Today our wine class focused on the Alsace region of France which is a colder climate and thus best supports grape varieties that produce white wine. So, we tried two different white wines and tasted them with Muenster cheese. Now, the real Muenster cheese from France and the stuff you can find in the American grocery stores are two TOTALLY different things. So, just wipe that grocery store image out of your head. Instead, envision a brie-type cheese that has an orange rind and that smells so strongly one can pick up the scent from across the room like a bloodhound. Literally, my hands still smell like stinky cheese just from removing the rind before eating. I guess the French will take me in as one of their own now when walking down the street. The cheese itself is very good and when paired with freshly baked bread and wine at 11 a.m., it's even better. A mere "amuse bouche" for our cafeteria lunch after class. :)
Carleta, Alisha and Leo say, "Bring on the wine and cheese!"
White wines from Alsace.
Wine, bread and cheese (stinky Muenster!).
As for patisserie class today, we made two cakes with a base of ladyfingers. One was filled with a praline flavored mousse and topped with chocolate. The other was filled first with the praline filling and then topped with a raspberry mousse. Details below...
Starting ingredients for the ladyfingers.
Take egg whites.
And whip by hand.
Add egg yolks.
And then fold in flour.
Pipe onto parchment paper.
Bake in this fun oven.
Until very light brown so they are still malleable.
Place fingers around edge of metal ring.
Put the ladyfinger "cakes" in the bottom.
Then, take some milk and boil it.
Grab some gelatin.
And mix with sugar and eggs.
As it cools, add some praline flavoring.
Take some cream.
Whip by hand.
And fold into the praline mixture.
Pour into the prepared ladyfinger cake.
Top with another ladyfinger round.
And then more praline mousse.
Now for the chocolate. Take melted chocolate and put on cold marble.
Work it with a spatula.
Until you achieve this consistency. See the difference? Cool, huh?
Take a metal ring and scrape the chocolate off the marble.
And voila! Chocolate shavings.
Top the double layer cake with the shavings.
Take the other cake and fill it half way with praline filling.
Make a raspberry mousse.
And cover the one layer praline cake with the raspberry mousse.
Make a berry glaze and swirl it on the cake haphazardly.
And voila!
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1 comment:
yum!
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