Le Cordon Bleu Week #10...Last Week!

I really can not believe that this is my last week of school. It's bittersweet. I am very thankful for everything I have learned and getting to live in Paris but I can hardly wait to get home to my own kitchen and COOK!!!

Who is coming for dinner?

Lesson 29

Croustade d'escargots Basquaise

(Basque-style snails in a pastry case)

Magret de canard a l'orange

(Duck breast in orange sauce)

My canard....

Lesson 30

Carre d'agneau persille, legumes printaniers et tomates farcies

(Rack of lamb with parsley crust, spring vegetables and stuffed tomatoes)

Omelette norvegienne

(Baked Alaska)

This was fun to watch, Chef Vaca flambéing!

Our last demonstration : (

Cheryl, Chef Vaca, moi, and Gabriela

My last day of school was also my mom's first day of flower school at Catherine Muller Flower School.

Stay tuned for a "guest post" from Jane(a.k.a. Janine)

In the meantime....

...We had to celebrate somehow!

Le Cordon Bleu Week #9

Lesson 25

Gnocchis au fromage a la Parisienne

( Parisian-style gnocchi with cheese)

Poulet saute a l'estragon, legumes presses a l'italienne

(Chicken sauté with tarragon, Italian-style vegetables)

Pommes meringuees, jus de framboise

(Apples with meringue, raspberry sauce)

Gilding the lilly here...

Can't wait to turn these "Italian" style vegetables in France, into Italian style vegetables in the US.

Lesson 26

Oeufs brouilles au saumon fume

(French-style scrambled eggs with smoked salmon)

Terrine de poisson chaude, sauce beurre blanc

( Hot fish terrine with beurre blanc)

Creme bavaroise a la vanille, sauce cafe

(Vanilla bavarian cream, coffee sauce)

Lesson 27 

Filets de daurade poeles au fenouil

(Sea bream fillets with fennel)

Pintade de Loue au chou

(Guinea fowl with cabbage)

Rezules ou rissoles aux poires

(Fried pear filled pears)

Bon Appétit!

Lesson 28

Salade de chevre chaud a la ventreche

( Warm Goat cheese salad with bacon)

Escalope de veau a la viennoise, pates fraiches en concassee de tomates cuites

(Veal Escalope "a la viennoise", fresh pasta with cooked tomato concassee)

_________

The month of August in Paris is for "Vacances" which is  where restaurant owners and shop owners  take a two week (minimum) holiday. The chefs also take advantage of it. Because of this, we have had some visiting chefs from Le Cordeon Bleus around the world.

 Sounds interesting in theory, but I prefer our french chefs! 

This past lesson was given by a chef from LCB Instanbul...his teaching style and plating was not exactly my  "taste", so much so that I am not going to be posting the pictures I took of his food, they just aren't worth it.

Today is the beginning of my last week at school. I can not believe it! We have Chef Vaca (phew!) for the last two demonstrations so all will be well again.

Le Cordon Bleu Week #8

A quick post to catch up on all the dishes I cooked last week!

Lesson 21

Soupe de moules l'egerement safranee

(Lightly saffroned mussel soup)

Cotes de veau Grand-Mere

(Sauteed veal chops, "Grand-Mere" style garnish (glazed onions, mushrooms, and lardons)

Adapting to each Chef's cooking style has been trying at times and this pork dish is a perfect example that they do have different styles and thoughts.

Apparently the french now cook their pork to the correct temperature; pink!

Fins sables aux pistachios, fraises a l'italienne

( Strawberries Italian-style with pistachio shortbread)

My cotes de veau...

I love these mushrooms, glazed onions, and turned potatoes but oh my goodness am I tired of turning vegetables!

Lesson 22

Huitres chaudes au muscadet
(Warm oysters with Muscadet wine)

  

Canette rôtie aux navets
(Roast duckling with turnips)

Souffle chaud au Cointreau
(Warm Orange and Cointreau soufflé)

Bon Appétit!

Lesson 23

Queues de langoustines grillées aux epices, sauce vierge
(Grilled langoustines with spices, virgin olive oil sauce)

Gratin de saumon au cresson
(Salmon and watercress gratin)

Saute de beouf strogonoff, riz aux legumes
(Beef Strogonoff, rice with vegetables)

Are you wondering where the egg noodles are?

Lesson 24

Palourdes gratinees
(Grooved carpet shell clams "gratin")

Medaillons de porc charcutiere, pommes Dauphine
(Pork medallions in charcutiere sauce)

Sabayon aux fruits frais gratines
(Fresh fruit gratin with sabayon)

Can you say s-a-b-a-y-o-n?

We used a sabayaon on 4/12 dishes.

That's alot of egg yolks, sugar and white wine!

Cole in Paris!

When dad and I arrived in Paris I couldn't believe we were here. When Kate and Laurie came for their visit, I couldn't believe they were here. 
AND when Cole came, I really couldn't believe he was here!
So much excitement and so much to do! 
How can we fit it all in in 10 days?!
(and how can I fit it all in a blog post?)

We had dinner one night at Vivant Table, a tiny hole in the wall restaurant with a total of 10 seats. 

  

 The kitchen was behind the bar, and the chef was wearing a striped shirt and beret. He was so french it was almost cliche.

 I ordered the pasta and cole order the lamb. When our food arrived we both looked at each others dishes and decided to switch.

We had after dinner drinks on the rue cler at a place called L'eclair

Lots of locals

 One day we ate a quick lunch before we walked through Luxembourg Jardins...

a Mr.

and a Mrs.

with some Berthillon ice cream and a Poilaine cookie!

 

  

Oh,  and the rain...

We were brave and asked someone to take a picture..

Oysters at cafe Suffren. I think Cole was missing the saltines and cocktail sauce

The rain did make for a pretty sky!

We also visited Versailles.

Can you imagine this room when it was in full swing for Louis XIV?!

 

 We rented bikes and it was the best decision we made all day.  

   

  

 

  

Then, 

We walked through the Tuilleries at the Louvre

We locked our love away on the "Locks of Love" bridge

Cole came to a demonstration with me

We had picnics in the Champs de Mars

We watched the most amazing firework show on Bastille Day from the apartment

 We shopped at Le Bon Marche

How do you like my hat?

We walked along canal Saint-Martin

Took a picture in front of the same church that my dad stood in front of when we came in 2007. 

We stood in line for 2 and half hours

With only french speaking Parisians..

For this roof top bar.

It was definitely worth the wait!

Then we had dinner at a place called Bones.

"I think the veal tripe is very good..!"

Yes, Cole ate veal tripe.

(If you don't know what that it is, google it)

Before I knew it, 

Cole was back home, but not before he left me with some flowers.

Bonne soiree!