Mango Cakes, Lobsters, "Pac Man" Meat Pie

Yesterday in cuisine practical, we made a puff pastry pie stuffed with shredded guinea fowl meat, hearts and lamb sweetbreads.  Not at all my cup of tea, but very French.  Instead of making a huge loaf, I made a mini pie, then cut out a wedge so that the layers would show.  What I meant to have look like a cake ended up bearing a striking resemblance to PacMan.  They must not have the game here, because Chef didn't say anything negative about it.

This morning in pastry, we made mango raspberry log cakes.  They were pretty easy to make and put together and we had a wonderfully relaxing class.

Later in the afternoon, I had another cuisine practical, this time with a lobster dish.  The chef made terrines with lobster and vegetables and I got in a very creative mood and did a deconstructed dish.  I made a carrot puree instead of slices, then I made a burnt sugar crust on top of it.  After that, I julienned leeks and daikon radish.  I presented the vegetables in varying sized ring molds, and put them next to a few lobster medallions.  I was very proud of my plate, but Chef thought I went a little too crazy, completely abandoning the recipe.  I guess I will have to find a happy medium in the next cuisine practical.

The weather has been so nice that Katherine and I have being going on walks AND sitting outside in a park during some of our school breaks.  Hopefully it will keep up so I can finally get rid of my pasty Parisian complexion.  

What's With RollerBlading?

I had really awesome rollerblades back in middle school.  Black with teal and peach accents, they were hot; with all the gear to match.  Like most things from middle school, they are no longer essential fixtures in my life.  People in Paris have NOT moved passed rollerblading.  Yesterday, I witnessed my second rollerblading race.  These races close down entire streets; some people seem competitive, some have strollers, some are in costumes.  I have no idea what they're doing or why.  But I'm very intrigued.  Does anyone know what's going on with the rollerbladers?

Saturday Morning Creole Cake

My classmates and I dragged ourselves to school at 8 this morning to make a Creole cake.  This one wasn't one of my favorites to make because we didn't do anything we haven't already done.  I do love the flavors though.  Syrup flavored with pineapple juice and Malibu rum?  Count me in!  

When I got to school and changed, I headed into the "Winter Garden" lounge area where students congregate between classes.  I noticed a huge table set up with glasses, mugs and carafes of fresh OJ and coffee.  I was joyed at how nice the school was, giving us coffee for coming in on a Saturday morning.  Then I noticed the DO NOT TOUCH sign.  Another espresso from the vending machine.  

Above - a picture of my Creole cake (I know, the decoration is a little uninspired), a picture of my fish pie plating from yesterday, the forbidden coffee from this morning, and of chef Therrien whipping up a beet mousse.

First Few Classes Of Superior!!!

This week was my first week in Superior, the top level at Le Cordon Bleu.  There is no longer a translator and my French is still horrible, so I was very nervous about following the chefs' demonstrations.  

During the first demo on Monday, the chef lectured a bit about how serious we need to be, etc.  I understood very little and panicked that I was making a huge mistake taking classes I would never be able to understand.  After I calmed down and the chef began the lesson, I realized I understood a lot more than I thought I would.  The demos also run a lot faster and more seamlessly when there isn't a translator slowing down the chef. 

I was amazed at the differences is the dishes we are making.  Goodbye rustic stews and meat stuffed with more meat, hello fusion cuisine.  On Monday we experimented with Indian-French fusion and made John Dory fillets with tandoori , wild rice and a tropical fruit salsa.  In our next cuisine class, we made lamb chops with a truffled bechamel coating and we used purple potatoes to make crisps.  For pastry classes, we have made the more traditional Baba Rhum.  It is a simple cake soaked for a long time in rum syrup, then garnished with a rum-flavored custard.  The assemble is tricky since the soaking cake is heavy and can crumble easily.  

In our practicals, we are getting a lot more freedom to be creative with our plating and presentation.  I have been loving it and trying a lot of new things.  I make an effort to present at least one extra sauce or garnish with every dish.  Chef was very pleased when I made a mango-papaya-cilantro smoothie to accompany the tandoori fish.  Unfortunately, I have forgotten my camera for the past few days, but I am trying to remember tomorrow, and for my class Saturday morning.  

Sweet Dreams!

Montmartre, Bar Hopping in the 1st

Last Tuesday, Chris and I set off walking all the way to Sacre Coeur.  It was a great walk and we really worked up an appetite, so we treated ourselves to an afternoon apertif and some delicious escargot at Chez Plumeau, in Montmartre.  Next we headed to Espace Dali, one of my favorite museums in Paris.  I expected to love Dali's Don Quixote works, but I liked his Alice in Wonderland series even more.  The descriptions of Dali's life and thoughts behind his masterpieces were very informative (and in English!) and the gallery even had a few pieces for sale.  

After Dali, we took a stroll back down through the 1st, looking in all the windows of the fancy boutiques.  We eventually found Willi's Wine Bar, a famous haunt for Americans.  We were unimpressed with the decor, the uncomfortable bar stools and the awkward quiet of the place.  We WERE impressed by the expansive, and not too expensive, wine list.  

Next we stumbled upon a bar called Le Nomad, a very cozy and welcoming place with a kind of safari theme.  The Hemingway vibe made us crave the Ritz's Hemingway Bar, so we went off on a mad search.

Once we got to the Hemingway Bar, we found two seats at the end of the bar.  Luckily, we got the attention of the famous head bartender Colin Field.  He was extremely helpful all night.  He is known for being able to read people and know what kind of cocktail they might get.  He got us both dead on for several rounds, anticipating perfect cocktails and dreaming up fanciful concoctions.  All the while, he kept us entertained with his vast Hemingway knowledge.  This was by far, the greatest bar I have ever visited.  

Cheers!

Above is a picture of us in Montmartre and another of the view of the rest of the city.

Dinner at L'Atelier; Quite an Experience

On Wednesday night, Chris and I decided to try the culinary MUST, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon.  They only take reservations at 6:30 so we braced ourselves for a wait at the bar of the Hotel Pont Royal (the restaurant is run out of the hotel).  The restaurant is a basically a huge bar, set up around an elegantly modern open kitchen.  After a pretty miserable 2 and a half hour wait, we were seated, and starving.  I had been dreaming of the discovery menu for months, so we decided on that, along with a few wine pairings.  We had course after course of decadent and interesting treats.  One of our favorites was the asparagus cappuccino, which was deliciously foamy.  

A great culinary adventure, but if I go again, I think I will just stick with an unfashionable 6:30 reservation.  

Sunning and Relaxing in Champagne

On Thursday morning, Chris and I rented another car and headed to the Champagne region, armed with a few tour reservations and a list of other Champagne houses to investigate.  The area was even more picturesque than we had imagined; lots of rolling hills covered in vines and chateaus.  We got to our hotel and were greeted with Champagne and Madeleines.  Then we headed to our room, which overlooked the vineyards of Moet and Chandon and had views of Reims and Epernay.  Our porch was perfect for sunset vistas so we cancelled any tours we had planned that afternoon and enjoyed some relaxation in the sun.  

Although we toured town a bit, our favorite thing to do in Champagne was leisurely drive through the country and enjoy the scenery.  The concierge at the hotel insisted that it is even more beautiful in summer and fall and we will have to come back.

We learned a few new favorite brands of Champagne, including Champagne Guy Charlemagne's Mesnillesime.  The ladies at Les Caves des Filles were incredibly knowledgeable and helped us pick up a few souvenirs for our return to Paris.  

Cheers! 

Note - I can't take credit for any pictures from our week in France; Chris was our photographer.