Cooking School

There were a few things about cooking school that I especially loved.  It was casual (and that made it stress free).  It was in a professional kitchen with a real gas stove (I'm coveting that, a little).  It had a chef who would not let us call him Chef (his name was Pascal).  And we did it together (which was cool, because usually, only one of us cooks).

There were also a few things I didn't love.  I thought there were too many people in the class (but maybe that is because we started out with three, and that was such fun).  Nine people made it crowded.  Also, I don't think everyone wanted to be there (and honestly then, I can't figure out why pay that kind of moolah?).  Ah well.  It can't be perfect all the time.

What I think I took away from it, most of all?  I'm not afraid of certain things that I thought I was.  Like butchering meat.  Deboning things.  Whipping egg whites by hand.   Cleaning artichoke.

This trip was a gift for me, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.  I enjoyed it so much that I would go back to Provence in a heartbeat to do it all over again.  And I would go to Italy and the rest of France and to Spain and to any place that I could find a casual cooking school.  Yes, it was that much fun.  Even since we've been home, I've been trying a few things that I might not have tried before.  I'm failing a little too, but not so much that I won't keep at it.

Here then, are some of the dishes that we made....

Pumpkin Cappuccino           

Quail stuffed with onion, carrot and grapes, 

with potato and foie gras tart

Raspberry tiramisu                                              

Eggplant Papeton, with a fresh tomato sauce

Sea bass stuffed with fennel, poached in wine 

Molten chocolate cake with fig ice cream  

Herb crusted rack of lamb                            

Creme brulee with a macaron cookie.  

Salmon mousse stuffed zucchini flowers  

Pork wellington with ratatouille     

Fresh fig tart with fig ice cream