In just over a month will Brussels Airlines launch their own flights from the European capital to Toronto, following the withdrawal from the route by India’s Jet Airways, which until then will operate code shared flights.Toronto is one of the top ten destinations visited by East Africans around the world and from there it is a short distance to Ottawa, recently visited by my friend Maria, who describes her culinary lessons and encounter with the Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa and Chef Christiana Solinas during a short course on how to make bread and pastries.
It goes to show that there is indeed plenty to do, in Toronto and also the nearby cities and of course the not too far away Niagara Falls.
Enjoy the read and soon, enjoy your flight with Brussels Airlines from Entebbe and Kigali via Brussels to Toronto for that quintessential Canadian experience!
On A Roll At Le Cordon Bleu
“Better to have a small piece of something made properly than a large piece
of something, so-so.” Those were the words of Chef Cristiana Solinas, the
quick-humoured, energetic and passionate Pastry Chef Instructor. With her
Italian accent, everything she said sounded very profound.
“Food is so personal,” she added. Indeed and personally, I just love food.
So it was with my love for food, good food, that I signed up for the Quick
Breads short-course at the world renowned, Le Cordon Bleu. Luckily, I
didn’t have to fly to Paris. Rather, I drove east from Toronto along the little
stretch of highway we call, The-Four-Oh-One, and hung a left just past
Kingston in to Ottawa, where Canada’s very own Le Cordon Bleu campus
is found.
Along with offering diplomas in areas like, Cuisine, Pastry and
Confectionary, the school also offers short courses for the foodies in all of
us, and for those who have recently retired and are trying to answer the
question, what the heck do I do now? Such were the majority of my
fellow students. To be fair, there were also young people in attendance.
Most were accompanying a parent who had recently retired. I was there,
because you know, I love food!
The short courses offered for the gourmet enthusiast, range anywhere from
2 hours to 4 days, depending on whether it’s a demonstration or a more
intense course, like Wedding Cakes (4 days). The selection of courses is
pretty outstanding – everything from Knife Skills (2 hour demo) to Julia
Child’s Classics (4 hours). With the 4 hour courses, students are advised to
bring their own containers to take their creations home.
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The afternoon started with a demonstration in Salle Cointreau, a fully-
equipped kitchen with large television screens for easier viewing of
Chef Solinas’ creations. Assisting her were three students from the
Basic Pastry program. While the Chef provided instruction and
demonstrated the proper way to flambé bananas without setting the
kitchen on fire, her assistants were at the ready with bread pans and baking
sheets, along with keeping a close eye on what was baking in the oven.
A notebook with recipe ingredients was provided, but not the directions.
It was up to each student to observe and make notes to allow for the
recreation of the recipe.
Once the demonstration, which included sampling all baked goods, was
over, students were escorted to the Practical Kitchen. Everyone had a
personal workstation waiting. All the required ingredients had been pre-
measured and were sealed in plastic containers. There were also utensils,
a tea-towel, an apron and of course, a Chef’s hat. Placing the hat on my
head, I immediately felt like I knew what I was doing. It was false confidence.
The demonstration by Chef Solinas had included Jalapeno and Bacon
Cornbread, Orange and Cranberry Scones and Flambé Banana Bread.
Our allotted baking time allowed for the baking of scones and banana bread
only. And so we began.
Flambé Banana Bread was the first recipe. I had made my notes. The
ingredients were all in front of me. I poured. I mixed. I flambéed. I was
wearing my Chef’s hat!
With the banana bread in the oven, I began the Orange and Cranberry
Scones. This recipe was a little trickier. It required kneading, a task which I
clearly lack skill. At various intervals, an assistant stopped at my station to
provide me with one-on-one instruction on proper kneading technique. Chef
Solinas also offered direction. It was of no use. I didn’t master kneading.
Undeterred, I pressed on. I was still wearing my Chef’s hat.
I used my rolling pin to roll my dough to scone-appropriate thickness. I cut
the dough into squares, pressed cranberries onto the top of each square,
reviewed the recipe, re-read my scribbly notes. It all seemed perfect. I was
done. My scones looked rather perfect, I thought. I pulled down the oven
door and gingerly slid my scone-filled tray into the oven. I turned my
attention back to my workstation. Yeee Gaads!! I had left one ingredient
out—baking soda.
Chef Solinas had spent time explaining the difference between baking
powder and baking soda, although at that moment I wasn’t quite sure
which did what. I did know that my scones were destined to be flat squares
of dough, prettied-up with cranberries.
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“Consider it an experiment,” stated my fellow student, when I told her what I
had left out.
In the end, it didn’t matter. I came away with a container filled with baked
goods, which I had made in my 4 hours spent in the world’s leading culinary
school.
If it was good enough for Julia Child….
(The author Maria seen here in the picture showing off her own creations)
