June 22, 2007

Rainy friday! ALL day. I woke up at 9 like i've been and didn't do much like i've been :) AT 11 i walked to class with a pitstop at the natural store to get almond butter :) Then started to sit while katie had her coffee but it began to downpour so i went to school. At 12:30 we had a PP. We made the mango and raspberry log with crumble. A very tasty cake. And we had a nice relaxed chef who let us work pretty much as a group. It was SO quick...but what took the longest was waiting for the cake to set up! So although we finished rather early, we did a lot of standing around doing nothing. Anyway, i was a mess today. I wasn't very pleased with my cake. I didn't whip my mango mousse enough so it wasn't thick enough and not easy to pipe, but usable. And I was just messy putting it into the mold. BUT you can't always have good days. So that's ok :) It came out tasty! Chef really didn't say much to me.



After class I saw Sarah, THANK G-D! And she had class but she let me go to her house and wash my uniform and SHOWER :) So i went there, gave her my cake ;) washed my uniform, and showered! SO NICE! She lives less than five min from school. SO i walked back to school to drop off her keys. She said she is bringing my uniform back to school on sat, because we both have class. POOP. Then I went home and did my hair ;) From that point on in the evening it was a blur. I did homework, I talked on the phone to my mom and CASEY!!!!!! YAH i have a visitor in July...my first one. SOOOO excited :) and I also putzed on the computer forever. I actually think at one point in the night i was blankly staring at my computer. I ate something. I did a whole lot of fun nothings! But it was relaxing nonetheless AND i got my homework done like a good kid :) (and i was clean!) Went to be at 11!

June 21, 2007

Today was a fun day! I woke up at 9 and did a bunch of cleaning. For some reason because i've had late classes, I feel the need to just let me room lay loose! I'm just lazy...but it's been kinda nice! SO i cleaned and eventually let and had coffee with Katie. Then at 12:30 we had ONE class which was CP. We made the stuffed squab (pigeon) and mushroom tartlets! We had the good chef :) Class was a breeze! We started to plate at 2:10! We were dressed and ready to leave school by 2:30! Out one whole hour early! NICE! Anyway, Chef said my sauce had good seasoning, my farce had good seasoning, and everything was cooked perfectly. The only thing was that I could have put more farce on the outside of my squab. But I told him that I forgot to do that. So next time! He is also the master plater, so I asked him if he would help me with that. The picture you see is NOT how I presented it to him. I added a little more sauce and I didn't take a picture of it. My bad. But he liked it none the less. And he said we were going to work on that a lot this trimester. Good! That's what i wanna do!!!! Anyway, I left class feeling like I worked well today!

After school I picked up a few things from the grocery store and then went home to start what was to be my AMAZING dinner :) Ok...my attempt at an amazing dinner! First I made my claufoutis! It's traditionally made with cherries and they JUST came into season here...so I HAD to make one. The pictures you see are before and after. It looks MUCH better than it tastes...but it didn't taste bad by all means ;) Threw some vanilla ice cream on top and voila!


You are supposed to make it an hour before serving. So i did it right when I came home. Then I talked on the phone with sara for a while, wrote some emails, read some magazines and intermittently worked on cooking. Eventually I started to cook! I made a salad, bought bread from Lenotre, wine, and the main entre was veal with a saffron cream sauce with mushrooms and instead of peas I used green beans! Everything turned out ok. I could pick it a part. But i won't :) I did that while i was eating it. But what's a chef for?!?! Anyway...it was my first time making it...what do you expect? perfection? Yes i know dad...YOU do :) I don't! Anyway...it was edible. Liz didn't drink her wine...so i did! And I ate all of my food because i had a busy day cooking and it was pretty good! I have to thank Kaili for the recipe. I am bringing her some to school to see what she thinks! The pictures are of the entire table and then the place setting and then the main course. I also cut the lemons like the tiger teeth, like we learned in school. I'm a dork. Presentation wasn't my main importance here (if you couldn't tell!)



After dinner liz and i cleaned...BADLY! after that I just SAT DOWN! I read a magazine and layed on my bed. Finally I just crashed. There was a music festival going on today...so there was a LOT of loud music going on. SO today was the FIRST day in paris where i had to use my ear plugs! CRAZY! But they worked. Overall, great day! I told you...things are lookin up!

June 20, 2007

This week has just been so beautiful as far as my schedule! I don't want next week to start!!!!!!! Anyway, once again, I had 12:30 class. I woke up early and YAH the plumber came today. We expected him on thur so it was very exciting. I left so he could do his work. I went to the bank to exchange some money for katie and then i went shopping a little. Didn't get much, but I've been living without a flat iron so I bought a new one. At noon I got to school and sat down with Katie and Lauren while they had their coffee. At 12:30 we had a CP. We made the Sea Bass in bread. LONGEST PRACTICAL TO DATE! no lie. We got done at 3:30 ON THE SPOT. Not to mention we had a demo starting at 3:30. We were all in such a rush. Luckily...it wasn't just our class! There were too other classes that were rushing just as much. Anyway, chef said my plate looked pretty, my sauce was good, my aubergine had good flavor, and everything was cooked correctly. And today I actually filleted a fish by myself. I can't say I did the best job...but I didn't get any help. So i conquered one thing! I guess overall it was a good food day. I did't really think so but he did. While I was cleaning my dishes I saw liz outside, so I gave her my food and all of her friends tried it. They said it was amazing. So that says something as well :)

Meanwhile, we all rushed to class. At 3:30 we rushed to get to CD with my FAV chef who had been on vacation! SO glad he is back. He is great at teaching, cooking AND plating! YAH!!!!!! I can't wait for him to be my chef in practicals! Anyway, we learned langoustines and asperges, Squab with stuffed legs and a mushroom tartlet, and the best dessert!!! Almond cream stuffed dates wrapped in phyllo with saffron and gingerbread ice cream! heaven!!! And all of this with beautiful plating made the tasting today extra delicious! Chef is just amazing! Anyway, after class I went and sat with all of my friends while they had a beer. Then at 7 we had wine class!! Our first one. It was a good one too. This trimester is wines of the world! We learned Australia, Argentina, California, South Africa, New Zealand and Chile! I actually DRANK my glasses tonite...not just sipped ;) And luckily I did. Cause as I was walking home, Liz texted me saying there was STILL no hot water. And madame called me saying there was! So I was all in a hurry to get home. I get home and call madame saying there is NO hot water. So they were going to call the plumber for thur again! BUT i made fish today. I HAD to take a shower and since the water had been turned back on in the shower I decided to use it. So i took a cold one. 30 min later...the guy from downstairs came up and said it was leaking again!!!!!! So we had to turn it off again. I guess I'm gonna still have to use the sink til this gets fixed. Going on week four after thur!!!!! ANNOYING! Anyway, made a mess of my room, talked to my friend Aaron who is in Korea (check out his blog posted on the right of my page!), and went to bed at 11:30!

June 19, 2007

Well, today felt like a long day...but wasn't all that long. I woke up at 9...and because I couldn't go to the gym I kinda just relaxed. I read a magazine, made myself a good breakfast, and putz on the comp :) Eventually I got dressed, went to the poste office, went to have coffee with Katie and Lauren, and then to school. We had two Demos. The first was a 12:30 PD. We learned one cake. It was Mango and raspberry with crumble on top. Pretty delicious! Then at 3:30 we had a CD and we learned Sweet and Sour Fried shrimp, bread encrusted Stuffed Sea Bass and a raspberry crumble with chocolate raspberry caramel sauce. The sauce was oustanding! I will definately make that sometime! After school I went home and actually made myself dinner. Yes, you heard me. I made myself a salad, and duck and I made a yummy cream and mustard sauce to accompany my duck. I'm not the best without a recipe, but I will get there. The only way to get better is to practice. The rest of the night was...let's just say ineteresting. I came upon some closure I was waiting for and expecting. As cliche as this sounds...now that I have it, I can start a new. Thanx :) after the struggles of that for a while, I chatted with Liz my roomate, talked on the phone for a while to peeps, chatted on line, and eventually fell asleep at like 11:30.

June 18, 2007

Ok...this is going to be a good week. I start classes at 12:30 everyday (including sat) but still...12:30 daily! So I was going to start the gym today. I get up at 8, get everything together (because I HAVE to shower there in PUBLIC showers!!! YUCK) And i walk there. Well, they are in process of getting new machines and air conditioning, so it was CLOSED! I finally felt ready to go back to the gym after my hurting feet and they were CLOSED! ARGH! so annoying. SO i came home and took a cold shower and ate some eggs. How annoying! I eventually went to school for a 12:30 PP. We made the tart creole which is pure yumminess. It's a short crust, with coconut mousse, a savoie sponge soaked in malibu, pineapple and italian meringue! How good does that sound?!?!?! GREAT! Anyway, class was fine. Chef told us out of his three classes that our was the worst. He said it was because we talked to much and we worked to slow...BUT me, katie, kaili and melissa worked the best. So i was very confused. Oh well. He said my tart looked good...except I needed to pipe more so it covered the egdge and I needed to cut my berries with a scissors so they don't bleed. But otherwise he liked it. I also cut my tart up, and he tried it and said it tasted VERY good. Score ;)

After school I went grocery shopping. This week I end early every day except for wine day, so my goal is to COOK every nite. Not just salads and premade stuff, but cook! So i bought duck, veal, shrimp and lots of veggies! I am here to learn to cook, so I may as well utilize my new abilities! I came home and had a craving for a salad (hahahah) so I made ranch dressing and put some crab meat on top and ate a VERY yummy salad! I left the house around 6:30 to go to Trephenes to take a shower and then we went for a nice walk outside for some ice cream. It was just beautiful outside and she is such a pleasure to be with! And it was nice to be clean :) I also found out my gym is close from today til the 23rd! How annoying is it that today was when i wanted to start back and i can't because it's closed! ARGH! Oh well...atleast my feet can rest some more. Now I'm home and I'm gonna help my mommy with the computer and then go to bed! Have a GREAT evening folks :)

rien

Ok...this is a LAME post. I went to the laundry mat in the morning. Came home and did NOTHING ALL DAY! I know. I was planning on going out and i couldn't bring myself to do anything. Finally i decided to lay down for a while...then it started to rain heavily. So i was happy i didn't go out. Eventually I went to dinner with Sarah Fritz at 8 to a great Indian restaurant. I had some REALLY good spicy food. Probably the best spicy food I've had since i've been here! Yah! I got home at 11. Went to bed shortly after that. What a lame ass day. Heck...it WAS a sunday.