The Rentals

It is so hard to blog when I have the rentals visiting. I would like to start off the entry with this beauty.  Actually these two images because I cannot decide which one I like more. (comments are welcome)

I will try my best to remember the important things from the last week.  The important things like our last demo where Dad fell asleep. 

Yes, he fell asleep when the chef had one of his twenty minutes of silence.  We had Chef Trenchant (the one who reminds me of Stanley Tucci). 

I think I should give my final opinion about the program now that it's over. 

Would I recommend it? I am torn. 

Based on the facilities I would say absolutely not. I cannot speak about the men's locker rooms, but most of the women's locker space was in the "basement" that had no ventilation so the smells of people linger for quite some time and the rooms are small and too many of us are shoved in with our knife kits and shoes sprawled all over.  We all try and change as quickly as possible, each of us thinking that we are the most important because our class starts in 20 minutes. 

As far as the kitchens that we use, they are not quite spacious enough for all the students, but what's a little flour on your dry butter before you start your folds. (sarcasm, it's a "jamais" situation), or who cares if Chef Cotte throws your dough across the table while taking your space to roll out someone else's dough (that happened far too many times to me). 

The demo kitchens aren't bad if you don't mind occasional mouse sightings (luckily I never saw one). 

The products however, I have been told by N, are the best, which is a plus. 

The chefs. N told me that none of them are Meilleurs Ouviers de France (MOF), http://www.meilleursouvriersdefrance.info/ which basically means that they are a champion of a pastry competition which crowns them the best at their profession. I do have to say though, that Chef Cotte could be a croissant and p.a.c MOF. I also say that LCB is where chefs go to "die". There were few chefs in my program that actually taught us, and others that would just do the work for us.  Chef Hottie (not just because he is my favorite) actually took time to teach us technique. Most chefs, when I had a question, or needed help with something will do the work for me without really teaching me the technique. As I wrote on the comment packet they handed out, Chef Jordan (Hottie Chef) is the only reason I wouldn't want my money back for the program.  He was the only one who didn't seem like he had something better to do. 

The last issue I had was the off site campus events. First was the dinner that I wrote about earlier and the second was the student soiree. This may seem like a petty issue to those who didn't go to LCB, but I was bothered that they originally had said that we get 5 drink tickets, but when we got there, we got only 3.  It was pretty annoying to most of us. It showed how they make things seem better than they were. 

Over all, I am very torn.  I think that it was an okay program for me, but for someone like N, who has now researched other schools, she would probably like more specialized classes like they offer at the RItz escoffier, maybe more attention to detail and something cleaner.  I also thought that they should have given us another class, something smaller with a chef where we could have more personalized attention and make something that we aren't comfortable with.  I thought that just making the product one time was not enough for me. 

I guess I should jump ahead to my FINAL.  I practiced this whole week for the exam on Friday November 4th. I studied everything BUT puff pastry and brioche (who gets puff pastry on an exam, it takes forever).  Well, I did and I was pretty screwed.  I had to make the most disgusting dessert, the pithivier, which I had originally thought was a PTVA (pretty pathetic).  Well, the thing really sucked.  I had reviewed the almond cream that goes on the inside on the ride over to school that morning, so I knew how to make that part. 

Back up.  I got to school an hour early, so I went to Carefour to get some yogurt for breakfast, naturally. I ate my apricot yogurt at the tables outside of the Starbucks around the corner from school as the sun came up.  I saw Nicole pass by so I followed her to school.  We got there before anyone else.  We sat in the "Winter Garden" for a little before going into the dungeon to get dressed. Olivia came in after we were dressed.  She got dressed and sat down with us. She reached into her bag for a bandaid to cover her nose ring, but when she pulled her hand out of the bag, it was almost dripping with blood. Thirty minutes before our exam this is what she looked like. 

How Special 

We all hiked up to the third floor. When we got there, I said, "The one person I don't wan to see here is Jordan." At that moment, Nicole leaned in, just to see Jordan standing there. N and I had mini heart attacks.  It was the only time I wanted to see one of the "i'll do it for you" chefs there. At least I got to see his hottness again.  He came out of the room, throwing Nicole back, as she had been leaning against the door.  Hottie opened his hand, and in it there were little colored chips, green, yellow and red.  Olivia grabbed a yellow chip, I didn't know what to grab so when there was only one yellow left, I took it.  Jordan said "green, you have St. Honore, come with me."  I think I vomited. (I had messed the chouquettes up twice while making that and I didn't want to have to whip anything). 

He came back out and said,"red, is moka".  VOMIT. Olivia hated that to the depths of her being so she turned and gave me a hug.  Writing about this now is making me extremely nervous.  He came back out and said, "yellow, you have the pithivier." I can't even describe how I felt but I looked over at Olivia and said, "I have NO idea how to make this, lets do everything at the same time."  One detail that needs to be said, Olivia has a steel trap memory so I think I was pretty strategic in picking her color chip.  We got into the room and I chose a place across from her and kicked Dae Yong out of the spot and shooed him across the table next to Liv. I stood there like an idiot.  All I remembered was that I needed to melt butter (like it said on the sheet) so I did that.  Lets just say the rest is history. 

With 45 minutes left in the class, I was still working on my pithivier.  I was cutting out the flower petals around the outside when Chef called out, and I wont forget this, "puff pastry, you are LATE."  He would tell me to hurry up, while he stood behind me watching.  I was pretty freaked out.  We were supposed to make a tart shell with a crimped edge, then our assigned cake. So in theory, I had three things to make because with the pithivier dough we had to make twists which require another 10 minutes.  It was basically a nightmare. One kid had to start his puff pastry over again. 

I was just hoping that mine would puff. Once mine went into the oven, I died.  I began to make the twists so I rolled the dough out and cut it into a square. Chef, who was still standing behind me at that point pointed to Olivia's and told me I didn't need to make mine so big.  I cut mine down then egg washed it, sprinkled cinnamon, chopped almonds and nibbed sugar on them and rolled over them with the rolling pin.  I cut them out and then attempted to roll them, but they all rolled in instead of out.  Hottie told me at that point to take my time.  I threw them on a baking sheet and surrendered them to him.  I started to feed the dough into the shell for the tart. It didn't come out that great because it was done in a matter of minutes but I was working to the last second.  N and I realized today that Chef probably took mine out early as an ass saving move so I wouldn't be late. They take off half a grade for ever 2 minutes late you are, I believe.  Luckily I finished at the second 5 second warning. 

I will end this disastrous entry by thanking certain people. 

In no particular order:

I am extremely happy I challenged myself by doing this program. I am usually frightened by new and challenging experiences but after this I feel far more confident in my abilities.  Maybe my mom was right all these years about being able to do anything I want.  

Another very deserving thank you goes to Shibani Lal for not wanting me as your friend.  I never would have ended up becoming so close with Narges. I cannot thank you enough for that. You can also thank your friend Sandy for not liking me too. 

Another thank you goes to Olivia, Nicole, Tawni, Eunjoo (sp), Cheng Cheng, Michael Mike, and Virginia for making me feel so loved and wanted, oh and thanks for tolerating my constant nonsense and singing in class. I'm not sure who I can tell to Cheng up their attitude or anything else frankly because no one will understand that. And when I say I'm going to vomit on them, they might just run away.  Thanks for not running from me. AND to Rodrigo, who was kind enough to give me his food when I demanded it. He's my favorite "cuisiner/chef".

N, thank you for all the above but mostly the hug, well the second one. Oh and occasionally switching your outfit for the daily photo shoots.

Claire: Thanks for giving me the wrong arrival date 4 times, then denying it, then reading this and calling me "the worst"

Nick: for remembering my birthday. 

JLC. Thank you for the call. It was more than you know and probably remember. 

Thank you FA for that stupid marching lizard video that makes me laugh every time, even when I miss home.

Alexandra, Emilie and Audrey. Thank you for being the best Frenchies I could ask for.  I will be seeing you in LA soon, or else. 

Thank you for everyone who visited me and made my trip (and food experience) that much better.  I'm pretty sure I couldn't have made it through without your homey spirit. You all deserve your own line but I'm distracted by the music. 

Elyse, thank you for the book that will lead me to no longer fit into an LA size. 

If I missed anyone its because I'm distracted by my music. 

M&D.  Thank you for giving me the world and offering me this chance to "find my independence", but I'll still need my room at home. 

I suppose I should thank Paris and all the people here for putting up with my walking in the streets, eating ALL their food and singing too loudly in the streets. 

This is starting to feel like a yearbook entry... 

Bisous.