Chocolate Walnut Tart for the BR Restaurant's New Menu

The restaurant of the resort where I work is overhauling the entire menu. The first of such in four years since it started operation. That long, yeah. The new menu debuts today. Lots of new dishes and desserts await eager customers and patrons. As the person in-charge of desserts, I was asked to make chocolate walnut tart for the opening.

Bread Winner

I have started baking bread in full force. Two weeks have passed since I  laid my hands on  bread dough and yet I still feel intimidated in dealing with it. What I need to acquire to become proficient is the knowledge and technique of handling bread dough - from the kneading time, to resting, shaping, proofing and finally baking.

I consider myself beginner. The workshops I attended at the culinary school did not cover everything but they helped me in so many ways.  Going back to the time during my  first few weeks struggling  at my old job in Bangkok, (I was a pastry cook) it gives me hope. I keep reminding myself that everything starts from the beginning and all will be well eventually so I have nothing to worry about.

Practice Makes Perfect

There's a saying which goes "Practice makes perfect". True. I made a lot of pastries this week and I must say my laminating dough skill is improving. I am still struggling to get the right crescent shape though but it will come around. It's only a matter of time until I'm well on my way to mastering it.

Strawberry Cheesecake for the Wedding Couple

There's a lot of weddings going on at the resort. Just yesterday, I was requested to make strawberry cheesecake for a wedding couple. I had yet to prove the owner and the residents manager I could do cakes. Here was my chance.

After I assembled the cheesecake, I thought it looked too plain for an important event like a wedding. To make the cake look nicer I masked it with chantilly cream (whipped cream). I used the leaf piping tip  to conceal the side of the cake, a small star piping tip to make the rosette decoration on the top and the base. I dab a little bit of jam on every other rossette. I then poured a strawberry filling on top.

No Giving Up

Success! My third attempt.

It has been a  mind-blowing experience at work this week.  I started to make bread  and pastries for breakfast. I have no strong background in bread baking although the basic training I got from my boulangerie class (bread baking) at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School did help. When I think about the missed opportunities in working with bread at my former workplace in Bangkok, I feel bad. Bad because I had the chance yet I wasn't at all concerned. I had my own thing going ( I made all the cakes and other goodies). I just wished I did not take it for granted. All those times I was focusing more on pastries, desserts and cakes. Now that I am given the full responsibility of making all the bread for the resort's restaurant, I feel like exploding. Not that I am not up for the challenge but because  I am working alone. I have no one to guide me or help me. I'm on my own. It's a big responsibility alright.

For this week, I made white bread, whole wheat bread and attempted to make multi-grain bread on which I failed twice. I wondered if it was my lack of skills or lack of ingredients. As I said before, the bakery has just started operating after a year. I am still in the process of getting everything settled.

My Baking Saga Begins Anew

Muffin Trio: Clockwise: cheddar and black pepper muffin, mocha muffin and carrot-wheat germ muffin

The long wait is over. I have finally found a place where I can utilize my baking skills. This week I did some trial baking. I let the resident manager and staff  be the judges and asked their honest opinion about my baked goodies So far only two recipes failed. Some staff gave suggestions. I was happy to hear feedback so I could improve the taste and look of the things I make.

An Interesting First Week

I have not done any baking at the moment. I'm still trying to get everything settled at the bakery before I start. For now I help make dessert and hors d'oeuvres (appetizers). My biggest challenge this week so far  was a wedding cake. It was ordered from another bakery. When it was delivered, the design was not exactly the customer had expected. I tried to make some adjustments but to no avail. The whipped cream didn't work out. I made vanilla butter cream but the yellowish color made it look silly. So we stick to the old design. I put some fresh flowers on the top tier, one on the side where the two layers connect and another one on the base.

Sunday Brunch

It was my first day at my new job. I was a newcomer yet the Residents Manager assigned me to oversee dessert and cold menu items  for Sunday brunch. A big responsibility like this is something  I wasn't anticipating. The opportunity came  so I grabbed it.  I tried my best to live up to their expectations but as a newbie I could not avoid making mistakes. Lesson 101 learned today.