9 months in pastry world

Okay so where do I start?

Approximately 8 months ago, I started my pastry course at Le Cordon Bleu and now almost at the end of my Pastry course, I find myself writing, wanting to share about my experience in school. I'm a novice. I'm not calling myself an expert after only 9 months in school -- because there are just too much things to learn in pastry world and it takes a long time to be an expert or to be a chef.

So, my plan for going to culinary school was to learn how to cook. To be precise, to take Cuisine course. Learn the basic stuffs: how to julienne carrots to.. to be able to make boeuf bourguignon. Instead I chickened out when I know that I have to handle seafood in cuisine. Killing the lobsters and slicing the fish. Yes, not a big fan of seafood.

Even if I don't like to eat much sweets, I find myself enrolled in Pastry. I thought to myself how hard can pastry be? It must be easier and less pressure than cuisine? But no, I did GET the pressure in basic class, because you just feel self conscious about doing things right, whether it is good enough, whether it tastes right, and looks nice. And the most important is that whether you can finish on time.

In basic, I learned about sponge cake, different type of creams and viennoiserie.
Then I find myself moving up to intermediate level and learning different kind of cakes that are mostly mousse. Also tempering, decorating and creating chocolate box also making plated dessert for each lesson. I find myself having the most pressure, problem, troubles (you name it) when I'm in intermediate level. Struggling with time. To get everything done on time.
Now, on my last level, I find this session is the most relaxing term. Have the least class, least cakes to learn and make. But I learn something new too. Which is pulled sugar. Making sugar sculpture as part of my exam. I am not fully satisfied with what I've learnt in superior level. I'd like to see more but maybe because I expect too much out of this. But hey, who doesn't expect a lot when you already pay so much?

Sadly to say, my whole experience in Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa has just been so-so. Do I learn a lot? Yes. Does it worth the $$$? I'm not sure. I'm not saying that this school is bad, it's good, but maybe the one in Ottawa should step it up a little? I've read stories about people going to LCB in Paris, how they got to see 5 to 7 different styles of decoration of ONE cake. Within 2.5 hours. While the one in Ottawa, we saw only 1 cake or maybe sometimes 2 different cakes in 2.5 hours.

Here are some of the stuffs I've done in Superior level.

1. different flavors of macarons.
2. nid d'abeille
3. tarte aux abricots et crème brûlée à la pistache, strussel aux pistaches
4. entremets aux fruits rouges, crème mousseuse au chocolat blanc
5. chocolate showpiece