Food Photography : Banana Strawberry Torte 24

kyung of David O'Conner & Lee Photography, in Portland, OR, graciously agreed to set up shop (i.e portable studio) one day after class, to photograph some of my plated desserts --- which were awaiting in the reach-in to be photographed. This was Kyung's first dabble into foodie photography --- as their company works capture more of the traditionally human element.

This dessert was my for my final presentation. It consists of French sponge, brushed with strawberry syrup, filled and finished with banana scented marscapone cheese, then garnished with fresh fruit and a chocolate screen, than drizzled with mango syrup. The plate design was given a stained glass effect , piped on first with tempered chocolate and then filled with honeydew melon -Midori syrup, Strawberry syrup, and mango syrup.

The flavor combination was very good --- the marscapone is so velvety, and it offset the banana wonderfully, and it didn't compete with the buttery layers of the sponge, just enhanced them.

I made all the components from scratch (with real fruit) and used my own recipes and calculated the per plate cost etc. I will post more of this experience in a post to come.

I really like plated desserts --- they are soo fun :)


Related Posts:

• Dessert Costing : Banana Strawberry Torte
• Food Photo : Chocolate Mousse with Strawberry Sauce
• Photography : Blackberry Granita w/ Banana Mouse
• Food Photography : Banana - Midori Strawberry torte

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.

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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.

New Quarter - New Instructor 0

I like this photograph, it is of my former instructor, a rare moment when all bakery happenings seemed to be halted. He was computing our inventory --- inventory for the Danish station, figuring out what we must make the next day, what we must bake off.

My first week of the Fall term has ended. The nervous flutters in my stomach, the tense pressure to make a good impression...Has dwindled a little. I am managing the French pâtisserie /cake station for the next month.

I am a management student officially, a second year student. I was quite intimidated at first...I had mixed feelings about my capabilities to communicate effectively. But I quite thinking about it, and natural instincts and confidence settled in to replace the anxiety.

I also chose to manage the new Head Instructors' station. Where else could I feel things out better? I think that is where most of the nervousness stemmed from...I heard these great things about him like that he was an a world traveled pastry chef , not just a PC but had been Executive Pastry Chef, a chocolatier. He had taught at a well known culinary institute. I was quite humbled.

It turns out he had made Executive Chef in as little as one year after being hired on--- that is how good he is. But he is also very down to earth --- a great guy, a brit. The first day he sat down with us at lunch in the cafeteria. So the pretentiousness I thought might be a factor is not.

It is great to have new ideas and techniques. He is teaching us so much, and it it refreshing. He plans to upgrade our curriculum.

I am excited to see what changes will ensue.