So far...

So today we had class #5! I haven't had a chance to blog because I've just been SO busy! And since I've been busy, I keep falling asleep so I don't get to finish all of my goals for the day - blogging included.

Since it is rather late and I still have some other things I need to take care of, I'm just going to post pics and a short description of all the things we have done so far. Unfortunately, there is 1 thing I didn't get to take a picture of - the Banana Cream Tart (which was scrumptious). I put my tool bag next to it in the locker room and sadly, my bag tipped over and squashed the tart... *sigh* I did learn an important lesson from that though - take a picture before you leave class!!!

At the moment, we are learning about tarts and cookies, so most of the things you will see are just that! BTW, everything I tried so far was pretty good. I haven't tried the last 2 yet, but I have to admit that they smell really good! Tomorrow I'm going to dig in.

First up - the Apple Tart! Of course, I kind of messed up the design when I was applying my apricot nappage (or apricot glaze), but it was still pretty good. It is a sugar crust with apple compote (that we made from scratch) and then the apples on top.














Next up is the Tarte Bourdaloue. This one is a poached pear and almond tart. It has almond cream on the bottom. I really like the almond cream!!! We poached the pears using a mix of water and white wine (and all the other necessities of poaching). This is really yummy!















Here we have a fresh fruit tart. Apparently there are many different ways to make a fresh fruit tart. For this one we used a flaky crust with a thin layer of the almond cream, then some creme leggere with the fresh fruits on top. We got to learn some knife skills on this one - learning to do a supreme cut on the oranges. Our chef-instructor told us to make sure there was no white on the oranges (the pith) because that was the difference between a 5 star meal and a 3 star meal. Of course, then I just had to make sure that I got rid of all the pith!















And here we have some gingersnap cookies! We didn't get to take too many home because the rest went to the restaurant L'Ecole for the little "goodie bag" that all the guests receive. I actually think that these taste better a couple days later because they are more chewy in the center.















This is a Pots de Creme Au Chocolat. Okay, so I didn't actually make this one, but I went ahead and ate mine before I remembered to take a picture! Luckily one of my classmates didn't want to eat hers, so I took a picture. This is a baked chocolate custard. To me, it tasted like a cross between a chocolate mousse and chocolate pudding.















This one is a picture of some little fruit tartlettes that we made today. These have apricot with pastry cream underneath. Yes, I ran out of apricots, so mine look a little sparse. Also, my wonderful partner - Brie gave me some of hers since she has no one to share with and I have a ton of people I can feed!!















Finally, here is the Tarte Alsacienne (Alsatian Apple Tart). It is basically flambe (yes, I flambed my own apples, I was quite terrified, but my chef-instructor was by my side to guide me) apples baked in custard. This one really smells GOOD! I can't wait to try this one!!! =)















And so, that is all we have made to date. Hopefully I will be able to update sooner, rather than later! Enjoy and don't let your mouth water too much! =)

A Bien Tot!

Going on Day 2!

Okay, so I didn't get a chance to update on my first day of class yesterday. It was great, though I must say that I feel like I totally have no right being there! I felt like such a klutz and totally awkward in my uniform. I'm hoping that it was just first day jitters and that tomorrow will be much better... Gosh, trying to figure out the complete uniform alone was a disaster (like, how the heck do you tie a neckerchief?) So, for our first class, we took a tour of our classroom and learned about a lot already! We even started our Apple Tart! I can't wait to finish it tomorrow - the apple compote alone was delish! Yes, I got to taste a little bit of it - I needed to check that it was tender. =)

We also got our tool kits. Our Chef Instructor told us to put different colored electrical tape on all our tools, so I spent the night doing that. I think my husband Mike thinks that I went a little overboard with that assignment and commented, "You know you have to wash that right?" I'm hoping that the electrical tape won't come off in the wash... Chef wouldn't ask us to do this if it hasn't been tested already, right? I suppose I'll find out tomorrow.

Anywho, I'd better get to sleep soon so I won't fall asleep in class! Hopefully my apple tart will come out nice enough for a snapshot appearance on my blog!

Tootles!

Orientation!

So yesterday I had my orientation! I'm so excited and nervous about starting class next week. The commute from Jersey was not too bad, however, coming home during rush hour on a Friday is definitely not fun, especially when you are lugging around the huge duffle bag containing the uniforms and text book! I'm actually a little sore today just from carrying that bag. Hopefully when I get everything organized into my backpack, it will be easier to carry.

Okay, on to the good stuff. So, I have been looking all over the internet trying to figure out which text book they use at the FCI. I searched and searched and searched, and did not find any answers. Well, if I had put 2 and 2 together in the first place, I probably would have figured out that they have their own book (binder bound) which they use as the text book! Duh!!!! Any idiot could have probably figured that out... Anyway, it really is quite thick and it seems like this is only for Pastry I! I wonder if the text books for Pastry II and Pastry III will be just as thick... Hmmm... If that's the case, I think I need to make more room on my bookshelf!

As for the uniforms, they are so cool, though I'm not really into the pants too much (small black and white check-ish design). My husband was teasing me saying that I look like a guido (or would that be guida?!). I don't care, the rest of it is pretty cool. I am in love with the chef jacket! And, it has my name on it!!!

Well, we already got our assignment for the first class, so I'd better get cracking on the reading and look at the recipes for the infamous Apple Tart! I hope mine comes out decent! Wish me luck!

Moist Chocolate Cake

So, I was at a party last night and someone asked me how she could make her chocolate cake more moist. My answer was, "I don't know". The only baking experience I have at the moment is what I have learned from my mother. I have done a little experimentation on my own, but nothing that would qualify my answering this question... And so, I told her the plain truth - I don't know. What I really should have answered is "I don't know - YET!" Hopefully after I'm finished with the French Culinary Institute, I will be able to answer her question. Actually, I have been doing a little research lately, yes, the nerd in me is coming out again... There's a book that I am thoroughly enjoying - The Cake Bible. I highly recommend it for those of you who want to know the science behind the baking. And from the reviews I have seen on Amazon, the recipes work. I haven't tried any yet since I've been so busy lately, but I am hoping to try some out in the near future. Will keep you posted when I do... =)

Fondarific

I went to the Bakery Expo in Atlantic City this past Monday on the hunt for a good tasting fondant (among other hunts...). Currently, there are not many on the market, and it can get to be quite expensive buying each one, just to taste it! Well, as I went around asking if I could try a bit from different vendors, I came upon a booth with a nice lady holding a basket full of little samples of - FONDANT! Apparently, they are a new company and according to their website (www.fondarific.com) they are the only ones with a buttercreme flavor! In addition, they offer many different flavors of fondant. I was lucky enough to try the buttercreme, chocolate (which tasted a lot like Tootsie Rolls - yum!) and the cherry flavor. All of them were delish! =) Actually, I went ahead and ordered some of the chocolate already along with the free sample pack (you do have to pay $1.50 though for handling). I can't wait to receive my order and try out all the flavors! I'm excited to try the tutti frutti - if it tastes anything like Jelly Belly tutti frutti jelly beans, I think I will be in heaven! They seem to have many advantages. It seems the only downfall is that it is pricey, but then, as the cliche goes, you get what you pay for here. Anyhoo, I will keep you posted and let you know if it is worth the money - I certainly hope so!

Cut Out cookies

My son's 3rd birthday was on September 4th. Last year we brought cupcakes to his daycare and that turned out to be way too messy! I felt SO bad for the teachers because they had to clean up each and every kid. And so, this year, I decided to make some cut-out cookies (thanks Maricel for the idea!). Our theme was fire trucks, so I found a fire truck cookie cutter and a #3, which was absolutely perfect, and then all I needed was the recipe. There are so many recipes online, it was quite difficult to try to pick one. I don't remember which one I ultimately ended up with, but the best tip I read during my research was to use powdered sugar instead of flour when rolling out the dough. This way the dough does not get too tough to work with and you don't end up with any waste! This worked perfectly! I topped it off with some fondant and voila we had some pretty cool looking cookies! Definitely better than the cupcakes!

Excited

I was driving a friend home today and as I was driving alongside some railroad tracks, one of those newer double decker trains came by.  Of course, that got me thinking about how the train looks inside because I had never been in one of those, which got me thinking about my train ride into the city once I start classes at the FCI!  Then I started daydreaming about what I will be learning, what new creations I can come up with...  My daydreaming came to an abrupt stop as I realized that I completely missed my turn off!  Anyway, I'm still so very excited about the classes that I can hardly contain myself!  =)