I had great intentions, and I tried really, really hard, but updates on the fun I've been having at FCI have really fallen behind. Like really behind! I'm not entirely sure how this happened and where the time has gone. Even when I was a couple weeks behind on my updates, catching up seemed so manageable. My updates are months behind, and don't feel quite so manageable anymore. In all honesty, I should admit that as the lapse in my updates grew wider and wider, the task of cathing up grew equally as daunting, and I started procrastinating just a little.
Good news....I'm bring you up to speed right on the remainder of Level 1 and a very quick recap of Level 2.
In my last update, I told you about my fun with filleting fish. From there we moved on to shellfish.....my nemesis.
Most of my classmates were thrilled to be cooking up shrimp & lobster. But with a serious allergy to crustaceans, I didn't quite share in their enthusiasm.
We quartered chickens (a skill, I'm happy to report, at which I've gotten much faster), and made two of my favorite chicken dishes - Poulet Saute Chasseur and Poulet Roti Grand-Mere.
It was hard to pick a favorite dish from Level 1, but one that still stands out in my mind is Roast Quail with Sausage and Rice Stuffing.
We worked with pork and beef and veal and lamb (yum!). We roasted, sauteed, briased, boiled and seared.
Level 2 picked up right where we left off. One of our first dishes was a Navarin, a delicious, traditional lamb stew, full of tourneed spring vegetables.
I can't to cook this up at home come springtime!
We worked our way through game meats, like vension and rabbit.
I've always said I'll try anything at least twice, and I firmly stand by that. Well, that was put to the test the night we work with organ meats. There was liver and sweetbreads and kidneys and tongue. I've never tasted or worked with any type of organ meat before. I felt curious & adventurous, yet timid and a little unsure all at the same time. I don't know if this is something I'll be making at home anytime soon, but I'm certainly open to eating each of these items again.
After a few weeks we moved on to the section of our cirriculum that I'd been looking forward to since the beginning of the program....pastry and desserts. Yum!
In my last update, I told you about my fun with filleting fish. From there we moved on to shellfish.....my nemesis.
Most of my classmates were thrilled to be cooking up shrimp & lobster. But with a serious allergy to crustaceans, I didn't quite share in their enthusiasm.
Making Sauce Americaine
We quartered chickens (a skill, I'm happy to report, at which I've gotten much faster), and made two of my favorite chicken dishes - Poulet Saute Chasseur and Poulet Roti Grand-Mere.
It was hard to pick a favorite dish from Level 1, but one that still stands out in my mind is Roast Quail with Sausage and Rice Stuffing.
We worked with pork and beef and veal and lamb (yum!). We roasted, sauteed, briased, boiled and seared.
Braised Lamb Shank
Level 2 picked up right where we left off. One of our first dishes was a Navarin, a delicious, traditional lamb stew, full of tourneed spring vegetables.
I can't to cook this up at home come springtime!
Navarin Printanier
We worked our way through game meats, like vension and rabbit.
I've always said I'll try anything at least twice, and I firmly stand by that. Well, that was put to the test the night we work with organ meats. There was liver and sweetbreads and kidneys and tongue. I've never tasted or worked with any type of organ meat before. I felt curious & adventurous, yet timid and a little unsure all at the same time. I don't know if this is something I'll be making at home anytime soon, but I'm certainly open to eating each of these items again.
After a few weeks we moved on to the section of our cirriculum that I'd been looking forward to since the beginning of the program....pastry and desserts. Yum!
Tarte au Pommes
Throughout most of Level 2, I forgot about my camera tucked away in my pocket, and instead was more focused on sampling everything my classmates and I were making. But with dessert like sorbet, ice cream, chocolate mousse, souffle, pate a choux, genoise and a puff pastry fruit tart, can you really blame me...
The lamb cutlet and the apple tart look divine! I love your posts about culinary school - so inspiring!
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