Ritz-Carlton Chefs on Hand for Demonstration

On the morning of December 18, all of us at Café Reconcile were treated to a demonstration by six chefs from the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans.  Executive Chef Mat Murphy, a longtime supporter of Reconcile, brought his entire team to dazzle students and staff with their knowledge, skill and passion. 

The chefs started their demonstration by talking about their own personal experiences in the culinary industry and how many of them started in the kitchen as dishwashers, taking advantage of opportunities to work their way up and learn new skills in the kitchen.  They also introduced terms and techniques related to fine dining that will benefit students who hope to work in a kitchen like the Ritz-Carlton’s.

The chefs planned two demonstrations, one entrée and one dessert.  The entrée was Blackened Redfish over Crabmeat and Crawfish Risotto.  As Chef Norman prepared the Redfish he talked about the best way to cook a piece a fish and how to present the finished product in the most attractive way.  Moving on to the risotto, the chefs described how things are cooked in a large kitchen and the steps they take to make sure their dishes are of the highest quality. 

The dessert was a Strawberry Panna Cotta.  Panna Cotta is similar to custard and literally means “cooked cream” in Italian.  It is a mixture of cream, a flavoring of your choice, and gelatin.  Chef Thomas taught the students how to work with gelatin, and how it can create some amazing desserts. 

We would like to thank Chef Mat and his entire staff from the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans for their delicious demonstrations and their strong support of our mission to build hope and change lives!