Market Basket Day Tips Please!

[Sussan ScoolinaryTeam]

Hi Adam.

When I was studying culinary arts, we used to call it the “mystery box.” It usually consisted of vegetables, proteins, and some type of dairy (cheese, milk, etc.) or liquor.

What I learned was that I needed to have three mother sauces memorized—one that could work with fish, beef, or chicken so I wouldn’t waste time deciding which sauce to make. Although you don’t always have all the ingredients for a base sauce in this type of exam, with knowledge, you can improvise and get close to an acceptable sauce.

Next, I had to be clear on which side dishes could pair with any type of meat. Roasted vegetables, vegetable purée, or ratatouille are great options for those moments.

If you have good skills and knowledge of grilling, beef, chicken, or fish can be cooked without any issues. Otherwise, go for simpler cooking methods like braising, frying, or roasting.

These exams are known for showcasing your creativity and speed in the kitchen.

Good luck with your exam!.

[Sol Damiani]

I love to be a witness of this conversation. 😊

Thanks for helping our partner, Su. Let’s bring our dear @Enzo.ryan.finney & @orsolya-csernak to this thread to see if they have any other advice.

[Sol Damiani]

Of course, please tell us how it went, Adam😉

[Adam Julian Redoblado]

Sure thing. I’ll keep you posted after our midterms is finished.

[Sol Damiani]

👍 Wishing you the best!

[Ryan Finney]

Hey Adam. I had a mystery basket for my culinary school final. I’ll try to keep my advice simple. Don’t try to do too much. Self edit and keep a focused, cohesive dish in mind. Don’t rely on any techniques you’re not comfortable with and worry about which ones to use when you get your basket. Note which ingredients are easiest to transform into a sauce or side with minimal cooking or production. Keep in mind how long all your methods take before you commit to a plan or idea. Whatever you decide to cook, do what takes longest and whatever you can knock out that can rest until plating first. Don’t worry about impressing your instructor, worry about the ingredients and making them shine. Remember to build and layer flavors. Everything on the plate should be there for a reason, if something doesn’t really fit, scrap it. Taste and taste again. A great sauce can make a dish but it can’t hide poorly cooked food. Balance fat and acid. Taste one more time. Pinch of salt? Okay it’s perfect. And we know you’ll make it look great! A+!!! Good luck bro!

[Sol Damiani]

I’m possitive Adam will be very grateful for this 😊

Thanks, my friend

[Orsolya Csernák]

Hi Adam,

We had “4 ingredient baskets” at the culinary exam in my school. Each basket had a variety of ingredients, and we had to prepare four 4-course menus per basket, write down all the recipes, and illustrate them with our own pictures.

Scoolinary helped me a lot in my preparation, from plating to learning techniques. The courses that were especially useful to me were: Basic Stocks and Broths, Plating Techniques, Olive Oil, Basic Sauces… and there was a French chef explaining chicken preparation, though I can’t remember which course that was.

A side effect was that I became more and more interested in other courses, so I ended up learning all the available Italian courses, the American Hamburgers course, and much more.

Every course added something valuable to my exam preparation.

Good Luck, Adam 🙂🙂

[Sol Damiani]

Thank you so much, Orsi! I shared your lovely comment with the entire Scoolinary Team, and they are so happy to know that we’ve been a day-to-day companion of yours.💖

[Orsolya Csernák]

❤😌 It is all true, @Sol!! And remember that I have just started the Pastry Chef course… a new school year 😌

[Sol Damiani]

I do remember! There’s an upcoming Bachour Course that I’m sure will blow your mind!

[Ryan Finney]

Just something I thought of later, I’m not sure what it’s like at your school but I made sure I got all the pots, pans and tools I needed immediately. It was a little cut throat in my kitchen!😄