December 9th, 2008
Adia in France
It’s hard to explain. I became a part of this truly unique family that makes Restaurant Christian Etienne such an incredible place. This place became my home. The people here became my family. The entire experience has changed me, every part of it, every person I met. I spent over twelve hours a day with these people and developed long lasting friendships. I have been to their homes, played with their children, eaten dinner, and drank wine with them. They gave me an American Thanksgiving. I spent my final day with Chef on the radio explaining Thanksgiving live. We drank wine in his office next to the mayor, bought lottery tickets, and had a champagne toast that evening. So although I could go on forever, here are a few things that made my three months in Avignon absolutely irreplaceable.
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December 3rd, 2008
Project Angel Heart
CSR was very excited to take part in this year’s Project Angel Heart’s annual food and wine extravaganza. CSR instructors Chef Michael Scott and Chef Rebecca Peizer along with two students from our current Culinary Arts Farm to Table program made our booth local for this year’s event. CSR served local barley and smoked tasso (ham) biscuits with local preserved peaches that had been canned by the culinary arts students. The tasting included a with a shot of sweetened barley water, the event was a great success for foodies and Project Angel Heart. Read more about the event in Nutritious & Delicious section of the Denver Post.
CSR Table at Project Angel Heart
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October 24th, 2008
Chef Tiffany Askins
Chef Track alumna Tiffany Askins, and her personal chef business, The Nutritious Gourmet, were recently featured in the Denver Post. Chef Tiffany is working with public schools to rethink school lunches and include more fresh and local foods. She teaches an after school class at Silver Creek Elementary in Thornton called Edible Learning, and a Harvest Celebration class, at Nutritious Gourmet, for 8-16 year olds which celebrates various world cultures.
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October 15th, 2008
Chef Jeremy Young
Jeremy Young, a graduate of Culinary School of the Rockies Chef Track Program, talks to us about his current job at the Boulder Country Club and what inspired him to become a chef.
Q. Are you using local seasonal produced in your menu and if yes what purveyors do you have relationships with?
A. We do use local products once and a while however we are not purchasing them from anyone. A lot of chefs and members at the club have pretty impressive gardens. Now and then people will bring in fresh herbs and produce and we will work them into a dish. One of the most recent that I can recall was fresh oregano that we used on a tuna steak with sun dried tomato cous cous, olives and cherry tomatoes.
Q. What is the hardest/most challenging part of working in a kitchen?
A. The most challenging part for me was atoning myself to the speed of the kitchen while maintaining a high quality. The sense of urgency was different from what I was used to. It took me about 2 weeks to reach the pace that the kitchen was at.
Q. What is one thing that you learned at CSR that you find most useful?
A. Well there are so many things that I learned at CSR I could refer to at this point. But I guess if I had to choose one I would say that the knife skills I learned helped me out the most. Things like how to bone a chicken or clean a fish. Also the different methods of cutting fruits and vegetables helped me out a great deal. Not having to ask the chef again and again what the best way was to cut something. Just knowing exactly how to perform the cuts saves valuable time.
Q. How did you become interested in becoming a chef?
A. Well I had originally gone to college for auto collision repair and refinishing. After I got my associates degree I was the head painter at a major collision shop in my home town. To tell you the truth I was good at what I did but the satisfaction was minimal. When I moved to Colorado I started working as a mechanic at a local dealership and it was still just unsatisfying. It wasn’t until a family and friends party that I prepared all the food at, that I realized how much people enjoyed the food I was preparing. I was receiving compliments and applauds and it felt really good. Then it hit me - I realized that I had been working in food since I was 15 and I had a confidence about food that just laid dormant. So going to culinary school to learn all the techniques and professional terms seemed like the best route. I couldn’t be happier that I decided to go to culinary school. I love my job now and I look forward to being at work everyday. My hopes are to continue to work at the Boulder Country Club for a while and hopefully someday start my own business.
Q. Do you have a favorite dish that you like to prepare?
A. I would have to say my favorite dish right now is garlic prawn linguini with roasted cherry tomatoes.
Q. Are there events happening at the Boulder Country Club that you would like tell our readers about?
A. Well just last month we had our annual week long frolics event. We spent about 30,000 dollars on food alone. Needless to say it was the best one the club has had to date. Other than that we are constantly trying to out do ourselves by coming up with new specials for our members. The club is under renovation right now and should be completed by the end of fall. Approximately 11 million dollars was put towards the renovation which included the golf course the adjacent grounds, and the fitness center.
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September 29th, 2008
Chef Deb Traylor
Chef Deb Traylor, a graduate of CSR ’s Culinary Arts program, CSR instructor and owner of the Divine Dish, recently had her recipes published on Horizon DHA site. All of the recipes are made with Horizon products and are healthy and delicious. It is great to see an almuni published and we can’t wait to see what she comes up with for her next round of recipes using Silk soy milk!
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September 12th, 2008
By Joan Brett, Director
Yvon Gross
Last night we had leg of Black Welsh sheep (mutton essentially) done 2 ways (on the grill and roasted and stuffed with chanterelles. Unbelievably tender, flavorful and succulent. We had the best cornbread I’ve ever tasted, stuffed summer squash, greens with bacon, spaetzle and poached pear topped with chocolate sauce, and a spiced peppery sauce. Dava Parr, who owns the company Fresh and Wyld, joined us for dinner. She is a former chef who delivers produce to restaurateurs in Aspen, Carbondale, Telluride, Crested Butte etc.
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September 11th, 2008
By Joan Brett, Director
Monday evening, September 8, 2008
We set the dinner table at Scenic Mesa for 20 – one long table. The centerpieces were wild flowers, antlers, and a Yugoslavian Finger Fruit - a weird squash with 5 symmetrical prongs.
Western Slope
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September 8th, 2008
By Joan Brett, Director
Leroux Creek
Sunday afternoon, September 7, 2008
The Farm to Table Externship (5 weeks of the 6-month Culinary Arts Program) has finally begun! I’ve been working with my amazing CSR team to put this together for about 18 months, and it’s thrilling to see it actually unfolding.
The drive from Boulder to Paonia and Hotchkiss in Colorado’s North Fork Valley is jaw-droppingly beautiful and serene on a clear blue Colorado early September day. McClure Pass is my favorite. The North Fork refers to the north fork of the Gunnison River. Delta County with 1142 square miles (half is public land) boasts a population of only 30,000. You do the math. With rolling green hills and farmland surrounded by mountains, the valley looks to me like France, or like the States in the 40’s or 50’s.
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August 29th, 2008
Kim Boos of Tee & Cakes
Kim Boos, a 2003 graduate of CSR’s Pastry Arts Program, talks to us about her Boulder pastry shop Tee & Cakes and what inspires her as a pastry chef.
Q. Congratulation on Tee and Cakes Denver’s 7 A List nomination and on your recent write-up in 5280 Magazine! We recently got to try your delicious bacon cupcake, how do you come up with all your delicious flavor combos? And do you have a favorite?
A. The flavor combinations come from classic recipes that I find amusing. Also from traveling and watching current food trends.
Honestly I am constantly thinking about new and approachable flavors. I like to take the old and make it yummy with new tweaks and better ingredients. I think picking a favorite cupcake is like picking a favorite child!
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August 29th, 2008
By Jennifer Legnini, current student, Culinary Arts Program
Our mission today was to utilize a palate of Colorado produce: romaine lettuce, green beans, corn, eggs, spicy greens, red bliss potatoes, herbs, and striped bass, to create entrée salads in the classic styles of Nicoise and Caesar.
Nicoise Salad
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