Have to say right off the bat- I'm not at my laptop so I don't have pictures at the ready. But believe me when I say that there are a few. well, a lot. OK, a TON. I realize I'm just teasing you w/ this info, but seriously go to my Facebook fan page and check SOME of them out there:
Sweet Sandy B
(duh)
I have been in school now for a little over a month and actually in the kitchen for a month exactly. How can I begin to describe this... It's intense. So much harder and focused than I could have ever imagined. This is all compounded by the fact that the first medium we started with was chocolate. I'm deathly afraid of chocolate. The thought of tempering sends chills up my spine- akin to buttering the bundt pan properly... and tempering eggs... and so many other things. which is why school is great for me.
Do I know how to temper chocolate perfectly now? Let's just say I TRY. and we also have a chocolate machine in the kitchen that offers up perfectly tempered chocolate on demand. It's a luxury for sure and one that most commercial kitchens won't have. But they also most likely won't ask you to table chocolate to temper it. Did I lose you there? I had no idea what tabling chocolate was either until I started class. Imagine a large marble countertop that is cool to the touch. now imagine pouring warm (NOT tempered) chocolate onto the countertop and spreading it about with an offset spatula making beautiful clean lines of chocolate to cool it down to a TEMPERED state.
The first time I attempted tabling chocolate I made the biggest mess. It was catastrophe and I looked like a child that had just got done playing in a mud pit. I was beyond embarassed and how come the chef made it look so easy and beautiful and I looked like a hot mess. chocolate was EVERYWHERE. the table, the floor, my tools, my uniform, hair and face. yup.
Please believe me when I say it did get better. And we learned so much about chocolate it still makes my mind swim. And I learned that I am NOT going to be a chocolatier. That's just not in the cards for me. I did make a kick butt chocolate sculpture though.
Then, we moved on to sugar.... and sugar showpieces more specifically. It's working with molten hot lava sugar and pulling/blowing it into different designs/flowers/birds... whatever, really. And, kind of honestly (and because I really needed it after the chocolate mishaps) I think I'm kind of good at it. And I liked it a LOT more than I imagined I would.
The problem is, how does that at all play into my future goal of opening a bake shop? When will I do a sugar showpiece? I don't know... but the cake portion and cake decorating portion of class is not for some time.. so for now I just wait anxiously for ICE CREAM AND SORBETS!!!! Which starts in one full week. I can't even stand it, i'm so excited
But first... exams.
How come I didn't know we had EXAMS? Why didn't I expect this though? We have exams to demonstrate we 'know what we were taught'. not entirely written, it's pretty much practical. without help from the Chef or our tablemate. O.M.G...
to say I'm nervous is an understatement. To say I feel prepared is a complete lie.
Wish me luck, exams start Tuesday. ah!
