Chez Christine

Hi everyone, I am the Christine being referred to above, and I just graduated from Le Cordon Bleu with a Cuisine Diplome yesterday. I sat in on a pastry demonstration but do not know enough about pastry to give an informed answer. Basic & Intermediate demonstration classes are taught in French, translated into English, but there is no translation when you are in your practical classes. There is no translation in Superior, but everyone seems to be comfortable enough at that point to understand. I would recommend the school if you wanted to learn the basic skills in French cooking along with exploring the culinary scene in Paris. As you cannot just skip the Basic course and jump in during Intermediate or Superior, it could be repetitive and boring for those who have some kind of professional cooking background. The school has also become more crowded recently, which means more of a strain on the school in terms of scheduling and space- and it shows. I loved my experience here but am not sure I would repeat it after seeing the changes that have happened in the last 9 months at the school. And as you probably know, it's very expensive! Let me know if you have any other questions, be glad to answer them. ← Hi, I wrote a post describing these changes I've seen in the last 9 months at the school on my blog. It might also answer questions for people looking into the Le Cordon Bleu program. http://chezchristine.typepad.com/chez_chri...ime_for_a_.html

I am staying in Paris until the end of June, giving market tours of the Parisian outdoor markets. Then it's back to the US since my visa expires and the bank account if quickly dwindling! I am hoping to start a career in food writing and /or food styling. Would appreciate any tips or leads, up for living anywhere but home base will be the San Francisco Bay Area until I find something. Hi everyone, I am the Christine being referred to above, and I just graduated from Le Cordon Bleu with a Cuisine Diplome yesterday. I sat in on a pastry demonstration but do not know enough about pastry to give an informed answer. Basic & Intermediate demonstration classes are taught in French, translated into English, but there is no translation when you are in your practical classes. There is no translation in Superior, but everyone seems to be comfortable enough at that point to understand. I would recommend the school if you wanted to learn the basic skills in French cooking along with exploring the culinary scene in Paris. As you cannot just skip the Basic course and jump in during Intermediate or Superior, it could be repetitive and boring for those who have some kind of professional cooking background. The school has also become more crowded recently, which means more of a strain on the school in terms of scheduling and space- and it shows. I loved my experience here but am not sure I would repeat it after seeing the changes that have happened in the last 9 months at the school. And as you probably know, it's very expensive! Let me know if you have any other questions, be glad to answer them. ←

I wholeheartedly agree with the first statement. Attitude always makes a difference in any endeavor in life. However, I will have to say a slightly disagree with the statements regarding the seriousness of the student. Yes, there were many "token" students who were not serious about cooking, who had their tuition paid for by parents, or were there for matrimonial resume reasons. Yes, they were probably treated differently by the chefs. But there were (and are) serious students who are not really pushed harder by the chefs. Unless you are outgoing and really interact with the chefs, you can be easily ignored and not pushed, no matter how serious you are. In my mind, seriousness does not necessarily mean you are engaging and outgoing, which I feel is important at Le Cordon Bleu to really get any individual attention. It is up to you to tell the chefs that you're serious- they will probably not notice it on their own because they are overworked and deal with too many students. Another sad but obvious truth is that women are treated differently at the school. Chalk it up to French sexism or whatever you call it, but if you are pretty and young, you will probably get much more "attention" than others. If you come from a PC culture, it's a little hard to swallow and you have more to prove to the chefs when you are a woman. Like chefzadi said, if you plan to use your culinary education, I think it's important to push yourself, interact with the chefs, and get as much out of the school as possible. If you are there to have fun or don't plan to use it, don't expect to get a lot of individual attention or to be treated very seriously.

Hi everyone, I am the Christine being referred to above, and I just graduated from Le Cordon Bleu with a Cuisine Diplome yesterday. I sat in on a pastry demonstration but do not know enough about pastry to give an informed answer. Basic & Intermediate demonstration classes are taught in French, translated into English, but there is no translation when you are in your practical classes. There is no translation in Superior, but everyone seems to be comfortable enough at that point to understand. I would recommend the school if you wanted to learn the basic skills in French cooking along with exploring the culinary scene in Paris. As you cannot just skip the Basic course and jump in during Intermediate or Superior, it could be repetitive and boring for those who have some kind of professional cooking background. The school has also become more crowded recently, which means more of a strain on the school in terms of scheduling and space- and it shows. I loved my experience here but am not sure I would repeat it after seeing the changes that have happened in the last 9 months at the school. And as you probably know, it's very expensive! Let me know if you have any other questions, be glad to answer them.

Just finished Comfort Me With Apples, thanks for the heads-up on the new one!

Men's Pocky is dark chocolate around the standard pocky stick. For those not familiar with the taste of a standard pocky stick -- umm... it tastes like an unsalted pretzel (to me at least) Thanks -- I'm trying! ← I agree...but a little sweeter than regular unsalted pretzers, somewhere between a biscuit (cookie) or a pretzel. I love Pocky- grew up on that stuff. They even have banana Pocky and ones with extra cream on the outside!

Trying to take advantage of La Semaine Du Gout this week. Restaurant Flora has a student menu for 40 Euros, which is 3 courses and includes 2 wines. She got rave reviews when she first opened, haven't been able to find more current opinions. Can anyone help? Also, is 40 Euros worth it for the menu she is proposing? Thanks in advance! > Chef de cuisine Flora Mikula > Lieu 36 Avenue George V 75008 PARIS 01 40 70 10 49 > Prix Prix Public : 45.00 € Prix Etudiants : 40.00 € > Menu Soupe au pistou sur une gelée de tomates, nem de chèvre et aubergines grillées. Aigle bar légèrement fumé dans un bouillon safrané au jus de coquillage, chantilly d'aïoli. Déclinaison de la pomme et des fleurs. Vins servis au verre, 2 verres au choix : Cheverny Blanc 2004 de P.Sauger, Vin de Pays d'Oc Domaine d'Antignac 2003 rouge et Crème de Calvados avec le dessert. > Note Note Gault&Millau : 14 Etonnant dessert : Millefeuille à la rose et figues rôties, crème glacée aux éclats de violette cristalisés

I make very basic baked apples: stuff with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little clove. Pour apple juice or apple cider in base of pan. When apples are cooked, reduce the liquid to get a sauce or caramel. Great winter dessert!

I am currently in Paris now, and will be until the end of the program May 2006. As for an internship, I'm not exactly sure how it works. I believe you get more information about that when you enter into the Superior classes. I don't know of any internships offered outside of restaurant kitchens. From what I have heard, you work with the LCB chefs and talk about what you're interested in. They have contacts with many of the large restaurants, but outside of that, their contacts might be slightly limited. You might be on your own there. Since you need government papers to work in France (carte sejour), I assume LCB can only help with internships in France or in countries where the schools are located. I think I remember reading somewhere that some people have staged in London.

I'm in the middle of the Basic Cuisine program right now, and will be continuing on to get the Cuisine Diplome. What kind of questions do you have? I write about some of my experiences here: Chez Christine