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My next class was a contemporary cake class. This is something I've been wanting to practice for a long time, ever since I watched my first pastry competition on tv when I was maybe 16/17 and saw my first entremet (real cake) and was blown away. Even though I had learned how to produce all the products of this class before entering it, the class itself was extremely beneficial in that I was able to perfect these procedures. And I have a tip for any up and comers out there, it doesn't hurt to research a technique before conquering it. I have tried so many things in my life blindly or on a whim, and I have learned how to do it wrong so many ways as well. But if you take the time to study how something works, why it works and possible research how to make it better, you can achieve anything even on the first try because you will no longer be blind, even if that vision goes without experience. Basically in this example I am speaking of the simple things like creating a perfect flat top by building the cake upside down as well as trimming the cake so the mousse flows around it for perfect sides, as well as using the piping bage supmerged into the mousse to decrease likelyhood of airbubbles especially at the surfaces, as well a using guids to make sure each layer is perfectly trimmed, in position and evenly spaced. There are plenty of other small things as well. Before I came into this class I had never constructed a cake this way, but I have read so many different pieces of information to no exactly what to do. When I was finished with my "practice" practical cake my chef had a little stun when he looked at it (not knowing it was mine), he viewed over all the cakes stopping at mine and one of my classmates turning them every which way, cutting them open at different points and saying something like - well thats interesting, these two are just about perfect. Feels good to get it on the first try. I must mention that, from here on we didnt have anyone in our group that was bombing as we had a couple the previous year. Our group shrank from I think 18 to start, to 15 at the end of the first year to a now stunning 11. We had a very small group. There were a couple that had there points of struggle, but up until the last class everyone seemed to handle there own pretty well. Many of the 11 had impressed me quite a bit since our extern break. We made all kinds of cakes like this hazelnut chocolate mousse cake: same thing just done in a different way: That was the best thing about this class was, whatever topic everyone would construct the cake's differently with different garnishes and finishes to give the same flavor/texture profiles but a different look all together. This was a praline cake of some sort: And again in an entremet fashion: construction of the hazelnut wrapped in tempered chocolate: Pictures of the Chocolates class showpieces and candies during Grand Buffet: I thought I would show them because easter is a pretty neat time for chocolates class and we just missed it really. This is our set up of all our psatries. The super bright round red ones were me and my teamates. I had an idea to use mango and raspberry because they go well and I needed raspberries (which just came into season) to create the super bright red look to my new spray on glaze. My teamate told me she wanted to use tropical fruits and thought raspberry was a great idea, so we went with it. For some reason she lended to my ideas, which was nice because as the only male I dont expect to get any idea in edgewise. But the perception was wrong the whole school experience. I guess I am just defensive. So the layering was a coconut soft dacqouise with a mango mousse, candied mangos, raspberry gel and raspberry (spray on) agar glaze. The garnish was whit chocolate curled petals fill with a beautifully small diced mango and fresh raspberries. I screwed up the spray glaze on the first batch, thats why a few may look "thinned" on the side because the agar started to break down. I accidently blast froze the first layer of spray because I was having some technical difficulties with the power spray. And of course, its not good to freeze agar, but I was in a rush and not thinking straight. So the agar weeped off a bit. Regardless, the second batch was done properly and the glaze is a success. I gave the ration to my chef, and its possible he is still using it, but maybe not. Our final project was to construct our own cake. Now being deeply influenced by chefs like Sam Mason, Pichet Ong, and Johnny Iuzzini, I just had to get a little wierd on the flavors. I made a spiced grape and cashew cake. I may have went over board because I think my chef wanted me to use racipe ratios that were part of the class, but I did everything different. Yea yea I am a punk, but my enthusiasm is uncontrollable even by myself. I really ran into time constraints too, I finished my garnish while they were halfway through critique on the last day, most people were done before we left for lunch (I did not leave). I tried to concentrate as much flavor as I could out of the black grapes chef got for me. And it took a while through several stages or sugar rubbing, freezing, chilling, steeping, reducing, blah blah blah. But if you ever made grape mousse from the juice alone, it is just too mild. I could have gone a little farther with it, but there just werent enough hours in the day. So my main idea was to create a texture effect different from that of any of the cakes my chef had put forward to us. I wanted several suttle layers of the same thing, so I created a praline like nut cookie that was 100% caramelized nuts and egg whites (kind of like a tuile). I made a paste out of the muts and then incorporated the egg whites in. The I refrigerated it like a cookie, rolled it ou very thin and cut circles, eight of them to be exact. So the end result was 8 thin layers of praline cookie (that was later baked) arranged evenly in the mousse. The cake was then glazed on top with a grape glaze and decorated as you can see. I wish I had dextrose instead of powdered sugar, and I wish I had an apple pectin glaze, or a carrageenan glaze that would and formed a skin on top to keep the dextrose apparent instead of dissolving. But it was for a 5 minute effect so it worked. Oh and by the way, the tanish/brown smudges underneath the purple glaze is simply bad reflection. I didnt notice it until I loaded the picture or else I would have taken a more properly lit picture. here are some pictures of the cakes my other classmates made. I do not have all of them: And that was it of contemporary cakes.

Well I have been in San Francisco a while now just barely getting back on the internet. I finally have my computer with all of my pictures back so that I can post properly. Currently I am working at a restaurant called Aqua in the Financial District. I will soon, hopefully, be transferring to Michael Mina's to work with Bill Corbett (former soux pastry chef - WD50). Interestingly enough Jordan Kahn has been there recently because he is working for the corporate division I believe. So there is the assistants to Sam Mason and Alex Stupak in the same room, kind of interesting. The second year, or fourth term, of CIA begins with L Block, which is very similar to B Block. It is six weeks of academic classes including Restaurant Law, Nutriton, Menu Development, Food Costing, and a Business class. They were all pretty simple and quick, except Menus, I am not sure that my specific class was the generic situation but it was absolutely meaningless. I probably learned 3 things in that class that I probably could have learned on a quick wikipedia research session. My first class back into the kitchen was based on showpieces and specialty cakes. This class we learned how to use all the different kinds of mediums to create a special look. We began by learning how to work with chocolate in show piece form, and how to build a piece. We also learned how to pull sugar, blow sugar, create poured sugar pieces, how to pull flowers and petals as well as other small things. We had our class around valentines day, so that was the theme. The sugar piece we had to compose was based on two blown sugar hearts, a couple of roses, green leafs to accompany them, a couple of ribbons and a caramel sugar base. I made an extra flower of my own, that being the blue one right out in front. I am sorry, but this is apparently the only picture I have on my camera. Even though I distinctly remember taking many more pictures. The rest of the class we working on all specialty cake features. We learned to work with modeling chocolate, which is such a pain I dont see myself willingly using it anytime soon. We also focused on rolled fondant, gumpaste, pastillage, buttercream, and marzipan. I think the majority of the end was learning how to create effects with gumpaste, which I believe is a greate medium, but then again I am not a specialty cake kind of person. A really neat thing about that class was the last day or so Duff Goldman was there to be a graduation speaker, and of course our class being the wedding cake class he came and hung out with us for a while. I actually didnt know who he was, but all the girls in my class did and were afraid to talk to him because of the photographers constantly taking pictures. So of course to break the ice (which was heavy with Duff because I could tell he was a little nervous himself and being kind of shy) I cracked a couple of jokes and all the sudden it was like being back in the kitchen. I dont even remember who we were making fun of, but its a good thing there werent any video cameras, ha. So after about 15 minutes of me and him sharing kitchen humor our chef decided to make him walk around and discuss each specialty cake with the maker. Execpt for mine because I spent my "special time" goofing off. Ha, though I'd rather that than him forcing a few comments or compliments out about my cake.

Cream boil Emulisfy table ganache Pipe ganache Allow to set slightly hand roll ganahce allow to set Hand roll again to be perfect allow to set use a thin amount of chocoalte in the palm of your hand rolling the truffles for pre coat. all the truffles to roll from your index finger over all your fingers to drop off of the pinky onto the sheet tray wipe your holding hand allow to set heavily coat the second round and repeat procedure of pre coating. I'll post some pics in a couple days. Maybe.

I have received an Idea that may work for you. If you want the alchohol in that is. Use Frappe with the gummies, and to make the frappe, replace the water with the alchohol with egg white powder. Then stir in the frappe to the gel and that will give you an opaque look with an alchohol flavor.

it will caramelize and brown. You can increase it by whatever you want as long as theres anough fat to go around really. I have gone as high as 50percent milk solids.

I love new ideas and new techniques for making excellent products, but this might just be an unescessary step.

no, it shouldn't. Wouldnt be the first time I have used wine in pate fruit. It cooks all the alchohol out though, so I hope the idea isn't to have that flavor in the fruit. If it has a high concentration of alchohol, it might create some off, dry mouth flavors, but I dont know this for sure. If you want the alchohol in, try agar gummies.

Rob, the ratio depends on who is making it and how they made it. Liquid pectin can be easier than dry pectin because you dont have to worry about it clumping into the solution. If you do it properly it wont clump anyways. Whatever product you have probably gives a percentage of active hydrocolloid units in the solution. That will let you know how much you need to use. Now if you cant get a percentage, and you made your own or just can't find it, then you can work a trial and error to see what range is working for you. I would choose a neutral fruit like cherries to be able to adjust up to passion fruit or down to peach. remember yellow/jaune/citrus pectin is better for jellies than apple pectin, because its less likely to dry out.

if you want to kick it up a notch, try adding some non-fat milk powder to the butter before browning.

good luck, but from what I know about chocolate and fat crystals, you take away the agitation it will not work. The fat crystals need the agitation to form, the more the agitation the better. When the chocolate melts, no matter how slowly, it is seperating from the cocoa solids, forming larger deposits of fatty elements. The only way to keep this from happening is constant agitation, no slow cooking. Like I said, good luck. But if there was a gambling pool on this one, I would throw fifty in on 'it aint gonna happen'.

plexiglass strips work very well too, and as guides. But if your ganache is properly tempered for slabbing then a little shake and settle should be enough to keep it flat.

Sorry I haven't been on recently, I started a new job in San Francisco and have been unable to use a computer to the extent that I could post. I have a lot to write about, more than last year and soon, very soon I will be able to put it on. But I have graduated, in august and it has been a very energy draining road since the transition. See you soon eGullet. Dean Anthony.

The basic chocolate mousse would be basically a stabilized sabayon base. That being egg yolks and sugar, cream, and melted chocolate. You can add butter to the chocolate if you want (depending on the chocolate). I am not a fan of eating straight up eggs and chocolate without some sort of baking. MissTenacity - if the mousse is going into a "holding container" then the basic method I just described would probably be best. It really has the best mouthfeelall the forms of mousse have there place depending on what you need or want to do.

Most people drive. Tullio's is definately the best bet. Unfortunately there isn't much of a selection there right now. I would do it for you if I was still there. Also, The Good Life might not be a bad option if Floyd is still there.

more on the lines or plated dessert and restaurant work

I like it, but as serious as some people are to peanuts I think it will take a good deal of time to make people feel safer.

theres no point in analyzing this data, just throw it out. I must say it is useful to humor oneself or others, its damm funny.

A couple of the instructors at CIA will be releasing their cake assembly and decorating book soon, look forward to that.

Ok guys, if you had free time in the Bay Area what would you consider the premier places to enter and work at as pertaining to pastry work/dessert. Thanks in advance, Anthony.

The only thing I have to say is, the world is built like McDonalds, even McDonalds isn't exactly consistent the way people think they should be. People have the right to be creative, so little things don't bother me like not upholding all the "traditional customs". But if I do go to a "Greek" restuarant and see Lo Mein, and Quesedillas I would be a wierded out. BUt if I saw a restuarant being a Greek styled restaurant but fusing new ides, like making a greek style pizza, or a greek style hamburger, or a greek style fajita then I just think its neat. If people are good at what they do, the atmosphere is pleasant with good service, I try not to pick on their personal creativity and just enjoy it. If I really wanted to experience Greek food to its finest, I would go to Greece.

My final participation at The Breakers was the early morning shift which began at 2 in the morning was probably the most dreaded and most appreciated at the same time. Apparently when I first started there were some interesting rumours going around about me from the evening crew that were meant to "forewarn" my new colleagues which happened to be an all male crew ranging from 25 - 45 years of age. Four gentleman with different backgrounds, one being a baker since college, two others being savory at first and more primarily but do were doing this in the mean time because of their enjoyment with it, and the head baker Bruno who was French but had been living in America for nearly twenty years. I developed great relationships with every single one of these guys, I quite honestly think this was the best bunch of people I have worked with yet, but then again I might have thought that due to "sleepless high". What seemed to be the main seperationg between this crew and the previous crews, mainly the evening crew, was the work dedication. All of these guys had another job outside of The Breakers and or major obligations. These guys enjoyed what they do, had well developed philosohpy and strong ideas towards life, yet were all very good listeners in their own. Anyways, the worked consisted of assembling all of the baked goods (breakfast pastries and breads) for the resort. This isn't my primary cup of tea, but I seem to be instinctively good at this sort of work so I have fallen into it many times. The job started out with the 3 to 5 of us in the middle of the night with very quiet beginnings. None of us talked unecsesarily for atleast an hour and a half into our shift. Which was fine for me because I was either just waking up, or about to fall asleep. After we all gained awareness of our surroundings became comfortable again the work really became easy and enjoyable. For being the youngest guy there, and extern and an outsider to Florida, they ideas and techniques with me while accepting some of my personal thoughts. I dont think I had a single moment of tension personally, or witnessing fellow tension among others the whole time. If one guy found a better way of doing something, the rest easily embraced the new system. Sometimes three of four of us would gather around a minor problem to figure out the best solution. My first couple of days were a bit difficult though. Only Bruno would speak to me freely, I thought it was just their personalities and I had to open them up a bit. So for the first week I worked as hard as I could and spoke in the most non-affensive way possible, or not at all. Finally I broke into conversation about New York Restaurants with one (who was from the NYC) and racial discrimination with another. After that small window was open, the remaining 3 weeks there were a blast. It was an excellent ending to an interesting externship. I was offered a job immediately, and was even asked not to go back to school right away, but other things kept me from being able to make that any other way. One of the most memorable parts of this shift was working with Bruno on the Thanksgiving Day bread display. We made a few small alligators and a large plaque with grapes and vines and braids. While down there I took a picture of the FIVE-FOOT long Alligator they made before I moved to that shift, unfortunately thats another picture of many I cannot trace. They made all sorts of display pieces for brunch and other events such as seagulls, crabs, flowers and traditional bread pieces. Here is the only picture I could trace though: Some of the pieces which would eventually go on the plaque. Other than one night on the Amuse Bouche station in L'Escalier and a few plate ups at the Kravis Center, thats about it for my Externship.

Theres a knew place down by whalebone called SugarCreek right next to RV's that my father has mentioned well. Also, Skat, I'll do what I can on that aioli. I should be able to get it for you by september.

I was at The Breakers at the time, what exactly do you mean?

the 91%is a bar

Well I hope I can have a garden like that someday.