Muscles

Today was a LONG day. As I sit on my bed typing this blog, I can see my swollen feet over the top of my computer screen even though I am faithfully wearing my compression socks every day. I have to point that out because my parents are avid readers of the blog and if my father thought for even a second I wasn't wearing those socks, I'd be in trouble. So, don't worry, Dad, I am trying my best to not be one of your future "before" and "after" patients. :)

This afternoon Groupe A and Groupe B all cooked together in a big kitchen. It was interesting how the claws, I mean competitiveness, came out when we were pitted against each other. Suddenly, things went missing from one side of the kitchen or the other, and I noticed that Groupe A and B were sharing about as well as two year olds. This fact does not bode well since in two weeks we will start our dinner and lunch service for the restaurant at the school. By then, I hope we can graduate to at least five year old level of maturity and sharing between the groups.

I have been looking around Paris for dumbells so that I can keep in shape while eating butter and cream all day long. However, I learned today that when you are working with huge copper pots full of soup that weigh more than Nicole Richie pregnant, you need not worry about lifting weights. Even more, after julienning (by hand, no mandoline here) two carrots, five leeks, some celeriac, celery and turnips your tricep basically hates you. Add on top of that having to man-handle the immersion blender you see below, and you will all know why I will be able to throw a curve ball faster than Kenny Powers when I get home.

Massive Immersion Blender

Julienned 'Veg'

We made two soups today: a cold vichyssoise and a parmentier with julienned vegetables. Since this blog is all truth, I have to say that both of mine were not nearly as thick as they needed to be. The young girl from Holland, whom I love because she arrives at school every morning dressed to the nines/ready for the discotheque despite the fact that we change immediately into our chef's whites, was next to me and made a soup much thicker than mine. I must admit that I desperately wanted to blend mine with hers to get the perfect consistency to present to the chef. But, those darn morals and conscience kicked in. Hey, at least I got praise for how my 'veg' was cut and the taste of the soups. In fact, as I took about my 12th 'taste' of the soup tonight, I had to remind myself that I opted to buy the pants size that does not give me much room to expand.

Now, why again did I do that exactly?

Soup!