Birthday! Turning 42 in Paris ... What a Great Distraction!

It was 20 years ago that I first came to Paris, with my friends Kate and Jaqii.  I was going to be away for 3 months and stayed for 14 .... most of that time being in London.  I never thought I would be back here celebrating my 42nd birthday .... but I now know that anything is possible.

 

Me, with Serge & Monique

Peter, Monique and Guillaume sang to me just after midnight ... I had gone to bed earlier as I was getting a cold and Monque had given me the "tiger balm & coin" treatment, which involves massaging Tiger Balm into the back and then scratching it with a coin, it is supposed to help release the fever.  It is best to go to bed afterwards and sleep, but I was still awake.

Thierry, Peter and me

The next day was a quiet one .. we were going to have lunch at a Mexican restaurant (as I LOVE Mexican food, or I should say Tex Mex.  Erika has taught me that what we think is Mexican cuisine is vastly different from the real thing).  Due to the cold/bug I thought it best to conserve my energy for the Irish Pub, Coolins, that we were going to later that night.

I made pizzas for lunch and Peter booked me an appointment at Emmanuel's to have my hair washed and dried ... luxury.  After that, I wandered around the streets for a while, looking for a pair of flat boots ... I came home empty handed :(

Big Brother and Me

Then it was home for a quick change and off with Guillaume to the Pub.  Peter was following with Monique later.  We also needed to see if G was allowed in as he is a minor.  The first guy we saw at the pub (we later found out was James) said it was no problem as long as he didn't drink whisky!  G was delighted and so was I, it wouldn't be the same without him and he had dressed up so beautifully.  Waiting for us at the pub were Erika and her friend Norman.  Erica is the fantastic girl from Mexico I met at Le Cordon Bleu and Norman is her friend of many years!

The edge of Serge's face, Erika and Norman

We went inside to find a table, it was packed and there were no tables.  We went to the bar to order our drinks and it was taking a while ... in the meantime Thierry arrived.  I thought this was Leanne's husband as I didn't know he was coming, but Leanne was! After some confusion, it turned out that Thierry is a good friend of Monique's and Peter's and he speaks perfect English.  We eventually got served and just before our drinks were delivered a gentleman offered us his table, three of them were leaving immediately and the other two after they had finished their drinks.  It turned out to be one of their birthdays too!  So we settled in and the night began.

G finally got something to eat!!

I had heard they played music at this pub, but not long after we sat down, all the TV's were turned on and we realised there was a soccer match being televised hence the huge crowd.  Peter and Monique arrived after 9pm and the table grew.  Last to come was Serge and Leanne.  It was a great night and I had lots of fun with my family and new-found friends.  I was happy to be in a pub, which is a bit more lively than a French bar or cafe! I was drinking Carona ... YUM!

 

Me with Leeanne

My brother had set up a a tab so ordering drinks was much easier, "just get them from James the Kiwi" he said.  I had a chat with James and noticed that his accent was Irish ... an opportunity to take the piss out of my brother!!

Peter and James

Guillaume left earlier with Serge as he was tired. We stayed until closing and were the last one's there.  James very kindly gave us all a glass of champagne to celebrate.

When I got home, G was not in his bed, I panicked, Peter said "he's in here, guarding your presents".  There on the couch was a huge pile of presents and G under a rug, all sleepy.

I was overwhelmed ... I was thoroughly spoiled and Monique and Peter had conspired with friends and family to buy me a bag I had found at Cotelac that I loved, but decided was too expensive.  I couldn't believe it when I saw the package!


Not to mention all the bakeware and cooking utensils that Peter, Mon and G gave me.  I got a French rolling pin, heart baking rings, silicon baking sheets, cylinders for shaping food and, piste resistance .... a piston!!

All is all, it was a great day and night and I feel very blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. I also not believe that life after 40 is as good as they say it is!!!

Les Marchet Des Enfants Rouge

Sunday is a great day to go wandering around Paris, people are out and the markets are open.

Today Peter and Monique were taking me to Les Marchet Des Enfants Rouge (Markets of the red Children), the oldest food market in Paris, built in 1615 under the rule of King Louis XIII!

The market consists of fresh food stalls selling fish, meat, bread, flowers, fruit and vegetables, plus stalls selling food ready to eat!! It is a popular place for brunch!

 
It was wonderful ... we picked out a few tidbits to munch on while deciding what we wanted ...  Guillaume found some mozzarella stuffed and rolled like a pizza that took his fancy, so he had that, Peter and I found a Lebanese stall and got some Pita bread and I got a few little savoury pastries - Yum!

Then it was time for lunch, G and I chose Maroccan and Peter and Monique had Japanese! Poor G, he was hungry and anxious for me to make up my mind, I told him to chill out and he told me I needed to chill out "less"!! I was far too relaxed for him and busy looking at all the dishes and working them out ... sometimes I drive him crackers!

The Moroccan was cous cous which, in France, means the whole dish ... there were so many options and it was pretty good, although I could have added a little more flavour!!

The little sausage you see on the plate was delicious!  Of course, we couldn't eat it all, there was way too much!

After lunch we decided that we should wander around as we were all so full.  Paris is such a wonderful city to meander around in ..... there is always something to see .... and, it's lovely and cool! 

The bag  have in my hand has a couple of really cool gadgets and ideas from this shop called Sam, there was no way I could leave without buying at least two of them!!

The photo below left is an exposition of lots of photos of people's faces taken with a Polaroid .... really cool!

There was this shop with great photos displayed on one side .... this one of Mick Jagger and Mr Wrinkles! I cannot remember his name, all I am getting is Ronnie Wood .... KRAFT's disease has arrived!!

While we were driving home, Guillaume spotted Velib (bikes you pay for from one sight and then return to another) and wanted to ride home. Peter agreed and I thought I'd try too. Monique was happy to go to another market and visit her parents in the car!





Given I haven't ridden a bike any distance since Moses was a child, I was a little worried ... Peter and G were too, they didn't say anything, but I could tell.  I had the best time, it was great, riding through the streets of Paris on footpaths and the road, trying not to run people over and going flat out down hills!!  I am buying a bike when I get home!!

I actually beat the boys, but G did have to change his bike four times!!  Don't let this frown fool you, I loved it!! I had the camera so had to take a photo of myself :)

Incredibly the bikes were easy to pedal and the seats were comfortable, they didn't make you walk like you had something stuffed up your derriere for a few days afterwards! Of course, you have to make sure you get a bike that is in good nick!

When we finished our ride, we stopped of not far from home for a drink, me a Perrier with lemon (the closest thing to a lemon squash we could get) and Peter a beer, G was happy just to sit.  Then it was home to chill,

Last Day at Le Cordon Bleu - Seasonal Fruit Tarts - Boo Hoo!

Originally, this wasn't to be my last course at Le Cordon Bleu, but I cancelled the class on fish scheduled for 27 Feb as I had cooked quite a few fish dishes in other classes and had learned to bone a sole .... eeeek!

I was sad to think this would be the last time I would don the apron and tea-towel and learn something new at this wonderful school.  It has been the best experience from both a cooking and life-altering perspective.  I have learned so much, met the most amazing people and made many friends.  I thoroughly recommend going to one of Le Cordon Bleu's classes when you are in Paris if you have time.  A big thank you to my brother Peter, his fiance Monique and my nephew Guillaume for allowing me to stay in Paris with them and have this opportunity!

I have since extended my date of departure and plan to go back to the school with some cup cakes to say "thank you"! I did make one batch that were a flop ... I managed to doctor them up so that we could eat them at home (pictures below - some turned into a trifle some filled with cream and iced), but it was not something I wanted to take to a cooking school.  I will try again ....

Today's dish, Pear and Chocolate Tart .... yum.  Our Chef was John-Jacques and our translator was Ben, funny as a play with very dry sense of humour. It is fitting that John-Jacques was my last chef as he also took the first class I did.

 Chef John-Jacques Tranchant & Me with my finished tart!

Also, I met two lovely American ladies, a Greek girl Dina and Mexican girl Erika .... we all had a lot of fun.

The chef was off with a bang in this class and we were racing to catch up. Erika was having trouble understanding Benjamin and found it easier to listen to the chef directly, Dina was racing ahead like a pro and I was laughing at the menagerie.

Me, Dina & Erika

 

Luckily Ben is a chef so he filled in any gaps, and eventualy John-Jaques slowed down and the class flowed smoothly from there.

Me, Ben, Dina & Erika

We made our pastry, having done it a couple of times now it all made sense and really is sooo quick.  It was cooled in the blast freezer, before being rolled out and set into the pastry rings, to be blind baked.

The pears were peeled, quartered and caramelised in honey.   Then placed in the pastry bases and topped with a divine chocolate mixture a bit like ganache with eggs ... it was yum!

The photo of me with John-Jacques shows my tart with the toffee-like decoration.  I actually forgot to take a lot of photos of the stages of cooking in this class, we were having too much fun!

Big Day Out! Kate, Rose Bakery, Kitchenware, Clogs & Truffles!!

Today it was up and atom early as I was meeting Kate so we could have a last catch up before she left for the UK for two weeks, I will be gone when she gets back. I was only meeting her at 9am, but that is early here and I had to get there.

Of course, I was running late, so rushed out the door with wet hair and no camera!! 

When I got to the metro, it was packed, I had managed to find "peak hour".  In Paris, when the train is full, people run at the open doors and squish themselves in.  It is crazy.  You find yourself squashed like a sardine, face to face and god knows what else, with people you don't know!!  Men push you out of the way to get in first.  Madness.  Luckily, the people allow you to get off when you need to ... there is a swivel of heads at each stop to see if anyone is struggling through the crowd to get off.  It was like that until I got onto line 2.  I was very glad to get out of there.

Kate was waiting for me at the metro stop, she knows my sense of direction is like a bat with no radar.  We walked to her apartment, which is lovely.  Light decor, wooden floorboards, big kitchen and nice comfy couches and a huge bathroom. We had coffee and chatted about our interest in alternative health therapies.  Kate wants to work in Herbology and I am interested in preventative health, vitamins and minerals and non-harmful products in your home as well as personal care. I think we could have talked all day, but Kate was starving as she hadn't had breakfast, but I had bolted down some cereal before I left because I wasn't sure what we were doing.


We went to a place not far from the apartment that looked okay, Kate said the coffee was good.  I ordered a coffee and pain au chocolate and Kate the basic breakfast, which consisted of a baguette, jam, croissant and crepe. For some reason they bought me a hot chocolate too, we tried to tell them, but in the end realised it is easier to just drink what you get ... although I was needing the caffeine .... I kept yawning like a buffalo.  I have been sleeping strange hours while here and it was taking it's toll.

After that, we wandered around the shops for a while, there was the most beautiful pair of earrings in one shop, but they were 195euros and, for costume jewellery, we thought it was a bit expensive.  The lady was lovely though and had us trying all of them on.  Unfortunately, she didn't make a sale!

Then I had to go as I was meeting Monique at Rose Bakery in Montemartre, from there we were off to Les Halles where all the commercial cookware and kitchenware is!!

I got there at 12:30pm and went inside to see if Monique was there, and waited for a while before I realised that I was meeting Monique at 1:30pm not 12:30pm - will I ever learn?  What a slow.  I wandered around in the rain for a while, window shopping and wasting time.  I did find one shop that was filled with beautiful things and bought just a couple.

I spent a little time outside of Rose's, to see how many people went in and out. It is very popular and has been there for a while, it was set up by English lady, Rose Carrarini, in 2002.  It is very popular and the cuisine quite different from what is available in French Bakeries.  The bakery uses organic produce and ecologically sustainable & biodegradable products.  There are also a wonderful selection of teas and organic grocery items for sale, including Green & Black's organic chocolate, which is divine.  Vegemite was on the shelf too.

When Monique and I went in there wasn't a lot left on the menu, so I ordered the broccoli and tomato tart with salad and Monique the tart and celeriac & cepe soup.  The staff were lovely and bought some bread with butter (a treat as the French don't serve bread with butter)! I also had a coffee and Monique a tea. The tart was excellent, the salads were a little bland - I had cous cous & potato -  I think they could have used a little dressing, but I am a dressing freak!!

Afterwards we hopped on a bus to Les Halles, we were able to sit on it all the way, no changes, which was nice.  Firstly we checked out a few shops looking for a shower curtain for Monique, but there were none suitable, she would like one like we have in Australia.

Then it was off to the kitchen shops.  The first one was a rustic, old-style place, E. Dehillerin, established in 1820, that Monique said is very popular with tourists, particularly Americans.

It was great to wander around and see what was available.  I made a list of everything I wanted so I could check to see if it was available from Australia, if not, I will make the trip back there and get it. I think I will have to post these items home as the luggage allowance is well and truly blown.

We stopped past two other shops, which had similar things.  I was particularly interested in trying to find comfortable shoes to wear when cooking all day.  Students and chefs at Le Cordon Bleu wear them and I am sure they do at home too.  I found some in the correct style, but they were only in white, not the best colour for moi.  I will keep searching.  I am sure Leeanne (fabulous Australian translator) can tell me where to get them from.




   
Then we were heading for home .....  or so I thought.  On the way, we found a couple of lovely shops, including a divine shoe store 58M ... ooh la la!  The shoes were gorgeous and the prices were high.  A pair of boots ... 700euros!! Mind you they were designer, Marc Jacobs I think?  I did manage to find a pair of clogs that weren't expensive and the last pair was my size!  Also a pair of Melissa Shoes that are a gift for someone back home.  Monique found a pair of flat, gray boots for her.



We stopped into Comptoir de le Gastronomie, a gourmet food store that has ham on the bone for sale, hard to get here and Monique, Peter and Guillaume love it!  In Geraldton we can buy it from Rigter's Supermarket every day!!  It sells for about $47.20 a kilo here ... as it is not common and I think, hard to come by. 

Monique noticed they had some black truffles in and asked if we could check how much a small one was, they were 1450euros/kg, the one we picked out was 21.75euros (approx $36.00), much less than I thought it would be, so we bought it! First time I've ever seen a truffle ... we had it with foie gras when we got home, delicious.  It wasn't as strongly flavoured as I thought it would be and my brother wasn't convinced that the quality was that good. I made a pasta with it the next night and we couldn't taste it and the aroma wasn't there, compared with the truffle oil Monique has in the cupboard!  Perhaps I will just have to buy one from Manjimup, WA and see what that one is like ... or stick to the truffle oil! 

Yay .... Macaroons!!!! Le Cordon Bleu

Finally, one of the classes I've been really looking forward too "The Secret of Macaroons"/Les Secrets Du Macaron! I tried to get Monique into this class but it was full.  It would seem everyone wants to know how to make them.


Macaroons are a delicate biscuit of meringue with a filling in a range of blissful colours and flavours.  I haven't seen them at home, but I think they should be on the menu!! Of course, they could be available in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne etc ... actually, I have just confirmed that they are.  Poop, I was hoping they hadn't reached WA yet!!


Macaroons are not difficult to make as far as the ingredients are concerned, but they are their success depends on a few variants, such as the the amount of mixing time, humidity and your oven - which are not easy to control.

They are pretty expensive considering what they are made of: egg white, sugar, powdered sugar, flour, ground almonds and cream of tartar or lemon juice plus flavouring or colouring, however, they are so popular and look so good you cannot help but eat them.

For the first time, I actually went to the front of the class, which offers the best view, I needed to know how to make these little babies, I also realised I should have been at the front of every class.

Polly, Crystal, Chef Deguignet & Me

Our chef for the day Chef Jean-Francois Deguignet, who also taught the Winter Pastries class on 16 January.  He has the lovely sense of humour (dry) and recognised me from the other class, which is quite amazing.  Our translator was the lovely Polly and assistants Crystal and Jong Li (not 100% on the spelling), how have been in quite a few classes with me.  It is really nice going to classes and knowing people, feels a bit like home. 

And so, we watched Chef Deguignet make his mixture, pipe it on to the trays (so quickly that we thought we were all going to fail miserably, he was like a machine).  He loves Macaroons too!!  The flavour today was Chocolate with Sea Salt, the filling was a mixture between ganache and creme patisserie ... the sort of stuff you want to dive into. 

I have well and truly learned that what looks easy in the demonstration is far from it in the practical sense!  As all the chef's put it .... 30 years of experience makes a big difference ... bugger!

After Chef had finished, we got onto our own mixtures!  We had to whisk the egg whites by hand .... seriously tiring and big hurt factor on the old arms!!  Chef said he knows when they are done because his face is red!

We added our sugar and dry ingredients and then piped them onto trays, with lots of laughing and "oh no's!" thrown in.  It is very different from piping onto a cake .... getting them the same size is difficult. But it was fun, as always.  We then had to leave them to dry, before putting them in the oven.

Onto the ganache then, which is always a good thing.  We had to share ingredients for this one and I got the only guy in the class who didn't listen to the directions and of course, he spoke French and I didn't.  I did resist the urge to pour the pot of cream on his head, because I realise that we are all learning.  The ganache turned out fine in the end.

The Macaroons went into the oven and Chef had to keep opening and closing it to make sure the humidity wasn't too high.  It was funny to watch!  He kept us entertained while we were waiting by making a chocolate rose ... I'd seen it before, but always good to see it again.

So, truth time .... Macaroons came out of the oven and were cooled .... some looked okay, some had cracked or spread.

Due to some miracle, mine were okay.  I didn't know this until I pulled my tray out and everyone was commenting.  Even the chef said mine were good .... let's hope I can get it right when I get home.  Will be having many practice sessions that's for sure.


This is the fastest disappearing dessert I have brought home with me from Le Cordon Bleu so far ... they weren't too sweet, but they were a bit crunchy, which I liked, but they should be a bit softer ..... something to do with the mixing!!

I am hoping to go to two shops that are renowned for their Macaroons and have a really good look.  I did try some at the dinner party I went to, but they were sweeter, apparently there are some that look good, but taste pretty average, you have to get both right .... wish me luck.

There was a lovely Australian girl, now living in London, in this class, Emma.  Like me, cooking is her passion and she has a cat "Hobart", yes, she is from Tasmania.  Emma has made lots of macaroons and is still learning.  Now all I need to do is practice, practice, practice.

Crystal and I. Crystal has an internship at Pierre Herme, the King of Macaroons.


The assistants are great at Le Cordon Bleu, they are students who have completed their diplomas or are completing them and work with the classes for extra credit, they do not get paid.

Cooking with Champagne - Le Cordon Bleu

Welcome back Chef Mark Thivet, another one of my favourites!!  Translating, the lovely Polly.  I was without my usual comforts of Laura, Kate or Biance, but having Polly there was nice.

I was keen to see what was on the menu for this course as it really interests me.  I cook with champagne, but wanted to see the options available in the country from which this sparkling bottle of yum originates.

I met two lovely American ladies in this class, Karen and Abbie.  Abbie looked just like Susan Saranden.  Also an American couple, living in Germany, who had come to Paris for Valentines Day, Gayle & Rick. It was a smaller class today and we all had lunch upstairs in a smaller room, it was lovely, even Polly could join us which was nice.

First on the menu, Oysters with Champagne Jelly/Huites Pleine-Mer En Gelee De Champagne. For me, oysters are a challenge, until I came to Paris this time, eating them was a dilemma as was preparing them.  It is hard to make something delicious from an ingredient that you don't want to put in your mouth!!

Luckily, I have come to like oysters au naturelle, much to my surprise.  The concept of this dish sounded good to me, although oyster puree wasn't instilling much desire to taste!


The oysters were poached in champagne and water ... all good.  Some were pureed and the rest kept whole.  The puree was placed in the bottom of the shot glass, then the whole oyster.  Gelatin leaves were added to the cooking liquid to make a jelly, which was poured on top of the oyster and set in the fridge. Before serving, the jelly was to be topped with smoked herring eggs and an oyster leaf.

I didn't like it this dish, neither did my brother or Monique.  I think the problem was that the champagne jelly was very tart and I honestly don't know if I tasted it before I put it into the glass. Perhaps a different champagne would have a different result.


I have served oysters with Bloody Mary in a shot glass and they have been very successful ... perhaps it is just a dish that is for French Tastes?


Next dish ... Sole & Salmon Fillets with Champagne/Petite Marmite de Filet De Sole A L'Ancienne au Champagne and this one was delicious.

Even better we got to bone a sole .... it is really interesting because you tear the skin from the fish, then fillet it.  Of course, bones and head were used to make the fish fume for the sauce.

There was a lot of "eeks" and "yuks" coming from everyone, including me. Trying to pull the egg sack and heart and blood out was not that nice.  Not to mention pulling off the skin without taking all the flesh.  One guy, an Amercian, did it like a pro. I don't think I'll ever get used to touching fish guts and offal ... 


The vegetables (mushrooms, pearl onions and baby leeks) were poached, as was the fish and the sauce was made of champagne, fish stock, cream and lemon, as well as seasoning, the whole dish topped with fresh chives - it was really good and suited the fish perfectly.

It is amazing that before I would throw the bones from the fish away after filleting, now I realise that was a major "no no" .... a casualty of not being professionally trained I guess.


I forgot to take a photo with the sauce on it, sorry. 



Dessert ... Champagne Bavarian Cream and Seasonal Fruit/Bavarois de Champagne et Fruits de Saison


This was a lovely dessert, consisting of a Dacquoise base, which is a little like a meringue-cake, then it was topped with the Champagne Bavarian Cream, Italian Meringue and Seasonal Fruit .... it might sounds like it was too much, but it wasn't.  I took it to Monique's parents place as they were celebrating Chinese New Year and it was a really subtle dessert, and everyone loved it.  It's a shame we made one so small ... usually they are bigger.

The Bavarian Cream made with champagne was so yummy, I think we could have all quite happily eaten it straight from the bowl!!


Yummo.