Taste: A Pastry Cook's Perspective

Jessica has moved.

2009-04-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

Hello readers,
I have a new writing gig and will be do all of my writing/blogging from there. Please go to:

http://www.examiner.com/x-7888-SF-Dessert-Examiner

Thanks!

A Chocolate Trend

2009-04-08T18:40:00.001-07:00

A chocolate bar isn't just chocolate anymore. A recent trend is the pairing of chocolate with another ingredient. I remember when I first realized this: I was in Fog City News in San Francisco, on my way to work at Bong Su. My eyes widened at the rows and rows of chocolate bars. My head was in a tizzy trying to decide between a the brands: Vosges, El Rey, E. Guittard... I grabbed a handful of Dolfin squares, each paired with earl grey, cumin, or cardamom. Mmmm. Something for the Bart ride home later.

Some chocolate makers focus primary on these pairing. Dagoba is one, pairing chai with milk chocolate or lemon ginger with dark. My sister loves their Roseberry, a dark chocolate with dried raspberries and rose hips. Not a bad experience for $3 a bar. (Yes, it is expensive, but where are you going to get flavors like that?) If you are into putting some heat into your chocolate, I recommend Xocolatl, a 74 % chocolate with chili powder.

Vosges is one of the companies that have paired chocolate bars. I mentioned them because of a recent culinary adventure with my mom: Mo's Bacon Bar. Yes, it is a combination of milk chocolate, smoked salt, and bits of bacon in it. $7 a bar, even at Cost Plus. My mom loves bacon, so we decided to try it. Well, salt and chocolate work for me, but the bacon didn't. They have a flying chocolate pig available on their website.

Another flavor that doesn't work for me is lavender. I feel like I am getting a mouthful if potpourri. (Sorry, Dagoba, the lavender and blueberry was too much.)

A few other companies of paired chocolate bars worth a try: Dolfin, Green and Black's Organic Chocolate, and Lindt. What do you like paired with chocolate?

The Last Day

2009-04-03T16:42:00.001-07:00

Today is the last day of the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory. It is a sad day in so many ways. The tours have been long gone, leaving the tour room empty. No longer will the intoxicating smell of chocolate swarm the brick building.

Production moves to Illinois where Scharrffen Berger products will still be made. But will it be the same? I went into the store and picked up a few of my favorites: the milk chocolate with the sea salted almonds and the 70% bittersweet. The retail store in the Ferry Building and Joseph Schmidt's will stay open for a while longer. But, girls in the retail store at the factory all decided to wear their "(extra) bitter" shirts today, a final statement on the situation.

The cafe has an event in a couple of weeks as John Scharrfenberger will host a dinner for all those who have helped along the way. I plan to make desserts from "The Essence of Chocolate" cookbook as a tribute, especially Robert Steinberg's brownies since he past away last year.

All Quiet on the Western Front

2009-03-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

Bleak.

That's how I would explain the mood at work today. There was no Spanish music blaring out of the radio. Everyone seemed have their minds elsewhere, the monologue in their minds keeping them occupied.

It took a while for some people to really feel the magnitude of the ruptured economy. For the cafe, there was a whirlwind of holidays and special events that distracted us. With every large reservation and restaurant buyout, a constant hope lingered that money would keep coming in to keep us afloat.

But after a while, after all the dust has settled and the calender starts to look empty, reality creeps its way into the restaurant. It starts with the weekday lunches as less and less people come in. Local business around us in West Berkeley have layoffs, bringing in less traffic.

How does a small business survive during these times?

Well, items on the menu need to be cut, judging by the amount of labor and by popularity. The dishes that take more time to prepare or are low sellers would be on the chopping block. After that the staff is cut, which is perhaps the most painful part. Good, hardworking servers have to be let go and the kitchen staff is also reduced. Instead of two cooks on the line and a dishwasher, there are only two guys in the kitchen.

Then there is pastry. Yes, my hours have been reduced as well. However, the morning pastries are still selling very well, much better than this time last year. But I have to cut out some cakes and some of the cookies.

I do miss those time when the cafe would be packed and there would be a short wait outside the door. The kitchen would be rocking and rolling, making omlettes, French toast, and paninis. Servers would skillfully weave their way around the restaurant with plates and trays with drinks... Hopefully, we will make it through.

Regarding Top Chef (and Other Cooking Competitions)

2009-02-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

So Top Chef, Season 5 is over; weeks of grueling (and crazy) challenges all for this one episode. I actually really enjoy watching cooking competitions. I like seeing how people's creative minds work as they think on their feet. I like to watch and learn the different techniques. And, yes, I enjoy cheering for my favorites.

But there is something that I've noticed about the show, and it is not only in Top Chef, but in other cooking competitions as well. In culinary school, one of the first things that you learn is safety and sanitation when working in a kitchen. There have been some behaviors that I've noticed in these shows that go against these basics in common sense of cleanliness. It usually occurs when chefs taste their food. Example: a tasting spoon that has gone into a mouth and then is tapped onto the rim of the pot, tapping off extra drops of food into the pot. You might as well be spitting in the food that you are preparing.

Or perhaps the finger taste test. That is gross, too. With only 15 minutes to make a dish, do you think anyone will take the time to properly wash their hands? But I think the one of the most disgusting things that I've seen is a chef drinking out of a liquid measuring cup. Jessica, what's wrong with that? It gets sanitized. Maybe I get really picky at this point, but I believe that there are certain tools to do certain things and drinking out of a tool that is used to cook isn't right. Do you really want to measure milk in a cup that someone drank out of?

Being a real top chef isn't just about cooking good food; it is about work ethic, attitude, and consistency. A tip for anyone who want become a chef: work cleanly and be sanitary. If you don't have a conviction about cleanliness, than you are missing a block in your foundation to being good at what you do.

Crème brûlée, The Right Way

2009-02-23T18:00:00.000-08:00

So, last Monday, Brian and I went to Straits in San Francisco with our friends Dave and Nancy. Dave really wanted to take his girlfriend to an Asian fusion restaurant since it's her favorite type of food.

We had a wonderful meal: lemongrass beef, calamari with kaffir lime aioli, vermicelli noodles with prawns, to name a few dishes. And we had to save room for dessert, that was Nancy's call. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything that interested me on the dessert menu. Perhaps, on another night I may have felt different.

But Nancy saw the crème brûlée and had to go for it. The first thing that I noticed about the dessert was the unevenly melted sugar on top, as I looked closer through the dim lighting, I noticed that they were granules of turbinado sugar.

A cardinal rule of crème brûlée had been broken: It is not a brûlée unless there is caramelized sugar on top, and that means all the sugar. Dave had attempted to tap at the sugar to break it and his spoon went right into the custard.

With that in mind, a few tips about making that nice caramelized sugar topping.

1) The only way to do it is with a blow torch; you can do it with a broiler, but I find that using the blow torch gives you more control.

2) What sugar do you use? It depends on what works best for you. I prefer turbinado sugar only because I feel comfortable working with it. (Make sure that the sugar is melted. Since the granules are larger than other sugars, it will take a little longer to to melt down,) Some people use granulated sugar which is fine, but you make have to sprinkle on an extra layer to get a nice think caramelized top. (I've read of one technique where you use strained golden brown sugar.)

3) Applying sugar. With the blow torch, quickly torch the top of the crème brûlée not enough to burn it, but just enough to get it "wet." (It is a reaction when heat is applied to chilled custards.) Then with a spoon coat sugar onto the custard. Use the back of the spoon to help make the layer of sugar even.

4) Make sure the surface is covered well with sugar or the custard will burn. But do not coat too generously, or you will spend too much time melting the sugar and it ruins the chilled custard.

5) For safety, keep anything flameable away from the crème brûléee. (This includes your free hand that might be tempted to hang onto the ramekin.)

6) Torch it, but keep the torch moving so that you melt the sugar evenly.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T17:58:00.000-08:00

Sigh. Valentine's Day.

The only time of year that the cafe is open for dinner. Being right by the chocolate factory gave us a great excuse to host dinner since chocolate pairs so well with Valentine's Day.

I began my day, a bit bleary eyed, not quite awakened by my morning cup of coffee. But I was not the only one who felt that way. Edwin, the dishwasher, was already there. While one of the cooks, the barista, and I arrived at the same time at 8 am.

Because Valentine's Day landed on a Saturday this year, my boss decided to take advantage of the weekend and open both Friday and Saturday.With a 10-15 hour work day om Friday, we were preparing for another long day, except this one would be much busier.

Pastries and cookies were prepared and baked off for our brunch service. And after thinking through what the course of the day and the evening would be like, I decided to bake and cook off a few more items for our Valentine's Day menu: a few more servings of pain au chocolat bread pudding, two more quarts of coconut anglaise, and an extra chocolate decadence.

And brunch was busy, as our reservation sheet was packed with names. I took a short break for lunch and was expecting to get a chance to take another break before dinner service. But, for some reason, like with most big nights, time just slipped away. Before I knew it, brunch was over and I had to prepare some pastries for the next day, while setting myself up to plate desserts.

I had only three items on the dessert menu: the bread pudding came with stout anglaise, chocolate sauce, and cherry syrup; the decadence had brûléed banana slices, coconut anglaise with passionfruit coulis; and the chocolate pot de creme with cinnamom palmiers.All chocolate themed of course.

My evening consisted of the sounds of the live band, the radio in the kitchen, and my oven. And since we had no ticketing machine in the pastry kitchen, I relied on hand-written post it notes. Servers and bussers were running in and out of the kitchen, picking up plates and grabbing clean silverware. Near the end of the evening, I saw poor Edwin leaning against a reach in refrigerator, taking a breather.

But at the end of the night was family meal, a chance for us to grab some food, to taste the Cowgirl Creamery cheese plate or the filet mignon: A chance to recooperate after a very long day. But it was 11pm when I had finished wrapping up my products and cleaning my station. And I just wanted to go home and see my husband, who had been so thoughtful to buy me flowers from my favorite floral shop, The Meadow. So, I boxed up some portions and headed out, leaving the control chaos behind, and into the quiet night.

A Comment about Valentine's Day

2009-02-05T18:46:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year. Heart shaped boxes of chocolates. Red heart shaped lollipops. Those fun packages of cartoon Valentines Day cards: Spongebob or Sesame Street?

From a pastry perspective, it is definately one of those holidays that you take advantage of. A part of the package of the card and the flowers is something sweet, perhaps even "chocolatey."

I like to decorate cut-out cookies, and Valentine's Day is the first holiday of the year that cut-out cookies are perfect for. I specifically make my heart cookies look like those message heart candies.

In one bakery that I worked at, decorating cakes and cookies were a big part of my responsibilities. It can be pain-stakingly detailed work, but as long as you are organized and work cleanly, it is actually quite enjoyable. Your cookies are lined up in front of you in the shapes of hearts, Easter eggs, four leaf clovers, or maybe even some high-heeled shoes. You have your containers of royal icing, each one a different color. And of course, your piping bags, each one ready to be fulfill its purpose. One thing to note is that the more colors you have, the more time it takes to finish your project. Sometimes it feels like it increases exponentially. Latex gloves are also good to have unless you want your hands to be stained with bright red or deep blue.

I do not usually cover the cookie completely with royal icing, though sometime I have to take advantage of the canvas I have before me. As much fun as it is to decorate, the cookie is still the highlight. Use European-style butter if you can for basic butter cookies and it makes such a huge difference in flavor. Also, no imitation vanilla please!

The (Extra) Bitter End

2009-01-28T13:56:00.000-08:00

Today marks a sad day for Scharffen Berger Chocolate fans as it was publicly announced in the San Francisco Chronicle that the factory here in Berkeley will be closing.

I already knew this before today since I work right next to the factory and the restaurant exclusively uses Scharffen Berger Chocolate.

Chocolate is a luxury, and we are reminded of it during these difficult economic times. Another example is during World War II when chocolate was a rare sight in Europe. I was reading some of the comments on sfgate.com regarding the article and there is every opinion under the sun about this factory closing. (Note that there will still be Scharffen Berger Chocolate, but will be produced in a factory in Illinois. )

I keep thinking about all the accounts of artisan chocolate makers that I've read or listened to. It's not about the money. It's about creating something that you are proud to call your own. It's about doing something that you are passionate about. Anything made in its purest form doesn't always come cheap.

I am glad I had a chance to work here and learn so much more about chocolate. It took me a while, but I think I finally learned how to really taste it.

How I will miss the smell of chocolate as I walk in to work, the flocks of people passing by our cafe as they go for a tour, but most of all, I will miss the people: I will miss my brief chats with the folks in the retail store as I pop into buy a few bars. I will miss talking with the employees as they come by for coffee or a chocolate scone.

As for me, who knows what direction the cafe will go. Wherever it goes, I will continue what I am doing and continue doing it well.

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T18:38:00.001-08:00

I saw these on my trip to New York. I thought it would be appropriate to post it today. We are watching the inauguration now (recorded off of our DVR.) Both B and I had to work today, but I got to hear the ceremony the old fashion way: the radio.

Tomatoes Revived

2009-01-14T15:05:00.000-08:00

So how does a tomato plant survive?

That's what happened to my hothouse tomato plant that I bought last April. It produced some very delicious tomatoes. Unfortunately, most of them were stolen by the Berkeley killer squirrels (as I call them.)

So when a furry culprit took my absolute last tomato? I gave up. (The worst part is that the stupid thing took a bite and left the rest of the tomato on my patio.)

I stopped watering it and let it go to the summer heat.

For months I left it sitting on the patio. I kept thinking about getting rid of the dried up plant. Then the first rains came in October and I did not want to handle a muddy potted plant. So I waited. When it stopped I finally went out to the patio, a new garbage bag in hand, ready to entomb my dead tomato plant.

I was shocked to see that from the dried and shriveled stems of this once lush plant, grew stalks of green. It was alive! I couldn't believe it and I got right back into taking care of it, though I've moved it to a sunnier part of the patio.

And today, on (suprisingly) warm January day, there are blossoms.

Sprinkles

2008-12-30T16:28:00.000-08:00

Am I a cupcake freak or what?

My sister-in-law took me to Sprinkles in L.A. They had quite a selection of holiday inspired flavors on top of their regular selection: Egg Nog Spice, Pumpkin, Chocolate Peppermint and Vanilla Peppermint. Janet and I waited in a line just outside the door.

The teeny cupcake boutique was packed with cupcake-philes. I had a Chocolate Peppermint.
I loved the moist cupcake and the ganache frosting. I like the fact that you could eat the cake and the frosting separately; each component stood so well by itself. I also like how they frost the cake, simply done with perhaps a palate knife. Even after four years of pastry, I still have a hard time with piping skills.

They look huge, but the serving is just right.

The to-go boxes made of recycled paper and wooden utensils here are a plus too.

Cupcakes in New York

2008-12-23T15:10:00.000-08:00

I don't know why cupcakes were such a topic for me this year. Perhaps its because they're everywhere!

When we visited New York two weeks ago, I dragged my husband to so many pastry shops, bakeries, any place that involved sugar.

The cupcakes here were big. Much bigger than the ones in California, but not quite as big as a giant muffin.

So my sister-in-law recommended Magnolia Bakery for cupcakes, made popular by a particular women's TV show. I gave it a try. They were very cute, chocolate or vanilla cupcakes, with chocolate frosting or pastel colored vanilla frosting. So I braved the long line to buy one. Yeah, just one. I picked a chocolate cupcake with pastel green frosting. I took it with me to Rockefeller Center, my dessert after a sandwich from 'wichcraft.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Dry chocolate cake. I am thinking because it was so late in the day when I bought it. If the cupcakes were baked earlier that day, then it may have dried out a bit since the worker were frosting the cupcakes constantly to meet the demands of the ever-demanding line of customers. (Frosting, besides accenting cupcakes, keep some moisture in.)

I am not sure if I will give it a second try when I visit New York again. There so much to try and taste. I need to remember that if I do that I need to go earlier in the day.

The Sesame Street cupcakes are found at Ruthy's Baked Goods, Inc. in Chelsea Market.

New York: the Mandoo Bar

2008-12-11T06:56:00.000-08:00

What is traveling experience without some sort of culinary venture?

For vacation, B and I decided to go to New York. I've never been to the East Coast. It is our third full day here and I have yet to land myself in a pastry shop of some sort and sample a croissant. Trying to see everything that we can in the few days that we have here has made it a little challenging to get to that. But, we have been to some great eateries.

We had our eye on the Mandoo Bar ever since we saw a segment on it on Food Network's "The Secret Life of..." What is mandoo? Mandoo is Korean dumplings, usually steamed or pan-fried. This little hole in the wall has a store front kitchen where you can see the women in the kitchen stuff the different mandoo. Mmm.. fresh mandoo! We ordered two orders of pork mandoo, one friend and one boiled. It was quite tasty, but it doesn't beat my mother-in-law's dumplings.

The Mondoo Bar is in Korea Way, a one block stretch on 32nd Avenue, not to far from the Empire State Building.

A tribute to the Queen

2008-12-06T21:51:00.000-08:00

I've never tried the Queen of Sheba cake before this year. But for such a simple cake, it has an intense flavor that you don't want to be without it in your repretoire of recipes. I immediately fell in love with it.

For the first big holiday party of the season, I decided serve this cake for our guests. They had quite a selection for dinner: filet mignon, chicken confit, salmon, and a creamy parpadelle pasta. My boss wanted to have something special served for dessert, so the Queen was the way to go.

Instead of almond and brandy, I replaced it with hazelnuts and rum. Along with the cake, I plated vanilla anglaise, orange caramel, and candied hazelnuts.

To be honest, I had a hard time building this dessert. For some reason, I really wanted to add something orange. I wracked my brain for things that I could do with orange. The only thing that I was not able to get to was the caramel marinated orange segments. With the holiday parties and my vacation coming up, my production just piled on, and I had to cut things out.

But the Queen of Sheba makes a statement for itself. With or without the bells and whistles.

A comment about Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T09:25:00.000-08:00

Halloween kicks it all off. Before you know it, you see a worker at Trader Joe's dressed up as a turkey. The Food Network starts to air Thanksgiving themed shows. Bakeries have printed out signs regarding ordering pie.

There is something about this time of year; it makes you stop and think for a moment: of the things that you have learned, in the ways that you have grown, and of the good and bad experiences that you have come across.

Sometime, you get so caught up in life, you forget to be grateful. So here are some things I am grateful for regarding my culinary experience:

* For my supportive husband, for my friends, and family who encouraged me to persevere
* For God for listenting to my many prayers of "Help me! I'm sinking!"
* For my first boss, Joey, who pushed me hard because it was good for me (even if it didn't feel good.)
* For hot showers
*For long oven mints and the Chinese burn ointment my mom gave me
*For being able to do what I love
*For coffee, good and strong and lots of it
*For family meals
*For flat sheet pans, Silpats, offset spatulas, and my santoku knife...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sweet and Spicy

2008-11-19T16:48:00.000-08:00

Ever have a chocolate chai tea latte? Is it chai spices in my hot chocolate or is chocolate added to my chai tea?

However you want to see it, a nice warm bowl of it is perfect for a chilly day like today. First you taste the chocolate. Then the spices make their way through your taste buds: the cardamon, the cinnamon, the cloves, and ginger.

Here it is pictured with a double ginger cookie. There is nothing like a good ginger cookie. I finally found a recipe that I really enjoy in Williams-Sonoma's Essentials in Baking. But one thing that I do different is that I candy my own ginger. It is actually quite a pain to do it if you only want candied ginger. (For the time and labor, I would recommend buying it, instead.)

First, I peel and slice gingerroots. They are then placed into a sauce pan with one part water and one part sugar. Then they are boiled until it is syrupy.

The original reason why I started to candy ginger was because I needed to make syrup for the ginger lemon mimosa on the menu. But, since I didn't want to waste perfectly good slices of ginger, I decide to salvage them. I strained out as much liquid from them as I could. Then tossed the ginger with sugar, letting them dry out.

Chocolate chai and double ginger cookies for the spice junkies amongst us.

Change

2008-11-07T17:58:00.000-08:00

It's been a bit rugged lately. The effects of the changing economy are apparent during lunch; they are just not as busy as they used to be. This time last year, there were often times where people had to wait outside for a table. Not so much now.

Along with a reach-in refrigerator and a freezer breaking down, we have been forced to be a lot more efficient with our space. But it is frustrating at times, when you find frozen shrimp sharing space with some frozen cookie dough because there is just nowhere else to put it.

As a result, I've taken two of my cakes off the menu: the chocolate stout cake and the midnight cake (chocolate cake with ganache and vanilla buttercream.) Sigh. There just is no space. But, on a good note, there have been requests for the chocolate-cardamom pot de cremes. So they are back accompanied by two petite pistachio cookies.

I've shifted my focus more on the pastry case: the breakfast pastries and cookies. This upcoming week will be a series of experiments of different cookie doughs, maybe a new brownie. Today I baked off some almond apricot chocolate cookies. (I may add oats to it. I taste too much like the regular chocolate chip cookie.) Tomorrow is nibby shortbread. I am letting it sit and chill overnight to let the nibs infuse the dough, a tip I picked up from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet.

I am also brainstorming what I can egg white. Because I am going to be making the pot de cremes again, I will be using more yolks. Perhaps a hazelnut chocolate meringue? I also have a ton of nuts that I have to figure out what to do with. Without our old chill chests, their shelf life is shortened. (I have a five pound bag of pistachios.)

The holidays are in sight as well; I keep in mind cut-out cookies, rugelachs, and flavors of peppermint.

Scones

2008-11-03T15:16:00.001-08:00

Interestingly enough, two of my friends came to me over the weekend regarding scones that each of them had made. I thought that was funny since I don't know too many people that would choose to make scones just because. So I was happy to answer whatever questions they had.

Ah, scones. Nothing like a hot cup of coffee and a blueberry scone with a hint of lemon. I didn't really start enjoying them until after culinary school. Crumbly (or flaky) scones. There is so much I can write today about scones, but let's keep it short and focus one of the basics.

Mixing. It is really easy to overmix scones. Unlike, cookies or cakes, scones are mixed until they just come together. What does that mean? Well, it will look like a messy mass of dough with some dry clumps. (There should be clumps of butter.) It should not feel too wet or sticky. You should be able to shape the dough, patting the dry clumps into the wet areas. You can always add more liquid (either cream or buttermilk, usually) as you go.

Why is it important that you mix scones to that point? If you overmix the dough, it becomes dense. The texture feels like a giant cookie, rather than the crumbly (flaky) scone. That texture comes from the small chunks of butter trapped between layers of dough. (Depending on the shape, scones can vary in texture. A crumbly scone is made when you make a rough lump of dough for each serving. To make a flaky scone, the dough is rolled out and then cut with a knife or with round cutters.)

A good tip in adding fruit to scones: I usually just add dried fruit. But if you want to add real fruit, like berries, for example. I recommend frozen berries only because the frozen berries won't bleed when you mix them in. Also, fold the berries in toward then end of our mixing so you get hunks of the fruit rather than having just swirls of fruit through the dough.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T22:52:00.001-07:00

"Death by Chocolate" Cupcakes.

A note about weddings

2008-10-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

So B and I went to a wedding this past weekend.

We didn't just go the wedding; we had been asked to help coordinate the reception for our friends, Gabe and Dorise. So, it was a busy evening for us: setting up the chair covers, tying to gold sashes, making sure the banquet was set up, setting up the cake...

A word about cake...why are they so expensive?

I don't think many people realize what goes into a cake, especially a wedding cake. It takes a lot of energy out of you, a lot of work and time and that is on top of all the normal production that you have for your bakery or pastry shop.

There have been many times where I wished that I had a magic wand to make the cake. Cake decorating can be painstaking, especially if you have much detailed work ahead. Sometime you feel like you are buried in cake as is slowly comes together. Just thinking about the work into making a wedding cake can be stressful.

I think the biggest thing is planning: with cake, having a plan and executing it right plays a huge part in ensuring success. (Something that I learned making my first wedding cake outside of culinary school.)

It is rare that a wedding cake is baked, finished and decorating all in one day. It is often done in stages. Mixing and baking the cake take time, and even more time if you have several tiers to do. (It gets more complex if the tiers are different flavors.) Also calculated in that is the cooling and proper storage. Then you have to make sure that you have enough buttercream, ganache, stabilized cream, or fondant to finish the cake. You also have to make time to cut the cake into layers, put in the filling, and crumb coat it. Then it is on to icing it to have that nice seamless exterior.

The time it takes to decorate can vary depending on the complexity. If you have a whipped cream cake that is dressed with organic rose petals, then the labor is a lot less than if you have hexagon shaped tiers with gumpaste flowers.

On top of all that, you have to make sure that you work cleanly and that you are organized. Because if anything happens to your work: if the cake gets damaged, if the fondant gets niched, if the gumpaste flowers break, you have to stop and fix it or start all over.

And it is frustrating.

Then set up and deliver. This is probably the worst time for anything to happen to a cake. Because you have just finished all that hard work, of making everything look perfect. I think one of the most relieving feelings is when the cake is delivered: it is out of your hands and you've done the best you can. There is nothing more that you can do about it.

But as stressful as it can be, it is rewarding when you see what you have made with your hands and find satisfaction for a job well done.

(Here is my friend Kike, helping me assemble the cake at the wedding. To save some money, the bride and groom decided to have the cake picked up by one of the guest, rather than to have it delivered.)
Note: The cake (with the purple flowers) is from Ambrosia Bakery and Cafe in San Francisco.

and another thing...about bread

2008-10-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

I like bread that has big holes in 'em.

Here's a photo of a piece of ciabatta. The reason why you have those big holes is because of fermentation. The purpose is to improve flavor and texture. Fermentation in bread comes in two forms. You can ferment the dough by punching down the dough after its first rise and letting it rest in the refrigerator overnight. The other is with a sponge, also referred to as a pre-ferment, starter, barm, or poolish. In any case, it is a mixture of flour, water, and yeast that is allowed to sit (usually overnight.) This process allows the yeast to mutiply and create acetic and lactic acids. This in turn leads to more flavor.

I think that is why baguettes tastes so great. In general, baguettes are water, flour, salt, sugar, and either yeast or a starter.

Here is a picture of the ciabatta starter. Because of its continual process of a multiplying community of yeast, a portion has to be measure out and discarded of. (Salt it through on the discarded portion so that it will cease to multiply.) Then a measured amout of flour and water is mixed with the original batch. Essentially, the starter needs to be fed everyday to keep it alive, but a portion has to be thrown out or it would get to big.

A Good Day for Bread

2008-10-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

I left work early today. Business has been slow and it's Columbus Day, so our usual patrons from the French school had the day off.

Coming home early, I decided to do something that I have not done in a long time: bake bread at home. The warm fall air was perfect for dough to rise. I flipped through my "Essentials of Baking" cookbook: the focaccia recipe caught me eye.

I have not baked focaccia since I was in Breads class at the culinary school. That was four years ago.

I love making bread, but the challenge is having a block of time: starting with measuring out my ingredients all the way to pulling the finished product out of the oven. Also, having the weather just right. I have figured out a way to proof bread in the chill of the winter. (I just put the dough in a container on top of the oven, and set the oven to warm. It's a bit tricky, so I would rather just wait for the right time.)

But I am spoiled when it come to bread. Students would constantly have fresh baked bread with their meals. So for thirty weeks, I had fresh piecebaguette, ballons with poppy seeds or asiago cheese, slices of levain...

So, I did have fun making the focaccia, but I wished that I had the time to let the dough sit in the refrigerator overnight and let it ferment. (The flavor is much better if you do so.)

I think one of the interesting about making bread is that you are working with something that is still alive. And, I love how simple ingredients can create something so delicious: yeast, warm water, sugar, olive oil, flour, and salt. Also, an important factor is time.

Here is my finished product. I added some tomato, green onion, and garlic.

Milk Chocolate

2008-10-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

I often get the duty of bringing dessert when it comes to visiting friends. I guess that is part of the contract when baking is your profession.

Unfortunately, baking is the last thing I want to do when I am off work. Tell me to make potato salad or my mom's seven layer dip. Dessert? I'll do it, but with some reluctance. Don't get me wrong. I love what I do, but when you do it all day, five days a week for work, there is a stopping point.

Sigh. So, Monday was one of those days where I was commissioned to bring dessert. It was short notice. But when I saw how eager our hosts where when they had asked me, I had to say yes. I didn't want to disappoint them.

So I brought chocolate. You can't go wrong with chocolate. (I also brought some cookies that I baked off at work.)

Our friends happen to love Scharffen Berger Chocolate. I picked up two bars: the semisweet and the milk chocolate with cocoa nibs. (They have a ten year old son, so I figure something on the sweeter side would do.) My family loves bittersweet, so that is naturally the one I gravitate toward. I rarely ate milk chocolate growing up only because we never really kept it around the house. I've only recently gone beyond my bittersweet boundaries.

I often find milk chocolate a bit sweet. But it pairs with some ingredients better than bittersweet because of its sweeter, carmel-like nature. If you pay attention to Scharffen Berger's milk chocolate you can taste the butterscotch notes. I can see it going well in a chocolate chunk cookie with pecans, or mixed with some heat.

Some pastry chefs have mentioned El Rey as a good brand when it comes to milk. So I will give it a go next time. So sorry, Mom and Dad, I can't stick just to bittersweet.

Pumpkins!

2008-09-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

Here they are. Aren't they beautiful? Imperfections and all. It's that time of year...Halloween is around the corner. Pumpkins will line porches and sit on window sills, as they are or with carved faces on them. Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin fudge, and best of all fresh pumpkin pie. (As in cooking the pumpkin, and making your own puree. Mmmmm....)

This is the rustic Fairy Tale pumpkin. Can you imagine this turning into a coach drawn by horses that were once mice?

A close up of the Jarradale.

The bright orange French Pumpkin.

How about these guys? Super Freak Pumpkins.

And this is a Swan Gourd.

When the Freezer Stops Freezing...

2008-09-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

You have in mind your production schedule for the day. It is the afternoon and you have already baked off the morning pastries and cookies. You've iced the brownies and piped ganache on the chocolate cupcakes. Two quiches have been baked off for the lunch specials. You've even had time to test out a new pumpkin muffin recipe. The chocolate stout cake has cooled and you are ready to put them in the freezer to be used at a later date.

But the freezer smells funny. You put your hand in and it feels, strangely, warmer. You start poking at different product, expecting your finger to hit a wall of frozen items. But everything you touch give way to the pressure you apply. There is condensation on the inside wall of the freezer.

Great.

Problems happen all the time. I've always found that the problems that arise in the kitchen forces one to be creative. Much of the time, I have to stop what I am doing and find a solution of some sort. Because there's really no other choice. How perfect it would if everything came out the way you wanted. If all ovens behaved the same, if freezers didn't break down, if the temperature and humidity were just perfect, etc.

So what do I usually have in there? Unbaked product such as scones and cookie dough, cakes waiting to be iced, nuts to keep from going rancid, fruit purees, pate brisee wrapped in plastic wrap, puff pastry, and ice cream samples.

The rest of my production was put on pause for the rest of the day. I scrambled to find freezer items temporary homes in other freezers and fridges. And I made it work.

You just have to.

Alfajores

2008-09-19T22:18:00.000-07:00

I 've been spoiled.

I can't just have any cookie. I recently nibbled on a brand name oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. My reaction: No. Can't do it. Bleh! I think I've stopped eating store-bought cookies altogether. I remember my childhood favorite: Oreo's, Pepperidge Farms' Milanos, Famous Amos, and Chips Ahoy. Nope. Not for me.

With that out into the open, on to alfajores.

Alfajores are cookies from South America. Imagine dulce de leche sandwiched between two biscuit like cookies. A layer of powdered sugar elegantly dressed onto the top layer. The cookie part is rich and crumbly, and at first makes you feel like you need a glass of milk, but when you taste that ooey, gooey dulce de leche, your need for counterbalance is satisfied. The experience melting away in your mouth.

My sister had brought some for me from her trip to Argentina. She had bought me a box and had it waiting for me at my family's home. But my aunts and uncles would come by and peak in the pantry. And before you know it, only four individually wrapped cookies were left. They were my first alfajores and I enjoyed each one. Yes, they were the store-bought kind, and they were dipped in chocolate. But that was years ago. I had forgotten what they tasted like, but I remember I liked them

Then I came across Monica's alfajores. It is a Peruvian recipe, and they are freshly made. Yes! I have found a supply. I just love how they melt in my mouth. And, as they disappear they leave me with an expression of delight.

Fall Begins

2008-09-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

Labor Day has come and gone, and school is back in session. The maple leaves are slowly starting to change their shades and flutter to the ground, the first breaths of autumn before it awakes.

The change from summer to autumn is a bittersweet time of year. We start to give way to our shorts and beach trips for sweaters and raking leaves. I start to say goodbye to my beloved summer fruits: the juicy hunks of honeydew, the sweet flesh of peaches, and the fragrant strawberries. There will be no more free-form blueberry tartlets or Sharlyn melon agua frescas.

The shadows begin to lengthen, and the air gets a little chilly. The skies become a canvas of vibrant oranges and pinks at sunset.

Every Wednesdays while I was in culinary school, I would pass by the farmers' market. I found the best plums and peaches here for a great price. I became hooked on dried mission figs. Over time I would notice the changes in produce as fall came around. The change was subtle as the quality and quantity of summer fruits began to fade and make room for apples, pears, and persimmons.

Autumn is that time of year for candied apples, poached pears, and everything pumpkin. It's that time of year for cranberry compote, roasted figs, and maple pecan pie. And as much as I love the summer, autumn is my favorite time of year as it alludes to the holidays. The weather is cool, yet we still catch one last hint of summer heat as Indian summer makes it way through. There is nothing like having a hot cup of coffee with apple cranberry muffin, scooping out pumpkins seeds as the rays of the setting sun pour into my kitchen, or walking outside on my way to work and seeing puffs of breath as I exhale.

Slow Food Nation

2008-09-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

I made the mistakes of not buying my tickets early. I think for the most part because I was unsure if I would be able to make it.

Slow Food Nation was a celebration of food that took place this past Labor Day weekend in San Francisco. There were opportunities to taste samples from different farmers and producers, to learn about food-related issues, and see cooking demonstrations.

What is Slow Food? Well, what is fast food? Fast food, much of the time, is junky, unwholesome, and unsocial in this speed-of-light time that we live in. Slow Food USA is a movement that focuses on good wholesome food, linking the environment and the community. It’s about getting food back to be being good for us, not just the consumer, but for every component along the way: whether it is the soil that our produce comes from or the workers in the field.

I was disappointed for not jumping on the opportunity earlier. But, I received word of one event that was happening today: a US Artisanal Chocolate Makers Roundtable. Basically, it was a discussion between five chocolate producers in the United States. I made my way to Fort Mason to learn more about what it means to be "artisanal." What was the difference between their chocolate and companies such as Hershey's and Ghirardhelli?

The panel included representative from Taza Chocolate, Amano Chocolate, Askinosie Chocolate, Patric Chocolate, and DeVries Chocolate. I definitely learned a lot about the art of chocolate making: about production, about single origin beans vs. blending, and about issues regarding larger chocolate makers.

I think what really struck me the most was how much each person really valued keeping the purity of the cacao beans: bean to bar. This means not having extra additives in their chocolates, but protecting the flavors of the beans. The flavors of the beans depend on variables such as where they are grown, how they are fermented, and even how they are roasted.

Shawn Askinoisie of Askinoise Chocolate focused on his strong belief on building the relationships with the providers of the beans, with having fair net profit share with them. (He once was a criminal defense lawyer who pursued his new passion.) Steve DeVries, of DeVries Chocolate, spoke about how he would fly out to Costa Rica for the harvesting of the cacao beans to insure quality.

Perhaps that is why these chocolate are expensive: the care that goes into the production and the purity of the ingredients. I must note that artisanal chocolate making is fairly new in the US. (Scharffen Berger being perhaps one of the earlier pioneers that paved the way.) And though I have yet to try the brands represented in the panel, I am not likely to use their chocolate for baking purposes. (For $8 a bar?) These chocolates are meant to stand alone, not melted to make a mousse or chopped up for cookies. That would go against the principles of these artisanal chocolates.

Dim Sum with Po Po

2008-08-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hmmm. I have noticed that this blog has made a course quite different than I had planned. I thought that I would be writing about my experiences with pastry, but that has only become a small part of this short-lived blog.

But who cares...and now onto dim sum with Po Po (the Cantonese word for maternal grandmother.)

What would food experiences be without a good dose nostalgia? Growing up Chinese American, dim sum has such a deep rooted part of my childhood, and it it not just to food, it's the whole atmosphere.

I don't get to see my Po Po too often, and I had a feeling that it was that time to make time. We ventured to Mayflower Restaurant and Lounge, a restaurant that my family have been long time patrons to. So long, that my grandmother gets the hook up with extra dishes. We sat down at a small round table for five, the three other seats for an unrelated uncle and two aunties.

Waiters and waitresses dressed in their uniforms: the men either in a green vest or a peach suit jacket; the women in black vests. All have bow ties and black pants. Managers have their suits. Carts of dim sum maneuver their way around the packed tables. Trays with egg tarts, taro dumplings, and other assorted dishes make their way to every table as each member of the waitstaffs announces their featured dish.

My dim sum experience would be incomplete with my childhood favorites. The first is har gau, the shrimp dumplings that are enveloped in a thin wheat starch wrapping. Then, of course, the steamed barbeque pork bun (cha siu bo). And it must be steamed, not the baked one. Cheong fun, the rice noodle rolls filled with beef or shrimp accompanied with soy sauce. Then of course the cups and cups of tea. Going out for dim sum is also refered to yum cha, which directly transtlated means to drink tea.

And, yes, the dishes sometimes do get, well, wierd: like the barbequed chicken feet (in which B is absolutely appalled by) or duck beaks. But that is such a small part of this varietal feasts.

One more thing that is part of my experience of this tradition: the "fight" over who pays the bill.

Buttercream

2008-08-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Swiss meringue buttercream.

I had the hardest time learning how to make it. I mean, I can do it in my sleep now, but it took me forever to get that confidence. One thing working with pastry is that you need to learn how to pay attention to detail. You learn how to look at your product and gauge how it is coming along. Catching mistakes early saves you from upcoming headaches (and heartaches.)

I don't really care too much for frosting. To be honest, I don't really like buttercream, (whipped cream for me, please) but having a good buttercream recipe is essential. Because it involves incorporting air, it is much lighter than your supermarket frosting (which if you read the label is mostly made of shortening and sugar.)

I threw out many failed batches. But after making it over and over, I have learned a few things to make this buttercream foolproof.

Swiss meringue buttercream involves two parts: the Swiss meringue, which is egg whites and sugar, heated over a water bath and then whipped in a stand mixer. Then butter is added.

The recipe involves 1 1/2 cups sugar and 3/4 cups egg whites (a Swiss meringue is 2:1 sugar to egg white) and 1 pound of soften butter.

A quick note on the butter. It should be soft and quite maleable in your hands, but not melted. If the butter is too cool, it will not mix into the meringue and, you will get chunks of butter throughout your buttercream. (You can get this by microwaving the butter in 5 second intervals. Or, you can leave it out at room temperature for a few hours.)

Place the sugar and egg whites into a mixer bowl. Whisk it by hand. Place over a pot of simmering water. (Bowl should not touch the water.) Continue whisking, scraping the bowl as you go. If you don't, your egg white mixture will not heat evenly and you will have cooked egg whites. (Heating the meringue makes it more stable.)

Heat to 140 F.

You can use an instant-read thermometer. But if you don't have one, you can test it by touching the meringue with the back part of your finger. It should feel hot, but not burning. Think about a hot bath after a long tiring day.

Remove and place in a mixer and whisk on medium high until cool. This may take a while depending on how much buttercream you are making and the temperature of the room. It can take 10 minutes or as long as 45 minutes. Again, test by touching the meringue with the back of your finger.

The meringue should also hold its shape. (Also known as a stiff meringue.)

When it is cool, add the butter a little at a time. There should be about ten additions. Keep whisk going at medium speed after each addition.

The buttercream may look like it is not coming together, almost clumpy, but keep whisking! It should bind. When the buttercream has come together, take out the bowl of from the mixer. With a spatula scrape the bottom and finish by hand.

And there you go: beautiful buttery buttercream. At this point you can flavor it as you like: vanilla extra, strongly brewed coffee, melted chocolate, etc. (With chocolate, take a third of the finished buttercream and mix seperately with the chocolate. Then add into the bigger batch of buttercream.)

It is best to use the buttercream right away, but refrigerate or freeze if not using right away. Just leave it out at room temperature when you plan to use it.

All Things Chocolate: Valrhona

2008-08-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

I remember my first taste of a piece of Valrhona chocolate. I was just starting my third year working in the pastry kitchen, working at a high end Vietnamese restaurant. There were two bags of Valrhona 82% cacao and 70% cacao in the kitchen which was used to make the chocolate praline mousse. I pulled out an oval button from the 82%. I don't remember when was the last time that I ate a piece of chocolate by itself: unadorned and unaccompanied. Just by itself.

But I remember my eyes lighting up: the immediate bitterness followed by a sweet wave of evolving flavor. But I found that I enjoyed the 70% so much more. Because it has a less cacao than the 82%, it was a bit sweeter. I definately enjoyed the fruity notes in Valrhona.

I recently started trying different brands of chocolate, just to taste, to experience the different flavors, to figure out my own preferences. My latest bar of chocolate is Valrhona's Palmira 2007. Valrhona has a line of vintage bars, which like wine, is label according the year it was made. The cacao beans are from Venezuela, and the chocolate is mildly fruity with some acidity. (I think that is why it reminded me of wine.)

Cheeseboard!

2008-07-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

So I finally made my way to The Cheeseboard Collective. I have heard so much about their product: the cheese, the bread, and the pizza. I have often driven passed it and noticed a long string of customers waiting for their turn to buy the pizza of the day. There is only one type of pizza each day and everyday is different.

Cheeseboard, unlike many other restaurants, is worker owned, meaning that everyone has a say in the decision making process about how the business is run. It is a business that has been around since the late sixties and has been going strong ever since. There are two stores: one selling cheese and bread, and the other pizza.

I was helping a friend move out of her place and I was to stop by Cheeseboard Pizza while everyone finished up loading the truck. Unfortunately, I was a bit early for their dinner service so I just went two doors down for some savory bread. I picked up some bialys (sourdough bread with poppy seeds and onions), some pesto focaccia, and the focaccia with the tomato paste and green onions.

I was so excited to finally get a small taste of some Cheeseboard product that I didn't mind that we had to go without the pizza.

Next time, I definately want to make sure I get a chance to grab some of their pizza for dinner. (When they don't have feta on it, because B does not like feta.) Or, just pick up another bread to try.

Health Care

2008-07-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

You go out for dinner on a Saturday night at a restaurant in San Francisco. You enjoy the ambiance, the service is great, and, best of all, the food is awesome. But, of course, you have to pay the price for your culinary experience. You get the bill and notice that there is a 2 % surcharge on top of the price of the dishes, the tax, and the tip. How would you feel?

But how would you feel knowing that the extra 2 % you have to pay goes to supporting health care for the restaurant employees. That includes your server who remembered the "dressing on the side" and the "water, no ice." That includes the prep cook who chopped up the cauliflower in your cauliflower gratin, the line cook who grilled your steak perfectly to your choice of medium rare, and the pastry cook who plated your chocolate espresso pot de creme.

San Francisco now has a health insurance ordinance which provides a way for the uninsured to get access to health care. Sounds like a great idea.

But, how does this affect your dining experience?

Restauranters were required earlier this year to find a way to provide coverage for their employees or pay a fee to the city for this health care program. In order to raise the funds to pay for health coverage, restaurants have to be creative such as: adding small fees to the bill, charging for items like bread (that would have otherwise been complimentary), etc.

Being a cook myself, it would be nice for everyone in the kitchen to receive health insurance. (I am fortunate to be covered by my husband's.) But the funds have to come from somewhere and I don't think that the general public would want to pay more taxes for this health ordinance. So it comes down to the employers.

Raising the prices on the menu would not be the tactful since prices at some restaurants have already been adjusted due to the rising cost of food.

So please, when you go out and see those small addition to your tab, understand that there is someone in the kitchen who endures long hours of standing, who been trained to cook your meal with precision. For a moment, think about those who after you have long finished your meal and have heading out to enjoy the rest of your evening, has still yet to finish the night over flaming stoves and hot ovens.

Think about us who are good at what we do and love it, who endure it whether or not we get the health care or not, who after a long day of busting in the kitchen can still find satisfaction in what we do.

You can find out more about the health care ordinance at SFGate or at Golden Gate Restaurant Association.

All Things Chocolate...

2008-07-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

I have decided to write a series on different aspects of chocolate. And though I am not a huge fan of chocolate, there are so many things about this ingredient that intrigues me and, I feel, demands closer observation and attention.

So every few weeks or so, I will post something that I've learned or experienced about chocolate whether it is a new brand that I've tasted or a recipe that I have been working with...

Chocolate is complex. It has been a culinary luxury, historically, and it has been as rare as gold during times of war. It has delighted many from children, to foodies, to friends sharing a hot fudge sundae. It is one of the toughest ingredients to work with, giving you no mercy if you fight against it. But it can be your friend as it awakens the sense and tickles your palate.

Chocolate is choice. One may buy only bittersweet chocolate while others indulge in milk chocolate. One person will have it in any way shape or form while another prefers it as a simple bar of chocolate. Some like it as an indulgence as they order double chocolate cakes or fudgy brownies for their dessert. Others prefer chocolate in moderation like a chocolate chip cookies., once in a while.

Chocolate is diverse. It comes in the form of bars, powder, and nibs to name a few. It comes in hot drinks, cold drinks. It can be cheap, mix with unpronounceable ingredients. Or it can come expensive at almost eight dollars for a three ounces.

Chocolate is curiosity.

The Wonders of the Korean Market

2008-07-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we've been to the Korean market to get our staple Asian ingredients. The one we venture to is in Daly City. It is farther away from us that some other Asian markets, but it is along the way to visit my family.

First, pan chan, the assorted fermented and pickled side dishes at the Korean table, are found in vats and our bought by weight. B, my hubby, loves the shredded spicy cuttle fish and the black beans, while I usually go for the seaweed salad and pickled daikons and cucumbers. This time, I also picked up the fish cakes.

Strangely, we both dislike kim chee.

One thing to note about pan chan when dining at a Korean restaurant: If the pan chan at a restaurant does not taste good or if there isn't much variety, then you can forget about the restaurant because low quality side dishes reflects poorly on the restaurant.

And what is an Asian market without fresh meat? A huge part of any Asian market is the butchery. At this one, it pretty much takes up the whole back wall of the market. You can pick the cut of meat that you want or select your fish from the tank. At this one, they lay out whole fishes on beds of ice. Here is a monkfish:

Also, there is the rice. Here at the Korean market, there is an aisle dedicated to rice from sweet brown to a mix bag of varieties. Also, you can find tapioca pearls and dried beans. A whole new aisle is dedicated to noodles. There is the vermicelli that is made of mung beans (completely wheat free), the soba noodles, the rice noodles. the buckwheat noodles.... But we stick to our brown and white rice. (But $5.99 for a five pound bag of rice reflects the recent rise in cost for rice.)

And a favorite snack for both of us kim bop. Not to be mistaken for sushi. Rather than raw fish, there is usually egg or shredded beef.

And of course, an aisle for sweets: the pumpkin flavored chips, the red bean paste cakes, and the crunchy corn puffs. But my childhood favorite: Pocky, those chocolate covered cracker sticks. There were only two flavors of when I was a kid: chocolate and strawberry. Now there is a display of all of them by the register Men's Pocky? It's a dark chocolate one. I don't know what that is supposed to mean.

I was never into Korean food until we were married. My mother-in-law, makes the best Korean barbeque, kalbi, short ribs marinated in her own mixture of soy sauce, brown sugar, and other ingredients. . We probably bring back about fifty pounds of frozen marinated meat every time we visit. And it make a great excuse to invite people over for a barbeque.

The Sweetest Tomato

2008-07-05T16:11:00.001-07:00

I am not much of a gardener. But, I am learning.

I was given a potted gerbera daisy one year for my birthday. I went out of town for a couple weeks and had forgotten to ask my roommate to water my flower. I returned home to a shriveled, dead plant. The poor thing baked in the summer sun.

Last year, I was again given a plant for my birthday: a tomato plant. I had named it Mater as in the character from the Pixar movie, Cars. ("As in 'Ta-Mater'...") Determined not to make the same mistake, I kept a close eye on it, making sure that it received some TLC. It had grown to be taller than me. Not bad for a cherry tomato plant. The best part was that it had tomatoes! Proof that I can do some gardening. So I made a second attempt this year: I picked up a beefsteak tomato plant, Mater 2. It has not grown very tall, but I am proud to say that it has produced fruit. At first, there was only one, and it grew big. But I think the best part was watching it change color. It started out green. Then, there would be a patch of light orange and, before you know it, it has become plump, juicy, and red.

I decided to eat the first fruit of my labor one night. My husband had decided to make an enchilada bake for dinner, so I chopped it up to garnish. It was the sweetest tomato I have tasted. I mean sweet like a fruit, though botanically speaking a tomato is a fruit.

I have five more little guys on their way. Hopefully they will be just as good.

The Second Attempt

2008-07-01T22:36:00.000-07:00

Defeated.
That is how I felt when I left work today. I attempted to make my chocolate cherry ice cream again today since the previous batch was possibly contaminated by broken glass. I had just finished spinning it and had scooped them into the sundae glasses. There were about nine glasses on the half sheet pan. As I loaded them into the freezer, I missed the shelf and the glasses toppled onto the floor in a big old chocolate mess.

Gah! I felt so frustrated as all that hard work lay on the floor. It sounds silly, but I wanted to cry. You start to feel like: "Why did I bother to make it if this was going to happen?" I was tired and just wanted my day to end. I also was not looking forward to the clean up.

I will not be making ice cream at work for a while.

Too bad because it was really yummy ice cream.

The Incident

2008-06-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

Today was going to be a normal day.

Or so I had thought.

My boss had bought a home brewing kit to make beer and had made it the day before. So I came in to work this morning with a ten gallon jug of homemade beer on my work station. The dark liquid churned as the top bubbled releasing the gas. I could see the yeast and the hops in the stormy stew.

Around 11 am, I decided to restock some of the banana bread by the register. I was placing the bread in the display basket when I heard a crash and the sound of what I had thought was breaking dishes. I glanced at the kitchen and saw everyone bolting to the pastry kitchen. At first, I thought that maybe some of my ramekins had been knocked over. But I saw someone grab a mop, and from the hot line I noticed that the giant glass jug was no longer where it had been. As I neared the pastry kitchen, I could smell that sour smell of yeast.

The jug had exploded and the whole floor was flooded in partially made beer. Shattered glass were what remained of the jug. We started to clean up and I was a bit disappointed at having to throw away the chocolate ice cream that I was so excited to finish making, but having glass in someone's meal was a lot worse. Everything was a mess. Glass and hops were found even at my boss desk, which was in the corner of the kitchen.

I examined my cooling rack and had noticed this one shard of glass. It was sharp and was curled. Then it dawned upon me that that shard could have hit me in the eye or severed an artery if I had not decided to step out of the kitchen when I did.

The jug, you see, was directly in front of me as I worked. It sat a little more than arms distance away from my usual spot. I was taken aback and had a hard time getting back into the groove. Especially with the thoughts that I could have been seriously hurt. I was grateful. I am still grateful nothing happened.

I told my boss: "No more home brewing for you."

"No," he replied, still suprised by the incident, "not even at home."

Feature Film: Stranger Than Fiction

2008-06-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

I was pleasantly suprised at the film "Stranger Than Fiction." Will Ferrell plays Harold Crick, whose normal and boring life is thrown off course when he starts hearing a voice narrate the happenings of his daily life. I did not have high expectations of the film since I generally have not liked films that featured actors from "Saturday Night Live," though there are a few exceptions.

I think what I enjoyed the most was the fact that one of the characters was a baker and that another one was a writer. I get excited when I see things in films that I can personally relate to like career, locations, etc. I felt like I could relate to Ana Pascal, the Harvard Law student who dropped out of school to pursue a different passion. And though, I didn't drop out of college, I did leave behind my English degree to pursue my love for baking. I did cringe a bit when Ana threw a piece of dough at the wall in a fit of rage. I couldn't help but imagine the cost and labor that went down the drain. I am hoping that it was just a mound of leftover dough that could no longer be rerolled. (Note: Most cookie doughs can only be rolled out once or twice. Anymore than that and the cookies become tough.)

It was really nice to see a character on film do pastry because she loved it. Because it is not the pay, the schedule, or the (lack of) benefits that keep a person cooking all day. I feel that if you want to do well with what you do, a part of you has to at least enjoy it if not love it.

Another notable food film with an SNL actor is "Spanglish" where Adam Sandler plays a head chef at a restaurant.

I must say, though, I did find myself looking carefully at kitchens in these films to see how accurate they were.

Hot Hot Heat

2008-06-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

Summer is here...even before the official date. People are out and about in flip-flops with some sort of cold beverage in hand. Fans and air conditioner are working full blast.

And it gets even hotter in the kitchen. I have spent enough summers in restaurant kitchens to dread the hot weather. It is nice if you are sitting outside for an evening meal. But, you will have your endurance and tolerance tested in the kitchen with the temperature rising outside. I am fortunate to be in the pastry kitchen, but the hot line has the stove, the grill and the oven, all sources that adds to the heat.

Twice this year, we have had one of the freezers break on a hot day. The first time around was the pastry freezer. Fortunately, my boss was at work earlier than me that day and discovered it in time to save my precious product.

I think the worst, though, was a few years ago when I was at the Slanted Door. Sure, the dining area was pleasantly air conditioned, but, man, was it hot the second you stepped into the kitchen. The plating station was worse with the fryer behind you. Occasionally, you would find someone taking their time in the walk-in, taking advantage of the few moments of cool air.

There is nothing like feeling like constantly being inside a hot cloud, beads of sweat on your brow, your shirt sticking to your back, trying to pin out pie dough.

I am hoping that this is a just a heat wave, but with global warming, that may not be so.

Mmmm...Egg Cream

2008-06-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

I was having a conversation with one of the managers at the restaurant, and we came across the subject of ice cream. With the weather warming up, there has been an increase in requests for ice cream desserts. We have Ciao Bella gelato, but it seems that there is a demand for something with ice cream in it rather than just ice cream itself.

So I thought about what would be something easy we could do with ice cream. We would need something easy that the servers could put together on my days off.

I found two recipes for egg cream. One in the Scharffen Berger Cookbook and the other in Alice Medrich's "Bittersweet." Egg cream is a New York classic and is pretty much a chocolate soda. How it got the name egg cream I don't know since it does not necessarily have eggs or cream in it.

So I experimented with it for the first time today. I took some chocolate syrup from the coffee bar and some half and half. I stirred it well and then poured soda water from the soda dispenser.

But then, I decided to go an extra step and add a scoop of chocolate gelato. I was quite delighted with it and felt like a kid as I sipped the egg cream, making sure that I got a bit of gelato.

Here is the general recipe for egg cream. You can change it according to your taste.

1 part chocolate syrup (store bought works fine)
1 part half and half, or milk
4 parts soda water

Cherries: We're back!

2008-05-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

This is one of the many reasons why I love living in California: the produce! Next in line for the summer fruits are cherries. I was walking down College Avenue today and passed by Yasai Market. I could not resist picking up a prepackaged 1 1/2 pound bag of California cherries. (For $1.99 a pound, who could resist.) We've been getting them at work, so I've been able to try the first cherries of the season.

I tried them right when I got home and to my delight they were sweet (as compared to the ones these previous weeks.) It is strange because no one in my family really likes to eat cherries. I think I am the only one. (Well, my dad like Cherry Garcia ice cream, but that is the only form of cherries that he enjoys.)

California cherry season is the strongest through June. If you plan to bake with them, removing the seed may be more appealing. You can purchase a cherry/olive pitter at Sur La Table or Williams-Sonoma. On my most recent trip to Williams-Sonoma, they carried an OXO cherry pitter for $11 and it comes with a splash guard.

Bing cherries and Rainier cherries are also starting to come around.

Cuppy Cakes

2008-05-21T20:13:00.001-07:00

As my friend, Carol, calls them. They have been the lastest craze as these cupcake-only bakeries keep popping up. Armies of them have been showing up at weddings in place of the intricate, fondant wedding cakes.

What is so fascinating about the cupcake? Is it because of nostalgia as memories of childhood birthday parties float in our minds? Is it the convenience of having your own individual cake for only a few dollars instead of buying regular cake ending up with leftovers?

It took me a while to pick up one to try out. I am not one to go buy or make a cake just because I feel like eating it myself. Carol recommended Kara's Cupcakes in San Francisco. It was very cute as it reminded me of a jewelry store; the cupcakes were displayed in a glass-encased counter, but in small amounts. It was unlike a bakery were pastries are packed into baskets to show abundance. I debated between the flavors as people came in and out with a missions in mind. The Chocolate with Fleur de Sel or the Passion Fruit filled one. I decided on something simple: the Buttery Buttermilk with Vanilla Buttercream. (I may seem boring, but I find that it is important that even the simple flavors be good.) I found myself rather delighted with the few bites of the moist cake. The buttercream had a good balance and I did not feel like I was eating a mouthful of butter or sugar. But I think what makes Kara's cupcakes so good are the ingredients. Mmmm... Scharffen Berger Chocolate, Napa Perfect Puree, Clover Dairy... It definitely beats a supermarket cupcake filled with hydrogenated oils.

My next trip to LA will be a trip to Sprinkles, which has a more extensive menu. Ginger-Lemon, anyone?

In Season: Apriums

2008-05-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year as the summer fruits are beginning to peak around the corner. I love summer fruits: peaches, plum, cherries, melons, etc. One of the things that I like about the kitchen is that produce is a bit more accessible. I have received so much more exposure to the variety of fruits and vegetables than if I went to the market on my own. My most recent discovery is the aprium. I tasted my first one this last week as our purveyor dropped off a sample.

The aprium is across between a apricot and a plum. In comparison to the pluot, which is also a hybrid of the two fruits, apriums have more characteristics of the apricot while pluots are more like a plum. On the outside, the aprium looks just like an apricot. I found it to be suprisingly sweet. I generally do not prefer apricots because of their tartness. And I am finding myself to enjoying apriums. (I dug one out of the produce reach in and had it as a part of my breakfast.) Apriums are in season a bit earlier than apricots, but its season is shorter. Note: Try dipping it in chocolate.

Breakfast

2008-04-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

When you work in the food industry, you are most likely to have hours that are off from the general working population. It stinks sometimes (like if your friends are going out, while you are heading off to work on a Saturday night.) But, there are advantages to it, like catching breakfast somewhere without the weekend crowds.

Brian, my hubby, was given a recommendation for a breakfast spot: Chester's on Walnut Street in North Berkeley. I am always up to try something new. Brian and I are a little different in that sense. He is more the type to go to a specific restaurant for a specific dish. As for me, I like to try new things, which explains why it takes me so long to figure out my order. But I think since we've been married, we have switched a little bit. Brian is now a little more adventureous, and I sometimes have found myself getting the same order at certain restaurants.

I love breakfast foods, though. And, I am a serious cereal junkie. As a kid, I used to eat it out of the box like a bag of chips. If I could, I'd eat breakfast all day, even though it may not be the best in terms of a balanced diet. I ordered the Salmon Platter at Chester's: smoked salmon and cream cheese on a toasted bagel. Red onions and capers are essential to a good lox bagel. It has to be red onion.

Brian doesn't care for smoked salmon, but I grew up on it. In fact, I remember my dad had caught a salmon once. He borrowed a smoker from a friend and decided to smoke his own salmon. I watched him set up this white box with racks in it; it reminded me of a bee hive. Fourteen hours later, we had these fillets of salmon, which he wrapped in foil and then froze. So we had a constant supply of smoked salmon for a while. We would take out a defrosted hunk of smoked salmon and mix it with cream cheese and spread on crackers or sourdough bread. But, my younger sister, would just take the whole thing and eat it. I would find her sitting at the dining table, eyes fixated on the television, digging into a piece of salmon. I think if anyone loved smoked salmon the most in our family, it was my sister. One day, however, she got a stomachache and we figured that it may have been from all that fish that she ate. She couldn't eat it for a while, even though it hasn't changed her palate for lox on bagel. I think that it is one of the few things that we have in common: having a piece of smoked salmon on a bagel with cream cheese, red onions, and capers. It has to be red onions.

Indispensable Pastry Tools: Silcone Mat

2008-04-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

I never used silicone mats (Silpats) before culinary school.

But, they are one of the must-have items for the pastry kitchen.

I used to work at Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and first noticed them on the shelf in the baking section. These mats usually come in two sizes: for full sheet pans and for half sheet pans. But, it never really dawned upon me as to how useful these mats are. I thought they were excessive since nonstick cookie sheets and foil seemed to do the job.

I really had no clue what I was missing out on.

One of the first things that I noticed about these silicone mats was just how easy it was to remove the cookies after baking. I could leave them on the Silpats to cool and work on other things on my production list. While before with my nonstick pan, I often had to loosen the cookies with a spatula and then let it continue cooling.

Another thing that I notice was that you can easily reuse them again as soon as the Silpats cool. While with parchment paper or foil, they eventually wore out. At work, we have more than one silicone mat, so I can use them one after the other as needed.

At home, I have one half sheet pan and one half sheet Silpat. I also have a nonstick baking sheet, which I line with parchment paper when I bake. In using both during large baking projects, I have noticed that the bottoms of the cookies bake on the nonstick pan have a tendency to be a little darker than the ones on the Silpat. The material silicone is heat resistant so the cookies aren’t sitting directly on a scorching metal surface, preventing them from darkening too quickly.

Besides mats, you can find silicone muffin tins and other molds. You can also find silicone spatulas at your local specialty cookware store.

Silicone mats range from $20 to $40, depending on the size, and can withstand temperatures up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit. For proper care, all silicone items should only be hand-washed.

2008-04-09T22:03:00.000-07:00

"Taste everything."
That was what the first head chef that I worked for told me. I was new to the industry, fresh out of culinary school. And, I was the only pastry cook in the kitchen. Also, I was the only woman, besides my boss. I entered this world of hot kitchens, fiery stoves, and ticketing machines at the height of the holiday season. I was excited to start my new job. I dreamed about working as a pastry chef at a high end restaurant. But within the first weeks of my new career, I found myself wide-eyed and with a mind full of doubt, wondering if this was what I signed up for.
Burning cookies (which I have never done before), getting yelled at by my boss, and waking up at 4am to get ready for work were all things that were completely new to me. I found myself questioning my skills as my boss would ask " Did you learn anything at all from the school?"
I found myself wishing to be swallowed up by the earth when I had to be at the restaurant for 14 hours. But despite all the challenges that I faced, deep down, I did not want to give this up. I did not take this leap of faith and go through months of culinary school to give up before the end my first year.
So I pushed and endured. I endured the erratic work hours, the continual corrections from the head chef, and the doubt. And three years later, I am glad that I did. I have learned so much about pastry and about my character working in the pastry kitchen. And I am really glad for all the support: from my husband, my friends, and my family. I am even grateful for those times that my boss yelled at me because she pushed me hard so that I would know how to work in the kitchen. I've always enjoyed baking and pastry. But, a big part of the picture has been the experience and the character that I built along the way. And I have started this blog to shed some light into the lives of us who work behind the line, away from the trendy dining rooms or welcoming store fronts, for those of us who strive for perfection in taste, and for those of us who do it because we love it.