week at LCB. I guess I should have read some Bourdain first :)
Nice blog, it is great when you can follow your dream, I hope things turn out well for me too!
I read that after graduating, LCB might offer 2-month internships at french restaurants, do you know how easy it is to obtain such an internship (assuming competent level of french) and if you can get in good michelin-star restaurants?

All good points. I was in a hurry and slapped it t...

2011-09-10T14:57:56.530-07:00

All good points. I was in a hurry and slapped it together on the plate. I could have done a much better job What I really need is better photography because the Cornichons are actually real small and the mustard smear is big, but are misrepresented with my awful photography.

Chef, you could work a bit on the presentation.......

2011-09-10T14:20:46.519-07:00

Chef, you could work a bit on the presentation....
Why not butterfly these green monsters and please put a lot more sauce or mustard on the plate. This terrine needs a good dollop of mustard. The terrine itself looks fabulous!
Or put a few pickled onions next to the ghurkins.

À toute à l'heure,
Moi

Mr.Mark, another trick to bring out the (natural) ...

2011-08-20T08:02:42.260-07:00

Mr.Mark,
another trick to bring out the (natural) sweetness of fruit, is to salt it slightly. No syrups or sweet reductions needed, just a minor sprinkle of salt. Some people like this trick, some don't , but is commonly used in restaurants.
Try it on strawberries, pineapple.

Salt might be your unique cheap secret ingredient in your pantry!

We value all comments and ensure our processes are...

2011-07-15T03:38:34.748-07:00

We value all comments and ensure our processes are constantly reviewed in order to deliver the highest standards. We are pleased to tell you about the forthcoming move to 15 Bloomsbury Square, after nearly 50 very successful years at our current location. The new school opening in January 2012 will be the International Flagship and UK Headquarters for Le Cordon Bleu. For more information about the school and its state-of-the art facilities, please click on the following link http://www.cordonbleu.edu/news/newfacilities/en
We hope to welcome you for a tour at the new school in early 2012. Bookings can be made via our online booking system on our website.

Looks like you've been keeping busy! I've ...

2011-06-13T20:57:00.786-07:00

Looks like you've been keeping busy! I've never been to London and it's definitely on my list of places to visit. I'm really curious to find out how LCB London compares to LCB Paris so will check back with you later. Have fun!!

Good question. Before freezing, I hung them in the...

2011-05-31T08:42:00.915-07:00

Good question. Before freezing, I hung them in the fridge to remove some moisture. Then, I dried each one with paper towels before bagging and freezing. After thawing, I dry them with a paper towel again. These measures help reduce the moisture. I have not found them to be soggy.