Socrates was right

So, you know how Socrates said: I know that I know nothing (or something to that effect)? That's pretty much how I felt today. But in a good way.

Jean-Luc* wanted to test our current baking knowledge so he just started listing a bunch of stuff on the board that we then had to define. I think I might have gotten five. Out of 30. The list was as follows:

Macaron 
Madeleine 
Brioche 
Financier [This is when I asked, "Are these all desserts, or...?" They were.]
Eclair 
Angel Food Cake 
Genoise 
Ganache 
Sabayon 
Couverture 
Fondant 
Meringue 
Florentine 
Nougat 
Sorbet 
Kumquat
Isomalt
Paris-Brest
Mille Feuille 
Croquembouche
Strudel
Tarte Tatin 
Praline 
Chiboust
Choux Paste
Puff Pastry 
Crepe
Parfait 
Fougasse 
Stollen [Jean-Luc only pronounced this with a heavy German accent. So that is now the only way I can pronounce it.]  

The one redeeming factor about barely knowing what any of these were is that by the end of this year, we are not only going to know what they are, but we're going to KNOW HOW TO MAKE THEM.

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I was better at our second activity. We passed around 26 covered cups (with small holes in the covers) and had to guess what each one was just by smelling it. My olfactory ability isn't as refined as my other four senses, but I still did okay. The irony of some of the ones I didn't get is hilarious: curry powder... cardamom... seriously? Also, peanut butter. (Also rosewater, saffron, hazelnut, lavender, rosemary, star anise, and passion fruit -- not as surprising, at least.) And because I love lists, here are the rest:

peppers / apple / coffee / cocoa powder / cloves / molasses / 

coconut / vanilla / lemon / nutmeg / banana / peppermint extract / 

cinnamon / raspberries / ground ginger / honey 

The activity reminded me of the time I made a blueberry cheesecake while I was fasting and had to smell the blueberry topping to make sure it was sweet enough. It worked. Somehow.

Other exciting things from today: I got to use this cool engraving tool to engrave my initials on all of my baking tools. The novelty didn't even wear off 15 tools in. I can only interpret this as a good sign. 

Next Tuesday, we start in the kitchen. To bake and stuff. OH GOD, I CAN'T WAIT. 

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*This is a YouTube video of Jean-Luc, so everyone can picture him as well as I can.