Graduation, 1st Project, Reality in 2 weeks...

for the past few weeks, there were sooo many things happening. good things mainly :)

i have so much to blog about! not sure where to start and my backlogs (on blog posts) are piling up like nobody's business. boo hoo hoo! i wished i wasnt that lazy and be more diligent like Nat who updates her blog every other day.

My internet connection for the past months has (yes present tense because it is still not cooperating well) been horrible to the max where the only thing that i can do most was FBing. surprisingly it cooperates well with FB but not other websites. i was bored to death like almost literally (did i mentioned that i think internet is like one of the greatest inventions). Since i will be back SG in 2 weeks time, i shall bomb my blog with all my backlog posts and photos then (u see internet connection is bad hence uploading of photos will take FOREVER. and i really mean forever.)

I shall fast forward a little and talked about Graduation. Graduation was a blast! happy yet sad..super happy that all of us had finally graduated and did well for our superior exam. sad because everyone is returning home. also super upset because i totally missed my chance to be introduced to my Eye Candy whom i've eyed since Basic during wine lecture. this graduation is the last chance that i will be seeing him. damit =x  (ok i know this sounds a little childish and high schoolish. skip that and we shall talk serious)

So now graduation is over. we are no longer students. a new life begins all over. The questions that everyone has been asking (which they never stop asking) 'what you gonna do when you are back?' seems to be unavoidable anymore since reality will arrive in just 2 weeks time..so the tentative plan is to work out portfolio and experiment new creations etc for 2 months. and we shall see where these preparations will bring me :)

I had been busy making gumpaste roses for  my landlady's son's wedding cake. It is really tedious and according to dearest Chef C, its an old lady work. Tedious because, you have to make petals and let them dry slightly before shaping them (but u need to shape them b4 they r too dry else they will crack).

My landlady went to collect the cake from M&S which she complained quite a great deal on how M&S shown on the internet that proper boxes are provided etc and how she was fuming while collecting the cake. Moving on, i placed e roses onto the ready made wedding cake carefully as they were so so sooooo fragile and clumsy me broke some petals =x i had a hard time covering the defects as well as sticking the roses onto the cake, stacking them onto each other, etc. it was a 'shivery' process i would say...but overall it turned out fine though i could have done better. well this is the very 1st time i made roses out of gumpaste, so.....ahem* anyway, i am so glad that everything turned out all right. i was so afraid i would spoil the entire wedding with the horrible roses. glad it's all done :)

and now i am waiting for my friend to arrive and in 2 weeks time it will be Good Bye London, Hello Singapore. Home is always home though i love London a lot. :)

p.s this is the very 1st time i had uploaded the most up-to-date photos before i put them up on FB. =x oh yea and i know i said it takes forever to load photos etc..i guess i was lucky as i tried loading and they loaded (just not quick but well they loaded so i shall be thankful)

i guess the next posting will be after i am back in SG. till then my readers (hopefully you are still there)
ciaoz..oh i will be going Paris tmr till thurs and will have a SHOPPING tour in London while having headaches on how to bring my stuff back to SG. pray with me that SQ will upsize my baggage allowance. :) Ciao for now. Happy Christmas and Holidays ;)

xx

and the journey is coming to an end...

yup it's all ending soon..with a beginning, there must be an ending. things end so that you will miss it and know how much you love it.

it has been a wonderful experience that i will never forget unless i have had dementia or something close enough.

had exam today. the most stressful and exhausting one i would say. worst than 'O's, 'A's, etc.. 6 whole hours! geez..and since i am always the slowest in class, i managed to finish just on time while others have time to rest and relax before plating. i know, i need to reflect. like i said before or did i not say it, baking isn't my talent but i am working on it.

every segment didnt go well for me. i should be glad if i am able to pass the exam. Brioche didnt prove as well as it did during practices, Sable...doesnt look like its normal self, Choc truffle was not shiny because i 'cleverly' used my fingers instead of brush -.-, Sugar display was not presented complete as the aero spray ran out (i sprayed on the paper without knowing it ran out) hence my sugar didnt bubble, Plated dessert was almost there except my tangerine coulis turned into jam due to cooling in the fridge (which i didnt have time to rewarm) and i poured cointreau in to my anglaise without measuring...oh well what is done is done...all i can do is wait for the result which wouldnt be too high of an expectation or i should say hope would it? this is the 2nd academic place where i have never managed to score at anything. kinda feels similar to JC days where failing had always been the norm for me. however, not regretful. the many friends, the exposure, the independence, everything....

i shall show you some pictures of my portfolio where my exam pieces were supposed to look like them

ok my actual exam pieces were like 10 times ok trillion times worst than those above..considering those above arent that perfect either...

ohh and guess what i have got for myself...i cant express how much i love amazon.uk...it's seriously amazing..packaging is awesome, service is awesome, delivery is awesome, amazon.uk is just AWESOME!!!

it's 28.91pounds!!! it was 45pounds!!! see the diff?!!! gosh...if only SG has such wonderful deals and variety of things...

i will soooo miss London.. but at the same time i miss SG soooo much... it's a love hate relationship..not hate to that extend but...oh well you know what i mean.. i will be back London ;)

embracing each moment..

being in London makes me feel so blessed and it made me realized how beautiful and wonderful my life was, is and will be. :)

waking up in the morning to the cold weather, walking and smiling to myself most of the time..looking at the trees with leaves turning from green to yellow, brown or red..looking at the leaves on the walkway..looking at the beautifully constructed houses (not referring to the modern ones)...they just make me so happy! and make my day most of the time.

the best part of being here is to be able to intern at Melt which is absolutely fabulous and i cant describe how fortunate i am. learning new things every time, being exposed not only to new techniques but also new ingredients  and knowledge :)

Superior had started like a month ago and everything seems particularly quick. i guess when in superior you are expected to know everything. but i must say every lessons feel more comfortable and happy. everyone in class jokes around while preparing what we had to do for the lesson.

last week we had our Restaurant Plated Dessert Module and chef C was with us <3 <3 <3
1st we did our Mise en place which literally means putting in place where we organize / arrange / make stuff that we will need for the plated dessert and thereafter, putting them together. Hence, in the 1st lesson, we did the jelly, tempered chocolate deco, tuiles, etc followed by putting them together in the next lesson.

below are the many restaurant plated desserts prepared by Chef C during demo...pretty right?!!!!

there were

Delice au Chocolat Amer et Romarin et Creme a l'Amaretto
Bavatios de Ricotta avec une Compote aux Frambioses
Souffle Creme au Citro et Sauce Caramel
Mille-Feuille au Chocolat
Tarte aux Mirabelles Bourdaloue avec Creme Chibouste Mirabelle

as for lesson, we only made 3 out of the 5 that were demonstrated to us :)

Clockwise (from left):
Bavatios de Ricotta avec une Compote aux Frambioses
Tarte aux Mirabelles Bourdaloue avec Creme Chibouste Mirabelle
Delice au Chocolat Amer et Romarin et Creme a l'Amaretto

and some random phto of the deco that Chef C done during demo that i quite like...

and ending off with some random happiness to share...it's autumn!!! i <3 AUTUMN!!!!! :):):):):)

and another random happiness...i received some positive feedback for my exam plated dessert! ASA! hwaiting! ganbatte!!! ;)

and i fell sick...

being in Superior, the stress is on. however, i quite like it. i feel that i am back in my uni days with reports and projects to hand up. i likeeeee.......i know i m a mugger and a nerd... -.-

since the start of superior, the chefs are preparing us for the final exam.

13 Oct 2011 - Tuiles

we had Chef G today where he demonstrates the various designs and flavours that we can create with Tuiles. we had learnt how to make a Tuiles since Basic and made some for plated desserts in Intermediate. Tuiles is one thing that we have to present on our plated dessert for exam. so it is one important component.

15, 17 & 18 Oct 2011 - DIY portfolio

my very 1st lesson that is on a Saturday. its a theory lesson where Chef G and C guide us on our new assignment. we had to pair up to create a cake of our choice. during lesson we did research and get some opinions from chefs. this is a new segment added in our superior lesson as the past superior batches feedback to the school that there were too many sugar work and chocolate work classes. hence the chefs decided to change the curriculum and added this segment which prepares us for the portfolio that we have to hand up for our final exam. so it's kinda like a trial run.

after the theory lesson on Saturday, we had 3 more practical lessons to build, prepare deco and finish our cake with the deco.

My team mate and i had decided on some exotic fruit cake...white chocolate mousse infused with lemongrass, exotic fruit jelly, biscuit joconde with lime malibu syrup and white chocolate glaze. it's quite a simple cake with very few components as compared to what my other classmates had made. everyone did a good job in class and all of the cakes tasted good.

had fun during class. everyone is busy filling up the portfolio and trying each others cake and chatting etc. superior class is just so 'shiok' (shiok = feels so good)

and back to the title of this post...i fell really ill during the 2nd practical where we had to prepare the deco such as the glaze, tempered chocolate deco, etc. i was totally fine in the morning when we were making the cake. but after break the cramp kicked in like really bad. my entire face went pale and i had to sit in the corridor to rest. the culinary chefs that were in the kitchens were very kind and concerned. they asked if i was all right and one of them asked me if i needed water, blanket, pillow, etc..even though i was in such great pain i managed to laugh a little. my hands were as cold as ice and i felt nausea. finally i had the energy to move, i went to basement to get a cup of warm water which i manage to puke profusely like a Merlion -.- and felt so much better after that. however, lesson had ended by then where everyone is packing up :( hope i wont be penalized too much for not attending lesson. oh well...at least the entire cake turned out well and i am glad that many of my classmates like our cake the best...keke.. thanks you ppls... ;)

and then i am left with superior course....

3 Oct 2011 - Day 1 of superior class while Mummy is relaxing on her flight back home... (which she said it wasn't as relaxing)

Superior started off with Sugar work..i never thought i will like it that much. it is actually quite fun like REALLY fun! i hope i will be able to do it when i am back in SG. To pull sugar (which i will show you what products can be made out of this technique) we have gotta have a table with a lamp producing high heat to keep your sugar hot enough to pull which is freaking hot lah!!! so hot that it feels like u kena had sunburn lor. since i am not rich enough, i guess i gotta DIY a table and a lamp to work my sugar (as Chef G had done back then. i like how he always teaches us how to save $. be it ingredients or equipment. also telling us stories of his experiences) instead of buying those pro lamp cum table thingy..

so Lesson 1: Pulled Sugar (a technique where you boil sugar and water followed by adding glucose to it. At 137 degrees, add 5 drops of tartaric acid. cook sugar till 162 degrees and pour it over Silpat and add drops of alcohol colouring. let the sugar cool slightly and form a big ball of sugar on the Silpat. pressing down one end of the sugar with your palm and pulling the other end of the sugar with your fingers. repeat this process till the sugar is shiny and colour is consistent through out. and APLA! you are officially pulling sugar~) NB: don't say that i didn't warn you. the sugar is so hot that you get blisters on your fingers even after wearing 4 pairs of latex gloves. that happened to most of my friends. not me though. i guess my skin is just too 'thick' :x

Also, to add more knowledge to your brain or to impress others if you wish, glucose is added to reduce crystalization and tartaric acid is added to create elasticity so that the sugar is easily pliable.

Chef G showed us how to do a rose which is really pretty! i find the assembling of the petals quite tough as i cant really feel what i am holding. maybe due to the 4 pairs of gloves that i am wearing or maybe they were sore from the heat...the sugar when cooled are very fragile and brittle. as petals are thinly pulled, they cool down really fast and with the numbness of my fingers, it isn't as easy to fit the petals as when you are working on marzipan.

i find that my petals are too round. not very satisfied but overall it still looks like a rose right? keke.. Chef G was very encouraging as he goes around telling everyone that their roses are beautiful and that being a first timer to work on sugar, we are fantastic :)

see the 'sunburnt' that i had while working the sugar under the torch...

Lesson 2: Poured sugar (we are to do a sugar plaque, one of the item that we have to present for our final exam. basically the method of making is similar to pulled sugar, just that we do not add tartaric acid)

Chef G's

Chef N

hmmm so these (refering to chef's work) are what we are supposed to do for the exam and this is what i created..some hideous sugar plague plaque...

and believe me it got worst... -.- T.T

4 Oct 2011 - 2nd practice on poured sugar and pulled sugar

we learned to make ribbons which i like a lot. the technique is like how Sticky (Handmade customized candies) makes their candies :)

Chef G's ribbon

and mine..i cooked my sugar to 161 degrees, just 1 degree less and there are bubbles seen on my ribbons :( if cooked to the right temperature (162) the ribbon will be smooth and pretty...

and my poured sugar....like i said, the sugar plaque is still as hideous looking but i had changed the design where Chef G taught us how we can do stacking to create a different type of sugar plaque. ok i admit that my colour combination is all over the place.. but i am trying out the colours!!! which seems just an excuse...

i like how the orange twirly thing turns out. however, after 3 more tries to date, i am still not able to replicate the exact same twirl that i had done during this particular practice... hmmm i like how the design is all simple and plain..not sure if it looks boring and nothing unique...

and guess where all these sugar goes right after we were done with class......

6 Oct 2011: Technical lesson

for our very 1st tech lesson, we are already being pressured with the final exam. Chef J went through what are they expecting of us with the portfolio and the exam pieces that we will be making during our 6 hours exam marathon...she said you can bring snacks or drink or even your picnic basket..i am however quite sure that at the end of the exam, the food remain untouched. she said a girl once brought energy food and drinks. at the end of exam she asked the girl if she had any and the girl said: 'i don't even have time to pee!!!!' lol

just a breakdown of what has to be done for exam, just so you know i am not leading an all stress free life...

1. Two identical free interpretation plated dessert (there are criteria on what is to be included such as mousse, sponge, jelly, tuile, chocolate deco and sauces)

2. A petit-four stand (the sugar plaque) made from poured sugar with at least 5 techniques

3. Brioche a Tete

4. Six identical 2-flavoured Sable Hollandias

5. Six identical moulded chocolate truffles incorporating two colours of tempered chocolate

6. a portfolio (like a project report) of the exam piece (we have to write out the recipe, methods, description, design, cross sections, etc)

interesting and exciting right???  i know i always complain about projects, essays and reports when i was in school back then but actually i am secretly in love them to bits and pieces <3 <3 <3

9 Oct 2011: a day before 3rd lesson of poured sugar (a typical kiasu SGrean is preparing...)

the planned colour theme of the plaque was purple and gold... but it turned out.... (please see 10 Oct 2011)

and it's either i had double dose of caffeine (entire day of green tea, which i normally drinks and is still able to sleep, and a cup of black coffee) or i am just to excited for the next day's lesson as i cant wait to see how the purple and gold turns out as i was pretty sure it will look stunning...but i guess i am wrong :(

10 Oct 2011: 3rd practice on Poured sugar and 1st lesson on blown sugar

i didnt manage to get the purple that i wanted and the gold didnt turn out gold... look at the base! i added a few drops of violet colouring and it looks like black as seen on a thrash bag. fml -.- then i got the purple from the red and blue colouring as seen on my twirly sugar. however, it looks kinda dull. tried to marble it with the gold sugar which is epic fail to the max...as it seems like i didnt had enough purple to fill my mould and i used the gold sugar to top up -.- fml again...

next lesson on blown sugar didnt turn out well either..we are supposed to produce an apple and a pear which i only manage to produce a pear which surprisingly, Chef N said it was beautiful and elegant...kekeke happy to the max!!! :) like i said i only manage to produce a pear, the story goes like this no matter how matter times i tried, the apple keeps popping when i blow my sugar using a pump..when chef asked me if i had done any, i replied him sadly that i only have a pear and he say that's fine just present it. so i hurried to assemble my pear with the stalk and the leaves...hence only a pear was done :)

because i did badly for the poured sugar and the next day was my last practice, i was so nervous and afraid that i was not able to perfect what i wanted and also have no pictures for my portfolio...sooooo i had another sleepless night (not really sleepless. woke up at 1.30 am after sleeping for 2 hours and stayed up till 3.30 am still i had to wake up at 6.30am)

11 Oct 2011: last and final practice on Poured sugar and blown sugar

so i had decided on my design of my plaque as for the colour, i will be going with blue and orange..however....my blue turns out to be green!!! fml again and again..so...playing by ear, i guess orange should be fine just like the colour pencils that i had when i was young with one side being green and theother being orange..

much better right?!!! even my friend N look and said to me today's sugar is so much nicer :) thank you N!!!
also got a tip from Chef N, 'keep things simple'

we did a underwater sugar lesson...where all of us made dolphins using blown sugar technique. lesson was fun as it was very relaxing and everyone is joking around..talking about fins, beaks, sharks, whale, dolphin farms, etc...

and my 'ermmm are you sure this is a dolphin'?

haha i know the beak of the dolphin is funny looking and the shape is not quite like a dolphin either.. anyway, i made the top fin of the dolphin like a hook on purpose and chef commented that i put it on when it was too hot that's why it bended. then i look at him and said..ermm i did it on purpose =x and he stared at me and said ohhh on purpose?!!! haha i am sorry. lol well u know like free willy..this way i my dolphin is different from others..keke...

after 2 days of 'sleepless' nights, i better head to bed..have to work tomorrow..hope it will be a good day :)

nighty..

xx