It is now the third week into the term. Things have settled down a lot. We are all getting used to the routine now. I am still enjoying classes.
In Superior Pastry, we have a 3-hour demo each week, with a 5-hour workshop (practical class) to do what we were shown in the demo. In addition, we have Bistro shifts on some Thursdays and Fridays. (Bistro Bleu shifts give us valuable practical experience and are considered part of the course.) There's also time to do a stage (internship/externship), but I did mine during Intermediate Pastry. And there is the option of some observation sessions in Signatures (the five-diamond restaurant attached to LCB Ottawa), where students can obtain permission to watch the chefs at work on certain evenings. It would be interesting to participate in this; I shall look into that very soon.
We have had a couple of classes with Chef CF so far, and I find I am getting much more practice in listening to French (because Chef uses more French in class), and that's a good thing. Much as I appreciate the chefs who speak good English (particularly English as their second language), I enjoy having the challenge of trying to understand Chef CF's explanations and comments in French. I may only be able to pick up a few words here and there, but I can generally guess what he is trying to say. Of course, Chef always tries to translate what he says in French into English, or get a bilingual student to do so, and that helps a lot too.
By the way, there are 24 students in Superior Pastry this term. Twelve in Group A and twelve in Group B. I remain in the same group as before. I like my group because we work well together, and there's generally an abundance of goodwill and positive energy in the group. Most of us have been in this group since we started Basic Pastry, and we truly appreciate the blessings of being in a harmonious and cohesive group. I know I personally would not have enjoyed my learning experiences as much if I had been in a group with a lot of overly-competitive and/or inconsiderate people. So I thank my lucky stars for what I have now.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Random Reflections XII: The Purpose of Education
Today, as I was thinking about what I would do with the knowledge I'd acquired here at LCB Ottawa after I graduate, I began to reflect on the purpose of my education in the culinary arts.
I remember a point in my previous career when I suddenly realised the main purpose(s) of education, and my own role in it. To me, the purposes of education can be plotted on a continuum: from the conservation of knowledge to the extension of knowledge.
When this notion is applied to my own learning experiences at LCB Ottawa, I can see that the techniques taught in Basic Pastry were meant to conserve knowledge that has been distilled from years of experience (why "reinvent the wheel" when there is no need to do so, right?). Tried and true methods are taught, so that we have a base to work from. But as we move into Superior Pastry, the purpose of the course is to get us to extend knowledge, to push our creativity further, to get us to question how far we can take a technique, to ask what else is possible, and so on. And that is the challenging part for me.
I can see I have a particular preference for certain plating designs, but they are starting to get a bit boring. As Chef CF says, we need to push a little harder, and try more ideas.
Some days I have no answers/inspiration at all; other days I have a lot of good ideas that I'd like to try out in my 5-hour practical classes (which we call "workshops" now). Whether I pull them off or not is another matter. But I find days like today (when I don't have any classes) to be good days for brainstorming, researching and reading -- thinking about ways I would plate my desserts, and researching ways to achieve certain effects.
That's the joy of being a student with time to contemplate the techniques taught at School. I am grateful for the mental and psychological space to reflect on my own development as a pastry student.
Right now, I am intrigued by the idea of Golden Ratio in Aesthetics (phi), something Chef CF mentioned briefly in a lecture last term. I would love to understand it fully and have it applied to plating designs and cake decorations. Hmmm...
I remember a point in my previous career when I suddenly realised the main purpose(s) of education, and my own role in it. To me, the purposes of education can be plotted on a continuum: from the conservation of knowledge to the extension of knowledge.
When this notion is applied to my own learning experiences at LCB Ottawa, I can see that the techniques taught in Basic Pastry were meant to conserve knowledge that has been distilled from years of experience (why "reinvent the wheel" when there is no need to do so, right?). Tried and true methods are taught, so that we have a base to work from. But as we move into Superior Pastry, the purpose of the course is to get us to extend knowledge, to push our creativity further, to get us to question how far we can take a technique, to ask what else is possible, and so on. And that is the challenging part for me.
I can see I have a particular preference for certain plating designs, but they are starting to get a bit boring. As Chef CF says, we need to push a little harder, and try more ideas.
Some days I have no answers/inspiration at all; other days I have a lot of good ideas that I'd like to try out in my 5-hour practical classes (which we call "workshops" now). Whether I pull them off or not is another matter. But I find days like today (when I don't have any classes) to be good days for brainstorming, researching and reading -- thinking about ways I would plate my desserts, and researching ways to achieve certain effects.
That's the joy of being a student with time to contemplate the techniques taught at School. I am grateful for the mental and psychological space to reflect on my own development as a pastry student.
Right now, I am intrigued by the idea of Golden Ratio in Aesthetics (phi), something Chef CF mentioned briefly in a lecture last term. I would love to understand it fully and have it applied to plating designs and cake decorations. Hmmm...
Easter Feast
Yesterday we had a lovely Easter dinner at Wilbrod House. The food was just fantastic!!! I feel so spoilt living in the House, because whenever we have a potluck party or a feast, the food is always superb (my taste buds never complain).
Here are just some of the dishes we had:
Deviled eggs, some of which were made from the hard-boiled eggs we used for the Easter egg hunt in the afternoon. [I have to say the Easter egg hunt was a lot of fun. Made me feel like a kid again. :)]
Macaroni and Cheese.
Pasta Carbonara, made by a new housemate from Italy.
Ham, which is traditional fare during Easter here in Canada. This one was really delicious -- it was far, far better than what I'd ever tasted in Australia over the years.
For this Easter feast, I made some vanilla ice cream, laced with blueberry coulis. The vanilla ice cream recipe from LCB Ottawa is so good that I know it won't be the last time I make it.
Actually, I didn't like vanilla ice cream until I came to Ottawa, because the store-bought vanilla ice cream (especially what you find in Australian supermarkets) generally tastes pretty awful to me. However, the LCB Ottawa recipe uses (real) vanilla beans, and I can assure you it makes the world of difference. And once you have tasted vanilla ice cream made with quality vanilla beans, you can never go back to the ice cream made with vanilla essence (or artificial flavour). Trust me!
Here are just some of the dishes we had:
Deviled eggs, some of which were made from the hard-boiled eggs we used for the Easter egg hunt in the afternoon. [I have to say the Easter egg hunt was a lot of fun. Made me feel like a kid again. :)]
Macaroni and Cheese.
Pasta Carbonara, made by a new housemate from Italy.
Ham, which is traditional fare during Easter here in Canada. This one was really delicious -- it was far, far better than what I'd ever tasted in Australia over the years.
For this Easter feast, I made some vanilla ice cream, laced with blueberry coulis. The vanilla ice cream recipe from LCB Ottawa is so good that I know it won't be the last time I make it.
Actually, I didn't like vanilla ice cream until I came to Ottawa, because the store-bought vanilla ice cream (especially what you find in Australian supermarkets) generally tastes pretty awful to me. However, the LCB Ottawa recipe uses (real) vanilla beans, and I can assure you it makes the world of difference. And once you have tasted vanilla ice cream made with quality vanilla beans, you can never go back to the ice cream made with vanilla essence (or artificial flavour). Trust me!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Decorating Easter Eggs
This afternoon, about 10 of us sat around the dining table in Wilbrod House and decorated a few dozen Easter eggs. It was so much fun!!! See photos below.
And here's the first one I decorated today:
For me, this really brings back childhood memories of finger painting and playing with colours. I haven't felt so spontaneous in a long time.
Thank you, DF, for organising this activity!
And here's the first one I decorated today:
For me, this really brings back childhood memories of finger painting and playing with colours. I haven't felt so spontaneous in a long time.
Thank you, DF, for organising this activity!
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
SP Lesson 2: Entremets aux Fruits Rouges
Chef CF showed us how to make the Entremets aux Fruits Rouges and the Pain de Gènes yesterday.
The Entremets aux Fruits Rouges is essentially a mousse cake, something we make quite a lot of in Intermediate and Superior Pastry. The base of the cake is a pistachio dacquoise (which tastes fantastic, by the way), and there is a layer of jellified raspberry coulis studded with fresh raspberries in the middle of the cake. It is sandwiched between layers of white chocolate mousse, and finished with a white chocolate glaze.
I really have to show you the Entremets aux Fruits Rouges made by Chef CF (photo below) because it was so pretty. Even one of my housemates (a cuisine student), who saw the photo, said it was gorgeous.
The entremets aux fruits rouges by Chef CF. To me, the marbling on the cake was simply amazing. Just a few strokes with the offset spatula and there it was. I wish I could do it so easily.
This was what Chef CF's cake looked like inside. The layering is nice and even (i.e. good montage).
And here's what mine looked like. I confess I went crazy with the raspberry puree (which I *love*) and raspberries. I used the raspberry puree for the marbling on the cake, instead of the dark glaze, which I didn't really like the taste of, and which I was trying to avoid using.
Chef said the top of my cake was "too red" and "too heavy" (his exact words), but the rest of my cake was fine. I managed to temper the chocolate nicely, and my white chocolate mousse and white glaze were just right.
I felt relaxed in my practical class today. I always feel quite relaxed when Chef CF is supervising the practical class. I don't know why, but it has been this way for me since Basic Pastry.
As mentioned in an earlier post, I thought I should use my timer to remind myself to put gelatin into the pastry cream, and it worked. I think I will stick to this special reminder from now on. :)
The second cake we had to make was the Pain de Gènes (Genoa Almond Cake). Here's mine:
We ran out of mascarpone for the cream on top of the cake, so I ended up making chantilly cream and piping it with a St Honoré tip. Chef said he liked my decoration in the middle of the cake. I was pleased with the effect too. I have to admit it's the first time I actually liked my own piping. (Usually my piping is so ugly that I am somewhat ashamed.)
As for my plated dessert, Chef said it was too big a portion. And he was right. I think I over-compensated for my small portion in the last lesson, and went the other way. When I weighed my plating this time, the food on the plate came to 200 grams altogether. It was 80 grams over the standard 120-gram serving. I didn't say anything, but Chef knew instantly. I joked that it was a dessert for two, and he laughed. Oh well, I just have to learn to serve a 120-gram portion the next lesson.
The Entremets aux Fruits Rouges is essentially a mousse cake, something we make quite a lot of in Intermediate and Superior Pastry. The base of the cake is a pistachio dacquoise (which tastes fantastic, by the way), and there is a layer of jellified raspberry coulis studded with fresh raspberries in the middle of the cake. It is sandwiched between layers of white chocolate mousse, and finished with a white chocolate glaze.
I really have to show you the Entremets aux Fruits Rouges made by Chef CF (photo below) because it was so pretty. Even one of my housemates (a cuisine student), who saw the photo, said it was gorgeous.
The entremets aux fruits rouges by Chef CF. To me, the marbling on the cake was simply amazing. Just a few strokes with the offset spatula and there it was. I wish I could do it so easily.
This was what Chef CF's cake looked like inside. The layering is nice and even (i.e. good montage).
And here's what mine looked like. I confess I went crazy with the raspberry puree (which I *love*) and raspberries. I used the raspberry puree for the marbling on the cake, instead of the dark glaze, which I didn't really like the taste of, and which I was trying to avoid using.
Chef said the top of my cake was "too red" and "too heavy" (his exact words), but the rest of my cake was fine. I managed to temper the chocolate nicely, and my white chocolate mousse and white glaze were just right.
I felt relaxed in my practical class today. I always feel quite relaxed when Chef CF is supervising the practical class. I don't know why, but it has been this way for me since Basic Pastry.
As mentioned in an earlier post, I thought I should use my timer to remind myself to put gelatin into the pastry cream, and it worked. I think I will stick to this special reminder from now on. :)
The second cake we had to make was the Pain de Gènes (Genoa Almond Cake). Here's mine:
We ran out of mascarpone for the cream on top of the cake, so I ended up making chantilly cream and piping it with a St Honoré tip. Chef said he liked my decoration in the middle of the cake. I was pleased with the effect too. I have to admit it's the first time I actually liked my own piping. (Usually my piping is so ugly that I am somewhat ashamed.)
As for my plated dessert, Chef said it was too big a portion. And he was right. I think I over-compensated for my small portion in the last lesson, and went the other way. When I weighed my plating this time, the food on the plate came to 200 grams altogether. It was 80 grams over the standard 120-gram serving. I didn't say anything, but Chef knew instantly. I joked that it was a dessert for two, and he laughed. Oh well, I just have to learn to serve a 120-gram portion the next lesson.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Snowing Again
Just when I thought spring was finally here (because almost all the snow outside had melted), it snowed again today. See photos below.
Wilbrod Street, looking towards Charlotte Street
Wilbrod House. All the snow had melted yesterday, and now there is a layer of snow on the ground again.
Reluctant subjects -- resident squirrels on Wilbrod Street. They were up the tree outside Wilbrod House when I came home today, and since I always have my camera with me, they had to put up with me taking their photos (just like my housemates and classmates at School). :D
The resident raccoon has thus far eluded me. Never mind. One of these days ...
Wilbrod Street, looking towards Charlotte Street
Wilbrod House. All the snow had melted yesterday, and now there is a layer of snow on the ground again.
Reluctant subjects -- resident squirrels on Wilbrod Street. They were up the tree outside Wilbrod House when I came home today, and since I always have my camera with me, they had to put up with me taking their photos (just like my housemates and classmates at School). :D
The resident raccoon has thus far eluded me. Never mind. One of these days ...
Monday, April 06, 2009
The Wisdom to Know the Difference...
God grant me
the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
~ Reinhold Niebuhr
---------------------------------
I was mulling over a complicated issue today... What do you do when you (and a fellow student) witness an older student patronising a new student (it was bordering on bullying in a covert way) in the kitchen for more than two hours? This situation is complicated because the "bully" and the "victim" spoke a language other than English, which my fellow student and I happen to understand, but none of the chefs do.
If the "bully" had spoken to me in that manner and with that tone of voice, I would have told him where to go. Unfortunately, this new student was too meek (or too scared) to even say anything - he was silent the whole time.
To me, it is difficult to know where to draw the line. Especially in a kitchen. You see, sometimes even a chef gets so frustrated that he yells at students who keep messing things up. Personally, I don't think it is acceptable to yell at someone else, but it happens (and it blows over).
So, is it OK then for a senior student (who is known to annoy many people with his opinionated and egocentric views about things) to express his annoyance by talking down to a new student he was supposed to mentor? Or do we stop this behavior before it goes any further (and escalates into a form of workplace bullying)?
I kept thinking to myself: Is it necessary for a senior male student to establish his authority over a junior male student (especially one who is emotionally vulnerable) by behaving this way? Am I just over-reacting?
In my previous career, I knew where to draw the line because I was in the position to decide what was acceptable in my classroom. But now I am just a senior student in an educational institution in a foreign country... Suddenly, things have become far more complicated.
I just don't have any answers for this. But I have considered my options. Rest assured I will keep an eye on things. If I witness it again, the "bully" will not get away with it.
the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
~ Reinhold Niebuhr
---------------------------------
I was mulling over a complicated issue today... What do you do when you (and a fellow student) witness an older student patronising a new student (it was bordering on bullying in a covert way) in the kitchen for more than two hours? This situation is complicated because the "bully" and the "victim" spoke a language other than English, which my fellow student and I happen to understand, but none of the chefs do.
If the "bully" had spoken to me in that manner and with that tone of voice, I would have told him where to go. Unfortunately, this new student was too meek (or too scared) to even say anything - he was silent the whole time.
To me, it is difficult to know where to draw the line. Especially in a kitchen. You see, sometimes even a chef gets so frustrated that he yells at students who keep messing things up. Personally, I don't think it is acceptable to yell at someone else, but it happens (and it blows over).
So, is it OK then for a senior student (who is known to annoy many people with his opinionated and egocentric views about things) to express his annoyance by talking down to a new student he was supposed to mentor? Or do we stop this behavior before it goes any further (and escalates into a form of workplace bullying)?
I kept thinking to myself: Is it necessary for a senior male student to establish his authority over a junior male student (especially one who is emotionally vulnerable) by behaving this way? Am I just over-reacting?
In my previous career, I knew where to draw the line because I was in the position to decide what was acceptable in my classroom. But now I am just a senior student in an educational institution in a foreign country... Suddenly, things have become far more complicated.
I just don't have any answers for this. But I have considered my options. Rest assured I will keep an eye on things. If I witness it again, the "bully" will not get away with it.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
SP Lesson 1: Bûche de Noël (Mousse Version)
Last Wednesday Chef H showed us how to make the Bûche de Noël (Mousse Version) and Hot Chocolate Soufflé, served with vanilla ice cream. Chef CF was supposed to do the demo, but he was unwell, so Chef H did it instead.
I remember it was Chef CF who showed us how to make the Bûche de Noël in Basic Pastry, and it was a fun experience to make that cake (which was basically a swiss roll covered with buttercream, and shaped like a log). This time, however, the Bûche de Noël is made with chocolate mousse, vanilla chiboust cream, dacquoise base and dark glaze instead. The components are a lot more difficult to handle because everything is so soft and delicate. To me, the key to success is to have a chiboust cream (= pastry cream + gelatin + Italian meringue) that is set properly and a chocolate mousse (= melted choc + whipped cream + sabayon) with the right consistency.
As for the soufflé, it had a ramekin-size disc of chocolate blini (or flourless chocolate biscuit) and a piped drop of coffee ganache in the middle of the chocolate soufflé mixture (= pastry cream + chocolate + French meringue). For the soufflé we were required to work in pairs to prepare the components, but presented our plating individually.
Here are some photos of Chef H's creations:
Chef H's simple but effective presentation of the hot chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream. By the way, that was the best vanilla ice cream I'd ever tasted. Two whole vanilla beans went into the crème anglaise, so you can imagine how nice the flavour would be.
Top view of the Bûche de Noël Chef H made
Side view of the Bûche de Noël that Chef H made
On Friday afternoon, we had 5 hours to make (1) the Bûche de Noël (Mousse Version) - full-size cake plus plated dessert, and (2) the Hot Chocolate Soufflé and Vanilla Ice Cream as a plated dessert. Everything made from scratch, of course. Even the vanilla ice cream.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I did Bistro in the morning and was a little tired (not physically, but mentally) when I got to the workshop. When I was making the chiboust cream, I forgot to put gelatin into my pastry cream (not the first time, and probably will not be my last either, I'm sad to say), but thankfully Chef H was there to remind me. Saved at the last minute again!
Hmm ... I seldom use my digital timer for anything, but I'm thinking from now on I should set it to go off as a reminder for gelatin, instead of a reminder for timing. For instance, I could set it to beep as I am finishing off the pastry cream and I would then remember to add the gelatin into my mixture. This would be especially useful in the final exam, seeing as the chefs won't be allowed to remind us of these little things then. (As Chef H always says, "Problem ... Solution..." If I have a problem, I should find a solution for it.)
Anyway, the hot chocolate soufflé my prac partner and I made turned out just fine. It rose nicely and evenly. I really enjoyed working with my partner on this task -- she is new to Group B, but she was a calming influence on me, and we worked quite well together.
I do not have a photo of the hot chocolate soufflé because I was busy serving it as soon as it was done. It would have deflated if I had taken the time to take a photo of it.
However, this was what my Bûche de Noël looked like (I remembered to take photos of it when I got home, and before my housemates dug in):
Top view of my Bûche de Noël, decorated with nuts, chocolate triangles and chocolate leaves (made with leaf-shaped cookie cutters). Chef H said my piping for the two sides of the cake was somewhat uneven, so more care needed when I do this in the future.
This is the cross-section of my Bûche de Noël. See the vanilla chiboust cream in the centre? It was made first, and when it was frozen, it was inserted into the chocolate mousse. When the chocolate mousse was frozen, it was turned out of the mold and then glazed with a dark glaze. (It was a long, u-shape mold we used. When you inverted it, it became an "n-shape" cake. That's how it was done.)
Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of my plated Bûche de Noël before Chef H tasted it. Chef said my portion size for the plated dessert was too small. I had instinctively cut the portion in terms of what I myself would eat (i.e. a smaller portion), when it should have been in accordance with the rule that everything on a dessert plate should add up to about 120 grams. My plated dessert was at most 90 grams (probably closer to 80 grams). So, this is something to keep in mind for the next practical... Maybe I should start weighing the plated dessert on my scale from now on. (Weigh the plate before and after plating to see if the food on the plate comes to 120 grams.) That would certainly teach me to estimate 120 grams of food/cake in the future.
In the food industry, experience really counts. The chefs have so much experience that I don't think they are even aware of how much they take for granted now. For someone like me, everything has to be learnt from scratch. Especially when I did not grow up with this particular type of cuisine and pastry. In other words, I don't have an intuitive feel for French cuisine/pastry that the chefs would have (simply because they grew up with it). And until I learn it, I would not know what looks/tastes/feels normal/natural in French cuisine/pastry.
To me, this is like learning a new language. Until your ears become accustom to a new pronunciation system, it takes a lot of mental effort or mental resources just to keep up.
I remember it was Chef CF who showed us how to make the Bûche de Noël in Basic Pastry, and it was a fun experience to make that cake (which was basically a swiss roll covered with buttercream, and shaped like a log). This time, however, the Bûche de Noël is made with chocolate mousse, vanilla chiboust cream, dacquoise base and dark glaze instead. The components are a lot more difficult to handle because everything is so soft and delicate. To me, the key to success is to have a chiboust cream (= pastry cream + gelatin + Italian meringue) that is set properly and a chocolate mousse (= melted choc + whipped cream + sabayon) with the right consistency.
As for the soufflé, it had a ramekin-size disc of chocolate blini (or flourless chocolate biscuit) and a piped drop of coffee ganache in the middle of the chocolate soufflé mixture (= pastry cream + chocolate + French meringue). For the soufflé we were required to work in pairs to prepare the components, but presented our plating individually.
Here are some photos of Chef H's creations:
Chef H's simple but effective presentation of the hot chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream. By the way, that was the best vanilla ice cream I'd ever tasted. Two whole vanilla beans went into the crème anglaise, so you can imagine how nice the flavour would be.
Top view of the Bûche de Noël Chef H made
Side view of the Bûche de Noël that Chef H made
On Friday afternoon, we had 5 hours to make (1) the Bûche de Noël (Mousse Version) - full-size cake plus plated dessert, and (2) the Hot Chocolate Soufflé and Vanilla Ice Cream as a plated dessert. Everything made from scratch, of course. Even the vanilla ice cream.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I did Bistro in the morning and was a little tired (not physically, but mentally) when I got to the workshop. When I was making the chiboust cream, I forgot to put gelatin into my pastry cream (not the first time, and probably will not be my last either, I'm sad to say), but thankfully Chef H was there to remind me. Saved at the last minute again!
Hmm ... I seldom use my digital timer for anything, but I'm thinking from now on I should set it to go off as a reminder for gelatin, instead of a reminder for timing. For instance, I could set it to beep as I am finishing off the pastry cream and I would then remember to add the gelatin into my mixture. This would be especially useful in the final exam, seeing as the chefs won't be allowed to remind us of these little things then. (As Chef H always says, "Problem ... Solution..." If I have a problem, I should find a solution for it.)
Anyway, the hot chocolate soufflé my prac partner and I made turned out just fine. It rose nicely and evenly. I really enjoyed working with my partner on this task -- she is new to Group B, but she was a calming influence on me, and we worked quite well together.
I do not have a photo of the hot chocolate soufflé because I was busy serving it as soon as it was done. It would have deflated if I had taken the time to take a photo of it.
However, this was what my Bûche de Noël looked like (I remembered to take photos of it when I got home, and before my housemates dug in):
Top view of my Bûche de Noël, decorated with nuts, chocolate triangles and chocolate leaves (made with leaf-shaped cookie cutters). Chef H said my piping for the two sides of the cake was somewhat uneven, so more care needed when I do this in the future.
This is the cross-section of my Bûche de Noël. See the vanilla chiboust cream in the centre? It was made first, and when it was frozen, it was inserted into the chocolate mousse. When the chocolate mousse was frozen, it was turned out of the mold and then glazed with a dark glaze. (It was a long, u-shape mold we used. When you inverted it, it became an "n-shape" cake. That's how it was done.)
Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of my plated Bûche de Noël before Chef H tasted it. Chef said my portion size for the plated dessert was too small. I had instinctively cut the portion in terms of what I myself would eat (i.e. a smaller portion), when it should have been in accordance with the rule that everything on a dessert plate should add up to about 120 grams. My plated dessert was at most 90 grams (probably closer to 80 grams). So, this is something to keep in mind for the next practical... Maybe I should start weighing the plated dessert on my scale from now on. (Weigh the plate before and after plating to see if the food on the plate comes to 120 grams.) That would certainly teach me to estimate 120 grams of food/cake in the future.
In the food industry, experience really counts. The chefs have so much experience that I don't think they are even aware of how much they take for granted now. For someone like me, everything has to be learnt from scratch. Especially when I did not grow up with this particular type of cuisine and pastry. In other words, I don't have an intuitive feel for French cuisine/pastry that the chefs would have (simply because they grew up with it). And until I learn it, I would not know what looks/tastes/feels normal/natural in French cuisine/pastry.
To me, this is like learning a new language. Until your ears become accustom to a new pronunciation system, it takes a lot of mental effort or mental resources just to keep up.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
A Long Day
Yesterday was a long day for me. I volunteered in Bistro Bleu from 8am until nearly 2pm, and then I had a 5-hour superior pastry workshop (i.e. practical class) from 3:30pm. I didn't get home from School until well after 9pm.
I knew it was going to be tough, but I wanted to see if I could handle it. Just a test for myself. I'd actually done something similar before: Production Kitchen shifts from 6am to 2pm, and then demo classes from 3:30pm to 6:30pm. Those were pretty long days, but nothing as demanding as yesterday.
With Bistro Bleu, each week there is a different set menu, and it costs $25 per person; or $32 per person with one glass of wine. The small dining room seats up to 30 people (which means students do only 30 covers, at the maximum). Bistro Bleu is a great opportunity for Superior Cuisine/Pastry students to practise their skills and gain some experience in both kitchen and service, all the while under the supervision of chef instructors.
Students do the same menu for Thursday and Friday. Therefore, I was basically doing the same thing I did on Thursday. It made a huge difference to me, because I had an idea of what I was supposed to do and what the finished product should look like. Besides, I was working with a classmate this time (again under the guidance of Chef N), and it was a lot easier. As they say, many hands make light work.
In about 2 weeks' time, I will have my official kitchen shift for Bistro. Some time in May I will have to do an official service shift as well, which will be a real challenge, seeing as I don't even know how to make coffee (I don't drink coffee, and never had to make coffee for anyone).
Bistro Bleu table setting for two
This was the set menu for Bistro for 3 & 4 April 2009:
Normandy Menu
Appetiser: Seafood Feuilleté
Main Course: Valle d'Auge Veal Chop, served with vegetables
Dessert: Normandy Tart, served with apple sorbet and cinnamon caramel sauce
Day 1 plating of the appetiser: Seafood and pasta
Day 1 plating of the main course: Veal Chop and vegetables
Day 2 plating of the main course: Veal Chop and vegetables
Day 1 plating of the dessert: Normandy Tart (Apple Tart) and apple sorbet (The apple sorbet is piped with a 15mm round tip)
Day 2 plating of the dessert: Normandy Tart (Apple Tart) and apple sorbet (The apple sorbet is piped with St Honoré tip)
I enjoyed making the apple sorbet (with apple puree, syrup, glucose, stabiliser and inverted sugar). It was not too difficult and it tasted great! I can imagine making other kinds of fruit sorbet at home in the future -- lime, kumquat, mango, passionfruit, lychee and persimmon, at the very least, because my sister grows these in her backyard.
Anyway, I found it most interesting to observe how the cuisine students work in the Bistro kitchen. The cuisine kitchen is hot, and things move at a frenetic pace (compared to pastry, that is). Some of the stock pots and large saucepans are really heavy too... It is no wonder there are not as many women taking Superior Cuisine (basically, there are more men in Superior Cuisine and more women in Superior Pastry this term). However, I think the women who do take Superior Cuisine have found ways to cope with the challenges.
I shall write about my 5-hour Superior Pastry workshop in my next blog post, along with some photos of my Bûche de Noël (mousse version of the Christmas Log).
I knew it was going to be tough, but I wanted to see if I could handle it. Just a test for myself. I'd actually done something similar before: Production Kitchen shifts from 6am to 2pm, and then demo classes from 3:30pm to 6:30pm. Those were pretty long days, but nothing as demanding as yesterday.
With Bistro Bleu, each week there is a different set menu, and it costs $25 per person; or $32 per person with one glass of wine. The small dining room seats up to 30 people (which means students do only 30 covers, at the maximum). Bistro Bleu is a great opportunity for Superior Cuisine/Pastry students to practise their skills and gain some experience in both kitchen and service, all the while under the supervision of chef instructors.
Students do the same menu for Thursday and Friday. Therefore, I was basically doing the same thing I did on Thursday. It made a huge difference to me, because I had an idea of what I was supposed to do and what the finished product should look like. Besides, I was working with a classmate this time (again under the guidance of Chef N), and it was a lot easier. As they say, many hands make light work.
In about 2 weeks' time, I will have my official kitchen shift for Bistro. Some time in May I will have to do an official service shift as well, which will be a real challenge, seeing as I don't even know how to make coffee (I don't drink coffee, and never had to make coffee for anyone).
Bistro Bleu table setting for two
This was the set menu for Bistro for 3 & 4 April 2009:
Normandy Menu
Appetiser: Seafood Feuilleté
Main Course: Valle d'Auge Veal Chop, served with vegetables
Dessert: Normandy Tart, served with apple sorbet and cinnamon caramel sauce
Day 1 plating of the appetiser: Seafood and pasta
Day 1 plating of the main course: Veal Chop and vegetables
Day 2 plating of the main course: Veal Chop and vegetables
Day 1 plating of the dessert: Normandy Tart (Apple Tart) and apple sorbet (The apple sorbet is piped with a 15mm round tip)
Day 2 plating of the dessert: Normandy Tart (Apple Tart) and apple sorbet (The apple sorbet is piped with St Honoré tip)
I enjoyed making the apple sorbet (with apple puree, syrup, glucose, stabiliser and inverted sugar). It was not too difficult and it tasted great! I can imagine making other kinds of fruit sorbet at home in the future -- lime, kumquat, mango, passionfruit, lychee and persimmon, at the very least, because my sister grows these in her backyard.
Anyway, I found it most interesting to observe how the cuisine students work in the Bistro kitchen. The cuisine kitchen is hot, and things move at a frenetic pace (compared to pastry, that is). Some of the stock pots and large saucepans are really heavy too... It is no wonder there are not as many women taking Superior Cuisine (basically, there are more men in Superior Cuisine and more women in Superior Pastry this term). However, I think the women who do take Superior Cuisine have found ways to cope with the challenges.
I shall write about my 5-hour Superior Pastry workshop in my next blog post, along with some photos of my Bûche de Noël (mousse version of the Christmas Log).
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Three Important Things I Learnt in Bistro Today
Chef CP (from Production Kitchen) always likes to ask students to tell him three things they learnt in Production Kitchen after their Production Assistant shift. And I like using that as a way to reflect on what I'd learnt after a particular experience. It helps me to remember the more important things I'd learnt. Anyway, that was to explain the title of this blog post.
Today I volunteered for Bistro Bleu (short for Bistro Cordon Bleu), and was fortunate to have Chef N there to supervise the pastry section. I say that because he would patiently coach students through the steps as they do something, and that takes a great deal of pressure off the students. It works for me -- the few times he has coached me through a process, I learnt really well. I guess that's my learning style.
I truly enjoy being involved in Bistro Bleu, simply because I learn so much every time I am there. Often, I am dragged out of my comfort zone, and even though I resist at first, I am always grateful the chefs insist that I do something that I might be reluctant to do initially.
Chef N taught me an important lesson today (I know Chef CP tries to get me to do this as well, especially with bread dough): Always taste your product before you put it in the oven, even if it is raw. That way you can tell if something is not quite right before you bake it. Once you bake it, and find that something was wrong with it, it would usually be too late to fix it. And you would have wasted all that effort and time (not to mention ingredients) for nothing. Excellent point, Chef!
But here's the thing: I was asked to taste a raw egg mixture today (before it was poured over a tart and baked in the oven), and I was quite reluctant, because the thought of tasting raw eggs just did not sit well with me. Eventually, I gave in and tasted it. It (the experience) wasn't so bad. I think I'd always been afraid to taste raw eggs because I heard you could get sick from it. It was a psychological barrier, I guess.
Anyway, I'm OK with the idea of tasting raw eggs now. My comfort zone just got extended by a little bit, which is good.
That's the first important thing I learnt today. The second thing was, customers usually have certain expectations for what a product should look like (especially in terms of the colour of the product), and it is important to meet those expectations if you want them to try your product. That, for me, was rather thought-provoking. I'd been mulling over this all evening.
The third lesson was from Chef G (cuisine chef). He made me describe to the servers (my fellow students, in this case) the dessert I was serving, and questioned me on the ingredients that went into the dessert, for example, whether there were any kind of nuts in the desserts (in case some customers have nut allergies), what was Calvados made of (Chef N had asked me to add Calvados to the raw egg mixture, but I did not know what it was made of and did not think to ask)... All of Chef G's questions made me realise how much more prepared I need to be.
It isn't enough just to follow a recipe and produce a dessert according to specifications. I really have to think about the ingredients that went into the dessert, what exactly are the ingredients made of, where they come from, and what role they play in the product I make.
The more I learn about the culinary arts, the more I realise how little I know about it. A truly humbling thought indeed.
Today I volunteered for Bistro Bleu (short for Bistro Cordon Bleu), and was fortunate to have Chef N there to supervise the pastry section. I say that because he would patiently coach students through the steps as they do something, and that takes a great deal of pressure off the students. It works for me -- the few times he has coached me through a process, I learnt really well. I guess that's my learning style.
I truly enjoy being involved in Bistro Bleu, simply because I learn so much every time I am there. Often, I am dragged out of my comfort zone, and even though I resist at first, I am always grateful the chefs insist that I do something that I might be reluctant to do initially.
Chef N taught me an important lesson today (I know Chef CP tries to get me to do this as well, especially with bread dough): Always taste your product before you put it in the oven, even if it is raw. That way you can tell if something is not quite right before you bake it. Once you bake it, and find that something was wrong with it, it would usually be too late to fix it. And you would have wasted all that effort and time (not to mention ingredients) for nothing. Excellent point, Chef!
But here's the thing: I was asked to taste a raw egg mixture today (before it was poured over a tart and baked in the oven), and I was quite reluctant, because the thought of tasting raw eggs just did not sit well with me. Eventually, I gave in and tasted it. It (the experience) wasn't so bad. I think I'd always been afraid to taste raw eggs because I heard you could get sick from it. It was a psychological barrier, I guess.
Anyway, I'm OK with the idea of tasting raw eggs now. My comfort zone just got extended by a little bit, which is good.
That's the first important thing I learnt today. The second thing was, customers usually have certain expectations for what a product should look like (especially in terms of the colour of the product), and it is important to meet those expectations if you want them to try your product. That, for me, was rather thought-provoking. I'd been mulling over this all evening.
The third lesson was from Chef G (cuisine chef). He made me describe to the servers (my fellow students, in this case) the dessert I was serving, and questioned me on the ingredients that went into the dessert, for example, whether there were any kind of nuts in the desserts (in case some customers have nut allergies), what was Calvados made of (Chef N had asked me to add Calvados to the raw egg mixture, but I did not know what it was made of and did not think to ask)... All of Chef G's questions made me realise how much more prepared I need to be.
It isn't enough just to follow a recipe and produce a dessert according to specifications. I really have to think about the ingredients that went into the dessert, what exactly are the ingredients made of, where they come from, and what role they play in the product I make.
The more I learn about the culinary arts, the more I realise how little I know about it. A truly humbling thought indeed.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
RIP Sushi the Pet Fish
I'm sorry to say Sushi the Wilbrod House pet fish is no longer with us. May he rest in peace now.
I woke up to the news that he'd gone, but thought it was a joke (today being 1st of April, right?). Well, it is no joke... /sigh/
The poor little fish! Six weeks in the Wilbrod House. At least he is not suffering anymore.
I woke up to the news that he'd gone, but thought it was a joke (today being 1st of April, right?). Well, it is no joke... /sigh/
The poor little fish! Six weeks in the Wilbrod House. At least he is not suffering anymore.
Student Lounge
Here are photos of one of the places LCB Ottawa students spend quite a lot of their time in -- the Student Lounge (i.e. the student common room), next to the locker rooms.
By the way, the photos were taken one morning in early March, 2009.
Students have access to a phone, bus timetables, and some very comfortable sofas.
There are computer terminals for students to access their emails and surf the internet. There is even a laser printer (with paper supplied) available.
There's also an iron and ironing board (no excuse for unpressed uniforms, I guess), a microwave oven and a refrigerator. There is a water cooler (with paper cups) just outside the locker rooms (the water cooler is not shown here).
Personally, I find the Student Lounge pretty comfortable - there is a homely feel about it. There's room for 20 to 25 students to relax and hang out there. And you'll find students in the Student Lounge mostly in between classes. It is relatively quiet at other times.
The Student Lounge is always very clean first thing in the morning; but by late afternoon, you can tell lots of students have been through there... Oh well, students will always be students -- just not inclined to keep a place neat and tidy.
On the whole, I like the decor in the LCB Ottawa building. The building is well-maintained and kept very clean (fortunately, not to the point of having a sterilised feel to it, which you sometimes find in a hospital).
By the way, the photos were taken one morning in early March, 2009.
Students have access to a phone, bus timetables, and some very comfortable sofas.
There are computer terminals for students to access their emails and surf the internet. There is even a laser printer (with paper supplied) available.
There's also an iron and ironing board (no excuse for unpressed uniforms, I guess), a microwave oven and a refrigerator. There is a water cooler (with paper cups) just outside the locker rooms (the water cooler is not shown here).
Personally, I find the Student Lounge pretty comfortable - there is a homely feel about it. There's room for 20 to 25 students to relax and hang out there. And you'll find students in the Student Lounge mostly in between classes. It is relatively quiet at other times.
The Student Lounge is always very clean first thing in the morning; but by late afternoon, you can tell lots of students have been through there... Oh well, students will always be students -- just not inclined to keep a place neat and tidy.
On the whole, I like the decor in the LCB Ottawa building. The building is well-maintained and kept very clean (fortunately, not to the point of having a sterilised feel to it, which you sometimes find in a hospital).
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
I for Isomalt
It started with a light-hearted conversation with a housemate tonight. I cannot remember the exact context or entire content of the conversation, but we were sitting in the dining room and, somewhere in the conversation, the phrase "I for Isomalt..." came up, and we had a good laugh over it.
That's when it got me thinking about telephone alphabets - you know, the words you use to stand for a letter of the alphabet; for instance, A for Alpha, B for Bravo, C for Charlie, and so on.
I wondered if we could create one using pastry terms, or using kitchen-related vocabulary from Basic and Intermediate Pastry at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa. :)
Here's what I came up with:
A for Almond
B for Bavaroise (or Butter)
C for Chocolate
D for Dacquoise
E for Eggs
F for Frangipane (or Flour)
G for Ganache
H for Honey
I for Isomalt
J for Joconde
K for Kirsch
L for Lemon
M for Meringue
N for Nuts
O for Oven
P for Praliné (or Pastry)
Q for Quantity
R for Recipe (or Rum)
S for Spatula
T for Tuile
U for Utensil
V for Vanilla
W for Whisk
X for ??
Y for Yeast
Z for Zest
And I swear every single one of the words above has been uttered by one of the chefs, either in a demo class or in a practical class. Because I found these words in my notes.
Yes, I know, I have too much time on my hands at the moment. But not for long ...
Classes start tomorrow.
We had our Superior Cuisine/Pastry orientation today. I am so excited about the opportunity to be involved in Bistro Bleu throughout this term. Stay tuned for blog posts on what I learnt in Bistro Bleu.
That's when it got me thinking about telephone alphabets - you know, the words you use to stand for a letter of the alphabet; for instance, A for Alpha, B for Bravo, C for Charlie, and so on.
I wondered if we could create one using pastry terms, or using kitchen-related vocabulary from Basic and Intermediate Pastry at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa. :)
Here's what I came up with:
A for Almond
B for Bavaroise (or Butter)
C for Chocolate
D for Dacquoise
E for Eggs
F for Frangipane (or Flour)
G for Ganache
H for Honey
I for Isomalt
J for Joconde
K for Kirsch
L for Lemon
M for Meringue
N for Nuts
O for Oven
P for Praliné (or Pastry)
Q for Quantity
R for Recipe (or Rum)
S for Spatula
T for Tuile
U for Utensil
V for Vanilla
W for Whisk
X for ??
Y for Yeast
Z for Zest
And I swear every single one of the words above has been uttered by one of the chefs, either in a demo class or in a practical class. Because I found these words in my notes.
Yes, I know, I have too much time on my hands at the moment. But not for long ...
Classes start tomorrow.
We had our Superior Cuisine/Pastry orientation today. I am so excited about the opportunity to be involved in Bistro Bleu throughout this term. Stay tuned for blog posts on what I learnt in Bistro Bleu.
Intermediate Pastry Exam Result
For the sake of completeness (because I did something similar for Basic Pastry last term), I am going to provide some additional information about the Intermediate Pastry final (practical) exam and the marks that I received for that.
For the practical exam, Groups A and B had the following exam cakes:
Group A:
Opéra
Délice Caramel
Douceur Chocolat
Group B:
Opéra
Petits Fours (pâte à choux)
Triple Chocolate Bavaroise
For the bon d'économat (i.e. memorising the ingredients in the exam recipes), every Group B student was given a different recipe. That means, there were 11 different recipes (taken from the exam list that I posted not long ago). I got the recipe for the 2 tarts, which I had studied, and I remembered most of the quantities of the ingredients. I had actually memorized the ingredient list for all the exam recipes except the Chocolate Bonbons (3 kinds).
Below is a photo of part of my student transcript:
I was quite surprised I did fine in almost all components (techniques, organization and presentation). I thought I had done badly with my techniques. What happened was, my initial batch of pastry cream was terrible (I don't know what went wrong, I just knew I wouldn't eat it, let alone serving it up to the judges), I made the decision to discard it immediately and make a second batch, which thankfully turned out fine. I thought the chefs would penalize me for having to make the pastry cream again. And, of course, I struggled with the fondant glazing - I couldn't get the right temperature and consistency for the fondant glaze and I was quickly running out of time... The fact that I managed to get the fondant glaze on the petits fours (I don't remember how) and serve them is incredible to me.
This time around, I didn't do so well on taste (I had scored highly on taste in my BP exam). But then, I knew the taste of my petits fours was not that great. Not when I had to take a few shortcuts with the flavoring of the fondant glaze. (Thank goodness the chef had shown us some time-saving shortcuts with the fondant glaze during the demo, and I remembered them. I am just sorry I had to resort to them.)
Anyway, I will make sure I am not under this type of pressure again. I cannot make food taste good when I am under so much pressure.
The way I look at it, I can either change the situation or change my behaviour. In an exam situation, I have no control over the exam conditions, therefore I will have to adjust my behaviour to cope with the situation. However, when I am out in the workplace one day and I have some control over the situation (e.g. my own business), I would adjust the situation.
For the practical exam, Groups A and B had the following exam cakes:
Group A:
Opéra
Délice Caramel
Douceur Chocolat
Group B:
Opéra
Petits Fours (pâte à choux)
Triple Chocolate Bavaroise
For the bon d'économat (i.e. memorising the ingredients in the exam recipes), every Group B student was given a different recipe. That means, there were 11 different recipes (taken from the exam list that I posted not long ago). I got the recipe for the 2 tarts, which I had studied, and I remembered most of the quantities of the ingredients. I had actually memorized the ingredient list for all the exam recipes except the Chocolate Bonbons (3 kinds).
Below is a photo of part of my student transcript:
I was quite surprised I did fine in almost all components (techniques, organization and presentation). I thought I had done badly with my techniques. What happened was, my initial batch of pastry cream was terrible (I don't know what went wrong, I just knew I wouldn't eat it, let alone serving it up to the judges), I made the decision to discard it immediately and make a second batch, which thankfully turned out fine. I thought the chefs would penalize me for having to make the pastry cream again. And, of course, I struggled with the fondant glazing - I couldn't get the right temperature and consistency for the fondant glaze and I was quickly running out of time... The fact that I managed to get the fondant glaze on the petits fours (I don't remember how) and serve them is incredible to me.
This time around, I didn't do so well on taste (I had scored highly on taste in my BP exam). But then, I knew the taste of my petits fours was not that great. Not when I had to take a few shortcuts with the flavoring of the fondant glaze. (Thank goodness the chef had shown us some time-saving shortcuts with the fondant glaze during the demo, and I remembered them. I am just sorry I had to resort to them.)
Anyway, I will make sure I am not under this type of pressure again. I cannot make food taste good when I am under so much pressure.
The way I look at it, I can either change the situation or change my behaviour. In an exam situation, I have no control over the exam conditions, therefore I will have to adjust my behaviour to cope with the situation. However, when I am out in the workplace one day and I have some control over the situation (e.g. my own business), I would adjust the situation.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Random Reflections XI: Making Progress
Last night I was looking through photos of my creations in Basic and Intermediate Pastry, and it occurred to me that I'd actually made quite a bit of progress in the 7 months I'd been learning to bake. I admit some days it feels as if I had made no progress whatsoever, but really, I have learnt so much. And there is still so much more to learn -- that is what motivates me to want to keep going with it.
I started learning to cook when I was about 9. I remember I had to stand on a footstool just to be able to reach the top of the gas stove easily... Both my parents worked and didn't have much time or energy for cooking, so they were happy I could help with one of the household chores (i.e. cooking).
Personally, I think I decided to learn to cook because my taste buds insisted I do something about the boring (but nutritious, as my mum would insist, to this day) food that my younger sister and I were served.
The only problem was, there was no one in my family who could really teach me to cook (beyond the basics, that is). So how did I learn to cook? From cookbooks, mostly. I used to pore over the cookbooks that my dad had given my mum, probably in the hope of inspiring her to cook. By the time I was 12, I could cook a fairly decent family meal. That's when I declared I wanted to become a chef. But my parents objected - they had decided a commercial kitchen was no place for a girl. No amount of pleading and pestering on my part worked.
Anyway, off I went to university at the age of 17. Fortunately, I found I enjoyed teaching, and that was what I ended up doing for a while. However, 20 years after I started university, I was still harboring dreams of becoming a chef. I took some amateur (evening/weekend) cooking classes in Sydney, but felt I wasn't learning enough of the proper techniques. So, I made the decision to go to a proper cooking school. Here I am at LCB Ottawa.
On reflection, perhaps my mum's view of a commercial kitchen environment was tinted by her own experiences of working in a restaurant as a server and kitchenhand while supporting herself through university. I don't doubt that commercial kitchens can be a pretty brutal and dysfunctional work environment, but not all kitchens are like that. In case she hasn't realized, academia can be brutal and dysfunctional too. Trust me on that.
Some people ask me if I think it is too late for me to become a chef now. I don't think so. Some doors might be closed to someone my age, but others will open -- it is up to me to make the best of my opportunities. I am realistic about my abilities and chances. I don't care about fame and fortune -- I'd have taken up acting instead of cooking, if I sought such things. I just want to be a competent chef, someone who can work with raw ingredients and make a useful contribution in a kitchen. That is why I appreciate being taught the proper (and appropriate) techniques at School.
Some of my mentors have said it would take at least 4 to 5 years of proper training and practice to become a competent chef. That is fine with me.
People often ask me if I have any regrets about changing careers, and my answer is "nope". Why not? Because, I know in my heart that cooking is something that will always sustain my interest. It has for 30 years, and it will for another 30 (that is if I get another 30 years - one never knows, right?).
---
PS. I don't regret going to university, and I don't feel that my parents were wrong in sending me to university. I just want to follow my dreams now.
I started learning to cook when I was about 9. I remember I had to stand on a footstool just to be able to reach the top of the gas stove easily... Both my parents worked and didn't have much time or energy for cooking, so they were happy I could help with one of the household chores (i.e. cooking).
Personally, I think I decided to learn to cook because my taste buds insisted I do something about the boring (but nutritious, as my mum would insist, to this day) food that my younger sister and I were served.
The only problem was, there was no one in my family who could really teach me to cook (beyond the basics, that is). So how did I learn to cook? From cookbooks, mostly. I used to pore over the cookbooks that my dad had given my mum, probably in the hope of inspiring her to cook. By the time I was 12, I could cook a fairly decent family meal. That's when I declared I wanted to become a chef. But my parents objected - they had decided a commercial kitchen was no place for a girl. No amount of pleading and pestering on my part worked.
Anyway, off I went to university at the age of 17. Fortunately, I found I enjoyed teaching, and that was what I ended up doing for a while. However, 20 years after I started university, I was still harboring dreams of becoming a chef. I took some amateur (evening/weekend) cooking classes in Sydney, but felt I wasn't learning enough of the proper techniques. So, I made the decision to go to a proper cooking school. Here I am at LCB Ottawa.
On reflection, perhaps my mum's view of a commercial kitchen environment was tinted by her own experiences of working in a restaurant as a server and kitchenhand while supporting herself through university. I don't doubt that commercial kitchens can be a pretty brutal and dysfunctional work environment, but not all kitchens are like that. In case she hasn't realized, academia can be brutal and dysfunctional too. Trust me on that.
Some people ask me if I think it is too late for me to become a chef now. I don't think so. Some doors might be closed to someone my age, but others will open -- it is up to me to make the best of my opportunities. I am realistic about my abilities and chances. I don't care about fame and fortune -- I'd have taken up acting instead of cooking, if I sought such things. I just want to be a competent chef, someone who can work with raw ingredients and make a useful contribution in a kitchen. That is why I appreciate being taught the proper (and appropriate) techniques at School.
Some of my mentors have said it would take at least 4 to 5 years of proper training and practice to become a competent chef. That is fine with me.
People often ask me if I have any regrets about changing careers, and my answer is "nope". Why not? Because, I know in my heart that cooking is something that will always sustain my interest. It has for 30 years, and it will for another 30 (that is if I get another 30 years - one never knows, right?).
---
PS. I don't regret going to university, and I don't feel that my parents were wrong in sending me to university. I just want to follow my dreams now.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Tamales
We made Tamales today. DF, the owner of Wilbrod House, started preparing the ingredients yesterday, e.g. soaking the corn husk, preparing the chili sauce and ingredients for the tacos, cooking the masa (cornmeal dough) and the pork filling, etc. At 2pm today, she took us through the process of wrapping the tamales. All of us sat around the dining table for about an hour, helping to wrap the masa and pork filling with the soft corn husk (see photos below).
Here, you can see the corn husk, corn dough (masa) and pork filling in the tamale.
This is what wrapped tamales look like. They are then steamed in a pot until the corn dough is cooked.
These were the ingredients to go with the tacos.
The tamales (esp. the spicy pork filling inside) tasted so good that I ended up eating five of them. I think I decided I was going to have lunch, dinner and supper all at once. :)
I really enjoyed the mixed salad with the balsamic vinegar dressing too. It was made by one of the cuisiniers in the House. I believe the dressing contained a reduction of balsamic vinegar, syrup, raspberry puree, and some other secret ingredients that the housemate refused to divulge. There is something to be said about living in a house with people who cook well.
Anyway, we had a real feast -- it's one of the best we've had in the House. All of us had fun. The dining room was filled with lively conversations and laughter. I hope the new housemates (who just arrived a few days ago) enjoyed this activity. I can assure them there will be many more such parties to come.
Here, you can see the corn husk, corn dough (masa) and pork filling in the tamale.
This is what wrapped tamales look like. They are then steamed in a pot until the corn dough is cooked.
These were the ingredients to go with the tacos.
The tamales (esp. the spicy pork filling inside) tasted so good that I ended up eating five of them. I think I decided I was going to have lunch, dinner and supper all at once. :)
I really enjoyed the mixed salad with the balsamic vinegar dressing too. It was made by one of the cuisiniers in the House. I believe the dressing contained a reduction of balsamic vinegar, syrup, raspberry puree, and some other secret ingredients that the housemate refused to divulge. There is something to be said about living in a house with people who cook well.
Anyway, we had a real feast -- it's one of the best we've had in the House. All of us had fun. The dining room was filled with lively conversations and laughter. I hope the new housemates (who just arrived a few days ago) enjoyed this activity. I can assure them there will be many more such parties to come.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Earth Hour in Ottawa Tonight
I first participated in Earth Hour (a campaign initiated by WWF) a couple of years ago, when I was living and working in Sydney, Australia.
I remember turning out all the lights in my apartment and using as little electricity as possible for one hour (7:30-8:30pm). It was a weird feeling to sit in the dark, but it was also a thought-provoking exercise. Made me so much more aware of environmental and energy-consumption issues. If every individual did their part (however small) to conserve energy resources, it would make a big difference eventually.
It appears Ottawa is participating in Earth Hour this year (tonight, in fact). For more details, please see this website:
http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/environment/community/earthhour/index_en.html
I remember turning out all the lights in my apartment and using as little electricity as possible for one hour (7:30-8:30pm). It was a weird feeling to sit in the dark, but it was also a thought-provoking exercise. Made me so much more aware of environmental and energy-consumption issues. If every individual did their part (however small) to conserve energy resources, it would make a big difference eventually.
It appears Ottawa is participating in Earth Hour this year (tonight, in fact). For more details, please see this website:
http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/environment/community/earthhour/index_en.html
Thursday, March 26, 2009
My Last Day of Stage (Marzipan Fruits)
Today was my last day of stage at Stubbe Chocolates, and I spent the better part of the day making the following marzipan fruits. It was a really interesting practical experience...
Marzipan apples, strawberries and apricots
Marzipan oranges and lemons
Marzipan pears, apples, strawberries and apricots
What I learnt about making all these marzipan fruits is how to capture the most prototypical features of each fruit and reproducing them in marzipan form with just a few efficient movements with my hands (plus some air-brushing). For example, the shape (e.g. apricots are round and have an indent across the middle of the fruits), the texture (e.g. sugar coating for strawberries), and the colours/shades (e.g. a slight red blush on the cheeks of the apricots, which are basically yellow-orange in colour).
Acknowledgment: My heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Chef Heinrich Stubbe and everyone at Stubbe Chocolates for all the time, energy and resources you had committed to teaching me (and many other aspiring pastry chefs/students) so many efficient mass production skills and techniques with chocolate work. I am glad I was given the opportunity to experience what a real-life chocolate shop and pastry kitchen is like. I shall never forget this special experience.
Marzipan apples, strawberries and apricots
Marzipan oranges and lemons
Marzipan pears, apples, strawberries and apricots
What I learnt about making all these marzipan fruits is how to capture the most prototypical features of each fruit and reproducing them in marzipan form with just a few efficient movements with my hands (plus some air-brushing). For example, the shape (e.g. apricots are round and have an indent across the middle of the fruits), the texture (e.g. sugar coating for strawberries), and the colours/shades (e.g. a slight red blush on the cheeks of the apricots, which are basically yellow-orange in colour).
Acknowledgment: My heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Chef Heinrich Stubbe and everyone at Stubbe Chocolates for all the time, energy and resources you had committed to teaching me (and many other aspiring pastry chefs/students) so many efficient mass production skills and techniques with chocolate work. I am glad I was given the opportunity to experience what a real-life chocolate shop and pastry kitchen is like. I shall never forget this special experience.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Practice Makes Perfect
Yesterday I did my stage at Stubbe Chocolates again, and this time I dipped and decorated over 750 chocolate truffles (various flavours). The first few I made were not that neat and nice, but by the 700th I was getting good at it. :)
These are the beer truffles I dipped and sprinkled with white chocolate shavings. The shavings had to be sprinkled before the dark chocolate coating dried, so that meant I had to dip 5 or 6 chocolates at a time, sprinkle the shavings, then dip another 5 or 6, and so on.
These are some of the chocolate boxes I made and decorated. I am slowly getting the hang of making chocolate boxes with molds, and of tempering chocolate with the seeding method (we mainly do the tabling method at School).
On Monday, I made my second Pain Soleil in Production Kitchen. It was similar to the first one I made, but I added some apricot pieces in the middle (as you can see in the photo), and I brushed the bread with apricot glaze after baking. The bread turned out well, and was served to the staff at LCB Ottawa at lunch.
Practice makes perfect indeed. I actually noticed a significant improvement in my performance, even in the space of a few hours doing the same task. That is why stage (or even volunteering in Production Kitchen) means so much to me.
These are the beer truffles I dipped and sprinkled with white chocolate shavings. The shavings had to be sprinkled before the dark chocolate coating dried, so that meant I had to dip 5 or 6 chocolates at a time, sprinkle the shavings, then dip another 5 or 6, and so on.
These are some of the chocolate boxes I made and decorated. I am slowly getting the hang of making chocolate boxes with molds, and of tempering chocolate with the seeding method (we mainly do the tabling method at School).
On Monday, I made my second Pain Soleil in Production Kitchen. It was similar to the first one I made, but I added some apricot pieces in the middle (as you can see in the photo), and I brushed the bread with apricot glaze after baking. The bread turned out well, and was served to the staff at LCB Ottawa at lunch.
Practice makes perfect indeed. I actually noticed a significant improvement in my performance, even in the space of a few hours doing the same task. That is why stage (or even volunteering in Production Kitchen) means so much to me.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Graduation Photos
The graduation photos for Session 1, 2009 have also been made available by the School's photographer at this site:
http://jackrabbit0777.smugmug.com/gallery/7684055_3a46m#496348232_QaQ98
Many thanks to the School's photographer Marc Phillion for taking such good photos of us and the chefs. I certainly will treasure these memories.
http://jackrabbit0777.smugmug.com/gallery/7684055_3a46m#496348232_QaQ98
Many thanks to the School's photographer Marc Phillion for taking such good photos of us and the chefs. I certainly will treasure these memories.
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