Thursday, April 19, 2007
April 19, 2007
I had a day off of school today! Pretty nice huh? I still woke up early and went to the gym like a good kid! Then I came home and got ready for a long fun day! I walked to Le Marais (the gay/jewish quarter) which is an hr away and met Kaili there. We were planning on shopping but we made a pit stop and Kaili decided to get her hair cut. She looks adorable! Then we had to leave because I wanted to go to school for this special demo. Everyonce in a while they have guest chefs at school which are free for students. They are usually famous chefs or have owned restaurants or pastry shops or head chef of a michelin star restaurant. Anyway...today was a pastry chef who owned his own place for 30 years so I was all about it. (even on my day off!) It was WELL worth it. He made 4 cakes! They were amazing! Then after class I met Kaili and Lauren back in Le Marais and we ate Falafel. Now I have to get ready for my big class dinner tomorrow nite because i have class straight through til the dinner so I have to pick out my outfit! Then to bed :)
April 18, 2007
Today was ANOTHER boring day...so i switched it up a bit :) My first class was that horrible one I didn't pay attention in, but it was easy enough to follow. So there are unfortunately no pictures today! I made a ballontine which is a chicken stuffed with some yummy goodness and foie gras mousse. It had to poach in a broth for an hr while we made hollandaise sauce. The chef...another new one...was really good because he explained some new things to us! SO i learned today even thought it was boring! So nothing was really accomplished in that class because it was a two part class and it had to sit in that broth. So during break I went the post office to send a gift to my friend then had a cup of tea with my friends. Then my next class was supposedly said to be the worst CD of all of school. It WAS! So boring I dont think I took notes BECAUSE i ditched the class right after that WHICH was the second part of that first class. Luckily Kaili got to take my chicken ballontine home for me! So all i missed was making a bouillon which I did last trimester and making sausages which we already did. So i didn't miss much! Anyway...instead I went to the gym, came home showered, then walked to Kaili's and bought groceries. We made enchiladas and guacamole at her house for dinner. They were amazing! Then i walked home! It was a boring day...but ended well ;)
April 17, 2007
Today was a long day. My first class was a PD and we learned the Bavarois which is a GREAT cake. It is 3 layers of yumminess. 1 layer of dark choc mousse, 1 layer of milk choc mousse and the top layer is white chocolate mousse! Then on the top is a choc glaze to make it look like a mirror. SO beautiful. Then if we had time we could draw or make some decoration. It was a tasty demo! After class we went and had coffee and i sat with my friends. At 12:30 we made that cake. Let's say class went well til the end. I will chose not to say what happened because it upsets me to think about it...so we can focus on my AMAZING cake. Chef agreed. And you can check it out for yourself! Not everyone had even layers like mine...so that's what made mine so good. If I had pics of everyone else's i would show you...but just know mine was close to perfect!
After class I went to the gym. Then came home, took a quick shower, at my roomates delicious veal and foie gras and went to wine class. It was pretty boring tonite for some reason, so I ate a lot of cheese and drank...not tasted...my wine tonite. Then came home to bed!
After class I went to the gym. Then came home, took a quick shower, at my roomates delicious veal and foie gras and went to wine class. It was pretty boring tonite for some reason, so I ate a lot of cheese and drank...not tasted...my wine tonite. Then came home to bed!
Monday, April 16, 2007
April 16, 2007
Back at school...I went to school at 8:30 to kill me some lobsters! First...you can see Lillie my lobster right after I boiled her head:)
I got lucky because I got a female which has the coral which makes the sauce taste better and thicker! Class went SOOOO smoothly that we were done by 10. Did you read that? 10 am! when normally class is done at 11:30! score! And what scored even more was that chef said my dish was perfect today. He said it tasted great and looked great. He also said I worked very well today. I, personally, am SOOO pleased with myself today. It was SOOOO good i took every last bit home with me :) I also have to commend myself on my plating! I'm getting better!
So after class I ran boring errands and went to the gym. On the way I found a bakery that sells the flute gana which is the number 1 bread in all of paris and they have one by me! I didn't know this til today and i've been making Kaili bring me one from her house when she can! So i HAD to get one! very excited. Came home showered, ate some flute gana and goat cheese (yep you heard me right...i found some i like!!!!) and went back to school for the MOST BORING class i have had to date. Unfortunately I can't even remember what I learned it was THAT boring. Some kind of sausage with apples, a stuffed chicken in a soup, and a terrine with foie gras. All I know is I may be skippin on that sausage class cause it was NASTY! Anyway, after class it was SO nice out that I went and sat with my friends while they had a beer. Then I came home and ate ALL my lobster and rice. IT WAS AMAZING! Can't wait to make it at home for my family and friends! watch out :) Anyway...it's so beautiful outside...the window is open and it's a lovely nite to sleep. Bonne nuit
I got lucky because I got a female which has the coral which makes the sauce taste better and thicker! Class went SOOOO smoothly that we were done by 10. Did you read that? 10 am! when normally class is done at 11:30! score! And what scored even more was that chef said my dish was perfect today. He said it tasted great and looked great. He also said I worked very well today. I, personally, am SOOO pleased with myself today. It was SOOOO good i took every last bit home with me :) I also have to commend myself on my plating! I'm getting better!
So after class I ran boring errands and went to the gym. On the way I found a bakery that sells the flute gana which is the number 1 bread in all of paris and they have one by me! I didn't know this til today and i've been making Kaili bring me one from her house when she can! So i HAD to get one! very excited. Came home showered, ate some flute gana and goat cheese (yep you heard me right...i found some i like!!!!) and went back to school for the MOST BORING class i have had to date. Unfortunately I can't even remember what I learned it was THAT boring. Some kind of sausage with apples, a stuffed chicken in a soup, and a terrine with foie gras. All I know is I may be skippin on that sausage class cause it was NASTY! Anyway, after class it was SO nice out that I went and sat with my friends while they had a beer. Then I came home and ate ALL my lobster and rice. IT WAS AMAZING! Can't wait to make it at home for my family and friends! watch out :) Anyway...it's so beautiful outside...the window is open and it's a lovely nite to sleep. Bonne nuit
Bruxelles (warning...LONG!)
Well it was an...interesting trip! When I got to the train station in paris I saw two people from my school that were also going to brussels...random! Anyway I arrive in Brussels on Friday at 4:45. I took a tram...no not a metro...a tram...they have a metro...but I took the tram, to my hostel. As I go out of the tram station everything smelled like waffles! Yum! The area my hostel was in was very scuzzy looking, but according to the heading online it was the only hostel in "downtown brussels", so that's why i stayed there! (i later realized it was in walking distance to EVERYTHING!) Anyway, below are pictures of the room, which had a sink and a toilet and the view from my room (not the scuzzy view!).
So after I put my stuff down I immediately left. I just started to walk. The guy at the desk gave me suggestions where to go...but I knew the moment he told me Chez Leon (A CHAIN RESTAURANT!) for the best mussels, I had to seek out info else where (plus i ate at chez leon in paris..and they were so so). So I walked around the Grand Place (Pictured below...how beautiful!)
I also randomly went into this beautiful church. I saw it...so you can too in the pictures :)
I eventually wound up at a Novotel, which is very nice hotel and I spoke to them. They gave me GREAT info. So i went to this restaurant called Klenderke or something to that sort. I had mussels, even though they aren't in season. And I should have listened to them. They were horrible. I don't know if it was the restaurant or the mussels themselves...but they were bad! Oh well. Onto my next stop...DELERIUM! Oy! This bar has 2500 different kinds of beers and guarantees 2004 instock. I sat down and told the bartender to keep giving me beers til I say stop BUT I ONLY want belgium beers. So i started and these were the ones I had Rulles Triples, Saxo, Abbayede Rocs, Brugse Zot, and Serafijn Triple. All for 16.70E. Not bad! However...I have to let you know...the beers in Belgium have a higher alcohol content. Anyway, I met some nerd from Milwaukee named Colin. He insisted on walking me part way home which was fine. He was nice. And he wanted to meet up the next day...uh...not so much. He said he would text. So needless to say Sat morning I slept in a little later than I normally do :) After I got up, still feeling a little on the wishy washy side...I got some toast and went to Mannekin Pis...the little man peeing statue! Very cute!
I walked around a lot today aimlessly because it just felt nice to be outside. I swear it was 80 degrees! Anyway, I also went shopping and bought a pair of shoes for 15 euros. Then I went to the chocolate museum and ate a free piece of choclate. Then next I went to the Belgium comic strip museum. I guess comics are very popular out there. You know the smurfs were invented in Brussels! How cool!?!?!
Then I took the metro (yes the metro this time) to get fries at this place the hotel told me to go to. Antoine's. So I go up to the lady and asked her if she spoke english (in french of course) and she said no...with her mustache on her face! So I ordered a large fry with their special sauce (not knowing what it was) on the side. Well she brought it out and she put it on top. And I saw it was ketchup (dont like), mayo (hate), and onions (eh)...so I said no...on the side...I dont want it. And she looked at me, and was like take it...and I said no. So she threw it. I was thinking...i dont care...im never gonna see her again. So I got my fries with no sauce (even though they had about 20 sauces and I wanted to try one so badly). But the fries were outstanding! I couldnt take a picture cause I had to hold the fries!!!! After I ate the fries I came back to the center of town and walked around some more. I bought chocolate at Pierre Marcolini, supposedly the best chocolate shop around. Well as I was purchasing, I noticed their list of other stores and they DEFINATELY had one in paris. Oh well! Eventually I went to this restaurant called Cafe des Spores. It was a restaurant based only on mushroom dishes and thats why i picked the place! I had 3 dishes that were tapas size. The pictures below are what I had in order. First I had Palourdes au sake einokis. It was a dish with clams and a broth that you drank. It was made with sake and tasted like a mushroom broth. And the mushrooms looked like sprouts. It was so good! The second dish I had was Oeuf cocotte a la tartufaua. This was like a mushy bread pudding with eggs and the one on top was close to raw. There were mushrooms all throughout. I dipped the bread inside. This was my favorite I think. The last dish I was dissapointed by. It was the first thing I noticed on the menu and i really wanted it. It was Creme Brulee Foie Gras. It didn't have much mushroom taste and it was WAY too sweet. Very creamy and cold, which is not what I'm used to...but oh well. Anyway, I spoke to the chef because the kitchen was right in the middle of the dining room and was very tiny. He suggested these three dishes for me. Overall I had a great experience. They usually pair wine with dinner, but I only opted for one glass and I had a riesling which was very light. Also in the pics you can see the chef torching the brulee. I thought it was funny that he wore this HUGE head gear, so i took a picture! haha.
I went back to the hostel and met some of my roomies who were from Texas and Tennessese and were VERY nice. We chatted for a while then I went to bed.
Sunday morning I left the hostel at 8:30 am and checked out and had them watch my luggage (which they only do til 1!!!!) I walked aimlessly til 10 because NOTHING opens til then. SO...then I went to Cafe du Vaudeville which I was told had the best waffles! This restaurant is located in the Royal Galleries which is the first covered shopping aracade in Europe dating from 1846!
So I sit down, order a waffle...and the waitress says..."we don't serve them til 11" ARGH! SO i had a cup of coffee and read the magazine I bought then at 11 I ordered my waffle with ice cream. The waffle...HUGE...the ice cream...LESS than 1/4 cup. Hilarious! Anyway...it was worth the wait!!!!
Then I walked a little, but had to be back at my hostel to get my luggage. So i picked it up and walked around because my train didn't leave til 4:45! I went to the beer museum and had a free dark beer, then went to the costume museum. VERY pretty. Then went to this restaurant, waited 10 min and NO ONE helped me...so i left. Went to another one and ordered croquettes aux crevettes. They were good. They were cheaper there anyway...so i scored.
As I was walking to the train I saw this restauarant and laughed. If you are from the states, you SHOULD know what place I was comparing it to!
Then finally I got to the train station and waited for a while, but eventually got on the train! FINALLY i got home at 6:30...I showered and then at 8:30 when it was still light out, I passed out...SO EXHAUSTED! But it was a fun weekend. Oh...and I realized my heat had been on for the past few weeks and it's like 80 degrees here...so that's why I hadn't been sleeping well...so it's off now, and I should sleep like a baby! Hope you enjoyed my brussels trip as much as I am enjoying my chocolate right now ;)
So after I put my stuff down I immediately left. I just started to walk. The guy at the desk gave me suggestions where to go...but I knew the moment he told me Chez Leon (A CHAIN RESTAURANT!) for the best mussels, I had to seek out info else where (plus i ate at chez leon in paris..and they were so so). So I walked around the Grand Place (Pictured below...how beautiful!)
I also randomly went into this beautiful church. I saw it...so you can too in the pictures :)
I eventually wound up at a Novotel, which is very nice hotel and I spoke to them. They gave me GREAT info. So i went to this restaurant called Klenderke or something to that sort. I had mussels, even though they aren't in season. And I should have listened to them. They were horrible. I don't know if it was the restaurant or the mussels themselves...but they were bad! Oh well. Onto my next stop...DELERIUM! Oy! This bar has 2500 different kinds of beers and guarantees 2004 instock. I sat down and told the bartender to keep giving me beers til I say stop BUT I ONLY want belgium beers. So i started and these were the ones I had Rulles Triples, Saxo, Abbayede Rocs, Brugse Zot, and Serafijn Triple. All for 16.70E. Not bad! However...I have to let you know...the beers in Belgium have a higher alcohol content. Anyway, I met some nerd from Milwaukee named Colin. He insisted on walking me part way home which was fine. He was nice. And he wanted to meet up the next day...uh...not so much. He said he would text. So needless to say Sat morning I slept in a little later than I normally do :) After I got up, still feeling a little on the wishy washy side...I got some toast and went to Mannekin Pis...the little man peeing statue! Very cute!
I walked around a lot today aimlessly because it just felt nice to be outside. I swear it was 80 degrees! Anyway, I also went shopping and bought a pair of shoes for 15 euros. Then I went to the chocolate museum and ate a free piece of choclate. Then next I went to the Belgium comic strip museum. I guess comics are very popular out there. You know the smurfs were invented in Brussels! How cool!?!?!
Then I took the metro (yes the metro this time) to get fries at this place the hotel told me to go to. Antoine's. So I go up to the lady and asked her if she spoke english (in french of course) and she said no...with her mustache on her face! So I ordered a large fry with their special sauce (not knowing what it was) on the side. Well she brought it out and she put it on top. And I saw it was ketchup (dont like), mayo (hate), and onions (eh)...so I said no...on the side...I dont want it. And she looked at me, and was like take it...and I said no. So she threw it. I was thinking...i dont care...im never gonna see her again. So I got my fries with no sauce (even though they had about 20 sauces and I wanted to try one so badly). But the fries were outstanding! I couldnt take a picture cause I had to hold the fries!!!! After I ate the fries I came back to the center of town and walked around some more. I bought chocolate at Pierre Marcolini, supposedly the best chocolate shop around. Well as I was purchasing, I noticed their list of other stores and they DEFINATELY had one in paris. Oh well! Eventually I went to this restaurant called Cafe des Spores. It was a restaurant based only on mushroom dishes and thats why i picked the place! I had 3 dishes that were tapas size. The pictures below are what I had in order. First I had Palourdes au sake einokis. It was a dish with clams and a broth that you drank. It was made with sake and tasted like a mushroom broth. And the mushrooms looked like sprouts. It was so good! The second dish I had was Oeuf cocotte a la tartufaua. This was like a mushy bread pudding with eggs and the one on top was close to raw. There were mushrooms all throughout. I dipped the bread inside. This was my favorite I think. The last dish I was dissapointed by. It was the first thing I noticed on the menu and i really wanted it. It was Creme Brulee Foie Gras. It didn't have much mushroom taste and it was WAY too sweet. Very creamy and cold, which is not what I'm used to...but oh well. Anyway, I spoke to the chef because the kitchen was right in the middle of the dining room and was very tiny. He suggested these three dishes for me. Overall I had a great experience. They usually pair wine with dinner, but I only opted for one glass and I had a riesling which was very light. Also in the pics you can see the chef torching the brulee. I thought it was funny that he wore this HUGE head gear, so i took a picture! haha.
I went back to the hostel and met some of my roomies who were from Texas and Tennessese and were VERY nice. We chatted for a while then I went to bed.
Sunday morning I left the hostel at 8:30 am and checked out and had them watch my luggage (which they only do til 1!!!!) I walked aimlessly til 10 because NOTHING opens til then. SO...then I went to Cafe du Vaudeville which I was told had the best waffles! This restaurant is located in the Royal Galleries which is the first covered shopping aracade in Europe dating from 1846!
So I sit down, order a waffle...and the waitress says..."we don't serve them til 11" ARGH! SO i had a cup of coffee and read the magazine I bought then at 11 I ordered my waffle with ice cream. The waffle...HUGE...the ice cream...LESS than 1/4 cup. Hilarious! Anyway...it was worth the wait!!!!
Then I walked a little, but had to be back at my hostel to get my luggage. So i picked it up and walked around because my train didn't leave til 4:45! I went to the beer museum and had a free dark beer, then went to the costume museum. VERY pretty. Then went to this restaurant, waited 10 min and NO ONE helped me...so i left. Went to another one and ordered croquettes aux crevettes. They were good. They were cheaper there anyway...so i scored.
As I was walking to the train I saw this restauarant and laughed. If you are from the states, you SHOULD know what place I was comparing it to!
Then finally I got to the train station and waited for a while, but eventually got on the train! FINALLY i got home at 6:30...I showered and then at 8:30 when it was still light out, I passed out...SO EXHAUSTED! But it was a fun weekend. Oh...and I realized my heat had been on for the past few weeks and it's like 80 degrees here...so that's why I hadn't been sleeping well...so it's off now, and I should sleep like a baby! Hope you enjoyed my brussels trip as much as I am enjoying my chocolate right now ;)
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