Chocolate column 4

When chocolate is tempered (a series of temperature drops to encourage the forming of a specific crystal which allows the chocolate to harden), you can do just about anything --- this accetate strip was rubbed into a stream of tempered chocolate, until evenly coated. The coated side is then turned inward, then taped to form a column. These column are then set aside to harden. Once hardened the accetate strip is removed.

Here you can see the inside.

Chocolate column, originally uploaded by Amber *.

Please stop by to see my latest template upgrade, I promise it won't disapoint! After recoding and tweaking --- I think I am finally happy now.

Today we had a winter storm...the snow was blowing sideways...brrrrr!

I have been doing alot of pondering, more specifically along the lines of "Pay it forward"; If America or the World ever needed this concept--- they definetly could use it NOW!

I am thinking about all the practically nameless people, who have connected with me, in the vast cyber universe.

I browse their webpages,tinged with subtle clues from their non-cyber lives --- proof of an outside world.

Touched by the words on glowing page, after glowing page. A testament to human emotion. Sheding light on our own disablities or insecurities; making a mockery of our own sarcasms.

We are not "the blind leading the blind" , nor our we drifters.

We float on bandwidth --- toggled to our keypads. Clicking link, after ugly colored link.

Seeking out the most current and relative information.

Until our eyes strain, our heads fall heavy....overrun with the immaterial.

Cream Puffs 2

Pate a choux (éclair paste) used for puffs, with wonderful pastry creme custard...ripe sweet strawberrries, then whipped cream as a go between.

Cream Puffs, originally uploaded by Amber *.

The tops are dipped in chocolate ganache.

A sweet, yet sensual , but light dance on your palate.

------------------------------------------

It has been awhile, I know. I am organizing my non-cyber life at the moment.

You might be wondering what have I been up to?? Well as my first quarter of Professional Bakery/Pastry Management I had to manage 2 stations (each for 5 weeks). My first station was Cakes & French Pastries. As described in a previous post.

The 2nd station I managed was CTO, I was acting pastry chef for the banquet hall in the Culinary Student's kitchen. I had a culinary student partner, and we were in charge of baking, finishing and plating the deserts for customers. We also had to make rolls/bread for 100+ servings.

We had total control on which deserts we could create. There wasn't however a wrack to set our pre plated deserts -- which limited the amount of production we could plan.

The typical count for people dining during the 11:15 a.m to 1 p.m lunch, was 110 people. Now not everyone would order desert, but if a 15 person table ordered desert at once, you really needed to be on the ball.

Some of the desert items we made included fresh fruit napoleons, which I will be detailing in my next post.

As for school I have taken my finals and now I am on winter holiday. I will be taking Winter quarter off.