Cuisine has become exciting! Today we had two cuisine practical, and they were both great dishes, dishes that I would eat and/or serve in a restaurant. Is this an indication that the end is near and that the real world looms ahead? Gulp!

The first dish we made today, as indicated by the photo was a John Dory fillet (one of my favorite fishes) pan seared with tandori spices. It was served with mango/papaya wild rice and sautéed spinach. The sauce was a blend of Indian spices, exotic fruit and fish stock. I was proud of my sauce to begin with, and then the chef saw it before I even had plated anything and said, “Your sauce is perfect.” Chefs rarely dole out compliments like that before plating, and this chef was a saucier (sauce chef). They are the pickiest about sauces, so I was ecstatic. Hooray for yummy fish with actual flavor beyond butter and cream!

Secondly, we made lamb chops with a ham, mushroom, and truffle crust. The crust was held together with a mornay (thicker than béchamel) sauce and was good enough to eat alone. The sides were roasted green bean bundles held together with bacon, and artichoke chips. Artichoke chips are my new secret weapon- they are so good, they’ll make you weak in the knees. I would tell you how to do them, but then where would my weapon be?