Diary: September 8, 2002

[Malawry]

Thursday, September 5

My next paper is due tomorrow, on the subject of Swiss chard. I wrote it on Monday since we didn’t have class, but I never found the wholesale price of the vegetable. Also, I couldn’t determine the French name for the vegetable; I found four or five names from various sources, and none of those sources smacked of credibility. For these reasons, I was delighted to come in this morning and see a crate of Swiss chard sitting in the kitchen. The price was listed on the invoice, and since it was on today’s menu I got the French name as recognized by the school. This put me in a great mood from the beginning.

We learned a fish sauce which is like several sauces in one today: bonne femme, a glazed fish dish, has a sabayon, a fish veloute, and a vin blanc as its major components. We also learned how to make Parisienne potatoes, which are shaped like spheres. I ended up handling the potatoes, and I produced a big pile of asteroid-looking potatoes from using a melon baller to scoop them out.

We prepared lunch for the pastry class today, so we got a chance to talk to some of them. One student sat at my table. She came from a writing background too, so we talked about writing and food writing. I didn’t get much of a chance to speak with her because I was trying to coordinate the Swiss chard and the potatoes for lunch service, but I’m glad I had a chance to see her and some of the other new students close up. At one point I couldn’t find the communal pot of demi-glace for finishing the potatoes; the last time I’d seen it, it was on a table where about 8 pastry students had since congregated to eat. So I went and asked them, “Has anybody seen a pot of demi-glace?” I immediately realized that they were unlikely to know what demi-glace looked like and started to explain, but then I realized that it wasn’t on the table and that somebody from another team had it. I apologized and hurried off. I feel a little sheepish about this since I don’t like to make others feel like they don’t know what they’re doing when they’re brand new.

I spent my post-lunch break frantically trying to find an image of Swiss chard that includes the root system for my botanical sketch. I did not have any success, and was eternally grateful to Rachel Perlow for saving my ass from going to the library for last-minute research.

In the afternoon, we talked about confit. Chef Peter explained the history and the process of confiture of duck, and talked about the two steps (curing with salt, and cooking at a low temperature). He then broke us into teams for tomorrow and sent us to make puff pastry for tomorrow’s menu. I worked with Jonathan and Em to make the world’s fastest quick puff before heading home to add the last bits of info to my paper.

Friday, September 6

Evaluations again today. I met with Chef Francois this morning and we talked about my performance, my strengths and my weaknesses. I’m still doing quite well, but I slipped a little on my test grades (which I knew already). I’m now number 3 in my class. Something to work towards. I wasn’t too upset about my ranking, since I know I am doing well and I feel as long as I do my best the rankings aren’t super relevant. The rest of the discussion with Chef Francois was about what I can use to sell myself for a potential externship with a chef. He hinted that my enthusiasm and my participation are my best assets.

I spent my lunch break in the pastry kitchen attempting to make parchment pastry cones. My goal was to get a bunch of them made and then keep them in my locker so I can use them to practice piping on lunch breaks over the coming weeks. I did get a little better at bag-making through the practice, but I still lose about 25% of the bags I attempt by not making the opening tight enough. It’ll only come with practice. Sometimes I wonder if there is any new skill that will come naturally to me, that I can do well at the first time I try it.

[Fat Guy]

The price was listed on the invoice, and since it was on today’s menu I got the French name as recognized by the school.

And . . .

[Malawry]

$15.30/case

Les Cotes de Bettes

[Rachel Perlow]

Your welcome for the help. I feel challenged to find stuff whenever someone says they can't find something on the internet. At this point in time there's a website for almost everything, it's just a matter of patience and thinking of the right keywords.

[phaelon56]

Sometimes I wonder if there is any new skill that will come naturally to me, that I can do well at the first time I try it.

For me that would be eating but no one seems willing to give me a good grade or any recognition for it (other than my Cuban girlfriend's mother who is ecstatic when she sees a man eat extra helpings of her cooking)

[polly]

Keep up the good work malawry.

I know it's pedantic, but i think the french name for silverbeet is blettes, not bettes.

Maybe just a typo on your part...