A Little Gift for Veronica

In my previous post on Japan Hour, you might have noticed the circular discs surrounding the cake. Yes, they are Orange-flavoured Macarons!


A slice of "Japan Hour"

By now, I'm known as the "Macaron" queen aka "Green Tea" queen and "Piping Queen" in my class due to my insane obsession with the above 3 items :) Even chef seems to become accustomed to my "Macaron" madness as I churned out daily batches of Macarons last week.

I tried scaling down the quantity of Macarons produced but given the amount needed to whip up a stable meringue, I had no choice (wink wink). Each time, I had to produce at least 30 Macarons per batch even though I technically needed only 16 :) (seriously, I'm not joking, I halved my recipe but the production failed!)

Armed with 120 Macaron shells ("coques" in French), I returned back to my dorm and starting piping my delicious coffee cream into them. The macarons turned out really pretty and sweet, and I knew that I had to make them into a special gift for my San Franciscan friend, Veronica!


Veronica, Me and T

My dear ex-colleague and college friend, Ying, first introduced sweet Veronica to me as I was planning to fly to San Francisco. A fellow Singaporean, Veronica has been based in SF for many years and she is so hospitable, really nice and fun to be with! And whenever I visit her in SF, she will whip up a storm for me and make me feel at home :) I'm so blessed to know her and like me, we are crazy about pretty, little things :)


We share a common love for beauty and Macarons :) and there's no better person to give this gift but Veronica :) (heehee, my sister is too far away to eat them).


Orange-A-Go-Go Macarons and Kopi Espresso Macarons, both sandwiched with Cafe Creme


I was still day-dreaming about being Martha Stewart for the day, and came up with a little San Franciscan "Take-away" Box to house these sweet treats :)


And Martha Stewart is always prepared with ribbons, bows and all things nice, and so was I :) To match the delicate pastel hues of the Macarons, I choose pink tissue and a pink/green ribbon to complete the look :)


So there you have it! In my little attempt to be Martha Stewart, I tried making little gifts for Veronica & Chelsea (another SF friend) :) and I'm really glad that Veronica enjoyed them!

Hopefully my dream of becoming Asia's Martha Stewart (haha) will one day be fulfilled :). With my room filled with all my craft barang, I think I'm 20% there :)


Till then, my Orange-A-Go-Go and Kopi Expresso will keep me happy for now :)

Japan Hour

For our previous module on "Contemporary Desserts and Cakes", we received quite an interesting and exciting practical exam assignment - creating a contemporary cake based on a theme.

Now, my classmates aren't alcoholics and booze is not our game :) though everyone just loves the idea of "Happy Hour". So "Happy Hour" officially became Section 50's theme for both the practical and the graduation dinner!

Personally, I view "Happy Hour" as part of a typical Japanese drinking culture (I don't know but just think that it's so Japanese). Inspired by my favourite Kuriya Restaurant's "Happy Hour", when they serve sake, choya and other liqueurs paired with their delectable Japanese cuisine, I decided to make a cake called "Japan Hour"


The Japan Hour

:)

Choya, the famous sweet Japanese plum wine, is my chosen liqueur in the cake.


Japan Hour has:
- a crunchy Feuilletine and Milk Chocolate base
- lined with bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
- filled with an Apricot Mousse and poached Elephant Heart Plums (look at the intensity of the colour of the plums!)
- a delicate Green Tea Chiffon layer (given thumbs up by Chef!)
- a creamy Green Tea Creme Brulee
- a Pierre Herme-inspired Apricot-Yuzu Compote
- topped with a light Choya Mousse
- sealed with a shiny Milk Chocolate Glaze
- decorated with Orange Macarons & Apricot Candy


And of course, my cake must be decorated with my beloved friends - Macarons! These are Orange flavoured Macarons, dotted around the cake. I love the colourful layers!

I praise my Lord for all the ideas in my mind, that brought forth the creation of this cake!

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2: 10

And because Christ is in me, I am more than a conqueror! :) And because of Him, Chef really enjoyed my cake! He liked the combination of flavours and I was so happy to hear his good review (he has really high taste and a little tough to impress)!

Personally, I love this cake! There are a couple of boo-boos to be amended & I need to improve on the outlook appearance but other than that, I think it is very delicious :) I love green tea and how the tangy apricot and yuzu pairs extremely well with the green tea and Choya :) Yuppies! Besides, the Macarons alone make my day!

Japan Hour is my first official Creation :) and it is dedicated to Jesus because He is my Creator! I'm proud to call it mine!

Copyright, copyright, copyright :)


Choya and a slice of Japan Hour

Les Galettes

Pronounced as "girl_let", a Galette is defined as a flat, round cake made of flour, sugar, butter and eggs, or simply of puff pastry. Traditionally French (c'est typical), the classic galette is the "Galette des Rois" or "king's cake", made to honour the Wise Men who paid homage to the newborn King of Kings - Christ! And in Paris, Lyons and the northern Loire Valley, these rich and flavourful "cake" appear around the season of Epiphany in the Christian calendar.


"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Colossians 1: 15 - 17

Like how the creation Galette des Rois was first inspired by Scriptures, my daily baking and cooking are inspired by my Lord, Jesus Christ. If there is any talent in me, it is clearly because of Him. He is the Creator and through Him, I am able to create :)

Because of God's wonderful creations, I'm blessed with the abundance of summer fruits and produce while in sunny California :) And with God's providence (Hello?? There is no mother nature, only a Holy God), I made a couple of Galettes during the previous weekends. I hope you will like them as much as I do!


Heirloom Tomatoes Galette
When my wonderful host parents, George and Gretchen, invited me to join their family vacation in Lake Tahoe :) I was so excited! I longed to swim like a fish and feel water again after been deprived from a pool in Saint Helena :) haha but I couldn't find my swimsuit, which must have been packed together with my barang and sent home. So no choice, and besides the water was freezing cold!

Since I couldn't get into the water, I did what was best - baking (what else?). My host family were craving for a tea snack and knowing their love for pizzas :) T & I made a tray filled with Heirloom Tomatoes Galettes!


Bright, Juicy, Totally Delicious Organic Tomatoes from the local farmer's market. My eyes popped out when I first saw these funny-looking cute varieties of tomatoes :) It's Tomato Season now! Best time to eat them!


Purple Calabash


Red Zebra


Black Zebra


Galette des Heirloom Tomatoes - Crispy, Buttery Puff Pastry with Summer Heirlooms, Sweet Fresh Basil & Drizzled infused EVO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Last weekend was also another "Galette Day"! My local church in Saint Helena was worshiping in Bothe Park, a National park 5 miles north of Saint Helena, where the congregation first met more than 150 years ago. Being close to nature really reminded us of God's creation and getting back to Him :)

I really wanted to make something for the potluck, so I decided to use the tried-and-tested Galettes again :) This time, they are Plumilicious!



Right now, plums, peaches and figs are reigning in the markets :) Packed with flavour and bright in colours, they are irresistible and great for baking! But be warned, eating too much will make you fart :P


Still, 1 plumilicious galette will definitely make your day! Alright, support my baking and make that 2 okay?


As always, my baking incidents are not without their accidents :) and the plumilicious one is really so "soot" :P

Initially, I made 4 trays of plumilicious galettes but lost one because they caught fire .... Yes, I set them on fire .... Instead of the oven mode, I set the stove to the broiler mode and the intense fire blew from the top onto the galettes. They were totally charred and I freaked out! Had to toss the burnt tray, reset the oven and save the other 3 trays. Sigh... thankfully the fire was controlled. Setting off the fire alarm at 7 AM on a Sunday morning isn't exactly my ideal graduation present to the school.



Still, the galettes were worth every effort :) and very well-received by my church friends :) That was all that matters!

I love making Galettes that I believe they will be one of my signature pastries in the future! Stay tuned :)


Galette de Plumilicious

Mad about Macaron

I'm totally infatuated with Macarons! Yes, this is the French spelling and as you know, I have a tendency to eat a few daily :)

To satisfy my craving and to test a La Duree recipe (a secret recipe imparted by a French chef when I was assisting him during a conference), I decided to make Macaron.

My partner and I were crazily trying to prepare for Bistro Crush's (read previous post) opening day. Still, I insisted to include Macaron au Citron into one of the desserts, and went ahead. When it comes to Macaron, I can be pretty stubborn :)


And on 27th July, I mastered it!!!!!!! I finally did it!!!!!! It's 100 times better than my try in December!

I made my best Macaron!!! In fact, it was so well received that the head Pastry chef of Bouchon Bakery (Thomas Keller's) commented in a review that it was GREAT!!!!!

I was head over heels with my Macaron. They were so beautiful with the perfect smooth dome, crackled feet and delicious filling.

:) I'm just happy!


And being so enthusiastic about Macarons, I made 60 when I only needed 7. Chef was totally bewildered and amused, but he graciously allowed me to bring the extra to church :) My church friends love them! The head baker of Model Bakery said they were perfect too!

2 Macarons were created on 27 July 2007

- Vanilla Bean Queen with Luscious Lemony Cream
- Vanilla Bean Queen with the Chocolate Sage


Vanilla Bean Queen
Oh, I'm in love again :)


Crunchy and Crispy Macaron, chewy on the inside and melts in your mouth!


My over enthusiasm :) 60 Macarons


I'll be selling Macarons and other goodies this Christmas :) Packaged in mini bags that are perfect as Christmas gifts, I hope to share Christ's love with others through my Macarons.

So do let me know if you are keen! I have other flavours too!
:) email me at esootay@gmail.com

Bistro Crush

Another reason for my MIA behaviour is the conception of Bistro Crush. As part of the final practical exam for the Restaurant Desserts module, each team of 2 has to create a restaurant, a 5-course dessert menu, and serve a table of 6 guests within 1 hour!

It was high impact and pressurizing, but I love the rush of adrenaline. I don't have pictures of my 5 desserts but here are some of Bistro Crush.

Have fun!


The Bistro Menu - Simplicity and Elegance


Bistro Crush - Designer Logo :)


Description of Bistro Crush
Crush welcomed its first guest during the grape harvest season of 200o. Inspired by the wine country’s award-winning wines and the North Bay’s abundance of fresh organic produce, this elegant one hundred-seater bistro serves a nouvelle Californian cuisine using classic French techniques.

Crush believes in the beautiful flavor of organic, and locally grown food. Through a close knitted network of organic suppliers, crush presents a menu that showcases nature’s seasonal wonders.

Today, crush invites you to taste summer’s best offerings. Enjoy!


The Dessert Course

While it was crazy creating Bistro Crush, I love it! It helps me train my Martha Stewart skills - menu creation, logo design, writing, scrapbooking :)

Yes, I made and crafted the entire menu :) My partner was mainly interested in cooking. We had a few hiccups during service but we did our best :)


I'm a Martha Stewart wannabe!!!

Losing Weight while Plating

It has been almost a month since my last post and I'm really sorry for dragging it. It has been crazy since summer break and I'm still trying to get into the pace of classes after a 2-week long vacation with Yew Hong :)

I will post our holiday photos soon but here is why I'm so packed to the brim - Restaurant Desserts.


Grand Marnier Souffle Glace - A frozen Souffle, best served with a hot Souffle for a hot and cold contrast

Commonly known as "Plated Desserts" in the culinary world, "Restaurant Desserts" (my Chef insist that we term it this way) are served in fine dining restaurants, mainstream restaurants and quality cafes.

Not to be confused with desserts that simply plate a slice of cake, a scoop of mass produced ice cream and Hershey chocolate syrup (laden with glucose and cocoa powder), Restaurant Desserts are in a class of their own. A good example is the classic Molten Lava Chocolate cake served a la minute.


Nougat Glace - served with a shortbread cookie base and caramel sauce

Under the guidance of the superb Chef Durfee (previous executive pastry chef of the 3-star French Laundry), my perception of desserts has changed FOREVER!

Imagine:
- Homemade, freshly churned Ice Cream (smooth and creamy)
- Fresh Sauces ranging from caramel butterscotch, bittersweet chocolate to raspberry coulis
- Individualised Cakes etc
- Beautiful presentation (ok, I tried. I'm still in training, you know)

After 4 weeks of producing restaurant desserts, I became a fanatic. I moved faster, ate lesser, baked better and lost weight! There is simply no time to relax because you just have to move and move. I guess I also became more stressed and uptight. All I could think of was how to plate better.


Yogurt Sorbet with Mint Granite, with crisp Meringue kisses

Every night, we plated desserts for the rest of the student population at 7.20 PM sharp. Those of you with a sweet tooth will love this - eating fine dining desserts daily!

So to give you an overview of my 4 weeks, here are some of the desserts made :) Enjoy! I'm planning to start a prix fix menu in December. Book me if you want to try :)


Fluffy Lemon pudding cake with a crisp Meringue top, paired with fresh Summer Raspberries and tangy Lemon Curd sauce


Tuaca Parfait with roasted hazelnuts and grated Chocolate


Slow-baked Chocolate Mousse with Caramelized Bananas, Foamy Milk and Milk chocolate sauce


Sticky Date Pudding with warm Caramel Sauce


Port Poached Pears with Stilton (Blue cheese) crumble and Candied Walnuts


Ricotta-filled Italian Cannolis with Hazelnuts and Pistachios, and Strawberry Sorbet


Banana Tempura with chilled Coconut Sorbet. The lightly battered bananas were fried to perfection :) served a la minute and were better than goreng pisangs! My reminisce of home


Fried Huckleberry Pies with Candied Corn Ice Cream


My special creation - Candied Corn Ice Cream. Velvety sweet corn ice cream (made from scratch), folded with Vanilla Bean corn kernels. Aromatic and chewy :) Yum!
Recipe was adapted from Claudia Fleming's The Last Course


The French Laundry's famous "Creme de Farine"
Breaded Cream of Wheat, Candied Apple Ice Cream and Cinnamon Stick Syrup


The French Laundry's classic Doughnut & Cappuccino Semi-freddo


Individual Tarte Tatin with Homemade Apple Chip


Crispy Apple Galette with Cinnamon Stick Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce


Southern Peach Crisp with Summer Blackberry Sherbet


Panko Crusted French Toast with Baked Pineapples


Mint Sorbet Vacherin with Meringue Crisp and Mint oil


Creme Fraiche Crepes, served with Poached Blueberries, Blueberry Sorbet and Crispy baked Bacon :) Yes! Bacon! You can't imagine how great this sweet and salty pairing is!


Inside Out Apple Strudel with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Crisp Apple Chip


Coconut Cake with Caramelised Pineapples


Chocolate Veloute (Velvet) with Creme Anglaise and Cinnamon stick Ice Cream.


Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with Red Beet Ice Cream and Fried Beet Chip :) My favourite ice cream - Red Beet! Lowers your blood pressure too!


Tarte Praline with Butterscotch Ice Cream and Candied Pecans - no word can fully describe the decadence of this dessert. Yum!


Plumilicious! This is my team's entry for Chef's Aluminium Chef Competition (aka 1 grade lower than Iron Chef, hahahaha). The secret ingredient is - Plums!!!
We didn't win but I believe we did really well in 3.5 hours! Everything is made from scratch.

So Plumilicious is a Plum Trio (3 mini desserts in 1 dessert course) of warm Plum Cake with Chantilly Cream and Blackberry Cavier, a crispy multicoloured Plum Galette, and a Plum Sherbet served in Orange Tuile cup with Port reduced Walnuts. And it's really delicious!

In my opinion, the best restaurant desserts are paired with sorbet, sherbet or ice cream. This is to showcase the hot and cold, soft and crisp textural contrast on the plate.

:) So, after 4 weeks, I'm totally geared to start making homemade ice cream :) No more store brands though I can't resist a $1 ice cream sandwich along Orchard Road.

All I want for Christmas is an Ice Cream Machine!!! :) and when I get it, you will receive calls for sampling :) I'm eyeing the Gaggia Gelatiera Ice Cream Machine or the Cuisinart Ice Cream Machine, and dropping lots of hints to my parents when I get back home :P

Because it is Summer, I get to play with all types of fresh fruits! The seasonal ones are strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, figs ... oh my gosh! Have you ever tasted fruits that are so sweet and juicy, and bring you to tears? :) Oh what a wonderful Creator is my Lord!


It has been a really stressful time but I love every minute in our simulated "restaurant" setting. And to cheer me up, Yew Hong sent me a lovely and huge pot of Hydrangeas :) They are now my favourite flower specie, besides Tulips.

Though I must say that I'm a Pastry chef without a green thumb :( the pot didn't survive despite my care. I'm really lousy with plants and better turn back to flour, butter and sugar.


Still, the pink pot warms me heart :)