European Travel

Traveling by train in Europe is an endless stream of surprises.

The first surprise is figuring out which station you will depart from. There are five such stations in Paris. Gare de Lyon. Gare du Nord. Gare de Austerlitz. And Gare Montparnasse. This is uncovered at the time of booking.

These are big stations. With multiple platforms. The second mystery. Which platform. Most of these are color-coded. Gare de Lyon for example has blue and yellow platforms. The day of departure – upon arrival at the station – this question is answered.

The final unanswered question is which train. Twenty minutes prior to doors closing and pushing back this is revealed.

It is a serious of movement from one video monitor to the next. I have to ask myself, why all the suspense?

If you can’t tell. I went through the Europe train mystery tour this morning. Arriving – scar less – in Geneva, Switzerland.

Traveling alone, I am taking this opportunity to clear my head. Study. And relax before my final practical exam on Wednesday.

The land which bore 50% of my genes has – so far – been good to me. Like Brussels, I am still speaking French. On the surface making it feel like a Paris suburb. Diving a bit deeper into this city, the Swiss-ness starts to emerge. Fondue for lunch. Red flags centered with a white cross on every building. And the occasional clerk that speaks German (Swiss-German).

Of course the electrical plugs in my hotel are different from the U.S. And from France. So I will check in and write until my laptop dies.

This afternoon’s agenda is the art and history museum, Musées d'Art et d'Histoire. Then dinner and some live music in Carouge, an outskirt neighborhood. Known as the Greenwich Village of Geneva. Full of artsy cafés. Jazz music. And Bohemian boutiques.

Tomorrow is the Red Cross. United Nations. Botanical Gardens. And anywhere else the wind blows.

Here is what this morning brought.

Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #30

We ended with Champagne.


Basic Cuisine saw its final instruction this afternoon. Given by Chef Lesourd.

Instruction #30

• Rack of lamb with parsley crust, spring vegetables and stuffed tomatoes
• Potato gratin
• Baked Alaska

Chef included. We were all restless today. Tired from the morning’s practical. Less interested in the recipes because we don’t ever have to make them. Anxious about the upcoming final. Sad that the term was ending. And excited to move on.

Some students nodded off to sleep. Others joked with the chef. I took to the giggles. Laughing – and enjoying – myself through the final class.

The only thing left to do for this term is the final exam next Wednesday. Followed by a small graduation ceremony at school. Then it’s Intermediate Cuisine!

Le Cordon Bleu - Practical #29

For the last time in Basic Cuisine I walked into a practical kitchen. Ready to prepare my recipes.

In an effort to soak it all in I took my time. My sweet time. I really pushed myself to think far beyond the recipe. Taking a different angle. While respecting the essence of the lesson.

Duck à l’orange. Gnocchi – Parisian style. And orange garnish. My final result (which I should have taken a picture of) was not only good, but fun to prepare. Interacting with the visiting chef I prepared my dish. Partly learning from him. And partly playing.

I tried to pull back on the Anthony throttle and live in the moment. It was surreal. Like I was living someone else’s life. Naturally stressing about the reducing sauce. But also, gleefully laughing while I played with my ingredients. It was great.

Mentally I was exhausted by the end. Physically gleaming.

I feel good about my final Basic Cuisine effort. Giving it my all.

Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #29

Neat freak is an understatement. Chef Caals led instruction #29. The official Basic Cuisine chefs, Chefs Stril and Lesourd, are traveling leaving the work for others to fill in. An official Intermediate Chef, it was interesting to see Chef Caals in action.

Constantly wiping down the counter. The oven door handles. The sink. You’d think that I would adore this chef. Not so much. Along with cleanliness comes a packet of undesirable traits. Arrogance. Self-righteousness. Condescending. Are just a few. Oh. He’s also very tall and very handsome – partly absolving his offensive attitude.

All of the sauces and garnishes for #29’s four recipes were already started when we walked in. Leaving it confusing to remember which was which. And not fully understanding the technique. Intermediate should be an interesting struggle.

In a world-wind fashion – while always maintaining a high level of sanitation – Chef Caals instructed.

Instruction #29

• Snails with wild mushrooms in a pastry case
• Pikeperch steak, herb sauce
• Ratatouille
• Duck breast in orange sauce (Duck à l'orange)

Snail-butter really makes this dish pop. Butter, shallot, garlic, parsley, chervil, and a drop of cognac. Melted on top at the last minute. Flavoring the entire dish.

Snails with wild mushrooms in a pastry case begins with the same pastry shell as Quiche Lorraine. Then filled with slowly sautéed mushrooms and snails. Finished with a drizzle of reduced cream. (I went back for seconds!)

The pikeperch, herb sauce, and ratatouille were simply prepared. Similar to many of the previous Le Cordon Bleu recipes.

Reduced dry vermouth, white wine, and cider vinegar made the herb sauce highly acidic – clearing out the nasal passage.

We used the express technique for the ratatouille. Sweating onions, zucchini, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and eggplant. Before finishing in the oven. A true ratatouille is slowly cooked over an extremely low temperature for a lengthy amount of time.

In the end diligent and repetitive reducing made the à l'orange sauce too sweet. I was disappointed with this dish. Presentation and the wellness of the duck were perfect. Taste-wise, it was too much to handle. And too sweet for my migraine-prone brain.

I will be making the duck in my final Basic Cuisine practical on Friday. I would describe my mood these days as melancholy. Encrusted with bitter-sweet. Two emotions that I dislike the most. Angst that my time at LCB will one day end. Ready to be reunited with my husband.

Le Cordon Bleu - Written Exam Results

Some of you have been asking about the written exam results. Finally. Yesterday the cuisine results were posted on the board in the Winter Garden. According to our student number.

There were two parts to the grading. First, the fill-in-the-blanks recipe. I got a 100/100 on this section. The second part, multiple-choice and true-false I scored a 92/100. Not bad, but not perfect. Leaving me room for improvement.

The wine exam results are still being processed. I shall report those as soon as they come.

Le Cordon Bleu - Instruction #28; Practical #28

Chef Philippe Clergue is one of the most beloved chefs at Le Cordon Bleu. At the end of instruction #28 the class basically gave him a standing ovation. Loud claps. And a couple whistles. Made Chef blush.



Instruction #28

• Warm goat cheese salad with bacon
• Veal escalope à la viennoise, fresh pasta with tomato sauce
• Chocolate and orange mousse

To continue the joy. When I walked into practical this morning Chef Philippe stood there ready to proctor. I was happy.

We first prepared the pasta dough – to ensure ample resting time. Flour, semolina – preventing elasticity – salt, egg, water, and olive oil combined. Briefly kneaded. Covered to rest.

Brown salt slab bacon to start the sauce. Sweat onions and carrot. Add bouquet garni, flour, and tomato paste. Cook slightly. Deglaze with tomatoes that have been peeled, seeded, and diced. Add some garlic. Top with chicken stock. Sugar for the acidity. And salt and pepper for seasoning. Once the liquid comes to a boil. Cover. And finish in a 180 degree Celsius oven for about 20 minutes. Strain and reduce.

The sauce was straight-forward and simple. In general, I liked it. The Italians were all up in arms today. Pointing out the erroneousness. Need I remind them that we are in France? At a French cooking school?

Veal escalopes accompanied the pasta. Lightly breaded and pan fried in clarified butter.

The ensemble à la viennoise – hard boiled eggs. Capers. Parsley. Black olives. Anchovies. And lemons. Decoratively passed on the side.

The starter – warm goat cheese salad with bacon – is a common French dish. Baguette slices with broiled goat cheese and crispy bacon would make anybody’s mouth water.


Crottin de Chavignol was today’s goat cheese choice. Hailing from central France’s Loire Valley. Although produced in an A.O.C. region the rules are a bit loose. Allowing for frozen curds to be used, for example. Taking away some of the genuineness. Nonetheless, this is a quintessential, French chèvre.

Chocolate and orange mousse book-ended the other side of today’s veal. The key when melting the chocolate is to use a spatula and not a whisk. This will prevent light coloration. Retaining a rich, chocolate color. Orange salad and candied orange peel make for a great accompaniment.