Paris, France

I read over some of the blog entries from our last trip to Le Calabash. I think that we are feeling exactly the same way as we did at the end of our visit in 2012.  We can’t wait to get home to get into our kitchen and start cooking…….yet, at the same time, we are really sad to leave.  Sidney and Alison do a fantastic job of balancing cooking, education, sightseeing and relaxation while creating a welcoming home-like environment.  We have learned so much and, once again, they have gotten us ‘fired up’ and ready to tackle pastry without fear!  It really will be sad to leave. Today was a day for soufflés and ‘pulling it all together’. Over the course of the day we made (and/or ate) lemon, chocolate and cheese soufflés.  At the beginning of our trip, we ate at Le Soufflé restaurant in Paris.  The restaurant’s soufflés were quite good, but the ones that we made under Alison’s expert gaze were spectacular (especially the lemon soufflé when served with raspberry sorbet).  Slightly gooey in the centre and (almost) as light as air……can’t wait to try them out on friends at home. Today the various components that we created over the course of the week were brought together to create several really impressive looking (and tasting!) desserts.  The layered carmelized pear and chocolate mousse bar was paired with Amarula ice cream and chocolate sauce.  The frozen nougatine sand after the addition of chocolate and berries.  The individual pavolvas were a feast for the eyes with mounds of whipped cream, berries, tuile and sugar coils – it made for one snazzy looking dessert.  And still the dessert to impress to have with dinner. Dinner was a Zulu BBQ complete with smoky and tender piri piri chicken served alongside South African grits (sorry but I can’t remember the name) smothered in a zesty tomato vegetable mixture.  Our last dessert was amazingly sophisticated and absolutely sinful – Josephine’s Passion.  Inspired by Napolean and Josephine, balls of passion fruit parfait were coated with passion fruit infused cream and passion fruit sorbet.  Definitely and totally yummerific. After our pastry adventure we headed back to the hazy, nicotine laden streets of Paris to shop and eat for a few more days.  We finally headed home with our both our stomachs and heads much fuller than when we left.