After a quick nap, I woke up feeling really really sick. Like during my first trip to Europe where I felt so nauseous and couldn't eat anything but crackers sick! Ahhhhhhh, shitty thing too because we were having a tasting menu tonight at Chef Nicolas Magie's restaurant - La Cape.
But luckily for me, I took it slow and was able to taste everything, and eat the two main plates. I felt way better after eating a bit.
Not eggs, yellow peppers !
This was made with parmesan and cream. Really good.
Foie gras with lobster in the middle, and vinaigre reduction
This was an oyster dish with salicornes. I don't like oysters but the garnish was delicious!
Ummmmm le poisson !
Poulet de Bresse with truffles in the middle, and morilles. F'in delicious
This was interesting... beets, goat cheese ice-cream, goat cheese mousse, and lemon meringue
Dessert! This was like a butter cake/cookie with a delicious coriandre (cilantro) ice-cream which was quite delicious.
Mignairdaise - sponge cake with fruits and cream
Really excellent meal. My favorites were the fish and chicken dishes. I wasn't feeling too nauseous anymore, thank goodness. I was able to enjoy almost everything.
La Cape Cenon* Executive Chef: Nicolas Magie 9, Allée Morlette 33150 Cenon, France 05 57 80 24 25
After a nice, long, and delicious meal, we went to a bar to grab a drink.
Didn't get crazy this night. Got a long day tomorrow.
This morning, Raf's uncle, mamy and papy dropped me off at the hotel to meet up with the chefs and my classmates. They packed me a bunch of little snacks to share with my friends, how cute is that? I came about an hour early so I sat at the café next to the hotel and had an OJ.
Chef Stéphane came to pick me up, and off we went to St. Emilion. I had already been there before so I didn't take many photos. We took the same English tour that I took last time. Check out my last trip.
After the tour, we went to eat lunch at L'Envers du Décor. It was simple and fresh food - very delicious.
Look at the chef wearing a t-shirt instead of a veste.
Our "amuse bouche" - lil sammiches
I really enjoyed this dish - fresh, crispy romaine lettuce, pepper stuffed with cheese, and fried shrimp. ummmmm
Goose ! Andrew helped me finish this one.
Dessert! Rich, velvety chocolate
Un express to finish the meal with the special macaroons made at St. Emilion and a cannelé
L'Envers du Décor 11, rue du Clocher 33330 Saint-Emilion 05 57 74 48 31
Afterwards, we walked around for a bit - a bunch of us bought "wine salt." They had different wine salts like cabernet and merlot. Pretty neat. Then we took a small sieste on the grass. It was really nice weather and very clean.
ZzzZzz =)
We drove back to our hotel and then took a walking tour of Bordeaux.
Les Chefs. We were specifically told not to wear flip-flops. NO FLIP-FLOPS, Anglos! But of course, Chef Stéphane wore them. Such a Chef Stéphane thing to do. ahhaah
Me, Chef, and Brian listening intently
Felipe "secretly" took this photo of Chris with my camera. HAH!
Bang-me !
Oh my god, then out of nowhere there was a torrential downpour! Here is Eldar blowing away in the wind.
We all got separated because we were running from one area that had some shelter to another.
Look! Chris hiding on the left. Felipe and Eldar on the right... and chef walking away leaving all of his former pupils to fend for ourselves. HAHAHA just kidding.
It was actually really fun and funny! I have never had to do that before. It wasn't cold either. The one time I leave my umbrella in Paris... where it rains a lot!
We were finally able to regroup somewhat. The other half of the group was long gone by then. F'in good times!
We ran all the way back to the hotel after that. We had a wine tasting to do at a wine bar right across the street from our hotel. Poor Jessica was wearing a white shirt. Andrew gave her his shirt to cover up. lol.
hahahah Classy! Loves it !
I quite enjoyed our little adventures today.
Bar à Vins 3, Cours du XXX Juillet 33075 Bordeaux, France 05 56 00 43 47
Now off to nap and get ready for dinner at La Cape! Nicolas Magie's restaurant.
This morning, I went for a run. Then I came back to this:
I really enjoy having breakfast here. They always have a stash of this butter pound cake which is called brioche, but it's really not brioche. Originally a type of cake from Brittany. And they always set everything up like this - coffee, tea, fruit, plain yogurt with confiture. Remember this?And this? Loves it!
I ate a lot for breakfast thinking it was only 10h30 or something. Well, by the time I finished eating, it was around 11h50. I'm thinking, shit! Lunch is at 12h30, and the Donnays really take their meals seriously. I mean like 5 bottles of wine and 5 hours later seriously.
When we arrived (I got to drive - it's been months), it was l'apéro time. They busted out the whisky and Ricard, and the snacks on the table. I told them I couldn't drink that much because "Je deviendrai burer très vite." Translation: I will become "fall on your ass piss drunk" really fast. They were quite entertained that I knew the word burer, and jokingly said that was great French to know. I have to give credit to my chef for that. Thanks, Chef !
After l'apéro, we started "lunch."
Delicious tuna flan and purée de poireaux (leeks)
After, we took a little break and went outside.
Raf's uncle naturally grows cèpes (a type of mushroom) in their backyard. How cool is that? Wasn't the season though so we didn't find any.
Then we had gigot d'agneau (leg of lamb) with farce made with ham. Here is Raf's cousin, Jean-Charles serving.
Smile !
It was also his birthday. Bon Anniversaire !
By the time we finished all the food, apéros, wine, champagne, and coffee, it was already around 18h00! We left around 19h00, went home, and showed Mami and Papi my blog. We also skyped a few people. Haha, mami and papi are like 95 years old and have Wifi and Skype. It's awesome.
This trip has been great just like the previous trips, but this time I can actually speak some French. I find it easier to understand Raf's family because they enunciate more and don't speak as fast as some Parisians. Conversations with Mami and Papi were really good, but I got a bit shy with the whole family together since my French needs a lot more work. But it was really refreshing to actually be able to communicate with them now even if it's just simple sentences. =)
Every year, the Anglophone class has an end-of-the-year school trip. This year, it was to Bordeaux. Chef Stéphane is originally from there so he planned the whole trip. Since Raf's family lives in Bordeaux, I decided to go in 1.5 days early to say hello.
I got in around 17h30. I barely made the TGV by 4 minutes. So typical of me. hah! Raf's uncle, and mami and papi came to pick me up. =) When we got to Mami and Papi's place, we chit chatted for a bit, then had some dinner.
We had a simple but really delicious dinner of potatoes/persil/garlic, red peppers/garlic/thyme/olive oil/eggs, ham, rillettes d'oie, and yogurt with strawberries. I love eating here - always simple, fresh and tasty. I was really missing garlic too. (It's mostly used in southern French cooking).
Didn't do much else today but chit chat, eat, and drink wine. Oh, and small world - Raf's aunt and uncle is friends with Chef Nicolas Magie's mom. hah! Pretty neat.
Tomorrow we go to "ton-ton's" house to eat. It will probably last 5 hours at least. =)
I started this blog to write about my first trip to Europe. Without this trip, I would have never pursued my dream of becoming a cuisinière. This blog then progressed into an illustration of my life as a student at ESCF - Ferrandi in Paris. Now I am off to the real world of cuisiniers. Vive la France!
Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about about mission statements.
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