Click on any mini photo to enlarge
On October 1,
2011, twenty members (and friends) of the San Antonio Bailliage gathered
at the CIA, Pearl Brewery Complex, San Antonio, to listen, learn, and
then participate in a Paella cooking class given by the CIA Director of
Education, Chef Rôtisseur April Goess.
Prior to the class
beginning, all attendees gathered in the lobby to chat and view the
newly created Chaine des Rôtisseurs display. This project is one that
Bailli Provincial Honoraire Joel Klein has wanted to do for quite some
time in order to get our Chaine organization more in the eyes of the
cooks, chefs, and other culinary specialists, that graduate or associate
with the CIA – a possible recruitment tool.
The 24” X
24” X 24” open display area houses a framed print of a “Habit
de Rotisseur” The artisan is dressed in the accoutrements of his
occupation – the Goose Roaster - year 1680. Also contained in the
display are a Chevalier/Dame de la Chaine Ribbon; two Chaine plaques,
and three mini flags: France, United States, the Chaine des Rôtisseurs.
Lastly, there are four
golden
fleurs-de-lis
sprinkled around in order to balance out the display with a touch of
color and class. Credit for this display setup goes to Dame
de la Chaine Mia Rosen/Despain and Chevalier Niklas Rosen-- a very impressive display. Thanks Mia
and Niklas for your creative touch. From the lobby, all participants proceeded to
the Classroom where
Chef Rôtisseur
April Goess, went through the entire process of preparing and serving paella.
April is a 2003 graduate of the CIA in Hyde Park. She is experienced in both culinary and administrative responsibilities of the Institute. Previous assignments include General Manager of Crew Restaurant and Bar in Poughkeepsie, NY; Executive Chef at California's historic Eureka Inn, and six years as a Sous-Chef de Cuisine at the Benbow Inn, a stylish and upscale rated hotel and restaurant located in Northern California. According to April, Paella is one of Spain’s most favorite dishes. It is a rice dish that originated in Valencia, on the east coast of Spain. There are three widely known and popular types of paella in Spain and in the US:
Paella with Vegetables: In addition to Sofrito (a special type of tomato sauce), and a special type of vegetable stock, it mainly consists, of rice and vegetables (onions, leeks, tomatoes, artichokes, red peppers, cauliflower, peas, parsley, etc).
Paella Valenciana: In addition to chicken stock, oil, and seasoning, it mainly consists of rice, shrimp, chicken legs, clams, mussels, scallops, red/green peppers, olives etc.
Fisherman’s Paella: Rice, ½ fish / ½ chicken stock, seasoning, Monkfish, shrimp, squid, onions, clams, tomatoes, and green peppers
Of course, there is the ever-so-popular Paella that originated here in the United States, and that is the “Everything, Including the Kitchen Sink Paella.” However, for this class, only Spain’s top three recipes were discussed and prepared.
April demonstrated how to start from scratch in preparing the skillet and cook the rice. She also had one pan of Paella that was close to being finished in order to demonstrate how Paella looks at different stages of preparation.
Once the lecture and demonstration was finished, the group was divided into five teams of four individuals, then it was time for . . . “Ladies and Gentlemen, don your aprons, grab your chef’s hat, man you cooking stations, pop the top of your wine bottle, launch your burners, and may the best team evade acid indigestion.”
Michael Clark
Debbie Prost
Sylvia Martinez
Catherine Milbourn
George Smith
Cheryl Clark
Nicklas Rosen
Mia Rosen
Pam Wise
Fred Goldner
Magdalena McCall
Amy White
Sylvia Lara
Estela Cortes
 and Jim Ray |
Yea North Side
Nice to see you again Michael
Yea South Side
After about 30 – 45 minutes, all gas burners were shut down and five large, full, sizzling, paella pans were pulled from fire and carried to the grand kitchen counter for display and serving. Nineteen-plus smiling want-a-be chefs and one photographer filed by to to serve them selves all they thought they could eat. With the help of more wine, soon the bellieswere full, appetites were satiated, conversations about eating live scorpions on a stick in China; to trekking the icy slopes of Antarctica were over, and it was time to return to the real world.and it was time to return to the real world.