"A Summer Night In Paris"

 a.k.a. Girls Night Out

Last month we had a G.N.O. to top all G.N.O.s!

What: French Cooking Class

Where: 'Kitchen on Fire' [no relation ;)] in Berkeley, CA

How: http://www.kitchenonfire.com/classes/index.html

Menu:

Watercress and Leek Soup with Poached Eggs
Salad de Pomme de Terre aux Moules
Chicken Liver Pate with Cognac, Grilled Bread Slices and Home made Pickled Onions
Quick and Easy Boeuf Carrots , Thin Strips of Steak Sauté with Braised Carrots
Palet Fourré au Chocolat: Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Ganache Filling

We couldn't have looked more intimidating...each of us armed with a bottle, huddled up at the corner Walnut & Vine St. planning our assault on K.O.F.  Little did we know that Chef Olive cannot, ney WILL not be intimated by wannabe chefs such as ourselves.

After signing in we received our top secret packets, popped some corks and munched on goodies.  The place was buzzing with excitement. UNTIL...

a charmingly gruff, frequently cussing Frenchman rattled off the menu in a strong accent at a high rate of speed immediately followed by a description of what needed to be done to accomplish this feat in 3 hours.  I've never been more panicked!  I'm writing notes willy-nilly (some on the paper, and as I found later some on my clothes), shooshing my friends and slamming back bubbly to calm my nerves. 

All for not!
Turns out us rookies aren't cooking the entire course individually, there are stations.  Some of you may be rolling your eyes but this was our first cooking class, we didn't know.  Each station had one menu item, we could float at our leisure.  Ahhh, a sigh of relief.  Bottle #2 poured, Bottle #3 & #4 breathing.

Us being ladies (ladies love the chocolate) headed straight for the Ganache!

We took the Kitchen Aide to eleven, baked these pillowy little cookies and whipped up melted butter and chocolate into a filling that I hope to swim in one day! (it's been added to my bucket list.)

Next...the mussel and potato salad. 

Poor Jaime, never knew what hit him.

Taste testing required.



Kitchen safety always required, not always easy to abide. 
No one was harmed in the chopping of this celery.



Next the liver pate...

Sauteed, covered in alcohol, lit on fire, combined with spices, minced to a pulp by a food processor, then spread onto a cookie sheet and chilled. This liver earned it's spot at the top of my list!





Now get ready for something that is going to blow your mind.  Let's reflect back to me taking a beating by the egg (post #1).  It's NEVER going to happen again!  Let me introduce you to the vortex and it's master, Mike C.

First, you take a bowl of cool water, add some vinegar and set it aside.  Second, you boil a big a** pot of salted water (you need plenty of room).  Third, you stir the boiling water clockwise or counter clockwise (pick one and stick with it), creating a vortex.  Fourth, you gently drop in one egg {If your name is Mason, you may want to have someone else break the egg for you ;)}. Waaaiiittt...now remove using a slotted spoon and place in the bowl of water & vinegar.  The egg stops cooking.  It comes out perfect, every time! Keep repeating.  Each egg was placed into a bowl of soup to be cut open and as eaten combining all the flavors beautifully.

Then we laughed, ate, and drank the night away....p.s. no dishes!