Tante Marie – Mayonnaise Hell and Pasta Heaven

Another week at Tante Marie Culinary School in the books. Why anyone would make (or eat) Mayonnaise is beyond me. Why anyone would spend 25 minutes whisking it to perfection is just plain mad.  I begged to use a blender or a mixer or anything other than a whisk to make mayonnaise, but my pleas were ignored. My short cuts and speedy cooking techniques are not winning me any points at Tante Marie. It turns out your vegetables are supposed to be cut the same size and the garlic actually has to be mashed and not just ginsu chopped. And you actually have to measure and weigh things. The mayo almost destroyed what little patience I have for precise cooking techniques but I mastered the emulsion thingy and turned out something that resembled mayo. Then I had to stick my hands up a dead chicken’s backside and cut a cow’s leg into chunks. My years of living in Alaska prepared me for skinning Salmon and plucking off the heads of Prawns so all in all we will call it a good week. We got to light two things on fire with Crepes Suzette and Brandy Cream Sauce. Playing with fire and eating crepes drowning in brandy and Grand Marnier made me forget all about the mayo business. Homemade Pasta was the highlight of the week along with lots and lots of desserts. I am getting the hang of measuring things after all.