Escoffier Day

     Boulder declared October 9th as "Escoffier Day".  Michel Escoffier, the great grandson of Auguste Escoffier was the guest of honor.  Our school and faculty provided a banquet representing five regions of France:  Provence, Burgundy, Loire, Rhone, and Languedoc.  I volunteered to help my chef with his station, which was Provence.  Our dish was bouillabaisse, or fisherman's stew, made of lobster stock, clams, mussels, and shrimp.  Additionally, we served toast points with rouille, a spread made of day old bread soaked in milk and pulverized with roasted red pepper and garlic.  It is very traditional and delicious with the bouillabaisse.  Our refreshing beverage was a lavender sour blended with effervescent Pellegrino.  Other stations included one which served cassoulet, another had Burgundy stew and pasta, one served caramelized onion flat bread, and one served apple cider and potatoes with prosciutto.
    There were members from all sectors of the food industry.  One actively recruiting Escoffier students to work for the company.  There were chefs from prestigious restaurants in Boulder and Denver such as the Black Cat and the Warwick Hotel.  Several chefs were inducted into the Disciples of Escoffier, an exclusive club where one is nominated by one's peers.  This included a couple chef instructors from school.  
     Michel Escoffier is an elegant French gentleman who spoke excellent English.  I was most impressed with his warmth and willingness to oblige me with a photo, which I promptly sent to my envious classmates.  I also got a signed copy of one of Auguste Escoffier's historic menus.  It was a long day but well worth it.