Dinner Party Prep - a Cooking Class

tricolor pasta

I signed up for the Dinner Party Prep cooking class at L'Academie de Cuisine on a whim. The class was listed as the weekly special (the price was discounted), the location was close to home and the menu was intriguing.



Puff pastry

When I arrived at the Gaithersburg campus and walked in the door the space seemed very quiet. I checked my smartphone to confirm I was at the correct location.  As I was peering at the smartphone screen, a man appeared from a nearby room and asked if I was attending the Dinner Party Prep call and requested that I follow him. I walked into the room and my heart quickened. Many of the people in the room were wearing white chef's jackets.  I nervously sat in the back of the room. What had I done? I thought this was a recreational cooking class. Although I cooked at home for years and had taken several cooking classes, I acknowledged I still had much to learn. I wondered how quickly I could get to the door and escape. I slowly began to gather my belongs and glanced at the door. I felt a tap on my shoulder - one of the chefs wanted to check my name off the list of registered participants. It was too late to escape! I think the man  saw the panic that was slowly overtaking my body. After checking my name off the list he reassured me that the class was going to be fun.

Chef Patrice Olivon welcomed the group and provided an overview of the evening's agenda: we would be divided into teams and prepare a course for a party of 16. We would sit down as a group and eat dinner. Each team would describe their dish and solicit feedback from the other students. I squirmed nervously in my seat.

On the menu:
Chicken, Caramelized Apples and Foie Gras Sausage

 Lobster Ragout with Oyster Mushrooms

 Osso Bucco Milanese Style with  Fresh Tricolor Pasta
"Baba au Rhum" Doughnuts with Mixed Berries & Rhubarb Ice Cream

 Chef Olivon reviewed the recipes for each course with the class and then discussed the wine pairings for each course. One student asked Chef Olivon why he chose a specific wine with the Osso Bucco and that he would've selected something else- a Cabernet perhaps . The class was silent. No one moved, save Chef Olivon, who retrieved a bottle of the wine in question for the room to see.

 

Chef Olivon asked who wanted to prepare each dish. I thought the Osso Bucco or doughnuts would be fun to prepare. I was assigned to work on the doughnuts with two young ladies. We were ushered into the kitchen. Was I trembling?

 

baba rhum doughnuts 

Chef Olivon spoke loudly describing the ingredients for the dish being prepared as the teams approached their station. A team of assistants stood nearby watching.  My team had two  tasks to start immediately: begin the starter for the  doughnuts and begin the ice cream. Chef Olivon asked me to make the doughnuts. I nodded in agreement and felt my mouth instantly get dry. I reviewed the recipe and looked the ingredients. I had baked before. I had cooked before. It was time to dispel the nervousness. I assembled the doughnut starter. While the starter was resting I began to prep the mixed berries- raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. While I cut fruit the assistant assigned to our team looked at me quizzically and asked if I had taken cooking classes before. I replied that I had. The quizzical looked changed to a frown as the assistant informed me that Chef Olivon expected  students to have a certain level of skills and that perhaps I should take the Culinary Techniques class. I froze for a moment. I knew that I wasn't a professional cook, but I thought I was in a recreational class. I thanked the assistant for the feedback and continued cutting up the fruit. A nearby chef asked for a saucepan. I went to retrieve the saucepan from the shelf. I stared blankly at the neatly assembled pots and pans; I didn't know which pan to bring back to the chef.  After three failed attempts to bring the correct saucepan I decided to just focus on getting the doughnuts prepared. The other members of my team began to comment how the same assistant had made cutting statements to them as well. 

 

making spun sugar

The kitchen smelled wonderful as each team began to make progress with their dish Chef Olivon was thinking of modifications to each dish as he walked around the kitchen. While I fried the doughnuts Chef Olivon looked at me asked, "What do you think about adding a simple glaze?". I hesitated as I thought of the complete dish. Chef Olivon was thinking as well. Then he grinned and said, "Let's do it!" I called an assistant and asked for ingredients I needed. The same assistant who quizzed me earlier returned and asked how did I know how to make a glaze. Chef Olivon walked by and tasted the glaze. He smiled and said 'This is good, but lets add a bit more orange blossom." I did as I was told. Once the glaze was ready and brushed on the doughnuts I joined my team members in making spun sugar - Chef Olivon thought it would be a fun garnish for the dessert.

 

I stopped briefly and chatted with the classmate who questioned the wine selection. I asked why he suggested a cabernet sauvignon or cab franc for the dish. I listened  to his answer and then he asked if  I had any ideas. I suggested a petite syrah or Syrah.

 



 cooked veal 

The dining gods allowed my team to see a teachable moment. We were following the instructions for the pastry crème. Chef Olivon looked at the pot suspiciously. He asked if the milk had boiled. The assistant responded affirmatively. He asked the same question a second time. The response was the same. He looked at me and said, 'this is not my first time at the rodeo'. He turned the heat up under to the pot to achieve the desired chemical reaction.  The pot was removed from the fire and taken to the team's station. The team gathered around the pot to see what would happen using the assembled ice bath. Before the assistant could speak Chef said, "I am the chef in this kitchen. You are confusing the students. I want them to do as I instructed. Do you understand?" My team was silent as the assistant replied, "Yes, Chef'".

 

The countdown to dinnertime began. Each team worked hard to finish up their dish. The dining area was being prepared. Time was called and we sat down as a group with Chef Olivon and ate the dishes we created.



Foie Gras on Brioche topped with Pistachios







Lobster Ragout

caramelized apples, chicken foie gras sausage

osso bucco and tricolor pasta



Baba au rhum doughnut





Each dish was nicely presented and tasted very good - restaurant quality good. During dinner several classmates disclosed that they had participated in the L'Academie's  Advanced Culinary Techniques course. One couple also completed culinary boot camp training at the Culinary Institute of America. I sighed wistfully. When the osso bucco arrived my classmate whispered to me, "you were right, a petite syrah or Syrah would be better than a Cabernet Sauvignon with this dish".  The class asked my team  to make the spun sugar was made.

 

I asked Chef Olivon if he recommended the Culinary Techniques Course for me. He asked why and I related what happened at the start of the class. His face grew grim and he shook his head. He asked what my goal was - to be a professional chef? To improve my cooking skills?  He confirmed that the class was an investment of time and money and I should only take the course if it was

 

I would take the class again. I learned a lot and loved the results. Chef Olivon and his team did their level best to make students feel comfortable and were quick to offer encouragement and assistance. 

 

I  was also reminded: respect the Chef.

 

Be well,

Technicolor girl