Posted 1 year ago Comments

Finally!  No more 16 hour shifts.  I’ve now been assigned to only work at breakfast.  Yes.  No more dinner service.  :)  I love it!

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Posted 1 year ago Comments

I made up a new dessert that went on the menu over the weekend.  I decided that frozen treats are the best way to celebrate the summer’s warm weather.

Ice-Cream Sandwich Trio - A trio of mini ice-cream sandwiches.  Fruit of the cacao sorbet sandwich topped with roasted pineapples.  White peach sorbet sandwich with macerated basil and peaches.  Blackberry sorbet sandwich with macerated blackberries and mint.

Not as popular as our other dessert on the menu, but it’s okay by me.  I’m done making that damn cupcake.

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Posted 1 year ago Comments

After many changes — the finalized cupcake dessert.

Chocolate velvet cupcake (with a ganache center), creme brulee frosting, raspberry port reduction, berries, flower petals, caramel garnish.  

(and Chef Jacob in the background)

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Posted 1 year ago Comments

Chef Jacob sat us down — and he’s putting us on payroll next week.  Yeayyuhhhh.  :)

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Posted 1 year ago Comments

I’ve been assigned to manage breakfasts in the mornings from now on.  Basically, start at 6am (eventually it’ll change to 4 or 5am) and work until around 2pm.

That sounds perfect!  I wouldn’t have to work dinner anymore!  They’l be on the lookout for someone to take over my position working garde-manger.  However — they have yet to do so.

So — I’ve been working breakfast at 6am — and staying to prep and get service started for dinner at 6pm…  and staying a couple hours to hold down the garde-manger.

I’m beat.  I haven’t works days like this since I worked as a baker and went to school at the same time.  It doesn’t hurt as much as it used to, though.

Anyway — Chef Jacob sent me home nice and early tonight since we weren’t busy despite the July 4th weekend.  Up and at ‘em again at 6am tomorrow!  Rawr!  I can do it!  I think…

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Posted 1 year ago Comments

I’ve been keeping track of the recipes I’ve been creating.  A lot of it has been given a lot of help by high altitude baking books.

Someone in the kitchen saw one of my high altitude baking books and sneered, “High altitude baking is the same as low altitude baking.”

I was irritated.  This guy just talks too much already — and making ignorant comments to challenge my work was just pushing my patience.

“No.  It’s not,”  I replied bluntly.  Obviously it’s not — why would they write a whole book about it, idiot?

“Well… what’s the difference?” he said in his naturally cocky tone.

“The aeration that you incorporate into your product doesn’t hold up at this altitude due to the pressure.  The elevation can make your product fall — hence, I’ve been baking things in the convection oven as it has more control over these types of conditions.  Several changes need to be made to your recipes in order to avoid them from drying out or flattening.  Corn syrup has a stronger structure for product over sugar, and egg yolks are stronger than whole egg.”  I said it in one breath — and rolled my eyes and turned away.

Now shut up, dummy.  That’s why I’m the one baking and you’re not.

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Posted 1 year ago Comments

How many times have we heard it, ladies?  Men get paid more than women, men progress in companies faster than women, men have more power than women, etc.,

Growing up, I guess we’ve all heard it…  it mat be hard to accept it, but there’s not much else we can do, right?  I never felt that my gender mattered — and I never felt that it clouded my talent or ability… until I started working in the food industry.

I’ve been told that it’s hard to get respect in a kitchen as a woman.  I didn’t believe that it would affect me until I started to work in a kitchen.

Just because I’m asking you questions about work — does not mean that I want you to hit on me.

Just because I hear your stress and temper escalating — does not mean that I can’t deal with your inability to control your anger.

Just because I know how to keep my composure in a stressful environment — does not mean that I’m going to run away from my responsibilities when you talk down to me.  

Just because I can ignore your sexist remarks and keep my head down while continuing to work hard — does not mean I’m on the verge of tears.

Stop judging my ability to maintain professionalism just because I am a woman.

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Posted 1 year ago Comments

I’ve always liked buffet style production —- making a buttload of the same thing — in cute baby sizes.  However, I’ve never tried catering work.

Today was my first catering event.  The hotel hosted a wedding.

Since yesterday, I’ve been obsessing over cupcakes, creme brulee, truffles, doughnuts, bread, etc.,  I produced about 100 servings of everything I needed to make for this wedding, and it haunted me so much that I had dreams of failure last night.

The day started at 6am and I didn’t get home until 10pm.  Crazy.  Fun.

I could feel my heart pounding — I was nervous that I wouldn’t get things out on time — that my product wouldn’t hold together.  I guess I should have a bit more confidence in myself.

I loved it!  Well not the long hours…

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Posted 1 year ago Comments

Peanut butter truffles?  Yes… I agree.  It’s done so often.

But who can turn one down (who isn’t allergic to nuts…)?

DEEEELICIOUS.

My chocolate ganache rolled in dehydrated peanut butter.

Mmm.

Gone.  Some people asked for seconds.

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Posted 1 year ago Comments

I lack knife skills.  Over the weekend alone, I acquired four cuts on my fingers (profusely bleeding type cuts) and three cuts on other parts of my hands.  Ridiculous.  I wish that the California Culinary Academy pushed on teaching us knife skills.  I guess I’ve got to take matters into my own hands — literally.

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