Yes, chef. Oui, chef.

Disclaimer: The cake in the picture is made by my chef, not me. Although mine did look remarkably similar to that one, except it was circular.




There are a couple things that have made this term different than my last one--some more obvious than others. In terms of the dishes we've been making, this term I actually like them. This can be viewed in a positive and negative light. Negative obviously being that I have no control over eating the cake or whatever it may be when I bring it home. But the positive is not only that I get to enjoy it. I've realized that when it's a dish that I am really excited about, I really put in a lot of effort to get it right. For example, the other day we made a triple chocolate mousse cake. It was basically a sponge cake base, with a layer of dark chocolate mousse, then a layer of milk chocolate mousse, and then white chocolate. You then top it off with a shiny layer of dark chocolate glaze, and use white chocolate to pipe a nice design on it. (I can just hear some of you salivating...oh right, it's just me.) Anyway, everything was going fine, the mousse was pouring in smoothly, until the glaze. It's important to have the glaze at the right consistency and temperature so that it pours on in a smooth, thin layer. I asked the chef if the consistency was right, and he said yes, but as I poured it with him watching, it was evident that the layer was a little thick and clumpy. Apparently my consistency was fine, but the temperature was too cold. I was so mad about it! But then when the cake was taken out of the ring, turned out my layers of mousse were perfect! Each layer was the same thickness all around. To me, it seemed obvious that you would get your mousse to the right temperature so it pours in and levels itself off, but some people had their mousse too thick so they actually had to spread it in the pan, meaning some sides were higher than others. To rectify the uneven glaze, I used my piping to make the top busy looking to detract from the unevenness of the layer.

Second thing that's different is that I'm a lot more comfortable in the kitchen now than I was last term. I remember that in London, a 3 hour class would barely be enough time to finish whatever it is we were assigned. In Paris, I've usually been relaxedly getting the job done, without feeling like an absolute wreck. It's hard to believe for me, but I guess it's just that I've learned so much that I'm finally comfortable in the kitchen.

Then clearly, there's the obvious difference of language. Instead of saying, "Yes, chef!", we say "Oui, chef!" Speaking of which, my last post about Gordon Ramsay got me thinking of why people found him to be a complete jerk. Other than the obvious rudeness, I think it really bothers people that he makes everyone respond to him by saying, "Yes, chef!" It makes people wonder, "Who the hell does he think he is?" that everyone has to defer to him and blindly yell "Yes, chef!" to whatever his ridiculous orders are. But us students do it all the time in school. When the chef gives directions, in unison we yell, "Oui, chef!" If we don't respond, he'll say it himself, "Oui, chef?", to remind us to say it. It's just a sign of respect that has become not only a tradition but imperative in designating hierarchy and a chef's importance and position in a kitchen. My respect and awe of chefs has really made me come to appreciate this military-like chain of command.