tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14228693492007779772012-02-16T04:16:44.832-05:00SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.comBlogger741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-71598631090669231612012-02-05T16:09:00.001-05:002012-02-05T16:09:09.529-05:00

Cake!! I wanted to play with a new flavor idea and took advantage of the super bowl. This cake has layers of: - cocoa nib meringue -bourbon soaked dark chocolate cake -mandarin marmalade -Grand Marnier Dark Chocolate Mousse -Triple Sec Dark Choclate Ganache - Triple Sec Whipped Buttercream frosting I can not wait to cut into this bad boy.

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-67450514911441102722012-02-01T15:39:00.001-05:002012-02-01T15:39:20.523-05:00

What do you do when it literally pains you to enjoy your passions?  I love to bake and cook and decorate cakes, but all of those hours of standing, physical actions and many constant motions of kneading, stirring, etc all cause me great pain.  We cooked a big meal full of gougeres, steak, scallops and more, and after eight hours of cooking I was unable to stand the next day.  My ankles just

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-67636834375982591082012-01-02T15:43:00.000-05:002012-02-01T15:43:27.436-05:00

Time to Drink- Finally!! It is a lovely dark porter with plenty of coffee and chocolate notes.  Over time it the malty flavors have gotten stronger and smoother. It has been a fun process and we are looking forward to our next home brew.

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-57204007686018041732011-12-31T12:07:00.000-05:002012-02-01T12:07:28.930-05:00

If we didn't have names picked out already, we would name our first born after food, specifically Bo Saam.  It is a pork butt slow roasted at a low temperature and then finished on a high temperature with a brown sugar rub.  The meat is very bbq porky with a sweet caramelized crust.  We describe it as pulled pork with pig candy coating... aka amazing!! It took five hours of basting every 30

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-27594657689823774702011-12-26T10:41:00.000-05:002012-02-01T10:42:04.202-05:00

As we are starting our family we are starting our own traditions.  One dish we have agreed on is Karaage, or Japanese fried chicken, for Christmas lunch. We definitely don't need a pound of chicken thighs, but it was worth the extra time at the gym the next day. And yes, Champagne is the drink of choice for Christmas Karaage.

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-614942518636802192011-12-20T16:10:00.000-05:002011-12-27T16:50:11.361-05:00

After two weeks of peeking in on the bottle as it ferments in the closet, it was time to bottle. You can buy brand-new bottles, we opted for the more fun process of drinking beers and saving the empties. Capping was easy, but with every bottle I was afraid we were going to snap them.  We are far from strong enough for that! We snuck a little bit of the brew and it had a nice subtle

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-88942870807053475312011-12-08T12:16:00.000-05:002011-12-27T15:22:37.120-05:00

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-53435251502305826442011-12-05T16:04:00.000-05:002011-12-27T16:26:28.876-05:00

After months of talking about it, we decided to brew our own beer with the help of Brooklyn BrewShop's  Chocolate Maple Porter kit.   Just as the instructions describe, the process is very easy and very much like making oatmeal, but they don't warn you that it takes four or more hours.  Another point not included is that you will need at least two large pots, three to make life easy.   For a

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-80022735912489557582011-11-25T13:43:00.001-05:002011-11-25T14:23:59.035-05:00

There might not have been turkey, but our Thanksgiving dinner was very effective in the food coma department and felt very celebratory with just the right amount of holiday gluttony.  We resourced our scallops and lobsters from The Lobster Place,  the perfect and succulent steaks from Dickson's Farmstand, and everything else from Whole Foods.  Both specialized shops at Chelsea Market were

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.5217853 -74.3218301 40.9069203 -73.69011610000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-11241675637079772672011-11-24T09:00:00.000-05:002011-11-25T13:43:35.656-05:00

I understand that Lincoln and Dickens are to blame for turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I've never been a fan of turkey.  Why waste money and tummy space on turkey when there are scallops and truffles and foie gras in the world?   Giving thanks should come with a side of Gougeres not canned, BHA contaminated cranberry jelly.   Since 50% of our household is foreign born and could give

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.5217853 -74.3218301 40.9069203 -73.69011610000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-14759179083481198352011-11-13T21:26:00.001-05:002011-11-14T10:17:37.285-05:00

Our apartment-warming gift to ourselves was the new cookbook from Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park - The Cookbook.   The photography is beautiful and the layout by season is our preferred approach.  The recipes are approachable for the home cook, except a few calling for liquid nitrogen.  Much of the extra work is for the final presentation rather than function or final flavor purposes.  This

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-73850127556460462202011-10-16T14:44:00.002-04:002011-11-14T12:48:57.587-05:00

Some Sundays when you plan on hanging out on the couch following the mess that is the 2011 NFL Season, you want something fried, salty and beer. Enter fat steak fries with a variety of flavored aioli and mayonaisse accompanying Garlic, Leek and Wine Steamed mussels. Oh and some beer!

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-88413169438686869202011-10-14T12:32:00.001-04:002011-11-14T12:43:18.702-05:00

Spatchcock is one of those words that are just fun to say and raises a few eyebrows of those unfamiliar with the cooking technique.  The simple description of spatchcocking is to remove the backbone of any bird and roasting, grilling, etc it flat.   We spatchcocked a turkey for our first Thanksgiving a few years ago and it was the first time I liked turkey.  Usually too dry for me. Now anytime

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-70416738875780738052011-08-22T15:32:00.000-04:002011-08-22T15:32:37.226-04:00

Nothing like slices of potato stuffed with shallots and red pepper flakes while topped with butter And when baked....

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-27590131299808357572011-07-22T14:17:00.000-04:002011-08-22T14:27:39.757-04:00

Somehow drinking wine while Alvin is away leads to making sugar flowers

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-90494838469779340872011-06-12T15:06:00.000-04:002011-08-22T15:07:42.643-04:00

Sure make a nice ice cream

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-78476796818516591322011-04-22T14:28:00.023-04:002011-08-22T15:05:41.369-04:00

I've been exploring using natural dyes in everything from cake layers and decorations.  So when it came time to decorate Easter eggs I seized the opportunity to test out a few basics. It is pretty simple and takes easy to find ingredients such as beets, cabbage and turmeric and boiling them to dye the water. I cooled the water and added vinegar to help get the color onto the egg shells.  To

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-30058326562419072492011-03-22T15:20:00.000-04:002011-03-22T15:20:01.645-04:00

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-81593882546483157812010-11-08T15:33:00.028-05:002010-11-08T16:33:41.972-05:00

Alvin and I took the opportunity of a visit from my mom and some family friends as our first dinner party.  The recent purchase of a six seater table has allowed us to finally invite people over much to my delight and I am afraid Alvin's trepidation.  To christen our new table we decided to host a five course dinner for six showing off all of our sous vide, wine pairing and molecular gastronomy

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-77903747560976278092010-09-29T12:06:00.001-04:002010-11-08T15:33:03.064-05:00

We enjoyed a wonderful night at Aldea, where George Mendes hosted "Pastry Chefs Cook Savory."  The cities top pastry chefs showed they were more than just tarts and chocolate and let Chef Mendes tackle the dessert. Alex Stupak, WD-50 Sea Urchin with cauliflower ice cream, mustard puree, horseradish puree and wasabi puree with toasted bread crumbs Johnny Iuzzini, Jean

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-73293518552080249172010-09-27T12:00:00.012-04:002010-09-27T12:05:53.516-04:00

GetRealNY kicked off CraftBeerWeek with more craft beers on tap than I could count.  Walking in and seeing the walls of beer stopped every beer geek in his tracks to stare in awe.   It was an incredible sight. We got straight to work and started at the beginning of the alphabet and worked our way through the sea of IPAs, Stouts and a homebrews.  Being the OCD/beer lovers that we are, we

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-8248335880190570482010-09-27T11:33:00.002-04:002010-09-27T12:15:42.841-04:00

One of my favorite annual events is the Vendy Awards put on by the Vendor Street Project, a great group that supports the city's street vendors. This past Saturday, some 1400 people ate, voted and celebrated a new set of Vendy Awards Winners. The city's best food trucks present their best samples while you enjoy a great beer and some live music in beautiful fall weather, what is not to love?

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-61494802747525057432010-09-07T11:10:00.000-04:002010-09-07T12:41:56.741-04:00

When people hear about our meals and our eating habits, Al and I get always get asked the same two questions:How do you not weigh 400lbs?How do you eat so well for so little money in NYC?In response to the first questions, Al always says it is because I am young and he is Asian. I'm gonna be screwed in a few years!When it comes to our awesome weeknight meals, we attribute it to planning and a

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-54343806510124080492010-08-31T12:01:00.002-04:002010-08-31T12:10:40.256-04:00

Rumors were running about the city that the Joy Ride Truck has the best Flat Whites in all of NYC. Being in love with a Kiwi morally obligates me to investigate and share with my man. Last Friday we hit up the truck and discovered the rumors were in fact true! I was lucky Alvin shared any with me. The Joy Ride Truck is also known for their buzzed frozen yogurt. So we tried a cup with

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-44250756962686145402010-07-25T12:26:00.001-04:002010-08-03T14:05:43.633-04:00

Daniel Boulud invited his favorite purveyors and selected guests to his restaurant to celebrate the work of the purveyors, the quality of their products and the Summer harvest they have to share. It was an amazing experience that was about where our food comes from and the love poured into making tasty, healthy food. We had the opportunity to dine with Franca of Berried Treasures and her sister

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-50312710640492695652010-07-21T11:30:00.002-04:002010-08-30T17:22:08.892-04:00

For the big finale of Alvin's Birthday Week, we headed to Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Sleepy Hollow, NY. The farm is beautiful and walking around brought us a feeling of peace and contentment. I opted to not memorize the courses or take photos, because we really just wanted to enjoy the food and our conversation. I discovered that lamb's brain is one tasty cut of meat and the pig from stout to

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-6702313356947001162010-07-19T11:09:00.000-04:002010-07-21T11:28:36.968-04:00

Surprisingly, we haven't been to a Yankee game yet this summer. We both are loyal fans and made a few trips last year, but this summer has been so busy we end up just catching weeknight games on television.Attending this particular Old Timers' Day felt especially unique after the very recent passing of Bob Sheppard and George Steinbrenner. We felt honored to be apart of this special day and to

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-58436728922425321682010-07-17T10:58:00.000-04:002010-07-21T11:08:34.340-04:00

Annisa has been at the top of our must visit list since it re-opened in April. Its Chef-Owner, Anita Lo is one of Alvin's favorite chefs from Top Chef Masters and someone we both admired for her style. So going here for one of his birthday dinners felt even more special.We were seated in the rather small room at a table where we sat next to each other and faced the rest of the tables. At first

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-45124203697088938612010-07-16T12:47:00.004-04:002010-07-21T09:58:21.098-04:00

For Day 5 of Alvin's Birthday Week, we headed for a night out at In Vino with some of his friends from NZ visiting NY on business.In Vino is an incredible wine bar in the East Village. It isn't fair to label it just a wine bar, it is a home to wine experts who not only know how to read your palate, but create a menu made for wine and wine enthusiasts. Most "wine bars" forget to focus on the

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-87454295112873976202010-07-15T11:00:00.001-04:002010-07-15T12:46:57.635-04:00

So how do you cook a vegetarian meal for a birthday dude who notoriously despises anything green or labeled "organic" (except beer and wine)? You cover the veggies in layers of cheese and pesto and make a gratin.It doesn't look as a refined as our other meals but the mix of tender veggies, cheese, carmalized onions and a sweet tomato sauce were great.

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-91290174460737548212010-07-14T16:54:00.002-04:002010-07-14T17:02:47.036-04:00

I want to clear up something, Alvin is not the type of jackass that thinks he is amazing and needs a week to celebrate his existence. He honestly would be happy with a burger for dinner at our local favorite, Gus & Gabriel and call it a day. No this week business is all me being the jackass that wanted to spoil him!Day 2- Well someone forgot to take some pictures, but we had a wonderful summer

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-49748743093699986522010-07-12T15:21:00.000-04:002010-07-14T17:02:47.036-04:00

Luckily I had a day and a half to prepare for his birthday as he was away for work on Saturday and I had a few ideas of what I wanted to do. Something with cheese, lamb, and fruity dessert over chocolate. But where to begin....I went to my favorite books of inspiration including the best of Keller and my "food porn" as I have dubbed the Alinea cookbook. I spent most of Saturday morning

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-24854348375565338552010-07-11T12:01:00.001-04:002010-07-14T17:02:47.037-04:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful partner, Al!!We fell in love over great food and even better drinks (and a strange ability to watch Deadliest Warrior on Spike for hours), so I found it appropriate to spend his actual birthday cooking all of his favorite foods. For his birthday lunch/World Cup Finals viewing snack, I decided to attempt Karaage Chicken. While in New Zealand visiting his family and

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-42495405443962574412010-06-17T12:00:00.000-04:002010-07-14T12:01:05.974-04:00

With so many great options on this UWS, this was a let down.The gin martini with a chorizo stuffed olive was delicious, but the rest of the evening didn't live up to that highlight. Lightly Aged Prime Ko Reserve needed the Wasabi Jalapeno Aioli side order. A cheap cut that was clearly grilled by an experienced station that forgot seasoning and even cooking techniquesThe sushi was even more

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-42106688721915244432010-05-30T11:59:00.000-04:002010-07-14T12:00:10.427-04:00

Susur Lee, please make more visits to your NY outpost if you are going to let a hotel use your brand. I felt embarrassed for him.The shrimp dumplings were a joke. I've had frozen and cheap yum chow in Chinatown that were sooo much better. The pastry was chewy and I'm not convinced that there was any shrimp in there. The Curry Chicken special was a typical box mix from the local JasMart. It

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-56689893011880804122010-04-02T11:14:00.003-04:002010-07-14T11:50:44.010-04:00

Thomas Keller is known for many things: great food, beautiful cookbooks, silver fox hair, but he is not known for home-cook friendly recipes. Thanks to kitchen experience, I am not worried about the challenging and time-consuming recipes, but I can see why most people buy his cookbooks as coffee table books.I've owned Under Pressure, but have not had the opportunity to tackle any of its contents

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-52838193256598256642010-03-31T11:13:00.001-04:002010-03-31T14:48:58.696-04:00

We mixed up our Week of Pork by eating out at Dos Caminos on Third Ave.One of our favorite Mexican places in the city offeres nice ceviches and one of the best ice cream sundaes in town.To stay true to our plan, we enjoyed some Cochinita Pibil tacos. It consisted of yucatecan pit-barbecue style pork with habanero pickled red onions. It was a bit sweet, but still enjoyable. This is a super

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-57820984657612933262010-03-29T10:39:00.005-04:002010-07-14T11:53:19.213-04:00

When it comes to cooking during the week, preparation and getting a mise en place done on Sundays for the coming days is key for us. Having this week of experiments and new efforts makes this even more important. We like to start the week with seafood and this week we are going to try Momofuku's version of Shrimp and Grits. This is one of my favorite southern comfort foods and I love the Asian

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-45444020523561743732010-03-28T22:05:00.002-04:002010-07-14T11:57:27.100-04:00

The Momofuku cookbook is an amazing read, not just a cookbook of recipes but a life's story and a journey for a restaurant. Alvin and I both love pork belly in steamed buns, but were a bit nervous about the day long work to make them. Now that we have a ton of pork belly and a cold March weekend, we took on the challenge.The goal:We started by doing a dry rub brine of the pork belly for six

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-4894916172875192472010-03-27T11:54:00.000-04:002010-03-29T10:03:59.241-04:00

After waiting seven weeks, Whole Foods finally received my pork belly order. I had only requested 2.5lbs, but they got in 5lb so I took it all since it took me this long to wait for just that little bit. Now I have 5lbs of pork belly in my fridge and only plans for 3lbs of it and no clue what to do with it all. So Al has agreed to a Week of Pork and finding many different ways to enjoy pork

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-29001184618968944632010-03-09T12:01:00.002-05:002010-07-14T11:58:43.690-04:00

Living in New York is fast-paced, exciting, and all about the next thing. So it can be easy to forget to slow down and enjoy the moment. Al is an amazing man and his calming personality helps remind me to take that moment and breathe it all in.This first weekend of March with beautiful spring weather offered a great opportunity to enjoy some cheese, bread and a new Riesling on our "balcony."

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-45884882127978829252010-03-05T10:06:00.009-05:002010-03-05T11:30:36.924-05:00

Damn you Colicchio, I have spent so much money on your restaurants between the different "Craft"s and now your new Colicchio and Sons. I thought this was supposed to be your return to the kitchen, triumphant and impressive?For a newer restaurant, I was shocked that I was able to get a same day resy for 8pm and even more shocked when your dining room was less than 50% filled. Our night out was

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-24141592143535530562010-01-19T12:08:00.002-05:002010-07-14T17:04:19.725-04:00

For some reason when it snows, I make ice cream. I have no idea why either. So I took this snowy occasion to make some creamy and smooth banana ice cream from the French Laundry Cookbook. I pulled together some of their crepes with banana filling along with a dark chocolate ganache and whipped cream.Banana Ice Cream, Crepes filled with Banana filling, Dark Chocolate Gananche, iSi whipped cream

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-76104560164422270372009-11-24T11:37:00.003-05:002009-11-24T11:47:39.329-05:00

So my dream of some exciting internship was killed the Monday after graduation. I was admitted to the hospital, with what was thought to be appendicitis and ended up being a serious intestine infection. I spent time in the hospital and left with a blood infection thanks to dirty IV work and ended up no use of my left arm and bruised right arm.I still don't have full strength in my arm, but my

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-76087743054095631102009-08-17T10:08:00.002-04:002009-08-17T10:32:48.397-04:00

The end of classes has final come and I'm experiencing a mix of emotions: excitement and sadness. Obviously excitement at all that I have accomplished, but I will miss my classmates more that I thought I would. We have only known each other since January, but I am so close to these people, we have grown and experienced so much together and survived it all (including a certain Chef). Yesterday

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-22591090990661288202009-07-28T12:06:00.000-04:002009-07-28T12:06:01.158-04:00

This past weekend was a pretty laid back class of buttercream, royal icing and lots and lots of piping.We learned a dozen different border styles, some flower techniques and beautiful buttercream rosesWe even played around with some marzipan and covered a dummy cake in marzipan and decorations of our choice. This past weekend's class was all preparation for our final project, a two tier

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-2668560279348922842009-07-28T10:58:00.002-04:002009-07-28T11:13:46.042-04:00

MW: yea we talked a lot of boobies last nightMe: yea Ralph still has some explaining to do, why are you on the umm "A-Team" RalphRD: ::Silence::Me: Who's team are you on Jo?Jo: Which ever team Michelle is on, I'm sitting closest to herMW: ow ow Boobies!

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-20280432380004752792009-07-21T11:01:00.000-04:002009-07-28T11:06:15.185-04:00

The Challenge: build a showpiece from a minimum 51% chocolate with a height between six and 30 inches and no wider than a half sheet all in 14 hours over two days.Theme: "Cities"The result: Auckland in Chocolate featuring a Chocolate Sky Tower, an adorable sail boat and the cutest Kiwi ever.

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-18391267458529413932009-07-14T10:37:00.004-04:002009-07-14T10:47:57.154-04:00

NYC Restaurant Week is always a gamble. Sometimes you can get an incredible meal at an amazing restaurant for just $35, but many times you get an okay meal that is clearly not worth the $35.Matsuri is one of those big disappointments. In picking a restaurant from the participating list, the only requirement was sushi. There weren't many options but after talking with other people and checking

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-90561147649697199062009-07-14T10:35:00.001-04:002009-07-14T10:37:13.939-04:00

NB: That's what she saidMe: Ha, look at you telling twss jokes!!NB: No really that's what she said

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-89138438762024541962009-07-13T16:16:00.002-04:002009-07-13T16:27:19.496-04:00

Going into my final practical, I felt so comfortable with what we were doing. We made perfect chocolates in class the day before and I wasn't as nervous after surviving three practicals with great success.But once we started working with the chocolate we noticed that the chocolate was not right and the temp kitchen we were working in was much much cooler than our normal classroom causing the

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-17077598263416565262009-07-10T16:09:00.000-04:002009-07-14T10:34:53.604-04:00

Before leaving for Phoenix and the National Pastry Championships, I finally got the chance to check out Coney Island's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4th...just a quick shout out for Joey Chestnuts!!I got to get up close and personal with the teams competing in Phoenix to be the US Champions competing to defend us against the world next year. I spent three days being a worker bee, server, and

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-7565398640951154462009-06-22T17:06:00.000-04:002009-06-24T17:09:40.358-04:00

FINALLY!!! Mod 3 was so brutal that we had to have a parade to celebrate the end of it. Well the Mermaid Parade out in Coney Island happened to be the same day and an appropriate way to celebrate our relief.For the final we had to split and fill and ice our pre-made wedding cakes and decorate with some chocolate piping and some buttercream goodness.From Mod 3I choose to celebrate the holiday

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-86130115691185714922009-06-17T16:32:00.001-04:002009-06-24T17:05:37.041-04:00

Plated Desserts, aka what you get at a restaurant is one of the areas ICE is very disappointing. This is something that 75% of our class will need to know for our externships, but we spent two days on them?!?! Makes no sense. Plus with the rushed feeling we all got, we didn't have much time for experimentation and learning the whys of plating. Looking back on the photos, there are things that

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-55928422642718361602009-06-09T16:08:00.002-04:002009-06-09T16:17:48.460-04:00

I finally got to work with MW -my favorite dive bar and movie date of all time :) and we got to make six different cookies with a max time of 4 hours. We did it in about 3.75 hours! Go us.Now this might not sound that impressive for pastry students, but I had about 3 hours of sleep and was a bit distracted by the fact we got to have guests come to the class' cookie extravaganza later in the day.

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-39838441639491731232009-06-03T12:11:00.001-04:002009-06-09T16:03:06.281-04:00

One of the things I love about my class is the supportive and helpful attitude we bring to the metal tables. I've never seen any intentional sabotage, none of the horrible things I've heard about in other classes and other schools. I'm not saying that I have survived a weekend without a certain someone (or two) completely destroying a finished product in the fridge or on the racks, but I've

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-43876045659012383192009-06-01T12:08:00.002-04:002009-07-14T10:35:38.149-04:00

Me: Sometimes you have to curse at it to make it work, learned that from Chef Jeff.Partner of the day (to the mixer): Fuckin whip it already. RW: TWSSMe: Learning way too much about you guys.

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-64558017252192801852009-05-18T16:06:00.004-04:002009-05-18T16:52:13.771-04:00

How can one day make you hate the love of your life? I never thought I would dread going to class, not a nervous first day dread, but why the fuck am I here and paying for this shit kinda dread. As I have previously discussed, there are a number of chefs-in-training that will never be in a kitchen or will never understand why we use cake flour instead of all purpose in certain recipes. I know

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-66177287695420463482009-05-11T16:37:00.006-04:002009-05-18T16:05:54.441-04:00

When they warn you that you will be living and breathing cakes for 2 months, they aren't kidding. I've only finished two weekends of cakes, but I'm already ready to toss in some puff pastry or feed some sourdough. There are tons of cakes out there to try, but the basic concept of a batter rising through air cells or chemical leavening can get a bit boring. And its all so sweet. I really

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-22077886812339867322009-04-28T12:07:00.000-04:002009-04-29T13:33:11.910-04:00

I've developed some mixed feelings about last weekend's conclusion to mod 2 the past few days. I have an incredible rush and sense of pride in successfully tackling the puff pastry and rocking my soft rolls. Nothing is quite as nice as hearing you have "nice hands" from the best baker at your school. (and no it isn't cause they look incredible with their multiple kitchen scars-its a baker's

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-19073970032089545222009-04-23T11:39:00.000-04:002009-04-23T11:39:00.257-04:00

The first step in finding a place to extern is to trail at a few restaurants around town. Trailing can differ by restaurant and by your skill set but it can range from actually helping in the kitchen like an audition to just observing the flow. I met with Career Services at ICE and got a few names for places to consider for August, they are all BIG names in the business and in some ways that

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-80999403197718968782009-04-22T13:25:00.001-04:002009-04-23T11:39:35.661-04:00

I can't believe we are at the halfway mark. This weekend will be the very stressful but exciting practical for Mod2. First we have to survive a written exam covering all kinds of breads and doughs and the various mixing methods: Direct, Two Step, Flaky, Mealy, Creaming. All of the turns: single, double, book, letter, envelope. Then onto the demo portion of our practical. No baking is involved

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-18475313926220012352009-04-19T22:58:00.001-04:002009-04-23T10:46:09.323-04:00

Some people say its the amount of sleep you got last night or the mood you are in that day, but I think we can all agree that the partner you have in class can make or break your day. There are a few people I am still dreading working with (I don't even like to hold a conversation with them), but there are others I want to work with but haven't because we have all found our person, our

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-26050946735385343922009-04-17T15:58:00.005-04:002009-04-23T11:39:35.661-04:00

puff pastry is winning, no not in the physical competition of roller vs. butter, but in the mental you are going to fail your practical muahhahahaha kind of wayI'm not sure why I am letting Puffy win. I'm usually great at the cocky who gives an f kitchen attitude, but I'm getting taunted by butter and flour. I think I am starting to worry about the real world post-school and the fact that I am

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-61389966272950555852009-04-13T16:32:00.002-04:002009-04-23T11:39:35.661-04:00

"M and the butter box"one time, in class, i got out a cake box to box up whatever it is i had madei got butter on the boxi went "ew butter!!" and threw out the boxchef sim saw the perfectly fine box and went "you see? this is what i hate! save the environment, i'm a hippe, waste not want not blah blah blah"and i went "yea, those assholes"

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-39757326826737750872009-03-29T10:58:00.000-04:002009-04-23T11:40:36.637-04:00

I decided to take my guests to Gotham Bar and Grill after years of curiosity in Alfread Portale, but also because a friend is interested in working there. Gotham is world renown for their structural presentation and modern American cuisine. We had the luck of visiting during the 25th anniversary week. Luckily my mom is all for sharing so we were able to sample lots of plates starting with the

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-4652301602883342612009-03-28T13:07:00.000-04:002009-04-23T11:40:36.637-04:00

Aroma is one of those hidden little hole in the wall places that end up surprising you. The owners' love for the restaurant shines in the service and the food.Despite its classification as a "Wine Bar," the weakest link in their service is their sommelier who after a request for recommendation told me to read the wine book and tell him what I wanted. The language barrier is clearly an issue but

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-40107924287211197532009-03-25T14:04:00.001-04:002009-04-17T12:24:32.342-04:00

After many seasons of eating up Tom Colicchio's charm on TopChef, my mom was more than thrilled to know I reserved us a table at his craft restaurant. After checking out the menu and being indecisive we went with the Tasting Menu and left our culinary pleasures up to Tom's choices. We know he is in the kitchen maybe once a month, but a good celebri-chef should keep tabs on his roots.The tasting

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-35069297105695871192009-03-22T19:29:00.001-04:002009-04-23T11:40:16.682-04:00

M: Thanks Jobin! Me: yea City Slacka, oh wait is that it? I never figured that one out (And FAIL):(

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-10384055738959224292009-03-19T12:09:00.001-04:002009-04-23T11:39:35.661-04:00

"R and the wrong recipe"one time in class we did mise en place for chef and gave him twice the flour than the recipe called for and didn't say a thing about it before he demo-ed. The recipe still worked!

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-54382242023055183082009-03-15T18:30:00.002-04:002009-04-23T11:39:35.662-04:00

(after a day full of double entendres and innuendos- they happen a lot in the kitchen)R: TWSSTable: awww Ryan!!!me: ahahahahahhaha, oh wait what?

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-30213473345816870842009-03-11T15:11:00.001-04:002009-04-23T11:39:35.662-04:00

Chef: The more you work it the softer it getsMe: TWSSRalph: sucks for him

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-40706226382356211702009-03-07T11:01:00.000-05:002009-04-23T11:39:35.662-04:00

So here is a lazy post, I am in the middle of moving and working and school so that's my excuse! We are working on breads at the moment and the different mixing methods for bread. Check out some of my workMy sexy Olive Loaves:Some Semolina Bread:And some of my Bread Art: And a piggy:

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422869349200777977.post-78015145284385617212009-03-01T14:11:00.000-05:002009-04-23T11:39:46.888-04:00

The end of mod 1 has come and gone and I SURVIVED!!!!!I know it doesn't sound like much, but the pressure was intense and the post-practical happy hour was definitely deserved. After a surprisingly tough written portion, we had to complete a three part practical.Part one, peel, core and slice an apple into thin uniform slices without cutting off a finger.Part two, pipe out a birthday cake. I

SChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615861902719901992noreply@blogger.com0