Today was cooking class day. Aside from the fact that it took me awhile to find the 'atelier' everything went smoothly (and I got to discover the housewares section of Galleries Lafayette--it's a whole separate store!).
The class took place in a little kitchen on the bottom floor of the store. The walls were all glass, so we had many spectators during the hour. There were only two of us in the class!! The chef was very pleasant, and it was fun preparing the dishes. We made two delicious desserts. The first one was a tarte fine aux pommes (apple tart). It was pretty basic, puff pastry with apple slices and butter and sugar on top. She showed us how to use the apple peeling machine, and how to slice the apples thinly by hand. Basically, you need a sharp knife. We popped those in the oven, and got to work on dessert number two: verrine de mangue au sabayon caramelise (I just looked up verrine and it apparently translates into 'protective glass'. Basically, it was caramelised mangoes with a sabayon). Another easy one to prepare, but it was interesting to learn how to make the caramel sauce. We just covered the bottom of a pan in sugar and cranked up the heat. Eventually it started to melt, and we added some butter, then the mangoes. She said that if you wanted to make a thicker caramel to serve with the apple tart, you could add creme fraiche* (whipping cream, although I'm sure that's not an accurate translation) instead of the butter and cook it for a bit longer. The sabayon was made with raw egg yolks, and she told us to be careful about how we crack the eggs so as not to get salmonella (didn't catch the detail...probably should have asked for a clarification). She also said that the sugar that we beat with the yolks would 'cook' the eggs. That was the first time I'd ever heard that! Anyone have any insight on that?
The apple tart should be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and the mango dessert was presented in small glasses. First the mangoes, then we broke some cookies on top, then a scoop or two of the sabayon. Then we sprinkled the top with icing sugar, and caramelised it with a blow torch!
All in all it was a delightful hour, and it was fun to see how the 'pros' prepare dessert. Neither of the recipes was particularly hard, but I think it was the presentation tips that made the difference.
Since getting home, I've signed myself up for two more: tomorrow it's millefueille--one sweet and one savory, then on Friday I'm going to a Champagne lunch.
Tonight we are cruising the Seine. It's Pete's last week, and of course we haven't done any of the touristy things that he had wanted to do. So tonight the Seine, and maybe they'll have time this week to squeeze in the catacombs (I think one time down there is enough for me!)
By the way, I went for a run this morning. It was hard!
*If I can remember correctly, creme fraiche in Canada is thick, is it not? I don't think I've ever cooked with it, and I was surprised to notice that it was liquid, looking almost exactly like whipping cream. She also mentioned to be sure to use a cream with at least 20% fat or it wouldn't whip, which also led me to think it was similar...anyone have any experience with this?
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