Cold

This is a contrasting post to the one I posted on August 1, 2008 titled, "Hot". The weather has been so crazy cold. The other day when I was driving to work at 4:30am in the morning the thermometer on my car read 1 degree Fahrenheit. Just like our kitchen, located in the basement, doesn't have air conditioning in the summer it also doesn't have heat in the winter. And let me tell you, it is freaking cold! I go to work with a pair of tights on, my chef pants, and a pair of snowboarding pants, a long sleeve shirt, a long sleeved hoodie, my chef's coat, an apron, and two pairs of socks! My hands and fingers get so cold they become numb which makes shelling tart dough into rings really difficult. Forget about stepping foot into the walk-in. I try to drink hot tea and coffee to keep warm but the cup just keeps getting cold before I can drink it. Looking back on my "Hot" post, I can't remember how it feels to be hot. All I know now is the cold.

Shout Out Daniel

Pictures courtesy of the New York Times

Congratulations to restaurant Daniel for receiving four stars from picky food critic, Frank Bruni. Here is the article that was in the New York Times: Four Stars for Daniel


"Maybe because Daniel has the smarts to finish strong, presenting an unusually broad and exceptionally fine dessert selection, about half of it devoted, in a manner you could almost call populist, to chocolate in various forms, with various partners.

The other half is fruity, and maybe even better, the pastry chef Dominique Ansel adds brush stroke upon brush stroke to these colorful works of art. Cilantro-poached pineapple was joined by not only coconut ganache and coconut cream but also coconut meringue, a coconut sablé and a piña colada sorbet. It was a Bahamian beach vacation on a plate."



I had a chance to try the pineapple dessert Bruni is talking about while I was visiting a good friend there and it was absolutely delicious. Light on the palate yet big on flavor, it was just so right. Truly it was "a Bahamian beach vacation on a plate". I did my pastry externship at Daniel and I think they have the best desserts in NYC a long with their madeleines and petit fours (please excuse the crappy photo I took with my phone). I'm not being biased. The pastry chef there, Chef Dominique Ansel, is both imaginative and thoughtful in his creations. He is never afraid to explore different flavors and his execution is perfect. He doesn't get the fame that he deserves. Then again not all the big chefs out there are in it for the glitz and glamour. Some actually like to cook.

Check out Daniel's website. Look at the pictures. Peruse the menus. Call. Make reservations. You will not be sorry. It was one of the best meals of my life.

Time to Breathe. Preparation

Now that the holidays are over and everyone is either on their New Year's resolution diet or hermitting at home away from the cold weather work has been slow. The economic recession doesn't help much either. When pockets are low one of the things that people skimp on are desserts and pastries. But I'm grateful for the minute to breathe again. Valentine's day is right around the corner and I'm already preparing. These sugar cookies are going to be iced and decorated to look like the traditional powdery heart candies with the cute sayings on them that you got from your kindergarten crush. Right now I'm also taking advantage of the time to design some new cakes. I already have a carrot cake in the works. I just need to make the raisin coulis to finish. I think during economic times like this people tend to gravitate towards comfort foods and nothing says comfort like cinnamony carrot cake with cream cheese icing. I'm thinking about adding goat cheese to the icing but not everyone likes the funk from goat cheese. Another idea that is a comfort food is a Smores cake. Dense chocolate cake, homemade marshmallow layer, homemade graham cracker, covered in chocolate glaze. I wonder how that would fair. Not exactly french but I have to roll with the times. Once we get closer to spring I'm thinking about a honey cake. Possibly lavendar honey, some kind of cake, some kind of mousse with a crunchy honey comb layer. I'm really into the crunchy thing lately.

Ikan Keli Masak Lemak Cili Padi - Catfish in Spicy Coconut Broth

Except I didn't use catfish. I used tilapia filets. Even though it's not hot like it is in Malaysia this spicy, warm, and hearty soup is perfect for a cold day like today. Here's my recipe:

Tilapia and Taro in Spicy Coconut Broth

1 can (400g) coconut milk
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
6 thai chili, pounded
1 1/2 stalks of lemongrass, pounded
1 1/4 tablespoon turmeric powder
thumb size piece of galangal
two filets of tilapia
1 taro root
salt and sugar to taste

1) Boil taro root in water until a fork goes through and the meat is soft. Cut into one inch chunks.
2) Boil coconut milk, chicken broth, thai chili, lemongrass, galangal, and turmeric. Let simmer with lid on for 3 min to allow all the flavors to come out.
3) Cut tilapia into chunks and place into simmering liquids. Cook for 1 min until fish is cooked through. Throw in taro root and serve with a bowl of rice.

P.S. I bought me some kecap manis and I'm itching to use it. Stay tuned for something exciting! I'm thinking braised pork belly!

Moon Cakes

My first try at moon cakes for Chinese New Year. The fun wasn't in making them, but the company I was with and the two plates of desserts and petit fours that I consumed. Amazingly delicious.

Drunk like a Skunk

I came home from work today and poured myself a glass of pinot gri. My extern didn't show up today and when I called her she told me she was quitting because the owner never filled out her extern paperwork which means the hours she has been logging don't count toward her externship to graduate. That's how lazy the owner is. The extern has been there for 3 weeks already and I've heard her mention those forms to the owner atleast twice and still they never got filled out. I don't blame her for quitting. But now that leaves me in the weeds again. Atleast the two days that I was able to leave work early was nice. I think I will have myself another glass.

New Obsession

Toasted Peanut Butter and Condensed Milk Sandwiches

Hello 2009!

Whew I made it! I made it through the busy holiday season working by myself. Thanksgiving hit me hard and I wasn't quite recovered when Christmas was looming over the horizon. By the time New Year's Eve came I was beyond exhausted, depressed, and disgruntled. I was at the point where my mind stopped complaining in my head and I went on autopilot. I've had a couple days off from work and I'm actually happy. I've been this cranky nasty bitch at work and now I'm glad to be sane again. I'm looking forward to the next few months which should be slow in the kitchen. Now I can perform every task with full concentration and put some things back on the menu that I had to 86. I can work on some new cakes and pastries! I don't know what the fuck I've been putting out the past couple of months. I've just been pushing shit out. And that doesn't make me happy. It is important for me to care about the work I do, to put some heart and soul into it. Also I decided that I was going to let the owner know that she should look for a replacement for me. I'm giving her a couple of months of notice because it's going to take her that long to find someone and then have me train them to do everything. It's ridiculous that I've been working by myself for 4 months now. I haven't spoken much about my boss here on my blog but for those who are in ear shot of me know that she drives me crazy with her laziness and uselessness. The reason why I've been working like a dog is because she's too lazy to find a new hire. It would be cheaper for her to have two people working instead of paying me all the OT I work. I just can not work for someone who doesn't care about the success of their own business. I refuse to help to someone who can not help themselves. For example our hot water faucet started to drip. The owner never fixed it and soon it became a pretty heavy leak. That's money just washing down the drain. And still the owner never called a plumber to come fix it. She's lucky that the savory cook and I care enough to turn off the hot water. Every time we needed to wash dishes or wash our hands we had to run down to the basement to the supply closet, climb on a chair to turn the water on, and then run back upstairs to use the faucet and then run back downstairs to turn it back off. That went on for 2 weeks until the guy who delivers our paper cups was nice enough to put in a new rubber washer. She's so irresponsible that she will lock the doors and leave a note that says be back in 2 hours during lunch time so she can go hang out. Now how on earth are we going to make money if we are closed during lunch time?! For Christmas she planned this whole winter wonderland landscape to be put in our display window in front of the restaurant. It's past new years and it's still not done! Maybe it will make an appearance for Valentine's day! Puhahahhaha. I liked how she lied to me and told me the gingerbread houses were still drying at home but when I peered into the trunk of her car I can see all the candy she bought to make it still unmoved. The business isn't making money so it's just depressing. I can't take it anymore. So on to bigger and better things! Perhaps when I'm gone I can air out all the crazy stories I have of the place.

On a more happy note, I made buche de noels with Ludo and Florian for Christmas. Working with them has been really awesome. Them two are crazy French fucks! We made a chocolate buche with chocolate biscuit, chocolate mousse, and hazelnut feuilletine and a raspberry vanilla buche with mascarpone mousse, raspberry coulis, and almond biscuit. For New Years I had a country club order for 3 sheet pan length baked alaskan cakes and a cheesecake decorated like Superman with strawberries and blueberries. Interesting.

Today is my last day off so tonight I'm going to make pasta with puttanesca sauce and a green tea chiffon cake! Bonne Annee everyone! Soon Chinese New Year will be upon us and I'll be making mooncakes!