I feel like I’ve been in school for a month, despite the fact that it’s only been a mere seven days. That’s always the case though, the beginning feels long and suddenly two seconds later it’s the end. My friend once sent me a birthday card that said the first twenty years of life are the longest, which made me incredibly sad because I had just turned nineteen and thus, only had one more year until everything would start moving ten speed. However, as much as I wish it wasn’t, that statement is so very true. I’ve already been here for over a month, school has started, and I’ve started to worry about final exams. I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but the thought of having to memorize recipes and execute them under time and pressure makes me nervous. Actually, just being in the kitchen with a short tempered chef makes me nervous (and stressed), so maybe I should think about getting over that before thinking about exams.
Besides the angry French chefs, classes have been very enjoyable. Lessons are broken down into two parts: a demonstration and practical. During the demonstration, one chef makes a couple of recipes that highlight the theme of the lesson. Then during the practical session, we make one or two of the demo-ed recipes. The first lesson was on sablés or shortbreads and the second was on apple tarts using pate brisée or sweet short pastry.
Sablés are pretty versatile and can be made with liquid (eggs and cream) or without. The chef baked (I think) ten different variations of cookies using one base recipe: vanilla, chocolate, with orange zest, marbled, pistachio crusted, etc. During the practical we baked diamonts, diamonds, or slice and bake shortbreads with a white sugar rim. They’re called diamonds because when made with crystal sugar, they shine like a giant diamond rock (corny, but cute).
For the pate brisée lesson we learned about tarte aux pommes, or the classic French apple tart, tarte tatin, and tarte Normande. Each crust was made with the same recipe but executed in a slightly different way. For the tarte aux pommes, the dough was chilled, rolled, and shaped in a tart ring. In the tarte tatin, the dough was rolled, cut into a large circle, then placed on top of the oven cooked apples towards the end of baking. And lastly, for the tarte Normande, the dough was shaped in a tart ring and prebaked.
During practical, we made the tarte aux pommes, which consists of a cooked, diced apple filling, decorated with thin apple slices, then baked. The hardest part was formed the crust, which had to be done in a specific way, using certain parts of your thumbs during different steps of the process. Then afterwards, the rim had to be carefully pinched with a pincher/tweezer type utensil, which also required extensive finger action. My crust turned out to be imparfait as the chef critiqued, and the apples didn’t reach edges of the crust which was bad, but he said the arrangement of the slices were très jolie.
By the end of my second practical, which ended at 21:30h (LCB runs on military time), I was really glad it was the weekend and I had a drink and friend waiting for me at a cafe. I’m still getting used to French people/chefs who make it a point to embarrass you when you get something wrong, and making it even worse by talking super fast and extremely loud in French even though they know you don’t understand. They said there was going to be a translator, but they failed to mention that the translator would not be in the practical session. It’s fine, maybe my French will improve faster this way. Chefs are supposed to mean, haughty, and insulting anyways. I’m sure they’re perfectly nice and normal outside of the kitchen.
Wizzythestick says
Sounds to me that the hardest part of your training will be dealing with grumpy ill-mannered chefs! Sounds scary. I wish you strength and grace under fire!:-)
Jessica says
Wizzythestick- Thank you! Will need it!!
Ollie says
Is that the meanie chef in the picture above???
Emily says
The French can be really mean! You will develop immunity to it over time…great job on the apples though, they are indeed tres jolie. 🙂 I didn’t know you could do tarte tatin with pate brisee! Will have to try. I have never made it myself.
Alex Kmz says
Hello. my name is Alex. Ive been a student at LCB in Pasadena as a Hotel Restaurant Management student. I have developed some very strong opinions about this school but I’m VERY curious to hear the experiences and opinions of a student at the real deal Le cordon Bleu. Would you like to chat? :3
Twinkle says
Hi Jessica! I found you on foodgawker and I’m so happy for you that you’re at Le Cordon Bleu! That’s one of my dreams too =) except the angry chefs sound really scary. Hope to hear more about your lessons and experiences =)
Maher says
Came across this on foodgawker, funnily enough after getting home from an apprenticeship at a restaurant here in DC. I’m thinking of trying out Cordon Bleu next year – not sure if for patisserie or cuisine yet – but any thoughts on the place? Life in Paris as a foreigner? The style of lessons, etc?
Leon says
Can’t wait for you to come back and start cooking for us again. I need to wait, what, 2 years? Time flies for me nowadays (wait till you are Thirty), so, I guess I can wait.
Doreen says
HAHAHA That’s interesting. Nice to meet you Jessica 🙂 I’m Doreen and GUESS WHAT. I’m in NYC attending culinary school too, just that I’ve been here for 5 weeks. Pastry is fun, isn’t it. And TARTE AUX POMMES. Ahhhh, that was what I made on my first day too 😉
Julie says
jessica ya, pa yi ting!!!! you’ll do great i just know it
babycakes says
yum, it not only looked tres jolie, it tasted tres tres bonne– teehee :p tots relishing right now.
Shelley says
Looks like Chef Cotte. He can be pretty tough!
Natalia says
Hey Jess,
So nice to read you doing well. I felt bad reading about the grumpy french chef — i can imagine that can be quite scary, especially in a foreign language!! So did they expect you all to know french then, if the translator won’t be in every session??? Maybe this is an opportunity to master your french. I’ve been mastering mine these days (really!) so i’m reading your entries with fresh eyes. 🙂
keep writing and baking,
natalia
Natalia says
ps. i hope he didn’t yell at you for taking pictures in class. 😉