In case I haven’t mentioned it yet, I really enjoy my job. In two of the classes I teach as part of the culinary program at Lincoln Land Community College, I lead the students in running our public restaurant, Bistro Verde. We are open for lunch Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This fall we are open for service Sept. 3 and continue until Nov. 21. We close for two weeks in the middle of the semester to end one class and start another.
The first class has a menu that is fast casual, which is made fresh and packaged to go. Guests can enjoy the food in our dining room, but we package it to go to allow the students the chance to understand the logistics and timing needed to execute an entirely packaged meal. Students are all required to create a chef’s special, which changes each week, sometimes working in teams or individually. In the second class, we give ourselves a day and a half to prepare and complete a completely different menu that has a little more refined and plated dishes paired with a table service experience. The students will once again be required to create a weekly chef’s special, which is a three-course prix fixe menu.
I change the menu each class except for the loaded parlor chili on the to go menu and the five different regional smash burgers we rotate each week of service in the second menu. I start with a base recipe idea and allow the students as much input as possible. Once we have all agreed on a recipe, we do our best to make it the same way to help them understand the importance of consistency in a restaurant’s food.
For the handheld portion of our menu, we are offering: a vegetable calzone; a croque madame; a blackberry, brie and honey grilled cheese; a pulled pork sandwich with a corn, avocado and jicama slaw with a side of homemade pickles; and lastly a French dip. The calzone will give them the chance to work with pizza dough at a fast pace. The croque madame is a classic ham and Swiss sandwich with a cheesy cream sauce and a fried egg — what’s not to love! We always have a version of grilled cheese, which gives them practice perfectly toasting a sandwich on a flattop while getting a great cheese melt. A pulled pork sandwich lets them work on dry rubs and slow roasting meats, making fresh slaws, pickles and BBQ sauce. When making the French dip, they get to cook roast beef and use a slicer, make an au jus and finish it on the flattop to order with melted provolone.
We always offer three soups on the first menu. Loaded parlor chili, Italian wedding soup, and shrimp and chicken gumbo are the choices this time. Italian wedding soup gives them the opportunity to make mini meatballs and chicken stock, and to cook couscous. The gumbo is a chance to make a southern style soup layering in a dark roux, aromatics and stock, in addition to cooking shrimp, chicken and andouille sausage.
For our cold plates we have two offerings. Sushi is a trio of rolls — shrimp tempura, California and spicy crab. Students always enjoy learning how to prepare sushi. Our salad is going to be a fruit salad. It will be a variety of fresh fruits over mixed greens tossed with a cookie butter vinaigrette.
For our hot lunch plates, we are offering drunken noodles and a Mexican favorites platter. Drunken noodles will give them a chance to play with Thai flavors and stir-frying. Mexican favorites are a way to challenge the students as it has many components and methods. It will have a roasted poblano quesadilla, a beef enchilada, a chicken taco, rice and beans, guacamole, salsa and lime wedge.
The second menu is really another article and still in the works. I look forward to being part of the students having fun creating these dishes for the public!
Croque Madam
Ingredients
¼ lb. butter
¼ cup flour
1 qt. milk
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Salt
Pepper
Deli ham, thin sliced
Swiss cheese, thin sliced
Dijon mustard
French bread, sliced
Eggs
Directions
Melt the butter in a pan.
Add the flour, and use a whisk to combine.
Cook on medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until the raw flour smell is gone, 3-5 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium, and slowly add the milk, whisking steadily.
Continue whisking until it comes to a gentle simmer. Turn the heat to low, and continue cooking for one minute while stirring.
Turn off heat, and remove from burner.
Add shredded cheese, and stir until melted.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Then set aside, covered.
Spread a little butter or mayonnaise on one side of two slices of French bread, and place them in a pan at medium-low.
Spread a little Dijon mustard on one side that is facing up. Place a couple slices of ham on top of the mustard. On the other piece of bread, add a slice or two of Swiss cheese.
Cook until the bread is delightfully toasted on the bottoms and the cheese is melted.
Put the two halves together, and place sandwich onto an oven-safe pan. Top with a layer of cheese sauce, and broil until golden brown.
Meanwhile in a second pan, preferably non-stick, on medium heat, add a little oil and break an egg carefully into the oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper to your preference. Cook until the white is set but yolk is runny.
Top the broiled sandwich with the egg, and grab a knife and fork to enjoy this classic sandwich!
About
Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.
Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.