Patisserie School

In early 2011, I decided that I will finally conquer my fears and dive in head first back to studies. In February, I applied for basics in French in Sydney University and in April I finally decided to bite the dust and commit to Patisserie school.

Stage One consisted of theory work related to Hospitality Management and basics to Cookery. It was great to be back in the kitchen. The feeling was like of being right back at home after a very long time away. It was exactly where I belong. We boiled, we baked, we sautéed, we grilled, we laughed and we ate. I couldn't believe how great it was eating gourmet food every lunch time. It was a fantastic experience, little did I know that I would finally meet people who would change life as i know it.

Megan and Ian were the first chefs to train me in basics, and so much fun I had! Learnt so much techniques and discipline from them it was nothing but an absolutely incredible experience.

And if I thought Stage One was fantastic, Stage Two was even more life changing. Mark Twain once said that the two most important days of your life was the day you were born and the day you find out why. It was during this time that I finally realised what I was born to do. It just felt right and so natural, guided with intuition and passion I delved in to the wonders of Patisserie where I met the most wonderful and passionate of group of people and taught by one of the best Pastry chefs I know, Gert Knudsen. 

Stage Three brought me back with Megan along with a different bunch of people who were all so welcoming and treated me like family. They have in fact become my family who I treasure very much and together we conquered the kitchen with skill finishing off the stage with an elaborate Carnival themed buffet with flying colours ... literally. 

The Macaron Craze

I think it was around 2009 or 2010 when Masterchef Australia featured these dainty little things called Macarons. Since then Australia has hit a Macaron Craze like no other. They pop around at almost every single patisserie you could find, all with all their own different versions but only a few have managed to produce fine and chewy textures of the macaron shells and a balance of flavour that would make it a perfect macaron. I have actually written about them way back in my previous blog entry, however this time around I can say that I have come very close to mastering the art. 

Inspired by fusion and complex flavours I decided to play around with delicate and distinct flavours and these are what I came up with... 

lemon & basil curd, espresso and fresh blueberry and lavender macaron

salted caramel & mocha ganache macaron

"I want a Pink Bunny..!!"

When Chelsea was about to turn 4, it was the around Easter and of course she was constantly exposed to easter eggs and the Easter Bunny. So of course when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday cake... she got what she wanted. 

Inspired by Suda America..

In mid 2010, my dearest friend Cansu found herself moving to Chile for a University exchange for about 6 months. In between that time she had travelled all over South America and had a lot of stories and adventures to tell. As I was going through one of my cake-making lows, I struggled to find some kind of inspiration. So when I asked her to just give me a barrage of flavours she came up with Mango, Lime & Mint. 


As Gateaux weren't my forte, I figured it would be a challenge to make a gateaux style cake from these flavours and this is what I came up with... 

Mango, Lime and Mint Gateaux

Jaconde sponge soaked in cointreau syrup with Mango, Lime, Mint & White Chocolate Mouse topped with Mango Jelly, Fresh Strawberries, Mint & White Chocolate

Although not perfect ... it never hurts to try anything the first time! 

Miscellaneous cakes from 2010...

The following cakes are cake projects and orders given to me from 2010.. from Defqon cakes to Flinstones cupcakes to Baby shower cakes to Bell cakes to Graduation cakes.. I present to you. 

Late 2010...

This blog is a diversion from the norm, but I would like to share the things that kept me busy very late in 2010. The funny thing about photographs is that it takes you back down memory lane. 2010 was the year of adventure, of standing on top of the cliffs, breathing in the air and finding inner peace.  It is the year of letting go, losing myself, the year of falling in love and the journey to find myself once more. 

Back from an extremely long 2 year Hiatus.

While struggling to look for an excuse as to why I haven't posted anything on this blog since 2 years ago, I realised that I actually have no excuse whatsoever. It's quite possible that I have gotten extremely busy during the past two years. And thinking back now .. busy I was.

The very last post I had for this blog was of my friends' engagement party where I gave them a cake for a present! Since then, I have made numerous cakes and have since decided to actually bite the dust and finally get my future career sorted.

Back at the start of 2011 I made a conscious decision to screw my head on straight and decided to conquer my fears by getting back into the kitchen and started my studies to become a Pastry Chef and even got my hands dirty getting back into the professional kitchen. All in all everything was an amazing experience.. absolutely amazing. And just as it was like before... I guess there's no looking back now.