I dedicate this blog to my uncle Randall. I go down to his house and my aunt Karen's to chill out and just relax. During this time I catch up on my disney movies, eat really good food (ie chicken salad), get to see family I usually do not get to see, have the closest thing to a little sister with my cousin Mary Alice and go fishing with my uncle and cousin, Harrison.
I went fishing with my uncle and cousin a few years ago on their boat in the bay. It was so much fun. We went out to catch bait and then go find places to fish for about an hour or so, during sunset, the fishes feeding time. During this time, besides being eaten to death by the bugs, I caught a few fish. We got back to the house and we began to fillet them. Uncle Randall taught me how to scale a fish, gut a fish, fillet the fish and take the skin off. Little did I know, Randall was helping me to be miles ahead of the rest of the students in my cuisine class.
So uncle Randall, thank you for showing me how to do all that needs to be done to a fish. I impressed my chefs. However, we were not allowed to use a knife to hold the skin when skinning the fish...I was quite sadden about that one. I liked holding two knifes, one to hold the slimy skin down on the cutting board and the other to skin the fish itself.

The reason why I am dedicating this blog entry to my uncle is...you guessed it. We worked with fish this week in cuisine. The first day we had an easy day, not working with fish. We made a warm goat cheese salad, a whole roasted baby chicken and creme caramel's (to be unmolded the next day). I got good reviews.

The next two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) were spent with fish. I poached a fish in broth and vinegar - the vinegar taste, not so good. It was served with a Hollandaise sauce. A thanks needs to be taken to my aunt Karen...she is a master at the hollandaise and bearnaise sauce. So I had a step up on that as well. So thanks. I also made fillets sauted in butter - very good.

Wednesday, we were supposed to go on a field trip to the Sydney Fish Market, but it got cancelled. It sucked, but atleast I was able to wake up by 7 and not 4. So I was very happy about that one. The coolest thing about this was we deboned a whitening and gutted the fish from it's backbone, only. It was very cool. I'll show you when I get home. People do not debone fish like that anymore, it's old school, but a good thing to know how to do.

In class, the chef asked who wanted to fillet the salmon we had. I raised my hand and he let me try. However, it did not go so well. I missed the backbone! He had to take over the task. I am not used to working with that big of a fish - like 20 pounds. I like the two pounders, much easier to handle! Oh well. Chef Josepf was impressed that I volunteered to try...he liked that. He did not think anyone would volunteer for the task, I surprised him.

Patisserie was all about Puff pastry this week. It is a pain in the ass!!! It is rolling a huge pad of butter into dough about 5 different times, in a period of about 3 hours. The dough has to rest everytime you turn the dough - to relax the glutein. A turn is just folding the dough in a special way and rolling it out. It is a task to do. Unfortunately, this will be on my final assessment, along with making eclairs...so the assessment will be busy! I've made pies, mini apple pies ( Will you would love these! I think they are better than an apple pie, but you can be the judge when I get home), filled pies with savory items, cookies...the list just goes on. Everyday is just gets alittle more repetitive, so it can get alittle boring.

There was a bit of a hiccup this week in patisserie - a student quit one of the classes and transferred to the other patisserie class. The teacher, Karin, was not happy, the one from Switerzland. I felt bad for her. It seemed that she was going to cry in class, but she did not. Terrible. Oh well, it happens, I guess.

Another thing going on in my life is my awaited life in France. I have been trying to get everything ready for me to go to France, in the next month. I have to get a visa, a place to stay, a plan ticket and pay tuition, among the important things. I found out that I cannot apply for a visa over e-mail, I have to go to the consulate to get the visa. So I am hoping the long procedure of getting this visa will not take me the required one to two months to get it. But France has been very helpful and I think things are worked out - I will get the correct visa and be able to go to school with out having to come back home. Originally, I would have to apply for the long stay visa in the states, go to France on a tourist visa to do the first cycle, come back to the States to obtain the long stay visa during my break of intermediate and superior cycles and then return to France to continue the schooling and the externship. WOW, it just wears me out writing this all. All in all, things are good now, all figured out.

I learned today that I should be practicing my lessons at home. I had no idea. People actually go home and practice the lessons. Hmmm,I feel kinda left out, but I think I will manage. I am reading text books and just learning that way. Brushing up on terms and what not.

Well, school is going well, just busier. Good news though, Margaret McCollum is coming to visit me in a week, next Saturday. I can't wait to see a friendly face! It is going to be so much fun. We are going to the city to the spend all of Sunday there. Shopping and a good dinner. Well, other than sleeping and going to school, there isn't much else going on. I hope life is going well where ever this might find you. I look forward in seeing ya'll soon. Take care

Laura