Vamos a la Playa: Marseille

We thought we only had one long weekend, but the chefs decided they wanted the other national holiday off while the administrative director was on vacation, so me and my friend Astrid decided to go to Marseille for the weekend. We had a fabulous time and it was a nice break from little Yssingeaux. We mostly shopped, explored the area around the Vieux Port and visited Starbucks. Daily. The stars were aligned for us as we basically made every right turn for our hotel by chance, ran into two groups of friends from ENSP within 2 hours of arriving, and being located ideally close to the port, shopping and Starbucks. It was just about a perfect weekend :)

Me in the Mediterranean 

Vieux Port

Dirty Beach

We found a bagel shop! It was kind of a disappointment, but fun nonetheless

Vieux Port again. I don't actually know that kid btw.

We could hardly contain our excitement

We asked for milk with our coffee- they filled up a cup and gave it to us like this. I found it funny.

Pretty Astrid on the tourist train up to Notre Dame de la Gare

the water was just beautiful

Approaching Notre Dame de la Gare

View from the top

View facing the ocean- it was just so breathtaking

Another church

I kept thinking how Jacob would have gone crazy over this beautiful refreshing-looking water

Up at Notre Dame de la Gare

A yummy seafood dinner

Vespa shot

ENSP Week 6: Ice cream

Ice cream week finally came!! It was pretty fun to make many different kinds of ice creams, and now i just need an ice cream machine (along with a sheeter, a tempering machine, and a hundred other gadgets we've used in the last 6 weeks that I want in my own kitchen). We played around a lot this week, and didn't have too much structure, so some of our product doesn't look too professional, but we had fun making it and learning the ice cream recipes.

A display of our ice creams- the overall favorites were Kahlua and Baileys. They were super yummy.

French meringue we put on our "buches exotiques." Me and Michelle wanted to make fun colors instead of boring white :) (topped with purple dyed coconut)

All of the ice cream we made that week

Our Friday buffet, complete with two ice sculptures and a chocolate sculpture

soufflé ice cream

Baileys ice cream tulips

Squirrel ice sculpture

Chocolate coconut shells filled with kahlua ice cream

Another chocolate coconut. In the background are chocolate-peanut butter bars, decorated by yours truly

Magnum bars! Caramel and vanilla

Cookie sandwiches. 

Chocolate sculpture

Buches exotiques- mines the purple one in the back

Homemade waffle cones. Yum-O!

And then my camera died :(

ENSP Week 5: Gâteau de Voyage

After chocolate week we had our gâteau de voyage week. Gâteau de voyage are cakes that last a long time- "travel cakes." It was a fun week because we were back with out favorite chef, Damien. It was mostly rather simple work, but then on friday we decorated all of our cakes and our buffet was beautiful!

Setting up the buffet

Cake Marbre (Marble cake)

Madeleines

Cannelés

Unfinished Florentin

Tuiles aux amandes

Brioche Royale

Speculos

My cakes prior to decorating

Cake aux Agrumes (citrus cake)

Pound cake

Chocolate cake

Another kind of chocolate cake...

Buffet Shots:

This was the perfecting class's ice cream buffet. Lots of yummy treats!

Chef Nicholas making ice sculptures for the ice cream buffet that week. He is one of the best, and is training for the World Cup of pastry for ice cutting and ice creams.