Sometimes an experience really is the best gift. Yesterday I almost felt as if I had been transported to France for three hours of instruction and practical cooking under the tutelage of a French Chef. Playing really. A vacation of sorts. It was a joy to work with top of the line ingredients as Chef Meret explained how he smokes all his own bacon and salmon for the classes. His strong, difficult to understand French accent (much more refined than Canadian french) made the experience more authentic. He was both engaging and humerous. Certainly not the anger and angst that comes across on Master Chef or Cake Boss. It was more like Ratatouille. I love that movie. The main message of that digitally animated movie was that ‘anyone can cook’. If a rat can cook, I certainly can.
The moment we arrived we were handed our own souvenir apron and a mimosa which, in this case, was sparkling wine, mandarin juice and triple sec. We arrived just in time to observe Chef Meret demonstrating how to pipe meringues onto parchment for the pavlova’s we would be enjoying later in the class. Naturally, he made it look like a kindergarten project. I’ve made macarons and meringues before, I know its not quite that simple. Next he showed off his pastry making skills with tips for making individual savory pastry shells for the Onion and Bacon tart we would soon be tasting. He showed us exactly how he had prepared anything he had made ahead of time, due to time constraints in the class. Next he walked us through each process, by actually doing it, for each menu item we would be making. Onion & bacon tart served underneath an endive & sweet pea (not the flower) salad drizzled with Asparagus vinaigrette. Followed by a Duo of Salmon benedict. The duo was fresh salmon and smoked salmon combined. This was served over a Pomme Paillasson (Paillasson means ‘mat’, as in mat for your shoes) smothered in white Tarragon Butter sauce. Dessert was Macerated berries (basically cooked black berries with black pepper) who knew? served with Lemon thyme ice-cream (which he also demonstrated and made in the class) on a cookie size meringue (all this translates to mini pavlova). Finished off with Peach Clafouti. They looked tiny souffle’s when we took them out of the oven. Did I mention the wine pairings? This added a certain… what do the french call it?….je-ne-sais-quoi to the entire experience.
I collaborated with my daughter, Lexie, in the class. She made the Pomme Paillasson while I made the Onion and Bacon tart. I made the Endive and Sweet Pea salad while she made the duo of Salmon benedict. I did all the chopping as is evidenced by the two fingernails that I chopped off trying to imitate Chef Meret’s professional knife skills. He showed us how to chop fast and fine with your eyes closed and never a nick to the fingers. I’ll have to work on that. Lexie and I are currently on the lookout for a wire egg basket with a handle (just like Chef Meret’s) since we found out that eggs are not to be refrigerated. Frees up more space in the fridge for items that do. We gleaned many food preparation tips that will aid us in all of our kitchen encounters not just the recipes we made in class. Chef Meret was a wealth of information and skill. I imagined he was a tour guide. I pretended I was in France. We also pretended we on the cooking channel. It was all so much fun.
I was once again reminded, how much I adore working in the kitchen. I love taking fresh, quality food and creatively working in into something that is heaven to the palate. In past years, as I shopped for groceries, I tended to purchase whatever was on sale. Canned, frozen, boxed, prepared…whatever made life easy and was tradition and affordable. Now that the littles are bigs and I have more time and have been blessed with an amazing new kitchen and island, not to mention outfitting my kitchen with top of the line Pampered Chef kitchen products, cooking and baking is such a delight. Its cathartic. Cooking and baking appeals to my creative sensibilities. Making food and serving it to those I love, be it family or friends, is my happy place. Truly. Cooking is a practiced skill, no doubt, but if you can read and listen, you can cook. The final product has everything to do with what you start out with. It is not hard work. It’s a joy!
I love the the idea of not just stuffing any old crap down my throat for instant gratification and subsequent regret. I’d far rather enjoy the preparation process and anticipation of savouring every morsel of a joyfully and meticulously prepared feast. For the French, eating is an event to take time for. They don’t just scarf down a hamburger and fries in the car at a red light.
Apparently, this establishment started out as a company that provided all-inclusive, luxury culinary tours to southwestern France and they still offer tours. Hello? I’m on that plane. I just have to secure a job to pay for the tour and then try to talk my new employer into letting me have a month off to engage in this gastronomical tour of France. Actually its only for a week but if I’m over there I may as well stay and revisit Paris. Bucket list.
The Red Plaid Apron 