In a strange twist of fate, I ended up spending the last two days of my pastry internship not with the morning team as planned, but with the macaron team. I ended as I began, making my experience seem somehow more complete, like a well-wrapped package.

I didn't mind the sudden change in schedule due to an overabundance of interns with the morning team. Of course I thought the move was because the head chef was tired of telling me to be quiet. He assured me it was not and told me how much he enjoyed my attitude and personality.

I arrived early on my last day to say my farewells to the morning team. Since I was an intern from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, I was allowed to choose any Pierre Herme book I wanted, for free. Of course I immediately selected PH10, a huge collection of all the recipes made at the internationally-famous pastry store. One by the one, my co-workers/teachers for the last three months wrote farewell and good luck inscriptions on the book's inside cover. Even the man himself, Pierre Herme, wrote a few words of thanks.

It's customary when leaving a position in the culinary or pastry world to bring a bottle or two of champagne to share with the staff. Although interns are not expected to follow this custom, I brought a bottle of very nice Laurent Perrier and hid it in the refrigerator to celebrate my last shift.

The afternoon and evening progressed like normal, making the ganaches and then preparing the macarons for filling and closing. We made my favorite, milk chocolate passion fruit, and my least favorite, litchi and raspberry, as well as four other kinds. As I was closing my very last tray of vanilla and olive oil macarons, I could almost here the crowds cheering, like a marathon running reaching the finish line. I suddenly realized I was nearing the finish line of my own 16-month marathon. Everything I had done in the last year came down to the few moments it took to close ten more macarons.

As I set the last half on top of the final macaron, I was done. No more 5 AM mornings. No more instructions in a language I still didn't completely understand. No more scrubbing and ironing of my uniform. It felt good.

Once we gave the kitchen a good scrub-down, I broke out the bottle of champagne to share with the team. We took pictures, laughed, and chatted amongst ourselves. 15 minutes later, the chef in charge brought out a huge bottle of Belgium beer. "What's that for?" I asked. Evidently the executive chef asked the chef in charge to go out and buy something celebratory. This never happens for interns, so I was touched by the gesture. After another 15 minutes, two more bottles of wine appear, this time a gift from the chef in charge. Wow, either they really wanted an excuse to drink in the kitchen or they genuinely appreciated my efforts. I'd like to think it's the later.

An hour and half later, we were all a little tipsy, sitting on the counters and chatting. Never in a million years would I have pictured a scene like this, so casual and laid back, in the serious kitchens of Pierre Herme. A smile snuck up on my lips and lit up my face.

I cleaned out my locker and handed the key along with the big red tag bearing the number 17 written on it back to the chef in charge. I heaved my bag full of work clothes, shoes, and my special book up on my shoulder, and draped two more large Pierre Herme shopping bags over my wrists - a special order of macarons and a cake I had made the week before. Have to take advantage of my 30 percent discount while I can.

Straining under the weight of my packages, knees weak from the champagne, I stared out the window of the metro at the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. I had done a good job. They were happy with my work. I had made some good friends. As she was leaving for the night, the executive chef told me that the door is always open. Probably the best compliment I received during my three months there.

At home I stripped off my sweaty clothes and headed to the kitchen completely famished. I ended my last day by eating an almost American-style hamburger and watching an episode of Sex And The City. A good ending to a great experience.

3 Comments  Leave a Comment