July 2011
1 post
Oops
Around 6 AM yesterday I was rushing around with a burning hot sheet tray and decided to use my arm to adjust it and stop it from falling (as I was trying to get the savory croissants in the freezer to cool them off quickly). I felt a singe and heard a sizzle, then looked at my arm where I now have a 3 inch burn mark and no more first layer of skin. It melted away in that second. good thing I am...
June 2010
7 posts
Occupational Hazard
This thing better be gone before the wedding.
Pain
Today is my first day off and after only working for two days I can’t believe how soar I am. Every muscle from my neck through to my fingers are in agony today. I didn’t even know some parts of my arm had muscles, but whatever it is…it hurts. Maybe I will lay by the pool to recover. Or on my couch. Unpacking from my vacation sure isn’t going to happen, that I know.
Summer Vacation
This was most of us on the last day of school with Chef Zach. I can’t believe school is over but I start my internship on June 7th and I am half excited and half terrified. Not looking forward to getting up at 4 AM but it should be a great experience.
But until then…this is what I will be doing…
And this… (thanks for the pic Juan! I would link it but you know I...
May 2010
6 posts
2nd to last day of school
More plated desserts…yippie?!
THREE. MORE. DAYS.
This was not my finest hour, but I am one day closer to graduation so I will take this mediocre plated dessert. It tasted damn good though!
Cheesecake, yummmm
Plated Desserts (LAST CLASS)
Plated desserts began this week, and as suspected it is boring and we aren’t learning anything new. Fortunately, for us, Chef Schrag taught us all this in our Hot and Cold Desserts class, so we are just relaxing and making some yummy desserts. Like in these photos, we made molten chocolate cake which simply has a truffle inserted halfway through the baking process. That is what gives it the...
Grooms cake & Baby shower cake
Rockies Baseball Stadium (aka Coors Field)
No, it’s not a rock Juan. lol
Baby Rattle for the baby shower cake. No it’s not a chicken drumstick.
Julia taking a photo of me looking insane, as usual. She has a knack for taking bad pics of me!
April 2010
9 posts
Done with the horrible class!
My final product…
Day 5 of Petit Gateaux
Mango Parfait. Yummy? Not really…but it looked pretty!
Petit Gateaux & Entrements....
I don’t have anything to say about this class because it is a nightmare working with this chef. However, here are some pics of the tasty treats we are making. It isn’t fun though. So to not have fun but make chocolate mousse torte, you know something is wrong in the world….
Choc. Mousse Torte
Raspberry Bavarian Cream Torte
Baunkuchen (German for Tree Cake)
A...
DONE! More pictures tonight...
Finished a day early. Woo hoo!
Day 6 of Sugar Project...Moulin Rouge is coming...
Here are some more pictures of the progress. The sign will be added to the top, and the letters will be glued to I think a red sugar background, but not 100% sure yet.
So far it is going well though. I decided to murder hatchet face can can dancer, or as Juan calls her “Freddie Krugar.” At one point I had her dead body on the stage and thought it could be a murder mystery at the...
March 2010
4 posts
Day 4 of Sugars
Well…I will let the pictures speak for themselves. It has been interesting to say the least!
Photo 1 & 2: The Turkeys are now Can Can Dancers! Please ignore the scary cracked face one with giant eyes. She will be replaced tomorrow.
Photo 3: Stage and base, looks kind of like hard wood floors!
Photo 4: Moulin Rouge Sign in the making. That was poured sugar! It was 315 degrees when...
Moulin Rouge Sugar Project
So for some reason, Chef Busch thinks it would be a good idea for me to make the Moulin Rouge stage with Can Can dancers lined up doing their kicks. I wanted to just do a few Moulin Rouge related things, but he liked his complicated idea better. So I am making the stage out of pastillage, which is basically like fondant in the sense that it is edible and you can roll it out and shape it like clay....
Internship Granted!
Got the job! That was easy ;-) Loved the bakery and it looks like I will be working on wedding cakes, consultations and tastings, setting up the cakes at the wedding site, and working on lots of other pastries. I basically get to run the shop in the morning but that means I can’t burn any of the products from 5 to 6 AM because then the customers will have nothing to eat! Eep!
...
February 2010
10 posts
Interview 2!
Interview on March 4th at 1pm with www.indulgebakery.com
It is a 45 min commute but its worth it to be working regular hours. Have a good feeling about this one!
Baking For Health and Wellness
Sorry to disappoint, but I have no pictures to post from this 9 day segment. I mean, I do, but the pictures might make you never want to eat yummy desserts again. We are making brownies with prune puree and horrible things like that, so I thought I would spare you.
Spring Break starts in ONE MORE WEEK. And then I am off to Hilton Head with Chris to do caking tastings and reception tastings, and...
Part 1 of Final
2nd highest grade in the class, finished 2nd (had 10 min to decorate the cake), and got a 98%!
Black Forest Cake for Dinner
Cake on Day 6. Two more to go!
Interview!
I emailed a cake shop close to my house this weekend and got an interview scheduled for next Thursday for my summer internship! I have no idea how to make my resume look more culinary but I hope I get it from my cake pictures! Guess I need to put together my portfolio right away!
Upgrade!
I did it! Not only did I finish 2nd today (we get extra pts for finishing quickly) but I got a “Very very nice” from Chef today! Wahoo!!!! That wall of chocolate was fun to make too. And it’s the weekend now!
Lemon Pound Cake
Got another “pretty good” today from Chef which is now not good enough. I must get an excellent tomorrow!
My First Cake
“Not bad at all for your first cake!” - Chef Zach (Master of Specialty Cakes)
Hey, I’ll take it!
January 2010
8 posts
Perfect Score!!!!
Chocolates class is complete and I aced my final and project/paper. Now on to Intro to Cakes!!!! I hope I don’t stink at it because then my career as a wedding cake maker will be in danger!
Chocolate Homework Complete!
After 3 days the heart shaped box made of chocolate is now complete! There is some gold brushed on the base to cover up the smudgy marks and the lid has a red and white rose shaped design. Since the lid can be lifted on its own, Chef told me that handles were not needed. Thank goodness! I was not going to complain that I was done. :-) And two days early I might add. To think I almost...
Chocolate Homework
So I have to design and make a box out of chocolate for my homework assignment. I am one of the least creative people, so while all my classmates are handing in elaborate 3D sketches about their amazing ideas, I have my idea scribbled down in a drawing that took 2 seconds but would still look the same even if I spent 3 hours on it.
My amazing idea? A heart shaped box with a lid that breaks into...
Never Buy Store Bought Pie Crust Again
I used to be overwhelmed with just the thought of making a pie crust from scratch. Or I would come up with excuses every Thanksgiving for reasons why I should just buy a store bought crust. Well, after learning this recipe in my Pies and Tarts class last semester, I will never make that mistake again. Not only is the recipe simple, it is worth every second of extra time that it takes. You can...
The beginning...
So I have no idea if I will ever actually write on this thing, but some of my friends think I should write about my culinary school adventures. I decided to completely change careers last year, so I moved from DC to Denver and enrolled in the Johnson & Wales Pastry Chef program. So maybe when I have less homework and more time to write, I will actually put some interesting pictures and...
