Matthew Kenney Culinary Online Level 2, part 1

Guacamole, Cacao Chips, Mole Sauce

My journey through raw vegan culinary school is complete. It has taken me a while to recover from the intensity. A friend of mine, who graduated from a traditional in-person culinary school, said to me, "You didn't think it would be that intense, did you?"

"Uh, no....."

And it was. I as SO HAPPY I did this. I have wanted to study at/with/through Matthew Kenney for YEARS. Going to MK Culinary was on my vision board from the moment his first restaurant opened in Oklahoma City years ago. I even completed this ahead of schedule. I found a list of goals I wanted to achieve after I finished. I had written "2017" as the year I wanted to do culinary school.

But absolutely so intense. YES. I tore through school because I have two kids and I work three jobs. I dropped two of the jobs temporarily for sanity's sake. I spent six to seven days a week, 6-7 hours a day on school, no lie, no exaggeration. When I finished, I was burnt to a crisp. My personal food for me and the kids became sandwiches because a sista was not trying to spend more than 15 minutes making any meal.

Chocolate Cake, Walnut Sauce, Anise Scented Pears, Chai Ice Cream, Fennel Sauce

But what I learned will serve me for the rest of my life. That is an awesome feeling. Was everything I made perfect? No. For instance, take the first photo of the guacamole and chips. The guacamole was something I could eat everyday. The chips, not so much.

The chocolate cake was a revelation. We made flour from scratch. I was in a daze at what I was making. The cake was yummy. It tasted like a rich fudge brownie. The other ingredients elevated it. I learned that anise is my new favorite spice. The ice cream and fennel sauce weren't necessary because the cake alone is extremely rich.

Dark, White, and Strawberry Chocolates

I learned how to make tempered chocolate. All chocolate you buy is tempered. It's a method of heating chocolate that keeps it from melting at room temperature. The photo above is an example.

Linzer Christmas Cookies with Berry Jam

I am showing off the best of what I made. These cookies are a winner. I'd be happy to bring them to anyone's holiday party.

Baklava

The Baklava was rich rich rich rich rich rich rich rich. Did I mention it was rich? Full of flavor yummy.

Vietnamese Pho

This was crazy complex. I enjoyed it though.

Vanilla Panna Cotta

My favorite dish I made, hands down. LOVED LOVED LOVED it. I made this take on an Italian dessert with a raspberry sauce. It was simple, elegant, and not too sweet. It's great for an intimate dinner for two. 

What am I going to do next? I will show my "Shop Project" and share where I am going.

Love,

Althea

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Matthew Kenney Culinary Online Level 2, part 1