Day 14 Le Cordon Bleu Paris

Meats Meats Meats!!! Any one who knows me knows that I love steak, stews, and almost anything with red meat. My attention was piqued all day, as were my senses, as we received 2 demos filled with classic French red meat dishes.

Our first demo delved into "Roasted Sirloin Fillet" served with puréed potatoes. It was a very simple yet flavorful dish using a center sirloin. The potatoes are nothing more than the typical mashed potatoes made the Le Cordon Bleu way (laboriously). The Chef also prepared a "Beef with Onions and Carrots". Additionally, we were shown how to marinade the meat for the famous "Boef Bourguignonne".

Following the demo, we broke for lunch followed by the practical. Our first task was to prepare the meat and marinade for the "Beef Burgundy" so that it could marinade overnight for our practical tomorrow where we will actually prepare the dish. Next came the "Roasted Sirloin Fillet and Potatoes". This was probably the simplest dish yet. The procedures and ingredients were small in number and the cooking time was short for the desired rare sirloin. We were all done in record time, leaving us with a nice long break before the next practical.

During any break, the only place to gather at school is the Jardin d'hiver or winter garden. A very flowery description for a few tables and chairs in a tile floored room. So, it was a nice time to relax and socialize with the mates. This is also a very strategic place to wait for the pastry students to come down from the kitchen with their sweets, tarts, pastries, cakes, chocolates, etc...There is a community table where students leave food that they do not want. We were eyeing this table very closely when suddenly 2 pastry students unloaded their cakes on the table. We pounced on it.

Wen Bo and Kelsey when the cake arrived

After a few too many bites

It was time for the 3rd session of the day. The Boef Bouguignonne demo. It was the classic method akin to the recipe found in Julia Child's Mastering Book. I had made this dish just a month before coming to Paris. The Chef stressed that a really good B.B. is cooked for at least 3 hours, placed in the fridge for about 2 days before it is eaten. I can attest to that remembering that mine improved day by day. Lots of tasks for this dish. The Chef also made a "Prime rib of beef with red wine sauce" served with "tomato provençale. This dish was excellent but HIGHLY unhealthy. We devoured it nonetheless. What you see in the picture below on top of the meat is poached bone marrow which was reduced in the red wine sauce topped with a glob of butter dipped in salt and chopped parsley! When placed on the hot meat, the marrow and butter slowly seep into the meat. It was a cholesterol injection.  Wen Bo had by now overcome his cake eating guilt and dove right in for the prized portion of the prime rib...the chef's "manchonner" of the bone. It's difficult not to photograph Wen Bo because he is this lovable guy whose passion for food is so pure. He is truly a joy to watch. His laid back attitude and smiley face have quickly won over everyone in our group.

Prime Rib with Red wine sauce and tomato provencal

BB

3rd Weekend Off

SATURDAY

Dinner at Il Gusto Sardo

It was a great weekend for socializing despite the intermittent drizzle. On Saturday night Julia and her husband Steve invited a few of us for a very welcomed Italian meal at il gusto SARDO, a great little restaurant in the 16th Arrondissement. It was a nice change to see one another in regular clothes after almost 3 weeks of looking at each other in white. Besides Steve and Julia, the group consisted of the inseparable Asian contingent (Jennifer, Yuka, and Kelsey),  Alan, Will, and myself. As any other like-minded group, every

conversation regardless of topic would eventually morph into a Cordon Bleu story. Poor Steve was a good sport taking in an earful of our stories the entire night. We ordered 8 plates of various meat plates, and salads for Antipasti and shared them family style. Then for the main course we were presented with an array of pastas of all shapes and colors. I had a black pasta dish with shrimp and tomatoes pictured to the right. It was delicious! Classic Italian desserts followed for I Dolci. The wine of choice for the night, selected by Steve, was a Chianti Classico with the trademark rooster label. It was truly a feast. What a nice way to celebrate the mid-point of our time in Paris. Thanks Steve and Julia for a wonderful night.

A good thing must not end. So, we all took the metro and came over to my place for a little more wine and of course more LCB stories. We managed a quick photo shoot in the Metro as the train pulled in to the station. It would be easy to underestimate these innocently pretty faces, but collectively they pack an impressive resume. Represented here is an MBA from Cornell, Statistics major from Berkley, Finance major from USC, and a Systems Engineer from Japan. WOW! And they can cook too :)

The Girls at the Metro

SUNDAY

On Sunday, Alan, determined to have a Holiday meal, invited a bunch of us to his apartment in the 6th Arr. for a belated Thanksgiving meal. He spent most of Saturday buying and prepping a turkey and hunting down ingredients for the side dishes. Finding some of the traditional ingredients in Paris proved to be challenging. We all brought some breads, cheeses, and wine to add to the loot. Sjoerd, Who had just dropped Jayne off at the train station, was able to join us as well. He was like the Senior star dropping in to impart his wisdom to the Freshmen.

Apps

The Big Guy proudly posing by his spread before

being run down by the mob

The big guy Chef Alan assisted by Chef Will put together a very impressive feast. We were wowing the entire night. This Thanksgiving meal rivaled any past Thanksgiving meal I have ever had. The guys put together a Turkey, 2 kinds of stuffing, mac and cheese, gravy, spinach, and a pumpkin pie. Excellent! We were ALL impressed and very satiated. Steve even got the skin. I'll spare the rhetoric because the pictures capture the night more accurately. Thanks Alan and Will for hosting this event and all of your effort.

Jorge showing how it's done in Peru

Steve, Julia, Jorge, Will, Me, Kelsey, Jennifer, Sjoerd, and Eduardo.Picture taken by the Big Guy himself

What a great weekend. Isn't it amazing that none of us knew one another 3 weeks ago!

Day 13 Le Cordon Bleu Paris

Today began like most days at Le Commerce Brasserie on the corner of Rue Vaugirard and Rue D'alleray. This is the favorite hangout for the LCB students. I stop here every morning to get my espresso and read the NY Times on my Iphone before school begins (although, I don't get much reading done because there is always someone interesting to talk with) I can usually spot Sjoerd here for a quick chat. Throughout the day, students can be found here unwinding during their breaks with fellow classmates over their favorite beverage. It's a nice social hub where I have also met several students who are not in my class. I am constantly impressed with the caliber and depth of the LCB students. Some very accomplished and established people makeup the typical profile of an LCB class.

Today was class picture day. We were told to arrive with clean uniforms like good little boys and girls. So many facets of this experience bring back childhood memories of being in school. Here's the group:

Intensive Basic Cuisine Nov-Dec 2009

Shortly after, we met for a demo. Not only was it class picture day, but we also received a report card. The grades are a little meaningless and very subjective. Today's demo consisted of 3 different fish dishes (Salmon, Sole, and brill) Since brill was not available, sole was substituted in its place. Each dish had a different sauce. I am into the sauce making so this was another great batch of sauces to add to my repertoire.

The first sauce was a green sauce with a mayonnaise base. The mayonnaise was made classically by whipping mustard, eggs, salt and pepper and then adding oil while whisking for the emulsion. The green color came from blanching a mixture of chervil, parsley, watercress, tarragon and spinach then draining dry, blending in a blender, and then reducing on heat. Some of the juice and particles were then blended with the mayo. Nice!

The next sauce was made with fish stock reduced then cream was added to thicken. Then the reduced liquid was placed in a blender, sorrel was added to blend giving it a green color, and thickened with cold butter in the blender. This was used with the salmon which was cut escalloped and then sauteed in oil. Yum!

Finally, the sauce I had to cook in the ensuing practical, was a mixture of reduced fish stock, onions, shallots, and tomatoes in which the sole was baked. The juice was then reduced and liaisoned with butter. Finely chopped parsley was added just before serving. Another delicious sauce. Here are 2 of the chef's dishes.

Escalloped Salmon with Sorrel Sauce

Goujonnetes de sole, sauce verte

It was a full 3 hour demo leaving little time to set up for the practical. This was my last session as an assistant, so I was happy to just get this day behind me. Kelsey and I managed to pull it off with help from Wen Bo, Yuka, and Julia. That Friday- afternoon-the-weekend-is-almost-here mood was in the air. Everyone was a little punchy. So, we all began working on our soles, cutting out the 4 fillets, skinning, and using the leftover carcass to make a fumet de poisson for our sauce. I got the fish stock going by sweating some chopped vegetables, bouquet garni, deglazed with white wine, then water and carcass added. Then it was time for the dreaded potato turning. They love "turning" their vegetables here. It's tough to do, but I think we're all starting to get it. Finally I baked the fish in a bed of onions, shallots, tomatoes and the fish stock. The juices were later used to make the sauce which was reduced with, you guessed it, butter! That's me above  checking the final seasoning before adding some chopped parsley to my sauce. It came out well. I was very happy with my dish. Kelsey and I celebrated the end of our reign as class assistants and gladly handed the mantle to Eduardo and Flavia.

 My plate is pictured below. I have to ask, is there anything more unappetizing looking as these naked sad looking potatoes? That's how they want it. I don't get this obsession with turning the vegetables! Another peculiarity is the use of only white pepper because the presence of black pepper speckles on a dish is considered a culinary sin! I actually like the speckles. So, I just wanted to explain the barren look of some of these dishes. It's not my lack of imagination, it's how the Chefs want it. The idea is that only the customer can add the pepper. It's all angled from the perspective of cooking these dishes at a restaurant.

Filet of Sole with white wine sauce

Another week is over and we're exactly half way through the program. It has been long days but I feel like I have learned a lot in only 2 1/2 weeks. Thus far we have had 45 hours of demo instruction and 45 hours in the kitchen. By the way, I calculated that the cost of the school is roughly $60/hour for Basic cuisine. The hourly cost goes up for the Intermediate and Superior since they already have their knife kit and uniforms but pay the same total tuition.

It is Friday night and my buddy Chris is back in Paris. We decided to meet in my neighborhood at Republique. Ute, who is one of the translators at the school, who also has a gastronomic tour business in Paris (WELCOME), suggested a few cafes for us to visit. She lives one block from my apartment and joined us for a couple of drinks. This is really my first time out at night in my area. I discovered that I live in a pretty hip and artsy area.

Day 12 Le Cordon Bleu Paris

We had school today despite Thanksgiving. Instead of cooking a turkey we were faced with preparing the Rabbit dish from yesterday's Demo. Once again, Kelsey and I as the assistants had to run down to the basement 30 minutes ahead of time to grab all the stuff for the class. Awaiting us were 8 skinned rabbits. You can see from Kelsey's expression that she was not thrilled about seeing this sight at 8:00 am!! Along with this insert, there were 2 other inserts full of vegetables, butter, cream, and ingredients required for our group of 8. The routine is that we load it all on a dumbwaiter and send it up to the correct floor for our kitchen. Then we have to run and greet the dumbwaiter on the 2nd or 3rd floor. If you don't do this fast enough, it may go on to another floor, and then be sent back down to the basement.

The Basement dumbwaiter

Once we unloaded the 3 inserts at our kitchen, we then had to divide it all appropriately for our group, so that it is awaiting them when they arrive.

The Kitchen resembled a pet morgue with the victims awaiting their autopsies. At 8:30 we dove right in  and began prepping the rabbits. I felt like I was in Biology class dissecting. It felt very clinical as we went about our task of chopping off the head, legs, etc...I explained in yesterday's post how this dish was prepared. My dish turned out very well today. All of our spirits were up as the Crazy Chef walked in during our practical. He was back fresh from a short vacation and was in a great mood. He was singing and whistling and generally letting us do our work. We had missed him.

My Rabbit Plate

Next was a demo with the Crazy Chef covering 2 dishes: sole meuniére, and poached Hake steaks with hollandaise sauce. Pretty straight forward dishes. The hollandaise requires a very slow warming up of the egg and water mixture while whisking it over a bain marie (warm water bath). Once it thickens, then clarified butter is added with continued whisking. It is finished off with some salt, cayenne, and lemon juice. The temperature control is crucial as are the proportions of the ingredients. If it's too hot, the egg will cook and the sauce will not form. Too much water or too much butter and the sauce may break, or never form. The drawback to the hollandaise is that it can not be stored and in restaurants it has to be made for the service.

Once the demo was complete, it was once again time to race down to the basement to collect the ingredients for our second practical of the day. Kelsey had burned her hand pretty badly during the rabbit practical, so I had her wait upstairs at the dumbwaiter while I ran down to get everything together in the dreaded basement.

Me running to the basement

First step was to prep the hake and create 3 steaks, tie the steaks with a string so they maintain their shape when poached, and set aside. Cooking the hake required making a "nage" which is nothing more than a flavored water to poach the fish steaks in. I made the nage by heating some water and placing a mixture of vegetables and spices (carrots, celery, shallots, onions, peppercorns, clove) in it to flavor the water. After some time, I added some vinegar and wine to the mixture and cooked it some more. I finally strained the vegetables out and was left with the flavored water. Next I made some strips of carrots and zucchini to make vegetable "spaghetti". Finally came the hollandaise sauce. Mine came out nice, but it took about 20 minutes of vigorous whisking! Lots of work, but I was really happy with my final plate. LOTS of butter!!!!

My Hake Steak with Hollandaise Sauce

on a bed of zucchini and carrot spaghetti

Day 11 Le Cordon Bleu Paris

The media was in the school today roaming around and recording. The camera man was quite courteous and respectful to the class and  le Chef as he moved around stealthily. Today was the infamous "Rabbit" day. The focus of the demo was Lapin A' La Moutarde accompanied with pommes Sautéed À Cru. 

The chef held up the rabbit  and made a few jokes like checking it's teeth to make sure it was not a cat, etc..We were then shown how to dress and filet the rabbit. Luckily the rabbit was already skinned and gutted, but the skinned head was still attached creating some consternation. Dressing the rabbit included chopping off the head which drew collective "gasps" and "eeeks" from some of the students. The chef systematically dismantled the rabbit into its components and then reconstructed them jigsaw-puzzle style on the counter to demonstrate the  small amount of waste. Alan, from Jackson Hole who has the talent for delivering his wit with a poker face, asked if we could use the skinned head as a plate garnish. The liver and kidney were set aside as well. Essentially the rabbit meat is floured and browned with shallots and garlic. Once browned, it is brushed with mustard, then returned to the pan for more browning. Next, it is Deglazed with white wine and then baked. The sauce is then made from the juices, reduced with cream ,then strained. Just prior to serving, more cream and mustard are added and warmed.


The potatoes were cut in slices and then sautéed in oil, drained, sautéed again in butter and garlic. finely chopped parsley was added and tossed prior to serving. It was delicious despite its simplicity.

To finish the dish, the liver and kidneys were skewered onto a sprig of rosemary and then sautéed in oil and butter. By the way, all of the high temperature sauté is done using peanut oil for its high temperature tolerance. I can't wait to make this dish in tomorrow's practical.


Next the Chef prepared a vegetable mixture "greek" style. I was not sure that I would like this mix but I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted the finished product. WOW! The vegetables were a mix of baby artichokes turned and peeled, celery batonnets, chopped tomatoes, currants, pearl onions, and baby carrots. The vegetables were cooked (minus the tomatoes) in olive oil and reduced. coriander, garlic and bouquet garni were added during the reduction. Deglazed with white wine and lemon juice. After reduction, tomatoes were added along with chopped cilantro and chervil. This was really tasty.

Vegetables A La Grecque

As a final treat, the chef prepared some simple custards. He created the custard base and then split it into 3 quantities and then flavored each differently. He made tea, caramel, , and vanilla flavored custard. Simple, yet elegant and tasty.

The 3 Custards

This was my favorite demo to date. The sauce making principles are beginning to sink in. I am learning more about the different liaisons and additions that literally open doors to hundreds of sauces. I look forward to exploring and experimenting with the sauces after LCB.


This was an easy day for us. My group was done for the day at noon!!! Yes. we'll pay for it tomorrow with a 9 hour day.

Day 10 Le Cordon Bleu Paris

Moving right along! Today was a treat because we didn't have to come in until 12:30. How nice to have the morning to myself! We began with a demo which had 2 parts. The first part of the demo was to finish up with the Duck Terrine from yesterday's demo. The chef really dazzled us with his artistic flair. To the right is a picture of the Terrine. Each piece of colorful decoration on the platter was made by using a pastry nozzle to cut out the shapes out of vegetable skins. The chef used eggplant, zucchini, and red pepper to acquire a palate of the colors for the border. He then used a tomato peel to make the roses, and blanched leaks to create the flower stems. All of the decorations were then brushed with a melted gelatin and chicken stock glaze to create a shiny coat. The white layer underneath the terrine was made with a milk, starch, and gelatin combo to create a decorative glaze to serve as a canvas for this masterpiece. I thought it was really impressive.

Part 2 of the demo was Stuffed chicken breasts, sauce and mushroom which we would have to make in the practical session immediately after the demo. It was a straight forward dish done in the typical French fashion.

After the demo, Kelsey was in and out of the basement with all of our ingredients before I even showed up to the kitchen. She was ON it today. Thanks Kelsey. We still ran in to a few glitches of not having enough chicken stock and running out of cream.

Setting up shop for my practical

My plate (Damn I forgot the chive garnish)Some color would have been nice

We began by dressing 2 chickens. The breasts were cut off and prepared. The remainder of the carcass was chopped and used to make the sauce. Since we are still in the forced meat part of the course, we had to prepare a stuffing for this chicken using a meat processor to blend some chicken breast meat with egg whites and cream. Salt, pepper and a few seasonings were added. It was a nice dish with a great tasting sauce. The sauce was made from the browned chicken scraps, deglazed with white wine, reduced with some chicken stock, and finally cream was added and reduced again...strained,  cooked mushrooms added, and voila! A very flavorful concentrated sauce.

During the session Flavia cut her finger. It was not a bad cut, but two of the Chefs appeared out of nowhere like 2 spidermen ready to save Gotham City from all evil..."Ahy you ok Flavia..let meee zee Flavia...zis is a bad cut...no?  Zis is a tragedy!"  I thought they were going to "kiss it good" for her. Flavia is from Brazil and she has that certain something that makes the Chefs behave like bumbling little teenagers around her. Even one of the older Chefs gets a little extra bounce in his step and a silly smirk on his face when he walks by her. Flavia could be a McDonald's cook and she would still graduate from LCB. Luckily she is an excellent cook. Her kitchen station has been next to mine from day 1 and I have witnessed her in action around the stove. She is very organized and capable and has repeatedly put together a nice plate. It's just funny to see her effect on the Chefs. A few minutes later Eduardo had an oven burn. There were no superheroes in sight.

Here is Julia anxiously awaiting the Chef's analysis. 

It appears to be a tense moment but it looks as 

though he is beginning to say "oooo Laaaa Laaaa"

The day ended with our 2nd Conference which was an informal session discussing the hierarchy of a professional kitchen, but mostly about how to prepare for the final exam.

Day 9 Le Cordon Bleu Paris

It's day 9 but by the end of the day we had completed lesson 11. There are 30 lessons in the course (30 Demos and 30 Practicals), so technically we're 1/3 of the way through the course material if we were to keep this pace. Today was my first day as an assistant. I have to say that this really puts a crimp in the works. LCB gets free labor out of its students by using them to haul the ingredients for their group from the basement. You would think that for a $12,000 tuition, the ingredients would be at the kitchen for the students! Since we had two practicals today, Kelsey and I had the privilege to run up and down between the basement and our kitchen twice today. This really places undue pressure on the students. Rather than preparing for the session, the assistants have to worry about supplying their group with enough of every ingredient required for the session. The basement is like the dungeon where a group of subterranean dwellers roam protecting their domain. There is a whole convention for how things are done in the basement which are of course not taught to low life students like me. It's trial by fire.  Ok...my feelings on the subject are obviously negative. We managed.

We were grilling salmon at 0830 today. The smell was overpowering. I was told by another student that she could smell the salmon when she came out of the metro station 2 blocks away! The dish was grilled salmon,  Byron potatoes, and an emulsified butter sauce with chives. It was a nice dish with a nicely flavorful sauce, but we all reeked of the salmon by the end of the session! The Byron potatoes are creative. The potatoes are mashed and placed on to a cookie sheet with a pastry bag. They are then indented with the back of a ladle to create a bowl and filled with a béchamel sauce topped with gruyere. Then baked. The salmon is resting on a bed of spinach sweated in butter.

My Plate

Next we had a 3 hour demo which kicked off the series on forced meats. First was the Duck Terrine. I had tried the rabbit terrine on our market day last week and really liked it, so I was eager to learn how to make it. Lots going on with this method of combining meats and fats, grinding, creating a gelatin layer, etc...I want to try this when I return home. The second half of the demo was devoted to making paupiettes de veau bourgeoise (stuffed veal with glazed vegetables). We were responsible for making this during the next session. The Chef kept harping on moving fast on this one since there was so much going on. The side dish on this meal are "turned" carrot and small onions. Turning vegetables is essentially taking a potato, carrot, celery or any other vegetable and making it look like a football. I don't remember ever having turned vegetables. It's apparently something very holy because it's a big deal at LCB.

The ensuing practical was recreating the above demo. Kelsey and I raced out of the demo

as soon as it ended to take care of our group. We ran down to the basement to grab all of our ingredients and sent it up on the dumbwaiter to our assigned kitchen on the 2nd floor. Then we ran up to the 2nd floor to greet the dumbwaiter with our delivery. Of course, we were short on eggs and had no veal stock. I ran back down and got them. Julia was a huge help the whole day . She was the assistant last week and felt our pain. Anyway...I finally got set up and fell into the flow of my recipe. Lots of steps...turning carrots is much harder than it looks.    Here is my finished plate. Now that I look at it, the presentation looks like some angry Polynesian God. Why the hell did I do that??? I need to work on my presentation. I would laugh if this plate was served to me in a restaurant. However, the food itself came out fairly well. My sauce was too fatty as you can see against the plate. I didn't skim it enough as it was reducing (it tasted really good though). we were all done at least 30 minutes early. Not bad!

I was happy to finish for the day since I was meeting up with my buddy Chris and a fellow co-worker. We met up and went to a pub. I apologized for reeking like a giant salmon, but mentioned that I had food from both of my practicals in my backpack. They were both eager to taste some LCB "haute cuisine" so, we broke out the salmon, byron potatoes, and stuffed veal and feasted despite the fact that the food was cold. They seemed to enjoy it and the bar didn't seem to mind.

Wolfing down food from my 2 practicals

I don't have to go in until 1230 tomorrow! That's a first:)

2nd Weekend Off

It can hardly be called a weekend with only Sunday off, but I am finding that after only 8 days of school my body is becoming very resilient and able to recover quickly from fatigue. So, today Sunday I put on my tourist hat again and headed out for some exploration of Paris.


My first stop was the Latin Quarter which is mostly in the 5th Arrondissement (and part in the 6th). It's noted for being the center of education and a hub of student social activity. I decided to loosely follow one of my "city walk" cards. I have a set of 50 different walking cards for Paris which Lynn was kind enough to loan me before I left CA. The cards are really convenient because they are so easy to carry, they contain a map, and also depict the metro stops for that area. Also, on the back of the card there is info on the major sights along the walk. My main goal was to see the Sorbonne. Where else can one see a University that was established in the 1200's! My other reason for visiting the University is that my grandfather, one aunt ,and my uncle (both my mom's siblings) are Sorbonne graduates. I also walked along Rue St Jacques to see if I could "feel" its rich history amid the modern bustle. Rue St Jaque was built by the Romans and was the first main road that led in and out of Paris. No luck with feeling the "rich history"! Too many years of modernization; however, there are preserved remnants of Roman Baths one block from the St. Michel Metro.  From there I headed to the Pantheon and spent some time admiring the architecture, seeing the crypt where French notables such as Voltaire and Madam Curie are encrypted, and finished by walking the nearby streets. I then jumped on the metro and headed for the 7th Arrondissement.

Sorbonne

81 Rue De Loo

My second destination was more about satisfying a personal quest. I have read Julia Child's

"My life in France" three times. This book is so inspirational to me for Julia Child really exemplifies the zest for life that we should all strive toward. In her book she discusses in detail her initial arrival in Paris and the first apartment she and her husband Paul rented on 81 Rue de L'Université. Prior to coming to Paris, I had promised myself that I would find her apartment and take a picture of it. So, like a pious worshiper making his pilgrimage toward some holy ground, I set off to find "81 Rue de Loo" as Julia referred to it. This is where it all began for Julia Child. She had never really cooked until she moved here and began to discover her fascination with French cuisine. It was also here where she began experimenting with her new found skills to eventually develop recipes for her first book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". Sadly, there is no placard on the building commemorating the fact the Julia Child had once resided at the apartment, nor, from reading a previous article, are most of the building's residents even aware of that fact. After staring at the building long enough to absorb some of Julia's Karma to get me successfully through the next 4 weeks of school, I began to head home. Mission accomplished. (I know Sjoerd's wife jayne is smiling right now).

I stopped off at my local market along Rue de Bretagne and picked up some fruit and vegetables.

I am one of the assistants for the upcoming week which will add some difficulty to my routine. As the assistant, I have to arrive 30 minutes early for every practical to round up the ingredients for my group from the basement. Kelsey will also be an assistant.

My Naval Academy classmate Chris, a Delta pilot, has a Paris layover tomorrow night. We're planning to meet up in St-Germain-De-prés for a couple of drinks after my 10 hour day! I haven't seen Chris in 10 years, so I am really looking forward to seeing him.

Day 8 Le Cordon Bleu Paris

Saturday class! Roasting a chicken at 8:30 am! The good news is that this will be our only weekend class for the remainder of the term. After our 12 hour marathon yesterday, It was a bit quiet as everyone went about unpacking their kits and setting up for the practical. Even the usually perky Hsin Yi (aka Kelsey) from Taiwan, who has been adopted by a couple of us older students as a little sister, was a little reserved. Here she is going through her usual methodical setup...Hanging her color coded, perfectly scripted recipes with her trademark pink magnets, and retrieving the proper "tools" for the practical from her custom case. In fact, we have all become more organized in our setup routine. It's sink or swim as the recipes are becoming a little more involved.

Today we had to create a roasted chicken au jus with a garden vegetable variety presented in a turned artichoke.

Tasks:

-dress the chicken, truss
-prep chicken trimmings and vegetables for juice
-bake chicken and trimmings
-prepare and blanch garden vegetables (carrots, string beans, daikon radish, and celery root). All cut in precise batonnets of equal width and length, cooked separately to prevent colorization.
-Turn 2 artichokes and cook in a flour water mixture and preserve color. once cooked, create a bowl to house the garden vegetables
-Prepare Jus
-Plate a leg and breast with one artichoke bowl of garden vegetables and a trace of jus with watercress garnish.

No glitches today. All went very smoothly. I think the chef had laid it out for us so well yesterday that it was simple to keep things in a logical fashion in the kitchen. Here is my plate:

The rule of thumb here is (as the chef puts it) ne jamais, ne jamais...never, never, place the sauce on the meat, chicken or fish. There are a few exceptions of course where the dish is defined by the sauce and "meat" being together.

Eduardo from The Dominican

Republic having his dish inspected and critiqued

by the Chef

After the practical, some of us from the group went to have lunch at a Korean restaurant. The group was Julia, Kelsey, Wen Bo, Jennifer who had defected from her practical group to join us, and me.  Wen Bo's girlfriend joined us later. Julia, who is of Korean heritage, really took charge and spoiled us. She ordered for the whole group. This was my first Korean food experience. It was a FANTASTIC feast. As Julia put it "after eating so much butter this past week, it's really nice to eat some vegetables and leaner foods"  It was a great experience. Thanks Julia for such a great treat. I will definitely add Korean to my list of favorite foods.

Day 7 Le Cordon Bleu Paris

It was a very LONG day. We had 4 sessions for a total of 12 hours. It's late, so I'll make a quick entry to sum up the day.

The first demo covered the very tedious process of consommé clarification. Essentially a mix consisting of ground beef, finely brunoised veg's, tomato paste, tomatoes, and egg whites is placed in the bullion which serves as a filter. It is actually a nifty trick, but I will never do this at home.  We were also shown how to make the classic French Onion soup, and a Fish soup Marseillaise style. Lots going on in this demo, but we were only responsible for the consommeé part in the ensuing practical.

After the demo, we had a short lunch break. I went to the common area fridge where I had placed my lunch earlier to find that it had been stolen! It was in a bag with my name on it. The bag was still there but the contents were gone. Later in the day we discovered that the knife kit of one of the students was stolen from his locker. He had inadvertently forgotten to lock his locker and someone stole his kit. It's really difficult for me to comprehend this kind of behavior. It is disgraceful.

I ran into Sjoerd who showed me his blistered pan burn from the previous day...OUCH!!!!!

He said it didn't hurt. I joined Sjoerd and Cristina for a quick espresso.

After lunch was the practical to perform the consommé clarification, and the making of puff pastry cheese sticks to be used along with the consommé. As we were getting into the thick of it, the fire alarms went off and we had to turn all burners off and evacuate the school. We had been told last week that a drill would take place at some point during the term. Well, it was a good photo-op to get a picture of the entire student group.

Enjoying the break

This lasted a few minutes and we were back in the kitchen. Not much to say about this practical. It was an uninspiring, very time intensive, tedious event which is of very little use (to me any way).

6 hours down, 6 hours to go. I was trying to get myself psyched for another demo. As I sat down, I noticed an older gentleman in the class wearing street clothes. No one seemed to be talking to him, so I struck up a conversation with him. He is retired and lives in Minnesota and is on vacation in Paris. He decided that he wanted to take a demo class. I guess LCB allows people to pay to watch the demos. That's all I got out of him. I wonder how much he paid for the 3 hour demo! This demo was mostly about preparing a chicken for roasting, and then roasting it. Along with the chicken we learned a very specific presentation of garden style vegetables as a side dish. We were also shown several classic French omelettes. Here is William from Washington DC volunteering to show us how to elegantly roll the omelette from the skillet to the plate. Voila!

OK...on to the final demo. We were all dragging a bit, and getting a little punchy. Even the usually mild mannered Chef Poupard was coming out of his shell and displaying a bit of "The Lesourd". I have to say that the Chef WORKED VERY HARD during this demo. In 3 hours he prepared grilled salmon with an emulsified butter sauce, Standing pork rib roast with an herb crust, byron potatoes, and a choux pastry with ice cream and chocolate sauce. He did it all in the  most detailed French style. No short cuts! NO pretty fillets handed to him (he started with the whole fish..it was gutted already). Even more impressive is that he had started his day with us on the first demo! My hat if off to the chef. Needless to say, most of us were famished after sitting amid the sizzling aromas. The class rushed the tasting plates like a stampede of ravenous bulls.

The class tasting the bounty

Grilled Salmon with emulsified butter and chive sauce