Adieu!!

We came. We cooked. We went.

The morning's final exam (the only written test we've had in the class) was challenging, mostly because about 10 of the 80 questions required knowledge of french cheese (St. Nectare. Livarot. Crottin de Chavignol.) We traded papers and graded them in class (that takes a chore off Chef's list!) and when we handed them in to him, he recited our scores out loud. "Andrea! 72! Fantastic!" And the same with the low scores: "35! What happened to you?"

After the test we had a short lecture, in which Chef advised us that, no, he is not difficult to communicate with. He is teaching us the universal language of the kitchen. With it, we will be able to work in any kitchen, anywhere in the world. Then we started cooking.

Our assignment today was to make an entrée with sides. Extra credit for an appetizer or dessert. I made gougères (cheese puffs), Mediterranean sea bass, zucchini-potato pancakes, and raspberry clafoutis. We have two ovens and an 8-top range in our kitchen so it was a juggling act, but everyone was in great spirits, as Chef pretty much ignored us all morning. Well, he kept offering ingredients as he cleaned out the refrigerator. "Pheasant! Who wants a pheasant? Who wants some crème anglais?" When we were finished cooking, we plated one portion, and Chef evaluated.

Chef told me not to cover my fish with sauce, and that it should have been poached instead of roasted. He demonstrated using a cutter to turn my pancakes into perfect discs, "more elegant on the plate." He said my dessert was not a true clafouti, even though I got it from a book called "Paris Bistro Cooking," but more like a Spanish type of almond cake that can be found in an area of Spain near Barcelona. But he gave me all the points, including three bonus points for appetizer and dessert.

I practiced the dishes last night for dinner and it was totally worthwhile.

Chef didn't taste anything that anybody made.

As we were cleaning the kitchen, Silvia sighed and said, "This was the best day of the last three weeks."

Chef gave us a little goodbye speech. Andrea asked laughingly, "Aren't you going to tell us that we're your best class ever?"

And we filed out. Not surprisingly, the Chef has a grip of steel.