New York Arrival

My arrival into New York could not have gone smoother.

Zero waiting on Paris’ tarmac delivered us to JFK 40 minutes early. Most New Yorkers left the city on Friday for the long Memorial Day weekend. Leaving the streets sparse. Thirty minutes from airport to apartment. Slick. As. Snot.

Marginally jet-lag. I was overcome with butterflies in the cab. My anticipation to see our new apartment was sending me through a tizzy. Most of all. I could not wait a second longer to see James.

E’Lane and I talked once of butterflies. And how we still get them for our loves. Even after all this time. It’s a fun feeling. But most of all reassuring. A reminder of love’s presence.

James arrived two weeks ago. Wanting to nest together, he has only purchased a bed and a chair. The place is expansive. And incredibly empty. Yet he managed to have a lone vase of flowers – where the entry table would be – to greet me.

Our reunion has been filled with excitement. I arrived into the city at 11 a.m. Dropped my bags and we hit the furniture-store filled streets. A full day created lots of ideas. Evaluated over our traditional first-night Thai dinner.

Here is a sneak-peak. Most of the furniture will arrive on the 9th of June – three days before my return to Paris. I wish it was sooner, but at least I will see most of the apartment filled out before I leave. I will have to wait for my next visit to see the two backordered items.

I already feel at home in our apartment and New York. But then again. It’s not the location. It’s my husband.

Le Cordon Bleu - Final Regional Visits

During lessons #29 and #30 we explored two final regions. Flanders and Corsica. Located at opposite ends of France. Furthest north and deepest south, respectively.

The cuisines of the two areas are equally far apart. Flanders’ rich, slow cooked foods, are usually cooked in covered pots. Corsica – an island – is fresh, light, and quickly seared.

Geographically isolated, the former region is limited to mackerel and herring. Corsica on the other hand – surrounded by water – is known for countless fish.

The mountainous northern land does however, provide fantastic grazers. Sheep, pig, dairy and beef cattle can be found on every street corner. Poor weather, like neighboring Alsace, also restricts crop growth. Don’t bother looking for anything beyond potatoes, cabbage, hops, or beets when farmer’s market shopping.

On the contrary. The islanders of the south can’t claim and livestock other than pork. But they can boast the seemingly endless supply of zucchini, eggplant, artichokes, mushrooms, cherries, chestnuts, pears, tomatoes, oranges, lemons and limes.

As mentioned before, lots of livestock produces lots of cheese. Flanders is home to some of France’s strongest cheeses – Vieux-Lille, Maroilles, and Dauphin. Sad Corsica barely produces and ewe’s milk cheese, Broccio.

Wine is not non-mentionable in both regions. But strong berry growth of Corsica helps to support myrtle liqueur production.

It goes without saying that if you’re one that seeks out touristy lands with warm sunshine filled beaches, then Corsica is your destination. If. However. You travel by the seat of your carnivore stomach, then Flanders is more likely your choice.

Le Cordon Bleu - Final Exam

I made it!

In the end everything was cooked, but too much. Seasoned correctly. And presented well.

Results will not be available until next week. So for now. It’s just sit back and trust that I did well.

Au revoir Paris. Hello New York.

Le Cordon Bleu - Intermediate Practical Exam

Ok Neptune. Today is D-Day. And I’m not referring to 1944.

In less than eight hours Intermediate Cuisine will be officially over.

I have spent the last two weeks practicing dishes. Reviewing notes. And talking sequence with my friends. Of the ten possible dishes there is only one that I want to avoid. The others? I am ready to attack.

The nerves have stayed at bay for the most part. Slightly twitching last night before bed. But a quick review and chat with James focused my thoughts and sent me happily off to sleep.

Unfortunately my exam doesn’t begin until 12:50 p.m. So I have the morning to stew.

Leaving excessively early tomorrow for New York – a well deserved two week visit with James. I purposefully have not packed or vacation-readied the apartment. Tasks I plan on attending this morning to busy the mind.

I have received many good lucks and best wishes. Thank you friends and family for all your continued support and enthusiasm. Leaning on this to get me through the day.

Scheduled to present my final dish at 3:20 p.m. Followed by celebrations with my fellow students. I will sneak a quick note to you before my Parisian departure. Then it’ll be States-side writing.

[Confident Nod] [Deep breath] One. Two. Three. Here we go!

Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #30

Instruction #30 is always without a practical. In theory. Our final exam is practical #30.

Usually. This makes for a relaxed environment. Where we can just learn for the sake of learning – no stress of reproducing the menu for the chefs.

Normally. The chef is in a good mood – happy that the students are near the end.

Ordinarily. The lesson ends with celebratory champagne.

Usually. Normally. Ordinarily.

Class #30 wasn’t typical. Beginning with a strict lecture from Chef Poupard. Excess absentees in practical #29 broke the camel’s back. Apparently, some students are not taking attendance seriously.

We were told that you are allowed one – ONLY ONE – absent in the real world. And how LCB is very relaxed and easy-going. This, come as you please attitude will get us thrown out of a professional kitchen. In some cases, literally thrown out by the head chef.

Chef forcefully spoke at us flanked by the director of academics, an administer, and the translator. Verbally smacking our wrists. He was seriously ticked off.

The air. To say the least. Was let out of our balloons.

In a joyless manner Chef prepared our final demonstration.

Instruction #30

• Vegetable fritters
• Pork tenderloin and chestnuts cooked in a dough-sealed pot
• Broccio cheese and blackberry tart

The entrée was very good. Basically vegetable tempura. Only this batter had cornstarch, baking powder, and whipping cream. Unlike the ice cold water, flour, and egg traditional Japanese recipe.

Zucchini blossoms were part of the battered fritters. Reminding me when I would arrive before the farmer’s market vendors in the U.S. To be sure I could snatch up all the blossoms. Stuffing with goat cheese, figs and roasted red peppers. And lightly frying. Mmmm, memories.

Part tenderloin fillets. Part stew. The main course was straight forward. Pork with porcini mushrooms, chestnuts, and dark brown glazed pearl onions combined in a pot. Sealed with dough. And braised in a garlic, rosemary, tomato-y sauce.

The final dish of Le Cordon Bleu’s Intermediate program was a tart of Corsica local cheese and blackberries. Broccio – ewe’s milk cheese – was drained overnight. Mixed with sugar, eggs, and lemon juice. Baked in a short-crust pastry tart. And finished with fresh, wild, blackberries.

In spite of being scolded, class did end with champagne. More of a shameful drink than a celebratory one though.

Now will all the lessons and practicals behind me. It is one hundred percent final exam focus time.

Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #29; Practical #29

The farewell tour continued into instruction #29 – Chef Tivet’s final moment with our group.

About this point last term I was really starting to feel sentimental. Time was moving too fast. Afraid there wouldn’t be enough opportunities. Concerned that this was all I would have.

This time. I am ready. I am ready for the Intermediate final practical exam. Ready to end this term. And ready for Superior.

Probably stemming from the hump. Looking forward to nesting my apartment in New York. Yearning to see James for more than 48 hours. And ready for the next challenge.

Lauren has commented that Intermediate is just Basic Cuisine with more expensive ingredients. There have been some new techniques, but hardly anything to write home about.

The ritual of filleting fish or segmenting fowl carcasses for stocks is getting a bit boring. But I recognize that it is important to instill this modus operandi. Accomplishing that. It’s time for the next challenge. Which Superior Cuisine will bring.

An opportunity to develop our own recipes. Menus. And plating. A term where international ingredients and more complex techniques will be woven into our learning. A schedule that will tour the wines of the world. And above all. Allow for creativity to foster. And permeate from our fingertips.

With that. Instruction #29’s menu was less than thrilling.

Spitting out the entrée wasn’t a good start. Leeks that were stewed in water the night before were left mushy. An explosion of rancid water. Lying next to court-bouillon poached skate – flavorless – and an herb vinaigrette made with cockle jus. Continued the gagging reflex.

I am a fan of braised red cabbage. Like my Swiss grandmother used to make. I think the beer vinaigrette that accompanied the main dish ruined it. Reduced beer leaves a bitter taste. One not able to rectify. In spite of the onion, shallot, sugar, butter, juniper berries, veal stock, wine vinegar, peanut oil, and black pepper that simultaneously reduced.

I will say the onion ring garnish was good. I couldn’t quite get enough in demonstration and practical.

Speaking of practical. This was our final class for Intermediate. Blessed with Chef Cotte. The day went well. Chef recognized the bitterness of the day’s recipes. And gave enhanced instructions.

Substitute white wine for beer. Finished the cabbage in veal stock. And slowly, slowly cook the fish. His end results exceeded Chef Tivet’s instructional tasting.

Dessert du jour was a hit. Mangoes, strawberries, and passion fruit seeds mixed with vanilla infused sugar syrup. Strawberry granita and meringue fingers finished the plate.

Most importantly. We had Chef Tivet. Which for some strange reason. Our class loves him. Talk to the other levels and they are writing daily complaints about this man. For me – and I suspect for my fellow classmates – it’s his enthusiasm in the demonstration room that we love. He is always committed. Excited. Enthralled with the food he is creating. His passion is clear and strong. One that you inspire to have. My friends and I have been able to connect with Chef on a personal level. Allowing his humor – and laughter – to unearth. I will miss Chef Tivet. But, look forward to seeing him in future practical sessions.

Instruction #29

• Warm skate and leek salad, herb vinaigrette with cockle jus
• Pan-fried cod steak, Flemish-style red cabbage, beer jus vinaigrette
• Mango poached in vanilla-passion fruit syrup, strawberry granita and meringue fingers

Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #28; Practical #28

Instruction #28

• Sea bass and shellfish with aromatic vegetables
• Veal tenderloin cooked pink, creamy risotto and mushrooms, asparagus sauce
• Warm raspberry tart

Instruction #28 was our farewell lesson with Chef Caals. He will still be around for Superior practicals. But in terms of demonstrations. He’s finished.

Chef is a good instructor one-on-one in a practical kitchen. If he cares about you. Luckily somehow this term, he started to care for me. I learned a lot from him. Just none of it in his instructional classes. C’est la vie.

Ceviche-style marinated sea bass fillets. And cooked shellfish. Started off Chef’s demo.

Green and red bell peppers, celery, onion, zucchini, tomato, lemon juice, basil, chives, garlic, and olive oil all happily married each other in the fridge. Meanwhile thin slices of sea bass were prepped with olive oil, thyme and bay leaves, lemon and orange zest, and black peppercorns.

The finished ensemble was wonderfully fresh. Lightness from fish. Cool citrus hints. And a fragrance of fresh herbs.

Next on the menu, not so light of a dish. Risotto, creamed with chicken stock and parmesan cheese. Accompained rosé veal. Gently pan-seared in olive oil, butter, and garlic. Matched with asparagus and Mornay sauce – béchamel with grated parmesan. A few mushroom chips finished off the plate.

My nerves rose once Chef Terrien walked into our practical room. Committed to staying calm I worked patiently through the recipes. I still managed to over – or was it under – cook my veal. Trying to mimic chef’s demonstration I must have missed something. I was instructed in practical to use only low heat. Not the high initial blast I thought I was to do. This is not beef. Chef kindly pointed out.

A final comment of less salt in the asparagus sauce. And more for the risotto. Really sent me over the edge. Gently smiling at Chef I cleaned my work station. And began to greatly worry about Superior Cuisine, when Chef Terrien will be a regular presence.

Final dish of the day was some what common. Tart with fresh fruit. This time, raspberries for the top. Almond cream in the base.

Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #27; Practical #27

The presentation for the main course was fascinating. And quite different.

Paired with a Provence-style tart. Of roasted zucchini, tomatoes, and eggplant. The butter sauce passed with the salt crusted sea bass wasn’t my favorite. Infused with star anise, the flavor was too buttery.

Instruction #27

• Fantasy of smoked and fresh salmon
• Sea bass in a salt curst, vegetable tart with Provence flavors
• Chestnut cake, caramel ice cream and caramel sauce

Thyme, rosemary, and summer savory perfumed the kitchen while our tarts baked. And our fish en croûte took shape.

I am not really sure the meaning of the entrée name. Fantasy sounds too mysterious. Like a surprise. Nonetheless it was delicious. Steamed fresh salmon paired with smoked salmon mixed with chive, lime juice, butter, and fromage blanc. Served along side a tropical salad of mango, kiwi, tomatoes, and avocados.

The individual little chestnut cakes each had a whole chestnut – marinated in syrup – in the center. A little nut-surprise. Most of the class was anticipating the ice cream. Unfortunately the caramel got a little too burnt. Leaving an overcooked bitter taste. The caramel sauce with Armagnac did hit the spot though.

Practical went well as Chef Poupard monitored our group. Cracking jokes here and there about each of us. He’s funny and enjoyable to be around. But he has high standards and usually makes us nervous.

Chef was not too impressed with the three bones that I left him in the fish. But the butter sauce was to his liking – I think I put too much Pastis though. The tart and fish were perfectly cooked and quite delicious. I was sure to eat the tart the next morning for breakfast.

This was lesson #27. Time is winding down with only three more demonstrations. I was told today that our written exam grades should be posted by tomorrow morning. Anxiety-stricken!

Versailles

He loved to hunt. So why not?

Louis XIII moved the royal residence – unprecedented – from Paris to Versailles. A heavily wooded area. Perfect for hunting deer, wild boar, partridge, and pheasant.

Taking over 20 years to construct. The remaining building, gardens, and general estate are more than impressive. It is no wonder there was a revolution.

Lived in by Louis the 13th, 14th, and 15th until the end of the monarchy. As we knew it. The final Louis and his Austrian wife, Marie Antoinette, were ultimately captured from Versailles. Imprisoned. And beheaded in Paris. Giving rise to the famed Napoleon.

The entire country of China (I swear) toured the building with us. Unfortunately we weren’t left any time for the gardens. Or Marie Antoinette’s English cottage. Those will be left for the next visit.

Family Visit

Aunt Shelly and cousin Ariel are in town visiting for the weekend. Today we are off on an eight hour tour of Versailles. Details to follow…

Yesterday we met up for lunch at a fantastic café in the first arrondissements. Avocado, shrimp tartare to start. Followed by roasted salmon and zucchini.

L’Argenteuil
9, rue d’Ardenteuil
75001

To pass the time between meals I went to school. And they took a tour of Monet's Gardens.

Dinner was at one of my favorite places in Paris, Hôtel de Nord. Located in the 10th district. Classic French cuisine. With a modern, hip twist. My second visit and it was equally as good as the first.

Green and white asparagus with a poached egg for an entrée. And red mullet with sweet potatoes and tapanade crostini for my plat. Aunt Shelly’s dessert, took the cake (ha! ha!). Panna cotta with red fruit coulis.


Hôtel du Nord
102, Quai de Jemmapes
75010

It is always such a treat to see family. I am always thankful for the friends and family that have come, or are coming, to visit. It helps to take away some of the homesickness.

Le Cordon Bleu - French Wines #6

Prestige is part of it. Production limits and intensive labor are the real reasons.

Most Champagne – true Champagne from France – is not cheap.

Yield is capped at 2600 liters per 4000 kg. That’s 2050 liters of noble free-fun. And 550 pressed juice. Additionally. All grapes must be picked by hand. Adding to processing costs.

The four main regions are situated just outside Paris – the northernmost area of grape growth. Covering 34,000 hectares. Consisting mainly of chalk and limestone.

• Montagne de Reims
• Côte des Blancs
• Vallée de la Marne
• Aube Vineyards

Most people are surprised to learn that 80% of champagne is made from red grapes. Limited bottles are produced blanc de blanc – white from white, 100% white grapes. Pinot-noir, pinot-meunier, and chardonnay are the only permitted varietals.

The process begins like any other white or rosé wine. A still wine is made. Allowed to ferment – change sugar into alcohol – for one to two weeks. Sealed with nothing more than a beer cap. The top is then removed. More sugar added. Starting a second fermentation. This time, producing carbon dioxide, bubbles.

Champagne is cellar-matured for two to tens years depending on the cuvée– blend, of different years. Labeled as such. Most sparkling wine is a mixture of different vintages. Making them NV – non-vintages.

Our final French Wine class was unfortunately rushed due to our pesky exam that took up the first half. Nonetheless we managed to get our tastings in. Including a final vintage (1999) Devaux.

Aged champagne is said to be foxy. Not because of its beauty. But because it smells of fox. And boy was that an accurate description. Almost repulsive. We tasted the wine. Divine! Smooth. Round. Calm, yet full of flavor. My favorite of the evening. Retailing for nearly 60 Euros, it’s not something I would ever buy myself. A nice adieu to this term’s wine class.

Next term’s Wines of the World should be more than interesting.

Lesson #6 – Tastes

• Champagne brut by Le Repaire de Bacchus, NV
• Champagne blanc de blanc by Melard, NV
• Champagne rosé brut by Haton, NV
• Champagne by Devaux, 1999

Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #26; Practical #26

Lamb stuffed with dried fruit. Couscous on the side. And lamb jus to slop up.

I mean. What doesn’t sound good here? This just may be the best meal of Le Cordon Bleu.

Demo – Chef Caals – was a little bit unclear. Practical went well – parfait, nonetheless. I even got a très bien from Chef Tivet when he saw me cut into my meat.

First. We completely deboned a lamb rib roast – the 8 primary ribs. Leaving the meat flap from the bones. Creating a sort of loin with an attached blanket. Brunoise dried apricots, dates, and fresh rosemary tucked up next to the loin. Rolled like a jelly-roll into a neat little package. Tied to keep uniformity during cooking. Browned in olive oil. And finished in the oven for five minutes.

Lamb’s resting time should always equal cooking time. In my case, it needed twenty minutes. At first it will continue to cook. Then the temperature will plateau. And begin to drop. At this point the meat is covered and kept near a heat source.

A typical jus was prepared to pass along. Keeping with the Middle-Eastern flavors. I finished mine with a bit of dried madras curry.

If you don’t know what couscous is, then you need to get on it. Not only is it easy to make, but incredibly versatile. Taking dry couscous. We added some olive oil, salt, pepper, toasted almonds, pistachios, golden raisins, and reduced (warm) chicken stock. Left for five minutes. And it was ready. It is as easy as that.

Preparing for our final exam. We also made béarnaise sauce. Everything went well. No scrambled eggs, or separated bond. My shoulder, on the other hand. Is a bit sore from all the whisking. C’est la vie.

Friends commented that the dessert, crème catalane, was divine. Whole milk infused with fennel. Thickened with egg yolk and whipping cream. Sweetened with sugar. Baked in a gratin at 90 degree Celsius for an hour and a half. Burned sugar crusted the top. Basically, fennel flavored crème brûlée.

Instruction #26

• Lamb rib roast with dates and rosemary, couscous with dried fruit
• Béarnaise sauce
• Catalan cream

Le Cordon Bleu Examinations

Ok, I have survived both of my exams. The Cuisine exam was a lot more difficult than I was expecting. So the grades will be interesting. As for the fill-in-the-blank recipe I know I got a 100%. Which is more important than the true/false, multiple choice. As it is added to our final practical grade.

With the written exam only worth 10% of our final grade I am not too worried. I will keep you posted once grades are reported.

The wine exam was much better. Almost easy. Tasting wine during an exam doesn’t hurt either. Blind tasting a white and a red. Explaining the look – color, brightness, clarity. Nose – freshness, intensity, and aroma families. And finally the palate – architecture of the attack, evolution, and finish, acidity, tannins, and alcohol content. We also had to comment on the wine’s overall balance and suggest a food pairing.

I have a full day today. 8:30 a.m. practical. 12:30 p.m. instruction. Followed by a second 3:30 p.m. practical. So many more details to follow…

Oh! The weather has gotten incredibly gorgeous in Paris. Smiles all around!

10 a.m. Cuisine Written Exam

12:30 p.m. Cuisine Instruction #26

7 p.m. French Wines Written Exam


Agrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Le Cordon Bleu - Practical #25

The name of the game is one day at a time.

I am starting to feel completely overwhelmed. In less than two weeks, Intermediate Cuisine will be finished. Completely over. Behind us all.

That – in and of itself – is exciting. The checklist until completion however, is beyond long.

Tomorrow I have two written exams; Intermediate Cuisine and French Wines. Many recipes still to practice for the 28th’s final practical exam. And still four instructions/practicals yet to come.

Each term we have a one-on-one meeting with a chef. Last week Chef Tivet and I discussed my progress, grades, and future. It was an inspiring meeting. With lots of great advice. The most important being, focus on the upcoming Intermediate exam, but don’t forget about the last five lessons. This was in response to my questioning some Superior Cuisine items.

Basically Chef said, whoa there tiger. Let’s finish today’s tasks before looking at next month’s. A difficult assignment for me.

Studying over the weekend for both the written and practical exams I tried not to neglect today’s practical.

Reviewing my notes last night I determined my sequence of events. Starting with making a white roux to thickened milk – béchamel. Then it was onto panade – a paste of milk, butter, flour, and egg yolks. The item that bonded a mousseline of pike-perch, egg whites, whipping cream, and seasoning. I had to make the panade twice…I think I mis-weighed the first time because it was a runny soup! Finally, the base was completed.

Working on the core of the recipe. I decided I would make the crawfish coulis after I cooked – scored in screaming hot olive oil – six freshwater crawfish. Crushing and mixing the shells with celery, onion, and shallots a coulis was underway. Deglazing here and there with cognac and white wine. And finished with tomato paste, fumet, and water. A slight thirty minute simmer developed flavor, consistency, and color.

The mousseline had been resting on ice in the fridge by this point. Using a piping bag I piped three large quenelles. Think over-sized gnocchi. Light poach in simmering water. And drained on paper.

Part of the crawfish coulis made its way into the béchamel. The balance reduced to a syrup. And used to glaze the crawfish meat.

Béchamel-coulis lined the bottom of a roasting pan. With my three poached-quenelles ready to be baked. After about ten minutes the soufflé-like mousseline was puffed and ready to come out.

Trying to find some design to my finished dish. I drizzled each quenelle with more sauce. Syrupy coulis. Topped with glazed crawfish meat. Fried crawfish meat trimmings. And a parsley leaf for a final dash of color.

Chef Poupard gave me an overall parfait. Sauce was good. Quenelles cooked and not too stringy. Crawfish meat nice.

So good news. I was able to stay focused on the first task. Now, focus, focus, focus on tomorrow’s exams. And then. On from there…

Le Cordon Bleu - Intermediate Final Practical Exam

The recipe list for our final exam was distributed last week. Once Tuesday’s written exam is over I will hit these recipes full-time. Practicing them over. And over. And over.

• Bordeaux-style duck breast, potato and bacon rounds
• Savoy cabbage filled with salmon, red wine sauce
• Pan-roasted guinea fowl with Calvados sauce
• Mediterranean scorpion fish and John Dory fillets in a Provençal fish stew
• Guinea fowl and potato pie
• Monkfish wrapped in bacon with braised artichokes, broccoli and cauliflower pannequet
• Rabbit tournedos with prunes, potatoes filled with cheese
• Basque-style chicken sauté
• Lamb fillet with vegetables tian, peppermint jus
• Trout stuffed with morel mushrooms and braised in Riesling wine

Two of these dishes will be chosen for the final. Before entering the kitchen we will draw a colored chip from a hat. Each color will correspond to one of the two narrowed-down dishes. In two and a half hours we will need to complete our dish. Including sauces, side-dishes, and garnishes. And present to a panel of five exterior chefs.

In addition to one of the above dishes we also need to complete a plat technique imposè. This component tests our mastery of a particular technique. For Basic Cuisine it was turning artichokes. This term. Béarnaise sauce.

It is. Nose. To. The. Grind-stone.

Le Cordon Bleu - French Wines #5

Vineyards owe their perfection to the parallel of moderation.

Temperate weather of the 45th parallel makes Bordeaux one of the best climates for wine production. Regulated by water.

Flowing southwest, along the eastern border of Bordeaux. The Dordogne River meets the north-westerly Garonne. Together forming the Gironde, an Atlantic Ocean estuary – often mistakenly called a river.

Moreover. The forest on the west blocks all easterly winds and rains. Bringing additional safety to the grapes.

Bordeaux consists of over 100,000 hectares of wine growth. Making it the biggest AOC in the world. Grape varieties vary throughout, but mainly consist of the following.

Rouges

• Cabernet-sauvignon
• Cabernet-franc
• Merlot
• Côt (Malbec)
• Petit Verdot
• Carmenère

Blancs

• Sémillon
• Sauvignon-blanc
• Muscadelle

The largest AOC is not necessarily the most complicated. Following all other wine regions. Wines labeled with Bordeaux are the most generic. It is the sub-regional appellations and specific town labeled bottles that you should be buying.

The sub-regional appellation breakdown looks like this.

In general. Graveled soil of the Garonne’s left bank produces tannic, well structured, tough wines. Predominantly from cabernet-sauvignon. Whereas the right bank – clay and limestone – is merlot dominant. Making fruitier, full-bodied wines.

With that said. Cabernet-sauvignon needs a bit of roundedness from merlot. Just like merlot benefits from cabernet-sauvignon’s structure. Therefore they are almost always blended together. Linked with malbec. And enhanced with carmenère – more of a yesterday’s grape – or petit verdot – making a come-back.

Whites tend to be very aromatic and dry. Characteristics of the heavily used sauvignon-blanc. Structured with muscadelle. Sémillon’s prone-to-noble-rot trait makes it perfect for dessert wines. Especially in Sauternes, Barsac, and Cérons – where the dividing river, Ciron, flows into the larger Garonne.

When the Ciron’s warmer water flows into the cooler Garonne, mist is created. Forming water droplets on the grapes, breeding fungus. Dried daily by sunshine. Slowly reducing the grape’s moisture. In turn. Increasing sugar-concentration. Noble Rot (botrytis cinerea). Perfect for dessert wine production.

My suggestion. As always. Drink them all and write down your favorites.

Session #5 – Tastes

• Côtes de Blaye (merlot, cabernet-sauvignon, cabernet-franc) by Château Lacaussade Saint Martin, 2008
• Entre deux Mers (sauvignon-blanc, muscadelle) by Château Haut Rian, 2009
• Montagne-Saint-Emilion (merlot, cabernet-sauvignon, cabernet-franc) by Château Corbin, 2006
• Pessac-Léognan (sauvignon-blanc, muscadelle, sémillon) by Château Tour Léognan, 2007
• Moulis (merlot, cabernet-sauvignon, cabernet-franc, malbec, petit-verdot) by Château Mauvesin, 2006

Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #25

Instruction #25 – Lyonnais

• Lyon-style sausage with potatoes
• Pike-perch dumplings in crawfish sauce
• Lyon-style Mardi-Gras fritters

Think warm potato salad. With a potent vinaigrette. For the entrée. Mixing onion, mustard, vinegar, parsley, and white wine with warm (operative word) potatoes is the key. Full flavor infuse-ment.

I loved this dish. Served along pistachio-sausage of pork shoulder, lean veal, and pork fatback. Slowly cooked in court-bouillon – water flavored with onion, celery, bay leaf, thyme, white wine, salt, and black peppercorns.

I had trouble envisioning the main dish from the title. I was thinking some sort of a ravioli-type item. Actually. It is more like a soufflé. Quenelles – dumplings – made of milk, butter, flour, egg yolks, cream, and pike-perch. Much like past mousselines. Poached in barley simmering water. Placed into a gratin dish.

Coating the bottom of the gratin, crawfish coulis. Essentially an over-reduced crawfish stock. Mixed into béchamel. All baked until puffy, golden, and hot.

I was surprised that the final dish tasted less like fish. And more like milky eggs. Chef’s quenelles were quite large. So maybe more sauce or small dumplings to intensify the flavor? With practical on Monday I have the weekend to mull-it-over.

Since the dessert batter – flour, oil, rum, salt, lemon peel, baking powder, sugar, butter, and eggs – wasn’t made the day before, it hardly puffed when fried. According to Chef Caals. Had the dough rested overnight, the final result would have been dramatically inflated.

Lyonnais is known as the cradle of traditional, hearty cuisine. Perfectly situated near the Rhône River. Pike-perch, gudgeons, crayfish, trout, and carp are produced. The land rears the famous Bresse chicken and Charolais beef.

On the non-protein side. Onions, potatoes, green beans, watercress, cherries, apricots, cardoons [pictured] and its artichoke relative are harvested.

Rich in foodstuffs and wines of the Rhône and Loire Valleys and neighboring Burgundy. Another. Must see when touring France.