A Moveable Feast

Biarritz

Another Magescq highlight, my visit to the local doctor, young, tall, blond, blue eyes, and obviously nervous when writing my prescription, as he got the date several times wrong, with a nervous giggle, has resulted in my flu being healed, so I could realize my plan to spend my time off this week in Biarritz. However I decided I might get sick more regularly here, just to get more of those surprinsingly pleasant prescriptions.

It was my first time in Biarritz, and I loved it ! A sea-side resort, famous for its beaches, with lots of café terraces with view on the ocean. A change of landscape compared to the sandy beaches of the Landes region, with rocky cliffs, and a wild ocean attracting surfers from all over the world.

I walked a lot on the oceanfront, took a lot of pictures and in particular I thought a lot. Especially about the job opportunity that awaits me in Paris. Since I have some more details now, I am a little less enthusiastic, and will have to weigh a lot of pros and cons against each other before jumping to early on just the first opportunity. I am especially scared about the hours, which would be working "coupure" a double shift with 14 hours per day, (!), 5 days a week, as I am not sure I can handle that. Also I need to focus on my objective of running one day my own bistrot, and not go for the wrong reasons, like status, a job just for "the CV" and escaping from Magescq, for a job that will not make me happy neither contribute towards my ultimate plans.

still lobster salad

Not much has changed here, I still don't see much value of my stage and still can't get lots of fun out of it. The highlight has definitely been the dinner here. Although I must say this dinner gave me a little motivation kick on my return and I felt proud to be part of the team on the other side.

On top of all I got sick when my parents left, but continued to work as enough people have already made fun of me because of my short vacation, unbelievable. So I spent every free minute sleeping, and couldn't even take advantage of my last Monday off. My station assignement has not changed, other than expected, so I am still working on the preparing and plating the lobster salads. In the meantime a total of 6 new people have arrived, stagiares and apprentices, while none of the old have left yet. The number of covers is going down too, and most services except on weekends we are running now around 20-30 covers. That makes 25 people working for an average of 25 covers, which is a total overkill, and the constant fight for work has begun again. Sometimes during service we are standing around without anything to do at all. The good thing about the new people though is, that as expected the focus has shifted a little bit, and I am not longer the newest one. It feels nice when the new once ask me for advice, and I love to help them and show them how to work here. I still feel though that the general attitude towards me of the sous-chefs and some employees has not changed, and I am not considered when it comes to interesting stuff. And I still keep hearing some people say "Elle est bete" (She is stupid") when I have not exactly understood an instruction or word and therfore have to ask twice.

Fortunately in this world there are people who know me better and I want to thank all those from who I have received encouraging letters, emaile, and comments on the blog. One friend in Paris even dropped my name to a chef in a restaurant, who is looking for "mature" people even if not so much experienced in cuisine, so as a consequence I will have my first real job interview Saturday in a week from today in Paris. If this is a good opportunity, and the chef is still interested in me, I might even have to finish the stage here earlier. I would not be heartbroken...

My current motiviation list (or "survival kit") of things to look forward to :

- next Monday and Tuesday off, planning to spend in Biarritz
- 5 days in Paris starting next Friday, including the Police concert, my first job interview, meeting some friends that I miss so much, sleeping in my own bed
- potential work contract for my first real job as a chef in Paris, if interview goes well
- a reservation for lunch at Arzak in San Sebastian in October, supposed to be Spains best restaurant, thanks again to Katia for the idea.
- two weeks vacation in the Carribean End November (although potentially "in danger" if new job)

An amazing dinner

Last weekend my most regular blog readers have arrived from Germany, and while I had initially planned to stay in the kitchen, while they dine in the restaurant, chef Jean Coussau had encouraged me to join them for dinner and also take some days off to show them the area, which I did.

The dinner in the Relais de la Poste was faboulous. and we got special attention from Jean (my chef) and Jacques (his brother, managing the service). While we had champagne for aperitif (which appeared later on the bill as "offert"), Jean came out of the kitchen to our table, welcomed my parents personnally, shook their hands and urged them "to pay attention, whether I have learned well". This was so nice, and I was both surprised and touched that he did that.

After a simple but tasty and refreshing mise en bouche of various mussels on a gazpacho, the festival could begin.

I wanted my parents to taste the foie gras, since this is one of the region's specialty as well as one of the dishes that Jean is famous for. So my parents took the "foie gras de canard froid en trois cuisson", which is a variation of foie gras cooked three different ways, and I had the "foie gras au poelon", seared raw foie gras with blueberries, a dish I had been craving for since the first day of my stage in the restaurant. My parents, who have like me quite some experience in foie gras tasting where overwhelmed. Without exaggeration, this was for me the best foie gras I had ever eaten in my life, and that means something. Cooked to perfection. The world stood still...

 

As main course, my mother had the "poêlée de langoustines, artichauts poivrade et Girolles", my father "poitrine de pigeonneau rôtie a l'os", and I chose a lobster dish with chestnusts and Scottish whisky sauce, "ragoût de homard bleu aux châtaignes cassées du Perigord, jus cremeux au whisky d'Ecosse" that is only for a limited time on the menu during the rugby world cup in France, as the chef was selected to be Scotland's and Wales's culinary partner for the world cup, and therfore create a special dish ! Everything was outstanding, and made us all very happy.

   

Of course we had dessert too, but I have posted the pictures from patisserie already. My father finished the meal with an Armagnac chosen by Jacques Coussau for him, and my mom and I restarted with another round of champagne after my dad had gone to bed. After this "event" we left Magescq the next day together, to stay a couple of days in Hossegor, a seaside resort, another surfer's paradise, where I am sitting right now on the terrace of a nice very nice hotel room with a view, enjoying my couple of days off.

Tomorrow evening, for the Friday dinner shift, I will be have to be back in Magescq to work in the restaurant, and the sous-chef told me that I will now be moving from pâtisserie to "le chaud", meaning the stoves, the hot, the "real" cooking area, involved with the langoustine, lobster and hot foie gras dishes. I think it is great, somehow I am even looking forward to it now, but I am also a bit scared about how I will be treated there... But until then still a full day of very enjoyable relaxing vacation.

La pâtisserie

Things are still o.k. in pâtisserie, but it won't be possible to stay longer there I think, as new apprentices will be arriving, and if I stay there as well, it will be too crowded and not enough to do for everybody. So I guess that after my days off during my most frequent blog readers' visit next week, I will have to return to the crazy part of the kitchen again. I sometimes ask myself why I am staying, but I haven't given up hope that the stage will become more interesting, as I might get assigned to new stations. In the meantime 4 of my classmates have given up, and finished their stage in Paris after one month. Two others are rather unhappy, and I hear only positive feedback from Diane at Helene Darroze about her stage. In Germany we say "Was Dich nicht toetet, haertet ab" (What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger) and I will try to live to that motto and keep going.

Eventually I dared to take pictures in patisserie. Here are some of the desserts I am involved with preparing.

Macaron à la Framboise

 

La Pistache dans tous ses Etats

Assiette aux Cinq Chocolats

Mirlitons, Crème légère et sorbet au citron

Happy Birthday

I have been wondering the last days how long ago you got my balloon, I think it is 10 years now, but not 100% sure. Whatever, as far as you are concerned, it will never matter to me whether it was yesterday or 10 years ago anyway. Thinking of you a lot and wishing you all the best, and try to keep the ballon this time :)

Happy birthday. I think you'll never be 2 old 2...