Well, finals week has come to a close and the holiday vacation is here. Looking forward to completing the next quarter and heading on into the world. The open house last week was apparently a great success, and look forward to seeing the new students on orientation day at the end of the month and sharing my experiences with Sullivan University with them. The great thing about this quarter was it was extremely challenging and I learned quite a bit. You can 'teach an old dog new tricks.'

Gil Haun

Easy and Delicious Dessert for the Holidays

Christmas is quickly approaching!  It's the time for family gatherings filled with loads of delicious food! Dazzle all of your family and friends this holiday season by stirring up something tasty!  During my Culinary Internship at Winston's Restaurant, Chef John Castro shared a recipe with me that I will always remember:

Cheffy's Secret No Bake Chocolate Truffle Cake

"What is the secret?" you ask.

Only FOUR Ingredients!

Complete in less than ONE HOUR!

Ingredients: 

1 pound   Chocolate   dark chocolate is best, in my opinion!

1 pint       Olive Oil   spend the extra dollar, and get the good stuff ;)

1 quart     Heavy Cream

3 cups      Cookies   your choice! I recommend Vanilla Wafers.

You will also need:   

sturdy sauce pot

mixer   you may also use the good ol' fashioned bowl-and-whisk!

loaf pan   standard is 9" x 5" but you may use any cake pan

mixing bowl   medium or large

whisk

spatula

plastic wrap

small sheet tray

Procedure:

1. Place the heavy cream in the mixer, and whip until soft peaks form, not quite to the consistency of whipped cream dessert topping.  Refrigerate until chocolate is ready.
2. Slowly melt the chocolate and the olive oil together in the sturdy sauce pot on low heat.  Gently whisk ingredients until smoothly incorporated, turn off the heat, and pour the mixture into the mixing bowl.
3. Using the spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.  Folding, rather than stirring, distributes product more evenly and creates a fluffier finish!  Once the chocolate-cream mixture gets to your desired consistency, stop folding.  You might not use the entire quart of cream.
4. Line the loaf pan with plastic wrap in both directions, allowing the plastic to fall a couple inches over the walls of the pan.  Pour the fluffy chocolate-cream mixture into the pan; make sure to keep the plastic in place.
5. Crumble your favorite cookies over the top surface of the chocolate mixture.  This will serve as the base of your cake once completed.  Feel free to make it as thin or thick as desired!
6. Now, fold the plastic edges over top of the chocolate, securing the mixture and cookies in place.  Refrigerate the pan until the mixture is firm, usually 20-30 minutes.
7. Once the cake is set, unwrap the top folds of plastic, place a small sheet tray over top, and invert the pans.  Now, your loaf pan is upside down on the sheet tray.  Slowly remove the loaf pan, allowing your plastic-covered cake to remain on the sheet tray.  Gently pull the plastic off, revealing your masterpiece!

   

If you get a metal spatula or pastry paddle and run hot water over it, you can smooth out any markings left by the plastic.  Also, if you would like to spruce up your taste buds, try:

• adding two tablespoons of flavored liqueur when incorporating the chocolate and olive oil, 
• adding candied fruit or zest to the top of your cake, or
• serving the cake with a fresh fruit coulis.  

The possibilities are endless!  Just have fun with it and impress your friends and family!

*** HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ***

Hayley Charron

It is Getting Chilly Out There

Hello everyone,

I hope this post finds you all well and warm. Since cold weather is here and is only going to get progressively worse, here are a few tips and suggestions to keep you on the safe side when driving.

1. Always wear a seat belt (duh, but still!)
2. Keep some food like crackers/nuts/cookies and plenty of water
3. Keep a coat and a warm blanket
4. Steer clear of any groves in the roads that could hold water/ice
5. Dont speed, especially at night
6. Just because you dont see ice does not mean it isnt there
7. Gloves would be handy, but if you drive with them, get a pair with some sort of grip to them, soft and slick ones can make you lose you grip
8. And above all be smart about it. It it is sleeting like crazy and there is no absolute reason for you to be out, dont go!!!

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone and be safe!

-Alexandra Leigh Cruikshank

More Micro Food!!

Greetings all once again,

So I have been inspired more and more to make different foods in the microwave from scratch. My last post focus on items you can buy at the store that are made for the microwave, however I started working on more things from scratch.
Please use micro safe bowls, preferably glass and to get a towel for picking up hot items.

Corn on the cob

Run the cob with husk on under water. Wrap in a wet towel and micro on high 6mins. remove with  towel and carefully with out burning yourself and shuck corn. Feel the cob, it may still be stiff, wrap it back in wet towel and micro another 3 mins. butter salt and yummy in the tummy!

Pasta

Big glass bowel, your pasta and water and micro 10-15 mins depending on how thick the pasta is. Drain water, add sauce and micro another min and you are all set. Top with a ready to eat chicken from freezer or cooked from the store to add some protein!

That is all I have for the time being, but I am try new things every day to share with you!
Until next time,

Alexandra Leigh Cruikshank

Microwave Foods Tips

Hey guys, I thought I would share some microwave food that turns out pretty good with you guys for the dorm rooms.

UNCLE BENS'S READY RICE only takes 90s to steam in the bag. I tried it last night, pretty yummy.
PASTA SIDES is a brand of quick pasta with the dry sauce ingredients I had the alfrado one about a month ago and all it requires in a little butter and milk
CREAM OF WHEAT and COCOWHEAT and of course OATS are also a great food item for breakfast or whenever. i is just box instructions. Adding things like butter, sugar cinnomin etc are up to you but butter and sugar go well with the coco and the cream wheats. Oats is good with butter and cinnamon. 
JELLO! Yes make jello. Follow instructions on the back of the box. (for the boiling water just microwave till it is pretty hot it does not have to boil to work) and i am working on trying jello brand pudding in the microwave
RAMEN NOODLES just follow instructions. there is also a container that is a microwave safe steaming mug that works great for it. it is white with a blue plug for the steam hole, you can find iit at Walmart.
MASHED POTATOES there are microwaveable potatoes in single serve containers where boxed mashed potatoes are and they are decent potatoes, i suggest added a little butter salt and pepper and milk to them.
MACARONI single serve mac n cheese is also available for the microwave
CAKE! I worked out a cake recipe for a coffee mug in the microwave by experimenting with a duncan hines recipe, mine turned out better. 
mix 1 box of angle food cake and 1 box of a chocolate cake mix (i prefer the fudge cake) in a big ziplock bag and mix well.
it is a 2 to 3 ratio. 3 Tbls mix and 2 Tbls Milk (water works but it is more dry) 
mix in a coffee mug
microwave for 45 secs 
Vartatoions: Smores- melt cocolate in bottom of mug add mix and milk and mix well, push 1 marshmellow into batter and micro for 60 secs. top with a gram cracker
Reses cake crumble a reses and heat a little before mixing ito the batter. 60secs
Also you can make different flavor cake alltogether by gettng a different flavor cake mix, like redvelvet or confetti.

Have fun!

Please make these items in a glass microwave bowl. Cooking in Plastic/tubberware is not good, it could melt, get too hot and burn you or some cases contaminate food depending on the dish, so please get a glass bowl, some of these item cook for a long time and get hot!

Be safe,
Alexandra Leigh Cruikshank

Summer is Ending

I can not believe that I am in my last year of college! It seems as if my time here has flown by! I am so excited to see what my future has to offer. This quarter I started to take classes online and on campus! These online classes have been so time consuming and difficult but they have taught me not to procrastinate! Next quarter I will have two online classes and two night classes! I am excited to see how this works out!

I have also started doing cakes on the side at home! Working at Famous Daves and making cakes for close friends and family. I can't wait to start doing cakes as my actual job! Only time will tell where this crazy journey will lead :)

-Allysa

Summer is Coming to a Close

It is so sad that all we do every year is look forward to summer time with all our hearts, then when it comes it drops us into the cold and heartless winter too fast. Thankfully most of us get a good run out of summer first. I have visited family and went to Myrtle beach for the first time in 8 years, held down a great job and have survived another quarter. This is my 5th quarter and my 6th will end my Culinary degree with internship and start my baking and pastry all in the same stride. My labs have been so wonderful and I can't tell you enough how much I have learned and the foods I have experienced. I will be coming back from break early to help move in our new summer students and can't wait!
Happy Summer's End!
-Alexandra