Wahoo!!! Week four is complete and all the pieces are coming together as we prepare for full plate creation and presentation next week.

As we do every Monday we break into new groups to begin the week. As luck would have it and likely because I struggled so in week three... 5th wheel and I got to play in the same sand box one more time. UGH!!!! How can there be 38 people in my class and again I am SO lucky!!?

Monday we completed our potato production. Gratin Dauphinois, hashed browns, duchess potatoes, rosti & cocotte potatoes and gnocchi!!! Baked potatoes work best for this delicious treat. You mash the potatoes, add eggs, flour, salt & pepper then form them into long rolls. You cut the rolls into the little gnocchi dumpling shaped treats and boil them as you would pasta. Then we sauteed in butter and served with grated Parmesan cheese. Ummm!!

Tuesday was pasta day! We made the fresh pasta dough and then cut them into Fettuccine & rolled out the balance for ravioli's. Made Alfredo sauce and Pesto; the filling for the ravioli's was a ricotta cheese & herb filling. Delicious!!!! The challenge for the day was that we had limited pasta rollers available for use. We'll come back to this...

Wednesday was an extra special day!!! We had a group reprieve and were able to choose our own groups of two for the day!! It was egg day and we were to prepare the following items:

Sunnyside up

Over easy

Poached

French Omelet

American Omelet

Hollandaise Sauce

We were on our own for everything but the hollandaise sauce. My pal, ArmyGuy, and I were able to work together. Who knew that egg preparation could be so challenging?! Here is the key... no brown edges, flip withOUT a spatula. You are to flip IN THE PAN!!! Nearly certain that I would not be able to accomplish the "over easy" egg I continued to try to master the technique. I was ready... I began the back and forth arm movement and flip! I did it!! All along I had the encouragement of ArmyGuy and Chef D!! But... Chef D was not certain I had it down... he suggested another. I believe he stated that the expression on my face was so fun to watch that he had to see it one more time!! So... I crack another egg (I think A.G. and I went through 24 eggs that morning!!)and it begins to cook; it is a beautiful sunnyside up example & ready to flip. So, I am moving the egg back and forth in the pan, I push my arm forward and quickly back to flip that egg over. Beautiful! Then it's time to do it one more time to get the presentation side back up and again.... I take form, my arm comes back toward me and the egg flies upward in the air .... the skillet comes forward under the egg as it flies through the air. Suddenly... the egg is NOT in my skillet rather in the middle of the burner and flame! I shriek!! And laugh out loud! That full face giggle and belly roll kind of laugh. How wonderful it felt!!! I passed egg day!

Thursday I was back with 5th wheel and we were full blown into meat production!! We grilled and Saute Veal, Chicken, Pork Chops, Salmon & London Broil. Young 5th Wheel resisted when asked to take our team London Broil to the grill to sear it before we were to finish it in the oven. Her reason... I don't know how to do that!.... Hummmm... is that not why we are here? Then, when the London Broil came out of the oven she was more interested in hacking off a hunk to put in her bag for the afternoon snack than slicing it on the bias and plating it to show chef. UGH!!! The maddness of it all!! Friday we completed the week by poaching shrimp, deep frying chicken (sliced in "fingers") and pan frying veal.

Our Chefs are more than willing to allow us to stay after class and work on additional items. I have taken advantage of that opportunity and it has paid off in various ways. It's one on one time with the chefs, more hands on with the food and practice time on all the techniques. I was not happy with my grilled chicken dish this week. So, Thursday I stayed after for a re-do! Because I was there I was able to assist Chef D. in preparing the meat portions for the next class. I cut veal & pork and skinned the salmon and sliced the portions on the bias. Skinning that darned fish was not so easy!! I know now why I have purchased them clean before!! That slippery skin & those scales get all over the place and my hands smelt like fish for days. The poor salmon took a beating from me and it required some extra effort to correct my mess. But, I managed to get it done and was happy with the tips shared by Chef. He certainly is a kind and patient instructor. He is a huge Notre Dame fan ... so we had football to discuss as well as tips on fish fabrication!

The after class event on Thursday gave me a chance to observe another class of students. I left that afternoon feeling grateful of the knuklehead brigade that I am part of!! One student actually whistled at the Chef as if she were a dog because he needed her attention. I thought she was going to come unglued! All I am sure of is that had I been the instructing Chef that insolent young man would have been gone for the day! I continue to be amazed at the reasons for behavior such as this. Culinary studies at Le Cordon Bleu is an elective education opportunity. It's not a required Home Economics class in the public school system! WHAT would make a person choose to learn this craft unless they really wanted to? Could it simply be that they like to eat more than cook? Is everyone like 5th Wheel ... more worried about feverishly confiscating lunch? The studies here are not horribly hard, nor are they overly easy! You have to read, you have to study, you have to practice. You have to use your brain, think things through. Take initiative, make a plan and follow it. Sort of like life..... Humm?

Til next time....