Documents and Tarts, What a day!

The French LOVE documents. So, before Patisserie started this afternoon, I gathered as many documents as possible confirming that:

a) I am a living person and absolutely was born.
b) I am without a doubt living in France and paying rent, but I am absolutely not trying to stay here longer than they'll have me.
c) I have a valid reason for being here and my school will swear to that.
d) If you cut me, I will bleed (or something along those lines that again proves I am alive and in France).

I took all these documents as well as a large amount of cash to a bank to open a bank account. After quizzing me about each document, the Frenchman deemed that I do indeed exist and seem to have a purpose here. So, he gave me more documents to fill out. After that, I was told to come back in a week to pick up my check book and my debit card. He then said, "Au Revoir." I look shocked and say in French, don't you want some money from me to put in the account? "Non," he said. Ok then, I'll keep my money and not give it to you, the BANKER. Just another example of how I keep trying to give the French my money, and they won't take it.

On to Patisserie (Pastry) class, which I have every Monday! Today we made Tarte Aux Pommes, one of my favorites. I was all ready with my mixing bowl, pastry cutter, etc to make the dough, but it quickly became apparent that only amateurs need those when you're French, have a cold marble slab, and your hands! (Lots of pics below).

After making the dough and before slicing the apples for the top of the tart, we made the apple compote to go in the bottom of the tart. It was simply butter, apples and cinnamon sautéed on an induction burner. Who knew that induction burners were so efficient and would heat so quickly? I certainly did not since at home I have crappy electric burners and I won't even discuss the thing my landlady calls a kitchen here in France. My lack of induction burner knowledge is why my "simple" apple compote started to burn and smoke, and in turn smell atrocious. Wanting desperately to not be labeled the girl who smoked up the entire kitchen, I grabbed a new pot, took the burning one off the stove and dumped the unburned contents into the fresh, clean, non-smoky pot and put that back on my burner. Voila, my compote is doing great now! The old pot went discretely into the dishwashing bin and no one knew the difference.

There were lots of other people who encountered problems today as well, so I wasn't feeling alone in Battle Pastry. What I have learned over the past year of making desserts is that it takes time and patience. The latter of which I don't necessarily come by all that naturally, by the way. I had to work at it, and B can attest to that since he heard the multiple expletives coming daily from the kitchen while I worked on recipes this past year. So, it was a bit comforting today to hear all the expletives being muttered by others and knowing that I am not alone in my war against patience and pastry. The thing is, though, if you can win that war, the resulting benefits are worth every deep breath you must take (and every calorie ingested, too). See for yourself below. Meanwhile, I'll be eating what you’re viewing for dinner.



The starting ingredients.


Butter pieces and sifted flour.

After mixing by hand on the marble, this 'sandy' dough emerges.

Take the dough and make a well, putting the rest of the ingredients in the middle and mix lightly with fingers!

And it becomes this.

And then this. Ok, we used a rolling pin to make it look like that. I lied earlier - there were some utensils that we used.

And now into the pan.

Apples arranged in a specific manner according to Chef Thierry. Don't you dare try to do it another way!

Into the oven.

Finished product - Tarte Aux Pommes (again, otherwise known as my dinner)