Originally published on August 2nd 2016. I’m re-publishing posts I’d had on this blog that, due to some glitch of the internet, got scrubbed. No editing has been done.

I didn’t know the answers to most of the French pastry chef’s questions during the 3 hour pastry class. But when he asked our group the secret to making the best pastries, I knew the answer:

It’s all about the butter.

Rich, fatty butter was a constant in my childhood the way others grow up with Sesame Street or family game night. Our freezer often held between four and 10 boxes of butter, waiting in the wings. There was always a stick of butter at room temperature ready for toast, omelettes, grilled cheese, etc.

Before I learned long division, I knew the key uses of salted vs unsalted butter. When our local bakery changed its butter, my family grieved as though the place had closed.

I entered the 3 hour Parisian pastry class knowing about butter… but not much else. Despite learning a bit from my mom’s renowned baking prowess, pastries are another world entirely. They demand precision, patience, and a lot of details.

For example, making the butter look like it does below required more steps than I usually follow to make cookies. And this was step 1 of the class.

Highlight: The chef told me at one point that I pour milk like a barbarian. With more scorn than I have ever felt, he scolded: “This isn’t cooking.”