By Walter Burkat ’16
Photo Courtesy of Erin D’Ameilo
French club smiles with the meals they made with Upper Farinon’s Chef Michael.
Students do not often get the chance to pass up a swipe at Farinonfor a five-star dinner, but 11 members of the French Club did just that when they learned how to cook French cuisine Tuesday.
Lafayette’s Chef Michael guided the lesson, showing the French Club, or Le Cercle Français, how to cook an authentic French meal at the Marquis kitchen. Along with a history lesson on French cooking, students learned how to make Coq au Riesling, potatoes Boulanger, Hollandaise with asparagus and cheese soufflé.
Chef Michael, a well-known face in the Lafayette dining halls, has been involved in the culinary arts for 45 years. While preparing dinner, Chef Michael talked about his experiences as a career chef—most memorably, learning the real way to prepare chili. His cooking knowledge and easy-going sense of humor made learning easy.
Chef Michael went all-out with the meal, using the correct French cooking techniques, like pan-searing and oven-roasting. The students joined nearly every step of the process, although Chef Michael handled the more delicatesoufflés himself.
After about an hour and a half of hardcore cooking, the meal was finally ready, and the hungry students enjoyed their culinary masterpieces. The French Club is eagerly anticipating the next French cooking class, which is tentatively scheduled for the spring semester.