From the SCCC Kitchen: Radishes get star treatment in vegetable dish

Radishes, those are those little red gems many of us slice thin and toss into a salad, but what else can we do with them? Many things actually, all we have to do is look outside of our normal American culinary repertoire. In my current recipe featured in the Schenectady Gazette this week, I look to France for inspiration where cooking radishes is nothing out of the ordinary. Take a look at the article by Jeff Wilkin, along with a short video on my sauteed radishes with peas and arugula.

From the SCCC Kitchen: Mediterranean hamburgers and oven fries are delightful pairing

My summer series of recipes began this past week in the Schenectady Gazette with the articles written by the venerable Jeff Wilkin. The first recipe of the summer season pays tribute to the summer grill with my Mediterranean burger. Think ratatouille flavors and ingredients put into a hamburger along with some tasty, yet healthy oven baked Mediterranean spiced fries.

Check out the recipe and the video of me talking about the dish here.

Summer Cooking Courses at SCCC

I am offering a number of cooking classes, continuing education classes at Schenectady County Community College this summer as is another instructor. While my classes are directed to the advanced amateur cook and professional chef, the courses by Chef Sokol are geared toward children, teens and young adults. Registration is available online (register here, course numbers here).

Modern Charcuterie for Advanced Amateur Cooks and Chefs: Learn how to prepare forcemeats for pâtés, terrines and sausages; handle, store, and stuff casings; prepare condiments including ketchups, flavored mustards, cold sauces and dressings; and practice the proper way to cure and smoke meats and seafood. Instructor: American Culinary Federation-certified executive chef and certified culinary judge Christopher Tanner. Meets 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on four Mondays, June 8-29. $415.

Fundamentals of Taste and Flavor: Go on a journey of flavors through cooking methods using a range of ingredients, including herbs, spices, aromatics, oils, vinegars, produce and dairy items. Students will also attempt to understand the development of flavor through cooking techniques that impact flavor: sauté, poach, smoke, steam. Instructor: Tanner. Meets: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on four Tuesdays, June 9-30. $400.

American Culinary Federation Certification: Certification through the American Culinary Federation (ACF) demonstrates skill, knowledge and professionalism to the food service industry. Learn details of the practical and written tests for the various certifications with the ACF. Students will also have a full practice of the practical exam proctored by an ACF practical examiner. Instructor: Tanner. Meets 9 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. Three days, Monday through Wednesday, July 20 to 22. $350.

Professional Baking for Children (age 10 to 13): Instruction in measurement, mixing, sanitation and the baking of breads and pastries. Instructor: Gail Sokol, an SCCC adjunct culinary instructor and author of “About Professional Baking.” Two sessions, both 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday: July 6 to 9 and 13 to 16. $375 each session.

Professional Baking for Teens (age 14 to 17): Recipes will include vegetable summer rolls, tukey and olive empanadas, vegetarian strudel, double-chocolate biscotti and more. Instructor: Sokol. Two sessions, both 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday: July 20 to 23 and 27 to 30. $375 each session.

Easter Ham Leftovers

Ham and Pea Risotto
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S875446.shtml?cat=10127
Serves 4


Ingredients
1/2 lb Peas
¼ lb Ham, diced
4 cups Chicken broth
3 tablespoons Olive oil
½ each Onion, finely chopped
1 each Garlic clove, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup White Wine
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
¼ cup Mascarpone cheese
to taste Salt and Pepper



Method

1. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a small pot. While the stock is coming to a simmer, add the olive oil to another pot over medium-high heat. Sauté half the onion 2-3 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and sauté an additional 4-5 minutes or until the onion and garlic begin to turn golden brown. Add the Arborio rice to the onions and sauté for 2 minutes and then add 1 cup of the stock and the Pinot Grigio wine and stir constantly until all of the stock has been absorbed. Add the peas and ham, continue to add stock one cup at a time until the four cups have all been absorbed, the rice should not be dry it should still have some "movement" to it.

2. Mix in the Pecorino Romano and Mascarpone cheeses to the risotto and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to keep warm.


Chef Christopher Allen Tanner, CEC
Chef-Instructor Schenectady County Community College
School website - www.sunysccc.edu
Personal food blog - www.cheftanner.com

SCCC cooks compete at regional event (Schenectady County, Niskayuna)

SCCC cooks compete at regional event (Schenectady County, Niskayuna)

Posted on: 02/10/09
Jackie Sher
email: news@spotlightnews.com

This weekend students from Schenectady County Community College’s Culinary Arts program will compete head-to-head in a competition not of culinary skill, but of the mind.

Four SCCC students will head to the American Culinary Federation’s Northeast Region H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl Competition, held Feb.7 to 9 in Boston.

“They need to understand all of the definitions ranging anywhere from nutrition, sanitation, culinary basics, baking basics, as well as classical French cooking,” said Christopher Allen Tanner, chef instructor at SCCC and head coach of the team.

Participants had to memorize facts from five culinary textbooks including Escoffier’s “Le Guide Culinaire,” “Culinary Fundamentals,” “Baking Fundamentals,” and a book on management, which is produced by the National Restaurant Association.

The road to the competition has been taxing on the participants.

“They practice three days a week, three to five hours a day,” said Tanner. “They go through a grueling process of getting quizzed by me on the different topics.”

And that’s only when they’re all together. Participants are also expected to practice on their own. The four team members, who were selected from about a dozen applicants, all work full time and also attend school full time.

Many have little time to eat the food they’re studying so much about.

“I work about 55 hours a week at Creo, and I’m the head pastry chef here so I’m in charge of two other students who go to Schenectady County Community College as well,” said Jose Arteche III, team captain. “Then on top of that I go to school full time, but generally I stick to four classes but that’s still four days a week that I physically drive to school.”

Arteche said that one of the challenges of preparing for the competition has been learning French terms.

“Trying to remember French words when you haven’t really taken a French class is tough,” said Arteche. “We’re trying to guess in our minds what the actual words sound like. All of the questions will be read verbally so we have to really listen carefully to all of the questions.”

He said that he and his teammates are used to reading the phrases and words — not hearing them.

This is the first time Schenectady County Community College has participated in the competition in more than 10 years.

Team members include Arteche of Colonie, Valerie Inman of Watervliet, Daniel Sala of Watervliet, Lisa Valentine of Clifton Park, and Evan Weissman of Saratoga Springs. They will compete against students from Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to take home the Northeast Regional title. The winners will go on to compete in the national competition held at the American Culinary Federation’s national convention in Orlando in July.

The questions asked during the competition will be very specific.

“They need to know all the primal cuts that are found in a beef cattle and what can be done with them. They need to know the proper techniques or the amount of time to wash your hands underneath sinks before you work in a kitchen. They need to know different laws on sanitation, as well as management laws,” said Tanner.

Students might have to name the two species of fish that Escoffier recommends using for fish stock (sole and whiting), and they might have to specify the type of gas that is employed in the flour bleaching process (chlorine gas).

However, despite the endless number of facts participants must commit to memory, they and their coach are excited and have enjoyed the process.

“If anything, this has expanded my knowledge in culinary arts. I can now point things out in recipes and menus that I wouldn’t have known otherwise,” said Arteche.
You can contact news@spotlightnews.com with any questions. Also, feel free to post comments below.

From the SCCC Kitchen: Chicken jambalaya dish easy, healthful Cooks can control level of spiciness in recipe that’s well-suited for Mardi Gras

From the SCCC Kitchen: Chicken jambalaya dish easy, healthful
Cooks can control level of spiciness in recipe that’s well-suited for Mardi Gras
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
By Jeff Wilkin (Contact)
Gazette Reporter

http://www.dailygazette.com/videos/2009/feb/10/134/

Carnival law is now in effect for New Orleans, as tourists and natives prepare for Mardi Gras.

The Cajun version of easy living includes masks, costumes and plenty of spicy food. Christopher Tanner’s version of easy living gives home chefs a fast way to celebrate the day, without all the carousing and purple and green party favors.

“It’s really easy to make,” Tanner said of his chicken jambalaya, a healthful and spicy version of a rice stew. “They call it the creole trinity; the three main vegetables are in there — celery, bell pepper and onions. They’re just sautéed with a little bit of olive oil, put the Cajun seasoning in with that along with one cup of the andouille sausage and you kind of brown that a little bit on the bottom.”

This browning puts a bit of crust in the dish, and some extra flavor.

“Then you put the rest of your ingredients in there, the tomatoes, the stock, the rest of the sausage and the chicken, add your rice, stir it up put a cover on it and let it go until it’s fully cooked.”

It’s as simple as throwing beads off a balcony. Using chicken as the main protein also makes this healthier than a shrimp-based jambalaya, as Tanner said the latter dish can be high in cholesterol. A chicken jambalaya, the chef said, means people with allergies to shellfish can fill up their bowls.

New Orleans cooking means spicy, and Tanner’s salute to Mardi Gras is a spicy one.

“What you do to make it less spicy is take some of the Cajun seasoning out,” he said. “There are 5 tablespoons in this recipe. If you want it less spicy, just put 2 tablespoons of that in there or take the Tabasco sauce out as well.”

But people should not remove too much of the seasoning and sauce — this is a Mardi Gras diversion, after all.

“You want to have some of that in there,” Tanner said. “That’s the flavor of the actual dish.”
Chicken Jambalaya

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups Spanish onions, diced medium

3 cups green bell peppers, diced medium

1 cup celery, diced medium

5 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

3 cups chicken andouille sausage (found in supermarket poultry sections), sliced in quarter-inch rounds

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups peeled, chopped tomatoes

8 ounces chicken breast, sliced julienne

3 cups Uncle Ben’s rice

2 teaspoons Tabasco

Coat the bottom of a heavy, 5-quart pot with the olive oil, place over high heat and preheat. Add onion, peppers and the celery, 3 tablespoons of the Cajun seasoning, 1 cup of the andouille sausage and cook, stirring constantly until a crust begins to develop, about 12 minutes. Add 1 cup of stock to de-glaze, cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes and julienne chicken slices, cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the rest of the sausage and chicken broth. Stir in the rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the rice is tender.

Stir in Tabasco sauce and serve.

Schenectady County Community College Knowledge Bowl Team

For the first time in over ten years, Schenectady county Community College will be representing the New York Capital District region in the Baron H. Galand Knowledge Bowl competition at the American Culinary Federation regional convention. This years convention will be held at the Westin in Boston, MA.

We have an amazing team this year representing the college. The members include Jose Arteche III (Captain), Evan Weissman, Lisa Valentine, Valerie Inman, and Daniel Sala. They have been practicing constantly for the last two months preparing themselves for this grueling academic competition which requires them to have a vast knowledge of culinary arts. the topics range from basic cooking and baking, to hospitality management, nutrition, sanitation, and knowledge of classical French cooking from Escoffier's le Guide Culinaire.

The competition will take place February 7th during the ACF regional convention which takes place from Feb. 7-9th. So please join me in wishing them luck next month while they take on this great challenge. The team captain and I will be on Channel 13 WNYT news in Albany next week at 8 am talking about the competition and then we will be preparing some healthy Super Bowl goodies afterward.

American Culinary Federation SCCC Spring Culinary Classic

American Culinary Federation
Capital District – Central New York
and
Schenectady County Community College

Spring Culinary Classic

Please join us on April 18-19 for a weekend of culinary excellence during an ACF sanctioned culinary competition. Local chefs and culinary students along with chefs and students traveling from far and wide to display their skills.

Local chefs will be competing in an intense Nutritional Hot Food (F/4) during which they must prepare an appetizer, soup or salad, entree, and dessert - ten portions each in a four-hour time limit with incorporation of the principles of moderation and balance as identified in The 1990 Dietary Guidelines for America, U. S. Department of Agriculture and US. Department of Health and Human Services.

Chefs will also be competing in a variety of other equally intense categories including single chef Market/Mystery Basket (F/1, F/3, F/5), two chef Market/Mystery basket (F/3), individual Contemporary dish (K/1-9, P/1-5), and “Student Skills” (S/1), Edible Cold Food (G), and Cold Food display (A-E) competitions.

For more information contact Chef Christopher Allen Tanner, CEC, CHE at 518-526-6427 or tannerca@sunysccc.edu

What the heck have I been up to?

Oh goodness it has been a long time since my last post. Well I am teaching full-time at Schenectady County Community College and things could not be any better. I seriously can't say I recall any better time in my life. I am the lead instructor for Garde Manger, I personally teach three sections of the class with two other instructors teaching under my curriculum. I also run the restaurant class on Tuesday nights (make reservations in advance, the days fill up quick) and I teach the basic baking class called Elements of Baking.

I have been working in an America Culinary Federation Knowledge Bowl team for the college along with a number of other great things. On the competition note, I haven't done much myself lately because of work. For those who are ACF members, you will see in the next National Culinary Review that I am named one of the newest ACf certified culinary judges, so proud and humble at the same time.

I am judging one of my first competitions this winter in St Augustine, Fl. I won both my first gold in cold food (garde manger) competition along with my first market basket (mystery basket competition) at this show. Again, I am humbled that I get the chance to come full-circle to judge at this competition.

In the next couple weeks I will be competing in a couple competitions. One will be in Pennsylvania, while the other will be in Delhi, NY. I have never competed in the seafood category, so I thought I would come up with a new dish for that category. To be honest the dish came to me by accident. I purchased some salt cod last week and decided to make some traditional New England salt cod cakes.

The dish I came up with is a sous-vide olive oil poached black cod, set upon a truffled smoke black cod potato cake with rainbow chard two ways (julienne stems sauteed in butter, and the leaves wilted with garlic and shallots with a bit of pumpkin oil. The sauce will be a beurre rouge (red wine butter sauce).

I hope you all are well, thanks for reading... I will try to keep you all up on my latest escapades. Be well, and be safe.