pardon my french

Basic = Terminée

I know I am the world's worst blogger…sorry for the delay in posts! But, *drumroll* since I was away, the basic level of cuisine and patisserie is officially done! Pastry exam was Monday. Cuisine exam on Wednesday. Graduation was on Thursday, and I've been recovering ever since!

I have been looking back on the first segment of my time at Le Cordon Bleu and living in Paris and have come to one conclusion: I have learned a great deal, but still I feel like i have only scratched the surface.

First, Paris.

I have lived here for three months and am still speaking very rough french. I thought by now I'd be able to carry on a conversation, understand what the chefs are saying in demo and confidently navigate my way through markets. That is by far the biggest gap between my expectations and reality. As for learning my way around the city and using the metro, parfait. Paris is a relatively small city. You can pretty much walk anywhere, the metro is convenient and runs very regularly. You rarely have to wait longer than 2 minutes for a train.

Every where you walk there are monuments, historic buildings and churches. Important people buried all over the place (strange, but true) and cafés where you can people-watch for hours. The city where you still see nuns walking down the street in full habit and 14-year-olds openly smoking Marlboro Reds. You can find every sort of wine or whiskey, but forget about your favorite brand of vodka or tequila. And good luck finding a quick place to run in for a manicure & pedicure. (Those are french words, aren't they!?) Above all, before you do anything please get out your pen because there's going to be paperwork involved. They don't email, PDF or have well-functioning websites. I just got a letter in the post from the bank saying I could contact them via phone or fax. Fax, really? Like, should I write a note, fax it right over, and await a reply to come scrolling out? Do they know what email really is?

But alas, with all of it's maddening qualities, somehow it all adds up to Paris.

Paris. So much yet to do: Versailles, Pompidieu, Sacré Coeur, Monet. From my apartment, I can see the dome of Invaledes (where Napoleon is buried), but haven't actually walked inside. By the end of intermediate, I will check these things off my mental list. Keep scratching, get lost.

And, Le Cordon Bleu…

Of course, all the aforementioned Parisian quirks of bureaucracy are a part of Cordon Bleu and have caused a few wrinkles in my otherwise perfect skin ; ). But, you have a glass of wine with your friends and you get over it. Your friends from all over the world from all different backgrounds and ages. People you would never know otherwise, but are uniquely bonded to each other by this shared experience. This left turn from where you were 3 months ago.

Then you get into a class with a chef that will drive you crazy. But, that same chef will suddenly take an interest in you and somehow make sure you are learning, growing. Everyone has bad days in the kitchen, but I can honestly say that every chef at Le Cordon Bleu has something valuable to teach. Even if it's simply keeping your work station clean and organized, they are an eclectic and talented group that I feel privileged to learn from.

Speaking of things I've learned...Cliff's notes version:
-Put white vinegar immediately on a burn, it takes the sting out
-When sautéing fish in a pan without teflon coating, line the pan with greased parchment
-Cut the "gland" out of the tip of the tail bone of poultry
-Egg whites whip best when room temp
-Cream whips best when cold
-Gadgets are a waste, but the proper tools make life 100x easier
-A plastic scraper is one of the handiest tools you can have
-Organization, organization, organization
…and well, I hope you already bought your mini magnets and scale!

Intermediate starts tomorrow morning, bright and early. On one hand, my mental inventory of Basic has been looking back with a tinge of nostalgia. On the other, it's also a review with a hint of fear I will walk into the kitchen like it's the first day all over again. It's only been 5 days since our exam, but it feels like eons ago. Suddenly the stakes are higher. There's no excuse that "it's just basic" anymore. We're losing about 10 people in cuisine. Two didn't pass the final exam. It's not just cooking for fun, it's school. Tests, Ranks, Success and Failure. Merde.

Thank you everyone for your support over the past few months. It's been an incredible ride…but can you believe it? Basic is done! I will report more recipes, but I hear Intermediate is a lot of meat, stuffed with meat, stuffed with meat and cabbage. Yeah, I wouldn't want to read about that either! Going forward, I'd like to test some of my own recipes at home. I will report anything of note…dishes that are d.lish and disaster alike!

x's & o's
laur