Canadian vs. American Thanksgiving

I *finally* think I'm reaching the end of my flu. Thank goodness. Unfortunately, it worsened over the weekend, but I felt better today, and so hopefully with another good night of sleep (or several good nights of sleep lol) I'll be back to normal :)

Since getting sick though, I've had several huge changes in my appetite. I guess this is to be expected when you are sick, but one of them is *major* and those of you who have ever lived with me will appreciate it: I have completely lost my taste for tea!! I know!! It's crazy - I cannot even believe I'm saying that, but it's true! I have not had a cup of tea (or craved a cup of tea) since last Tuesday or so. I know this might sound silly, but I have seriously not gone a day in about 4 years without drinking a cup (or several cups) of tea or at least craving one! I'll have to see how I feel about tea when I no longer have the flu, but at least for right now, tea is the *last* thing I want!


Two "new" foods I've come to love over the past couple of days that I've never really eaten much of before are (1) oatmeal and (2) toast with peanut butter and bananas on top - has anyone ever tried that?? I've had it before, but for some reason I think I failed to appreciate how amazing it is until now! In fact, I'm eating a piece right now! lol

SOOO good!!

I'm really glad to have found at least some foods that taste good to me now - being sick is never fun, but especially when you really don't want to eat anything. I'm really hoping I get my normal appetite back in time for Thanksgiving, though - one of my friends who lives in NY invited me to come spend American Thanksgiving with her and her family, and I'm really looking forward to it! I say "American" Thanksgiving because (some of you might already know this) Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October, so no one is going to be celebrating in Ottawa this coming Thursday. So it will be nice to get back to the States and be with a family (even if it can't be my own!) to celebrate the holiday :)

I was talking to one of my Canadian classmates the other day about the differences between American Thanksgiving and Canadian Thanksgiving. She told me that at least from her "Canadian" perspective, it seems like the Americans make a WAY bigger deal about Thanksgiving than the Canadians do. I agreed that there is a lot of "hype" around the holiday in America with the Macy's Day Parade, etc., but said that it really depends on the individual family as to how "big of a deal" it is. Then, she asked me if it was really true that we have a "Black Friday" the day after Thanksgiving. lol Yes, I said, we definitely have a Black Friday. Apparently, there is nothing like that in Canada. Although, the day after Christmas (what they call Boxing Day) is kinda similar - not anywhere near as extreme, but the stores have a lot of sales, she said.

Even just looking at this picture stresses me out lol I've never gone shopping on Black Friday, and I have no plans to do so in the future haha If it doesn't stress you out, then more power to you, but I'd rather be at home watching a movie and drinking some hot chocolate (not tea!) and maybe baking some Black Forest Cake too ;)

We also talked about the differences in foods served at American Thanksgiving and Canadian Thanksgiving, and it seemed to us that there were not too many differences in the "traditional" menu items: turkey, stuffing (or dressing), cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, etc. The one difference we did come up with though was that in Canada, they don't have yams or sweet potatoes, while in the US, both those are considered "traditional" Thanksgiving dishes. But other than that, it seemed about the same.

YUM :)

I hope all of you are feeling well and flu-less! And I hope you are all looking forward to what will hopefully be a delicious, relaxing Thanksgiving! I hope my parents are prepared to celebrate Thanksgiving again when I come home because even though it'll be nice to be with my friends, it's not the same without my own family!

I'll do another post soon about what we made in class this past Friday: Yule logs!

It says "Joyeux Noel" or "Merry Christmas"!

Succès!

No, I did not misspell "succès" - it's not supposed to be the English word "success," but instead it refers to a kind of French cake called, yes, a "Succès Cake." That is the cake we made today, and it is a very very very traditional French cake, according the Chef. It is meant to celebrate a succès or success in a person's life, be it a graduation, a new job, or just making it through a difficult week! The cake is delicious if I do say so myself, and I definitely needed it after getting sick this week - technically I guess I haven't "made it through" the week yet, but I think making it through Thursday is as good a reason as any to celebrate a succès!

Chef demonstrating how to trim the cake. Succès is a 3 layered cake, but the layers aren't the "typical," fluffy cake-mix kind of layers, but are what is called a dacquoise, a meringue-type of mixture made with almond powder, flour, sugar (of course lol), and egg whites. Once the batter is made, you pipe it into the crop-circle looking spirals and bake it. Three circles/spirals are used to make each Succès.

This is a picture from one of the TV monitors in the class - that's why it looks like I was watching the Food Network or something instead of going to class. The TVs are set up so we can get a better view of what the Chef is doing. Here, he is piping buttercream (*French* buttercream, that is - not American!) onto the first layer of cake.

Chef had some leftover "scraps" and this is what he made with them...I'm sorry to say, most of my scraps usually just end up in the garbage and not on a nice white plate, surrounded by pretty chocolate decorations.

Chef's final product! As shown here, with a Succès cake, you are supposed to pipe the name of the cake on a thin piece of marzipan (which is basically all sugar). Then, for decoration, you can make leaves and acorns, using more marzipan and a few hazelnuts, as Chef did here. That brown color around the edges of the marzipan can be made using a blowtorch, some cocoa powder, or some coffee extract. Chef used a blowtorch ;) Also, when piping the word "Succès" Chef told us to be very mindful of which direction the accent mark above the "e" was going! The French would not be happy with a misdirected accent mark, he said. ;)

My Succès Cake!

I opted for a mixture of cocoa powder and coffee extract to make the brown parts...to be honest, I was a little scared of the blowtorch...but it wasn't always like that! I came into practical totally ready to just go for it, but once things got crazy in the kitchen towards the end of practical, and I kept hearing frantic cries of "where's the blowtorch?!" or frazzled screams of "you're burning the entire cake!!" as my fellow classmates dashed around the kitchen, I wanted to stay as far away from the fire as possible lol

The (Not So) Cold Season

Hey everyone :)

It's hard to believe, but it has *still* not snowed here yet. Again, I'm not complaining - it just seems so unusual for this time of year!

But, even though it hasn't gotten that cold yet, flu season has arrived and has taken down most of the people in my house...including me :(

The past 2 days have been spent sleeping and relaxing, and to be honest I haven't felt like doing much else, but I just wanted to check in and share some pictures of today's creations: madeleines (little sponge cakes), cigarettes (thin biscuits rolled to look like cigarettes), and palets de dames (thin, crispy cookies with raisins and sugar on top). All of these treats are considered "petits-fours" (which roughly means "little confections" served following a meal).



Also, all this relaxing has given me some time to catch up on some of my favorite TV shows aka Glee ;) Here is a song I am now in love with from last night's episode:



I hope everyone is doing well and feeling well too! :)

Wonderful Weekend!

Hey everyone!

I am exhausted - but in a good way! I just had a really good weekend in Ottawa, and while I might not be super rested, I'm very enthusiastic and am beginning to enjoy the city very much!

Saturday afternoon, a group of us went out to this place called Cora's for brunch - it's like a Canadian version of Denny's. I had a "skillet" type dish with grilled veggies, breakfast potatoes, scrambled eggs, with toast and fruit on the side. It was really good, and I'd definitely go back! It was nice to go out to eat for a change too - I feel like I've kinda been stuck in the house lately, so it was fun to get out!

During the afternoon, I just kinda chilled, worked on grad-school applications, etc., and for dinner we went out to this place called The Works. Oh my goodness. You have not had a burger until you have eaten at The Works. Here is the link to their menu just so you can get an idea of how many burgers they have to choose from: http://www.worksburger.com/Menus/OurMenu/tabid/105198/Default.aspx The list was *insane* and everything sounded so good! I don't know how I made up my mind! I ended up choosing the Teriyaki burger, which might not sound super adventurous (compared to everything else on the menu) but it was probably one of the best burgers I have ever had :)

After dinner, we went out to see that new movie called The Ides of March. Has anyone seen that? George Clooney is in it which was a big draw for me lol But it was an excellent movie, and I definitely recommend it. For those of you who don't know about it, it's basically about a USA Democratic Party Primary Election and all of the scandals/corruption/scheming that goes on behind the scenes of a political race. It really made me realize how little we really know about what goes on "behind the scenes" of an election, and how little we (the public) know about the candidates for whom we are voting. I won't get into my political opinions or beliefs right now, but it's a movie that really makes you think which I really enjoyed.


Then, today, my friend Rafi and I went on a hike with this group called the Ottawa Outdoor Club. Rafi found out about them online, and it's pretty much just what it sounds like: a group of people who get together to go on hikes, skiing, snow-shoeing, canoeing, and tons of other outdoor activities! Rafi and I have been wanting to meet people outside Le Cordon Bleu - just to get to know the city better, etc. - and we thought this would be a great way to do that! The hike was *wonderful*!! It was a 10km hike on one of the trails in Gatineau Park (a HUGE 89,281 acre park in our area). There were about 37 other people on the hike with us, so it was a pretty big group, and it was neat because it was a really diverse group too! There were a bunch of students from the University of Ottawa as well as some working professionals and even several retirees. One of the coolest people I met was actually one of the main leaders of the NDP (the New Democratic Party)! I also had a really nice conversation with a woman working in as an educational administrator in primary education. This is a career I'm thinking about pursuing myself, so it was really neat to get her perspective on that line of work (even though she works in Canada and I'll be in the States). Rafi and I both had a really good time (and got some good exercise) - it was so much fun to get out of the city too and see other landscapes! I really got to enjoy hiking when I was at Cornell and am so glad I got the opportunity to go again! The weather was perfect too - a bit chilly at first, but once we started hiking, it felt good! I had such a good time, and I'm already planning my next hike! The group goes on a hike every Sunday, so hopefully I'll get to go a few more times before I leave!

Here are a few pictures from the hike (the trees are so bare now - I know it won't be too much longer before they're covered in snow!):

Rafi and I with Gatineau Lake in the background!

A pedestrian bridge we crossed

I am so glad I got to go out and explore a little more this weekend - it really gave me some good perspective, and it was so nice to get to meet some local Ottawans (Ottawanians? lol)!

Eclair Lightening Bolts!

Good evening everyone :)

Today I learned how to make one of the pastries that definitely has a soft spot in my heart. One of my most well-remembered memories from childhood is going to Perkins Restaurant with my dad. My favorite dessert at Perkins was/is without a doubt the peanut butter pie ;) My dad liked that too (it might even be his all-time favorite), but what I remember him ordering the most (when we were having dessert) were the chocolate-glazed eclairs. Neatly lined on the platter behind the bakery glass-case, those delicate pastries were certainly not for the faint of heart. Packed with custard-y goodness and with a thick layer of chocolate ganache on top - there was no hope trying to resist ordering one...or two.

And now, about 13 years later, I finally learned how to make one of those delectable treats :)

Eclairs, Chef told us, can literally be translated "lightening bolts," and are so named because they resemble a certain kind of lightening bolt - not the ones that zig-zag, but the ones that go straight down into the ground. I wasn't aware that there were any non-zig-zagging lightening bolts before this class, but I thought that was neat. And I love that I'm learning science-y things at culinary school haha ;) Chef also explained the difference between what-the-Americans-try-to-pass-off-as-eclairs and the "real" French eclairs lol Americans used vanilla custard for the filling and chocolate ganache for the topping, pictured here:


French eclairs, however, use pastry cream for the filling and fondant (an icing-like sugar coating) for the topping. Is there really much of a difference? Honestly, I really don't think so...at least in the taste - both are delicious! - but don't tell Chef I said that! ;) They look very similar as well:

Chef's "French" Eclairs (along with some other pastries that I'll explain in a moment)

We made two kinds of eclairs today: chocolate flavored and coffee flavored. For the chocolate ones, we mixed the pastry cream filling with some cocoa powder and the fondant with some melted chocolate, and for the coffee ones, we mixed some coffee extract into both the pastry cream filling and fondant.

Today we also made some "religieuses," which directly translates into "nuns." These are so named because they look like, to quote Chef, "little, plump nuns." haha The process is basically the same as the eclairs: make the dough, bake the dough, fill the dough with pastry cream, and top with fondant, but the assembly and shape is a bit different.

I really enjoyed class today - it was fun to learn how to make such a popular dessert. And to tell you the truth, it's really not super, super difficult! There are several steps, yes, but if you are organized and do everything you are supposed to do, it will work out ok!

Chef showing us how to pipe the batter onto the baking tray

The eclairs and Little Plump Nuns are out of the oven and ready for filling!

Another view

Chef piping a buttercream "collar" around the nuns' necks ;)


Chef also made some "Swans" - aren't they cute? He was really funny and when he put them next to each other said that it was like a little swan family lol


<3


Chef's final presentation: from left to right, it's coffee eclairs, chocolate eclairs, honey/almond eclairs, coffee nuns, chocolate nuns, and then some cream puffs.

And here is my final presentation:

Not quite as pretty as Chef's, but it'll do!

After class, my friend Beth and I went to the gym, and the sunset was so pretty - I had to take pictures on our walk!

Here is the Parliament building! I'm so glad I had my camera with me this time!

The Parliament buildings are on the right (with the green roofs).

This is Beth! She didn't know she was in the picture I think lol ;)

Lunch at Le Cordon Bleu

Hey everyone :)

Well, it's November 9th and in the upper 50s here in Ottawa if you can believe that! It has been sooo nice and warm the past few days here - I even broke out my flip-flops again! I think it's supposed to rain tomorrow though :( Oh well, at least it's not snowing!

Anyway, let's talk about one of the most important meals of the day: lunch. Now, usually, for lunch I get super creative and make a ham and turkey sandwich on wheat with some mustard, maybe a pickle or two, lettuce, and if I'm feeling extra fancy, I even toast the bread before I make the sandwich. Impressive, no? Well, I thought so...until today when I ate lunch the way it was meant to be eaten! At Le Cordon Bleu's Bistro!

The Le Cordon Bistro is a restaurant right in the school. If anyone is familiar with the Cornell Hotel School, it kinda reminds me of Banfi's (the restaurant in the Statler). The restaurant is a "fine dining" establishment open to the general public, but is staffed by student workers in the upper level cuisine and pastry classes. The students don't actually cook the food, but they work on the wait staff. Anyway, each class gets one "free" lunch at the Le Cordon Bistro, and today was the day designated for the Basic Level Pastry students to get ours.

We had to dress in business casual attire, which was actually kind of fun - I feel like we are all so used to seeing each other in our uniforms with our hair tied back and covered beneath a large chef's hat, sweating, and sometimes a bit flustered, that it was a nice opportunity to show a different side of ourselves. It was a three course meal and unbelievably delicious! For my appetizer, I had a cauliflower and aged cheddar soup, which I was so excited about that I forgot to take a picture! I *did* take pictures of the main course and dessert though:

For my main course, I had herbed chicken with barley risotto - but by no means was this just a plain, ordinary chicken and risotto - the chicken was cooked *perfectly* and the risotto was unbelievably creamy and delicious! And the sauce you see in the picture was a light gravy sauce that complemented everything wonderfully :) (The green stuff on the side is a single asparagus and bok-choy - I think it's funny that in fancy restaurants they only give you a single vegetable haha)

Dessert was a baked apple marinated in a caramel syrup with a green apple sorbet on the side. WOW. This was amazing. What really got me was how well the baked apple and sorbet complemented one another: I tried the apple on its own and it was too sweet. I tried the sorbet on its own and it was too sour. But, eaten together together, the dish tasted magical!

I don't know how I'm going to go back to eating ham and turkey sandwiches tomorrow...sigh...