Ecole Gregoire Ferrandi

[nglez09]

Does anyone know of the Ecole Gregoire Ferrandi program, specifically pastry?

I would like to know the length, the quality and the curriculum.

Do we learn to make cakes like the ones in the USA but French style? I'm talking about like genoise or gateaux, not the creamy, solidified ones.

What is the cost to live in Paris?

Any other valuable and insightful information is greatly appreciated!

[Felice]

Nglez,

There is a thread about Ecole Gregoire Ferrandi in the eG France forum already which might give you some good information.

Ecole Gregoire Ferrandi

[John DePaula]

Definitely checkout the thread that Felice has suggested.

I graduated in 2004, so with that said…

You will certainly get a top level education at Ferrandi – they are the best.

To answer your questions briefly: you will learn to make cakes in the French style. I can’t think of anything that we made that was particularly American. But that’s good, right? You’re going to learn the basics of French pastry making: feuilletage (puff pastry), pâtes (foncer, brisée, sablée, brioche, choux), génoise, dacquoise, jaconde, financier, cakes (ok, these are sort of like American pound cakes), macarons, pain d’épices, crème pâtissière (and all the variations), all sorts of tarts and gateaux, etc.

We also did Bread Baking once a week and a Cuisine class every other week.

You will have guest chefs come in from time to time. The Pierre Hermé visit was especially memorable.

It was a wonderful experience, all in all.

As I said in the other thread, applying yourself will definitely pay off. Several folks in my class wanted to go in early and/or stay late to work on projects and they were accommodated. Your mileage may vary.

How expensive is Paris? That’s difficult to answer. I’d say it’s not cheap but it really depends on you. Most folks in our class didn’t have roommates but I’d suggest that you look into it as a way to reduce your apartment cost. I wanted to be within walking distance of the school but could have found a less expensive place further out.

Any other valuable information? Always have exact change. In France, you’re practically a god when you have exact change.

I recommend checking out David Lebovitz’ witty informative web site for insights about living in Paris.