by A. Gardner
The front row laughs as if on cue.
"Let's hope first impressions really are deceiving," Cole whispers.
"I'll be conducting this class a little differently than you're used to," Chef Otto informs us. When Georgina gets to our row, she tosses us our new jackets. She smiles snidely as mine slides off the counter, accidentally hitting the floor. "Since most of you will be working as part of a culinary team in your future professions, I want to split you up into pairs."
Bree places her syllabus in between us as if our partnership is inevitable.
"Pairs of my choosing," he clarifies, eyeing the few of us who prematurely claimed our teammates. "You don't get to choose who you work with…well, in my case that isn't entirely true, but you get the picture."
More laughing on cue.
"I don't get it," Cole whispers again.
Chef Otto clasps his hands together, sizing us up as Georgina joins him up front like she's his self-proclaimed sous chef. I can't help but roll my eyes. Like most of my classmates, I won't deny that Otto is attractive. But, the way my love life tends to play out, if I'm into him then he must be bad news. Maybe he's a horrible gambler? Liar? Cheater? Habitual double-dipper? He has a flaw somewhere. Guys like him are just really good at hiding it.
"Let's start with you, Georgina," Chef Otto begins. His eyes immediately lock with mine.
No. No. And no.
Before he can even ask me my name, I shake my head. Georgina's flirty smile turns sour as she glares at me like I'm that expired casserole in the back of the fridge that no one has the guts to clean out because it's sure to be a moldy disaster. I hate those.
"You two," Chef Otto announces. He nods, pleased with his brilliant decision to pair together the least likely combo.
"Oh, I…" Georgina smoothes a crease on her beige button-down blouse, attempting to retain her teacher's pet status while throwing me under the bus. "…that's not such a good idea."
"I agree." I second her comment with a whole-hearted shout across the room.
"Nonsense." Chef Otto chuckles. "You two will be partners." He glances at Georgina, and she giggles as if under his spell. She quietly nods, agreeing to be my partner for the remainder of the class.
"Wait," I speak up. Half of the class turns to look at me. "Don't I get a say in this?"
"Poppy," Bree mutters. "What are you doing?"
"Poppy, is it?" he answers, his pseudo-television grin unwavering. "Do you have something more you want to say?"
I have plenty I want to say.
"Yes."
Bree buries her head in her hands.
"I don't agree with your pairing," I say. Otto tilts his head, waiting for me to say more on the subject. "…Chef." He raises his eyebrows. I'm sure he's not used to having people disagree with him. And when I say people, I mean women. I can't brush this off for the sake of a passionate eye-lock with a celebrity playboy. I want to graduate.
"What's done is done." He chuckles confidently. "Of course, you don't have to stay."
"I'm up for the challenge," Georgina chimes in, turning her head long enough to shoot me a devious smirk.
"Alright, Georgina," Chef Otto congratulates her. "That's what I like to see."
"Fine," I blurt out.
Chef Otto continues pairing the rest of the class. Cole with Jeff, who snuck in quietly and took his regular seat in the back row without much notice. And Bree with Karl, a student who usually keeps to himself.
"Okay, switch seats," Chef Otto instructs.
"See you on the other side," I mutter to Bree, getting up to join Georgina at our station up front. She repositions her baking tools so they are as far from mine as possible.
"Poppy," Georgina forces herself to say. She says it like she's biting into a chunk of bittersweet chocolate. There's no sense in doing it, even if you pour sugar on top.
"Nice to see you again, Georgina." I can do this. I can be cordial.
"How was Paris?" she responds. "I see that you lasted the entire length of the internship."
"Yes," I reply. "And it turns out that croquembouche towers are rather easy to make." I half-smile, remembering Georgina's dessert entry that almost landed her the Paris trip instead of me—a massive croquembouche tower decorated with spun sugar.
"I'm glad you learned something."
"Oh, I almost forgot," our instructor announces. He grabs another box of supplies and begins unpacking it. "A gift from the school for getting this far." He holds up a light rectangular package like it's a chunk of solid diamond. In the culinary world, they practically are.
"Nice," Jeff says from the back of the classroom.
"They've all been engraved with the school's name as well as each of your initials so there aren't any mix ups." Chef Otto begins lining the packages along his counter—a glimpse of the smooth handles poking out.
"I'll help you pass them out, Chef," Georgina volunteers. Her eyes skip to one in particular. She grabs the package and places it in front of me. I carefully open it, staring at my brand new eight-inch chef's knife with my initials on the handle. "I trust you know how to sharpen it?" She says it within earshot of our new celebrity instructor. I try not to blush, but my cheeks start to feel warm anyway. The upkeep of our kitchen equipment was day-one type material. Right there with hand washing and setting the timer on the oven.
"Yes," I say through my teeth.
"Just checking." She giggles, keeping Chef Otto's attention. "You never know with you."
I clench the handle of my knife tighter than I intended to.
I hope I don't have to use this for anything other than cooking.
RECIPES
Homemade Croissants
Cheeky Chocolate Macaroons
Simple Pistachio French Macarons
Not-So-Lucky Little Lemon Tarts
Mère's Old-Fashioned Madeleines
Palmiers A La Dandre
Special Order Charlotte Russe
Marta's Must-Have Mendiants
Hot Chocolate—Jean Pierre Style
HOMEMADE CROISSANTS
For the dough:
4 cups flour
1 cup milk
¼ cup sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp yeast
1 tsp salt
For the butter plate:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) for butter layer
1 egg for egg wash
Day One:
Prepare the dough by combining flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and softened butter with milk. Knead dough, shape it into a round disk, and place in a pie pan that has been dusted with flour. Dust the top of the dough with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge overnight (the dough will not rise much, and that's okay).
Day Two:
Prepare the square butter layer by slicing two sticks of butter into thin pieces. Lay the butter pieces on a piece of parchment paper in the shape of a 6–7" square. It is okay to lay butter pieces on top of each other to fill open spaces. Place a second piece of parchment paper on top of the butter layer, and flatten with a rolling pin. Roll over the butter several times until the butter forms one solid plate. Peel away the top piece of parchment paper, and cut edges to form a 6–7" butter square. Cover again, and place in the fridge for about thirty minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge, and start rolling into an 11–12" square on a floured surface. Place the butter plate in the center so that the corners line up with the dough's straight edges. Fold the corners of the dough over the butter plate (the dough should resemble an envelope). Roll the packet of dough containing the butter plate inside into a long (about 8x24") rectangle. Fold into thirds, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for thirty minutes. Repeat this process at least two more times, and let the dough rest in the fridge overnight.
Note: Refrigerating the dough will ensure that the butter does not soften and make the dough sticky. Also, folding and rolling the dough creates butter streaks throughout. This is what crea
tes the croissant's flaky, buttery layers.
Day Three:
Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into two pieces. One at a time, roll each piece into an 8x24" rectangle. Cut the rectangle horizontally into four equal sections (three for larger croissants). Cut each section from corner to corner diagonally to form two triangles (you should have 6–8 triangles).
To shape each croissant, lay the triangle so that the longest corner is pointing at you (like an arrow). Pinch the two shorter corners (the ones farthest from you), and roll them forward. Shape each croissant into a crescent. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and brush the tops with egg wash.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18–22 minutes or until golden brown on top. For best results, bake on the top rack only.
CHEEKY CHOCOLATE MACAROONS
10 ounces unsweetened shredded coconut
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened and condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg whites
⅛ tsp salt
1 cup sweet chocolate chips
Mix together the coconut, sweetened and condensed milk, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites and salt until they form medium to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the coconut batter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop batter into balls. This recipe will make about three dozen cookies.
Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Melt the chocolate chips in a bowl and scoop into a sandwich bag. Seal the bag, and snip the corner to drizzle chocolate on top of each macaroon. Let the cookies cool for about thirty minutes or until the chocolate has had time to harden.
*NOTE: For additional chocolate on each cookie, dip the bottom into the bowl of melted chocolate and set on parchment paper to dry. This method will require a longer drying time.
VARIATIONS:
Black and White: Drizzle each cookie with milk and white chocolate.
White Chocolate Wedding: Drizzle each cookie with white chocolate.
Mexican Hot Chocolate: Drizzle each cookie with your choice of chocolate and add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
SIMPLE PISTACHIO FRENCH MACARONS
For the cookie:
1 cup almond flour
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup sugar
2 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
2–4 drops green food coloring
For the pistachio buttercream:
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup ground pistachios
For the cookies, start by whipping egg whites until they start to form soft peaks. Add the sugar and cream of tartar. Whip until the egg whites form stiff peaks (about 8–10 minutes). Add green food coloring, and blend until desired shade is reached (the color will fade when the cookies bake). In a separate bowl, sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar. Add the mixture to the egg whites, and fold in slowly. Continue to fold until the batter reaches the consistency of molten lava.
Place a plastic freezer bag or piping bag corner side down into a tall cup. Fold the sides of the bag over the cup, and scoop in batter. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Pipe the batter into small ¾" circles spaced. This recipe will make about 48 shells (24 cookies). Let the cookies sit for 30 minutes before baking.
For the buttercream, mix together softened butter and powdered sugar. Add the ground pistachios, and mix well.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10–15 minutes. Let the cookies cool before peeling them from the parchment paper. When the cookies have cooled, form into sandwiches using the pistachio buttercream as the filling.
NOT-SO-LUCKY LITTLE LEMON TARTS
For the crust:
2 cups flour
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
For the filling:
4 eggs
4 yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup lemon juice
Pinch of salt
½ cup butter (1 stick)
For the crust, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg, and mix well. Add the flour, and knead dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes. When the dough has stiffened, roll on a floured surface about ⅛–¼ inch thick and cut into twelve pieces. Press each piece into mini tart molds (or you can use a cupcake pan). Stab the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork to prevent the dough from getting too puffy.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10–12 minutes. Let the tarts cool before removing them from molds.
For the lemon filling, whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar, salt, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Heat slowly on low heat, stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon (about 5 minutes). Turn the heat to medium (no higher), and stir until mixture is thick enough to coat the wooden spoon (about 3 minutes). Do not let the mixture start to boil. Remove from heat, and stir in the butter one cube at a time. Sift filling into a bowl.
Spoon filling into mini crusts, and refrigerate for an hour.
NOTE: Leftover lemon filling can be used as cake filling, a crepe topping, thinned down with water to create a lemon glaze (for cookies and scones), or frozen for future use.
MÈRE'S OLD FASHIONED MADELEINES
3 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup butter
1 cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp lemon zest
Cream together butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add to the wet ingredients. Add the honey and lemon zest to the batter. Spoon mixture into well-greased madeleine pan.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10–12 minutes.
NOTE: Because these cookies tend to be a little dry, they are best eaten with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
PALMIERS A LA DANDRE
1 sheet puff pastry dough
1 cup sugar
Let pastry dough thaw, and roll onto a sugared surface (use sugar in place of flour). Roll dough into a 10" square and sprinkle with sugar. To create palmiers, fold two sides of the square so that they reach half way toward the middle. Fold each side a second so that they meet at the middle, and then fold one half on top of the other. Cut roll of dough into 12 even pieces (just less than an inch thick). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and press the dough to form fatter cookies. Sprinkle the tops with more sugar.
Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 8–12 minutes or until the sugar begins to caramelize.
For Palmiers A La Dandre, create a palmier sandwich using buttercream (pistachio buttercream recipe above) or jam as the filling.
SPECIAL ORDER CHARLOTTE RUSSE
15–20 Ladyfingers (packaged or homemade)
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 ¼ cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whipped cream
In a cup, dissolve gelatin into ¼ cup of milk, and set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together eggs, sugar, salt, and remaining milk. Heat mixture on medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Stir until mixture is thick enough to coat the wooden spoon (10–15 minutes). Do not let the mixture reach boiling point.
Remove pan from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and cup of gelatin. When the custard has cooled, fold in the whipped cream (the custard will still appear thin, but it will stiffen once it rests in the fridge). Line a bowl, trifle dish, or individual serving dishes with ladyfingers (sliced pound cake will work too). Pour vanilla custard into dish, or dishes, and let it set in the fridge for a few hours.
NOTE: If the mixture reaches boiling point, the custard will break resulting in a lumpy soup-like texture that will not set.
HO
MEMADE LADYFINGERS
2 eggs, separated
¼ cup sugar
½ cup flour
¼ tsp baking powder
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks, and mix in sugar. Fold in beaten egg yolks. Fold in flour mixture until combined. Scoop batter into a pastry bag, or plastic freezer bag, and pipe onto baking sheet forming oval-shaped cookies (about 4" long).
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8–12 minutes. Cookies should be lightly browned on top. This recipe will make about 2 dozen.
MARTA'S MUST-HAVE MENDIANTS
1 package melting chocolate (milk, dark, or white)
Toppings of your choice (nuts, candied or dried fruit)
Melt chocolate in microwave or using a double boiler. Spoon melted chocolate onto parchment paper using the back of the spoon to form a circle. Add toppings (about 3–4 items). Chocolate will expand slightly when each topping is added.
Suggested topping combinations: dark chocolate with walnut and dried cranberry, milk chocolate with candied pineapple and shredded coconut, white chocolate with pistachio and dried cherry, milk chocolate with crushed pretzel and caramel drizzle, any chocolate with holiday candy and (or) sprinkles.
HOT CHOCOLATE—Jean Pierre style
4 cups whole milk