Ginger is such a good model
The minimum size is Men's size M - too big for me but Ginger can wear it.
Yesterday morning, I came out of the shower to see THIS!
She was snoring away... she is a strange one!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
More Ginger snaps
Guess who buys so much Nutella which then results in a couple of free T-shirts you can only purchase with a # of proofs of purchase?
Ginger is such a good model
The minimum size is Men's size M - too big for me but Ginger can wear it.
Yesterday morning, I came out of the shower to see THIS!
She was snoring away... she is a strange one!
Ginger is such a good model
The minimum size is Men's size M - too big for me but Ginger can wear it.
Yesterday morning, I came out of the shower to see THIS!
She was snoring away... she is a strange one!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Bordeaux (Blanquefort): Day 3
Our last day in Bordeaux. Raf went running at a park nearby. It was an awesome park where you could fishing. THere were always castle remnants all over the place, caves, geese, duck, muskrats, etc. etc. Unfortunately, we didn't bring our cameras the first day, and everything was blocked off the 2nd. They had this one particular, super cool man-made castle where you could go exploring. There were hidden caves, holes, and paths throughout. Raf and Manny used to play there as a kid.
Anyway, here is Raf after his run. We would have brioche, coffee, and OJ for breakfast every morning. UMMM brioche. J'adore le beurre !
We had to catch the train back to Paris around 1pm. Mami, Papi, and Oncle came with us to the train station where we had some more coffee and hot chocolate. We got back to Paris around 4pm. By this time, I had decided that I wanted to apply to Ferrandi. I just got a great vibe from them so we rushed to the school, backpacks and all to meet up the the Admissions director again. When I got there, she graciously asked one of the chefs to sit down and talk about the program with me. This turned into a 45 minute meeting (poor Raf had to wait outside!). He showed me everything from the curriculum, to recipe worksheets, to their cookbook (the bible as he called it). Everything is in French, however, the courses are taught in English and French (with an English translator). It's funny because even though he was speaking English, he kept saying "Bon, Alors" before he would begin another sentence. HAHA! Anyway, they are very thorough and really care about the students! It was nice. =)
Afterwards, got back to the hotel and settled in. We decided to eat at Chez Julian, a restaurant I found in a book as a very good restaurant that locals go to. It was around the corner close the Derya.
This terrine was EXCELLENT
Salmon - I liked this better than the trout
Trout
Profiteroles - we thought these were okay. Our favorite profiteroles were what we had at Cafe du Commerce.
Overall the food was very good and nicely prepared. Tomorrow we would have to catch a flight back home.
A bientot, Paris !
Anyway, here is Raf after his run. We would have brioche, coffee, and OJ for breakfast every morning. UMMM brioche. J'adore le beurre !
We had to catch the train back to Paris around 1pm. Mami, Papi, and Oncle came with us to the train station where we had some more coffee and hot chocolate. We got back to Paris around 4pm. By this time, I had decided that I wanted to apply to Ferrandi. I just got a great vibe from them so we rushed to the school, backpacks and all to meet up the the Admissions director again. When I got there, she graciously asked one of the chefs to sit down and talk about the program with me. This turned into a 45 minute meeting (poor Raf had to wait outside!). He showed me everything from the curriculum, to recipe worksheets, to their cookbook (the bible as he called it). Everything is in French, however, the courses are taught in English and French (with an English translator). It's funny because even though he was speaking English, he kept saying "Bon, Alors" before he would begin another sentence. HAHA! Anyway, they are very thorough and really care about the students! It was nice. =)
Afterwards, got back to the hotel and settled in. We decided to eat at Chez Julian, a restaurant I found in a book as a very good restaurant that locals go to. It was around the corner close the Derya.
This terrine was EXCELLENT
Salmon - I liked this better than the trout
Trout
Profiteroles - we thought these were okay. Our favorite profiteroles were what we had at Cafe du Commerce.
Overall the food was very good and nicely prepared. Tomorrow we would have to catch a flight back home.
A bientot, Paris !
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Bordeaux (Blanquefort): Day 2
Day 2 begins yet again at Oncle's house EATING.
I think this was smoked Norwegian Trout
Yum
Veal (this is how meat is really cooked)
White beans - really good. I think these are the same beans used in cassoulet.
Artichoke puree
Cheese plate
Papi fell asleep at the table - we all ended up taking pix of him. hahah
Framboise sorbet type of cake
What we all do best - EAT
Ladzi chillen w/ his pops
Hugo - Francoise's doggie
All the animals they had were saved from abusive homes and/or strays. =) Hugo's previous owner broke his nose!! How horrible is that??)
Anyway, our lunch ended around 4-5pm.
Then we started dinner at 8pm - we had raclette again! Our days in Bordeaux always begin with eating and end up eating. =)
I think this was smoked Norwegian Trout
Yum
Veal (this is how meat is really cooked)
White beans - really good. I think these are the same beans used in cassoulet.
Artichoke puree
Cheese plate
Papi fell asleep at the table - we all ended up taking pix of him. hahah
Framboise sorbet type of cake
What we all do best - EAT
Ladzi chillen w/ his pops
Hugo - Francoise's doggie
All the animals they had were saved from abusive homes and/or strays. =) Hugo's previous owner broke his nose!! How horrible is that??)
Anyway, our lunch ended around 4-5pm.
Then we started dinner at 8pm - we had raclette again! Our days in Bordeaux always begin with eating and end up eating. =)
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Bordeaux (Blanquefort): Day 1
This morning we missed our train!!! My alarm was set correctly, however, it was NOT set to go off on weekends. OOPSIES! We woke up just as our train left. We rushed and packed up our things and went off to the train station. We couldn't exchange our tickets - you have to buy new tickets if you miss your train. SUCKS! So we bought a one-way and was off to Bordeaux. After a 3-hour ride on the TGV (I love the TGV!! Mami, Papi, and Oncle came to pick us up.
After we settled in, mami and papi made us a delicious lunch! We had chicken, pasta, marinated trout, baguettes, red wine, and salad.
Papi cutting yummy chicken
This was so yummy! It's trout (I think) in vinegar, oil, fresh thyme, etc. Papi's recipe.
Look at Raf! He looks hapa.
Younger Mami and Papi.
After eating lunch, we hung out at Mami's and Papi's. Then we went to Oncle's house to none other than, EAT AGAIN.
Another foreign stray kitty we saw on our way out their apartment.
Papi and Ladzi(sp), the whippet
Oncle with Isadore, one of their many cats
Raclette (the real deal, and it's good! Not like the really stinky stuff at Trader Joe's)
Ummm Chacuterie!
I need to buy one of these sets. Fun!
I don't know what it is, but I love the potatoes they have in France. They are so good!
I LOVE the little French pickles!
Tante, Cousin Erik, his gf Francoise, Oncle, Papi, Mami, Raf
Oh man, we were completely and utterly beyond STUFFED!!! Tomorrow we were going to eat all day again. Welcome to Blanquefort!
After we settled in, mami and papi made us a delicious lunch! We had chicken, pasta, marinated trout, baguettes, red wine, and salad.
Papi cutting yummy chicken
This was so yummy! It's trout (I think) in vinegar, oil, fresh thyme, etc. Papi's recipe.
Look at Raf! He looks hapa.
Younger Mami and Papi.
After eating lunch, we hung out at Mami's and Papi's. Then we went to Oncle's house to none other than, EAT AGAIN.
Another foreign stray kitty we saw on our way out their apartment.
Papi and Ladzi(sp), the whippet
Oncle with Isadore, one of their many cats
Raclette (the real deal, and it's good! Not like the really stinky stuff at Trader Joe's)
Ummm Chacuterie!
I need to buy one of these sets. Fun!
I don't know what it is, but I love the potatoes they have in France. They are so good!
I LOVE the little French pickles!
Tante, Cousin Erik, his gf Francoise, Oncle, Papi, Mami, Raf
Oh man, we were completely and utterly beyond STUFFED!!! Tomorrow we were going to eat all day again. Welcome to Blanquefort!
Friday, March 23, 2007
School #3: Lenôtre Paris
Today we went to check out Lenôtre Paris... but it was NOT in Paris, but in Plaisir Cedex (super duper suburbia). We had to take the subway, then the RER, then a bus to the school. It was cold and rainy - the day I decided to not wear socks with my new shoes which weren't broken in yet and hurt my feet. It took us a lot longer to get there - something like 2+ hours! We were cold and wet in the rain that we forgot to take pictures of the outside. Well, we forgot to take pix of the other schools as well. I think I was too nervous or worried or something.
When we arrived, we actually bumped into the same Taiwanese cook that was touring Ferrandi. ahahah! He actually was a cook in a French restaurant in Taiwan with 6 years experience, however, he had only been studying French for 6 months, and doesn't speak English. Anyway, we were about an hour late again so we missed the tour. The original admissions rep that was supposed to take us around had someone else take us for a quick tour.
Test time
I ate one of these... citrus custard tarte. We were welcome to just pick pastries/croissants off the trays and eat them.
Sucre!
Presentation for plated desserts - the ice-cream is actually butter (so it won't melt)
Overall, Lenôtre has been mainly noted for their pastry programs. They do cuisine, however, I just felt that there was too much emphasis on pastry. Most of the courses they offer are in pastry as well. Plus one of the admissions reps was impatient and seemed like she didn't want to help or answer questions - I wouldn't want to deal with her if I attended.
After the tour, we left and ended up on the wrong bus. We were on there for a long time - like 30+ minutes! So the bus driver was like "you have to pay twice since you haven't gotten off yet!" He told us he was taking us to the train station but got confused on which one. He ended up dropping us off at the correct bus stop to wait for the next one. In total, we probably wasted about 1.5 hours in the freezing cold/rain, at the bus stop, and on the bus. It was such a bitch to get back to Paris. The buses come either every hour or every 20-30 minutes. At the RER station, we were confused on which train to take, but ended up on another local train (not the RER) that finally got us to Montparnesse. Ughhhh what a hassle! That made me not want to go to Lenôtre ever! hahaha.
Montparnesse where I almost fell on these rolling balls attached to the moving floors (don't know what it's called)
In Saint Michel going to boulengerie we used to frequent a lot when we stayed at Timo's. We bought flan, croissant, and a tarte de framboise for breakfast the next day.
Mais non, Monsieur ! C'est jeudi, aujord'hui ! (Inside joke)
On our way back to the hotel. Yay, peaceful riot! Someone was holding a sign saying that a certain mayor candidate is just like BUSH. HAHAH!
Outside our hotel
We went back home, warmed up, and settled in a bit. The district where we were staying was known for some great Turkish and North African restaurants. Earlier I emailed L'Erhan on some good Turkish restaurants. Turns out he knew a few that were literally around the corner. Awesome!
Derya - Kurdish/Turkish restaurant
Turkish beer
Mercimek? Turkish lentil soup - GOOD!
Adana Kebab (I think)
I always have to order Turkish rice pudding
Ummm... Turkish tea... or Chai hehe
This place was yummy! There is actually a Turkish restaurant that L'Erhan brought us to in Menlo Park back home. That one is hella good too, pretty comparable, but the one in Menlo Park has other dishes that Derya unfortunately didn't serve (like "Turkish pizzas" - don't know the name)
And of course, a foreign stray kitty
Mini-arc
Long, cold, and rainy day. Was fun though - time to catch another train to Bordeaux tomorrow!
When we arrived, we actually bumped into the same Taiwanese cook that was touring Ferrandi. ahahah! He actually was a cook in a French restaurant in Taiwan with 6 years experience, however, he had only been studying French for 6 months, and doesn't speak English. Anyway, we were about an hour late again so we missed the tour. The original admissions rep that was supposed to take us around had someone else take us for a quick tour.
Test time
I ate one of these... citrus custard tarte. We were welcome to just pick pastries/croissants off the trays and eat them.
Sucre!
Presentation for plated desserts - the ice-cream is actually butter (so it won't melt)
Overall, Lenôtre has been mainly noted for their pastry programs. They do cuisine, however, I just felt that there was too much emphasis on pastry. Most of the courses they offer are in pastry as well. Plus one of the admissions reps was impatient and seemed like she didn't want to help or answer questions - I wouldn't want to deal with her if I attended.
After the tour, we left and ended up on the wrong bus. We were on there for a long time - like 30+ minutes! So the bus driver was like "you have to pay twice since you haven't gotten off yet!" He told us he was taking us to the train station but got confused on which one. He ended up dropping us off at the correct bus stop to wait for the next one. In total, we probably wasted about 1.5 hours in the freezing cold/rain, at the bus stop, and on the bus. It was such a bitch to get back to Paris. The buses come either every hour or every 20-30 minutes. At the RER station, we were confused on which train to take, but ended up on another local train (not the RER) that finally got us to Montparnesse. Ughhhh what a hassle! That made me not want to go to Lenôtre ever! hahaha.
Montparnesse where I almost fell on these rolling balls attached to the moving floors (don't know what it's called)
In Saint Michel going to boulengerie we used to frequent a lot when we stayed at Timo's. We bought flan, croissant, and a tarte de framboise for breakfast the next day.
Mais non, Monsieur ! C'est jeudi, aujord'hui ! (Inside joke)
On our way back to the hotel. Yay, peaceful riot! Someone was holding a sign saying that a certain mayor candidate is just like BUSH. HAHAH!
Outside our hotel
We went back home, warmed up, and settled in a bit. The district where we were staying was known for some great Turkish and North African restaurants. Earlier I emailed L'Erhan on some good Turkish restaurants. Turns out he knew a few that were literally around the corner. Awesome!
Derya - Kurdish/Turkish restaurant
Turkish beer
Mercimek? Turkish lentil soup - GOOD!
Adana Kebab (I think)
I always have to order Turkish rice pudding
Ummm... Turkish tea... or Chai hehe
This place was yummy! There is actually a Turkish restaurant that L'Erhan brought us to in Menlo Park back home. That one is hella good too, pretty comparable, but the one in Menlo Park has other dishes that Derya unfortunately didn't serve (like "Turkish pizzas" - don't know the name)
And of course, a foreign stray kitty
Mini-arc
Long, cold, and rainy day. Was fun though - time to catch another train to Bordeaux tomorrow!
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