Day 48 of 60 | Bonjour, Paris! 🇫🇷✨
Today came with an extra dose of joy. My sister Sue McDonald and brother-in-law Joe Mcdonald landed in Paris this morning! ✈️🇫🇷
Now, full disclosure: they won’t actually see much of Lori and I during school days because Ecole Ducasse has us whisking, chopping, sautéing, and commuting from dawn to dusk. But the weekend? The weekend will be spectacular. It’s really special to have family here, both the ones who flew across the world and the ones I’ve gathered in this culinary bootcamp we call class.
Now to the good stuff…
We rolled out the Green Egg today. Yes, a massive Green Egg grill on wheels. In a French culinary school. Watching our chef, a proud son of Martinique, happily push that thing out like it was a parade float in the Caribbean was pure joy.
We barbecued veal chops and octopus, and let me tell you: The octopus dish was the best thing we’ve made in 48 days. If you put a gun to my head and asked me to list the ingredients in the marmalade and white sauce that made it so special, well… just remember me fondly. I ate it, loved it, and cannot for the life of me explain what was in it. 🐙🔥
The grilling portion? Your boy has attended more than a few BBQs in his lifetime. I walked in feeling like a pit-master and walked out feeling like a French-trained pit-master. If they gave out medals for “Confidently Knowing Exactly What You’re Doing Around a Grill,” I’d have taken home the gold. 🥇
And speaking of gold medals, I also set a new personal record today while a classmate cheered me on: 32 push-ups. I’m gonna do my best to make it to 50 before I fly home January 14th. I’m practically becoming a French-trained chef and a Navy SEAL at the same time. 💪😎
But the real MVPs of today (as always) were our incredible French classmates, RP and Emilie. These two translate, guide, often cook for everyone and support us every single day, with a level of kindness and grace that deserves its own reward. They’re in the picture with the Green Egg, looking like the culinary badasses they both are.
Family in town. New family in class.
Epic food. Smoky grills.
One extra push-up.
And a whole lot of gratitude.
What a day. 🙏✨
