The Past Couple Of Weeks

I haven’t written for a while because my days went into some sort of a routine. And still I’m being switched from one place to another pretty often. Most of the time these couple of weeks I’ve been working in “etc…” but whenever I’m needed I am sent back to Ledoyen. Things have gotten better in etc. In the first few days I didn’t feel in place, I wasn’t feeling part of the group and did just these annoying little tasks. Little by little I started helping more like doing the sauces for the pipettes and working confidently in a better known surroundings. While lunch service, I’m helping with whatever is needed in the garde manger station like seasoning, plating. I do feel like they trust me more. I’m still only really helping in the patisserie and garde manger (first courses) stations and not the meat and fish. Some days there are annoying things to be done, like the day when all the salads (types of lettuce) are delivered, cleaning, drying and weed them all out is not fun. Or the very ridiculous mini little shrimp package to decorticate.

They are very nice at etc. the chef is very funny, makes a lot of jokes (which I don’t get) and the atmosphere is very pleasant and positive. Still I don’t feel comfortable to take pictures I guess because it reflects laziness and the kitchen is small so everyone is always together in the same room, unlike Ledoyen where everything’s bigger. I still not asked to help in the dinner service which gives me plenty of free time to relax, see friends, cook to myself and rest.

What I rather like about this situation is the ability to getting to understand how every place is functioning differently, relativity to its size. There’re so many little tricks that are used and can be adopted. I know this is not proper “cooking” abilities I’m learning but it’s also very interesting and luckily I have the luxury of going around 4 kitchens by now (and two more planned in the next three months), looking around, seeing how they work and function in the different times of the day, learn neat little tricks.

I haven’t any pictures so you’ll have to imagine the dishes I was taking part of lately:

– Guacamole, crab salad, consome of langustine.

– Tartare of dorade (sea bream), turnip jelly, radish and turnip flowers, dried sea weed, dots of apple-rocket, yuzu-honey and beet.

– Asparagus, caramelized grapefruit, basil oil and confit of blood orange peels with espoma of mayonnaise.

–   Eggplant “caviar”, bouillon of cepes mushrooms, raw champignon remolade salad with lemon and lime, parsley and shredded crispy chicken skin.

– Shrimp with a basil leaf wrapped in a “pate a brick” dough deep-fried served with a salad and thai sauce.

– Rabit “press” with foie gras and lentils salad

That’s it for now, the pictures I will add are from the two days I was working back in the banquette of Ledoyen, because there I did take some pictures.

 Last words: I officially finished 3 whole months of internship, exactly half way with three more months to go. Last Friday after the event with this lobster was finally over around 23:45, we celebrated two girls finishing their stage in the gastro kitchen. They were honored with an impressive food fight to the face, including seasoning with olive oil, butter and some fluer de sel. Then all the siphons from the dinner service were released in their hair. In the end there was something to do with a chase and a very pink beet juice that stained the whole floor of the dressing rooms. “In three months, it’s gonna be you Mashav” I was told. Looking forward to this food fight actually. My plan (which still have to be confirmed with my chefs) is to finish one or two more weeks in etc and the reception kitchen, then head for the patisserie for 4 more weeks, then finish with 7-8 weeks in the gastro kitchen (working 8-midnight every day!). My chef said: lets finish today and then we’ll see.