Homecooking......

I cook and have done so for some time. Part of it has to do with my upbringing.
As the eldest of five and with a single parent, I learnt to cook early. Its amazing but cheese on toast with baked beans for 5 seemed back then as challenging as a putting out a beautiful roast rack of lamb with a potato pave, petit pois with carmelised shallots and a nice jus.
Furthermore my very first job and then the jobs that were to follow exposed me to the delights of quality cooking and restuarnats both as client and coverage.

In recent times I have tried to take my knowledge base up, by enrolling at George Brown College for their Continuing Education Series, specifically in Culinary Arts. At the start of the year I did a 12 week course, and I am about to finish a 10 weeks course, with a three week course coming up that will focus my knife skills. That’s my compulsories and over the next 2 years, taking 6 electives will provide me with my Culinary Certification. I think it simply suggest that I have attended and should have garnered some know-how along the way.

From Canada Day

I had pretty good food knowledge going into my courses; but have found that the classes have elevated that base, primarily because it has helped establish a framework for my knowledge thus expanded my understanding, as I have made connections within my knowledge base as well as learning new stuff.

While I knew that I liked cooking, I didn’t appreciate to what extent until I started attending class and found myself as excited as an eight year old on Christmas morning each Saturday, as I gathered my knife roll and other accoutrements for my four hour session at George Brown College.

The interesting thing is that most folks seem to assume that I want to work in or run a restaurant. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I simply want to be able to cook superb meals at home for both my family and friends. I am not talking about simply cooking elegant meals either.

One of the things that I have found out over time is that as much as I enjoy an elegant meal, beautifully cooked and expertly presented, I am as keen or possibly keener when it comes to braised foods. Ultimately it’s the whole low and slow approach, whether BBQ-ing or braising.
Using a relatively cheap cut, good seasoning and the process of low and slow, it is transformed into something super delicious.

This was evidenced this morning at our office, as I had BBQ-ed a pork butt Canada Day and shared the goodness with my colleagues this morning with my home made tangy BBQ sauce. I have posted a few pikkies of the BBQ process on my Big Green Egg (BGE) and some others from items I have made. Enjoy!