Having too much fun to write!

I really thought I'd be good about blogging daily, or maybe every other day. But it turns out that between class, and exploring Paris, and hanging out with friends, I get home most nights exhausted and ready for bed! But we'll see if I can catch up...

So, ten days ago, after finalizing my apartment, I returned to LCB to prepare filets de merlan bercy. This was the toughest day of practical yet. We started with whole whiting, which we had to clean (including popping out the eyeballs -- which was shockingly easier than I expected), scale, skin, and filet. I may be from south Louisiana, but I've never skinned a fish! And it showed ... the chef took one look at my first attempt and came right over to give me a quick tutorial.

Once our fish were separated into filets, bones, and trash (those pesky eyeballs), we were ready to get our fumet (stock) started. One thing making stock has taught me is that I need to buy myself a skimmer for my home kitchen. It's the one thing I use every day here, that I don't have at home.

We poached our filets in the stock, and reduced some of the remaining stock with butter, white wine, and parsley to make sauce bercy. Et voila!

I was definitely proud of my work, and gained a new appreciation for anyone who filets fish -- not an easy job! Three of my filets were decent, but the fourth -- I somehow left most of the fish on the bone. Although I get why this dish was part of our first week -- it taught us how to make a basic stock and reduce it into a sauce -- I might have preferred to filet a fish once my knife skills had developed a little more. I'm sure I'll get another chance though!

I went home after class with leftovers for dinner that night. Along with the soup from the day before, a baguette, and the omnipresent glass of red wine, it was a lovely meal. My new friend Nika invited me to a movie premiere on the Champs-Elysees, but I had too many things to do in preparation for moving the next morning, so I passed. Maybe next time!

The next day, my friend Anne invited me over to her place in the Latin Quarter for snacks on her balcony, and then dinner out. Mmm, bread, cheese, veggies, and wine. What could be better??





After we polished that off, we headed out for a bite. After taking a photo aboard a parked motorcycle (Anne tells me this is commonly done ... she also tells me that I'm a natural at the "stolen moto" photo ...) we stopped into a seafood place halfway between her house and mine.

I appear to be *thrilled* about my salmon (don't remember it being that exciting, but perhaps that was the wine talking), and Anne enjoyed her kissing prawns.














And thus ended my first week in Paris. Not bad, eh?