Friday we went to Brock's in downtown Fredericksburg for lunch. All Betty's sisters were there and her mom, and one niece. They all wanted to see me! How nice is that? We had a great time. After lunch we walked around downtown a bit. Some stores have close, some new ones opened since last time I was here. There are still quite a few antique stores. E weather, ore than the one day it rained, has been about 70. Amazing!
Yesterday Betty felt well enough to take a hike along the Rappahannock. It was a beautiful day! Don, her husband went with us.
Tonight is Halloween. Betty and Don get quite a few trick or treaters, of all sizes, lol! The little ones are so cute! I have been cooking and baking, trying to stock up their freezer with meals. Some of Don's family came today to visit and were treated to a nicer meal than they ever expected, lol. Roast pork, roasted potatoes and broccoli. Chocolate cookies with chocolate chips for dessert. Anyway, it was nice to meet them all.
Happy Halloween to everyone!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 28, 2010
I am finally feeling a little more normal since arriving back in the States. It didn't seem so hard going to Italy and adjusting to the time difference but coming back was another story! The weather in Fredericksburg has been in the low 70's, not what I was expecting for fall! The air here seems "heavy" though, no other way to describe it. Yesterday there were ton ado warnings for half the day-didn't expect that either! Rained cats and dogs too.
I have my first "gig". Personal chef for Betty and her husband Don. I am cooking up a storm to stock their freezer with meals for after I leave. It's been fun cooking again, and it helps that the audience is very appreciative! Both us girls have been resting up otherwise. I'll be in Fredericksburg till next Tuesday. It's been very nice spending time with Betty.
Thanks again for every one's support these last months. I just found out I did pass my chef course! Diploma is in the mail! Yeah! :-)
I have my first "gig". Personal chef for Betty and her husband Don. I am cooking up a storm to stock their freezer with meals for after I leave. It's been fun cooking again, and it helps that the audience is very appreciative! Both us girls have been resting up otherwise. I'll be in Fredericksburg till next Tuesday. It's been very nice spending time with Betty.
Thanks again for every one's support these last months. I just found out I did pass my chef course! Diploma is in the mail! Yeah! :-)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Oh, dear! I have two days to catch up on!
Sunday Alta and I slept in and were eating breakfast at our hotel when Cris and his partner showed up. They wanted to don some sightseeing, so off we went! Our first stop was their hotel to pick Chris's sister, then a quick stop at a pastry shop (like I said, no one does pastry quite like the French!) and off to the Palace Gardens. They flank one end of one of the many palaces in Paris and are on the way to the Louvre. From the train/Metro station there, you can see the Eiffel Tower, the Arc d'Triumpe and and so many other things, I can't begin to name! Our next stop was the Louvre, that houses the famous Mona Lisa. Then a stop at Cafe Fregate for un cafe and a light lunch. Then off to the Musee d'Orsay down the river, another art museum. They have fantastic life-size statues of several jungle animals (an elephant and a rhinoceros). Then it was on to the Eiffel Tower. I'd forgotten how large it is! We got there too early to see it lit up but it is still impressive. We were so cold that Alta and I took a taxi back to our hotel. We happened to get a driver who spoke quite good English. Turns out he met his American girlfriend in his taxi and learned English from her and from listening to American music (I still am surprised by the number of places that play constant American rock and roll!). He calls himself the karaoke taxi, lol. Dinner that night was at Cafe Renato, an Italian(!) restaurant down the street from our hotel. Turned out to be pretty good! We both had lasagna with Bolognese sauce.
Then it was back to our hotel to pack.
Monday was up early to take a cab to Charles de Gaulle Airport. We both flew out on British Airway. The flight from Paris to Heathrow. At Heathrow, we had to go thru security again. Security appears to be very tight at Heathrow. The flight from London to DC was uneventful. Did you know that on Transatlantic flights they still serve a hot meal to guests? That was new for me! Betty and her husband picked me up at the airport and we drove back to Fredericksburg. Sure is nice to see Betty again! Now for a week of R&R!
Sunday Alta and I slept in and were eating breakfast at our hotel when Cris and his partner showed up. They wanted to don some sightseeing, so off we went! Our first stop was their hotel to pick Chris's sister, then a quick stop at a pastry shop (like I said, no one does pastry quite like the French!) and off to the Palace Gardens. They flank one end of one of the many palaces in Paris and are on the way to the Louvre. From the train/Metro station there, you can see the Eiffel Tower, the Arc d'Triumpe and and so many other things, I can't begin to name! Our next stop was the Louvre, that houses the famous Mona Lisa. Then a stop at Cafe Fregate for un cafe and a light lunch. Then off to the Musee d'Orsay down the river, another art museum. They have fantastic life-size statues of several jungle animals (an elephant and a rhinoceros). Then it was on to the Eiffel Tower. I'd forgotten how large it is! We got there too early to see it lit up but it is still impressive. We were so cold that Alta and I took a taxi back to our hotel. We happened to get a driver who spoke quite good English. Turns out he met his American girlfriend in his taxi and learned English from her and from listening to American music (I still am surprised by the number of places that play constant American rock and roll!). He calls himself the karaoke taxi, lol. Dinner that night was at Cafe Renato, an Italian(!) restaurant down the street from our hotel. Turned out to be pretty good! We both had lasagna with Bolognese sauce.
Then it was back to our hotel to pack.
Monday was up early to take a cab to Charles de Gaulle Airport. We both flew out on British Airway. The flight from Paris to Heathrow. At Heathrow, we had to go thru security again. Security appears to be very tight at Heathrow. The flight from London to DC was uneventful. Did you know that on Transatlantic flights they still serve a hot meal to guests? That was new for me! Betty and her husband picked me up at the airport and we drove back to Fredericksburg. Sure is nice to see Betty again! Now for a week of R&R!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
This was our last cooking day. We met Denis and Eric at the market to shop for lunch today. They are very nice guys, very helpful. It is amazing what is at the markets here in Paris. The fruits and vegetables are beautiful as are the fresh meats and seafood. Amazing! Why can't we get produce like this in the States? I don't know!
After that, it was back to the school to separate and each group make their portion of lunch. I was in the group that was making the first course. We had gotten four kinds of mushrooms at the market: Chanterelles, Shitake, Oyster and Portabello mushrooms. We also stopped to get some sherry and creme fraiche. We cleaned and chopped the mushrooms then cooked them separately to remove their water. Then we tossed them together and sauteed them in butter and salt and pepper. We then added the mushrooms, vegetable stock, butter, cream and a little sherry to a stock pot and let it simmer. After about an hour or so, we pureed the soup and let it sit for a while. We mixed up a savory Zabaglione using egg yokes and sherry and cooked it over the stove. We added the Zabaglione to the soup right before serving. To garnish then soup, we made whipped egg white and mushroom quenelles and poached them in water, drained hem and set them aside. We chopped some watercress into a chiffonade. We also made little toasts of a baguette topped with olive oil and baked. When it came time top plate, two ladles of soup, one quenelle, a dollop of creme fraiche, two small mushroom caps, chopped watercress and the toast at the top. It turned out quite well! The main course was two tone pasta with shrimp, scallops and muscles. Also good. Dessert was a fruit tart made with orange pastry cream and a large variety of fresh fruit. Figs were also on the plate next to the tart as well as a raspberry coullis.
We gave gifts to the chefs and we got a booklet of the last week's recipes as well as a Chef Martial apron that had our name embroidered on it. Very nice!
Last night we had our celebratory dinner at Brasserie Flo so thAt people could take Saturday night to pack and get ready to leave on Sunday. Brasserie Flo has been around for about 100 years. Lots of old wood, stained glass, chandeliers, painted plaster, etc. The food was excellent. I had French Onion Soup, as did several other people (how can you be in Paris and not try French onion soup?!). I had Escargot as a second course with bread to sop up the garlic butter that the snails had been cooked in. Yum! The wine both in Italy and France has been wonderful. Great wine at a fraction of the cost in America. This as been a wonderful time, with a few ups and downs. I stay another day in Paris then leave on Monday. Alta is also staying until Monday. We are going to try to see at least one museum and the Eiffel Tower. Going to take it easy though. Bon Soir!
After that, it was back to the school to separate and each group make their portion of lunch. I was in the group that was making the first course. We had gotten four kinds of mushrooms at the market: Chanterelles, Shitake, Oyster and Portabello mushrooms. We also stopped to get some sherry and creme fraiche. We cleaned and chopped the mushrooms then cooked them separately to remove their water. Then we tossed them together and sauteed them in butter and salt and pepper. We then added the mushrooms, vegetable stock, butter, cream and a little sherry to a stock pot and let it simmer. After about an hour or so, we pureed the soup and let it sit for a while. We mixed up a savory Zabaglione using egg yokes and sherry and cooked it over the stove. We added the Zabaglione to the soup right before serving. To garnish then soup, we made whipped egg white and mushroom quenelles and poached them in water, drained hem and set them aside. We chopped some watercress into a chiffonade. We also made little toasts of a baguette topped with olive oil and baked. When it came time top plate, two ladles of soup, one quenelle, a dollop of creme fraiche, two small mushroom caps, chopped watercress and the toast at the top. It turned out quite well! The main course was two tone pasta with shrimp, scallops and muscles. Also good. Dessert was a fruit tart made with orange pastry cream and a large variety of fresh fruit. Figs were also on the plate next to the tart as well as a raspberry coullis.
We gave gifts to the chefs and we got a booklet of the last week's recipes as well as a Chef Martial apron that had our name embroidered on it. Very nice!
Last night we had our celebratory dinner at Brasserie Flo so thAt people could take Saturday night to pack and get ready to leave on Sunday. Brasserie Flo has been around for about 100 years. Lots of old wood, stained glass, chandeliers, painted plaster, etc. The food was excellent. I had French Onion Soup, as did several other people (how can you be in Paris and not try French onion soup?!). I had Escargot as a second course with bread to sop up the garlic butter that the snails had been cooked in. Yum! The wine both in Italy and France has been wonderful. Great wine at a fraction of the cost in America. This as been a wonderful time, with a few ups and downs. I stay another day in Paris then leave on Monday. Alta is also staying until Monday. We are going to try to see at least one museum and the Eiffel Tower. Going to take it easy though. Bon Soir!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
We started out our class today learning how to tourne both mushrooms and potatoes. The potatoes were not so bad, but the mushrooms were definitely a challenge. In the mushrooms the cuts were more decorative and you have to hold the knife just so to get a proper line. When you are done, it is suppose to look something like an umbrella. They thought we should each get a kilo of mushrooms when we got home so we could practice some more, lol! Once we finished that, we started in on our lunch. For the first course, we made avocado mousse that sat on a bread round then had peanuts sprinkled over it. They looked a little like the "snowballs" we used to eat as kids. Ot
It was plated with a salad of lettuce and Daikon radish that had been given a julienne. On top of the salad were little strips of smoked salmon. There was also a "schmear" of Greek yogurt with a few herbs and spices thrown on. The main course was Chicken Tangine, with a Moroccan flavor profile. It also contained potatoes, mushrooms and zucchini. Dessert was a layered chocolate mousse cake that was devine! It had a crunchy layer, a chocolate mousse layer, chunks of poached pears and was topped with whipping cream. Yum! Not to rich and not to sweet. Once lunch finished and we were getting ready to leave, I discovered they sold a cookbook Chef Martial had written and even though it was in French, I think it will still be useful, so I bought it! Nice pictures of food in it.
Tonight we are going out to a nice dinner. I' ll have to let you know how it is. I have had really good food here and just ok food, sonI guess that is a problem no matter where you live, lol.
It was plated with a salad of lettuce and Daikon radish that had been given a julienne. On top of the salad were little strips of smoked salmon. There was also a "schmear" of Greek yogurt with a few herbs and spices thrown on. The main course was Chicken Tangine, with a Moroccan flavor profile. It also contained potatoes, mushrooms and zucchini. Dessert was a layered chocolate mousse cake that was devine! It had a crunchy layer, a chocolate mousse layer, chunks of poached pears and was topped with whipping cream. Yum! Not to rich and not to sweet. Once lunch finished and we were getting ready to leave, I discovered they sold a cookbook Chef Martial had written and even though it was in French, I think it will still be useful, so I bought it! Nice pictures of food in it.
Tonight we are going out to a nice dinner. I' ll have to let you know how it is. I have had really good food here and just ok food, sonI guess that is a problem no matter where you live, lol.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
It was only 30 degrees this morning! Brrrrr..... A cold walk to school! We stopped off at a street market before going to school. Marie Ann met us and showed us where it was. Unbelievable vegetables-any and all varieties, fish and shellfish-some of which I have never seen, meats of all kinds-everything from raw beef, pork and chicken to charcuterie cured meats, only one bread maker and loads of clothing, scarves, shoes, etc. It seemed to go on for blocks! We did get a black turnip to try. None of us had ever seen one!
After the market, it was off to cooking school. Today Chef Denis (Pronounced Denny) was back. I had not met him before today but he was very nice. He is another assistant to Chef Martial. We made Pumpkin Soup garnished with a mix of Chanterelle and white mushrooms as a first course. Our main course, or Les Plats Principaux, was Filet de Canette roti aux navets etnjus court. In English, duck breast with a brown sauce with a side of tourne of parsnips, carrots and onions ( I didn't know they did tourne to things other than potatoes! ). Dessert was Napolean or in French, Millefeuille a la vanille. It was definitely not your mama's (or Cook Street's for that matter) Napolean. We let the rectangles of puff pastry rise in the oven. So each layer was quite large. It ended up very light and fluffly, just the right ending to a heavy meal.
Once school was finished, we took the Metro to see Raoul Maeder's bakery. He has won many awards for his baking and supplies many of the Michelin star restaurants in Paris with bread. He works in the basement of his store, the retail portion taking up the first floor. His kitchen is quite small, but he manages to turn out anyway from 1400-2000 baguettes a day! He also makes pastry as well as numerous other breads. We watched him mix a batch of bread that will be baked tomorrow morning. They use fresh yeast, water, salt, and flour for their baguettes. The baguettes were the best I've ever had! We also tasted bagels, seed crusted bread, sourdough bread, chocolate bread with chocolate chips, anise and orange zest sweet bread, orange zest and chocolate sweet bread as well as a couple of different pastries made with pate sable and filled with fruit. Absolutely wonderful! No one does bread and pastry as well as the French.
Alta and I did a little shopping after our field trip. We found a cook book store called the "Librairie Gormande". Alta bought a couple of cookbooks and Tim bought a wine map of France. Tim was from the class before ours and woks for a winery in North Dakota (didn't know they made wine in North Dakota-who'd a thought!) and is going to do a presentation for his co-workers when he gets back. We kind of got lost and the stores close at 7pm, so we ran out of time and did not go into any more stores. Maybe later. I've noticed that almost every French woman wears boots! And they dress nicer than most American! Unfair that they can look so good! Ah, well....say la vie!
I did learn something in Italy that I keep forgetting to write about. Chef Piero told us that instead of using lemons to keep fruits and vegetables from turning brown, you can use carbonated water. The water doesn't alter the taste of the food. I thought that was a nice alternative. Just thought I would pass that on!
After the market, it was off to cooking school. Today Chef Denis (Pronounced Denny) was back. I had not met him before today but he was very nice. He is another assistant to Chef Martial. We made Pumpkin Soup garnished with a mix of Chanterelle and white mushrooms as a first course. Our main course, or Les Plats Principaux, was Filet de Canette roti aux navets etnjus court. In English, duck breast with a brown sauce with a side of tourne of parsnips, carrots and onions ( I didn't know they did tourne to things other than potatoes! ). Dessert was Napolean or in French, Millefeuille a la vanille. It was definitely not your mama's (or Cook Street's for that matter) Napolean. We let the rectangles of puff pastry rise in the oven. So each layer was quite large. It ended up very light and fluffly, just the right ending to a heavy meal.
Once school was finished, we took the Metro to see Raoul Maeder's bakery. He has won many awards for his baking and supplies many of the Michelin star restaurants in Paris with bread. He works in the basement of his store, the retail portion taking up the first floor. His kitchen is quite small, but he manages to turn out anyway from 1400-2000 baguettes a day! He also makes pastry as well as numerous other breads. We watched him mix a batch of bread that will be baked tomorrow morning. They use fresh yeast, water, salt, and flour for their baguettes. The baguettes were the best I've ever had! We also tasted bagels, seed crusted bread, sourdough bread, chocolate bread with chocolate chips, anise and orange zest sweet bread, orange zest and chocolate sweet bread as well as a couple of different pastries made with pate sable and filled with fruit. Absolutely wonderful! No one does bread and pastry as well as the French.
Alta and I did a little shopping after our field trip. We found a cook book store called the "Librairie Gormande". Alta bought a couple of cookbooks and Tim bought a wine map of France. Tim was from the class before ours and woks for a winery in North Dakota (didn't know they made wine in North Dakota-who'd a thought!) and is going to do a presentation for his co-workers when he gets back. We kind of got lost and the stores close at 7pm, so we ran out of time and did not go into any more stores. Maybe later. I've noticed that almost every French woman wears boots! And they dress nicer than most American! Unfair that they can look so good! Ah, well....say la vie!
I did learn something in Italy that I keep forgetting to write about. Chef Piero told us that instead of using lemons to keep fruits and vegetables from turning brown, you can use carbonated water. The water doesn't alter the taste of the food. I thought that was a nice alternative. Just thought I would pass that on!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
I am feeling better and so went to class this morning. Chef Martial is a very charming man, as is his assistant chef, Chef Eric. We all worked at a very large table, with cutting boards set up just like at Cook Street. Today we made Ratatouille, Bouillabaisse and Deconstructed Apple tarts. We spent quite a bit of time chopping celery, fennel, eggplant, onions, leeks and garlic. The Ratatouille was served as a cold appetizer. All the vegetables were sauteed separately then together, chilled and then put inside a rectangular mold to form a type of structure, then a poached egg was placed on top of it as well as a Rouille sauce. Great presentation! The Bouillabaisse was not what were used to, it was not really tomato based. A fumet was made, then the various fish to be put in the dish was cooked (separately) in the stock. There was monkfish, langoustines, very large eel and another kind of mild fish that remains unnamed at this time. We got to filet the fish and clean them. We had little bite to eat before we sat down to eat of sliced baguette topped with the meat terrine from yesterday. Very tasty. The only addition was the apple compote that was made yesterday. The compote really added to the taste of the terrine. Yum! Dessert base was a Pate Sable (a nut crust) baked in little round rings, topped with roasted apple (no sugar or spices added), with the apples being topped with sauce that was somewhat like a nougat, with almonds and pistachios.
The kitchen itself is quite large and I found out that almost everything including cabinets and appliances came from Ikea! Who would have thought you could get such a beautiful kitchen with stock materials? It is all very modern looking and Chef Martial uses induction cooktops and has a double oven as well as a blast freezer. We all sat down to eat at a very long table that seats at least 24 people. Interestingly enough, the chairs are aluminum! Tres bien!
After class was a wine tasting with a female sommelier by the name of Odile Pontillo. She talked all about French wines and food pairing. Alta and I walked home together but got lost on the way (we walked to the school each day, which is about a 15 minute walk) and it took almost an hour to get back to our hotel. The streets in Paris are not all well marked.
The kitchen itself is quite large and I found out that almost everything including cabinets and appliances came from Ikea! Who would have thought you could get such a beautiful kitchen with stock materials? It is all very modern looking and Chef Martial uses induction cooktops and has a double oven as well as a blast freezer. We all sat down to eat at a very long table that seats at least 24 people. Interestingly enough, the chairs are aluminum! Tres bien!
After class was a wine tasting with a female sommelier by the name of Odile Pontillo. She talked all about French wines and food pairing. Alta and I walked home together but got lost on the way (we walked to the school each day, which is about a 15 minute walk) and it took almost an hour to get back to our hotel. The streets in Paris are not all well marked.
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