Wedding Fruit Carving

The sous chef who does fruit carving is back! He'd been away for quite some time after his wedding. I've missed seeing his creation as he does his work intricately. He's been doing fruit carving since he resumed his position in the kitchen. His recent creation was this watermelon centerpiece at the wedding recently. It must have been exhausting carving the names of the bride and groom in cursive style. And as a bonus, he carved rose out of beetroot which added a nice touch to the table centerpiece

Wedding Cake # 2

It hasn't been long since the holiday fuss has ended and here I am again working tirelessly to cater to the request of our wedding couples. I don't mind the extra work. I enjoy making cakes from start to finish. It gives me the most rewarding feeling when I see the final look of the cake.

Anyway, this chocolate mud cake in rustic style has been wowing  wedding couples since I made it for the first time  in May 2014. Many of my cake's designs ( including this) are based on the client's wishes. This particular design stands out among the rest. Its' simple "home-made" look is probably the reason why it has become so popular.

Post-holiday Eggnog Snickerdoodles Treat

Before the holiday fuss died down, I used up all the leftover eggnog to make post-holiday treats for the resort's nightly turn down service. I did a repeat on some treats I served last year but here's the new addition to my list of delicious eggnog recipes.

A Goodluck Cake

A regular customer is moving to another country to work. To show appreciation for patronizing the resort all these years, the F & B Department surprised him with this good luck cake. It's the closest thing to saying how much we appreciate his loyalty and also make his one last visit to the resort memorable.

The cake lacked in appearance, I would say. It was one of those manic Sundays so I couldn't afford to do a little extra effort on this. The taste made up for it though. The guest was one happy customer when he got the cake.

Wedding Cake #1 2015

The craziness of the holiday season is over. Now comes the wedding season. Just a few days after all the New Year celebrations wrapped up, I made the first wedding cake of 2015. The cake was three tiered red velvet frosted with light pink Swiss meringue butter cream in rustic style. It's not something new. I have done it several times before so the procedure went smoothly and quickly. I made no mistake (Sigh). I succeeded in resizing the recipes at the exact quantities required.  Oh yes, I'm getting the hang of making wedding cakes. Good for me!

My Wedding Cake Collection 2014

Before the 2015 wedding season starts, let me share with you my growing collection of wedding cakes. These are my creations in the past year. Some are just plain and simple. Others are beautifully decorated with fresh blooms. Decorating cakes has  been an amazing experience for me. I can't wait to learn more skills when my next adventure begins.

My Quiet Christmas Eve Dinner

When I think of Christmas, I think of all the sumptuous meal my family feasted on on our many Christmas eve dinners in the Philippines. I don't get to celebrate Christmas with the Filipino dishes traditionally eaten during the holiday season anymore. Now that I live overseas, the practice of partaking Christmas eve meal is what matters most.

Last year, I ushered in Christmas with a hearty meal at the famous Rostiland restaurant in Lamai. I have eaten there countless times. The place serves excellent European food. Since it's Christmas, it's time to pamper my growling tummy with the best food I could find.

Pink And Purple Color Combo In Cake

My love for pink and purple combination is reflected on my creations. Once again I chose the duo for this cake. I had no idea that the recipient was a girl. The colors really suit her age.

This was a vanilla chiffon cake, layered with vanilla frosting. I used two small star piping nozzles for the decoration. I piped each color alternately. It took a little time to pipe and my arms got too tired by the time I was halfway through. After seeing the finished cake, I couldn't help but smile. It was simple but cute enough for the birthday girl.

Learning How To Make Desserts In Bulk

For the past 18 months, I have learned to master the skill of making desserts in big quantities. It wasn't easy having to do everything without help from anyone. I learned it the hard way. My experiences, both good and bad, have boost my productivity thus helping me achieve a good work performance.

When I started, I remember quite a number of instances when I found myself irritated after discovering that I miscalculated. I had to redo things that set me back. Well, it's only for a few minutes but I get anxious when I am behind schedule. And for someone who works alone, time is valuable and making a mistake is a no-no. It still happens when I work with projects that are new and intimidating. I can't really avoid it. But through these times, I learned to take notes of even the minute details, evaluate my mistake and  do some careful planning.

Giving Chocolate Truffles A New Look

I have purchased  a silicon macaron mat not so long ago. I didn't know such a thing existed until a supplier recommended I buy one. With the macaron baking mat,  I can make macarons in uniform sizes and shapes so they will look like they are done by a professional! What a brilliant invention!

I seldom make macarons. Getting a silicon mat would be a waste of money. My instinct said to go ahead and buy it.  It might come in handy someday. And sure enough, it did. I have been using it to make chocolate truffles in a disk shape,  Similar to the French confection called mendiant which is made with chocolate and topped with nuts or fruits.

Christmas Trifle

For the English people, Christmas celebration won't be complete without trifle,  which was why this dessert was included on the list of our Christmas treats ( the owner of the resort is English) . Except for the lack of  pretty layers, this dessert had the best elements on it. The custard, lady finger sponge soaked in cointreau, jelly and fruit would make you dig in for more.

Strawberry Cake With Sparkling Wine

This moist strawberry cake was the stunning centerpiece at the resort's New Year's eve dessert buffet. The cake was flavored with sparkling wine to complement the occasion. The strawberry arrangement on top looked beautiful and  sharply contrasted the vanilla frosting. A perfect treat for a special occasion.