Sumptuous Goodies for the Holidays

Transfer sheets are super cool. Cocoa butter is painted onto acetate in an array of colors and designs. You apply the transfer sheet directly onto the chocolate immediately after it has been dipped into crystallized (tempered) chocolate. Once the chocolate sets, you peel off the acetate and the cocoa butter is imprinted on the chocolate leaving a glossy shine! It is very exciting!












A Croquembouche is a French dessert which is traditionally served at weddings but can be eaten at any time for any celebration. The tower is made of profiteroles filled with pastry cream that are glued together with caramel. In this case, I filled some with vanilla pastry cream and some with praline pastry cream and decorated it with spun sugar but it can be decorated in many different ways. Translated into English, Croquembouche means "crunch in the mouth" and crunch we did!

Tagged as: [ caramel chocolate croquembouche marshmallows nougatine pastry pistachio sheets transfer truffles ]

Pastry Graduation at NWCAV

Graduation day for the Autumn 2006 Culinary and Pastry class was held last Friday. In Chef Christophe's speech, he indicated that it was now time for us to leave the comforts of 'mama and papa', make our way into the food world on our own, and leave the 'home' to search out new mentors.

I have been trying to figure out ways to wean my way off of the school because it is difficult to leave such a fabulous environment. It just so happens that Chef Marco has put together a private, advanced chocolate class for a few of us that have shown a never-ending need to learn more about it. Even though that course will also come to an end, I take comfort that each one of us has ongoing support from the Chefs at the school. They are not only mentors and people who have been inspirations – they have become friends. That is one of the things that I have admired most about all of the staff at the school. They are connectors in every way. They connect with you by taking the time to understand you and help you to connect with others by networking. They also show a true interest to stay in touch and are eager to learn about your upcoming journey.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the entire program and, once again, learned an overwhelming amount in that short period of time. I have so many stories to share about the past few weeks but when you mix exams, graduation, family, errands, and searching for a scale for the official weigh out (I somehow can't seem to locate one of those) there seems to be no time left in the day for blogging, which I really miss!

To my fellow pastry classmates, best of luck to all of you wherever you may go. It will be exciting to see where we wind up in the world of pastry! Thank you, Charmaine, for a fantastic pastry graduation speech. With her permission, I am posting it here.


Most of all, thank you to my incredibly supportive husband who encouraged me to take this leap. I couldn't have done it without you! And, of course, thank you to my entire family and friends for making the experience so positive. I promise to always fill your bellies with the tastiest things and work at becoming better and better!

Tagged as: [ graduation nwcav pastry ]

Black Box Friday at NWCAV

This past Thursday we wrote our final theory exam (a sigh of relief). To finish off the week we had a Black Box assignment today. Unlike the Culinary Black Box, this time around was much less nerve-racking. The two main differences were: a) we got to work with a partner; and b) we had all day to work on our creation.

Iwona and I had a lot of fun working together. The three mystery ingredients were: pears, cashews, and gingerbread spices. We had to include four components in our dish. We decided to make cashew sweet paste with gingerbread mousse. Underneath delectable pear sorbet, we caramelized cashews and sprinkled them on the plate. We also sliced pears paper-thin and poached them in a sweet concoction of rum, gingerbread spices, and orange juice, etc. Cashew nougatine was formed into a twirly design and the plate was decorated with cranberry fruit sauce.

How did the dessert turn out? We liked that we kept it simple but elegant. Most importantly, it was delicious and we both were very happy with the result. It was delightful working with Iwona as she always has beautiful ideas. Thanks for the very pleasurable day :)

Tagged as: [ dessert exams nwcav pastry ]

What to Drink with What you Eat

In response to my previous post on Culinary Artistry, I received an e-mail from one of the authors, yes, THE Karen Page, advising that her and Andrew Dornenburg have recently published a new book entitled What to Drink with What You Eat. I have already placed this on my wish list, as the book is (undoubtedly) getting rave reviews. To take the dining experience to the next level, it will guide those of us that are less educated about pairing different types of drinks with all sorts of foods. How exciting! Just in time for the holidays, this will make for a wonderful gift!

Tagged as: [ artistry basics beverages books culinary dornenburg page pairing ]

Culinary Artistry

At times when I go to put a dish together or when I need some clarification or ideas for flavor pairings, I turn to one of my most cherished books. Culinary Artistry by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page is an extraordinary book that helps to keep any idea simple or turn it into something beyond what you initially considered.

The book categorizes foods into seasons and identifies the basic flavors that represent sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. It lists the flavor pals of spices and provides information from every angle when composing a menu or single dish. For almost any ingredient, it offers a variety of flavor companions and highlights matches that are made in heaven. It also provides a guide on ways to prepare each ingredient.

I look at this book often, especially when tackling projects at school like putting menus together, whether they are savory or sweet. It helps me every time I host dinner parties and often I use it for weeknight meals.

For instance, if I wanted to make a guava tart (I don't know...just opened the book to any page) and wanted to have a sauce accompany it, I would look at that section and see all of the flavors that pair well with guavas. Perhaps I could make a pineapple or papaya sauce. I can look at the list and see what grabs my attention and automatically my mind starts imagining what these flavors would taste like together and the ideas start to flow.

If you wind up making the same old boring halibut dish, you can scan the list and try things that you haven't before...maybe give rosemary or mangoes a try this time. Or, take scallops – depending on what mood you are in, maybe you will make a rich curry dish or keep it light and simple with lemon and olive oil. It takes experience, curiosity, and a good palate to know that a certain spice, fruit, or vegetable goes well with a particular ingredient. Even by using ingredients that may not be your norm, you can easily and comfortably explore with them and often reap great results. It is a fabulous tool that gives you a sturdy foundation to work from to pair flavors.

If you feel a little clueless or want to start exploring with an array of flavor combinations, check this book out. I think it will make a great addition to your library.

Tagged as: [ artistry books culinary dornenburg page pairing tips ]