This was a very different episode of Restaurant Impossible. Robert went to a school that runs it's own cafe. It's done by students in their culinary arts program. Lack of funding and revenue is really hurting the program. Can Robert make some chances that will help bring more income into the cafe, and thus more students into the program?
Wildcat Cafe | Click here for the cafe website
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Problems Robert Had to Address
1. Broken equipment
2. No profit being made to put back into the program
3. Student with poor knife skills
4. Ugly dinning room
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Lesson for Home
Having proper knives skills can really help you in your kitchen. But they aren't always easy to come by. It takes a lot of practice to do what chefs make look easy on TV all the time. If you want to learn about knife skills I recommend watching the Good Eats episode - American Slicer - where Alton Brown gives a half hour presentation on knives and how to use them.
The Recipes
Ratatouille | Click here for the recipe
A dish packed full of fresh vegetables and herbs.
Coriander and Mustard Seed Crusted Salmon| Click here for the recipe
A salmon with a crust of panko bread crumbs, mustard seed, coriander, served with a creamy sauce with watercress.
Bechamel Mac and Cheese | Click here for the recipe
I am sure this is better than the mac & cheese you find in most school cafeterias. It is made with milk, chicken stock, cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses.
Follow-Up
Would have been really sad if this place closed. The students are still hard at work. They have their menu posted online and they are still using many of Chef Robert's creations. They are open Wed.,Thurs., and Fri., from 11am to 1pm when school is in session. They also have special dinners once month that you can make reservations for. I hope they can keep this thing going for many years to come. You don't find many schools with a program like this. It's real big win for the students that attend there.
Want to find out when I post my next RI follow-up. Make sure to follow me on Twitter.
If you want more Robert Irvine recipes, here are some of his available cookbooks:
This cookbook contains 111 recipes many with complete timelimes and several that are gluten free. An example of the kind of recipes you will find are Lime-Cured Shrimp and Roasted Corn Chowder, Porcini-Dusted Pork Chops with Cremini Mushrooms and Golden Raisins over Horseradish-Scented Potatoes.
In this book Robert shares his personal stories (including cooking for First Lady Laura Bush) and cooking philosophy. There are also recipes to be had like Black Angus Beef Tartare with Toasted Brioche and Fried Quail Egg, Roasted Duck with White Bean Ragout.
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