The night after Geoff and I did the Relax Dinner Party for the Great Big Dig, I was over at NSCC. I was excited to be back at my old school, in the kitchen, working with two of my mentors on another silent auction item from the Great Big Dig, which helped raise over $130k for the IWK Children’s Hospital. I approached the NSCC Culinary Arts department last year about donating a cooking class with a teacher and former student for the auction.
The NSCC went above just donating the teachers time, the food and the kitchen space - they also arranged for each course of the meal to be paired with a Nova Scotian wine.
Chef Deb Connors and Chef Ian Milner worked on final touches to the menu, while I gathered some mise en place and took some pictures of my old stompin’ ground. It was nice to be able to check out the improvements to the kitchens that I just missed out on…ohhh…sooo close…They got a brand new “smart” oven, and a prep room off the back of the fine dining kitchen! I have to admit, I’m a bit jealous…
The winning bidders of the NSCC cooking class for 6, Mike Hachey (Egg Films)and his guest arrived at the school around 4pm to freshly pressed chefs jackets, sharp knives and chilled bottles of bubbly. As they suited up and popped corks, the couples were assigned a station and each couple would prep a different course. A table was set in the middle of the kitchen for the meal. The stations were set and the cooks were fired up and ready to get started.
My students were great. The owner of Revolve, Phil Otto and his wife, rolled up their sleeves and dove right in. We were prepping the appetizer, a dish that Ian called “Chowder Flavors”. It was sort of a deconstructed chowder. It had the elements of chowder, but show cased in different ways. Yukon Gold Potato Puree, Celery Leaves, Carrot Pearls and Carrot Saffron Froth, crispy fried leeks, pickled Mussels, seared Salmon and Bacon Benito. It was a really cool plate with lots of flavor and color.
The Main Course that was being prepped by Ian and his group was seasoned Veal Tenderloin. It was tender and very tasty. They used a simple brine to bring out the delicate flavor of the veal. It was served with Vegetables a la Greque; lightly roasted and simply marinated, herbed Israeli Couscous, a very tasty Green Olive and Cilantro jus that Ian discovered, and a Crispy Mustard Tuile. It was a rustic plate with very warm and earthy flavors.
Chef Connors had the dessert course. This is a personal favorite of mine; Banana Pan Perdue with Bruleéd Banana. To clarify what Pan Perdue is… it’s a fancy way of saying French toast…and this toast is banana bread baby! It was served with torched slices of Banana and Cinnamon infused Orange slices, a Basil Gelato and Crème Anglaise Foam…yummy….
When all the courses were ready, the guest took their seats at the table and enjoyed the wine while Chef Connors, Ian and I took our places on the line to cook the courses the guest had just prepared. They watched and sipped as we seared and plated. It was a great time. Working at Bear, in the open kitchen has prepared me for cooking in front of an audience. It was great to see the expression and smiles on the faces of those who prepped the individual courses as they were brought out. They were very proud of the food they cooked, as they should have been, everything was tasty.
The guests loved the whole evening; the hands on cooking lessons, the “chef’s table” in the middle of the kitchen, and all the little details Chef Connors and Ian put into the evening with the NSCC Chef coats and knife kits for all the students.
It had been a very busy weekend, doing both gigs for the Great Big Dig in two days. It was a lot of planning and a lot of long hours…but it was more than worth it. I got to cook some great food, with great friends and mentors, for a great cause.
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