The Cuisine Scene

*Spoiler Warning: TONS of photos*

My mornings are not exactly a surprise any more. It is amazing how quickly these things become routine. Oh, except that I got an extra hour of sleep (which came in handy, as I was up an extra two hours last night). Counterintuitively, I found it necessary to eat an extra large breakfast this morning because we had a cooking competition and gourmet dining experience as part of the program, and cooking while hungry is an exercise in self-control and, if you ask me, masochism. That is, working with food, and arranging things that smell delicious on an empty stomach is nothing short of self-inflicted torment.

I had a nice Métro ride further north than I have been so far this year, emerging at Notre Dame de Lorette, a nice 9eme Arrondissement area with a  church and pretty much the sprinkling of cafés, supermarchés, and little shops that you find on a typical Parisian corner. I was on a quest to find a space called "Purgatoire" on rue Paradis (irony…), and I knew exactly how to get there. Of course, knowing is not the same as doing, and one of the most salient links between the two is paying attention. Of course, this is the one I neglect most often, and, soon, I realized I was most decidedly going in the wrong direction. After an in-depth perusal of a map (difficult because, not having used one beforehand, I had no idea where on the map to start looking), I saw that I had turned too soon at one of Paris' many 7-way intersections. Luckily, I wasn't too far off, just a bit north, and was able to make it in time, as well as identify some interesting places to re-examine later.

We drew straws (or, rather, spaghettis), and my team made the dessert, a beautiful chocolate ganache and sponge cake. The other team made the appetizer (apples on a cheesy cracker with sauce and salad with light dressing). Then we were shown the ingredients, given 10 minutes to create recipe ideas, and then a certain time to choose ingredients, alternating betweenn the two groups. The rule was that, if one team took an ingredient, the other team could not use it.

This time, I had two knives and did not cut myself. This is a good sign!

There was chicken and fish, and so we created an idea for each but in the end we stuck with chicken. We made a chicken curry that was truly delicious, with an even better sauce which wept on the side (Sally from "When Harry Met Sally" would approve) and baked fingerling potatoes, with a  varnish of pineapple, parsley, and noix marrons. The other team prepared a fish with a sauce based on (our!) coconut milk, some squash salad (potimarron), and a mushroom risotto (unfortunately). Once everything was prepared, main courses in the oven to stay warm, we sat down at the table.

The appetizer was, frankly, amazingly scrumptious. I wish I knew what it was called, so I could recommend it. There was bread, water, and wine on the table at our disposal and it was all quite luxurious. Then we went back to master the presentation of our main courses.

Of course, I took the curry chicken. Partially because it seemed really good and we made it, so I should know. Partially because of the mushroom risotto. Partially because, as I have become the "garbage disposal", I knew neighboring students who couldn't finish their fish would give me the rest.

Our curry chicken, and especially the sauce to the side, was delicious, if I say so myself (I do).

The fish as quite good as well, although I never tasted the contaminated risotto. Too bad they decided to but the fungus in there and ruin it.

After the main course, our group was obliged to stand and prepare the dessert. The presentation can be seen below, complete with a zigzag of dulce de leche and sparkly sugar (just like pop rocks; the sugar explodes in your mouth!).

Our dessert, which turned out beautifully!

This scoop of ganache is worth a close=up, which could not quite capture the splendor of the swirls.

Then they gave us coffee or tea and we sat around for a bit, then left.

This was the wine. There were two, one a Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon and the other a Sauvignon-Blanc.

The table was rather long, and well put-together (before we ate; this is after!).

Part of the enormous kitchen, with two complete set-ups, one for each team.

Most of us went to an organic grocery store nearby because one of the students is lactose intolerant and needed to buy almond milk. It was a really cool store, as many are in Paris, with a second floor and tons of fresh food. Of course I stumbled upon the potimarron.

They are quite nice. Maybe I should make a Jack-O-Lantern.

They are also local! Reduced carbon footprint?

Afterwards, we split up, and two of us went on a walk, returning to a place I found earlier, when I was in the entirely wrong place.

One street, rue Bellefonde, climbs a hill, while another passes underneath it.

To accomodate to the higher-level street, the buildings here are quite tall!

It's a lovely bridge, with surprisingly wide sidewalks for Paris.

The view from the top of the stairs of a delightful little park.

The view from the park of the delightful little bridge. And the stairs, of course!

So, we went into the park and walked around a bit, then found a nice bench under a tree by a statue, where we sat and watched little children run around in French with adorable monster-hoods with sharp cloth teeth.

This was a fantastic statue. We couldn't read the description; it was too worn away.

This is the tree. Yes, I need to include a photo of the tree.

Then I had to run because I had a meeting at the other ISEP campus, which is actually not in Paris, but in the town of Issy just outside, near the end of Ligne 12. I got to the station on time, but then the adventure commenced. I knew the directions in my head based on the map I was shown earlier, but the map they had at the station didn't match that at all, and the street signs were small and hidden, and I couldn't find the school! I asked at a Tabac if the proprietor knew where to find it, and he had no idea. Then I asked three more people in the street, all the while walking in the direction where I thought I would find it (which turned out to be about right, although I overshot). Finally, when nobody had heard of this excellent, hidden engineering school, I went to the city hall in desperation. I asked the nice woman at the info desk, and she used a magnificent innovation called Google to find it for me, and outlined it on a map. Not too far from where I was, I made it only 20 minutes late.

However, I didn't actually have the names of the professors, an unfortunate oversight that should certainly have been avoided but you see the past in 20/20. When I entered the campus, the Agent de Sécurité  was extremely friendly and helpful (he even smiled!), but there was only so much we could do. That is, we called all the Stanford numbers, and he contacted the head of the department inside ISEP, who went around asking faculty if they knew anything. Nobody did, and, 50 minutes late (at 16h50), I tucked my tail between my legs and went home.

Luckily, I was greeted with this from my bedroom window.

Several of us made plans to meet for dinner in the Marais, and I decided to walk there. It was a lovely walk. I

Paris in the rain. Everything is reflected! And blurry. Just not that blurry.

So, I found this guy in a shop window...

This street has cobbled steps instead of an actual street.

Someone forgot their bed.

Perhaps the coolest lantern in Paris

A wall of justice and a police car. Interesting. Symbolic?

So many crazy Paris streets! Also, nothing is straight. If you walk straight on any given street besides the Champs Elysées for more than a few blocks, you are probably actually on a different street while the one you were following bent away (as happened to me this morning).

This is note the customary positions for dogs trying to claim a trash bin.

We ate at Chez Marianne, which was (of course) delicious. They have a no photo rule, but I don't think you are missing out on photos from today.  Then we went walking around and ended up at St. Michel for a bit, then headed into the Louvre courtyard and along rue de Rivoli. I saw some of the deepest graffiti of my life as we walked by the Seine.

These are the names of the Charlie Hebdo victims, one for each stand.

"INK NOT BLOOD"

There was another that said "YOU CAN EMPTY ME OF MY BLOOD BUT NOT OF MY INK" but I thought that was rated R. Or, rather, my camera ran out of battery. Some members of the group got pretty cold, so we went our separate ways. Of course, I got back at 2h45 or 3h in the morning, so you can hardly criticize me for not finishing this the day-of!