Things you see in Paris

As I have said previously, walking around Paris is the best way to get to know the city. I have encountered some interesting things while strolling the streets of the city of lights and have decided to share them with you today.



That, my friends, is a gas station. You don't really see many of them in central Paris. It is one gas pump on a random corner with it's only sign being the one you see with credit cards. Not quite sure how anyone knows it is even there. Apparently, however, the man on the motorcycle and the person in the car behind him (who is blocking traffic to wait for gas) knew about it.


I love art, but really? Who is that and what in the world is he doing? And more importantly who was the artist who thought, "what a wonderful pose. I am going to paint that. Now, sir, don't move from that position while I capture this image on canvas." Just blows my mind. I guess that's why I'm in culinary school and not art school.


I couldn't help but sneak a photo of this through a store window the other day. In general, I'm not the biggest fan of canned goods. I know they have their place sometimes, but as for me I am fairly certain that canned rabbit is just downright wrong.

No, you're not crazy. You didn't accidentally click on an ad about the next Harry Potter movie. Nope. These people are actually standing in a group brandishing wands of some sort in an effort to ressemble Harry Potter. I saw them in a random park on Saturday. Note that they don't have a little basket at their feet asking for money. They are simply dressed like that because they either a) think they actually are Harry Potter and friends or b) because that's just what they do on Saturdays. I'll let you decide which option is more likely.

Desserts Galore

I had my first official visitors to Paris last night: my mother-in-law and her travel group. It was great to see everyone and enjoy a delicious French dinner with them. If you are in Paris, you have to try Bistro Volnay. It was very good and has a great sommolier. My chef at school suggested it and even called to make the reservations for us. He did not disappoint. The whole meal was delightful, but the desserts were the "pièce de résistance."

See below.


A new twist on Tarte au Citron. It was to die for!


Millefeuille (like we made in Pastry last week) with raspberries. Yum!

Feuilletine du chocolat et sorbet framboise (rich chocolate mousse cake with raspberry sorbet). Divine!

Bless the day the KitchenAid Mixer was made

As is customary in France, why do things the simple way when they can be done the complicated way? For example, why make a sponge cake with a mixer when you can use a balloon whisk and simply muscle a cake into being (with a little prayer said for good measure)?

As you can probably guess, today was another day in Patisserie. We made several sponge cakes. The first two were made by hand and then just to show us how much easier it is to do by mixer, Chef Thierry had us make two more with the KitchenAid. I secretly think he just wanted to keep us until 7 pm instead of letting us go early!

Anyway, here's my shot at the sponge cake...


Look familiar? Starting ingredients.



Chef beating the eggs and sugar over low heat.



The mixture will triple in size.

See? Cool, huh! Take it off the heat and beat a little while longer, then add sifted flour.

Now, it's my turn. Whip, whip, whip.

And put into buttered cake pans.

Bake. What am I ever going to do without these huge and awesome ovens?

Allow the cakes to cool.

And make the buttercream frosting. Beat by hand (again, hating on the mixer) the egg yolks and sugar.

Add just a "bit" of butter.

And beat. Mine looks a little thin, so Chef and I decide to put it in the blast freezer for a while.

Hmm. Out of the blast freezer, chocolate added, and things go drastically wrong as you can tell!

Never fear, Chef Thierry to the rescue. He fixed it in no time. Thanks Chef!

Now, he shows us how a pro frosts his cake. Who needs a cake stand that swivels when you have your hand?

Flawless! He's a pastry genius.

My turn to try. Cakes are cooled and ready to go.

Cut one into thirds. Carefully!

Douse with simple syrup spiked with liquer.

Frost and cover with chocolate shavings.

Decorate with more frosting on top.

And voila!

Just a bit messy after all that.

Walking around Paris is the best way to get to know the city. I hate taking buses and using the metro. I would much rather walk until my feet are throbbing (and my 5th croissant aux amandes for the week is burned off!) so I can find all the hidden gems of the city.

Today I discovered new areas of Paris I have not yet seen (parts of the 15th and 16th arrondisements).


Saturday afternoon late lunch. Yum!


Arc de Triomphe. I've never seen it from this side; I kind of like this view better.


Cool view of the Eiffel Tower from the 16th arrondisement.

Fountains at Trocadero.

A cemetary in the 15th arrondisement.

You either have "it" or you don't

Here's an example:


These people have it together.

These not so much.

The moral of the video story is this: If you want some spare change for your performance, please have "it."

Cold Hors d'Oeuvres, Anyone?

I have put off posting about what we made this week because, well, it was the week of cold hors d'oeuvres which is not exactly as entertaining as, say, anything else in the culinary universe. Julienning "ze veg" over and over again/chopping mounds of mint and parsley/segmenting every piece of citrus possible can make a woman go mad! However, we learned a lot of good techniques this week so I am glad we did it and equally glad it is now over.


Tuesday's cold "veg" salad.



On Wednesday, I had to dismantle this artichoke.



Took off the stem. We learned to never cut it off - always break it off so all those spiky looking things on the right come out of the artichoke.

What was left of the artichoke when I was finished. A lot of work for a little bit of aritchoke.

More cold veggies. :)

Thursday, we made three different types of Taboule: one with a base of cous cous (center), one with a base of quinoa (left) and one with a base of wheat (right).

And on Friday, I transformed the ordinary lemon into a basket.

Then sliced lemons and oranges and topped them with the basket and some lemon crowns I made too.

Finally, we segmented oranges and topped with minced red onion, cilantro, black pepper and sesame seed oil. DELICIOUS!!!

Long live the cold hors d'oeuvre...

There's nothing like a cigarette first thing in the morning

Living in Paris, I might as well take up smoking since merely walking down the street means inhaling enough second hand smoke to send a signal to a Native American tribe.

For example, each and every morning I go to school, I have to wiggle myself through the maze of young, Parisian school kids you see below standing right outside the school smoking like chimneys. Apparently no one in France is concerned by the warning label on the cigarette package that actually says, "Smoking Kills."

And the winner is...

Julie Muslow Leclercq.

Julie is now the proud winner of Pink Slip Gourmet's "Today's Winner." Congrats, Julie!

Julie's first guess of salad spinner was correct. That humongous orange trash can-looking thing is in fact a huge salad spinner.

Thanks for playing!

Let's play the guessing game

Who can guess what the above item is? Winner gets the title of "Today's Winner." Who doesn't want to win that?

Tune in tomorrow to see who the winner is and what the correct answer is.

Morning Market with the Chefs

Today, we met our head Chefs, Stephane and Sebastian, at what is reputedly the best market in Paris, Marché President Wilson in the 16th. The fishmonger and one of the produce men there are frequently used by the three star Michelin restaurants in Paris.


We learned what to look for while shopping in the markets in Paris, which of course is good knowledge and I am so glad to know the ins and outs now. However, I can't quite put my new knowledge to test considering my "kitchen" is not exactly up to par. Let me put it to you this way, my sink is a drawer. When I need water, I pull out a drawer and there's a freaking sink in it. As my grandmother would say, "Beats all I've ever seen!" So, buying lots of fresh (read dirt still clinging to veggies) produce that needs to be washed isn't my idea of a fun afternoon at home.



Marché President Wilson



Fresh, beautiful tomatoes



Looks like some cool mushrooms, huh? Wrong! According to Chef, these mushrooms are too big. They are old and moldy. Do not buy!!!!

Purple cauliflower is a new phenomenon in a very tradional France.

Gorgeous root vegetables

Multi-colored radishes

Thiebault is the produce man! Look at all those fresh herbs.

Black radish

Onion, garlic and shallot, oh my!

Now, these mushrooms you can buy. Lots of variety from which to choose.

How delicious does this lobster look? 195 Euros gorgeous?

So, the little white things in the middle are frog legs. A few of us were confused as to why there were random frog legs in the middle of the fish section. So, I asked Chef this in French, and in English he said,"Frogs, water, of course they are by ze fish!" Oh, right.

Still can't get over the size of these things. Huge!

Tongue

Kidneys

Liver

Brains

Chef Sebastian and Chef Stepane preparing a roadside feast for us from the market.

Cheese. I think I might become a vat of cheese by the end of this year. You're welcome, arteries.

Sausages

Patés