As of Monday, I am in London LCB! This is good news. Right now I am only in superior patisserie, but I have high hopes that I will get into superior cuisine. I am very excited. And yes, Herndon, you need to look into finding a plane ticket to London now, not Paris.
If anyone knows of anyone that knows of a place in London…pass it on my way!
School is slowly coming to an end. You would think school would be winding down, but it is just the opposite. School is picking up, with lots of practicals and demos and just being busy. Next week is my last full week of classes, and then I have a week of classes, final demos and written exams. The last class, in cuisine and patisserie, is a demonstration that the chefs will put on for us, but we will not be preparing them. Kind of sucks, but I guess it is a perk for us.
In two weeks I have the written exams for cuisine and patisserie, so I have been trying to study for them. It is a little hard. In cuisine, I have to memorize 10 different recipes, ingredients and quantities, plus the different regions in France and what makes that region so profound. For patisserie, I have to memorize 8 different recipes, ingredients and quantities. On top of memorizing recipes, I have to memorize culinary terms and procedures. I hope they have a review like they did for us in Australia.
There was not a lot of exciting events this week. There was one exciting day at school. On Tuesday, as you know or maybe you didn’t, it was Mardi Gras. The French celebrate it in style! I came to school around 11 and they had a small buffet set up for the students. They were serving a bubbly cider, baked goods associated with Mardi Gras and one of the chefs was making fresh hot waffles serving them with delicious toppings. It was a feast and it was so good! People where acting kind of silly, but I think they were just excited. It was a nice break from the sandwiches we usually eat everyday.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
This is just an update....
I am in LCB London. It is not official yet, but it will be as soon as I send in some paper work and sign a few things. I begin March 23rd 2007 until June. I only got into superior patisserie, not superior cuisine. I am on the waiting list, second on the waiting list. There is still time for me to get in, but there is no guarantee. So please keep your fingers crossed and think good thoughts so I can get in.
The worst case scenario is I am in London for 6 months instead of the three originally intended. I will still receive le Grande Diploma, so that is good news. If I have to stay for 6 months, then I can go travel England, maybe go see my cousin in Germany and even come back to see friends here in Paris. The possibilities are endless. What is 3 more months to a life long dream?
I will be coming home for a couple of days in March. I will arrive back in the States March 14th until March 20th. I then will travel to London to finish out my program and receive Le Grande Diploma. If anyone is at home during this time I would love to see you. I will be writing more at the end of the week. Until then...a bientot!
I am in LCB London. It is not official yet, but it will be as soon as I send in some paper work and sign a few things. I begin March 23rd 2007 until June. I only got into superior patisserie, not superior cuisine. I am on the waiting list, second on the waiting list. There is still time for me to get in, but there is no guarantee. So please keep your fingers crossed and think good thoughts so I can get in.
The worst case scenario is I am in London for 6 months instead of the three originally intended. I will still receive le Grande Diploma, so that is good news. If I have to stay for 6 months, then I can go travel England, maybe go see my cousin in Germany and even come back to see friends here in Paris. The possibilities are endless. What is 3 more months to a life long dream?
I will be coming home for a couple of days in March. I will arrive back in the States March 14th until March 20th. I then will travel to London to finish out my program and receive Le Grande Diploma. If anyone is at home during this time I would love to see you. I will be writing more at the end of the week. Until then...a bientot!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
What’s that saying? When in Rome, do as the Romans do? Well in Paris, you do as the Parisians do. Drink, eat and enjoy it. In what profession allows you to drink before noon? Food. We have been given wine and more wine in demos and in practical a few times.
The past two weeks have been busy and it is only going to get busier. Last week we were given our midterm grades. I am doing well. I am above average for both patisserie and cuisine, but just barely. Our midterms are given for each group we are in; I am in group A. Group A is the best group there is and I am not being conceded. Group A and group B are the best groups to be in and have the highest group averages. Groups A and B in basic had the top 5 in the class for both patisserie and cuisine and I got put in the better. The over all class average is lower than the group averages, so I know I am doing better then most students.
The grading is out of 5., for patisserie I have a 3.78/5. The group average for A is 3.75/5. I have to do better, I can do better. For cuisine my average is 4.05/5. The group average is 4.01/5. Isn’t it weird that the area I am in interested in is worse then the area I don’t really like? Maybe I should rethink the area I want to go in. Or perhaps this just means that I need to concentrate in patisserie to do better.
Unfortunately this is the only news I have to report. What a dull life I lead. I have just a month left for intermediate cycle. Next week is hell week. We were supposed to have the international buffet on Friday, but they cancelled it. They did not get enough entries to put on the buffet. So I do not have to go to school on Friday. But because of this, this means that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I have three classes each day. My schedule is long and hard with demos and then practical right after another. My week starts at 8:30 and ends at 6:30. Tuesday I have class at 12:30, but I don’t get to leave school until 10. Then the next day I am back at school by 8 until 6 or so.
There is still no word on London. I am trying to find out if all the students have responded and paid up for the next level. If all the students have paid, that means I will be staying here in Paris. But if some students have not responded then I still have a chance to transfer….that is what I want.
The past two weeks have been busy and it is only going to get busier. Last week we were given our midterm grades. I am doing well. I am above average for both patisserie and cuisine, but just barely. Our midterms are given for each group we are in; I am in group A. Group A is the best group there is and I am not being conceded. Group A and group B are the best groups to be in and have the highest group averages. Groups A and B in basic had the top 5 in the class for both patisserie and cuisine and I got put in the better. The over all class average is lower than the group averages, so I know I am doing better then most students.
The grading is out of 5., for patisserie I have a 3.78/5. The group average for A is 3.75/5. I have to do better, I can do better. For cuisine my average is 4.05/5. The group average is 4.01/5. Isn’t it weird that the area I am in interested in is worse then the area I don’t really like? Maybe I should rethink the area I want to go in. Or perhaps this just means that I need to concentrate in patisserie to do better.
Unfortunately this is the only news I have to report. What a dull life I lead. I have just a month left for intermediate cycle. Next week is hell week. We were supposed to have the international buffet on Friday, but they cancelled it. They did not get enough entries to put on the buffet. So I do not have to go to school on Friday. But because of this, this means that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I have three classes each day. My schedule is long and hard with demos and then practical right after another. My week starts at 8:30 and ends at 6:30. Tuesday I have class at 12:30, but I don’t get to leave school until 10. Then the next day I am back at school by 8 until 6 or so.
There is still no word on London. I am trying to find out if all the students have responded and paid up for the next level. If all the students have paid, that means I will be staying here in Paris. But if some students have not responded then I still have a chance to transfer….that is what I want.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
To Sybil and Bill:
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for such a wonderful night on the town, in Paris. It was my first time to eat a delicious meal and share it with friends from back home.
This week was actually busy. A couple from home, Bill and Sybil Sylvester, also next door neighbors to my mother's house, came to Paris to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They invited me to dinner on Tuesday to a great restaurant, L` Atelier de Joel Robuchon. I met them there at 6:30. We enjoyed a delightful glass of champagne and looked over the menu. Poor Bill was in the middle of the two women gabbing the whole night. We all decided on the same thing, the tasting menu, with a red and white wine to accompany the respectful courses.
The night was wonderful. The food was unbelievable. The people superb. The set-up of the restaurant is a mix of Hot n Hot from back home. It is an open kitchen with a frame, if that makes sense. Imagine a wide open space; with tables and storage underneath. Then on top of the tables are huge opened window frames. In the "window panes" are large glass jars filled with thinly sliced and curled zucchini and orange peel; or a rectangular glass container holding stuff tomatoes or little mushrooms. The sight is so cool to see. It is dark what seemed to be wood and red linings to some of the furniture, my favorite color, so I loved it.
This place is so popular. There is a long line of people who wait to be let in at 6:30. The restaurant only takes reservations at 6:30 then it is everyone for themselves. I think they are always busy. I can see why. The food was unbelievable, 9 different courses. We started off with an amuse bouche, which really teased the taste buds, foie gras mousse and a light sprinkle of truffles went every so nicely with our champagne. It was served in a shooter glass with a little foam on top. It was so good, melt in your mouth good. Then the meal began. Scallops served raw and sliced very thin, a langoustine ravioli, a deep fried cod quenelle which was my favorite, water chestnut soup with foie gras and sea bass simply prepared. The seafood courses were all amazing and went perfect with the white wine.
The main dish was either lamb chops or sweetbreads. While I try to be adventurous, I opted for the lamb chops, as did Bill and Sybil. It was so good, little tiny chops and mashed potatoes. It was yummy! Then we ate a mixture of fruits in their own syrup with a dollop of basil sorbet (so good!) and finally dessert, chocolate sensation. It was exactly that. It had chocolate mousse, silver balls that were crunchy that were throughout the layers of chocolate and sorbet. It was amazing. Dinner was, well there are no words to describe it. If you ever get the chance to come to Paris, go eat there!
So Bill and Sybil, thank you so much for a wonderful meal. I had a great time.
As I said, this week was busy. Class was class, cooking and watching really boring demos. Cuisine was alright, but nothing too exciting. In patisserie this week we tempered chocolate, milk and dark. It was fun. I love working with chocolate. I have to try to work cleanly and come out of the practicals still in a white uniform. This is very hard for me, but I am improving. The students here have never tempered chocolate, so I was the first one to do it, without the chef looking over us. The chef told me it was superior! YAH ME. But I wish we got to do something different, since I had already tempered chocolate and done some of the treats. Oh well.
Friday was the student dinner. Our class is so big, they had to split us into two groups. I got to go to the better restaurant, Cafe Minotti. It is a wonderful Italian restaurant. The chef is a close friend to one of the chefs at school. The school rented out the whole place. Tables were pushed together in the three different rooms and we all met at the restaurant by 8. I sat with some kids who were in my group, A, and a french woman who I did not know. I was told the last student dinner, basic, they ate good food and drank way too much. Well the intermediate student dinner, we ate great food and people drank too much wine.
We were given an amuse bouche of a room temperature broccoli shooter. It was yummy. Then we ate thinly sliced tuna that was seared and served on a circle of puff pastry and a tomato compote. The next course was a shrimp risotto which was so good, it just needed a little salt and some cheese. The main course was a slice of veal with a balsamic reduction, gnocchi and a little wedge of cabbage. Then a cheese course of Gorgonzola and two slices of pears and finally the dessert of chocolate mousse, a crunchy middle and nuts on top of a chocolate glaze that surrounded the entire chocolaty mass. It was phenomenal! The dinner was served with red and white wines and we were given plenty of it. I drank espresso to finish the meal and enjoyed every last drop. Daddy, this is a meal you would have loved!
We finished the meal around 11 or so. People were drunk off of all the wine they drank and happy from all the food they just consumed. I left with a few other people to find a taxi a few blocks away. People were still there drinking and contemplating going out. I went home to find my bed and catch up on sleep.
This week was fun. I enjoyed myself. The meals I ate were unbelievable and I hope to eat like that again, very soon. It is Sunday, so I have prepare for another week of lame demo classes and cooking. Monday, I get to cook with pigs blood as a thickening agent for a sauce. I tried it in demo. I don't believe I will be taking this dish home with me. Well, stay tuned for more adventures....au revoir and a bientot.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for such a wonderful night on the town, in Paris. It was my first time to eat a delicious meal and share it with friends from back home.
This week was actually busy. A couple from home, Bill and Sybil Sylvester, also next door neighbors to my mother's house, came to Paris to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They invited me to dinner on Tuesday to a great restaurant, L` Atelier de Joel Robuchon. I met them there at 6:30. We enjoyed a delightful glass of champagne and looked over the menu. Poor Bill was in the middle of the two women gabbing the whole night. We all decided on the same thing, the tasting menu, with a red and white wine to accompany the respectful courses.
The night was wonderful. The food was unbelievable. The people superb. The set-up of the restaurant is a mix of Hot n Hot from back home. It is an open kitchen with a frame, if that makes sense. Imagine a wide open space; with tables and storage underneath. Then on top of the tables are huge opened window frames. In the "window panes" are large glass jars filled with thinly sliced and curled zucchini and orange peel; or a rectangular glass container holding stuff tomatoes or little mushrooms. The sight is so cool to see. It is dark what seemed to be wood and red linings to some of the furniture, my favorite color, so I loved it.
This place is so popular. There is a long line of people who wait to be let in at 6:30. The restaurant only takes reservations at 6:30 then it is everyone for themselves. I think they are always busy. I can see why. The food was unbelievable, 9 different courses. We started off with an amuse bouche, which really teased the taste buds, foie gras mousse and a light sprinkle of truffles went every so nicely with our champagne. It was served in a shooter glass with a little foam on top. It was so good, melt in your mouth good. Then the meal began. Scallops served raw and sliced very thin, a langoustine ravioli, a deep fried cod quenelle which was my favorite, water chestnut soup with foie gras and sea bass simply prepared. The seafood courses were all amazing and went perfect with the white wine.
The main dish was either lamb chops or sweetbreads. While I try to be adventurous, I opted for the lamb chops, as did Bill and Sybil. It was so good, little tiny chops and mashed potatoes. It was yummy! Then we ate a mixture of fruits in their own syrup with a dollop of basil sorbet (so good!) and finally dessert, chocolate sensation. It was exactly that. It had chocolate mousse, silver balls that were crunchy that were throughout the layers of chocolate and sorbet. It was amazing. Dinner was, well there are no words to describe it. If you ever get the chance to come to Paris, go eat there!
So Bill and Sybil, thank you so much for a wonderful meal. I had a great time.
As I said, this week was busy. Class was class, cooking and watching really boring demos. Cuisine was alright, but nothing too exciting. In patisserie this week we tempered chocolate, milk and dark. It was fun. I love working with chocolate. I have to try to work cleanly and come out of the practicals still in a white uniform. This is very hard for me, but I am improving. The students here have never tempered chocolate, so I was the first one to do it, without the chef looking over us. The chef told me it was superior! YAH ME. But I wish we got to do something different, since I had already tempered chocolate and done some of the treats. Oh well.
Friday was the student dinner. Our class is so big, they had to split us into two groups. I got to go to the better restaurant, Cafe Minotti. It is a wonderful Italian restaurant. The chef is a close friend to one of the chefs at school. The school rented out the whole place. Tables were pushed together in the three different rooms and we all met at the restaurant by 8. I sat with some kids who were in my group, A, and a french woman who I did not know. I was told the last student dinner, basic, they ate good food and drank way too much. Well the intermediate student dinner, we ate great food and people drank too much wine.
We were given an amuse bouche of a room temperature broccoli shooter. It was yummy. Then we ate thinly sliced tuna that was seared and served on a circle of puff pastry and a tomato compote. The next course was a shrimp risotto which was so good, it just needed a little salt and some cheese. The main course was a slice of veal with a balsamic reduction, gnocchi and a little wedge of cabbage. Then a cheese course of Gorgonzola and two slices of pears and finally the dessert of chocolate mousse, a crunchy middle and nuts on top of a chocolate glaze that surrounded the entire chocolaty mass. It was phenomenal! The dinner was served with red and white wines and we were given plenty of it. I drank espresso to finish the meal and enjoyed every last drop. Daddy, this is a meal you would have loved!
We finished the meal around 11 or so. People were drunk off of all the wine they drank and happy from all the food they just consumed. I left with a few other people to find a taxi a few blocks away. People were still there drinking and contemplating going out. I went home to find my bed and catch up on sleep.
This week was fun. I enjoyed myself. The meals I ate were unbelievable and I hope to eat like that again, very soon. It is Sunday, so I have prepare for another week of lame demo classes and cooking. Monday, I get to cook with pigs blood as a thickening agent for a sauce. I tried it in demo. I don't believe I will be taking this dish home with me. Well, stay tuned for more adventures....au revoir and a bientot.
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