Maybe I got ahead of myself!?!

In my excitement to complete my first menu, I find myself learning quite a lot, and not just about cooking.  So as I think about things, I am not only trying to improve my cooking techniques and enjoy good food, but I am also learning to communicate my ideas through this blog.

I don’t necessarily consider myself the best written communicator; instead I am much more comfortable communicating ideas through verbal means.  You might notice this if you look closely for spelling, grammar and word choices that you may find out of place. 

As I think about the best way(s) to communicate about Le Cordon Bleu AT MY HOME I think it would have been more effective to give some more background on the book.  I think it is important to expand further on what I have mentioned early about the teaching techniques through “lessons”, in particular for those of you who do not yet own a copy of the book yourself.

There are 90 lessons in the book.  Each lesson represents a menu, which imbeds in it the cooking techniques that will be taught.  They are also divided into three sections of increasing complexity and skill.

Part One is the Pratique de Base or “Getting Started”, consisting of 30 lessons that will “introduce techniques and procedures all French cooks must be familiar with.”  These menus “evoke the gastronomic diversity of France and the simplicity of French home cooking” (2).

Part Two, Intermediaire—Perfecting Skills, are lessons 31 through 60 which are “devoted to providing experiences [aimed at]…perfecting skills and to learning more demanding techniques” (170).

Part Three contains the lessons 61-90 called Superieure or Perfessional Touches.  These lessons “illustrate a creative approach to French cuisine and emphasize the kind of attention to detail that is the hallmark of an experienced chef” (340).

Here is what a lesson looks like, from page 5:

 

	Lesson 1
Concombre a la Menthe CUCUMBER SALAD WITH MINT ___ Poulet Roti ROAST CHICKEN ___ Petits Pois a la Francaise SPRING PEAS WITH LETTUCE, CHERVIL, AND ONIONS ___ Salade des Fruits FRESH FRUIT SALAD WITH COINTREAU

I hope this gives some better background information, as well as an explanation of the menu for Lesson 1.  I have already shared my shopping experiences for Lesson 1, so maybe next time I will remember to post the menu first then share my other experiences.