Velib' has expired, I think I might need to buy a scale and might need to find a Butter Anonymous. I'm pretty sure home is my butter anonymous. Speaking of home, this has been a horribly homesick and sick week.
This week our group made p.a.c and croissant.
We had Chef Cotte, the p.a.c MASTER in our practical which means we were all in a panic, being yelled at. He was helpful but not as helpful as Hottie Chef who understands that he's there to teach and not yell as much. At one point in the practical when he was making the brioche dough for us he yelled at me for not responding to Narges. I hadn't heard her but because he was yelling at me, I said okay to her then began to unwrap a block of butter. Apparently I had "acknowledged" that she had already open it for me but chef was still there so he screamed at me that obviously I didn't understand what Narges had said and that I shouldn't have agreed. I looked at Cotte and I said, "I was focused on you and listening to you". I'm not sure how much of that he actually understood, but he could tell I was startled so he came over to the other side of the table where I was and I decided that we needed to "hug it out", so we did, Narges, Cotte and I.
Once the p.a.c and croissants came out of the oven I waited patiently to eat them. I ate a croissant but as I began to eat a p.a.c, literally holding it in my hand, I heard Cotte talking so I turned around with it in my mouth and he told us NOT to eat them until an hour after they came out. Something about the gasses in the dough that hadn't settled or something, but the reason was that it would make us feel sick. At that point, I was 1 1/2 in already. By the end of the day I had eaten 2 of each and on my walk home, I felt as if I was going to vomit all over. When I went down to get Narges in the changing room, she asked me to hold her goodies because she was going to put them on the "donation table". She gave them to me and I held them, handless, on top of my box. As she was talking to me, I smelled her croissants that were up against my chest. She turned to look at me as I was grabbing with my mouth at one of her croissants and eating it, again, sans hands. (gross, I know).
Luckily, Cotte didn't make us make the brioche dough by hand, he used a mixer, like a real person, so my muscles were saved. The next day we made the brioche!!!!!
It was amazing and the practical was even more amazing! Hottie was a totally different person. First of all, when I was walking to school, I ran into one of the translators, not the funny man, but the really sweet woman from Boston. We walked to school talking about god knows what, it was way too early to be talking, the sun wasn't even up. Then, when we were crossing the street to get to school (last leg), I turned around and saw some young looking man with brown hair. I didn't do a double take, but it took me a few minutes to realize that it was, HOTTIE! He looked so different without his uniform on, still cute. He was in such a good mood when we got into class.
Narges and Olivia agreed that we should have been making out by the end we were flirting so much. He talked more in that one class than he has talked in any class put together. He asked me where in the US I was from, and then told me that he had a good experience in LA. He was so so cute and sweet! He also told Narges and I that we should keep in touch (DUH). Too bad on Monday he will be back to normal. He is the best teacher we have, he actually teaches, so I naturally ask him to do things before I do so I can watch and get it right. I asked him to show me how to make the brioche dough into a perfect ball. The technique is to move your fingers and push it along the marble. It is really hard to see the technique so he had me put my hand on the dough then he put his hand over mine and helped me feel the motion. Oh lord was it HOT! HOT!!! He then did it for most every other person. Then I had to do it for the 200 grams of dough and I started to do it with one hand. He came up to me said to do it with two hands. He put his hands on mine and had me move with him. HOT HOT again.
Our class was very short and sweet. The brioche was really good, maybe it was the love that was put into it!!!!!
Last night we had a class dinner which was a complete waste of time! The school set it up at Le Train Bleu, a prestigious restaurant in a TRAIN STATION (Gare Leon). The dinner was included in tuition but I would have been better off eating a frozen meal from Picard (the frozen food only store) with Narges alone than there. The food seemed as if it had been defrosted, even my pumpkin soup (veggie meal). The company was almost a bore as well. I might have to complain to the headmaster about how repulsive it was. I request one thing, if you serve dinner to cuisine and pastry students, take them to a restaurant that serves good food, its insulting otherwise.
Today I went to Rose with Narges. Another friend in love with it!!!! We also walked around the city which was nice. Here are pictures from my day, with my new camera (thanks Big).
Bisous
i like your photos.....
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