Busy!

Okay, so seriously long week. Every day this past week I was in class past 10pm, however, this also meant I had a very exciting week too!

As I mentioned last week, Saturday was an event put on by the school in which we dined at Le Café, in the National Art Center and then proceeded through Major’s Hill Park to see the tulip festival which was on our way to the National Gallery of Canada, and the weather held out! Dining at Le Café was great. We had a meal based around traditional First Nations cuisine.

 

Menu

 

 

Delicious bread!!

 

I also ordered this fabulous martini that the waiter recommended for me. I can't remember the name of it but it was this very elegant pear and ginger martini. So good.

 

For an appetizer, we had a choice between fresh and smoked fish chowder with brioche crostinis or smoked duck breast with cracked juniper aioli, rye crisps, and sprouts.

 

Smoked Fish Chowder

 

 

Smoked Duck Breast

 

I was unsure about the fish chowder as soups are a bit hit and miss with my taste buds, but I've never had duck breast either, it was definitely a toss up. I ultimately chose the duck breast, which was a little too fatty for my liking but quite good nonetheless. Emily had the fish chowder so we did a swap and tried each others. Definitely should have gone for the chowder...really good!

 

Our main course was a choice between venison loin with a toasted juniper and mustard seed crust, sweet potato corn bread, port and loganberry jus or seared arctic char with birch and chili gastrique, wilted greens, sunchoke puree, salmonberry and shallot relish or grilled cranberry bannock with spicy tomato and dill chutney and wild mushrooms.

 

 

 

Venison Loin

 

 

Seared Arctic Char

 

Sorry, no picture of the bannock but I do have a lovely picture of Emily eating her venison

 

I think as most people know, there is no way I  was going to have the venison. No Bambi for me thanks! I also really don't like bannock. I've tried it on numerous occasions but have just never acquired the taste for it. I, therefore, decided on the arctic char which was quite good. I actually really enjoyed it but the sunchoke puree I wasn't entirely sure about.

 

Next up, dessert! The best part of the whole meal. Crème brûlée with citrus shortbread or apples n' pears warm apple financier cake with gingered pear sorbet cardamom anglaise and blackberry paint.

 

 

 

 Crème Brûlée

 

Apples n' Pears Warm Apple Financier Cake

 

 

I absolutely love crème brûlée but I've had it so often that I thought I'd try something different. I went with the apples n' pears cake. Mistake. Although the cake was good, the crème brûlée was just that much better. I really wish I had gone with that. Oh well, better luck next time I guess.

 

 

 

Hannah, Charlie and Sabrina

 

 

Ana, Myself and Emily

 

 

After the lovely lunch we had we took a walk to Major's Hill Park to see the tulips. We weren't sure what kind of shape the tulips would be in since we had quite the rain storm the night before. The tulips certainly didn't disappoint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants!

 

 

 

 

Le Cordon Bleu Students

 

 

We then made our way over to the National Gallery of Canada to see the Inuit art exhibit. I appreciate many works of art and there were some beautiful stone carvings there. It's really hard to believe that they could carve such intricate things into stone. The detail was impeccable! What I really enjoyed, however, was going to the European art section and getting to see works by Monet (my favourite artist), Degas, Rembrandt, Durer. I'm fascinated by these works of art. I don't have any pictures because, of course, it's a museum and you're not allowed to take photos but that just means you should go see it yourself! Maybe some of you should come visit me...

 

I did get a photo of the most photographed object in Ottawa though. It's not the Parliament buildings.

 

 

 

It's a gigantic spider called Maman or Mother

 

 

 

Hannah - spinning around one of the legs

 

 

Looking very cute, Emily

 

I'm not sure why this spider is the most photographed object in Ottawa because personally, I think it's just plain creepy, but it was created by the artist Louise Bourgeois. According to Wikipedia it measures over 30 ft. high and over 33 ft. wide, with a sac containing 26 marble eggs and it "alludes to the strength of Bourgeois' mother, with metaphors of spinning, weaving, nurture and protection."

 

So after our day with Le Cordon Bleu we were left to our own devices and went looking for some trouble. Don't worry mum! Not really. Five of us went through the Byward Market to poke around and saw some neat little vendors. Emily was most interested in the dream catchers and beaver tails.

 

 

 

 

We then found ourselves over at the Heart and Crown for some well deserved beer and appies.

 

 

And found some really neat places while we were looking for another place to have some drinks. We decided on this bar called Pier 21. It had a live band and a really great atmosphere.

 

And to sum up our day nicely, I have a photo collage courtesy of Ana.

 

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Awesome day! Thanks girls!

 

So our first day back to class was on Monday and we started with a demo on products made with brioche dough.

 

                                                                                         1. Brioche Tetes - small brioche

                                                                                         2. Nantere Brioche - loaf

                                                                                         3. Couronne - which means crown

                                                                                         4. Fruit Brioche

                                                                                         5. Tresse - braided bread

                                                                                         6. Croissant

                                                                                         7. Pain au Lait

                                                                                         8. Pain au Chocolat

                                                                                         9. Pain aux Raisins

                                                                                         10. Danishes

 

I felt bad for Chef, this was a lot to do in three hours. In order for us to have a proper demo, he has to make all of these by hand.

 

 

Couronne and Nanterre Brioche

 

Brioche Tetes

 

Croissants, Pain au Chocolat and Pain aux Raisin

 

 

Danishes

 

 

Everything was so good! I had to try a few. Our practical went fairly well. I gave all of my food away to my land lady. She was thrilled, as usual. I'm just glad I can get rid of it and make someone else happy at the same time.

 

 

 

Mini Croissants, Nanterre Brioche and Brioche Tetes

 

 

Tresse (Braided Bread), Mini Croissants and Pain aux Raisin

 

Pain au Chocolat and Pain aux Raisin

 

 

 

 

 

My lovely creations

 

 

And Emily with hers

 

 

Next day, we had a demo on products made with our "flaky dough." Or puff pastry to others. We spent two days making our own flaky dough. It was definitely a work of love (and hate). Flaky dough is not easy to make. It's layers of dough and butter together and you have to roll it out, fold it, roll it out, fold it and put it back in the fridge so the butter doesn't get too soft. Then you do this all over again, and again, and again. It's really quite a pain. It is rewarding at the end though, when you can say, "Yup, I made my own flaky dough...by scratch!"

 

Our demo was on:

 

                                                                                 1. Pithivier - an enclosed pie with almond cream

                                                                                 2. Galette

                                                                                 3. Chausson au Pommes - apple turnovers

                                                                                 4. Bichon - turnover with lemon curd inside

                                                                                 5. Palmier

                                                                                 6. Feullentines

                                                                                 7. Millfeuille/Napolean

 

 

These were really amazing. There is a lot of detail that goes in to making these products. I was truly impressed. I really apologize for the quality of these next photos. I somehow forgot the memory card in my camera so I had to use my phone to take these photos. Also, Chef was running out of time so I didn't get a picture of everything.

 

 

 

Chausson au Pommes - Apple turnovers

 

 

Bichon

 

 

Palmiers

 

 

Millfeuille/Napolean

 

 

Pithivier

 

 

Galette

 

 

We had to make the apple turnovers, pithivier and if we had time, the palmiers. I got them all done, but I don't think they turned out very well. Chef said mine were pretty good but I had a problem with my stove when I was making the apple compote for the turnovers. Chef actually told me not to use that stove anymore because it was heating up way too quickly. I was making the dry caramel on the stove (it was on low) and it started getting really dark, really fast. Chef said it wasn't burnt it would just make a really nice dark flavour. I tried one of the turnovers later and I thought it tasted rather bitter. After tasting Emily's I definitely thought mine were too much on the bitter side for my liking. Chef also mentioned that I cut the design in my pithivier a little too deeply, but overall it wasn't too bad.

 

 

 

     Chausson au Pommes - Apple turnovers

 

 

 

Pithivier

 



 

 

 Palmiers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to hurry and have a shower and head over to Emily's to do some practicing before class today. I have class until 10pm again tonight but will try to finish updating last weeks adventures tonight or tomorrow morning. I know people have been getting anxious for me to update, so hopefully this will satisfy everyone until tomorrow! Miss you guys! xo