Monday, 3/23/10 – Mousses and Soufflés

And so it is done. As quickly as it began, our pastry lessons have ended. Gone are the days of uninhibited sugar experimentation and excusable mis-measurements. We’ve done each classic French pastry recipe once, and will now inevitably be expected to have them not only memorized but perfected enough to complete on a whim in front of accomplished chefs at a certain Level 3 practical exam. I’m understandably nervous to leave the comforts of pastry, the safety net of flour and sugar, only to get dumped right back into savory food, which we have not practiced for what seems like forever. I am, however, very ready to get back to fulfilling my passion. To add to the excitement, we’re actually starting a 3-part series on nutrition, during which half the class will be spent in lecture and the other half will be spent cooking. I took a peek at our first recipe for Wednesday and, in true French style, it’s a seemingly simple fish fillet on a bed of lentils yet the ingredient list took an entire (front and back) 4x6 note card. Welcome home.

We were able to enjoy our last pastry day in style, celebrating with three delicious soufflés – chocolate, cheese and liquor. Soufflés are very tricky, as the delicately whipped mixture deflates almost immediately after leaving the hot oven. It didn’t help, either, that we were using metal disposable ramekins (no insulation), allowing us about 45 seconds (maximum!) before the tops started to sag and collapse. We ate so many desserts in one night, I found myself actually turning down delicacies. I was like a new dieter at a McDonald’s….the pressure was too hard to handle. They were forcing the desserts on me, those evil dessert fairies, enticing me left and right. Eat this frozen fruit soufflé. Some more pistachio crème anglaise? You look like you need a heap of chocolate mousse. Unbelievable.

Speaking of chocolate mousse…I am at a loss for words as I attempt to describe the chocolate mousse borne of my delicate, pale hands last night at around 9:32pm. Two angels paid me a visit last night, one posted on either side, their wings tickling my shoulder as they guided my arms and wrists to whip the egg whites to a stiff peak. They were there, tending the gourmet chocolate as it melted gently on the double boiler. They even kept the cream cold with their heavenly gaze as I struggled to turn it into whipped cream by using pure strength and determination. And when I faltered, my muscles too tired to continue, they picked me up off the tile floor, brushed off the week-old bread crumbs and whispered, “You’re almost there! You can do it, just a bit more.” The end product was nothing short of ethereal – a light, fluffy and semi-sweet pillow of chocolaty goodness. In my true shameless style, I “volunteered” to take home chef’s mousse as well, and brought home a quart (A QUART) of the most amazingly delicious chocolate mousse I’ve ever tasted. Steven and I plan to put it all in a big bowl and dip our faces directly into the chocolatey sweetness.

In honor of the pleasurable yet intense pastry course, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the many recipes we completed over the last few weeks, projected slowly onto the screen to Don Henley’s “Taking You Home:”

Bande de Tarte aux Fruits

Bavarois a la Crème Anglaise

Beignets aux Pommes, Coulis de Fruit

Beignets Souffles a l’Orange

Biscuits a la Cuillere

Charlotte

Choux a la Crème Chantilly

Crème Anglaise

Crème au Beurre

Crème Patissiere

Crème Renversee

Crepes au Jambon et aux Champignons

Crepes Suzette

Eclairs

Glace a la Vanille

La Genoise

Meringue Chantilly

Mousse au Chocolat

Pate a Choux

Pate Brisee

Pate Feuilletee

Pate Sucree

Quiche Lorraine

Sorbet au Pamplemousse

Soufflé a la Liqueur

Soufflé au Chocolat

Soufflé au Fromage

Soufflé aux Fruits

Soufflé Glace aux Fruits

Tarte a l’Oignon

Tarte aux Poires a la Frangipane

Tarte aux Pommes

Phew! It’s definitely been busy. As we tuck ourselves back into the routine of savory food, the subject for which we all initially enrolled in school, I can’t help but feel a bit of excitement for the next chapter. It’s about to get real.