Next week, I have three tests: wine, cuisine and pastry. Wine is a written test (all true/false), but cuisine and pastry are hands on. We’ve been given 10 recipes for each class that we have to memorize. On the day of the test, the school picks three of those 10. As we go into class, we draw a piece of paper out of a hat with the recipe that we’ll be preparing. We’re all a bit nervous.

For each test, there’s also a technical component. In cuisine, we must filet and present two fish. In pastry, we make a sweet pastry dough and line a mold. It was the former that I was practicing for on Saturday.

Lani generously donated her house for our studying. Each of us bought three whiting fish and one at a time, we de-scaled, gutted, and filleted the fish. Then we prepared the filets and served them with goat cheese mashed potatoes and a fresh green salad. And several glasses of wine.

Next time you’re in the mood for fish, try the following. Buy several white fish filets – those that are flaky such as cod rather than firm such as halibut. On a baking sheet, sprinkle salt, pepper, dry white wine and shallots. Place the fish filets on top. Sprinkle more salt, pepper, diced seeded tomatoes, chopped capers and a few dabs of butter. Toss everything into the oven for about seven minutes until the fish is cooked through. Serve with a nicely chilled glass of wine, mashed potatoes, a crusty baguette, and some salad.

Lani, Dominique and I are worked rather well in the tiny French kitchen together. I think we’re finally used to working in small spaces. It’s like a choreographed dance where we all know each others steps.

So this week will be about memorization. I’ll be spending every night writing out the 20 recipes to make sure I know exactly what to do at each step. I’m also paying attention to the mistakes I made for each dish so I can avoid them for the final.

Stay tuned my friends. I’ll keep you posted!

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