Random Mutterings

As we assembled this morning, Alex said, "Hey, don't we have like 50 days of school left?" "48," I said. He high-fived me.

Silvia went home to Southern California for the break, returning last night, and this morning she told me, "It took every bit of energy that I have, to come back up here." She has a boyfriend in San Diego, and has arranged for an internship in Del Mar, and she needs to find an apartment, and get a car... the last nine weeks of school are just standing between her and the future.

Thank goodness for a short week. Chef Alex is not going to rank high on my list of person favorites. He's sort of in that Chef Alain mold: disappearing for long periods of time, then showing up just in time to tell you that you've done it all wrong. And when he gets us together for demonstrations, it's like the curtain goes up: he's all showman. Every action, stirring, flipping, garnishing, comes with a self-produced sound effect, and every technique is followed by a "ta da!" He showed us how to make wide chocolate ribbons (cool chocolate, cold marble, offset spatula) to wrap around mousse-covered cake. Andy asked if he could try. "Non! Maybe tomorrow."

I spent the first hour of class re-melting the contents of a dozen bowls of chocolate (leftovers from who knows when), and pouring them into sheet pans. Then Alex practiced his training skills (very important for someone who wants to be promoted, i.e. become management) by teaching Andrea, Andy and me how to make French macarons. He learned yesterday from The Master. Mine were tinted red. Tomorrow we'll fill them.

Silvia and Sara got bonus points (from their classmates, at least) by preparing breakfast: scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese, and fried potatoes. I made pulling sugar twice -- the first time, it apparently did not reach the proper temperature, even though I used a candy thermometer to measure, so that batch had to get dumped. The second batch was fine (I borrowed Anthony's thermometer) but our pulling was interrupted when we had to accompany Chef Alex to the Careme Room. He demonstrated how to plate today's desserts, "a la minute". He doesn't believe (as Chef Lorriann did) in plating in advance (you saw the photos). He has us set up a "live dessert" station where two students make caramel sauce and try not to set stuff on fire, all within full view of the paying customers. I'm breathing a sigh of relief that I won't have to try my hand at it: the pyromanics in the class have filled up the available spots tomorrow and Friday.