Patisserie de Base: C'est Fini!

Wow, we're done for the year! Our group had our exam at 8h30 with Chef C. He was just screaming at us for the first half of the time. "Depechez vous!" "Dans le four!" "Maintenant!" - "Hurry up!" "In the oven!" "Now!". Yeah it was full of pressure but in the latter half, he calmed down. So onto the exam itself, I picked out the green chip which denotes Saint-Honoré. Obviously, we only find out what each color had meant after we were holding it in our hand. The other two were: yellow for pithivier and sacristains and red for dacquoise. In addition to making the Saint-Honoré, we also had to recreate the pâte brisée sucré, the tart shell. No baking was involved with that one though.

I am just glad we finished. Now, onto an entire 1.5 month vacation! I'll be going to Venice, Italy for the first time next week for 3 days. After that, I am home bound for New York! Of course I could have just stayed in Europe and traveled around but I promised my boyfriend that I'd resist the temptation and travel with him afterwards instead. Yes, travel is my love but boyfriend gets prioritized this time. .

So onto the photos!

The first photo presents the demonstration by Chef Tranchant and Chef Cotte individually. The second photo are my messy products haha. L to R: Sacristains, Mogador, Chocolate Pistachio Log, Pithivier, Alhambra, and Pear Charlotte. A lot of chocolate near the end getting my uniform all dirtied! Unfortunately, I failed to bring my camera with me during the exam so I was unable to snap a memory of my final presentation. I believe I have marginally improved on piping. Eh, maybe just in my perspective. hah Chef Cotte gave me a high-five when he finished commenting on my burnt sugar for my Saint-Honoré. Way to go!

In celebration on completing our Basic Patissiere course, later on that night, my classmates and I went out for a dinner at Cafe Constant in the 7th Arrondisement. Good times :)

Oh before I forget, here's a nice photo of us in our uniform during our last demonstration with Chef T sitting among the students. He's such a joker sometimes. Can you find him?

Today also marks the last day of our French course with Hélène, which also marks my last day of being called Evelyn, my French alter ego. To clarify, throughout the entire course, we were stripped of our names and went by a "French name" just to spice the lessons up. The past 3 Saturdays, our lesson became more like a tour of Paris. There were worksheets with questions in French to encourage us to practice reading and speaking. It's been fun. Was it worth the 625€? That, I am not so sure about. haha.

Autumn has fallen upon us! The leaves are changing colors; the shades of yellows and reds. It's so beautiful especially when you're walking along the Seine River. Anyhow back on track, so we had done both sightseeing and bakery/cafe/supermarket visits. Everything looked so tasty that we occasionally stopped to make some purchases. A pain au chocolat along the way or a cup of moka au café! A yummy and educational tour. Can't get any better than that!

Too bad the weather was not cooperating today but I think the umbrellas sort of gives it some flavor and color? haha.

I think I have written enough for tonight. I've been having this massive headache that won't go away despite sleeping for a few hours. Maybe I should cook some dinner now. My tummy is calling out to me since all I really had today was this horrible onion soup that was doused with half a bottle of wine. Oh and some crackers afterwards. Graduation next Wednesday! :)

2 Weeks Remaining

So I had actually delayed publishing this post by a week. Two weeks remaining is currently one week, however, I am too lazy to retype the post below so you're stuck back in time. Or rather I am. Um, okay... carry on.

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Wow, two weeks passed by just like that and now we are left with two weeks remaining to complete the Basic Patisserie course. The earlier half seemed to be more relaxed and this second half seems to be more intense. Ironically, I feel that I am gradually picking up pace and speed only during this more challenging stage whereas I was fumbling around often during the earlier weeks. Regardless the reason, I am feeling more motivated. Our first and only written exam will be next week. The week after that is our final exam. We will receive a list of 10 recipes to focus on studying. It will be exciting but I am sure as hell that I will be extremely nervous.

I'll just cover what we had learned thus far within these two weeks of no updates with photos of pastries our chefs made and the ones I made during practicals. To sum up, we learned tartlets, Moka Genoise, croissants & pain au chocolat, and brioches & pain aux raisins.

I also had my one-on-one Chef Meeting with Chef MOF (of all chefs!) this past week. It was weird because I have only had him once for practical. I wasn't sure whether the chefs discuss among themselves about our performance in class. In the end, he was the one who provided me with the most encouraging words. I think my intimidation has lessened and I am growing more fond of him now.

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Back to the present: I took my written exam today. It was more complicated than what we were told. Sneaky translators trying to throw our expectations off! Never listening to the gossip from school faculty anymore!

Since we finished early, I decided to stroll around in search for a coiffeur. How are you supposed to distinguish the trendy ones from the mediocre ones? I went for the one that had fancy bordered mirrors. Alas, it had cost me more than what I would have liked to have paid. Let's just say in New York, I could've dyed my hair in addition to the haircut for the same price. Heck, in Chinatown, they might even be able to fit in a one-time bonus hair treatment! It was for the experience I guess...

I made french toast with the brioche that I had left. Then realized that I didn't have syrup! So with whatever ingredients that I had on hand, I made a mush of banana purée with some milk and sugar. Don't ask.

Anyway, it's been colder lately yet I still wore a dress out today. I felt a little pretty in this foreign Parisian land. Until next time!

Happy October and Rainy Days

October marks the beginning of a rainy season! It's not just about Autumn and its changing leaves. I have only seen sunlight for a brief moment in the morning a few days ago... then unfortunately I fell back asleep. When I woke up, it was gray and cloudy (as it has been lately). I have also turned on the heat two times so far because my blanket just isn't warm enough. Sooner or later, I am going to have to dish out 250€ to buy another. Can I hold up for one more month until I go back to NY? The cool weather has come too early compared to NY's seasonal transitions.

Anyhow, let's move onto Lesson 09: Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Pastry Dough) and Lesson 10: Petit-Four Secs (Petit-Fours Biscuits) and Petit-Four Moelleux (Meringues Petit-Fours). Photos below!

Creepy but my favorite Chef C is seen here smiling directly at my camera as I was photographing him making the Tarte Meringuée aux Poires Caramelisées (Caramelized Pear and Crisp Almond Crust Tart) filling.

I wish we had made the Barquettes au Miel (Honey Filled Barquettes) during the demonstration instead but I guess that would have been too simple of a task. As shown in the photos are the: Bâtons de Maréchaux (Marshal's Batons), Cigarettes, Macarons (Macaroons), and Palets aux Raisins (Raisin Biscuits). It's weird. I thought "raisins" was French for "grapes" but here it's translated as "raisins". "Raisin sec" should be "raisins". Am I confusing anyone here? haha Anyway, je ne sais pas!

Here's a photo of my finished products. Apparently, my midterm grade was not very satisfactory (at least according to me). I need to try harder! Chefs telling me "Bon travaille!" were just lying to me! Meh. We have this thing called "Meeting the Chef" going on in two weeks from now. I'm assuming it's a one-on-one evaluation on our performance. Double meh!

So the following will just be more photos of what else but food! I mean that's all Paris really is about, right? hah Kidding. That's just what I'm all about.

This is just some more examples of home cooked meals. Primarily Asian food, I know. My mom recently just told me to stop eating so much Asian food and start developing a palette for French cuisine. I can't help it sometimes!

There's quite a few desserts here but not all were mine! Only the bottom left one was. So as I had mentioned before, less Asian food, which means no sashimi for me. Instead, I went for a Salmon Tartare. I have my ways about it!

It appears that I've had salmon quite a few times when I've went out with my classmates. It's pretty common and tasty here at restaurants.

The smoked salmon in this photo belonged to my friend.

We also had a go at KFC. It tasted like any other KFC you would find in New York. Nothing different.

Last but not least, the macarons! I don't know why the right one came out looking brown but it was supposed to be a dark yellow. These were bought from Sadaharu Aoki. The flavor on the left is Hojicha and on the right is Yuzu. I really found the Hojicha aromatic and flavorful just like the soft serve back at Mitsuwa. Oh how I miss thee.

I like Aoki so much that it gets its own photo collage as shown here.

They had so many variations of desserts that I wanted to take a bite out of each item! Its interior is so pristine and simple. The walls are all white, chairs are white, tables are glass, and a black tiled floor. They even have macarons lined up in their glass case display on the wall behind the counter! Whether they're real or not, I'm not sure.

I could sit in there all day tapping on my netbook (if I had one) with a cup of café au lait and a Matcha croissant (I'm making this up because I saw croissants that had some vibrant green coloring in it).

I would definitely go back again to try all those flavors! Visitors, I'll take you there if you want to try as well. It gives me a perfect excuse to experiment their other menu items.

I think this is long enough of a post. Tomorrow night is the Nuit Blanche, also known as Sleepless Night. It'd be interesting to check out but my train is not running during those hours so perhaps not. New York is having it too on the same day. Maybe you guys can check it out since MTA is 24/7!

Well, until next time! I have only one day of classes next week (not including French class of course)!

Class Photos and Dark Cherries

Lesson 08: Gâteau Basque (Butter cake with Pastry Cream) and Crème Diplomate (Diplomat Cream). We made the Gâteau Basque during practical (thank goodness!). It's so nummy with the dark red cherries! No, I was not allergic to them if that causes any alarm among those who know of my food allergies. I didn't particularly like the taste of the Crème Diplomate. It had those candied fruits in it again. It also had golden raisins, which is somewhat acceptable but yeah I don't like chewy items in soft mushy food. Okay, I just don't like the taste of candied fruits in general.

Look, we learned a bit of plating with Raspberry and Apricot Coulis along with pistachios and fruit pieces for the Crème Diplomate. It was also drizzled with some Crème Anglaise (English Cream). The decoration sauce was tasty.

I ate more than half of my Gâteau Basque already now. Yes I am a fatty indeed! I always remind myself to bring my cakes downstairs to give it to the sushi people but I get lazy. It's odd how I don't mind running down to throw out the trash and come back up but I mind carrying a cake down. Maybe because I'd have to use people skills to socialize using my amateur French. "Bonjour. Je suis une étudiante chez Le Cordon Bleu. Souhaitez-vous quelque gâteau? J'ai trop beaucoup." And it'll end there as they stare at me like I'm a madwoman. Actually, perhaps I should start off asking if they speak Chinese.

Anyway, we also took class photos for the Basic Patisserie groups. Here shows Groups D, E, and F. I am in Group D. I look like a boy, I know. It's that darn hairnet and hat. I found that no one wore their hairnet for the photo. I have sacrificed my femininity for the sake of not having to put the hairnet on later for the demonstration class that was coming up.

I haven't done much walking around taking photos lately. Instead, I've been clothes shopping! I couldn't help myself. I had brought such casual clothes with me that I had forgotten that I'd be socializing here. I think it would be a little silly to be wearing jeans and a tee to the school dinner next week. Well, maybe some dude might but it looked like a nice restaurant so the least I can do is try to dress up a bit.

Anyhow, that's all for today. Another 8:30AM class tomorrow. I think I am getting adjusted to that now. If it was for work, probably not. haha. I will post up food photos in my next blog. Too lazy to grab them off the camera tonight. It's also very cold here but I am too cheap to turn on the heater. Meh!

Carbs Galore Among Other Edibles

I find myself eating my pastries for lunch now. Partly because I am cheap and do not want to spend additional money on food and partially because I feel like it's a waste of tuition if I just throw it out. And so as a result, I sacrifice my figure (Not that I have a notable one to begin with). Ah, the tragedy of a poor culinary student living in a foreign country where its currency is against her advantage.

Anyways, onto Lesson 06: Pâte à choux and Lesson 07: Meringue. See below!

Left to right, top to bottom: Éclairs with Crème Chantilly, Chef C piping the Choux Chantilly (Chantilly cream filled puffs), Éclairs with coffee and chocolate fondant and pastry cream filling, Choux Chantilly, Glands (Acorns), Chouquettes (Choux Pastries in front) and Salambos (behind).

Left to right, top to bottom: Dacquoise with Praline Buttercream decoration #1, Dacquoise with Praline Buttercream decoration #2, Dacquoise with Praline Buttercream decoration #3, Meringue Française (French Meringue), Chef DW demonstrating how to make the marzipan flower, and Meringue Suisse (Swiss Meringue).

Here is a photo of my finished products! Wow, I have never exercised my arm so much before in mixing and whisking. I will never take my KitchenAid for granted ever again.

And just for kicks, here's some photos of the food that I've been cooking at home. I rarely cook at home in New York so I can't help but record what I've been making these days. They're very amateur as I don't know any recipes and whatnot. They were edible though! *Pat on the back. :)

Left to right, top to bottom: Sautéed onions and mushrooms with chopped tomatoes alongside spaghetti topped with homemade alfredo sauce (yes, I used the wrong cheese and I didn't have milk), spaghetti with steamed vegetables, meatballs and cherry tomatoes, red onion soup with beef cubes and rice topped with cheese, and beef with red onions mixed with chili paste over rice.

Did I successfully make anyone drool? haha Anyway, two days off! W00ts! Then another 8:30AM - 9:00PM schedule on Thursday. I shiver at that thought. Hopefully it'll be sunny these two days so I can stroll the Parisian neighborhoods again.

Today Marks My Official Residency

Today was my appointment at l'OFII to get my medical examination and resident permit approved. Paid my 55€ in taxes first. Afterwards, I hopped from room to room to get eyesight (near and far) checked, weight and height checked, lungs x-rayed (first experience ever and I even get to keep the copy), and finally a face to face discussion about my health in general. Overall, I passed! They stamped and signed my medical certificate and stuck the resident permit into my passport. "C'est fini!" is what they said to me after all that was done and over with. Finally! All legal documentation done.

With that completed, I took my stroll through Paris once again but this time from the 11ème to 4ème to 1er. I just basically went from East to West but this time on Rue de Rivoli. Here are some pictures!

There's: Hôtel de Ville on top left (going clockwise), a neighborhood filled with streets like these near Forum des Halles (a mall), Tour Saint-Jacques (Saint-Jacques Tower), L’église Saint-Eustache (a church in Les Halles), and Colonne de Juillet (July Column) with L'Opéra Bastille in Bastille. This is not the order of where I walked. It's just for the sake of fitting the photos in proportionately. Lots of cultural buildings and monuments that I passed by. So breathtaking!

Since I was in the area, I decided to check out Bubble-T. As seen in the photo, the letter "T" seems to be missing. hah.

I ordered a Green Bubble Chai. It was okay... I should've went for Matcha au Lait or something. Yes, it came with the tapioca that I never really liked. BUT the nifty thing worth mentioning was that the lid had my astrological sign!

On a side note, I really liked the portraits hung on the wall. Very artistic. It seems like with my logo there, it's as though I'm claiming credit for those pieces of art. I'm just claiming credit for photographing them!

So here are also some nummies I have came across today shown below. Times like these, I really do wish I had the polarizer lens filter. Horrible window reflections of light and sometimes of me holding the camera...

Well, actually, the bottom left photo is savory. There's cheese and meat in them. Anyhow... since we're on the topic of food, here's a recap of Lesson 05 at le Cordon Bleu: Feuilletage (Puff Pastry)

During demonstration, we learned how to make Chaussons aux Pommes (Apple Turnovers), Palmiers (Palms), and Pailles aux Framboises (Raspberry Strawmats). Layers and layers of butter. Yum. In demonstration, we only made the Chaussons and the Palmiers. See below!

I'll need practice with this puff pastry. My layers weren't exactly puff enough. Boo. Oh and we ended up having Chef C as our practical chef. I was happy. Anyway, that's all for tonight. Tomorrow will be back to pâte à choux with both demonstration and practical in one day. Oh and it will be the start of my French language classes! Huzzah.

The Saint Honoré That Nearly Broke My Arm Off

Lesson 04: Choux Pastry. It's always so easy when watching Chefs demonstrate the method but when it's hands on for yourself, you realize that it's harder than it seems! Try beating and mixing a ball of dough into soft batter by hand. Then shortly after that, whip your own Chantilly Cream again by hand. Plenty of arm exercise in that lesson! I'll try to keep my blogs short and concise without too many boring details. So, here's some pictures to drool over!

Yes, I have realized that mine does not look as spectacular as Chef C's examples. I'll need some more practicing on piping skills. So many students burned themselves when dipping the choux into the cooked sugar syrup (I included). They warn you to be careful, otherwise, you'll get your finger cooked! Indeed, some students did cook parts of the hands. Minor though, luckily.

So I ended up piping too many balls of choux so I decided to put sandwich some ice cream in them. They made a nice after dinner dessert. Yum. So now I still have half the cake occupying my container which I will need for tomorrow's class. What do I do?! All my containers are used up. I seriously need mouths to eat these... because the next mouth I'm thinking of right now is the trash can's.

Another 8:30AM class coming up today. My classmate and I are the assistants for this week. I hope I won't screw up and forget some ingredient. Chef MOF could possibly be the instructor. Let's see how this will turn out. We will be making Chausson aux Pommes (Apple Turnovers) and Palmiers (Palms). Until then!