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fandomhigh2016-02-02 12:04 am
sharp_as_knives) wrote in fandomhigh2016-02-02 12:04 am
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Beginning Gourmet Cooking Techniques | Tuesday, period 1
Class was back in the Danger Shop today, and it was once again set up with cooking stations. "Good morning," Hannibal said once everyone was there. "Last week, we learned a little about how to choose knives and how important they are."
He picked up one of his own knives. "But there are techniques to using them. More than simply hitting things with them." He gave Dante a dry look.
Hannibal playing with knives Cutting Techniques
"This week, we'll cover mincing, dicing, chopping, slicing, and julienning, among other things. There are many different types of cuts. They can help add interest to food's appearance, and are also important to ensure everything cooks at the proper rate. If you have different sized pieces of the same type of food, you'll end up with some of it overdone and some of it underdone." Don't do that, kids.
He gestured for the students to join him up front to watch. "We will start with proper technique, as I'd prefer no-one lose a finger." He went over the different grips and cutting techniques, demonstrating them.
"Later on, we will learn about different cuts of meat. For today, just know that when slicing it, you should always cut against the grain. Cutting the wrong way is a common error that can ruin a good meal." He showed them a rare piece of steak. "Meat is muscle fibers. Muscles travel in a specific direction; like wood, they have a grain." He showed them the long side of the meat.
"Because they're designed for strength, pulling muscle with the grain - or chewing it - is very difficult." He sliced a bit with the grain and tugged on it to show them. "So, when you're slicing meat, you should always cut in the other direction." He did a bit of that. "This makes it much more tender." He pulled that piece apart fairly easily.
"You all have various vegetables and some meat at your stations. Today you'll be making a vegetable soup to practice different cuts. Pay attention to the size each vegetable should be, or they won't all finish at the same time. Mademoiselle," he told Cosette with a smile, "please find a recipe that involves several sorts of cutting."
He nodded for them to begin.
He picked up one of his own knives. "But there are techniques to using them. More than simply hitting things with them." He gave Dante a dry look.
"This week, we'll cover mincing, dicing, chopping, slicing, and julienning, among other things. There are many different types of cuts. They can help add interest to food's appearance, and are also important to ensure everything cooks at the proper rate. If you have different sized pieces of the same type of food, you'll end up with some of it overdone and some of it underdone." Don't do that, kids.
He gestured for the students to join him up front to watch. "We will start with proper technique, as I'd prefer no-one lose a finger." He went over the different grips and cutting techniques, demonstrating them.
"Later on, we will learn about different cuts of meat. For today, just know that when slicing it, you should always cut against the grain. Cutting the wrong way is a common error that can ruin a good meal." He showed them a rare piece of steak. "Meat is muscle fibers. Muscles travel in a specific direction; like wood, they have a grain." He showed them the long side of the meat.
"Because they're designed for strength, pulling muscle with the grain - or chewing it - is very difficult." He sliced a bit with the grain and tugged on it to show them. "So, when you're slicing meat, you should always cut in the other direction." He did a bit of that. "This makes it much more tender." He pulled that piece apart fairly easily.
"You all have various vegetables and some meat at your stations. Today you'll be making a vegetable soup to practice different cuts. Pay attention to the size each vegetable should be, or they won't all finish at the same time. Mademoiselle," he told Cosette with a smile, "please find a recipe that involves several sorts of cutting."
He nodded for them to begin.
Sign in!
Listen to the lecture!
Make your food!
Eat Hannibal's food!
Talk to Hannibal!
OOC!
Re: Sign in!
Re: Sign in!
Re: Make your food!
Mabel... could cut... onion...
Okay, Mabel needed a few minutes with the onion. There was some important standing there with tears running down her cheeks that she needed to take care of, first.
Re: Sign in!
Re: Listen to the lecture!
Re: OOC!
Re: Make your food!
Of course, if he had, he'd have just healed it on the spot anyway.
Re: Make your food!
Provided this was standard onion fumes causing those tears, and not some odd attachment to the onion itself.
Re: Sign in!
Re: Listen to the lecture!
Re: Make your food!
Re: OOC!
Re: Listen to the lecture!
"Already know how to do that properly," he said, which was entirely true, though he hadn't learned it and didn't actually know how he knew.
Re: Make your food!
... Look, you'd asked him to be in this class, Hannibal.
Re: Make your food!
Yes, he'd asked. He enjoyed the challenge of broadening minds.
Which was hard if they weren't paying attention.
"Unless you want raw or burnt pieces, yes. Even in pizza, you want the slices to be even, don't you?"
Re: Listen to the lecture!
Re: Make your food!
Re: Listen to the lecture!
Re: Make your food!
Re: Listen to the lecture!
Re: Make your food!
Sometimes people stole slices, but that was different.