"Noncooks think it's silly to invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet."

It is true - time makes the sauce.  Why was the Cioppino so good?  Because we used a Mother Sauce - the Tomato which we made in class.  It simmered for one and a half hours.  Tomato Sauce is made from salt pork, mirepoix, tomatoes,  tomato puree, white stock (any meat/chicken un-carmelized), pork bones and a sachet of thyme, bay leaves, garlic, parsley stems and peppercorns. The usual order is followed - render pork; add mirepoix (sweat); add tomatoes, the puree, the sachet, salt and sugar (just a smidge); add stock and bones and simmer slowly for 1-2 hours.  Remove bones and pass through a food mill.  For the Cioppino we sauteed onion, celery, red bell pepper, fennel, leek and garlic - deglazed with wine.  Added fish stock or clam juice, and The Tomato Sauce with bay leaf and simmer 15 minutes.  Add some chopped tomatoes and simmer 5 more minutes.  Then comes the seafood - added according to cooking time.  Finish with worcestershire,  and lemon juice - salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with parsley and basil. You will notice from the picture we had crostini with a homemade aioli... my mouth is watering and it is early morning.
To re-cap Thursday's class it went something like this:  8AM - meet around the demo table for our marching orders - 5 sauces in 4 hours... do-able.  The Bechamel, The Veloute,  The Demi-Glace (actually made from The Espanole which had to be made first and simmers one and a half hours),  and The Tomato.  All these made in teams of two.  The Hollandaise to be made individually.  We then present our finished product to the Chef for evaluation on taste, texture, consistency, etc.  Three of these sauces cook at least one and a half hours and then must be finished.  We concluded our sauces at around 11AM, at which time I launched into my Hollandaise... we are not friends, me and the hollandaise.  Suffice it to say, I restored my "broken" hollandaise and submitted it to the Chef.  He loved the flavor and the texture was good.  The need for truth compels me to admit that I made a few attempts on the hollandaise.  I hate the hollandaise, we are mortal enemies.
The afternoon proceeded along these lines: 12:30PM - gather for the afternoon directive - Creole sauce from our Tomato Sauce, Mornay from our Bechamel, Supreme from our Veloute, Bordolaise from our Demi-Glace, and a Buerre Blanc.  All made individually.  Honestly, this was easiest for me.  These "small sauces" are not difficult, but rely on flavor and texture and the proper technique in making a roux.  I did well with every sauce, but he thought my Supreme sauce was a little thin.  I finished with the small sauces in good order and decided to take the Buerre Blanc nice and slow (which is always a good idea when swirling butter into a reduction of wine, vinegar and shallots).  It really was lovely, and I used less vinegar and more wine (because I knew the chef liked that flavor better).  A very good way to end a day of testing!  We were all headed home by 4PM. 
Ron and I celebrated by going out to dinner ( I had a gift card!) and a movie - The King's Speech (which was amazing - go see it).  Cuisine II here I come!