Week 2 at Ferrandi

Well, I would love to write about how well school is going or how I am having the most amazing time of my life, but I can not tell a lie!  The classes are actually great, the instructor pushes us which I love, and my classmates are fun for the most part.  I am just stuck in a perpetual state of SUCK!  I have been knocked off my high horse and now I can't get back on.  I don't know what to do to get out of this rut.  Hopefully I can get it all together within a month and start performing like a champion.

The weekly pastry classes are abysmal.  I understand that pastries is important to have in my repertoire, but most cooks will understand why I want to stay as far away from it as possible.  My tart dough never behaves the day I want it to!  We made apple tarts the first class, followed by puff pastry in the 2nd class.  I wasn't a fan of the apple tart.  I feel like the apple tart I make at home tasted better.  The puff pastry and fruit on the other hand was pretty good.  I may attempt to make puff pastry on my own personal time, but it is so time consuming!


I have been here about a month now and my French speaking skills are still very basic.  I try to communicate in French as much as possible with my chef and 2 other students, who are more fluent.  Our stages will be determined by our class performance and ability to speak French, therefore is it essential that I become as fluent as possible within the next 4 months.

Tarte au Pomme (apple tart)

Consommé de Boeuf (beef consommé)

Soupe L'oignon  (French onion soup)

Vichyssoise (potato and leek soup)

Fruit on puff pastry.

Week 1 at Ferrandi

Week 1 is now in the books and it has been an eventful week.  We are currently learning how to make soups and stocks.  I managed to slice open my finger on the first day of cooking, which was extremely embarrassing.  I was also the last person to turn in my soup dish, which was too salty for my chef (what can I say, I have an American palate).  We also had a field trip to Rungis, the world's largest wholesale food market.  Besides the annoyance of having to wake up at 3am to get ready to go there, it was a pretty interesting field trip.  They have many buildings that cater to specific meats, produce, and even flowers. 

At Rungis

 

  

Our 2nd day of cooking went a lot smoother.  My group finished their soupe au pistou well ahead of time.  Once again I was the last to present my dish.  Had it not been over salted, I would have finished 20 minutes sooner than I did.  I let it be known to the chef and everyone else that my goal is to secure a stage at L'Astrance.  At the moment things are not looking so good, but I refuse to give up.  I will get better.  On the bright side, my knife skills are fairly good.

Potage Cultivateur

I am enjoying classes for the most part.  Ferrandi classes run about 40 hours a week which is kind of annoying, but I can live with it.  I like my chef.  He is pretty fun to learn under and I try to communicate with him as much as possible, whether it be tasting his prepared dish (which no one does but me), or asking his advice to improve my dish. 

The Anglo cuisine class was split up into 2 groups and I am proud to say that I am a member of Group B.  I feel that my group is very strong and experienced.  On the other hand, I feel that we are segregated into cliques.  I can only hope that things will get better, but there no be no effort on my part.  I need to remained focused on my goal.  I am not here to create a harmonious atmosphere in the kitchen.  I am here to do my best and be the best.  I am thankful for the friends that I have made and they are great, but the others who are more exclusive, I will not waste time on. 

Week 2 is beginning and I have set high expectations for myself.  No more over salting and do not finish last!  Let's see how it goes.

I hate my white clogs