Working with the great chefs from Georgia, Kitchen Exam and Nutrition

January 8, 2007

So tonight I did another shift at the James Beard House. I was hesitant as I wasn't expecting another good experience.. how could that be possible, that I would be so lucky to have another positive experience as a lowly student chef with a senior culinary team? Also, I still had a cold hanging on and was exhausted after a morning spent on a practical exam with my team. I was wrong, but first the practical exam...

Kitchen Exam... The practical exam was during the Improv 2 class where we are given a number of ingredients and produce and have to come up with a four course gourmet menu. The menu needs to balanced in colour, texture, taste and 5 phase theory, presented properly so that cool/cold foods are kept cool/cold and hot foods like soup remain hot, the plating needs to be attractive and beautiful, and each dish had to come with a descriptive and appealing title. In addition, with each course presentation, we had to provide the detailed recipe with exact ingredients and procedures, which was a challenge as we had to work without recipes and write the recipes as we prepared the dishes, and also had to add the analysis of 5 phase theory principles, the title of the dish, comments on colour, etc. It was an interesting challenge and our team worked well together to produce some beautiful dishes in a few hours... Beet and Radish Salad with Creamy Ginger Vinaigrette, Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup with a parsley oil, Grilled Tofu with Shitake Sauce, served with greens and sweet parsnip, and a Raspberry Pear Galette with a cream sauce. The chef liked our dishes and we did really well.

Nutrition... The afternoon was spent on the first of several nutrition courses with a nutritionist who was a graduate of the chef program long ago. She became a nutritionist after she had problems with her child in school. He had constant ear infections and the teachers said he was creating problems in class and suggested drugs. Her husband suggested they see a nutritionist and she was hesitant at first but did. After putting her child on a strict food diet for two weeks she got a call from the school asking what drug they had put their child on as there was dramatic improvement in their child's behaviour. From that day, she studied everything she could about food and healing and eventually became a nutritionist to learn more and teach others.

In the class, we learned about different diet therapies and health supportive diets, including vegan and vegetarian, in addition to digestive anatomy, macro and micro nutrients, and common digestive problems such as reflux, hiatal hernia, sprue-celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, etc.

Now, back to cooking at the James Beard House... Under the Great Regional Chefs of America program at the Beard House, Derek Morgan, the executive chef and owner of D. Morgan's in Cartersville, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta, was invited to create a meal at the Beard House. It was the eighth time he has presented at the Beard House. Chefs and restaurants have to be invited to cook for members and it is quite the honour.

Derek Morgan and his team were very welcoming and appreciative and found me different activities to do in preparation for the meal and I helped in the plating of every dish. There was a reception with hors d'oeuvres, four courses and a dessert course. The dishes were straightforward but elegant and beautiful. The interesting thing with this chef is that he is known for using interesting and local organic produce and is a risk taker with his dishes.

Before opening his signature restaurant, Derek Morgan was the Executive Chef of The Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. As Executive Chef, Morgan was the creative force behind T. Cook’s award-winning Mediterranean cuisine and led the restaurant to what Andrew Harpers Hideaway Report called “Best Hotel Restaurant in the World”.

So, at the end of the evening, the wine came out for toasts in the kitchen and we went to the dining room for applause and questions from audience members. The executive chef introduced me and my school in the spirit of James Beard who believed in supporting the culinary arts and students. I was touched and thrilled about this.

Here's more info on the menu...

http://www.jamesbeard.org/events/2007/01/008.shtml

More info on the chef....

http://www.culinaryvegetableinstitute.com/ChefDerekMorgan.htm

More info on the chef's new restaurant...

http://www.dmorgans.com/menu.html