Hey Everybody!! Hope yalls summers are going well. It is another burner at the Balcony Restaurant in here in Eureka Springs. I am still not in the kitchen much just helping the line when they need help in rush periods when I am running food or manager on duty. I have been working being the bar and I have learned how to make of the best margaritas I have ever had. I also will be helping rewrite the menu over here as well. It has been a busy and crazy past few weeks, let just say two days off a week sometimes isn't enough. I also learned how to make a Mojito tonight as well. I can't believe that I have just a few more weeks left at my internship. If yall are ever in Eureka for the day or weekend come see me at the Balcony Restaurant on the first floor of the Basin Park Hotel. We have the best burger and margaritas in Eureka Springs!

I have started my management training at the Balcony Restaurant. I have been working some long hours but I am having a blast managing, bar tending, and helping my co-workers. Today was a great day and I think it really helped me gain their respect that much more today. Enough of that, I haven't been able to get in the kitchen at the Balcony but I have been cooking in my free time. Last week, I made a Crawfish Fettuccine, and yesterday for my 22nd birthday I grilled some Kansas City Strip steaks for a perfect medium rare. For the 4th of July, I cooked the fettuccine for my in-laws. They are not big seafood eaters, and they loved each and every bite of it so that me feel good and my head grew a little bigger. Then last night I kept the steaks simple salt and pepper on each side and put on the grill. I got some grill marks on each side and let them cook to a perfect medium rare. At first when I was going to pull them off of the grill, I pressed on the meat to test the toughness and then after I let them rest for a few minutes I used a thermometer to make sure they were done perfectly.

Crawfish Fettuccine

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 pound peeled crawfish tails
• 1 (8 ounce) package processed cheese food
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 pound dry fettuccine pasta
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic in butter until onions are tender. Stir in flour, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in crawfish. Cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often.
2. Stir in the processed cheese, half-and-half, Cajun seasonings, and cayenne pepper. Cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Stir noodles into crawfish mixture; pour into prepared dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Link:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/crawfish-fettuccine-i/Detail.aspx

Alright, work at the Balcony is crazy but fun so I have not been able to work in the kitchen as much. As part of my internship I have been serving in the front of the house but at a recent wedding reception I was asked help with plate up for the reception. There were three different plates a beef, chicken, and a trout dish. Each of those dishes had some sauteed vegetables of carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. The beef dish was a barbecue brisket. The chicken was a chicken mornay which is a grilled chicken breast with Alfredo sauce and sauteed mushrooms and onions. I helped plate the chicken and beef dishes so I did not get to see what was on the trout dish. For the kids there was a simple plate of chicken tenders with fries. After everything was plated up, I got ready to work the reception. There were little kids running around everywhere and I was greatly surprised that nothing was broken or spilled during the night.

Today, during my shift I went to the kitchen and made a burger for lunch. I saw a recipe one time called a Miami Burger. The burger is basically a Cuban sandwich but on a burger. It had a garlic mayonnaise, turkey, ham, swiss, and pickles along with a beef patty. It was all served on a kaiser roll.

Miami Burger

1 - 1/3 Pound Beef Patty

2 - Slices of Swiss Cheese

2 oz. - Smoked Ham

2 oz. - Smoked Turkey

1 - Kaiser Roll

2 tbsp - Mayonnaise

1 tbsp - Minced Garlic

Cook the patty to the desired temperature on the grill. Once the patty is cooked to temperature add the cheese to the patty to melt. While that is melting, take the turkey and ham and warm on the flat top or frying pan. While the cheese is melting take the kaiser roll and toast in the oven, or flat top. Once everything is cooked take the mayonnaise and the garlic and mix together. Assemble the burger anyway that you would like and enjoy the burger.

SIMPLE CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE GUMBO

• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup flour
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 4 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 quarts chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large chicken (young hen preferred), cut into pieces
• 2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 bunch scallions (green onions), tops only, chopped
• 2/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
• Filé powder to taste

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning and brown quickly. Brown the sausage, pour off fat and reserve meats.

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to high heat (depending on your roux-making skill), stirring constantly, until the roux reaches a dark reddish-brown color, almost the color of coffee or milk chocolate for a Cajun-style roux. If you want to save time, or prefer a more New Orleans-style roux, cook it to a medium, peanut-butter color, over lower heat if you're nervous about burning it.

Add the vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also stops the roux from cooking further. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.

Add the stock, seasonings, chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.

Add the chopped scallion tops and parsley, and heat for 5 minutes. Serve over rice in large shallow bowls. Accompany with a good beer and lots of hot, crispy French bread.

YIELD: About 12 entrée sized servings.

Link: http://www.gumbopages.com/food/soups/chixsaus-gumbo.html

Here is the recipe for the chicken and sausage gumbo that I made while working in the kitchen. I would have pictures but the camera on my phone broke and I do not have a working digital camera right now as well.

Gumbo Update

Today, I made my chicken and sausage gumbo. The recipe said it made twelve entree servings so I quadrupled the recipe to for use on the line for later this weekend. I started out making "the holy trinity", by chopping my onions, green bell peppers, and celery which is a staple in Cajun and Creole dishes. Following that I chopped chicken breast into bite size pieces. I began by combining my flour and oil to began making my roux. The roux took a while to come to form but it turned out perfectly. When cooking it began to smell like burnt popcorn or as one person said burnt tortilla chips. The color of the finished roux was the color of coffee with cream or milk chocolate. Making the roux was the hardest part of the gumbo because you had to constantly stir the roux so that it would not burn on the bottom of the pot. After the roux was complete I had the vegetables to roux to help soft them up. Also by adding the vegetables it helped stop the roux from cooking. After adding the vegetables, I had to continually stir that as well. After the vegetables had cooked for awhile I added chicken stock and the sausage. While that was being brought to a boil I added the andouille sausage. After that I took my chicken and seasoned with salt, pepper, and Tony Chacheres. I cooked that throughly and added to the gumbo. After that cooked a few more minutes, I added the gumbo file, okra, and scallions. I let that cook for a few more minutes and it was finished. Everyone in the kitchen loved the taste of the gumbo. It was a great second try on gumbo.

Basin Park Hotel-Balcony Restaurant

Alright guys, I am performing my 45 hours of prep work at the Basin Park Hotel-Balcony Restaurant. I have already began working my prep hours. This week I have help make a couple of different items and also on top of that working on the line as well. I have been slicing and dicing vegetables ranging from tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and lettuce. I have learned to try and use every part the vegetable that you are cutting up, such as using the tops and bottoms of the tomato by cutting around the core to help use in a pico de gallo. I have helped make crab cakes, and many other dishes that are on the Balcony Restaurant menu. Earlier in the week when chopping up the potatoes I helped make a corn chowder for the line the next day. Today, I made ranch dressing with ingredients including buttermilk, mayonnaise, and ranch seasoning. Tomorrow, I will be making a chicken and sausage gumbo using a dark roux base. I can't wait for another try at making gumbo again, since the last time I made it, it turned out wrong. When working on the line I have been working the fryer station. I have been dropping french fries, onion rings, hot wings, egg rolls, and chicken strips left and right especially on Friday and Saturday. This first week not only has been a learning experience but fun. I learned a lot and hoping to continue to learn a lot more. One of my projects for my internship this summer that will correlate over to this class is helping rewrite the restaurant menu and the banquet menu at the Balcony Restaurant and Basin Park Hotel. I look to seeing what I am come up with a see if it will work. If you are near or around Eureka Springs this summer come see me at the Balcony Restaurant and enjoy some of our delicious food. Happy Memorial Day to everyone!!

Lonnie Terrell

Hello, my name is Lonnie Terrell. I am from Denham Springs, LA which is right next to Baton Rouge, LA. I am a senior at the University of Arkansas majoring in Hospitality and Hotel Management. Also, I am the current Hospitality Club Vice-President as well. I never imagined I would be where I am today going to the University of Arkansas but I have never been happier. Even though I am still a Bayou Bengal!

I am football fanatic from high school, college, and professional. I enjoy playing video games from sports games to Call of Duty. I love cooking in my free time, by trying out different recipes, and trying new foods. I love cooking Cajun and Creole recipes. My favorite dish is Crawfish Etouffee.

I am currently a Food & Beverage intern at the 1905 Basin Park Hotel/1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa in Eureka Springs, AR. I have worked at Pinnacle Country Club for the past year as a waiter. Before that, I worked at Sea World in Orlando, for a week over Spring Break. Then before that I worked for my grandfather at the Rubber House of Baton Rouge, making hydraulic hoses, gaskets, and industrial hoses for a year and a half. I am a hardcore LSU fan but have grown to pull for the Hogs as long as they are not playing LSU. I have been engaged almost a year and half and am getting married next June. I love playing golf when I get the chance even though I am not great at it.