Autumn, Messy & Sweet, Autumn

Hi there and a belated Happy Halloween!!!

I hope you're having a wonderful Monday. 

Windy and cold weather has been ruling the atmosphere here in merry ol' London and I just love it. I've been freezing almost every day and dealing with a murdering cough but all in all, I have to say it's the most wonderful time of the year (Mr. Andy Williams would agree :p). Christmas is in the air, slowly approaching and you can smell it. Yes, I mean smell. Mulled wine, apples and cinnamon, spiced lattes. Oh, how I love this time of the year. 

Success!!! Say hello to Jack Skellington. Thank you Mr. Burton.

We are quickly coming to an end with our culinary adventures as we finish our course next month. It is a sad thought, but ironically, one that fills me with joy. We will finally be named CHEFS!!! It is a dream come true and I feel so scared. We are so near to the end that it seems just out of reach. So wish us luck as we bake our way through our assessments.

This past week we worked on the mise en place of plated desserts. It is quite a fun thing to do, plate a dessert. What I didn't account for was how creative you have to be in the use of decorations and space. I was fairly disappointed in my ability to plate the desserts we prepared. I guess it isn't my strong point. However, I congratulate my friends and classmates on their fine jobs!!! Some of them truly created masterpieces: sleek and elegant. 

It was a long, tiring week, with a class each day. It sounds relaxing enough but to be honest, I think we all prefer having back to back classes during a day than attending school for one class every day. Halloween was upon on us and despite the plans made, I did not (for the first time in a couple of years) dress up and head out. I found myself with a terrible cough, having a hot chocolate. The day had been long enough, preparing the mise en place for the following day's plating of desserts. I did however give out chocolate lollipops, in commemoration of the trick or treat celebration. Perhaps as I attended an American School for a good 15 years, I am used to saying Happy Halloween on the day. Here in London, the inclination to celebrate All Hallow's Eve is a bit lessened. So, I did get a couple of odd looks as I handed out lollipops, chanting Happy Halloween, like a 5 year-old trick-or-treating. It was rather amusing.

The week's menu included a Mirabelle Tart with a chocolate glazed chiboust cream, a Chocolate Mousse with a Rosemary-Amaretto cream and a Ricotta Bavarian Cream with a Raspberry compote. 

In the world of dessert plating, less is more. However, when you have to include so many components, it is sometimes hard. More experience in the area is what we need to fully grasp this concept (myself specifically). 

Mirabelle Tart with Chocolate Glazed Chiboust Cream
and Strawberry and Balsamic Coulis

My hands tend to shake whenever I work with fragile items, such as my chocolate decorations and the tuiles we bake and shape. It simply takes practice. One day for sure, I will master it. As you can see, the coulis was a bit too runny, and it ended up soaking the bottom of the tart. It was good, but it definitely needs work.

Chocolate Mousse with Rosemary-Amaretto Cream

This next dessert was disappointing. I made the mistake of plating the mousse the wrong way. If I were to serve this, the customer would have full view of the seam of the marbled chocolate decoration. It should have been at the back. It is a detail we need to bear in mind. The next problem was the cream. It needed to be chenelled. This means it needed to look smooth, a technique that requires two hot spoons. Our cream wasn't sufficiently chilled to allow this, so it began to melt. It look like a messy ice cream scoop. The chef mentioned the contrast of the chocolates wasn't nice. In my opinion, it lacks color and creativity. What do you think?

Ricotta Bavarian with Raspberry Compote

The very last dessert and our second assessment was the Ricotta Bavarian on Friday. We added orange zest to ours and the result was magnificent. Absolutely delicious!!! Despite the remarks on the compote being runny (I did look for the bleeding effect.), the chef seemed somewhat pleased. It wasn't his favorite I could tell, but it wasn't my greatest effort either. Most of my decorations broke due to my stress and shaking and a lovely D10 (disinfectant) bottle crushing my tuiles, so I had to work with what I had. I thought it looked lovely and appealing enough. The flavor did the rest. Like I said, it isn't my strong suit. Despite my wild imagination, I have trouble conveying my artistic flair in my creations. I guess I rely on words to do so. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, no?

So that was our hands on work. We also had a technical on Verrines on Thursday. The chef said it was something new, added to the curriculum, a result of the changing of assessments. It was a short interesting technical with much to see and learn. In short words, a verrine is a dessert that comprises different layers within a small glass. It is typically French and they are a great addition to parties. The chef made two different ones which we tasted. My favorite was the Raspberry Sorbet and Lime Jelly verrine. 

YUMMY!!!

So that concluded the week of culinary adventures in the school's kitchens. The weekend was upon us and we layered up for a short night out (I'm still sick!!!). A couple of drinks at The Ten Bells pub and Sushi Samba with great company was the cherry on top of a long week. I haven't eaten at the Sushi Samba here in London. I've only ever been to the one in Chicago, but I imagine the food will be equally good. Still, if interested in great drinks (try the Pablo Pizcobar!!!) and amazing views, check it out!!!

Sushi Samba

Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate

London EC2N 4AY

020 3640 7330

Saturday we had lunch at Nopi once again and although the butternut squash rotolo that I craved wasn't on the menu that day, the aged sirloin I had was amazing. A bit too much after so many different starters, but I have hungry friends and they aided me in my task. We were then treated to complimentary desserts by our gracious hostess and they were both really, REALLY good!!! I need to research some more food adjectives hahahahaha.

Strawberry and Pomegranate Mess
(double cream and crushed meringues)

Sunday came and left in a blink, as I joined dear friends on a brunch at Sophie's Steakhouse in Fulham Road, were they were trying out their breakfast menu and it was free for the past month. The offer is no longer available, but definitely try it out sometime. The Eggs Royale were great!!! A mulled wine and brazilian churro were my dessert, walking through the busy Camden Market. 

Sophie's Steakhouse

311-313 Fulham Road

London SW10 9QH

020 7352 0088

Yesterday night, I tried Vietnamese Pho for the very first time at Cay Tre in Soho. Definitely recommend trying it sometime. After a long, foodie weekend, I pulled on my flannel pjs and headed to bed. I was only too happy to see the sun shining this beautiful Monday morning.

I wish you all a lovely week and I'll let you know how we keep on in the school kitchens!!!

This week we are hosting our Afternoon Tea Party. Wish us luck!!!

Until next time.

xx