The Culinary Universe of Le Cordon Bleu
OSWALD: Paris is certainly world renowned for its cuisine and when it comes to dining out, your choices here are endless. But we wanted to find a way to bring the flavor of Paris back home with us. So we decided to learn to cook like a Parisian and what better place than Le Cordon Bleu?</s>OSWALD (voice-over): This school of the culinary arts is as regal and distinguished as its seal. So you can only imagine how exhilarating it was to register at Le Cordon Bleu.</s>UNIDENTIFIED EMPLOYEE: And your name is?</s>OSWALD (on camera): Stephanie Oswald. (voice-over): Since 1895, these hallowed classrooms have been weakening the knees of some of the world's best chefs, including Julia Child. Now it was my turn to embark on a journey into the challenging world of the French sauces.</s>UNIDENTIFIED EMPLOYEE: Welcome to Cordon Bleu.</s>OSWALD: This is serious business. With the help of interpreters, the learning begins. One of our two instructors, Chef Mark Tives (ph), quickly gives us some tips on breaking the bones for our brown stock.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHEF (through translator): To make a large smile to your brochure.</s>OSWALD: Of course, in order to make several different recipes, a lot was packed into one day.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHEF: Un, deux, trois.</s>OSWALD: After a few palate teasing tastes, we were on our way to the kitchen. Leading us was Chef Didie Chanteur (ph). Dressed for the part of a French professional, we await instructions and begin. Our first dish, chicken breast with sauce supreme. One important lesson, how to season to taste. (on camera): I think I put too much salt in it.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHEF: No. More, yeah.</s>OSWALD: More? OK, well, I thought there was too much salt in there but the chef just added some more so we'll see. (voice-over): As a vegetarian, I'll have to trust my colleagues when it comes to tasting this dish. (on camera): I'm going to put this into practice. I'm going to make dinner for my crew when we get back to Atlanta so we'll see. (voice-over): They're still waiting. But regardless of how it tastes, there are other rewards.</s>UNIDENTIFIED TOURIST: The mystery of it, the mystique of it, the prestige, the length of years that Cordon Bleu has been renowned all over the world.</s>UNIDENTIFIED TOURIST: You can either come anytime of the week and just sit and watch what they're doing or you can do what we're doing today and actually get your hands dirty and have a play as well. It's fantastic.</s>OSWALD: It is fun, but maintaining the high standards of Le Cordon Bleu is quite a serious challenge.</s>UNIDENTIFIED TOURIST: It's a little nerve wracking.</s>UNIDENTIFIED TOURIST: I do take things at a little slower pace in my home kitchen, and plan to when I get home.</s>UNIDENTIFIED TOURIST: You can't learn it as a book. You just, there's little touches about it that, you know, your mother doesn't teach you in America.</s>OSWALD: When it's time for monkfish medallions with garlic cream and star anise, I'm finessing it, too. This is a dish I can eat.</s>UNIDENTIFIED TOURIST: My special chopping technique. It's called cutting the shallot.</s>OSWALD: Preparing the duck dish teaches us technique, this time with oranges. (on camera): It's so easy when he does it. (voice-over): With three successful recipes completed and one more to go, it's also easy to feel the satisfaction of a job well done. (on camera): This sauce, bordelaise, it's our last masterpiece. I think the most important lesson I've learned is that French cooking takes a lot of work and it's a lot harder than it looked up in the demonstration room. (voice-over): And for all this effort...</s>UNIDENTIFIED INSTRUCTOR: We have to confirm and go past here so. Stephanie Oswald?</s>OSWALD: Well, I don't know if my cooking skills have given me the right to wear this apron, but I think anyone who comes here should get a certificate just for having the courage to take on Le Cordon Bleu. If you want to learn more about these classes or anything else in today's program, stay tuned. We'll have that information right after the break.