Every Chocoholics dream....is to be

...right here.. at the Notter School with Chef Ewald's and Chef James.
For the past week; I've been rising early; eager and excited about the next amazing 7 hours of decadent chocolates and mouthwatering pralines. On the way out; I skip my usual morning breakfast... making a mental note about the many chocolates I'll be tasting in a couple of hours. I know.. i know...bad idea...but *shrug* 2 weeks of candies for breakfast wouldn't break my diet would it? hehe.. I'm in my happy place. I'm in denial.
An intoxicating aroma of sugary rich cocoa greets me as I make my first enthusiastic steps through the door. I bid both my handsome chefs good morning; and begin pulling chairs down in anticipation of a day filled with new enlightening discoveries about chocolate and it's mysteries.
The most difficult part of the day for me would be my attempts to refrain from licking my fingers and palms clean! *grin* It's SOoo very hard to resist! Wash my hands?!?! waste all that delicious chocolate!!? My heart breaks at the thought.



Pictures will have to be it for today guys... Chef James dropped an evil test on us tomorrow morning and I need to study! I really don't understand why this part of the world can't just get themselves into metric already! Come on guys! Move with the times! Throw out those confusing ounces and pounds! *laughs* It really is a pain for me to learn quarts and gallons... I feel 60 just saying it. tsktsk.. :P
I know I've been a little behind on the updates on class lately but life's been a little hectic for me the past couple of weeks... I've been trying to catch up with more 'American' experiences and travels before end of June. I'll be leaving soon...*tear*
Guess who which lucky girl will be in Vegas tommorow?
*grin*

-=SugaR=-

Many references of pleasant moments+feelings have been associated with 'SUGAR'.
To us pastry chef's; it is a marvelous ingredient...an indispensable part of our craft;
....to everyone else; Sugar is Happiness.Sugar brings sweetness, which creates joy in our minds and satisfaction in our palates.
..it reminds us of life's pleasantries;
...of lovely childhood memories...
we use it casually in our language to express loving thoughts..
"Sugar, spice and everything nice~"
..We use it as an excuse to say a friendly hello to our neighbour when we drop for a cup of sugar.
You hear the word sung on plenty songs depicting sweet and cherished feelings..
Sugar represents way more than just a staple kitchen ingredient.
Love it or Hate it... its taste, its word and its meaning has made itself a part of worldwide culture and society. I don't see why anyone wouldn't be happy that it has! Well, maybe other than dentists and dietitians at least.

Personally; sweetness really isn't what I'm all about. Both in taste and in personality I must admit. *grin* I'm a little cheeky, a little spicy, and a big big fan of savoury foods! My food cravings often involve starches ...potatoes, crusty breads, salted nuts and the like. Well...chocolate too for the right time of month *wink*. I'll stop there. Hehe.
My fingers dig through at least 10kg's of sugar every week at the NotterSchool, and I've been getting more acquainted to its smell and it's properties. There really is lots more to know about the sugar we eat than just the fine sweet grains we use in our coffee and tea.
Since we've been starting classes on candies and pralines in school; I thought it'd be a good idea to begin with some research to get the ball rolling.

Once a luxury only the extremely affluent could afford, sugar was called "white gold" because it was so scarce and expensive. Although Persia and ancient Arabia were cultivating sugar in the 4th century b.c., the Western World didn't know of it until the 8th century when the Moors conquered the Iberian peninsula. sugarcane (from which sugar is made) was harvested on the shores of the Bay of Bengal; it spread to the surrounding territories of Malaysia, Indonesia, Indochina, and southern China.

The Arabic people introduced "sugar" (at that point a sticky paste, semi-crystallized and believed to have medicinal value) to the Western world by bringing both the reed and knowledge for its cultivation to Sicily and then Spain in the eighth and ninth centuries. Later, Venice—importing finished sugar from Alexandria—succeeded in establishing a monopoly over this new spice by the fifteenth century; at that point, it started buying raw sugar, and even sugarcane, and treating it in its own refineries. Venice's monopoly, however, was short-lived. In 1498, Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama returned from India bringing the sweet flavoring to Portugal. Lisbon started to import and refine raw sugar, and, in the sixteenth century, it became the European sugar capital. It was not long before the sweetener was available in France, where its primary function continued to be medicinal, and during the reign of Louis XIV, sugar could be bought by the ounce at the apothecary. By the 1800s, sugar (though still expensive) was widely available to both upper and middle classes.

Early sugar wasn't the granulated, alabaster substance most of us know today. Instead, it came in the form of large, solid loaves or blocks ranging in color from off-white to light brown. Chunks of this rock-hard substance had to be chiseled off and ground to a powder with a mortar and pestle.

Modern-day sugar is no longer scarce or expensive and comes in myriad forms from many origins. Sugar cane and sugar beets are the sources of most of today's sugar, also known as sucrose (which also comes from maple sap-see maple sugar-and sorghum). Other common forms of sugar are dextrose (grape or corn sugar), fructose (levulose), lactose (milk sugar) and maltosemeringue, (malt sugar). The uses for sugar are countless. Besides its sweetening value, sugar adds tenderness to doughs, stability to mixtures such as beaten egg whites for golden-brown surfaces to baked goods and, in sufficient quantity, it contributes to the preservation of some foods.
(The Food Lovers Companion; Barron + Answers.com-)

Ever wondered how is sugar made?:

• Ripe sugarcane or sugar beets are grown and harvested. They are generally grown in tropical/subtropical regions of the world.
• The canes are then unloaded and cleaned in warm water and the beets are cleaned and cut into stripes
• Juice is extracted with the use to press rollers or crushes to separate the fiber (bagasse) from the juice that contains the sugar.
• The juice is then clarified and about two-thirds of the water is removed through vacumn evaporation.
• Crystallization is the next step in the manufacture of sugar. Crystallization takes place in a single-stage vacuum pan. The syrup is evaporated until saturated with sugar. As soon as the saturation point has been exceeded, small grains of sugar are added to the pan, or "strike." These small grains, called seed, serve as nuclei for the formation of sugar crystals. The growth of the crystals continues until the pan is full.
• The high-speed centrifugal action used to separate the pan of crystals into raw sugar crystals and molasses is done in revolving machines called centrifugals. Once the sugar is centrifuged, it is "cut down" and sent to a granulator for drying.
• Damp sugar crystals are dried by being tumbled through heated air in a granulator. The dry sugar crystals are then sorted by size through vibrating screens and placed into storage bins.

Varieties of Sugar:

White refined sugar:
Come in various sizes and commonly found as a staple sugar in household kitchens.

• Coarse-grained sugars, such as sanding sugar (nibbed sugar or sugar nibs)
• Normal granulated sugars for table use: typically they have a grain size about 0.5 mm across
• Finer grades result from selectively sieving the granulated sugar
  • caster (0.35 mm), commonly used in baking
  • superfine sugar, also called baker's sugar, berry sugar, or bar sugar — favored for sweetening drinks or for preparing meringue

Finest grades: Powdered sugar, 10X sugar, confectioner's sugar (0.060 mm), or icing sugar (0.024 mm), produced by grinding sugar to a fine powder. The manufacturer may add a small amount of anti-caking agent to prevent clumping — either cornstarch (1% to 3%) or tri-calcium phosphate.
Raw sugars:
aw sugars comprise yellow to brown sugars made by clarifying the source syrup by boiling and drying with heat, until it becomes a crystalline solid, with minimal chemical processing.Types of raw sugar include demerara, muscovado, and turbinado. Mauritius and Malawi export significant quantities of such specialty sugars. Manufacturers sometimes prepare raw sugar as loaves rather than as a crystalline powder, by pouring sugar and molasses together into molds and allowing the mixture to dry. This results in sugar-cakes or loaves, called jaggery or gur in India, pingbian tang in China, and panela (Columbia), rapadura (Brazil), pile, piloncillo (Mexico) and pão-de-açúcar in various parts of Latin America.

Palm sugar:
Is originally made from the sugary sap of the Palmyra palm or the date palm. Now it is also made from the sap of the sago and coconut palms and may be sold as "coconut sugar." The sugar is a golden brown paste, sold in tubes, blocks or tin cans. It may be light-colored or dark, soft and gooey or hard. Gula melaka is used in some savoury dishes but mainly in the local desserts and cakes of the Southeast Asian region.
In Indonesia, sugar made from the Palmyra palm is known as Gula Jawa ("Javanese sugar") or gula merah (red sugar).

Brown sugar:
Brown sugar comes from the late stages of sugar refining, when sugar forms fine crystals with significant molasses-content, or from coating white refined sugar with a cane molasses syrup. Their color and taste become stronger with increasing molasses-content, as do their moisture-retaining properties.

• Dark and light muxcovado sugar : known as the Barbados sugar or moist sugar, It is rich and spicy with a high molasses content and more minerals than other sugars
• Demerara sugar: Is a tan and coarse sugar, partially refined sugar. Originally named for the old colony of Demerara in the South American country of Guyana. It is now primarily produced in Mauritius.
• Turbinado: a partially refined cane sugar which is processed with steam and has a pleasant vegetal flavour.

Molasses: Is the by product of juice extraction in the process of sugar production. It has a slightly bitter taste and full of vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium and magnesium.

Isomalt: A natural sugar substitute, a type of sugar alcohol, which is primarily used for its sugar-like physical properties. It has only a small impact on blood sugar levels, does not promote tooth decay, and has one half the calories of sugar. However, like most sugar alcohols, it carries a very real risk of gastric distress, including flatulence and diarrhea, when consumed in large quantities. Isomalt is typically blended with a high intensity sweetener such as sucralose, so that the mixture has approximately the sweetness of sugar. Isomalt has been approved for use in the United States since 1990. It is also permitted for use in Australia and New Zealand.
Isomalt is usually used in sugar sculptures and is preferred by some because it will not crystalize as quickly.

Now that we know much more about Sugar and the stories behind its sweetness (more than necessary really); do you think we're all ready for the next 2 weeks of class with Chef Ewald Notter and his skillful ways with sugar?
My clumsy self is shuddering at the thought of boiling numerous pots of bubbling sweets! *laughs* Burns will probably be unavoidable; Can't learn to ride a bike without scraping a knee or two, no? Hehe.. I'm ready! The enthusiasm is definitely going to help numb the pain. *giggle*

Simply another one of life's hard lessons

I have this philosophy... with no evil; there is no good, with no hate there is no love. So you'll never know what it feels like to win if you never lose. Okay.. okay...I'll stop talking in circles! *giggle* Here's what happened..
With much enthusiasm, I entered an in-house NotterSchool competition. Naively participating with lots of passion; heaps of creativity but lack of sacrificed effort and time. In comparison to my diligent classmates; I turned up with little practice and lots of confidence. I guess getting shot down like that was a good way to teach me a couple things about taking on competition. It wasn't just about knowing how to bake and decorate cakes; I learnt much more that evening after a good hour or so of self reflection on my drive home.
We were given a white envelope 2 weeks ahead and our cakes were to be themed around the item we've drawn.. I picked this awkward little flower with a million colours on it.. .... .... 8 colours to be exact. I never take things literally; and maybe that's my problem.. I can't just plaster a thousand duplicates of this damn flower all over my cake!
... I'm stubborn and too abstract for my own good most of the time. That was what cost me my competitiveness. The judges felt my cake didn't represent the piece I had drawn as my inspiration. I had a story behind this design; but we weren't allowed to watch the judging and I guess the judges were stumped with where this magician theme on my cake came about. The flower reminded me lots about carnivals and magic shows...it spun; had confusing and mesmerizing colours and was topped with an attention seeking diamond in the center. The interior of the cake I had was a ginger cake layered with coconut buttercream. It had a tinge of lemongrass in between each layer to create and illusion of a 'vanilla' looking cake with a spicy flavour. Almost like a magician~... creating surprising illusions with secret ingredients.You know what my problem is... I thought too much about it... overthinking.. one of my many downfalls.
There were 4 winners; 2 in 3rd place, 2nd and 1st. I didn't even place. *sob* :P
Ahhh.. what's the use pouting~ I was happy for my friends who won; they put much thought into their cakes and every single one of them turned out awesome!
I'm glad I gave my first competition a go.. There sure will be many more to come; and I'm very much wiser, excited and enthusiastic about participating in another!
These were the winners;
1st-
2nd-
and a tie for 3rd place-

Tips of the 'Plating' Trade

I'm glad to finally have an insight into the art of plating. For the majority of diners out there, plating a dessert may seem like a fast and easy "Whack-it-on-there" type activity; little do we know how significant it is to how we end our meals. It is a reflection of the pastry chef's palate; his creativity, style and talent...and to a chef; that's everything!

Making a slice of pie or chocolate sundae presentable with 3-leaf-sprigs of mint plugged onto a mountain of whipped cream isn't exactly rocket science....and in my opinion should be discouraged when serving a well made dessert composition. I feel deeply passionate about presentation of food; but the Notter School has also taught me how not to make it a primary focus. Food is meant not to be 'eaten', but to be 'tasted'. Taste should always be what a dessert is built around. Meaning the garnishes and components placed artistically around the item should accentuate and compliment it's taste. It really is beyond just placing contrasting colours and awkwardly shaped components all over the place to create a crazy concoction! The thought process that goes behind creating every individual plate should be acknowledged. I will never be able to look at a plate of dessert the same again!

I really think my passion for food has made me a snob. My unfortunate friends who dine out with me have to bare with my opinionated and critical self. It's a constant flow of analysis at the dinner table...they have my permission to roll their eyes and throw sarcasm at my remarks. *laughs* I'm incredibly outspoken and can sometimes come off as whinge-y.. I can't decide if it's better to not voice opinions at all at times. Fellow bloggers+f-loggers...do you feel it comes from the habit of writing? I was never confident with speech as a kid; and am still insecure about many things about myself every day... could it be possible that blogging has built my ability to voice my opinions? .... ....
Enough self reflection for the morning...let's track back to our topic on plated desserts.Each dessert should be carefully composed to appeal to all our human senses- sight, hearing, taste and touch. The first glimpse of our plate gives us an immediate impression of the dessert and an expectation for how it should taste.

Past trends to build architectural structures with components have been abandoned in favour of compositions that, while attractive, are easy and accessible. The colours on a plate play a big role in our perception of flavour and it really is important that the colour of garnishes and sauces reflect what they taste.
Sound plays a smaller role in desserts but is just as important. Adding elements of crunch to a plate provides both texture and sound. For example; when you spoon into a creme brulee, the sound of the breaking sugar coating adds to the anticipation of the creamy and crunchy custard.
Successful plated desserts balance flavours and textures. Contrasts (warm/cold, creamy/crunchy, sour/sweet) add to the enjoyment of a dessert; e.g a warm molten chocolate cake with a scoop of coffee icecream over the top. Similar flavours and textures can also work together. It's important to remember that components need to be balanced and harmonious. Contrast can provide a pleasurable element of surprise; however, too much contrast causes elements to compete with one another rather than work together as a whole. Similarly, too much of the same elements can make the dessert heavy and unpleasant.
It is safe to say, most plated desserts contain the following components;

• primary dessert (star item)
• sauce
• decoration
• Crunch

However, there are those which feature more than one pastry item on the same plate.
I've done this in my Plated Desserts final composition.
Our class was fortunate to have the talented and knowledgeable Chef Susan Kolman;assistant Corporate Pastry Chef of Albert Uster Imports as our instructor for the second week of our subject. I really enjoyed my time spent with her as our Chef; she gave us very helpful insights on the industry and helped us with extremely thoughtful critic. She has inspired me to improve in many ways as a student and as an individual. She carried out our practicum examinations and allowed us to create our own composition with a couple of required components she had specified. They were chocolate mousse, chocolate biscuit, creme brulee and a sorbet.I decided to give Japanese savoury bento lunch boxes a chocolate-y twist!
This was lots of fun to make, I ran over to Izziban sushi in the morning to borrow a bento box for my presentation. I'm happy Chef Susan loved how fun it was too!
I wanted to create a dessert tasting platter to share between 2.
The nigiri's were done with chocolate mousse on the top and biscuit at the bottom, topped with pistachios and strawberry slices. To the side of that, there were sushi rolls filled with chocolate mousse, gianduja feuilletine, raspberries. I made a little knob of wasabi from white chocolate and a couple of thinly sliced strawberries as pickled ginger to go with my tiny bowl of warm chocolate and raspberry compote as a dipping sauce. My creme brulee was baked in a ramekin resembling a noodle bowl. The tiny chocolate chopsticks and tuile spoon went well to match the theme too.
For something cold; I had a raspberry sorbet quenelle sitting on a bed of toasty salted macadamias, all nestled comfortably in a delicious pecan crisp.What's the little yellow flower? oh~ that was a tiny pineapple chip I swirled together.

Saving this one for Mommy dearest...

It's another one of those sad celebration days for me abroad and away from home. I don't think I've spent mother's day with Mom since I was 19... and unfortunately that feels like it's been quite awhile. Haha.. I have Gerascophobia - Fear of growing old!
Sorry about the full 'emo' posts recently guys..
Spending time amongst happy families at Universal Studios this weekend didn't help much either! *sigh* I guess I'm just glad to know that it can be mother's day EVERYday for us when I get back in June. Why pick a specific day to honour my Mom?? She's as special to me any other day of the year!
I recall the very first time I finally felt alone and lonely since I've left home. It was Mother's day 2004. Boy was it a hard one for me! I had just left for Australia; it was my first 3 months alone.... and was feeling fairly confident I was going to be emotionally independent. I was right~ I was doing just fine;.... and then came mother's day. *laughs* It wasn't pretty for the first couple moments of self realization. I guess it's just funny how these silly little days gives families excuses to celebrate together. Memory making days I call them. I still feel it's silly to have such days.. but of course; real important and necessary.
We've made these chocolate boxes in school with Chef Ewald about a month ago; but I wanted to save them for something special!
The roses, the box frame, ribbons and decorations were all made from dark chocolate. Pretty neat huh? Imagine it filled to the brim with decadent truffles! MMmm.. that would have been good!Mom; I love you. I know I'm real busy with keeping up with life here in America and haven't been able to catch up with you much lately, but I just want you to know I'm always thinking of you and I miss you tons. I hope this Mother's day is going to be just as fun without your baby boo at home. XOXO
Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there!~ Don't you think we need more day's to commemorate Mom's for their undivided attention, devotion and love? It's about time someone suggested an upgrade to a Mother's WEEK considering what the kids are putting their mom's through these days! *giggle*

So much enthusiasm; so little sleep.

Moving on to the next class agenda in our NotterSchool curriculum... Plated Desserts, sorbets and icecreams was an incredibly exciting switch from tiered cakes and fondant covering to creative flavour and texture combinations of various dessert platters.
Su hasn't been sleeping well.. hence the big gaps in between blog updates. I'm going to make it up to you guys with some awesome posts in the next couple of days. :) Promise.
For now; it's just going to be a drool-fest of delicious photographs. From simple chocolate tarts to exotic lemongrass consommés. They were lots of fun to compose.
When I finally catch on a couple of snooze nights I'll probably have more to say about my amazing experiences with Chef Mary in plated desserts.










**Oh! Happy Chico De MaYO~~` WooOOoo~! It's time to WHip out those COrONa's!!.. hmm..more drinking tonight..*sigh* not good.
It's kinda great that I'm keeping myself busy here in Orlando; but it kinda sucks how I have much less time to spend on my dear journal.

Creating unforgetable memories in unexpected places.

I haven't had bowls of cold 'dinner' cereal in my lonely kitchen table for awhile now. Yea most of us living independently would know exactly what I'm talking about;...the type of cereal you shovel down with a spoon; standing up; or staring mesmerized by television commercials or our winamp playlists mindlessly as it shuffles. *laughs* It really gets pretty sad when we take a step back to observe and laugh at ourselves.
Su always seems to 'luck-out' when it comes to making friends and meeting new people. *shrug* Who wouldn't love a girl who brings them pastries in exchange for their friendship! Hehe.. it's easy for us who make sweets huh?
Izziban Sushi a block down from the NotterSchool has been my frequent afterschool and weekend hangout. They have a amazing variety of delicious Japanese and Korean dishes on their menu. I'm often satisfied with a skillfully done sushi roll and a warm bowl of miso on the side; but there are times where my tummy yearns for a comforting bento box filled with all the trimmings.
With the number of real dingy restaurants and diners here in Orlando; It's always so incredibly nice to know a place you trust to be inviting and pleasurable. I've had many attempts at restaurant scouting... but have always been brought back here. The atmosphere; wine list and quality of fresh ingredients are just amazing. Other greasy; noisy and cramped Korean restaurants just don't cut it for me. Everything is here at Izziban; great food, excellent sakes, wines and beers, attentive waitstaff, a cozy and classy atmosphere, affordable prices.... no other place in the city compares to the quality of service they provide here.
Izziban is almost my second home in Orlando. I remember days where I've had all my 3 meals here! *laughs* I'm glad that they've welcomed me into their little family-like environment. I'm known as their VIP, who sometimes helps with folding towels and enjoys getting her own drinks. *laughs* It get's a little lonely occasionally when you're in different parts of the world; but warm folks I meet helps make it all better. The guys at the sushi bar here are funny and entertaining; the floor staff and the managers are all real cool too. I amuse them with my occasional 2 cents worth of broken 'Korean' *laughs*. I love it here!Sushi lover or not; I definitely recommend you pay a visit to this place. I've brought non seafood eaters, both meat-atarians and vegetarians here and there were never complains! They have something for everyone! Sushi reminds everyone of raw fishes and rice; it really isn't the case. Izziban makes excellent creative options on their menu to suit your palate and of course a couple of interesting items to excite adventurous tastebuds. It's always a good idea to try something new everytime you make a visit. I've brought Katie and Mindy there numerous times. It's always so much fun when I get them to have unfamiliar items. Mindy enjoys her 'baby-steps' *laughs* She's even done raw fishes recently! I'm good with persuasion *giggle*
So; you planning on making a trip to Izziban yet??
Suggestions??
Hmm...I could make a crazy long list of yummy items.. but here are my absolute must-haves!

• Gyoza;
• Kalbi; (ribs)
• Cream cheese Rangoons;
• Seafood Fried Rice;
• Salmon Kobachi Bowl;
  
• Yakiudon;
• Tempura icecream;

At the sushi bar... go for;

• Spider roll; ( soft shell crab)
• Yellow tail + Salmon sashimi;
• Spicy tuna roll;
• Butterfly roll;
• Yummi yummi roll; ( I love this without cream cheese; but *shrug* that's just me)
• Asparagus roll;
• Vegetable roll;
• Tiger roll;
  
• M80;
• Kamikaze roll

The house salad and soups are excellent too! Don't be shy to ask for suggestions from the friendly waitstaff and don't forget to have a glass of your favourite red or white with your meal. Sitting at the sushi bar can be lots of fun for us who love watching Chefs at work. They usually love a good chat too~ I get them to make special personalized rolls for my friends and I; it's always a nice warm touch to what we're having.
Who's game for dinner there tonight?~

1700 West Sand Lake Rd STE D124.

Orlando Fl, 32809

Tel: 407-850-5086

Fax: 407-850-5022

Monday-Thursday	Lunch: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
	Dinner: 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Friday-Saturday	11:00AM - 10:30 PM
Sunday	12:00PM - 10:00 PM

*Check out what other bloggers have to say about my favourite place:

• What Do I know
• Insider Pages
  

Kay.. its ridiculous how I find difficulty relating to a 7 year old.

As always; we complete the finishing touches off each subject in our program with a practical exam.
Chef James finally gave us the low down on our practical assignment..
"It's going to be a 9inch birthday cake"
... I thought to myself.. SWEEt! it's not going to be a wedding cake! Thank goodness~
And then he went..."For a 7 year old girl"
.....erm; the 'girl' bit sounds great... but a 7 year old??!?!? I don't know what 7 year old's are up to these days!!! I knew babies and 3 year olds loved cuddly toys and building blocks; 10 to 12 year olds would probably be a little more into dolls; princesses; fashion and shiny jewelry. What goes in between? I'm not sure if the rest of my classmates were having issues with the whole '7' deal; but I was going out of my mind! *tsk tsk*
At the end of the day; I decided, I'd go with candy!... all kids of all ages LOVE candy.. no doubts there! I couldn't possibly go wrong with a sugary themed cake.

Here was my game plan: fill the top of the cake with heaps of different types of candy.
...and my 9inch "Candy-Land" was brought to life~
The funny thing is; I never knew a 'Candy Land' other than the one I dreamt up in my head. My girlfriends wondered if I loved the candy board game and toys... I reacted with a "what?...there's a CandyLand other than mine?!" Haha.. I've never heard of it; but I'm pretty intrigued to have a look down the toy aisle next time I'm at the mall.My rendition of Candy Land on a cake included a pretty white winged fairy frolicking in a tiny pond of deliciously liquid chocolate created from a pile of stacked melting chocolate bars. She dips her tiny toes into the flow of glossy lusciousness filled with chocolate covered strawberries and marshmallows ...oh~ and look! it all conveniently drips down into a silver spoon waiting on the other end. *YUM!*Lollypops; cupcakes.. petite sweets wrapped in pretty pink and many juicy coloured swirly-s~ If I were 7; I would tear this cake UP!Here were the other wonderful creations from my very talented classmates! We all have our individual styles; I thought they were excellent~Now all we're missing is that 7 year old to come in for her birthday cake..*grin*

Where did my cake go? Well...after Chef James had 'assessed' my little candy land; I took it over to my favourite sushi restaurant down the street to spread all that sweet love around. They loved it! I'll talk more about this quaint little Japanese-Korean sushi bar in my next post.. I love it so much!

It took..

...4 budding cake decorators;
40 fiddly fingers; *edit*:P
5 short hours...
Lots of chocolate;
a couple of broken hearts..
several lines of harsh words
and much love..

......to create this magnificent masterpiece!

Yes... it takes us beginners quite a bit to do a 4 tiered wedding cake in less a day. But it does take heaps more when you have 4 enthusiastic friends with contrasting personalities trying to decide on a single design concept everyone will be happy with.
Lucky for me; I'm one of the 'difficult'-loud ones!...*evil grin*
On lookers may have thought that 2 of us vivacious and enthusiastic decorators were so close to tearing each other up... but honestly; I didn't think our bickering was about to cause any long term heartache at all. We love each other too much to hate.. argue never turns to hate for me; argue for me often means I care.

While us extroverted ones snapped and chimed at each other; the 2 quiet ones went about their business trying not to be a part of the quarrel. They crept between our conversations.. adding their 2 cents worth... trying as best to be indifferent about the situation.
I observe them consolidate our issues slowly but surely.. my..my; you girls are too sweet to say anything nasty to us boisterous ones. With kind words; lots of nodding and mere shrugs..we were all quickly best of friends again.
It's funny ain't it? How we need all sorts of personalities to keep us all sane at some point. I love how we 4 make an awesome team. Awesome-ness of course does not imply perfection; but I wouldn't have it any other way. These 3 beautiful ladies mean so much to me.. they help make my life here in Orlando so much more than just pastry.
We are all talented in our own significant ways... and I felt this cake we stacked together with guidance from Chef James represented all of us in terms of colour; flavour and design. Looking at it complete in all it's delicious glory almost made me shed a tear. I looked magnificent. It really was beyond just a chocolate wedding cake for me.... it felt like a whole lot more. To me; it looked like us; ...my dear girlfriends.I wish Chef James didn't have to cut it open immediately! *sigh* He gave us a second to take photographs and went ahead with demonstrating division and slicing techniques. We plated our cakes with a refreshing scoop of sorbet and shared cake with the other teams in class.
Just look at what the other tables came up with!I really thought the whole class did an excellent job!

I wish I was there....

It was a big day for my dear cousin last weekend.
After years of looking up to her as my elder; cooler and wiser cousin, I always wondered what it'd be like when we kids turn into adults; stepping into different stages of our life... going to University..getting married.. wow...all of that seemed pretty far away at that point!

She had 'kiddy'-sat sis and I numerous times for many years in our mischievous adolescent years at family holidays and evenings when our parents went about having their kid-less nights out. I don't remember much about how I felt during those precious moments we spent together..but I do remember annoying her out of her mind with our silly antics. We gave her nicknames.. we followed her around like little ducklings..asking 'why' questions and being nosey about her personal life. Wow... I feel like one hell of a mean kid right now. *laughs*

I apologize very much for the difficult experiences you've had with me MayLing jiejie... I didn't know how to say thank you; or I love you back then.. but I hope it's not too late now. I appreciate every moment and piece of stern advice that you've given me :) My childhood wouldn't be the same without having had memories of you in it.
I'm extremely happy for ya that you've found the next stage in your life. Congratulations. I wish that I could have been there for your big day; I bet it was a beautiful ceremony. I've always pictured it to be.

I was thinking of my dearest cousin all week as we made our wedding cakes.. I thought about how I was supposed to be there to make her the cake she's dreamt of..and how it's just a case of 'perfect timing'.
"???"
.. well..here I am making a white 3 tiered wedding cake.. my cousin is getting married; I'd make this cake just for her... but i'm in the wrong continent!!! That just really sucks doesn't it? *sigh*
An unfortunate case of "the wrong place; at the right time"
I hope that my sincere wishes of good luck and happiness reaches both you and Kenny.
I realize these pictures of cake wont necessarily taste or be of any good to both you newly weds.... but I do hope it would at least put a smile on your face.

*hugs and kisses*-

from.."wogi 3" *grin*