The longest day

School started today at 8.30h and as i did not trust myself in the Paris street jungle again, afraid to get lost again and miss class, i took the Metro. Also this is not fun, it is being transported as fish in a can, it also smells like this.

But it is safe and i was at Metro Vaugirard at 8.05, so enough time for my first espresso. Quickly change into school uniform and first lesson from Chef Thivet. This chef is famous for his sauces and i must admit  he tought us really excellent recipes: Matelelote Normande au cidre brut (excellent dish), pintade (guinea fowl (E) or Parelhoen (NL)) femière poêlée valée d'Auge; Tarte fine aux pommes et crémeux caramel (also very good)

As you can notice we are in Normandy in these lessons and that is the system at school at intermediate: every 2 lessons you change region. We started out in Basque country, now we are in Normandy and tomorrow we will be in Burgundy (Bourgogne).

Matelotte

   

Pintade

Tarte de pommes

Chef Thivet

11.40 we were finished and had some coffee at Le Commerce, which all you regular readers know by now.
12.15h home, this time with the Velib bicycle and believe it or not, i found the way without mistakes. It takes 12 minutes from my appartement to School. At home worked out my recipes of yesterday and made it to 1/2 the Matelotte recipe, rest to be done tomorrow as i only have class tomorrow from 18.30h until 21.30h.

Le Cordon Bleu

Second class today was my practical where i made the pintade. I was very satisfied with myself as for the first time i had the feeling i was in control, had everything organised, worked on a clean working spot all the practical and ended up with a very nice pintade. Chef Caals judged my dish and he was satisfied as well, my sauce was too much reduced (so too thick), i agree with him. Good lesson.

18.30h until 21.30h last lesson from Chef Caals. he was in a good mood so he joked around all the time without loosing control (except turning whipped cream into butter once) and left me confused 2 times as i had difficulties separating the recipe from the jokes. For the rest it was a good lesson.
Still in Normandy region, we made Marbré de langoustines et ris d'agneau, sauce aigrelette; Rouget (Red Mullet)  aux tapinade d'olives, royale d'onions et sauce emulsionée anisette; Poire belle Hèléne.

Marbré de Langoustines

Red Mullet

Poire belle Hèléne

Food tasting after class

21.30 everyone was tired, so no beer today after school. Straight home, ate my (much too late) Dinner (Pintade), wrote my blog, watched some TV and to bed.