25 January 2007

Competition

This one is out of the way. Now, it's time to start preparing for the US Pastry Chef of the Year competition in March, held in NYC





Jose's plated desserts - he took a bronze


Chef Cat's novelty cake - he took a bronze


Chef Cat's plated desserts - he took a silver


TC's fruit carving - he took a diploma

My cookies took a bronze



more of my cookies



Marilyn and Richard's piece (the first one), it took silver
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21 January 2007

Competition sucks the life outta you

Final week before competition truly sucks the life out of you. You live, eat, sleep, breath whatever you are doing for the competition.

Since Tuesday:
Tuesday, 12-5, really not long or anything. Class was 12-3, considered working on competition, but then heard that the weather was going to drop to below freezing and it was raining, so I thought it best to get home.

Wednesday, get up at 4am. The temps are hovering at freezing, it is raining, I really need to head out before everyone else begins to hit the road. I'm on the road by 5am. Traffic is very light, so I actually arrive by 5:30. It takes my friend an hour to get there from her house. We have class at 8:30. She calls me at 5:20, I'm just leaving my house. Great, I get to sit hear for about an hour by myself. At 5:50, some woman pulls up, informs me that morning classes are cancelled, come back at 11. I call my friend, hoping she hasn't made it very far so she can at least turn around. Nope, she's gone 30 of her 60, she ain't turning around now. So, we meet at Whataburger for breakfast and try to decide what the hell we are going to do until 12 when Spanish class starts. Get back to the school, we con our way in. Even though classes were cancelled, they didn't get ahold of some of the instructors in time, and they aren't turning back and going home any more than either of us are. I help prep in the restaurant kitchen, she does homework. Go to class from 12-4, then work on competition stuff from 4:15 until 10.

Thursday, no classes for me, but I need to work on competition stuff, so off I go. Work from about 10-10, go out to relax with my hunkaburninglove, get home around 1am.

Friday, again, no classes, get there around 10, work till 10.

Saturday and Sunday, all the homework I can possibly get done because:

Monday, class is from 6-9pm, but guess where I will be starting about 9am, you guessed it, working on competition. Hopefully hunkaburninglove will not be exhausted his damnself and we can go out.

Tuesday, class is 12-3, I'll be there by 9am, work till about 11:50, go to class, start back working about 3:30, go right up till most likely 10, then

Be back at around 5:30am Wed. so we can load up and head to the competition which is only an hour away. Set up from 7-9. Judging begins around 11am.

Then we start all over again, preparing for the next competition. US Pastry Chef of the Year in March, in NYC. WOOphukinHOO. I love that city and cannot wait to get back

14 January 2007

Why and other stuff

I've been feeling blah since I got back from Vegas. I guess the change in weather and humidity sent my allergies into orbit and I've been paying for it. So, why is it, for me anyway, when I feel like total crap, the only thing I want to drink is a coke. Nothing else tastes good. I had not had a coke in some time and then bam, gotta have a coke.

My youngest (A, she's 8) called the oldest (T, she's 19) a dork. I asked, so, do you know what a dork is? Yeah, it's a geek. I say, no, do you know what the word started out meaning? Uhhhh, no. I explain to her that it started out as a euphamism for the male member. Ewwwwww, gross.

The other day, my niece (K, she's 11) decided to call my youngest a name. So, A comes running in, boohooing, K called me a name. So, what did she call you. She called me a pheasent. A pheasent? Really? So, I ask K, did you call her a pheasent. Yeah. I ask, what is a pheasent. Ummmmmmmmmm, for about 2 minutes. So, you don't know what a pheasent is. Yeah, but I can't tell you. I ask her if she realizes that a pheasent is a bird. Well duh, of course I do. I guess I do have idiot stamped across my forehead.

The coolest website ever, but very adddicting.
http://www.wavelit.com/popup/playerAfricam.asp#

13 January 2007

Trip to Vegas

I've been feeling like crap since Monday night, allergies kicked into high gear. Haven't had that happen in over 2 years. Classes also started back Monday.

I stayed at the MGM Grand. I really didn't get any pictures here. It was nice, but looked like any other hotel, just on a larger scale. The view from the hotel was quite nice.





I loved the Paris. While I cannot wait to go to the real thing, the Eiffel Tower was pretty freaking cool. Quite a nice view of Vegas. The pastries at Lenôtre, were gorgeous and the piano bar with Dueling Pianos was pretty f'n cool as well. The Arche de Triumphe was pretty danged neat too. I really cannot wait to go see the real things some day.





The Bellagio was beautiful. The Fountains, how neat are those. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures while at this hotel. The Buffet was decent, it was breakfast, hard to screw up. Loved the Ansel Adams exhibit at the Fine Art Gallery.






The Luxor was too danged neat. Loved the King Tut's Tomb exhibit.











Went to the Aladdin and had the Spice Market Buffet. Once again, a buffet.




Went to the Imperial Palace for Legends in Concert (Bobby Darin, Garth Brooks, Temptations, Sting, Elvis, and the WTF moment, Britney Spears). It was good. The people all did a great job, but I just do not understand how Spears is considered a legend)




Of course we hit The Venetian. My favorite hotel of them all. Beautiful. Puts the others to shame. Now, it's not like they had the lights turned up all the way, so, I suppose it could look like paint by number in full light, but it looked pretty danged cool to me. We went to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum for a Robert Mapelthorpe exhibit, and Tintoretto's for Cafe Ole and and a to die for Sfogliatella.













I just loved New York, New York. I am just chomping at the bit to get back to NYC. It was pretty cool how this place was laid out, but nothing is better than the real thing.







Went to the Palms and ate at Alize. This place has an amazing view.



Amuse :

CousCous salad with an aioli, topped with a piece of seared swordfishmy



Appetizer (this was freakin too tasty for words):Yukon Gold and Mascarpone Gnocchi with Sweet Yellow Corn, Sauteed Morels and Cashews with White Truffle Oil, Parsley Cream Sauce and Manchego Cheese



Entree :

Pan Seared Jumbo Diver Scallop and Grilled Chorizo Ravioli with Smoked Paprika Beurre Blanc and Savoy Cabbage Confit and Roasted beets



Dessert :

warm apple beignets, toasted almond ice cream, green apple sorbet






Also went to the Tropicana for the Titanic exhibit which was ok.



Went downtown and saw the light show at the Freemont Street Experience and of course, Vegas Vic.


While Vegas is neat, I most definitely prefer NYC and I do hope that everything goes smoothly so I get back there during the first week of March.