PFP II

As Brian is furiously baking and whipping up a storm at Big Red House, I am over here at little rainsoaked house baking and whipping up my own storm.  It's a damn good thing it rained all weekend because if it hadn't I'd have been out in the garden  and digging my patio and not in here cooking like I should be.  Sadly, making mud pies doesn't count.
Let's review my practice items.

It started with this lovely chocolate genoise with orange buttercream and the seafood souffl� last weekend.

This week kicked off with an entire Thursday of making Danish and making lemon curd, almond paste, cream cheese and strawberry/raspberry fillings and then testing one and packing all the rest and sending them straight into husband's work with him on Friday.  He returned with two empty cookie sheets and a promise that I could make those anytime and they would gladly take them off my hands. He said someone would say, oh I'm just going to have half.  And then the other half, and then half of another one, and it just wouldn't be polite to not finish it and so on until they were gone.

Next, I have been working on gathering recipes for my Food history paper.  I chose Chicken Fricassee as my recipe and I decided since I was going to write about it, I should make it and last nights cold and rainy weather was the perfect time.  It's pretty much a stew. 

Here is the mise en place

I chose to make a modern version.  I assumed Paul Prudhomme's version would be a bit livelier than some of the other recipes that I had read.  I would be mistaken.  Don't get me wrong, it was good, just not a taste explosion.

Then a recipe has been consuming me for the last several weeks.  Over at Leite's Culinaria I have been jonesing to make this Cippolini and Bleu de Gex tart.  Well damn it, I needed to practice a pate brisee didn't I?  It's a damn good thing I did as well since the first one didn't come out that great.  I caught it in the a blanc (that's blind baking to me and you) stage, so thankfully I could just whip up another.  I baked it this morning and here it is whilst resting before I can slice it open.

Now what to do with it?  Husband won't eat it.  I'll have maybe a slice.
Should I bring it into school on Monday?

Comments

[Beth]

Yum.

Don't worry about your practicum, Jo. You'll do fine. And Brian will too. You're both practicing, if not fretting, more than I did.

Beth (June 2005 PCP grad) ;)