Tartlets to Hell

Up to this point in my training I've been pretty confident and happy with my performance in the kitchen and with my final products. I have to work on my knife skills, speed and some technical skills but most of it seems within my grasp. I'm not struggling at least not until these stupid mini tartlets.

Mini Tarts are so much harder then you might think. The platting and arranging of the fruit is a pain in the butt. No matter how many times you try to re-arrange the fruit, it still looks off. I was not to pleased with the outcome, although they tasted yummy and I learned some really great knife skills. I've learned the proper way to cut a mango, kiwi, orange and even strawberry, I'd been doing it all wrong! Side Note: Can't wait to show my mom how awesome I am at cutting a mango. When I'm done I basically have two perfect mango boobs. hahahA close up of more ugly tarts. And as Chef Toni says "I don't serve ugly food"

That's Christopher, he's oustanding! He's holding our tray of our oh so yummy fig bars. When you chop them up, you have a fig puree surrounded by a sweet and crumbling shortbread dough, they complement each other perfectly! I wasn't about to let those tartlets ruin my day! I went home and nearly ate the entire half log of fig nuten. The fig nuiten is at the top of my list of favorite things I've made so far.

And finally our first savory tart. It has onions which were sweated, then carmalized with a small amout of Saki, chopped walnuts, sliced tomatoes and blue cheese. OMG just thinking about it I'm getting hungry.
Good thing I have some left over in my fridge! Hello breakfast. : )

First Week In Pastry Training.

Sorry it's taken me a couple extra days for a new post. I didn't want to let it slide but things have been crazy here in nyc. I'm learning to juggle a whole new time table which is exciting and straining. Sorry without further a due....

I am officially (as some of my facebook friends may have noticed) a culinary pastry student. I have typical chef's whites with my name embroidered on them, super 80's plaid paints and a very sexy tool kit (more to come on that). So there is no denying the fact that I'm on the wagon and on my way.

The kitchen is set up much like a science lab, everyone at a work station with a partner and lot of tools. Typically there is a short lecture explaining the science behind what we are doing, followed by a demo and then we are sent to do our best to replicate what chef showed us. It's very straight forward and when everyone is on their A game, the class works like a well oiled machine.

The first day of class we hit the ground running, Chef Toni (the head chef) gave us some basic instructions and then we were off to make our first dough, a french dough called Patee Sucree which translates to 'sand dough'. It's an ever so slight sweet dough that is crumbly not flaky. It's used for a lot of basic sweet tarts. Which leads me to our first big project which was making an Tarte aux Pommes, apple tart.

This tart spanned the course of two classes and was relatively easy to make for yours truly although as a whole we had two causalities. The first being that an older gentleman in our class has already dropped out. I can't lie... I saw this coming from a mile away. He is a police detective with the NYPD and baking was something he "liked to do".

The second causality was one of the ovens was 'accidentally' turned up to 500 degrees while the tarts were baking. So about half of the classes' tarts were burnt. It was generally agreed it was an accident but I suspect it was a vicious crime committed by the same apple trees that threw apples at Dorthy in the Wizard of Oz.







However, I was lucky because I put my tart in the other oven. Yeah maybe I sabotaged the other oven but you can't prove anything!

My tart came out wonderfully perfect! (or at least not uber burnt). I was able to take it home on the subway and shared it with my friend Ariella (shout out!) and my roomie.

Even just through this first, relatively simple recipe I have already learned so many new techniques and tricks that a normal cook book (even the most detailed) could supply. My bench in right up at the very front of the room, right next to Chef's table to I get a great view of what she's doing and can ask her a billion questions all the time.

My Tarte aux Pommes with apricot nappage

A Working Woman

I got a job praise the lord!!!! I might actually make it in the city so please ignore any rumors you have heard to the contrary.

So here is the play by play:

Finding a job in NYC has proven to be just as easy as everyone says it is (it doesn't hurt that I'm absolutely god's gift to employers). I replying to about a gazillion adds on craig's list, all in vain but I went to my first interview and boom just like that I got a job.

The bakery is Le pain Quotidein at 801 Broadway. It's an organic bakery, just like Avalon, my old job in the D. So Hollahhh!!!
I'm gonna be working behind the counter, even though the bakery has a full menu and a wait staff. I have ZERO experience as a waitress so they hired me on as a counter person. Whateves I don't care. Money is green and it needs to be in my pocket.

I have my job orientation on Friday and then training every day next week. So I will start officially two weeks from today. The pay is pretty low but because it's a job in my desired career field i'm willing to take the financial hit for the time being.

I spent the afternoon roaming around 116th street between 2nd and Madison . Everyone in my neighborhood speaks Spanish and with my blond hair I stick out like a republican at a gay pride festival. But I love my neighborhood. I'm only slightly scared every time I leave my door step, (mostly because the step is pretty big and there is a good possibility I could trip).

Anyway that's all from the big apple. I have my orientation for the French Culinary Institute tomorrow : ) It's the first day of school but I still haven't picked out my outfit. I need to get on that ASAP!