Jack Burke

Sensory Results

Both dishes this past week were very appealing “sensory-wise”, with each having distinct tastes, textures, and looks. Despite both dishes having similar color palettes, I tried my best to distinguish each dish by playing around with their final garnishes.

Our amuse bouche had a nice texture to it, with a slight crisp on the crust. However, the flavor definitely lacked enough seasoning. Our soup was excellent, with a nice sweet flavor, and then a subtle heat that came afterwards. Finally, our squash steak and cauliflower rice was excellent with the different textures of the bright, citrusy rice, the warm and smoky squash, and the crispiness of the toasted seeds and charred sage.

Evaluation of Techniques

Our technique this week, pureeing, seemed to work extremely well being that the soup had such a nice consistency thanks to the blender rather than the immersion blender. According to Kelli Foster at The Kitchn, “… stand blenders have a leg up on immersion blenders in that they’re simply more powerful. That means they create creamier purées and smoother soups, sauces, and dips, ” (Kelli Foster 2016).

I think that next time, I would like to pay more attention to seasoning for the various vegetables, because I feel that seasoning was the biggest improvement I could have made overall for each dish to have a brighter, more remembered flavor.

Conclusion

Overall, I would say that each dish this week was a success, with particularly the technique of pureeing being a huge success. My one improvement as mentioned before would be to work on paying closer attention to seasoning the dish. Seasoning is all about empowering the meal, and “to bring out the best in the food,” (Stonesoup 2025).

I do feel that our group worked extremely well together, we executed our plan of work very well, and our one thing to work on for the upcoming week will be better “in-the-moment” communication.

Works Cited

The Kitchn. (n.d.). When to use a stand blender vs. an immersion blender. Retrieved September 1, 2025, from https://www.thekitchn.com/when-to-use-a-stand-blender-vs-an-immersion-blender-229281

Clancy, J. (2010, June 24). The absolute beginners guide to the art of seasoning. Stone Soup. https://thestonesoup.com/blog/2010/06/24/the-absolute-beginners-guide-to-the-art-of-seasoning-5-ingredients-10-minutes/