Last night I took my first ever cooking class: French Cooking en Francaise. It was held through Brookline's Adult and Community Education program, for which I get a credit courtesy of my AWEsome ESL teaching skills. I had no idea what to expect. I'm a pretty experienced home cook and fairly knowledgeable about food in general, but figured I could stand to learn a few things from some professionals. And despite the disappointment I experienced several months ago over not being able to move to Paris, I don't harbor any resentment towards France.
In fact, I fear my well-documented Anglophilia may be fading in favor of the Gauls. Great. Another European country I can't move to with the added bonus of a language I can't really speak. C'est merde.
The two women who taught the class were fabulous though and gave directions in both French and English, for my benefit. I learned that, while my listening skills aren't too bad, overall I've retained very little from my brief French study sessions over the summer, but I will say that last night inspired me to resume my studies and perhaps take French lessons over the winter.
We made three classic French dishes: Soupe a L'Onion, Gratin Dauphinois, and Madeleines. It was nice to work with two experienced cooks and learn the little tips and tricks they've picked up--especially when they differed :) One woman swore by mixing a bit of chicken broth with beef broth for the soup, while the other insisted on altering between layers of pommes de terre and creme for the gratin. Everything was delicious of course and I've included the recipe for Madeleines because I'm just so darn nice.
I will say that we used two different pans: one was the tradition metal Madeline pan, while the other was a silicone non-stick mold. Granted, the silicone is easier to use and clean, but the Madeleines came out different--more dense and puffy rather than light and crispy. I for one, plan on buying a metal pan.
Madeleines
Prep time: 15 mins
Bake time: 8 mins Ingredients (makes 24)
1 stick and 2 tbsp. melted butter
a pinch of salt
3 eggs 3/4 C sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 1/4 C sifted flour
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
zest of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 380F
In a bowl beat eggs, sugar, honey and salt for 2 minutes. In a separate bowl mix flour and baking powder. Add to egg mixture little by little being careful not to over mix. Then add melted butter and lemon zest.
Refrigerate batter overnight or for a few hours if you are in a hurry.
Butter and flour the metal pans and pour the batter into the molds being careful not to fill them all the way to the top as they will rise when baked.
Put in the oven for 8 mins and voila!
Let cool for about 1 min, then remove and let rest on a wire rack. Serve plain with coffee, tea, or dipped in melted chocolate. I think it goes without saying which version I prefer. Store left overs in an airtight Tupperware container. They will last about 1 or 2 days.
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