Party Hard with Seniors

This week me and my aunt, with the help of a lovely friend hosted a big birthday party for a special lady who turned 70 the other day. We were manic thinking we wouldn't get everything done in time and when we weren't worrying about trying to hide the party fact from the birthday girl we we're trying to hide all our evidence.

That's why I haven't been able to post anything of the last week though I've been busy making cakes and candy and confections. But haven't been able to display cause the birthday girl is an avid viewer of this blog.

Unfortunately being a student I had to go to class and ended up missing the whole affair but I've heard word for word, timeline included, of the party and it sounds like it was successful affair.

Have you ever realized how a lot of desserts involve fruit? I never even thought of it before I was told that the birthday girl has NEVER been a fruit lover so I went on a mad hunt to find a cake without a blemish of fruit and decided on a Lemon Curd Cake with Meringue Sticks.

And out of fear that there wouldn't be enough to feed the masses, I made another one. This one being a Red Wine Cake. I'm not to pleased with the outcome, it was too pound-ish cake tasting and looked like a confused art piece rather than something edible.

Tarts were a plenty. I made a turtle-esque tart filled with salted caramel, roasted pecans and topped with a chocolate ganache.

And something new, chocolate dipped figs stuffed with pistachios. Really easy and quick to make but if your thinking of doing something similar I would stuff it with almonds for a little more crunch.

And lastly Sponge Toffee for all.

Home at Last

So I've had time in the last week to really discover Halifax. There were probably errands I could have run that were of importance to do with school and resumes but I couldn't help frolicking around this old city. I've already made some new favorite haunts including the farmers market held every Saturday. I promise to add some pictures of the place cause it is absolutely grand. Housed in the Alexander Keiths Brewery, it has 3 floors that have been lay ed out like a maze so you always feel like your finding a new secret around every corner. Artisan cheeses and meats and fresh brussel sprouts and root veggies, the place is a wonderland.

And then there is this little store called the Bulk Barn and I thought I had discovered a secret Heaven located in Halifax. After much boasting about this store that sells any kind of candy tools you could need I was told that they're all over the East coast and but that didn't mean it lost any of it's charm.

Coffee is pretty stellar, a huge amount of magazine stores which I adore, cute boys with beards and sailor toques and a bicycle friendly city. It's a quaint but charming place.

I promise with the New Year some more frequent posts. I've had some trouble with wi-fi lately but as soon as I can find a solid place to "borrow" a connection I will pump out more consistently. Happy New Year and all that jazz.

Christmas Parcels

Sorry about the lapse in posting but I picked up and moved from the lovely Vancouver. Graduated from culinary school and took a trip across the country to make it to my new home in Halifax. So to say the least I've been a busy girl.

I've been dreaming about getting together a batch of solid recipes and preparing some cute packaging ideas along with a couple of business cards to sell some confectioneries at the local farmers market. Though I'm a far cry from materializing it there is always time to day dream.

But in the meantime I had time to squeeze in a huge batch of candies to give to those people I adore during the holidays.

Some adjustments have to be made to some of the recipes. Like the lemon and chocolate caramel didn't quite set the way I would have liked, a little too soft when I enjoy the extra chew. Fudge has never been my forte so it's hard to judge but the sponge toffee blew my mind.

The minty ones were extremely easy to make. The taste was ok if not a little too minty tasty and a little sloppy to look at. Hopefully the second time around with some adjustments made they'll taste even better.

I've always been a fan of chocolate and nuts so the peanut butter cups I thoroughly enjoyed but next time around I might try them with a crunchy butter for more texture.

I think my next challenge is to conquer my fear of marshmallows. I fell upon a pumpkin marshmallow recipe that I've been meaning to get my hands dirty with.

If anyone wants some recipes, just let me know. With all my love have a terrific New Year celebration with dubious amounts of alcohol and friends.

Wedding a Cake

The last week has been a little of a fooling around week. I shouldn't say that, it was a relaxed week before the chaos of final exams and practicals. Our Chef was nice enough to let us all design and create our own wedding cakes.

After all was said and done and we all looked at one of another works and it was nice to see how differently we all took the project. And funny enough each cake reflected each others personality to tee; the color scheme of one girl from Mexico, the daintiness of our mini Martha Stewart, the petite perfection of another, the arty-ness of Miss Marianne and the strong personality of the voice of our class.

It was the first time I really appreciated to the relationship between art and baking. Sometimes it's blind sighted by the fact that you have to churn out a product but the labour and creativity we all exhibited in putting together these cakes really inspired me. Even made me consider how limitless the art of baking can be.

This guy is mine. I choose to do a cherry blossom tree. The more I look at it the more difficult I think about how it would be to portion this baby.

On a topic totally unrelated to cake making I seen the new movie by Todd Haynes called I'm Not There, a somewhat fictitious account of Bob Dylan played by six different actors. Anyone who knows me knows my complete devotion to Bobby D so it was entirely expected that I would love this film but I just want to say from a biased opinion it was one of the most imaginative and well rounded movie I've seen in long time. Cate Blanchet is guaranteed an Oscar for her role as Dylan during his transition from folk singer to the poet with an electric guitar. I would also recommend picking up the soundtrack too, a lot o different interpretations of Zimmerman classics.

Ginger Bread The Finale

We had our big competition tonight. And guess what, we placed first in our categorie! Plus there was an open bar which made all the speeches that more exciting.

We spent 4 days of class time plus a couple nights and a weekend to put on all the finishing touches. I think we calculated about 62 batches of royal icing which is like 70 pounds of icing sugar and whites.

I was in control of the kitchen made a fridge an oven along with little tinker objects like a kitchen aide and spatulas. But we had a fine brick layer who made an excellent chimney. Plus a lake pour-er and window treaters.

Everything was hand made from the fondant to the candy canes and I'm so proud of us. Besides extreme boasting privileges we got a $200 certificate to a restaurant to share between us plus a one night stay split between two people. We're still debating how to split it fairly but I'm trying to convince them a jumbo slumber party with a ton of room service.

Christine the AMAZING

You know those times when upon first meeting someone you instinctively know that they are someone you were meant to have in your life. I was lucky enough to have met that person on the first day of my life and she has been someone that has been around ever since. I always know that she's there for me and loves me no matter my awkward moments or the fact that were a couple provinces apart.

And who knew she was an expertise seamstress. I received a lovely parcel on Friday and hiding inside was a beautiful handmade apron and the funkiest and most functional oven mitts I've ever layed my eyes on. Chris, your beyond words and I absolutely adore you and I can't thank you enough for lending me some of your crafty genes.

If anyone else wants a look into the life of one of the world's greatest check out her blog at http://chris-theedgeoflight.blogspot.com/

Ginger Bread Update

So we've worked three straight days on the ginger bread house and I still think we have a ways to go but at least we're making head way. The frame is put up and one of my lovely classmates spent the day shingling the chimney and it looks great. We've made everything by hand, marsh mellow & candy canes and fondant & gum paste and probably 140 pounds of rolling icing, and it's enormously gratifying.

We've got the house underway inside. I've been dealt the duty of the kitchen and am slowly getting there. I have all the major appliances done and just have to put them in. Along with a couple more hours of fooling around with Marzipan.

The roof is complete but the outside still has a ways to go. We need to pour our lake with sugar, build up our forest and complete the storybook that will go in the front left hand corner. Our teacher blew sugar to make individual bulbs for each light bulb we have and I can't wait to see it all complete.

I need a couple hours of sleep but I promise to keep you up to date. It needs to be handed in on Monday so expect a picture in all it's glory soon.

Haaalifax

Last Wednesday I came home to find a parcel lying in my door and seen the Nova Scotia School of Art & Design logo in the top left hand corner. My heart sunk, within this letter was my next four years and the act of opening it held a kind of heart attack impact. I sat, I debated and I made a cup of coffee with cigarette in tow to calm my nerves than attacked that parcel as if it had an expiration date.

To my relief the first ten words involved pleased to inform you of your acceptance to NSAD for winter 2008. The following day I gave my landlord my months notice and on the 15th of December I will be heading east and I couldn't be happier.

I also watched Say Anything this weekend and have developed a HUGE crush on John Cusack that borders on obsession. I once thought Dustin Hoffman was the only man to steal my heart but Mr. Cusack has now taken that title. Cusack, if your reading, I could spend forever watching you practice your kickboxing while listening to that sappy Phil Collins song on repeat.

Fancy Desserts

At the request from a message on my answering machine I'm going to have to give everyone an update. The last 2 weeks at school have been fairly intense thanks to a little experiment they've been tinkering with called Service Day. Like a mock restaurant, they shout out orders to you that you have to plate and I can honestly say its been the least pleasant experience of the whole program. I think we've all become accustom to doing doing things slowly with a lot of thought put into the product but in this case people are screaming at you and your rush and overwhelmed.

Lets just say I'm glad it's all over. Though a lot of great plated desserts came from service day. It was a bit of a challenge trying to squeeze 5 different components together on one plate harmoniously but it was great to see how everyone approached each dish totally different.

We had to prepare a tiramisu and were given free range to do as we pleased with the molds and plating. One group made it in a wine cup, another into tiny towers and we put ours into a terrine mold. Then some how we had to fit in minted crepes, tea jellies & vanilla ice creams.

Another plate was fresh apple beginets which are a huge thing in New Orleans. Basically an apple fritter served with a creme frachie parfait.

And a very Asian influenced dessert of mango pudding & tapioca sauce. My group added some dried mango slices and palmiers which are made from the same dough as a croissant but rolled differently and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

It was a great learning experience but like I said, I'm glad it's over so we can return to our pastry thinking mind sets of slow and perfect.

CHOCOLATE

We fooled around with chocolate all last week. There was truffles with fruit ganaches and pistachio gananches. Caramel coated in chocolate. Nougats and the like.

We learned that traditional French style truffles and usually scooped out of the ganache and hand rolled into balls then dipped into tempered chocolate and rolled in either cocoa powder or icing sugar. While those other fancy looking things you pick up at chocolate shops are little chocolate shells that's the ganache is pipped into and then rolled in anything you desire. The latter freak me out a little cause if the shells are not properly filled; air pockets in it, there's room for bacteria and mold growth which would obviously cause the eater some serious diarrhea.

Making the caramel was honestly the most fun I had. Though I could be bias cause I always eat the caramel flavors first out of the Quality Street Chocolates you always seem to receive around Christmas. Adding different goodies like nuts and dried fruits made for some pretty looking chocolates while adding salt to a butter caramel I made tasted the best.

And tempering chocolate is an art in itself. You have to heat your chocolate up to 45 degrees over a bain marie(double broiler) then cool it back down to 25 degrees which proper chocolatiers will call it's crystallization stage. To get t back down to the crystallization stage you either work out chocolate on a marble slab to temper it, add more chocolate to cool it down or what I prefer to do it your chocolate over an ice bath till it reaches your desired temperature. And I hate to bore you but that's not all. You then have to reheat your chocolate back up to 30-32 degrees and that's when you can have fun with it.

I made up little goody boxes for my favorite people so be expecting a parcel sometime soon.