Day 35 of 60 | Bonjour, Paris! 🇫🇷✨
Second exam at Ecole Ducasse = officially in the books.
Today’s mission: produce two dishes from scratch and present them on the dot within a five-minute window to be judged by Master Chef Tony Salomon himself.
Dish #1: Broccoli Risotto
Dish #2: Duck with Polenta, Parsnips, Orange & Jus
Unlike Exam #1, where I basically felt like a goldfish who’d launched itself out of its bowl and was contemplating its life choices on the cold floor, this time I came in prepared.
Last night Lori and I raided the market for all the ingredients you see in the photo and practiced both dishes at home. We were up until midnight strategizing, sketching game plans, and cooking like two contestants on a cooking show that absolutely should exist. The difference this made? Calm instead of chaos. Confidence instead of catastrophe. A totally different human walked into the kitchen today.
But I wasn’t cocky. In my favorite sport, basketball, knowing the plays doesn’t guarantee you’ll sink the shot. You still have to perform under pressure.
Dish #1: The Risotto
My risotto started off… let’s call it “humble.” Not creamy enough. But Chef Tony gave me a rare chance to adjust, and I came back with a version he said was much improved. He even complimented my plating.
I liked it so much I used a couple of precious exam minutes to devour it on my way to the cleaning room. No regrets. Still a solid pass.
Dish #2: The Duck
This one felt like hitting a clean three-pointer at the buzzer. Chef said my duck was perfectly prepared, my polenta was spot-on, and he gave me the highest possible grade for creativity and presentation. Translation: he loved the plating.
Two small dings: my parsnips were undercooked, and my jus was too fatty. Even so, it turned out to be my highest-scoring dish yet.
I won’t know my overall grade until next week, but honestly, I already know a few things:
1. I am genuinely proud of myself. The growth from Exam #1 to today was dramatic - night vs. day.
2. I had more fun in that kitchen today than I’ve ever had cooking anything.
3. And yes… an old dog can learn new tricks. Turns out he can even plate them beautifully.
4. Most importantly, stepping this far outside my comfort zone has been one of the great gifts of my life. There’s something magical about being a beginner again—about fumbling, learning, trying, improving, and surprising yourself in real time. At this age, in this city, in this school… it’s humbling in the best possible way.
Thirty-five days in, I can say with a full heart that I am completely immersed in The French Way, exactly what I came here for. And today, in that kitchen, I felt it.
