I felt like I was feeding the "hungry hordes" for breakfast this morning. I made a large frittata this morning, two Almond Cream Cheese Tea Loaves and put out a fruit platter, yogurt and juices. Chef Brian put out a cheese and meat platter. It was gone before my class even had a chance to get anything to eat! Amazing!! Of course there are a couple of young guys in that class that I think may have eaten their parents out of house and home! For tomorrow I have already made three coffeecakes, will put out some little puff pastry/onion tarts, a fruit platter, juice, yogurt and three coffee carafes. Chef Brian is going to make pizza for the new class. It sure helps to have someone share the responsibility of breakfast! Chef Brian also makes lunch for them every day.
We shaped our croissants today before lecture. They turned out well. Our class had a "snack" at 11am of chocolate croissants (pain au chocolat) and plain croissants with butter and a variety of jams. Yummy!
After getting our croissants done, Chef Pete gave us a lecture on the Loire Valley and also on game (birds, venison, etc). That slice of France which is usually thought of as the Loire Valley stretches from Nantes in the west (technically in Bretagne) to the Nivernaise in the east (merging with Burgundy), and embraces Maine, Anjou, Touraine, Berry and the Orleanais on the way. This is not only the land of Cateaux, but also the garden of France, abundant in fruit-including Williams pears from Anjou, Reinette apples from Le Mans, plums, quinces from the Orleanais, strawberries from Saumur, peaches, apricots, Chasselas grapes, melons--and noted for ealy vegetables and particularly asparagus, artichokes and cultivated mushrooms. Not surprisingly, freshwater fish from the Loire and its tributaries are something of a feature: pike, carp and shad are traditionally served with beurre blanc or stuffed with sorrel; Vierzon in the Berry is known for lampreay; eels appear in the bouilleture of Anjou, or en matelote (fish stew) with the characteristic addition of prunes in the Touraine and saffron in the Orleanais. The forests of the Sologne have given the Orleanais a reputation for game and game products, such as lark and partridge pates and hare terrine. Indeed, the charcuterie is varied and excellent throughout the region, with many towns making their own versions of the local rillettes (a cross between a pate and potted meat) and rillons as well as andouilles and andouillettes and poultry preparations like boudins and jambons de volaille.
In 1129, King Henry II received Aquitaine as part of Eleanor of Aquitaine's dowry, making Chinon one of the most important seats of power in Europe. It was at the Chateau in Chinon that Joan of Arc convinced Charles VII to defy the English in 1429, thus giving rise to modern France. Catherine de Medici married the future King Henry V in 1533 and brought her cooks, flatware, etc, from Italy, therefore launching France into a culinary revolution.
The Loire Rivery Valley produces a variety of cheeses-Bleu d'Auvergne, Forme de Cantal, Port Salut, and Crottin de Chavignol. As for wines from this region, they produce Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume (sauvignon blanc), Cheverny (sauvingon blanc), Touraine (sauvingnon blanc), Vouvray (chenin blanc), Chinon, Bourgueil (100% cabernet franc), Rose d-Loire, Rose d-Anjou and Muscadet. Their production of sparkling wines is second only to Champagne. Cointreau comes from this region as well as Poire Williams (pear brandy).
Lunch (although I have to say a lot of us were not very hungry today, after croissants at 11am, although lunch was not until 2:30-3pm)! GardeMo made traditional French Onion Soup. Hot plate served Saddle of Venison with a Sauce Grand Veneur and Chestnut Puree. Corey and Collin made Tarte Tatin-the upside down apple tart made popular in France. Apparently two sisters famous for their apple pies, forgot to put a crust on some of their apple pies. So they slapped a crust on top of the pies, turned them out onto a plate so the apples were on top and served them anyway. They were a hit!
Back home, just doing laundry and now I need to study for my test tomorrow. I got a 94 on last week's exam. Only three more tests left and we're done! Time to get serious!!
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