How To Fabricate a Pig Part 2

Lobster, Mushroom & Spinach Strudel

Ingredients: Yield: 6 servings
6oz. Cooked Lobster Meat
6oz. Assorted Mushrooms
8oz. Spinach
1T Shallots, minced
2oz. Ricotta Cheese
1oz. White Wine
S&P to taste
5 Phyllo Dough, sheets (thawed)
1C Clarified Butter
2T Fresh Herbs
2T Olive

Methods:
1. In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add the shallots, mushrooms, and lobster allow to briefly sauté. Add the spinach when the mushrooms are soft, and then the wine.
2. Once the spinach is wilted, but still bright green, remove the mixture from the heat. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly.
3. On a clean work surface or cutting board, layout a sheet of phyllo one piece at a time.
4. Brush the dough with sparingly with clarified butter. Lightly sprinkle with fresh herbs. Add a second sheet of dough on top. Repeat the process until five sheets of dough are stacked (do not butter the top sheet).
5. Strain the excess liquid from the lobster and spinach mixture. Add the ricotta cheese by gently folding into the mixture. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
6. Beginning ½” from the bottom of the phyllo, spoon the lobster and spinach mixture in a 2” band across nearly the sheet of dough. You will want to leave approximately ½” on each end to enclose the dough around the mixture.
7. From the bottom, roll the dough around the lobster and spinach mixture. Just before you get to the end of the roll, tuck the ends toward the middle, and then complete the roll.
8. Brush the top of the dough lightly with clarified butter.
9. Bake in a 375° oven approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Remove and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes. Slice into 1 ½” slices.

2009-2010 Culinary Competition Team Named

Nine students tried out for the Peirpont Culinary Academy Competition Team on Friday. Five new students to the program and four current students through their toques in the ring to vie for five spots.

The members of 2009-2010 Culinary Team are Joseph White, Kellie Smith, Maria Provencher, Rebecca Krofcheck, and Joe Woods. The students competed in a three phase competition. Each was required to demonstrated proficient knife skills, fabricate a chicken, and to prepare an entree plate for two using chicken.

Congratulations to all of the competitors, and especially to our new team.

Pictures from the competition:

Pierpont Presents at Tomato Tasting Festival

The Pierpont Culinary Academy helped organize and participated in the second annual Tomato Tasting Festival this past weekend. The Festival is sponsored by the Marion Co. Master Gardeners and WVU Extension. Chef Floyd and Pierpont have helped organize the event and have provided judges for the past two years.

President Blair Montgomery was among the group of honorary judges for the event this year. Chef Floyd prepared a cooking demonstration that feature three tomato recipes, and new students in the Culinary Academy helped with the day's logistics and preparation.

New students: Rebecca Krofcheck, Miranda Johnson, Joseph Bezjak, Cameron Dean, Maria Provencher, and Matt Crawford all helped with the event.

One of the favorite recipes of the event was:

Poached Salmon with Tomato-Leek Water

Ingredients Yield: (4) 6oz. Servings
(4) 6oz. Salmon Fillets, bones and skin removed
8 Med-lg Tomatoes, cored
8oz. Leeks, tops and roots removed, med. dice*
4oz. Yellow Onion, julienne
8oz. Asparagus, cut into 5”-6” spears
10 leaves + 4 sprigs of Basil
Juice one lemon
Olive oil
S&P to taste
Cheesecloth
Butchers string

*Fennel makes a fantastic substitute for the leeks

Methods
1. Rough chop the tomatoes. Add to a food processor or blender until pureed. In a non-reactive sauce pot, bring the puree to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat, allow to slightly cool.
2. Position cheesecloth over a strainer or china cap over a bain marie or a large bowl. Collect the tomato mixture in the cheesecloth and tie with string, allowing the liquid strain through to the bain marie. The idea is to capture as much of the liquid as possible the pulp and skin are to remain behind in the cheesecloth, so tying the string and cheesecloth up in your refrigerator and allow to drip all night might be the ideal way to accomplish this. However, for quicker results you can gently squeeze the cheesecloth until the liquid is removed. This method may cause more tomato puree to escape.
3. In a braising pot, sweat the leeks and onions with the olive oil until translucent. Add the basil and tomato water. Heat the mixture to 175°-185°.
4. Add the salmon fillets. Poach approximately 5 minutes. Remove from the water. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon.
5. Steam the asparagus until just tender. Should still be bright green.
6. In a pasta bowl, ladle a scoop of the tomato water. Fan 5 asparagus pieces in the bottom of the bowl. Gently place the fish on top. Garnish with a fresh basil sprig.

Pierpont Cooks at the Farmer's Market

The Pierpont Culinary Academy helped Fairmont celebrate National Farmers' Market week by presenting a demo at the market. Chef Floyd demonstrated and shared three recipes to showcase how customers of the market could use their fresh vegetables once they got them home.

Market goers sampled some of the items which included: Watermelon & Tomato Salad; Grilled Vegetable Enchiladas; and Grilled Salmon with Cucumber-Melon Salad and Tomato-Ginger Basmati.

Pierpont has been working with Main Street Fairmont to help promote the market. The cooking demo was to help bring attention and showcase the bi-weekly downtown event.

Watch WBOY's coverage of Tuesday's Market:

Grilling University

Eighteen students participated in the Grilling University Community Ed class at the Bridgeport Conference Center. Students relaxed on the outdoor patio as they learned new grilling techniques, sampled tasty food, and enjoyed some specialty beverages.

The class was treated to a menu of Peach & Mango Sangria, Grilled Pork Porterhouse w/Mixed Grill or Mushrooms and Onions, Grilled Leg of Lamb w/ Baby Beet, Blue Cheese, and Grilled Asparagus Salad, and Grilled Watermelon and Berries w/ Zabaglione Sauce.

The evening concluded with a question and answer session.

Special Thanks to: The Bridgeport Conference Center, the Pierpont Center for Continuing Education, Ron Weist and Janice Ervin.

Pierpont Culinary Academy to Play Key Role in Downtown Brand

Main Street Fairmont commissioned Arnett-Muldrow, city planning and marketing consultants, from Greenville, SC to help re-brand Fairmont. Arnett-Muldrow recommended a four district approach (Downtown, Southside, Eastside, and Riverside) to feature the distinct areas represented in MSF's boundaries.

The Pierpont Culinary Academy's future student bistro was presented as a driving force in the Downtown district. Arnett-Muldrow has laid a solid foundation for Maple Creative and Mythology, two consulting firms hired by Pierpont to brand and market the bistro and Cafe District, to build upon.

Follow Fairmont's redesign with these television stories:
WBOY TV:
http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=58927
WDTV TV:
http://www.wdtv.com/news/local/44924117.html