With graduates such as Julia Childs, Giada De Laurentiis, Ming Tsai, and LA’s very own Nancy Silverton, one would think, Le Cordon Bleu would be housed in a beautiful, huge, building on the Champs d’Elysee. Instead, it sits on rue Leon Delhomme, a small street on the Left bank, standing 2 stories high in an unassuming neighborhood in Paris.
I arrived on the first day greeted by 14 other students, more than half Americans, a few Australians, others from Denmark, Japan, and Switzerland. I was one of the younger students, as many were older, established, vacationing and taking this cooking class for fun. There was only one other cook/chef from the Bronx while the others I befriended held jobs as a teacher, lawyer, engineer, and dietician.
The French are gentile, professional with a dry but charming sense of humor, at least this is what I gather from my chef instructors. Effortless, relaxed, and to the point, their methods are based on traditions from hundreds of years. The class was set up with demos by the chef in the morning, always consisting of a 3 course meal followed by a tasting with wine. In the afternoon, we’d have to replicate the main dish or ‘plat’ as the say in France. Dishes we made Rack of Lamb, Mediterranean Sea bass, Veal Rib Roast, and Mediterranean Scorpion fish. All phenomenal in their own right and IMHO, the best meals I had in Paris over the 2 weeks.
Overall, I learned quite a bit from the course which refreshed my techniques from culinary school while bringing the French perfection of cutting vegetables precisely and preparing classical sauces. I finally understood the meaning of terms and their orgins like ‘sable’ and ‘mille feuille.’ I noticed the preparation of ‘confiting’ to be a common theme. Although the class was French Provencal, much butter is used WITH hearty doses of Olive oil.
I took pleasure engaging with genuine classmates, taking the course as a hobby in Paris, trying to bring new tastes to family and friends at home. For anyone who loves to cook, I highly recommend doing this, an adventure of food in its truest form!
I arrived on the first day greeted by 14 other students, more than half Americans, a few Australians, others from Denmark, Japan, and Switzerland. I was one of the younger students, as many were older, established, vacationing and taking this cooking class for fun. There was only one other cook/chef from the Bronx while the others I befriended held jobs as a teacher, lawyer, engineer, and dietician.
The French are gentile, professional with a dry but charming sense of humor, at least this is what I gather from my chef instructors. Effortless, relaxed, and to the point, their methods are based on traditions from hundreds of years. The class was set up with demos by the chef in the morning, always consisting of a 3 course meal followed by a tasting with wine. In the afternoon, we’d have to replicate the main dish or ‘plat’ as the say in France. Dishes we made Rack of Lamb, Mediterranean Sea bass, Veal Rib Roast, and Mediterranean Scorpion fish. All phenomenal in their own right and IMHO, the best meals I had in Paris over the 2 weeks.
Overall, I learned quite a bit from the course which refreshed my techniques from culinary school while bringing the French perfection of cutting vegetables precisely and preparing classical sauces. I finally understood the meaning of terms and their orgins like ‘sable’ and ‘mille feuille.’ I noticed the preparation of ‘confiting’ to be a common theme. Although the class was French Provencal, much butter is used WITH hearty doses of Olive oil.
I took pleasure engaging with genuine classmates, taking the course as a hobby in Paris, trying to bring new tastes to family and friends at home. For anyone who loves to cook, I highly recommend doing this, an adventure of food in its truest form!
1 comment:
I love the introduction paragraph. And the fact that this is filled with honest descriptions. Cannot wait to try some of these dishes, Chef Tu!
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