WOMAN.ca Invited on Campus to Test Drive Julia Child's Final Exam Meal

After our market tour, we finally got down to business. This is what I'd been waiting for - a culinary demonstration of the three dishes that Julia Child prepared for her 1951 Cordon Bleu final exam in Paris. First, Oeuf Mollet, Sauce Bearnaise. Le Cordon Bleu Signatures Restaurant Chef Yannick Anton began the process of making a picture-perfect sauce. Once he was finished, he arranged in a shallow ramekin, two soft-cooked eggs sitting atop a bed of boutique harvest micro-greens. They were blanketed with a perfectly velvet Bearnaise, to the delight of the intimate audience.

Next up, Côtelettes de Veau en Papillote. A sautéed veal chop with duxelles, or hashed mushrooms, on either side, overlayed with ham slices and sealed artfully in baker's parchment for browning in the oven. When Chef Anton broke into his "origami" sealed paper bag to finish the dish, I can attest that the front row was treated to the most divine earthy aroma.

In the final stint to passing muster at Le Cordon Bleu in 1951, culinary candidates had to execute a Crème Caramel. To demonstrate this course, we are introduced to Master Chef Instructor Christian Faure. With his dedicated years of service to Princes, Kings and Presidents, the American Academy of Hospitality and Sciences named Faure Best Pastry Chef of the World and awarded him the Five Star Diamond Award".

Meeting Faure in such a collegial, intimate setting was certainly a highlight of the trip. Last year, Faure was celebrated by the Ambassador of France in Canada when he was named a Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit. The Ordre National du Mérite Agricole is an order of merit established in France in 1883 to reward contributions to agriculture. In 1997, Faure was awarded the supreme title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France. The following year, he is named Executive Pastry Chef of the Kitchens of the Hotel of Paris alongside Chefs Mario Muratore and Alain Ducasse. Faure went on to oversee the events of the Princely Palace of Monaco. Recieved as a Membre of the Culinary Academy of France; he's further named by his peers as President of the Société Nationale des M.O.F. section Alpes Maritimes, Corse et Principauté de Monaco where he multiplied the initiatives and contributed to the relaunch of the Best Apprentice competition.

In 2006, Faure is named Director of the Operations at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute of Ottawa. He also acts as the International Executive Pastry Chef of Le Cordon Bleu International. Through his executive leadership and in his daily teaching tasks, Christian is an enthusiastic defender of French gastronomy. Chef Christian Faure is pictured here with Pamela Bakalian, Marketing Manager at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa.

After the humbling demonstration we are chauffeured to the iconic Fairmont Chateau Laurier for check in. After a refreshing shower and a quick costumed change, I hit the red carpet Julie & Julia premiere reception at The World Exchange Plaza. To whet appetites for the film, 'amuses gueules', prepared by Le Cordon Bleu Chefs were circulated through the crowd. The selection of these bite-size hors d'oeuvres were inspired by Julia Child's adaptation of the classical repertoire of French recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

In addition, guests learned how to flip and flambé crepes and witnessed a dramatic sugar demonstration. And with a massive sugar rush, we all filed into the adjoining cinema to preview the film in a special advance screening. And thankfully, the biopic we'd made the pilgrimage to see was as satisfying as the day spent in the steps of the film's plucky subject. Meryl Streep is Julia Child and Amy Adams is Julie Powell in Nora Ephron's adaptation of two bestselling memoirs: Powell's Julie & Julia and My Life in France, by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme.

Based on two true stories, Julie & Julia intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends...until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible. In the film, frustrated temp secretary Julie Powell embarks on a year-long culinary quest to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She chronicles her trials and tribulations in a blog that catches on with the food crowd. The film weaves this contemporary narrative with the years Child and her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) spent in Paris during the 1940s and 1950s.

This entertaining comedy is a homage to every woman's unique talent for reinvention.
Streep and Tucci boil over with onscreen chemistry, turning their Devil Wears Prada rivalry into a romantic reunion - full of witty repartee, delicious sex and many unforgettable meals. Their first lunch in France featured a feathery Dover sole bathed in butter sauce. It was, Child later wrote, the most exciting meal of my life. Susan Spungen, the movie's food stylist savant, delivered pictorial epiphany in every scene - from the pillowy stuffed duck to the infamous live lobster. After a dozen years as Martha Stewart's food editor, Spungen was no stranger to the demands of a perfectionist.

Julia & Julia is a ripe summer pleasure - audiences vicariously feast on mouth-watering dishes, all the while treated to another Streep tour de force. WOMAN.ca also recommend exploring the social events and day programs at Le Cordon Bleu's Ottawa campus - it's quite a treasure.

Le Cordon Bleu was founded in Paris in 1895. Today, it is present in 15 countries with more than 30 schools and brings together over 20,000 students from more than 70 nationalities. Le Cordon Bleu International has become one of the leading organizations dedicated to the teaching of culinary and pastry techniques and restaurant, hotel and tourism management.

And for all you culinary enthusiasts, check out WOMAN.ca's Recipes Section and Le Cordon Bleu's new site honoring the school's role in film, meant to inspire foodies, culinary professionals and food lovers to reignite their passion for cooking.

By Si Si Penaloza, Editorial Director, WOMAN.ca

Si Si Penaloza
		About the author:
		Si Si has cultivated strong ties with editors, producers and publishers at all major Canadian media outlets. She is a seasoned print, radio and broadcast specialist. Graduating Magna Cum Laude from Bowdoin College in Maine, Si Si moved to Manhattan to study Film at New York University. Her strengths lie in contextualizing relevant content for a broad audience. She's driven to stay competitive and at the top of the market - commissioning exclusive features and launching bold initiatives.
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