Advanced Foods Course Feature

This past semester at NYU I took the Advanced Foods course, and during the class I learned about a variety of new cooking techniques across all different categories of food. This class was a ton of fun, even with masks on the entire time, and I wanted to feature some of my favorite class creations on here.

Vegetable Week: Charred Brussel Sprout Leaves, Vegan Ceviche, Honey Roasted Carrots, and Beet & Pine Nut Tartare

This was the first week of the class, and it was all about vegetables. It was exciting to see how creative plant based cooking can be, and even if a dish didn’t taste exactly like a regular meat dish, it was so delicious in its own way.

Plant Based Week: Massaman Curry with homemade Seitan, Eggplant, Potato, Red Pepper, and a rich spiced peanut sauce

Another plant based dish that blew me away was this Massaman Curry dish from the vegan week. I didn’t love the homemade Seitan but all of the other vegetables were delicious and the sauce tasted so flavorful for only simmering for about an hour. I’m eager to make this dish again!

Bread & Pasta Week: M’Smen Bread with Olive Oil, Sea Salt, and Parsley

Bread & Pasta Week: Homemade Gnocchi with Simmered Tomato Sauce, Parm, and Basil

Each week looks better than the next, but this gnocchi was over the top. I have to give myself credit since I made the tomato sauce and my class absolutely loved it. I didn’t take part in making the thin pan bread called M’Smen but it was amazing and tasted like a cross between naan bread and pita. So light and delicious.

Piping Week: Italian Buttercream Piped Cupcakes

This week was probably the most exciting for me because I had never piped icing before. It was tricky at first but so fun to practice and get better throughout the course of the session. We piped pretty pink flowers and holiday wreaths, and we learned all of this from Seyun, the owner of Rice and Flower cake design shop in NYC.

Final Exam: Soba Noodles with Spicy Tahini Sauce and Crispy Tofu, and Vegetable Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Last but not least, our final exam week was conducted a few days prior to thanksgiving. This class was fun but also nerve-racking since we had to create our own menu, purchase our own ingredients, work entirely independently, and present our meal to our teacher. I received a one hundred percent on my meal presentation and loved the way it turned out.

This is a mandatory class for food studies majors at NYU and has been one of my favorite thus far. Cheers to a difficult yet rewarding fall semester :)

with love ♥️,

Sydney