30 Jan 2005: Showpiece Finals

Sugar & not so Nice

Bamboo Showpiece - Group I led this one - at least in design. it was pretty straightforward. A koi with head and tail out of a pond flanked with bamboo on a pedestal above jade and bamboo pillars put into the jade base. this piece is all sugar - well patis o'malt or iso malt or magic sugar - heated to 275 then coloured then final cooked to 340. yeah i said 340 degrees and the worst we got was a few minor burns and blisters. this piece was only a challenge because of the size i chose - okay i dig edible drama - so sue me - sheiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. I must say that despite all three of our flailing energy as we work before school then go to school 6 to midnight...we did SMASHINGLY. Again we managed a 3rd A . I felt immense pressure as we got an A on the chocolate piece and the gingerbread piece even despite being late...but we managed only 12 minutes behind schedule. and in damn good spirits - chef J had mentioned to Katie that we were very powerful together the 3 of us and had she added Katie to our group we would have been frightening. So there was Rebecca humming randomly as she worked in that personal joyful way of hers...My human encyclopedia with a dirty mind...there was Jena getting OCD over flowers and such just talking talkin talkin like crazy folks in the city but having fun and there was me with a fistful of bamboo. It's hilarious that people think we are 'fighting' but that's a stretch all we do is discuss the project to get optimum dazzle. Some people just can't be damn adults - huh... Oh well here it is...

Personal Showpiece - bonsai

For my personal showpiece I did a sculptural bonsai tree with a crane stones and waterfall...it fell quite a few times but i hustled through and made it on time - I somehow managed a 93 on it - even after I cracked it in a few spots. is that love or what. I wish I could be prouder of it - but it's still beautiful somehow.

n..... and Kae'z mom came by on the last day of school to check out our pieces on display etctera - he was watching me being graded and he said I make the most funny as faces in the world with my face all pinched up waiting for criticism...the last day was odd. Chef got rather emotional at the end of the night and specifically gave us hugs and me she gave a kiss on the cheek and she said don't ever second guess yourself and you keep making beautiful things - all those beautiful creative artful things you make - never give it up...she almost made me cry. She is a truly gifted teacher that chugs on even past the most retarded of students - and she has MUUUUCH joy and love for showpieces and the artful side of it. I feel lucky to have had her for 19 weeks. I'mma go visit next week. bwaaa hahahhahha. Some of the other chef's say everyone loves Chef J - they bring her gifts - they give her hugs blah blah blah. well Sheeit she's easy to love. If it weren't for her my ass prolly would have quit.

We went to work for her - there's another chef at school who thinks she's the bomb and her class is - until our class started putting out 2 ft monsters in the hallway - suck that egomaniacal kakaheads...

Schools out.

30 Jan 2005: chocolate showpiece

chocolate showpiece

this was the first of the group showpieces. there were three of us in our group - rebecca jena and myself - each with our own strengths and mine being mostly aesthetics...this is a chocolate composition - with mostly couveture chocolate - rebecca led this project with jena and i being her support. it is a radio flyer with a tilted wheel with a rag doll, teddy bear and baseball...there are also building blocks to support the structure. please keep in mind that this showpiece is chocolate in its entirety - and tempered as well so that it has snap and shine and none of that funky bloom (spotty crap) that is on "regular chocolate.

Needless to say we got an A+

i hella lucked out being part of such an awesome team. chef laughingly told us youse a'll biting off more than you could chew but somehow we managed to floor everyone.

rebecca glowed on completion of this project and she had the right .

jena is happily ree ree with the fine details

and me - i dunno what i do

it was a good start to the final segment of school. three projects with each of us leading and designing the projects...then our individual sugar piece.

15 Jan 2005: Chocolattierage & Resentments

Chocolattierage & Resentments

We began chocolate showpieces and candymaking... I was rather irate to receive a grade of 89...the photos below will quickly show why. I take great pride in making pieces that are not only delicious but also smashingly original...I'm not prone to following everyone's preferred designs or style and that's glaringly obvious. However, with only 2 weeks left, what can I do but bite down on my lip and finish this shit. Also, when I see people with mediocre or predictable pieces scoring higher than me it makes me want to wrench off my low rise bikini bottoms and SHOVE THEM DOWN THEIR THROATS. Punishment is quick for the original, even when the punishment isn't malicious. Between work and school and my eczema flare ups I'm not such a kewl kitten lately. Frankly, I'm baffled that n.... is putting up with my shit and doing it with such kindness and patience and love.

Welcome to the Chocolat Show... Chocolate Presented for Grading...mind you, chef told me that my presentation as usual was perfect and still I got no additional points:

The infamous chocolat box. Required criteria on the final. I chose to do a round box complete with feet, clasp, top & filigree lettering in Love...I also did a little homage to jackson pollock (hopefully the muhfuckka ain't rollin in his grave) The box is level and all people who saw it could tell. Chef went so far as to say it was amazingly cute and indicative of my constant originality and creativity. However because it wasn't tempered enough - she had no choice but to reduce my points. Good Gawd...then she told me not to beat myself up over it...Bwaaa hahahhaha. If anyone is beating me up I will beat ME up...

hazelnut bombs: caramel dipped roasted hazelnuts, complete with a chocolate dipping and one dragee atop the whole thing...deemed to big to be a candy - bwaaa hahahhahhahha.

white choc amaretto truffles...also deemed to large - but everyone killed these - bwaaa hahahahha

English Toffee with chocolate dip: these are akin to but like almond roca. The difference with english toffee is that although you can crack it with a hammer - it melts in your mouth like soft caramel - hella evil but beyond good...

Cafe Choooocolate: Dark chocolate filled with a creamy chocolate and kahlua cream...These are my fave but they gross some people out coz I put a real coffee bean on top. Bwaaa hahahha

Other things I've made and not photographed:

Toasted Macadamia Bark

White Chocolate and Lemon Truffles with Candied Lemon Peel

Random Caramels not pretty enough to pass forward.

nuSun and the blunt club posse had big fun eating my test candies. Shiloh begged me not to bring anymore home. I like to eat just plain nibs or bitters - but I'm a freak - don't bother me.

ps) if you have any chocolate suggestions please hit me with a note.

15 Jan 2005: Cakes and Kaka

cake and kaka

I've since finished the cake segment of my program...

here are some of the pieces completed

pastillage plaque with cocoa powder painting.

specialty valentines cake - masculine, hence the blue marbling

wedding cake...subtle at best

Truth be told i'm glad to be done with cakes...

and albeit i took home pieces i didn't take home cakes...the specialty bratz cake is not on here as I took real photos and haven't had the time to scan them...but it included an edible chaise and pillows, boots and purses made of marzipan

06 Dec 2004: Entry 143

E N T R Y 143

How befitting is this...that once allowed to pick any holiday at all I would pick valentines and ahhh ohhh don't blame a girl who's heart bleeds chocolate. bwaaa hahaha

bogey and bacall

I named it thus because it is a miniature chocolate torte topped with fresh berries and the most exquisite smattering of powdered sugar - bittersweet but a perfect pair. Clearly this was chefs favourite. Yes that's a love cookie don't hate. haha

heart puffs filled with diplomat cream. Diplomat cream is awesome, I love it - it's airy and friendly to the palate it doesn't lollagag around your throat the way pastry cream does. Most people like pastry cream better coz it's more rich - more custard...I like the hint of custard more than anything else. So yah this is a heart on a heart with cream and then a slivered berry on it. It's leaning towards sickeningly kyoote - but I like the flavour of this.

towering hearts filled with cream

This job is my favourite - staggered heart cut outs from puff pastry...crunch yet the center is filled with a light diplomat cream that you can dip the hearts in. yet on the side I put a chocolate touch...2 bebe hearts bleeding with chocolate...chef said this was heavy - but this was the crowd pleaser - especially topped with that 10 inch piece of sugar i made. A lot of folks who saw this little tower really dug it..in a real restaurant setting I would probably make it 3 high with 1 bleeding heart, but for school i maxed it.

N.... loved eating this monster, he's like oh bae this is yum *insert nodding and grinning and chewing and digging in pastry box for more!!!*...he gave me the most sincere look and said you haven't failed me yet and I know you never will. LMFAO...

Apple Towers

This is just a basic piece to show off macadamia nuts dipped in caramel. I made a phyllo apple/pear streudel cut it bias on a few pieces and then set them up like towers - positioned 3 macadamias with sugar strands. and then placed creme anglaise and a streudel white wine sauce i made. After removing the apple and pear from the sauce - i added about 8 oz of white wine to the sauce and reduced it. Once it reduced I threw in a handful of sugar and stirred until it was plating consistency. That was the yummiest part of this dish. Phyllo streudel just reminds me of lumpia on steroids. hahaha. N..... ate this thing like he hadn't eaten in days - well he had been at the club and don't get me started on the chocolate pockets I made. Hhahaha he ate those like an ethiopian in the back of a red cross truck. bwaaa hahaha.

I have one last set of plate photos coming and then i'm onto making candy and wedding cakes. All that jazz and all that good stuff. bwaaa hahaha - money makers that's what they are about. only 6 more school weeks and then I am done and stuff. I'm sniffing around for externships. Imagine that. It's gone by so quick - I only wish that I could take some more bread classes. It seemed that segment went by hella quick and Chef G hella made me hate bread...I also have sugar pulling and chocolate design left. exciting but nerve wracking...bleh.

Meanwhile I lucked out and I'm surrounded by some real true type friends and a fella that loves me like baNOODLES...can life be any better...blessings rain on us despite our challenges yanno!!!