Barbecue Pull Pork

In a post a few weeks ago, I talked about pull pork that I made. Well there is no real recipe for it, but all I did was season a pork shoulder (pork butt) with salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder and brown sugar. You can season it with other things depending on what you like. After this, put the shoulder in the crock pot on and fill it a third of the way full with water. This pork will need to cook for hours, maybe ten at the least. You will know when it is done because it will easily fall off of the bone.

Once the meat cools, pull it apart or even chop it with a metal spatula. Remove any bones. To season my pull pork, i used salt, crushed red pepper flakes and apple cider vinegar. It is easiest to season the meat little by little to make sure it isnt over seasoned.

The apricot barbecue sauce was made by reducing the juices from the pork first until it is a demi-glace (reduces by half and thickens). Add apricot preserves to the reduction as well as cider vinegar to taste. If you would like a sweeter sauce, add honey rather than sugar.

Both the pork and barbecue sauce recipes can be adjusted depending on what you like....Thats the best thing about cooking, you are allowed to modify anything as well as experiment. Enjoy this recipe and until later, love, peace, and cupcakes!

Update on life

So I definitely need to rearrange my life as I know it. I need to find more time to blog. Any who, as I told you I would, I entered a competition in hopes of winning a scholarship. My plates came out well, I did in fact submit beef strip loin sliders as well as seared lamb chops. And of course I have pictures!!! Today I received an update on the competition, however I'm not too thrilled. My strip loin sliders placed fourth overall, which is a good thing, but a scholarship would have been beneficial to my college career. I am still glad that I was able to participate in the competition because I did get experience in such a thing.

As far as the cupcakes I discussed, I will not be making them either. I'm fine with that, though because this will give me more time to practice. I want to be able to put anything on a cupcake if I want to. Plus my big sister (little sister) wants leopard print cupcakes...so you know I can't let her down. As usual, I had to make valentine's day goodies, although I'm not a valentine's day person. I made "bittersweet valentine cookies as well as some personalized valentine cookies for my friends. I used song titles (specifically rap songs) that they like. I also did some practice cookies for myself...you know the usual (eye♥ursole, adidas, love peace and cupcakes etc). I practiced my animal print, which I think is sooo cool. The cookies came out great. I want to make a portfolio, to show all of the things I've done thus far. I think during school, a good way to make money is to do custum made cookies. People would like them as gifts as well as for special occasions. I also want to do cupcakes, but I think I would need to practice more with that first.













As for my life outside of school, I am at a loss for words...stress seems to live in my bed. Everyday I seem to wake up with a new problem. Because of this, I have decided that prior to my 20th birthday, I will make a few changes for the better. My theory is that these changes will reduce my stress level.

I've still been looking for a job, but I haven't been very successful. At this point I will work anywhere. I have an information session with a company tomorrow, and I have recieved a few replies to my resume. Prayerfully, something will work in my favor.

The school term for me is ending soon, which is good. I started Classical French Cuisine today, which doesnt seem too bad..or at least as bad as they make it seem. I am excited because the food that we make in the class is delicious! The kitchen is run in a brigade system which means that each person is in charge of a specific thing. This is good because, it keeps people focused on their task. We have to learn French vocabulary, which is good too because it may help us later on. I will be sure to fill you in on that as well as this job hunting fiasco. Until then.....love, peace, and cupcakes!

Let me fill you in....

Well it has definitely been too long since my last post. I NEED to do better. School has been time consuming for the past couple of weeks but I am back and ready to do what eye do. This weekend, I did something awesome. I succeeded in making pulled pork which was something I had a taste for. I've seasoned this meat before but never have I cooked it. With the help of my genius crock pot, I slow cooked the pork butt for about 12 hours with the basic salt, paprika, chili powder, and brown sugar. The meat was very tender and fell right off of the bone, which was perfect.

To finish the meat off, I seasoned the pork with salt, crushed pepper flakes and cider vinegar. The perfect sauce for this pork was an apricot barbecue sauce. I reduced the pork juices until they formed a demi-glace and added apricot preserves, honey and vinegar. This was something different that I've never seen done, but compliments the pork very well.

Later on this week, I will use the pork and make barbecue spaghetti, which is something I have been dying to taste. This meal is something that is originally made at the Neely's restaurant and I would love to taste theirs. In the mean time I will try to make my own.

I am excited because I have been asked to do a major project. I will be baking and assembling a cupcake basketball cake for a family friend. I look forward to this because I LOVE CUPCAKES! I have to sketch out some ideas for that cakes as well as list supplies and find cases to transport them.

Schoolwise, I am entering a culinary competition in hopes to win a scholarship. I will be entering something similar to my blue cheese burger. Instead of a burger I will have a slider with sliced strip loin and I will add arugula. I will also enter seared lamb chops with carmelized apples on top of a bed of arugula. I am nervous about this competition but, I think my ideas are fresh and innovative so I stand a chance.

Life has me tired and stressed as usual, but thats all a part of being in college I guess. I look forward to this week even though it will be busy and I will keep my readers updated....

love, peace, and cupcakes!

The Sweet Taste of Sucess

So this weekend blew by faster than I thought. Friday I got all the information I need to transfer campuses, which is good. I helped an instructor prepare for Chef's Choice on Saturday and had a ball. I spent a great deal of the weekend on my project for Advanced Patisserie. It was a very tedious project and I found myself getting stuck frequently. This surprised me though because I have already done a project that was larger and in fact tougher.

Why is it that even though I want to commit my time to doing something, I still end up procrastinating? Last night {this morning rather}, I finished my project around 3:15. I got so frustrated with the project and my stress level was definitely soaring. By class time, which was seven all I wanted to do was get back in the bed. I felt bad for leaving my group members but, I needed to rest and get my mind right...now I am ok.

I'm always listening to new albums as they come out because I do love music. Well I love Adele's voice and her album is very mellow. I also listened to Savage, a Drake mixtape and Solange. All of the albums were better than I expected. Listening to to Drake allowed me to find a someone else that has a great sound. Colin Munroe...his song with Drake, Cannonball is awesome.

In my last post, I discussed a burger that I would attempt to make for dinner. It turned out very tasty. I did everything that I said I would. Because of this I think I will try and create a new burger at least once a month. I wonder what the next one will be like.

As for right now, I have studying to do for my final in Advanced Patisserie as well as dinner to make. While working on my project and watching my Steelers defeat the Chargers {yes we can..lol thats what Mike said on my shirt}, I made collard greens. I didnt get a chance to make the rest of my meal, but that is what I intend to do now. I have a taste for smothered pork chops and mac and cheese {linguine rather because thats what I have}. Later, I am making cupcakes {oh-em-gee cupcakes} TaTaForNow...

love, peace, and cupcakes!

A Day in the Life of Me...

Hello world! It feels so good to be here. I am new to this whole blogging thing...but there is definitely a method to my madness. I am a 19 year old sophomore attending Johnson & Wales for an degree in culinary arts. I come from a very creative family and I love being myself. Laughter is my drug and it keeps me on a natural high. Any who, I decided to start a blog because I realize there are many people that share the same views as me, go through similar problems and that just sometimes need to know that they are not the only one. It is my hope that somehow I may be a blessing to someone.

As far as my life goes right now, I am mainly focused on school which is how I believe it should be. I have friends of course as many people do but I also have a great deal of foes. There are many things that some people may never understand about me...but that's how I like it. I'm not very predictable but that doesn't make me random...the last thing I want to do is be random. Too many people want to call them selves something they aren't and that's just not my style. I'm more laid back...I do what makes me happy and I believe that is extremely important. Peer pressure was never a problem growing up because I never liked my peers anyway. I care about peoples feelings in general, but I could care less what the people that are lame, small-minded, or just don't matter think. I say a lot of things {mean things that is} that I don't mean, but sometimes I actually do. I will say I am a bit of a nerd {oh well} but I am completely content. I am also a fat kid at heart because I love snacks!!!! But that is part of where my interest for food and cooking comes from. I like to analyze meals at restaurants and I get excited when I see a technique I learned in a class. That's just me. Anyways enough about me...this blog is about my life what I do how I think...and how its affect her life what she does and who she is...by her I mean self or in my case Eye...because that is me.

I can honestly say I have been blessed with wonderful opportunities that many only get to dream about at such a young age. First off, I'm attending my first choice college which has its ups and downs {downs being its cost}. Aside from that I spent my summer as well as fall working with very remarkable chefs in the industry. I got some first hand experience in the culinary field and I have come to the conclusion that it is a ton and some of work. However, i want this forever so I will strive for it. I have also decided that I would love to be my own boss, because it has its benefits. I would also love to work under some more greats in the industry. I want to go to places like Vegas, NYC, Hawaii...I need to know everything about this cooking thing that I can. And I have to do it while I am still young. I will admit I am nervous about what God has in store for my future...but I am not fearful.

Next fall, I will be transferring to another campus to finish out junior and senior years of school. I am not really excited about graduating in the fall because I will only be halfway to where I want to be. Someone once told me that it is important to be focus more on tomorrow rather than today. In a restaurant and many other food service establishments you prep for the next day. The same should be done in life. If you prep for tomorrow you wont have to worry about it stressing you out and not being prepared in time. Eyeluvsit!!

With that being said tomorrow and each day after that I need a job. I need to be able to support myself at least a little. I am tired of being a burden to others..its just not cool. After thinking about it, the perfect job for me would be being a nanny or just cooking for someone right now. I have early classes, so this is good for my schedule because I can take care of kids if I need to. If not a nanny something like a personal chef, because I can cook and I know some people have busy schedules and cooking usually isn't on their list of priorities although eating is. I need to network and find potential clients I imagine and this will take more thinking, but I think, I know rather this is possible. I will work it out though.

So its Thursday afternoon, that means it is the weekend for me. I wont be doing much though. Some schoolwork mainly. I am helping my instructor prep for class so that is good. I am really excited about dinner tonight because I am trying something new. I recently discovered that a burger with blue cheese and a honey-dijon spread has an amazing taste. I would love to add more flavors to the burger so I will try caramelized apples and bacon on the burger as well. The combination is interesting which makes me want to try it. I am learning that with cooking it is important to keep and open mind. Things turn out different that what is expected sometimes. Who knows what will happen? I sure don't but I'm curious. I will be sure to keep you updated. Tata for now!! love, peace and cupcakes and welcome to the start of something delightful.