Foundations: Week Four

My fourth week in the Culinary Foundations program at PICA highlighted the critical role that greens, cold sauces, vinaigrettes, and herbs and spices play in a dish, culminating in our first cook-off. We identified and prepared various greens, crafted emulsified dressings, and developed our understanding of the fundamentals of vegetable cookery. The week also highlighted the use of herbs and spices to build complex layers of flavours, prominent in dishes like Moroccan lamb tagine. The cook-off tested our ability to apply all the skills we had learned—from timing and organization to plating and flavour balance—in a fast-paced, practical setting. This week also emphasized how individual components build off each other to create a balanced dish.