What I Learned After a Year of Cooking School in France

I don't know what the rules are for someone to call themselves a "cook" or a "chef." But now that I've spent a year going to cooking school in France and working in a restaurant, I feel a lot more legitimate in my quest to one day earn those terms. Especially since I'm the proud new owner of a CAP Cuisine degree (which I explained more about in my blog post at the beginning of this adventure).

It's always been a dream of mine to turn my passion and hobby into something a little bit more concrete, and so I'm feeling really proud of myself right about now. I've just recently finished classes, taken my culinary exam and received my results, and I'm heading into my last two weeks working at my current restaurant. So, I thought I would reflect a little bit on what I learned over the past year – about cooking, about myself, and about the culinary world in general. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement about my future plans at the end of the blog!

What I learned cooking-wise

First of all, I learned so much about traditional French cuisine and techniques. Because I did an accelerated CAP Cuisine, we covered a two-year curriculum in just one year, so there are definitely some things that didn't stick as much as others.

However, here are some of the things I learned along the way:

• The recipe for a homemade pie crust (pate brisee) is now ingrained in my brain and I definitely won't buy store-bought anymore (OK, slay Ina Garten)

• How to sharpen knives with a steel

• How important it is to keep your post clean (with a container of water to rinse your utensils and a separate bowl or pan for food waste like onion peels, etc.)

• In French, not all soups are "soups" – and there's about 10 million different names for all the different kinds

• A beurre blanc is easier than it sounds, but do NOT overheat the sauce

• It's really not that hard to make good rice – it takes about 15 minutes in the oven with 1.5 times as much liquid

• The French have so many different ways to cook potatoes (my favorite is "fondantes")

• The rule is to let your meat rest for as long as you cooked it (cooked for 5 minutes = rest for 5 minutes)

• How to carve a chicken and filet a fish (yes, I learned this the hard way – by sticking my hand up their insides)

• I can now tell you exactly where to find the "faux-filet" of a cow or the "quasi" on a veal... and more

I could go on, but I'll stop there! I've still got a lot to learn, but my technical skills and knowledge have really improved.

What I learned about myself

The first and most important (and difficult) lesson I learned is that self-doubt is normal, even though it really sucks. I had many moments during the year where I felt like an imposter, like I didn't belong, like I was light years behind everyone else, like I was terrible at French... where I cried in the bathroom. I constantly worried about my technique, my knife skills, even my own taste buds. It was quite the obstacle to overcome because my fear of failure often held me back from volunteering for the more challenging tasks, in particular preparing and cooking meat.

Eventually I had to face this fear, though, and I started to become slightly more confident and take on more difficult jobs, even if I didn't do them perfectly right the first time around. After all, the point of school is to learn! So, that little voice in my head telling me I wasn't good enough got a little bit quieter when I gutted a chicken neatly right off the bat, when I pulled off a very stressful practice exam or when I got to help the chefs in the main kitchen prepare lunch for a visiting group from Ferrandi.

I also learned what helps me move forward when I'm struggling to believe in myself – a support system. Support from my classmates and from a good mentor, in particular. There was never an atmosphere of competition at school, even though the chefs could sometimes be a little scathing. Everyone was kind and helpful, looking out for and encouraging each other (all while sharing huge laughs). I received so many tips from my friends throughout the year that helped my improve in the kitchen, and the trust I received from my mentor at work allowed me to trust myself and become more confident (even when I would make big fat mistakes). I'm so grateful for this support; it made a world of difference!

What I learned about the culinary world

Finally, I learned some important lessons about the culinary world as a whole. It's changing as we speak, but it still has a ways to go in terms of being progressive, open and welcoming to all... there's a sense of camaraderie and, yes, fraternity that can feel exaggerated, and jokes can still sometimes go too far. I can see how the atmosphere in many restaurants could make a not-so-confident student – or any student, really – want to hang up the apron. People in the industry are perhaps too quick to yell, judge or mock than to listen and guide. We had a discussion in English class one day around the question: "Is it necessary to be authoritative, even brutal, to succeed in the restaurant industry?" We didn't come to a neat conclusion, but I know that I certainly don't subscribe to this kind of approach and it definitely doesn't motivate me as someone just starting out in the business.

I do know that some aspects of the industry appeal to me. I appreciate the focus on seasonality, local produce, and a certain creative, relaxed and vegetal cuisine that I saw from my boss at the restaurant. I'm leaving this year inspired, but not itching for a "standard" restaurant job for the rest of my life. The hours and physicality are definitely not for the weak. In fact, I find that having experience in the restaurant world can provide some flexibility. Private cheffing, private events, cooking classes, food journalism, catering, tourism, owning my own business... "line cook" isn't the only open door in front of me.

However, I'm still itching to learn, to expand my repertoire and to gain even more confidence. So, along with some friends from the CAP Cuisine, I'll be starting a "Certificat de Spécialité en Desserts de Restaurant" at the same school in September. It's a year-long pastry program that is focused on plated desserts served in restaurants. Like the CAP, it is "en alternance," so alternating between one week of school and one week working in a restaurant. I've already signed the contract for the upcoming year – I will be in the pastry department with yet another talented female chef at La Maison Kieny in Riedisheim, France. A fine dining restaurant, it will be a very different atmosphere from the wine bar where I've spent the last year, and I'm sure my old self-doubt will come back to haunt me at times, but I feel ready and I'm so excited to take on this new challenge and learn a whole new type of cuisine.

Stay tuned! Thank you for reading!