Le Sigh

October is almost over and I still haven't made my candy corn!  Perhaps I will find some time this coming week...

Here's me with some I made last year (and yes, that is a Chinese take-out bowl):

You're My Cuppycake...

You're my Honeybunch, Sugarplum,
Pumpy-umpy-umpkin, You're my Sweetie Pie.
You're my Cuppycake, Gum Drop,
Snoogums-Boogums, You're the Apple of my eye
And I love you so and I want you to know
That I'll always be right here
And I love to sing sweet songs to you
Because you are so dear




Yup, you guessed it (actually, you probably didn't)...I work at a cupcake shop now.  A "cupcakery," if you will.

I love it.  I also love that I wake up happy in the morning.  The new job may or may not be the sole reason I am happy.  But it is at least a very SIGNIFICANT reason for my happiness.

LG asked me an interesting question the other day: "When did you get so gangsta?"

Hahahahaha....wait, what?  Come on, LG.  You know I'm the whitest person you will ever know.  Like, you pretty much have to explain to me what you and Erin and Eryn are talking about almost always.

Anyways...my response to him?  "Probably when I stopped caring at work" (to clarify by "at work," I meant, at the restaurant, not the cupcakery).  "Or maybe it was when I just stopped caring what people think.  It's whatevs.  You don't like me?  I don't care."

Don't get me wrong.  I do care.  I'm just more sure of myself now than I ever have been in the past...I'm "coming into my own."  I've learned so much about myself in the past few months...who I am, who I want to be, what I want to do "when I grow up," what kinds of people I want to be friends with, what kinds of people I DON'T want to be friends with, and basically why I shouldn't sweat the small stuff.

Sometimes things happen in life that really change your perspective of everything...sort of like having an epiphany...and I may or may not have had one of those "life changing" events a month or 2 ago.

And back to cupcakes.  Mom sent me a picture of the cupcake one of her coworkers bought her for "Case Manager Appreciation Day" at the hospital she works at.  This is my brother, Ryan, and the beautiful red velvet cupcake that Mom is so graciously sharing with him.  Also, notice there are cupcakes on the napkin:

FDA to consider OK of genetically engineered salmon

Brought to you by CNN: 
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/20/genetic.engineered.salmon.hearing/?hpt=T2

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold a hearing Monday as it considers whether to approve genetically engineered salmon for human consumption.

If approved it would be the first genetically modified animal permitted by the food safety agency. 

A company, AquAdvantage Salmon, has injected growth hormones into Atlantic salmon that enable the fish to reach maturity in half the normal growth time, 16 to 18 months, rather than 30 months.

The FDA in an analysis dated Monday, wrote: "We therefore conclude the food from AquAdvantage Salmon that is the subject of this application is as safe as food from conventional Atlantic salmon and that there is a reasonable certainty of no harm from the consumption of food from this animal."

But critics worry about the possible health effects of eating fish containing the growth hormone."

"It's impossible to talk about the risks other than saying they haven't been properly assessed, other than process has been rushed and we don't know," said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food and Water Watch. She added that the FDA is a "very stressed agency" with all the latest recalls and outbreaks, that it "can't ensure the safety of the foods they currently regulate."

Hauter said that the FDA has relied too heavily on information provided by AquAdvantage and that there should be a more extended time given to thoroughly vet and discuss risks.

A final decision is expected in a few weeks.

My question to you:
If the FDA approves most of our beef and chicken (which are injected w/ growth hormones and raised on an unnatural diet of corn and grains), doesn't that mean Salmon would be the THIRD GMO animal to be approved by that terrible gov't organization and not the FIRST?

That is exactly what Americans need.  More food-like "food."  How about we raise animals to grow they way they are suppose to...on a natural diet and without growth hormones.  I'd rather pay more for grass-fed, hormone free meat and poultry than for some sort of food-like product that I'm not sure is even good for me in the first place.


And as my friend, Dan, pointed out:
"Seafood is one of the only untouched foods in this world...why do we humans always have to adapt this world to our needs... not even needs, our wants"

Food News Journal

Just the other day a thought popped through my mind (I know, my brain works, it's amazing!):  There's got to be some resource for news about food and the industry.  But where?


And then I never pursued that thought any further.  Should have, but being sick (and sleeping for 14-16 hours each night), homework, and work don't really allow much time for the things of my leisure.  I get a little reading in before work--while I'm sitting on the bus or waiting for metro--but that's about it.  However, I always manage to find time to read my RSS feed...my blog roll, if you will.  And one of the blogs, The Kitchn, mentioned that they were looking for new bloggers for their site.  Naturally, this peaked my interest (even though I know I don't blog much and don't have much time to blog).  I was reading the description and one of them was " Do you read Food News Journal every day?"  WHAT?!  No!  I didn't even know about Food News Journal!


Anyhow, now I'm totally excited about this and I have one more thing to add to my list of required reading each day.  I feel like a kid in a candy store!

The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry

How often do you find a book that you just can't put down (unless you have to)?  It doesn't happen often for me.  I read all the time, but don't often find those books that you almost wish would never end.  That's what happened when I picked up "The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter and Tears in Paris at the World's Most Famous Cooking School" at the bookstore last week.

It could have bored me to tears but Kathleen Flinn writes with such elegance that you feel like you know her.  You are her friend.  You are in the kitchen at Le Cordon Bleu with her.

Anyways, go pick it up or get it from the library (or ask me if you can borrow it) or something.  It really is a fantastic book.

Coming Soon: DC Summer Restaurant Week

For those of you who don't know (because you are either a n00b or you have never lived in/near DC), DC Restaurant Week is the most AWESOME time of year.  AND IT HAPPENS TWICE EACH YEAR!  Ok, maybe it's just the most awesome time of year for those of us who are MAJOR foodies and can't really afford the expensive restaurants on a regular basis like we wish we could.

DC Restaurant Week is the time to try something new.  There are TONS of restaurants that participate in providing a 3-course meal for either $20.10 (lunch) or $35.10 (dinner) (price doesn't include beverages, gratuity, or tax).  The DC Summer Restaurant Week dates are August 16-22 and often times, there will be participating restaurants that extend the week into the following week as well (giving me more time to try more restaurants!).

I'm not gonna lie...I definitely made a lunch reservation at SEVEN different restaurants for each day of DC Summer Restaurant Week.

You're probably thinking, "Cara, you cheap bitch.  Why are you only going for lunch?"

Well, my schedule doesn't really allow me to go out for dinner.  I work 4pm-midnight most nights and when I'm not working I have class from 6pm-9:40pm.  No time for DC Restaurant Week dinners.  And anyways, if I'm going to do this everyday that week, I might as well go the cheaper route...it's already going to cost me $140 before tax & tip.  I better start saving (or maybe cancel a reservation or two).

DC Restaurant Week's official website: http://washington.org/restaurantwk/

My week of lunch reservations include the following restaurants.  They are in no particular order because....well...I don't want stalkers.  If you know me and you are my friend, email me.  I will surely respond.  My reservations are all for 2 people, so if you have some time on any of those days (August 16-22) to join me, PLEASE DO!

Anyways, my reservations include:
Morton's the Steakhouse (Downtown DC location)
Fire & Sage (EDIT 7/30 @ 11:30am:  I've got my lunch companion!)
The Oval Room (EDIT 7/30 @ 11:30am:  I've got my lunch companion!)
Juniper at the Fairmont
Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar
Ceiba
BlackSalt

I built you a cake...

Eryn asked me last week to make a cake for her godson's 1st communion.  She asked for a cake with fondant...something I've never worked with.

I said, "yes."

Cake details:
Shape: Square
Flavor: Chocolate
Layers: 2
Color: Blue
Filling: Up to me
Decoration: TBD when Eryn and I decorate together

So, here's what I ended up doing.   I only have one square baking pan so I had to make the layers in two batches.

I made a chocolate genoise cake.  To make a genoise, you heat a mixture of eggs and sugar over a double boiler until it hits about 103-113F, take it off the heat and then whip it into oblivion until it has tripled in volume and leaves a thick ribbon when you pull the whisk out.  That, of course, what the most tiring part of the entire process...even though I didn't whip it by hand.  It just gets soooooo boring when you are standing at the mixer for 12-15min waiting for the right consistency.  The cake actually cooked pretty quickly.  I stuck it in a 425F oven for 10min and then called it a day.  No salt.  No baking powder or baking soda.  Just sugar, eggs, vanilla, butter, flour, and cocoa powder.

Let me back up a little:
Step 1: Make fondant (I made it a few days in advance and let it set in the fridge until I needed it).  I could have bought some somewhere, but it was so much cheaper to make and I really wanted to see what the fuss is all about.  Fondant is kind of a pain to make because you have to knead it quite a bit, but other than that it's no big deal.  Just a bunch of marshmallows, powdered sugar, water, and crisco mixed together.

Step 2: Make cake layers.  Chocolate genoise made in two batches and then frozen until it was time to build the cake.

Step 3: Make vanilla buttercream frosting.  Fluff up some room temp butter, add an egg (if you please), add some vanilla and fluff some more.  Mix in powdered sugar and fluff some more.

Step 4:  Place first layer of cake on cake board.  Frost top.  Place second layer on top of frosted layer.  Frost entire cake.  Does not have to be super thick.  The buttercream on the outside is basically to help the fondant stick.

Step 5: Roll out fondant to about 1/8 in thick.  I think mine may have been a bit too thick but it was the first time I've worked with fondant and it was a learning experience.  I know what worked this time and what I should do differently next time.

Step 6: Enrobe cake in fondant by rolling fondant onto rolling pin then slowly draping it over the frosted cake.  I had tons of extra fondant leftover and I wanted a clean edge at the bottom so I made a fondant rope and wrapped it around the cake.

Step 7:  DECORATE!  Eryn made chocolate crosses and brought some writing fondant and an edible shimmer dust along with a multitude of other various decorating options.  We ended up making small balls out of the leftover fondant, rolling them in the shimmer dust and then created a rosary.

For a first timer, I think I did a pretty damn good job.  Here's to hoping they like the way it tastes!

Ouch!

This is what happens when the ONLY set of oven gloves at your workplace are drenched in God-knows-what-kind-of-liquid.  I had to use my side towels...which isn't exactly the most exciting thing because you have to be a WHOLE LOT more careful (which apparently I wasn't careful enough).  Anyways, I managed to hit my arm with the 280F sheet pan.  Good times.

If you know me, you can probably guess what I did as soon as it happened:  show everyone.

Of course all the guys in the kitchen were like, "Oh, no bueno!"  And then there I was, "Eh, it's not so bad.  It's ok."

What Happened to Personal Responsibility?

I was reading an article on a blog today (Serious Eats) about how the government is getting involved with corporations and their marketing tactics.  They may put restrictions on what can be put on packaging and who the companies can market their products to based on nutritional value (obviously).  Basically, if it's not healthful (which is pretty much everything that isn't straight from the farm, imo), you can't have attractive packaging and you can't use cute cartoon characters and blah blah blah restrictions restrictions restrictions.

You know, I'm all for making sure children eat healthful foods.  And I don't like that America is known for its obesity either.  But why do we have to ask our government to nanny us.  Why can't the citizens take charge and demand that private companies become more responsible with their advertising?  Or, better yet, how about parents grow some balls and tell their kids (and maybe themselves too) "NO" every once in awhile.

I know it's easier said than done but when a 5 year old is 80 pounds, don't you think that's a bit much?  At what point does a parent look at their obese child and change their thought from, "Oh, he's just a growing boy" to "Maybe I should be more careful with the foods I feed my child.  I don't want him to die early because I wanted to be my kid's best friend."


Don't get me wrong...I love food.  Pretty much all of it.  Even the crappy stuff (which I try to avoid).  But when it comes down to it, moderation is key and if/when I have kids, I won't be buying that shit.  Fruits, veggies, FRESH foods.  I'll want my kids to know what REAL food tastes like.  You better believe they will appreciate food as much as I do, and they will also know how to eat in moderation...also, sports.  My kids will be active (soccer, ballet, whatever....active).  I'll only have myself to blame if I have obese kids.  I'm not going to blame the providers of the food and I'm not going to task the government to make those companies stop marketing to my kids.

It'll be my own damn fault if I have unhealthy kids.

BREAD!

I am going to master the art of bread baking.

Week 3 in the bakery is going well (I have today off)...smoother now that there is a new system and new schedule.  I've started the PM shift (which means I work from 4pm - midnight).  It's not as bad as it sounds...I don't fall asleep until 2 or 3am now...but whatevs.  I don't have to wake up until I feel like it (or 1 or 2pm...but I usually get up around 10 or 11am).

So now, because I want to master the art (the science?), I am on the search for books!  Books books and more books!  Give me things to read to learn the why and the how!  It will help me in my practice to have the knowledge.

Any suggestions?

3am Wake-Up Call

Clearly, I rock at updating this thing frequently. Obviously I've made plenty more dishes in school that I should have written about...but I failed.

I did go to St. Louis a few weekends ago.

Kent and Whitney got married at McKendree University in IL (about 30 min from St. Louis) and held their reception at the planetarium in St. Louis.  Probably one of the most epic weddings I've been to (and I haven't been to many so that doesn't say much).  It was a wonderful break from life...even though we drove 15 hours to get there and 15 hours to get back.  The drive wasn't even that bad....good company makes time go by quicker!

Here are a few things I've made in the past few weeks:
Mexican Wedding Cookies (served to chef with a cup of coffee and some cream):

Brownie Pudding Cake (the chocolate "sauce" around the bottom is actually the "pudding" that formed while cooking....sooooo delicious!):

Chilled Cucumber and Avocado Soup:

In the meantime, it's 6:43pm and I need to hit the hay.  Starting tomorrow I'm training to be a baker at my restaurant and they want me there at 4am.  That is why I have a 3am wake-up call and 7 or 8pm bedtime.

Congrats to me!

American Cuisine Week 5: New England Cuisine

New England Boiled Dinner with New England Clam Chowder, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans with Fried Onions, and Blueberry Peach Cobbler


So, this week was midterm week.  Last week, Chef told us that we would all be making and presenting our own recipe from the New England chapter...no help from our teammates.  At least, that what everyone thought he said.  Then on Wednesday, he sent an email out at 4:00 (2 hours before class started) saying that we would be making and presenting a 3-course meal.  Again, leading us to believe we had to do it on our own...no help from our teammates.  We then got to class and to our relief, we are told that we can work as a team to make the 3-course meal but we have to plate and present the meal individually.

Every group had to make clam chowder and I think every group had to make the blueberry peach cobbler. There were maybe two or three different entrees that the class was working on.  Thank goodness for be able to work with the team because there is no way in hell I'd have been able to make a 3-course meal in 2.5 hours.

Anyways, I'm not really happy with my presentation for the entree but whatevs.  I think I got an A...maybe a B.  And I got 9 out of 10 on the knife skills portion of the midterm on Thursday (15 minutes to do 10 cuts...I did 9 out of 10 of them).

American Cuisine Week 4: Tex-Mex Cuisine

Mexican Wedding Cookies

I gave in.  I HAD to do the dessert this week.  I love making cookies.

And, of course, there were difficulties with this recipe as well.  First we didn’t have softened butter, so we had to get some softened.  Then the butter was too soft.  So the too soft butter was put in the freezer. (And it took far too long to get to where I wanted it, if you want my opinion.)  While that hardened up a little, I helped my group members do any prep work they needed for the recipes they were working on.

When I finally got the cookies into the oven, I was afraid they would flatten out and not stay in ball form.  They did flatten out a tiny bit, but after looking at pictures on the internet, they turned out exactly how they are suppose to (THANK THE LORD!).

After much discussion with a few group members, we decided to present them with a cup of coffee.  These cookies are probably my favorite thing so far this quarter.

American Cuisine Week 3: Cajun Cuisine

Roasted Eggplant and Oysters

Well, once again, we didn’t have all the ingredients we needed.  No eggplant.  Not initially at least.  After I had already started working with the zucchini that was provided, eggplant magically appeared.  I decided to use both in this recipe to give it my own little touch (because I love both eggplant and zucchini).  

It took a while to shuck the oysters.  I had never done it before but I was determined to learn.  And I have been making a point of not making the dessert each week (even though I really, really, really want to).  In my eyes, this was the most difficult recipe because we had to shuck the oysters.  I’m glad I learned though.  That is definitely a skill that is comparable to riding a bike:  once you learn, you never forget.

The oyster dish was surprisingly delicious.  I’m not exactly a fan of shellfish but forced myself to try these.  I think the thing that turns me off the most is slurping them out of the shell.  When you’re eating them as part of a dish, it’s hard to tell they’re even there.

(That's a Muffaletta on the left)

Mini Burgers!

I was sitting at Cosi this afternoon doing homework with Erin.  I finished everything and was reading through my Google Reader and saw a post about burger joints on a blog that I read.  Of course, this inspired me to make burgers for dinner tonight.

And then I started to go through some old posts that I had "starred" in Google Reader and found some more recipes (the intention was to find side dishes).  I started making a grocery list: ground beef, burger buns, onion, bacon, tomato....you know....the basics.

As I continued reading my Reader, the list grew.  Soon, I decided to make Pistou-Crumbed Creamed Spinach.  (Which, by the way, is DELICIOUS.)  And then I found a recipe for a green sauce that accompanies this chicken recipe.  There was this plantain recipe too. (Which I didn't end up making because Harris Teeter didn't have the right plantains.)

And of course, I'm sitting in Cosi getting all excited...mouth watering and everything.  OMG, I'm drooling. Like, I literally could not sit still because I was so excited about the delicious dinner I was about to have.

Anyhow, as it turns out, Cara is pretty damn good at making burgers.  Caramelize some onions.  Grill some bacon in the cast-iron grill pan.  Toast some slider buns.  Make some burger patties, throw them in the grill pan (with a little bit of bacon grease)....cook each side for about 4 minutes.  Throw everything together.  Plate.  Eat.  Satisfaction.  OMG I want more.

It's been awhile since I've actually cooked a full meal.  Totally worth it.  And all those veggies.  I feel so healthy.  What made it even better was that I got to play catch up with an old friend too!  (Two old friends if you count the fact that Mark came over after Abby and I had already finished eating.)

Sorry, no pictures.  We ate everything before I had a chance to take pictures.

There's one burger leftover for tomorrow's breakfast...because, yes, I do eat non-breakfast foods for breakfast.  I am awesome like that.  Thanks.

Spice, Sweet, Tropical, Healthy, AND Delicious!

Tonight, I decided I should probably cook something instead of buying something.  I also decided that I'm too lazy to head to the store...I've called it a day already.  So what do I have in my cupboards?

I've got all this random stuff.  I found some coconut milk..which made me thing "ooh!  coconut rice!"  But, of course, I don't have rice.  I DO have pasta though!  What else should I use?  How the F do I have pineapple?  Why do I have all this random stuff?

So here's what I ended up using...

1 can coconut milk
1 can cubed pineapple
Crushed red pepper
Saffron
Ground ginger
Salt
2 whole cloves
Some leftover turkey from class
Golden raisins
Frozen stir-fry veggies (I picked out the carrots and sugar snap peas b/c I don't like the other veggies (these were mainly just to add color anyway))
Mirin (a Japanese rice wine)
And some vanilla flavored vodka (which I probably could have done w/o but I thought it might add an interesting flavor)
Sesame oil

I think that's all I used.  Hah...didn't write it down as I was doing it.  Whatevs.

Anyways, I mixed the coconut milk and juice from the can of pineapple (saved the pineapple pieces for later) in a saucepan along with probably about 1/4c crushed red pepper, about a 1/4tsp crushed saffron, a pinch of ground ginger, a dash of salt, the cloves, maybe about 1/2 c of Mirin, and a splash of the vanilla vodka.

I let it come to a boil then I threw in the pasta (I used mini fusilli...but the type of pasta doesn't matter) and cooked until the pasta was al dente.

While the pasta was cooking, I diced about a cup of the turkey breast (about 1/4in dice) and sauted it with some of the pineapple in a pan that was preheated with about 1tbsp sesame oil.

I mixed some of that into the pasta while it was still cooking.  I then used a slotted spoon to separate the solids from the liquids in the pasta pot and put the solids into a separate bowl.

I took out about 1/4 cup of the sauce and mixed it with about 1tbsp cornstarch to make a slurry to thicken the sauce a bit.  I put the slurry back in the sauce and added the leftover pineapple pieces.  I simmer that while I cooked the frozen veggies in the microwave.  When the veggies were done, I picked out the pieces I wanted and threw them in with the pasta.  And then at the very last minute, I threw the golden raisins into the sauce pot (because I forgot about them until then) and let them cook for about a minute or 2.

Transfer sauce to bowl of pasta, mix, serve, eat.  Spicy....sweet....tropical....delicious....healthy!

Got my fruits, veggies, breads, and meats.  No dairy...but I think I eat enough cheese to last a lifetime.

Anyhow, here's a crappy picture...

Gazpacho

It's suppose to be a golden gazpacho made with yellow beefsteak tomatoes.  But, alas, we had no yellow beefsteak tomatoes in class tonight so it ended up being an orange-colored gazpacho.  Apparently all that money I'm putting toward school doesn't actually buy anything we need for class.

On a happy note, the gazpacho I ended up making turned out delightfully.

I substituted Roma tomatoes for the yellow beefsteak tomatoes, added half a jalapeno to give the soup a kick, and threw in some basil leaves while I was at it.  And instead of garnishing with sour cream and diced green bell pepper (the pepper that I hate most), I garnished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, some basil chiffonade and a sprinkle of bacon (because everything tastes better with bacon).

Things actually went right for me in class tonight.  I'm only working the lunch shift tomorrow.  And I've got the entire weekend off to do as much HW as possible before my next class.  AND, on top of that, my friends are awesome with all the encouragement to continue on with my AA.  (For all who have given input and encouragement, thank you.)  Things are starting to look up!

<3

American Cuisine Week 2: Floribbean Cuisine

Ceviche of Gulf Shrimp with Floribbean Slaw

Well, my group’s ceviche didn’t turn out so well.  The shrimp began to “cook” but by the time we had to present, it was definitely not even close to being done.  I wouldn’t even let Chef try the slaw that was underneath the shrimp.  Instead, I brought over a side plate of the slaw for him to try.

Chef suggested putting the ceviche back in the refrigerator overnight to see how it turned out the next day.  I think the oil we put on it at the last minute stopped the shrimp from cooking.  It’s too bad too.  I was looking forward to trying it.

Our Floribbean Slaw had papaya in it to add a bit of a different flavor and because there was no yellow squash.  I think we were missing a few other ingredients as well, but we made due with what was available to us and the slaw turned out fantastic.

Golden Gazpacho post to follow...

Get the Hell Out of Dodge

I'm reconsidering the path I'm taking in school.

I enjoy culinary arts VERY much...but I'm wondering if going through the trouble of getting an AA is really worth it.  Why don't I just get my diploma (certificate?) in baking and pastry and call it a day?  Cheaper, faster, and probably more fun.

Or maybe it's just this quarter that is wearing on me already.  The kitchen we're in this quarter is so cramped with people and the setup is terrible.  I literally have to walk 3 yards toward either end of the room just to get to the other side of the table where the refrigerators are and then  I have to walk 3 yards back toward the opposing side of the room to actually REACH the other side of the table.  There are never enough ingredients for the recipes we're making and well...the kitchen is lacking in small bowls, smaller pots and pans, and well...just about anything else you could think of that you need.

Supposedly the kitchen is set up for the a la carte class...to be like a kitchen line.  I bet those students hate the classroom too.

It shouldn't be so hard to get through one recipe.  Oh, we ran out of an ingredient?  Either do without or wait 30 min for the instructor to go find more.  Usually we are made to do without.  Terrible terrible terrible.

Maybe it's the whole lack of energy from not having a day off since last Monday (4/5) and the anger of not having time to REALLY focus on my homework between last week's classes and this week's classes is what was doing it for me.  Luckily, I have the whole weekend off.  Let's pray that the R&R this weekend will do the trick and bring me out of this slump.  Otherwise, I am seriously considering just getting my diploma (certificate?) and getting the hell out of dodge.

Ok.  I need to get out of this mood.  It's been with me since the beginning of the quarter...which was last Tuesday (4/6).  Any suggestions on how to do that?

American Cuisine Week 1: Southern Cuisine

Banana Pudding

I was actually kind of surprised at how simple the banana pudding turned out to be.  The toughest part (for me at least) was figuring out presentation and how to brown the meringue on top without putting the glass in the salamander.

I ended up piping the meringue onto parchment paper on a sheet tray (multiple times) and placing the sheet tray in the salamander.  I then chose my best meringue and very carefully peeled it off the parchment with an icing spatula.

For garnish (on the plate), I tried to caramelize some bananas but my attempt didn’t turn out so well and if I’d have tried a second time, I would have been late presenting. I do think the decision to put the Banana pudding into a glass was an excellent decision.  It turned out beautifully.

Finished product photos

Here are my most recent truffles:
(Left to right: coconut, raspberry, honey peanut butter)

And a product of my laziness - After Dinner Mints (or my version of Andes Mints).
(Basically, I got lazy after making a peppermint ganache filling for peppermint truffles and decided to just sandwich the filling between a layer of tempered chocolate and a layer of semi-sweet chocolate ganache.):

In the words of Chef Marco Pierre White...

"A lot of the best chefs have done Pastry, Michel Roux of the Waterside Inn among them.  Why is Pastry so important?  Because it is all about science, and the knowledge of culinary science is vital.  A precise measurement of that ingredient mixed with a certain amount of that ingredient produces this result.  It's chemistry." (page 41 of his memoir, "The Devil in the Kitchen")

THAT is why I'm in it and why I'm so intrigued with Pastry.  The why and the how of it all...it fascinates me.

I've Been A Long Time Gone

I'm sorry.  I know you've missed me (me and my false egotistical attitude waving hello!)...but what can I say.  When the real world (or sleep) calls...I must answer.  Also, I'm lazy.

I've gotten over my obsession with marshmallows (don't worry, it will be back) and had a successful batch of macarons.  Well...successful to the point that the cookies cooked properly.  I wasn't completely satisfied with the filling but they were still delightful.

And now, on my free time, I've moved on to truffles!  Flavors?  Raspberry, orange, coconut.  I was going to work on a few other flavors but, alas, Mr. Lazy decided to kick me in the rear once again.

This quarter of culinary school was completed with a 4.0 GPA and some awesome friendships that were strengthened throughout the quarter.  Culinary school was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made.  Not only am I working toward a career I love, but I'm making some of the most awesome friends along the way.  (Obviously, my friends from my previous life are awesome too...but there's just something about these guys that's different.)

I'm planning on switching my degree path from an AA in Culinary Arts to an AA in Baking & Pastry.  Cara wants to make sweets....create confections.  Treats.  Candy.  Cara's Confections.  Perhaps I will start selling again in the near future...err...let me correct myself.  I do sell currently...I just don't really seek out buyers at this point (they come to me...like 1 or 2 people...but I still have people seeking me out).

Anyhow, here are some pictures from the past few months.

IN CLASS PROJECTS:
Chocolate Ganache Tart with Italian Meringue:

Lemon Tart with Italian Meringue:

Raspberry Mascarpone Tarts:

Fresh Berry Tart (w/ pastry cream filling):

New York Cheesecake (picture of perfection):

Black Forest Cherry Cake:

Lemon Souffle with Raspberry Sorbet in a Tulipe Cookie Cup:

Mocha Torte (Yes, that is my handy work around the bottom and the center piece of the cake.  Actually, the entire icing job is mine except the little squirts along the edge.):

Chocolate Tarts (this was part of the final...along w/ eclairs, which I failed to take a picture of):

HOME PROJECTS:

Roasted vegetable quiche (I learned how to make a perfect pie crust in class...and this one WAS perfectly flaky and delicious.):

Orange Truffles:

Coconut, Orange, Raspberry (from left to right) truffles:

Poached egg over roasted garlic tomato sauce and orzo cooked in chicken bouillon (aka tonight's dinner):

(Slight update:  Just so my sister knows, the present she gave me for my birthday was used to make the macarons and is currently in use to make the truffles. THANK YOU, HEATHER!!!!  YOU ROCK!!!)

Fail

My macarons failed.  For two (possibly three) reasons (that I can think of).

1) I didn't have the patience to make a good almond flour/almond meal.
2) I didn't have parchment paper.
and
3) (maybe) because the "icing sugar" I used wasn't pure sugar...it was a mix of sugar and cornstarch.

Oh well.  They still taste good.  What's important is I know what went wrong so I know how to make them better next time.

Also, I have yet to make a filling.  That will come later.

Macarons vs Macaroons

Do you know the difference?  I didn't even realize they were spelled differently until I was reading a random post on my RSS feed this afternoon.

How could I pass up a blog post on "5 Cooking Projects for Snow Days?"

I clicked on the link for Macarons and at the bottom of THAT page I found this article: Weekend Project: Make Macarons!

And so, I'm reading reading reading.  Trying to figure out which Macaron recipe to make (I didn't like any on that website) and do I have all the ingredients.  At the bottom I found a link called "What's the Difference? Macaroons Vs. Macarons" and it took me a couple minutes to even realize the difference between the two spellings.  It makes sense now that I was so confused when macarons became so popular. I didn't know there were two different spellings and I always thought they were made with coconut...until MACARONS became popular and I thought "maybe they TASTE like coconut?"

And then I found out I have to "age" the eggs overnight by letting them sit out at room temperature.  Not sure how I feel about that.  Doesn't sound very sanitary.  Anyhow, I'm going to make these macarons.  But first, I must set the eggs out on the counter and roast some almonds so I can make almond meal.

Marshmallows!

Ok ok ok.  It's been FAR too long since I've updated this damn thing.

Marshmallows are my latest obsession.  Homemade marshmallows to be specific.  I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and decided that I absolutely HAD to try it.  I've made it twice now (I added food coloring to the second batch to make them a light lavender color).

Finding that recipe is how it began and now, here I am...making new batches of marshmallows all the time.  Doing something a tiny bit different each time.  Lovely.  That's exactly what happened when I started making candy corn until I got my technique perfected.

Luckily, I had all the ingredients in my cupboard and I even have a candy thermometer!  Thank goodness I didn't need to go to the store for that!  I love it when I have everything I need.  Oh wait, no, I didn't have the unflavored gelatin.  Sorry about that little lie.  I corrected myself though.

Anyhow, I had to bring sugar, water, and corn syrup to a boil first.  You're suppose to use a nonreactive saucepan (meaning not aluminum)...but I have no clue what kind of metal our saucepans are so guess what!  I just used whatever the hell I wanted to!

Next I had to bring in the handheld mixer that I bought almost a year ago.  After boiling the sugar mixture, I had to melt the bloomed gelatin in a mixer bowl with the hot sugar.  After the gelatin was dissolved  into the sugar I whipped it into oblivion!   

It was so nice and fluffy and beautiful at that point that you would almost think you don't need the next step.  It was gooey like marshmallow fluff too.  And warm.  Mmmm.  The next, and most surprising ingredient (surprising to me at least) are egg whites!  You whip them up real good and then you mix them into the sugar fluff along with a little vanilla or almond extract, pour them into a greased and powder sugared (instead of floured) 9x13 metal baking pan.

You let them sit in the fridge for 3 hours then you can pop the formed sugar out of the pan and cut into smaller pieces!  Like I said, I've made the Smitten Kitchen Recipe twice now.  I found another recipe in my textbook for school which actually has you whip the egg whites first and then slowly add the un-whipped, hot sugar mixture into the egg whites and fold in some orange oil (I used lemon extract) at the end.  Another difference is that you let the pan sit out, uncovered overnight....not in the fridge.

And last, but definitely not least, I decided to temper some dark chocolate tonight and dip some of my homemade marshmallows into it.  They are currently sitting on my counter cooling/hardening.   I hope they turn out delightfully!  I took advice on tempering chocolate from this article.  Hopefully they harden/cool nicely!

I've gotten rave reviews from my friends about both recipes but haven't decided which I like better yet.  The Smitten Kitchen recipe is a bit easier (at least I think it is) and I haven't tried the Smitten Kitchen marshmallows in hot cocoa yet but the second (we'll call it Art Institute Recipe) recipe gives a delightfully foamy touch to a nice warm cup of hot cocoa.

Smitten Kitchen Marshmallows

Makes about 96 1-inch cubed marshmallows

Ingredients: 

• About 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3.5 envelopes (2tbps + 2.5tsp) unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup cold water, divided
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tbsp vanilla (or 2 tsp almond or mint extract)

Directions:

1. Oil bottom and sides of a 13x9x2 inch rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners' sugar.
2. In a bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold cold water, and let stand to soften.
3. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved.  Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240F, about 12 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.
4. With standing or hand-held mixer beat mixture on high until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer.
5. In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks.  Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined.  Pour mixture into baking pan.  Sift 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar evenly over top.  Chill marshmallows, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day.
6. Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board.  Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board.  With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow (I didn't do this) and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes.  (Make sure to oil the knife or cutting device so the marshmallow doesn't stick to it) Sift remaining confectioners' sugar back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.

Art Institute Marshmallows

Makes about 4.5 dozen squares, approximately 2-in each

Ingredients:

• 5 egg whites
• 16 oz granulated sugar
• 4 oz corn syrup
• 6 fl. oz. water
• 1 oz granulated gelatin (plus 4 oz cold water to bloom) (Note: Step 5 requires you to melt the gelatin in order to do this, you have to put it in a saucepan over low heat to make it liquid.  Do not overheat because the gelatin will burn.) (The book's recipe called for sheet gelatin but most normal people only have easy access to granulated gelatin)
• 10 drops orange oil (I used lemon extract)
• Powdered sugar and cornstarch (equal amounts, as needed)

Directions:

1. Line a sheet pan with oiled parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (Note: I didn't have either so I oiled and powdered sugared the bottom and sides).  Place the egg whites in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whip attachment.
2. Bring the sugar, glucose and water to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.  Once the mixture begins to boil, start to whip the egg whites on low speed.
3. While the eggs whip, cook the sugar syrup to 265F.
4. As soon as the sugar syrup reaches 265F, increase the mixer speed to medium-high.  Pour the syrup over the whipping egg whites, holding the pan close to the inner wall of the bowl to avoid pouring syrup onto the whip.
5. As soon as all the syrup has been added to the whipped egg whites, melt the gelatin and pour it into the whipped egg mixture, avoiding the whip attachment.
6. Remove the bowl from the mixer.  Gently fold in the orange oil, using a whisk or spatula, without deflating the meringue.  Spread the marshmallow in an even layer onto the prepared pan.
7. Let the marshmallow dry, uncovered, 24 hours at room temperature.
8. To portion the marshmallows, sift together equal amounts of powdered sugar and cornstarch.  Sprinkle the surface of the marshmallow with half of the mixture.  Invert the pan of marshmallow onto a clean sheet of parchment paper.  Cut the marshmallow into 2-inch squares.  Toss the cut pieces of marshmallow in the remaining sugar mixture.

Professional Kitchen....HERE I COME!

I talked to the chef at the restaurant I work at yesterday.  I told him that I'm in culinary school and then asked if I could get into the kitchen.  HE SAID YES!  He talked to the manager who does scheduling and then the three of us had a chat this morning when I got to work!

Looks like I'll be doing prep work in the kitchen on Tuesdays and Wednesdays!  Totally excited!

School is in session!

Ok, I know I said I'd make the hamantaschen a week ago but life gets busy and sometimes you have to put things off!

Anyhow, some of them turned out okay.  No pictures for those.

I did make marshmallows and bourbon custard tonight too.  Those recipes will follow soon!

On another note:  SCHOOL IS IN SESSION!

My class this quarter is Baking & Pastry.  I'm definitely enjoying it.  I started reading the book before school started and realized that I think I want to be a pastry chef.  I think working in a restaurant and seeing that world also helped me come to that decision.  I enjoy it there...but I think I'd rather be playing with pastries and breads and confectionary treats than anything else.  I always have so much fun with those!

This week in class we did quick breads:  scones, shortcakes, biscuits, morning glory muffins, and sour cream muffins with streusel topping.  Erin took a picture of most of those.  I'll have her send it to me so I can post that for you.

Dough is in the fridge

I'm making hamantschen tomorrow...either before work or after.  The recipe says to refrigerate the dough for at least an hour...so I'm letting it chill overnight.

Brace yourself for some Jewish cookies!

Roasted Acorn Squash Pizza

So I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen (which they got from Giada DeLaurentis) for roasted acorn squash and gorgonzola pizza and seeing as I LOVE acorn squash and had all the ingredients except the cheese, I decided I MUST make the pizza.  Well...turns out I had to alter it a little bit.  The store I was at last night didn't have Gorgonzola cheese so I went with Colby Jack for 3 reasons: (1) it's too cold outside to venture to another store, (2) I'm too cheap to buy Gorgonzola, and (3) didn't feel like doing research to figure out what kind of cheese would be a cheaper substitute.

Speaking of the store I was at last night...I hate DC grocery stores.  Five cents for a plastic bag?!  Thank you DC for continuing to make people believe in man-made global warming.  This is bullshit.  And to top it off their customer service was sub-par....and by that I mean the dude was rude.

I guess that wasn't the only substitution I made:
Colby Jack instead of Gorgonzola
Cara cara orange juice instead of lemon juice (yes, I did buy the oranges because they have my name in their name....and they just so happen to be delicious).
Baby spinach and spring mix instead of arugula (That is what I had in the fridge and saw no point in going out to buy arugula when I had something that is way better (in my opinon))
This pizza dough (because I didn't have yeast and it's too cold to venture out to buy some)
Normally, I would make a beer batter pizza dough, but I didn't have any beer....and we all know why I didn't go out to buy some.

Here is the recipe:

Roast Acorn Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza
Adapted from Giada DeLaurentis
Yield: 4 side dish servings

1 (1 pound) acorn squash
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt, plus 1/4 tsp
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 tsp
1 pound pizza dough
1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1 cup arugula
Squeeze of lemon juice

1.  Preheat the oven to 375F
2.  Slice the squash in half from top to bottom.  Scoop out the seeds.  Slice the squash into 1/2 to 3/4-inch wide half moons and place in a medium bowl.  Toss the squash with the syrup, olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Place the squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake the squash until tender and golden about 20 to 25 minutes.
3.  Keep the temperature on the oen at 375F.  Roll out the pizza dough on a flour dusted piece of parchment paper to a 13-inch diameter.  Place the pizza and the parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and the Gorgonzola on the pizza dough.  Bake in the oven until golden and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes.
4.  Peel the skins off the squash.  Top the cooked pizza with the cooked squash.  Top with arugula, squeeze of lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt and pepper.  Slice and Serve.