Life After School = Dull

So my dream of some exciting internship was killed the Monday after graduation. I was admitted to the hospital, with what was thought to be appendicitis and ended up being a serious intestine infection. I spent time in the hospital and left with a blood infection thanks to dirty IV work and ended up no use of my left arm and bruised right arm.

I still don't have full strength in my arm, but my work at ICE may not be all for nothing as I have had to put my externship work on hold. I grab a shift here and there at different bakeries and kitchens, did some commis work in Manhattan and have been exposed to the world that I love.

The more time I spend in the kitchen, the more I see that I could belong, could spend 40 years cooking for people I may never meet or even see, but it isn't the life that I want. I want to somehow help people see that food can be more than a meal, but an experience that people of all income brackets can enjoy and appreciate. I don't know if this is through consulting, writing, or restauranteur, but I see this as what I want to do in life. I would love to open a small restaurant in a vacation town (people more willing to slurge on vacay), that only cooks for a small group and makes them an incredible locally produced meal. One that enriches them, enriches their relationship, enriches their culinary experience.

Final Project: The Wedding Cake

The end of classes has final come and I'm experiencing a mix of emotions: excitement and sadness. Obviously excitement at all that I have accomplished, but I will miss my classmates more that I thought I would. We have only known each other since January, but I am so close to these people, we have grown and experienced so much together and survived it all (including a certain Chef).

Yesterday was our final class and the due date for my final project, a celebration cake. I decided to go outside my comfort zone and doing something more traditional for a wedding cake. We spent four classes learning how to make different gumpaste flowers with some time alotted for creating flowers for our final cakes.





And then it was cake assembly time:



I created a draped effect with gumpaste made to look like cloth, if this cake were for a specific bride it would tailor it to look like part of her dress.




And then the part that takes a lot of patience and maybe a class on how to be a florist, adding the flowers one by one:



For a finished product:





Classes are done but I haven't graduated yet. I have a final exam Saturday morning, a Senior Reception showing off my cake Saturday afternoon, and then externship time....I guess I better get on that.

Cake Decorating

This past weekend was a pretty laid back class of buttercream, royal icing and lots and lots of piping.

We learned a dozen different border styles, some flower techniques and beautiful buttercream roses



We even played around with some marzipan and covered a dummy cake in marzipan and decorations of our choice.



This past weekend's class was all preparation for our final project, a two tier celebration/wedding cake that is rolled in fondant and decorated with gum paste and royal icing. We have the weekend off this weekend and extra time to think about the design we want for our final projects.

Once we get back to class we have three weeks until graduation! Its incredible that we are almost at the finish line.

Quotes from our Kitchen and "on the outside" - mod4.2

MW: yea we talked a lot of boobies last night
Me: yea Ralph still has some explaining to do, why are you on the umm "A-Team" Ralph
RD: ::Silence::
Me: Who's team are you on Jo?
Jo: Which ever team Michelle is on, I'm sitting closest to her
MW: ow ow Boobies!

Chocolate Showpieces

The Challenge: build a showpiece from a minimum 51% chocolate with a height between six and 30 inches and no wider than a half sheet all in 14 hours over two days.

Theme: "Cities"


The result: Auckland in Chocolate featuring a Chocolate Sky Tower, an adorable sail boat and the cutest Kiwi ever.

Dining Out: Matsuri (Restaurant Week Menu)

NYC Restaurant Week is always a gamble. Sometimes you can get an incredible meal at an amazing restaurant for just $35, but many times you get an okay meal that is clearly not worth the $35.

Matsuri is one of those big disappointments. In picking a restaurant from the participating list, the only requirement was sushi. There weren't many options but after talking with other people and checking out yelp, Matsuri was the most recommended.

For our first course, we tried the Kampachi, which had a medium level of heat and lots of miso, but left me feeling like the fish wasn't the best quality and was drenched in the wasabi and miso to cover up the lacking meat.

Since sushi was our goal for the night, I went with the sushi platter which of course was a bunch of veggie rolls with a few decent pieces. They are clearly not trying to give anyone a good impression during restaurant week. I don't think I would ever return based on my two dishes. My dinner date's black cod was decent but is much better at Gotham Bar and Grill.

The best part in comparison to the rest of the meal were the desserts. Simple sorbets and a green tea tiramisu were a nice ending but were not spectacular.

When it comes to the drinks and service, the drinks were average (passion mojito was boring) and the service lacking. Our server disappeared and even failed to bring our drinks in a reasonable time. I usually try to be understanding if the server just got slammed, but we watched him and he had two other tables of small tops and one was at the end of their meal.

Maybe the food is better from the regular menu, but I do not recommend Matsuri during Restaurant Week (or any other week for that matter).



*The meal was so disappointing that it doesn't even deserve some photos, sorry gang.

Quotes from our Kitchen and "on the outside" - mod4.1

NB: That's what she said
Me: Ha, look at you telling twss jokes!!
NB: No really that's what she said

Mod 4 Practical: Molded Chocolates

Going into my final practical, I felt so comfortable with what we were doing. We made perfect chocolates in class the day before and I wasn't as nervous after surviving three practicals with great success.

But once we started working with the chocolate we noticed that the chocolate was not right and the temp kitchen we were working in was much much cooler than our normal classroom causing the chocolate to set too quick and the not hold its temp.

Thankfully Chef Scott noticed the chocolate issue and the change in the room temp and was very very kind to us. The chocolates came out very well, but a little thick on chocolate coating (not that there is such a thing as too much chocolate in my world).

Next we tackle Chocolate Showpieces between six and 30 inches tall made from more than 50% chocolate with sugar accents. Since our class picked "cities" as a theme, I am going to try to represent Auckland, New Zealand through a chocolate sailboat, Chocolate Sky Tower and an adorable Chocolate Kiwi. ~I'm sure most of you know who my muse is :)

I have to start making templates and make my game plan so when i get into the room on Saturday morning, I am ready to get this beast done in time for the display on Sunday at 4pm. Sadly my muse is out of town Sunday afternoon, but he will be given the piece to enjoy if I can get it home. Wish me luck and I will be sure to post some pics of my Auckland showpiece.

National Pastry Team Championships

Before leaving for Phoenix and the National Pastry Championships, I finally got the chance to check out Coney Island's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4th...just a quick shout out for Joey Chestnuts!!

I got to get up close and personal with the teams competing in Phoenix to be the US Champions competing to defend us against the world next year. I spent three days being a worker bee, server, and the embarrassing job as the parader, the person who has to parade the dessert in front of the audience.

Check out some picks of the showpieces from the competition:

Mod 3- The end of an era

FINALLY!!!

Mod 3 was so brutal that we had to have a parade to celebrate the end of it. Well the Mermaid Parade out in Coney Island happened to be the same day and an appropriate way to celebrate our relief.

For the final we had to split and fill and ice our pre-made wedding cakes and decorate with some chocolate piping and some buttercream goodness.

From Mod 3

I choose to celebrate the holiday with my cake.

From Mod 3

That's all I can manage to say about my final, that and yay for half naked mer-peoples!