So many perfect things just got ruined today, and I’m pretty disappointed about it. I didn’t have class until 3 today, so I decided to take full advantage of a gorgeous morning. I went to St. Germain to the Village Voice bookstore and bought lots of books and a New Yorker. I then went for a complete indulgence and ducked into the Starbucks around the corner. I took my foo-foo, completely un-French coffee to the tiny tables that line the sidewalk outside. It’s essentially like sitting on top of whoever sits next to you, the tables all touch. Nonetheless, I was in heaven drinking my latte and reading the New Yorker, which had an article by David Sedaris, to my sheer delirium. Then the lady sitting next to me ruined everything by getting up and abandoning her half-eaten muffin on the table next to mine. Within seconds, five angry pigeons swooped in and began fighting each other for the leftovers. I tried to shoo them away, but they wouldn’t be deterred. Is it really so hard to throw the muffin stump away? I hate pigeons, all birds, really, and that just ruined my morning.

So then I went to school and we were going to make boeuf à la ficelle. The chef took out a beautiful beef tenderloin and lovingly cut it into filets. He then proceeded to poach them in consommé (diluted beef broth) along with all the vegetable sides. Nothing is more disappointing than watching a gorgeous, red-marbled piece of beef go grey in urine-colored broth. I almost cried. In their defense, it was very tender and we made a nice sauce, but poaching steaks? Wrong. Just plain wrong.