Cooking Class

   Before I left California for this trip my two amazing girlfriends, Beth and Robin, gave me a bon voyage gift of a cooking class in Paris.  Today was the day!  I met my American group and french chef from La Cuisine Paris at the Place Maubert near the Sorbonne.  There is a strip of specialty food shops there permanently and three days a week, the market food stalls are set up.  Our pregnant chef, Camille, explained that these are unlike American farmer's markets in that the vendors are not the actual growers.  They buy everything from a huge wholesale market outside of Paris and bring it in.  Every product's origin is displayed.  Camille was very adamant about using AB (organic) products whenever possible and horrified when I asked the word for seedless grapes.  "If it doesn't have seeds, how can it reproduce?!!  It's genetically modified, it's crazy!!"
   We wandered through stalls purchasing the foods we were going to prepare.  Camille hadn't chosen a menu but was rather going to let the food options guide her.  We bought mirabelles which are small, yellow, plum-like fruits that we decided to put in a clafoutis (a baked custard kind of thing).  Then we found a squash like vegetable called a potimarron that Camille said was like a pumpkin crossed with hazelnuts.  The skin can be cooked an eaten as well as the flesh.  The group couldn't decide on what meat to prepare so we got a pork tenderloin (that they call filet mignon) and 2 duck magrets.  I had noticed some small artichokes that I pointed out to Camille.  We agreed they would be a good purchase but I didn't know what the chef had in store.  After getting some fresh hazelnuts, figs, prosciutto and a cheese selection, our group walked a few blocks past Notre Dame, through Ile St. Louis, and over to the right bank for our class.
   We were greeted by a lovely british girl who had several french presses of fresh coffee waiting for us.  The group took a quick break and got to know one another while the chef prepared  the kitchen.  Once the class started, everyone was performing tasks like washing vegetables, pitting mirabelles, cracking hazelnuts, scoring duck fat, and mincing garlic.
   The menu was:
Appetizer of halved figs stuffed with a fresh hazelnut and wrapped in basil and proscuitto.
Shaved baby artichoke salad with shaved parmesan
Marinated, seared and roasted duck and pork tenderloin
Roasted potatoes with garlic, bay leaves and cayenne pepper
Puree of potimarron
Cheese course
Mirabelle clafoutis

What a great day and a great gift.  Thank you Robin and Beth!

Place Maubert

Notice the little furry green things, those are fresh hazelnuts.

Camille, our chef, about to select the mirabelles.

Somebody bought the Rick Steves backpack!

Choosing the potimarrons.

The foie gras man.

The fishmonger had some nice things.

Baby artichokes 

Goat cheese.

Cutting the compte.

The class kitchen

AMAZING appetizer!

Duck magret.

Mirabelle clafoutis

Enjoy!