chiantiglace

Its a very simple matter, and sorry I didn't read the above since there was soo much. So if anyone already said this or related I am sorry, just being redundant. PA&D's criteria is obviously directed to the restaurant pastry chef, WHICH IS A GREAT THING!!!!!!! The last thing I want is for them to broaden their criteria and bring in all the specialty people as the greatest, thats BS. There are other magazines out there who devote all of there articles and highlights to other sides of the culinary world. There are magazines soley on wedding cakes. Baking and Pastry is a HUUGE field. I think one day schools should have a culinary program, a baking program and a pastry program. The pastry chefs featured in PA&D are more closely related to a restaurant chef than a baker in my opinion. So it is HIGHLY necessary that it stays strictly plated dessert based. I would be THOROUGHLY dissapointed if they went with a broader criteria. I hope I didn't sound mean, I just wanted to sound demanding I suppose. So don't take what I said to heart, but I firmly believe in it all.

Oddly enough, Sam will be at CIA tomorrow hosted by yours truly. You can check it out on my diary in the general food topic section in a couple days. Hopefully one day I can get Will up here, that would be wonderful.

sugarella, the sodium alginate laced mango puree is dropped into a calcium solution. Wether it would be calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium chloride or calcium lactate, that is what reacts with the sodium alginate to seal it shut. And it is preferably cold, maybe not ice cold. I am curious Will, what do you prefer to use; calcium chloride or calcium lactate?

I hate these focuses because whenever they come on I never know what to ask, just like a writers block. exhausting my mind with legible questions I really only have one that is worth while I suppose. Will, do you think the world is ready for this modern-pastry-savory fused cuisine to spread. I am just curious because I want it to succeed everywhere, not just locations of the experimental. People seem to fear eating across the border, what do you think?

sounds like a butter bomb to me, if you are talking about what I think you are talking about. The soft inside receded back while the crisp top held its position.

I know I am going to get a lot of grief from this if I say it but I think it is extremely relevant to the issue. Of course if it was a racism factor self-promotion wouldn't even come up because even though with stereotypes we all agree all men are created equal, hence the term men not men and women. Men and women are not created the same, or equal. We both possess different traits, some better and worse on both sides. It's in our genetics to think and act differently, I don't know who could deny that but someone will. It really isn't a sore subject but people like to make it one. Men are known to crave more meat while women more chocolate, it is a fact that it is in our genes. Different parts of our traits trigger different things. Premenstral syndrome boosts a crave for endorphins hence the urge for chocolate. The more sugar that enters the blood, the more insulin released to and therefore a continuous craving for sweets/carbodyhdrates. Men's urge for protein is activated by our testosterone. We crave protein when supplies are low to keep energy and muscle levels up, its natural. All of this has an affect on our mood, what we eat before and after what we crave and how much of it. With all of this affecting our pyschologic differences you cannot say we are the same, so inevitably we will make different decisions in life plus how we were brought up has a big affect too. How we were raised has been discussed already a considerable amount, and we should always remember that. Everyone is going to agree between the difference between the hunter and the nurturer, but only a few stop to think about how much it actually affects our personality and how it plays out in our everyday life. I can try all day long to feel the same feelings as a woman, or try to be as compassionate as some, but in the end my mind just doesn't support it to that magnitude. Yes it has a lot to do with how I was raised, but I also don't have the same chemical releases (amount) as a female. This is just a brief set of examples just to make a point, we can go on all day about the biological and anatomical differences between male and female. The point is racism is a facotr only with man to man, and woman to woman when contributing sexual issues. You can only measure the difference between a red and blue cube and seperately a red and blue sphere. The weight of the cube and sphere may be the same, as the value, but the functions and anticipated actions of both the sphere and cube are different and should be treated as such. Racism problems should not be confused with sexism issues, they will never be the same, though similar. The similarity is that they are a problem that needs to be solved, just like a disease needs to be cured. Who knows if it ever will, but we can all make an effort in the right direction. That said, all of the above has no relevancy to the perferomance capabilities of men and women. So all of you with a bent eyebrow and an urge to strike back, think about what I wrote a little bit, I don't know how to clarify, sometimes I lack articulation and am vague or confusing. I am sorry, my mind races a mile a minute and I am not very good at getting the point out without assistance. ~Anthony.

sounds like showboating to me. I would show up in business casual and network. People are already going to know who you are if you won the previous competition and you will probably get recognized quite a bit as it is without showing off. I wonder what the angle was behind her bringing stuff to the competition even though she was crossed off from it in the first place. Maybe it was to show people she could win again if she was aloud?

Unfortunately I have not looked into Michael Laiskonis much, all I know about him currently is that he is an advid member here at egullet and he was on iron chef. One day I am sure I will come across his work. As for the top pastry chefs in the business in my opinion, I really want to work for the trio at the Bellagio (J.P. Maury, Claude Escamilla, Chris Hanmer). The original thing that drove me into the pastry side was the team competitions they won. I grew a love for the sculptures. Soon after came a greater love for plated dessert. Now some of my favorites are Sam Mason and Alex Stupak, simply because modern food is the most inspiring to me. Before them I paid a lot of attention to an older breed before them consisting of Richard Leach, Dan Budd, Dan Rundell, Pat Coston, etc. But you know what, these are just names of people I can remember. There is so much out there that I don't have a label to put on, but I know its there. It's just like Ted's stint in Miami. I had never heard of OLA steakhouse or the pastry chef he worked for, but the experience sounded fantastic even though I think it was a little more than stressful for him with the owners. Right now I am basically concentrating on Las Vegas just because I planned that part of my life a few years ago and I want to hold on to it as long as possible. There still are plenty of great options in the world, maybe even Japan.

I agree with you Alex on not using something for the sake of using it. I have a personal battle with that myself because I feel I am playing a game of catch-up, even though I am younger than everyone. So in my catching up nature I put a lot of ideas in my head just to play with something different/new. I thinks its more on the lines to teach myself how something works than rather impress someone with something they haven't heard of, or thought of. I still think its a balance I have to control myself with.

I think Nicole is most right about this topic right now. You don't need a publicist, just throw your name out there. Introduce yourself to all your heroes, hell I have, and a couple of them are on here. If they don't like you they don't like you, your not going to make it with everyone. And I also agree, under a lot of argument, to never say no; which I never say no. For some reason I wanted to say I saw an add for a magazine, I would like to say it was a pastry magazine like PA&D but I am pretty sure it wasn't. The add was for the magazine that asked professionals to send portfolios of there work infor review if they thought they were talented enough to be highlighted in the magazine. There really isn't any reason why you shouldn't send your work off as far as I am concerned. The editor isn't going to look at some incredible work and say "this person is way too arrogant by sending in their own work for me to put them in my magazine". If it's that good, they will probably contact you I would suspect.

Thanks Fab. Costing was last block, about 3 weeks ago; writing was 3 weeks before that. extern = July 19th. TimH, sorry to say that I have already started my career as I see it, and I don't see myself going to france any time soon. There are so many incredible pastry chefs I want to work in America I have no reason to venture out just yet. I will let the oppurtunities come as I seek also, whereever life leads me. But France is not a priority for me. Besides, that kind of life is not why I am in this business anyways.

I thought gellan was biologically produced from bacterial substances?

Well, I am finally done with all my practicals. Last thursday and friday was the baking practical, and I have to say I rather enjoyed it. I feel very good, I scored very high and I wish it went into my g.p.a. but unfortunately practicals do not. The 2nd term baking practical consisted of two 8" sponge cakes, one cut into three 3/8" layers and iced with vanilla Italian Buttercream, with a base layer flavored with raspberry jam. The cake had to be cut into 10 slices evenly with pearls piped ontop and tempered chocolate stencils (#3 fluted cutter) that has a waved pattern ontop use with the decorative comb. We also had to prepare 24 3" eclairs, 12 glazed with chocolate fondant and filled with vanilla pastry cream. The best 12 were on display of their own so that the chef could get a thorough look at the bake a preparation. Also there was a 20" x 5" apple strip made from puff pastry. The apples are sliced very thin and carefully overlapped ontop. It is baked with cinnamon sugar and egwashed borders. The finished apple strip is then glazed with an apricot glaze. The only things we did not have to prerpare for the duration of the practical was simple syrup for the cake layers and fondant, apricot glaze for the apple strip, egg wash for the apple strip and eclairs, melted butter for the apples, and no we did not have to make the fondant thank god. I breezed through the first day preparing just about everything for day two. We had 3 and 1/2 hours to get as much as we could done the first day. I went as so... Mixed the puff dough and the butter block; placed it in the reach in with plastic over the puff dough. Next I prepared my sponge cake which was a warm foaming method of whole eggs, flour, sugar and fat/butter; a simple genoise. Everyone else besides me used the 9 egg recipe we were constantly given because 9 eggs fits perfectly in the kitche aid 5 qt bowl while 30 fits in the 20 qt hobart. Most of our recipes are in coordinates with a set of similar facts such as these. I on the other hand used the 12 quart mixer which is easier to control over a water bath than both the 5 qt and the 20 qt, and I used a 10 egg recipe. I did this because I noticed a lot of people not getting enough sponge for their layers of cake, they are always comming very close but just a tiny bit short and I didn't want to over whip my eggs just to make sure I had enough volume with lesser texture. My sponges cam out perfect quantity but they were just slightly over whipped. I actually folded a few extra times just to make sure I lost enough air. I am starting to think the methods we use here are in prediction to the students because I might be too confortable with folding and my sponges continuously come out over aerated, even when I go by the exact calculations the chef(s) give me for mixing time. So for my practical I prejudged it and folded a few extra times. The cakes came up just a hair above the rim of the cake pans, exactly what I wanted, gave me plenty of room to work with while cutting the layers. Next I still had 15 minutes left to make pate a choux, well acutally 20 because when I put the eggs on the mixer I just let them go and prepared the pate a choux during (duh, multitask). So once I was done with the pate a choux, I wrapped it and put it on top of the oven to rest. I was right on time to pull my eggs on the mixer and start folding. Once the cakes were in the oven I pulled my puff dough out, made my lock in of my butter and made my first 4 fold. I only made about 20oz so it is a considerably small amount of dough. Placed the 4 fold back in the reach in and started piping my eclairs. By this time I was playing a pyschologic game with myself self because I was about 1 1/2 steps ahead of everyone and I didn't want to give myself any reason to slow down. Though I must say I took my time on the piping of the eclairs because I had only piped a few dozen eclairs before, so even though I have made and piped a lot of pate a choux before, it just wasn't a 3 inch log that had to rised evenly. I also made my pate a choux stiffer than my instructors had been telling me too just because I have noticed a better outcome with my own handling and experience. I haven't trusted my own judgement the entire time I've been here (except for culinary skills and breads classes) simply because I am tired of being told I am wrong, or implied. So basically I have been asking why and how constantly, annoying the chefs, but they don't get it. If I do it how I think it should be done, I am going to make you more angry because its not how they do it. Thats all fine, it's been important to learn all the movements of the chefs, it will be excellent training for future use. But aside all of that I just wanted to say that during the practical it was my time and I did eveyrthing I was comfortable with. I had a fantastic time because no one was hanging over my shoulder telling me, no not like that, or wait for the chef, or the chef told us to do it this way. No, nobody fussing at me, I performed as if it were a job in the real world and I was without worry. It's funny, everyone has been calm this whole time, now they were all concerned, I am the opposite. So the pate a choux was a little stiffer than I had been told, and I rested them differently. I had found early on (by accident) that if you create a skin on the eclairs for about a half an hour before you put the egg wash on they create a very pleasing look. It's also easier to put the egg wash on after they have created their protective barrier; the pate a choux doesn't stretch/displace. You have to put the pate a choux in the oven right away after the egg wash though, or it won't have the multi-ple cracking ontop. Instead if you let the egg wash get a skin like the instructors told me to, you get lesser cracks but much larger and deeper cracks. With the small cracks on top it allows the choux to spread in multiple places more evenly I noticed, as opposed to one big gapping split down the middle or on the side. This is only my observation. So while the pate a choux was resting under my station creating a skin I made a quick batch of pastry cream. It was then spread out on a half sheet pan wrapped in plastic, then covered in another piece of plastic to keep from creating a skin. It cooled at room temp and I placed it in the reach in to wait for the next day. Though I dont want to forget to mention, I forgot, as usual, to put the butter into the pastry cream before spreading. I had to scrap it back into a bowl and stir in the butter. I wasn't nervous, just have a bad memory. Soon after that was done, it was time for my 2nd fold. It was a three fold, and I quickly got it back into the reach in. Next up, since I was looking at an easy hour and forty minutes, I rolled out a quick batch of italian buttercream. This is probably the easiest thing to make during the practical, I think everyone agrees with that. I also was the only one (to my knowledge) to do buttercream on the first day. Everyone was afraid to re-emulsify it for their cake, but if they kept it at room temp overnight like I did they wouldn't have that problem. After, what seems to be the majority of the work finished, I took the remaining time to temper my chocolate. Fortunately for me I feel very confident with tempering my chocolate so I wasn't doing it for long. I had atleast an hour and fifteen minutes to play with it, and Got it done in a mere twenty. All I needed was 10 perfect stencils. I only tempered the chocolate once (seeding method) and laid one strip of chcolate down to be combed and cut. I got about 18 very nice pieces out of it. My combing was right on target with the chcolate setting up, and my cutting came soon after. I had no bloom, and my test piece set up very very fast, abotu one and a half minutes on top of the marble. I broke a couple taking them off and transferring to a parchment lined sheet pan. I came out with 15 very nice pieces to choose from on day 2. Since I had so much time left, and with my sponges still too warm to cut, I felt like making some more. Unfortunately I had to make my 3rd fold of puff pastry right in the middle. I didn't want to rush through the fold so I just let the chocolate set up with out combing and got rid of the chocolate. I had 15 pieces and only needed 10, they were all in pristeen shape so I wasn't stressing it, I just wanted to pass the time efficiently. I spent the remaining time cleaning up and organizing for day 2. By the end of the day, after the fourth fold in the puff dough, I was still up 1 project above everyone else, the italian buttercream. The next day I took my time with everything. I drew the projects down to the 2nd to last minute of the 3 hours we had. It was a stressful day, I just wanted to take my time and keep focused. I crumb coated my sponge cake, filled my eclairs and then I was on to the apple strip. This was proabably the most intense part of day two. I had to cut everything perfectly, which I believe I did. Rolled my 14 and 7/8 oz dough to 21" x 7". I chilled it in the freezer and trimmed the edges to match 6 1/2" x 20". After that I chilled it again and trimmed the borders, 3/4". The borders were inverted on top the sides and I used the straightedge quides to make sure they were flush with the base. I then place 7 rows of thinlly sliced granny smitth apples on top (1/4 an apple to a row). I then chilled it again in the freezer. After it was stiff I used a fork to vent the borders after eggwashing. I used the parchment paper to cover the borders while I sprinkled on the cinnamon sugar so there was any unnecessary darkness after baking. I place it in the over and it took about 50 minutes I would say. While the apple strip was baking I finished my cake and then glazed my eclairs. I new the fondant was a little too thick but keeping it at an optimum 100degrees was a pain enough and at this point I was drained of mental energy. I felt it was good enough (my mistake). If I had treated the glaze properly I would have just the amount of points I would have needed for a high pass, I was so close too. Anyways, heres a couple visuals: There is the apple strip with one slice cut, the 24 eclairs, a 4 oz cup with pastrycream in it, a 4 oz cup with butter cream in it, the buttercream cake with one slice cut out on the plate facing 7oclock, a piece of uncooked puff pastry, and the 2nd sponge with only the top trimmed off. ~Anthony

Well, I am finally done with all my practicals. Last thursday and friday was the baking practical, and I have to say I rather enjoyed it. I feel very good, I scored very high and I wish it went into my g.p.a. but unfortunately practicals do not. The 2nd term baking practical consisted of two 8" sponge cakes, one cut into three 3/8" layers and iced with vanilla Italian Buttercream, with a base layer flavored with raspberry jam. The cake had to be cut into 10 slices evenly with pearls piped ontop and tempered chocolate stencils (#3 fluted cutter) that has a waved pattern ontop use with the decorative comb. We also had to prepare 24 3" eclairs, 12 glazed with chocolate fondant and filled with vanilla pastry cream. The best 12 were on display of their own so that the chef could get a thorough look at the bake a preparation. Also there was a 20" x 5" apple strip made from puff pastry. The apples are sliced very thin and carefully overlapped ontop. It is baked with cinnamon sugar and egwashed borders. The finished apple strip is then glazed with an apricot glaze. The only things we did not have to prerpare for the duration of the practical was simple syrup for the cake layers and fondant, apricot glaze for the apple strip, egg wash for the apple strip and eclairs, melted butter for the apples, and no we did not have to make the fondant thank god. I breezed through the first day preparing just about everything for day two. We had 3 and 1/2 hours to get as much as we could done the first day. I went as so... Mixed the puff dough and the butter block; placed it in the reach in with plastic over the puff dough. Next I prepared my sponge cake which was a warm foaming method of whole eggs, flour, sugar and fat/butter; a simple genoise. Everyone else besides me used the 9 egg recipe we were constantly given because 9 eggs fits perfectly in the kitche aid 5 qt bowl while 30 fits in the 20 qt hobart. Most of our recipes are in coordinates with a set of similar facts such as these. I on the other hand used the 12 quart mixer which is easier to control over a water bath than both the 5 qt and the 20 qt, and I used a 10 egg recipe. I did this because I noticed a lot of people not getting enough sponge for their layers of cake, they are always comming very close but just a tiny bit short and I didn't want to over whip my eggs just to make sure I had enough volume with lesser texture. My sponges cam out perfect quantity but they were just slightly over whipped. I actually folded a few extra times just to make sure I lost enough air. I am starting to think the methods we use here are in prediction to the students because I might be too confortable with folding and my sponges continuously come out over aerated, even when I go by the exact calculations the chef(s) give me for mixing time. So for my practical I prejudged it and folded a few extra times. The cakes came up just a hair above the rim of the cake pans, exactly what I wanted, gave me plenty of room to work with while cutting the layers. Next I still had 15 minutes left to make pate a choux, well acutally 20 because when I put the eggs on the mixer I just let them go and prepared the pate a choux during (duh, multitask). So once I was done with the pate a choux, I wrapped it and put it on top of the oven to rest. I was right on time to pull my eggs on the mixer and start folding. Once the cakes were in the oven I pulled my puff dough out, made my lock in of my butter and made my first 4 fold. I only made about 20oz so it is a considerably small amount of dough. Placed the 4 fold back in the reach in and started piping my eclairs. By this time I was playing a pyschologic game with myself self because I was about 1 1/2 steps ahead of everyone and I didn't want to give myself any reason to slow down. Though I must say I took my time on the piping of the eclairs because I had only piped a few dozen eclairs before, so even though I have made and piped a lot of pate a choux before, it just wasn't a 3 inch log that had to rised evenly. I also made my pate a choux stiffer than my instructors had been telling me too just because I have noticed a better outcome with my own handling and experience. I haven't trusted my own judgement the entire time I've been here (except for culinary skills and breads classes) simply because I am tired of being told I am wrong, or implied. So basically I have been asking why and how constantly, annoying the chefs, but they don't get it. If I do it how I think it should be done, I am going to make you more angry because its not how they do it. Thats all fine, it's been important to learn all the movements of the chefs, it will be excellent training for future use. But aside all of that I just wanted to say that during the practical it was my time and I did eveyrthing I was comfortable with. I had a fantastic time because no one was hanging over my shoulder telling me, no not like that, or wait for the chef, or the chef told us to do it this way. No, nobody fussing at me, I performed as if it were a job in the real world and I was without worry. It's funny, everyone has been calm this whole time, now they were all concerned, I am the opposite. So the pate a choux was a little stiffer than I had been told, and I rested them differently. I had found early on (by accident) that if you create a skin on the eclairs for about a half an hour before you put the egg wash on they create a very pleasing look. It's also easier to put the egg wash on after they have created their protective barrier; the pate a choux doesn't stretch/displace. You have to put the pate a choux in the oven right away after the egg wash though, or it won't have the multi-ple cracking ontop. Instead if you let the egg wash get a skin like the instructors told me to, you get lesser cracks but much larger and deeper cracks. With the small cracks on top it allows the choux to spread in multiple places more evenly I noticed, as opposed to one big gapping split down the middle or on the side. This is only my observation. So while the pate a choux was resting under my station creating a skin I made a quick batch of pastry cream. It was then spread out on a half sheet pan wrapped in plastic, then covered in another piece of plastic to keep from creating a skin. It cooled at room temp and I placed it in the reach in to wait for the next day. Though I dont want to forget to mention, I forgot, as usual, to put the butter into the pastry cream before spreading. I had to scrap it back into a bowl and stir in the butter. I wasn't nervous, just have a bad memory. Soon after that was done, it was time for my 2nd fold. It was a three fold, and I quickly got it back into the reach in. Next up, since I was looking at an easy hour and forty minutes, I rolled out a quick batch of italian buttercream. This is probably the easiest thing to make during the practical, I think everyone agrees with that. I also was the only one (to my knowledge) to do buttercream on the first day. Everyone was afraid to re-emulsify it for their cake, but if they kept it at room temp overnight like I did they wouldn't have that problem. After, what seems to be the majority of the work finished, I took the remaining time to temper my chocolate. Fortunately for me I feel very confident with tempering my chocolate so I wasn't doing it for long. I had atleast an hour and fifteen minutes to play with it, and Got it done in a mere twenty. All I needed was 10 perfect stencils. I only tempered the chocolate once (seeding method) and laid one strip of chcolate down to be combed and cut. I got about 18 very nice pieces out of it. My combing was right on target with the chcolate setting up, and my cutting came soon after. I had no bloom, and my test piece set up very very fast, abotu one and a half minutes on top of the marble. I broke a couple taking them off and transferring to a parchment lined sheet pan. I came out with 15 very nice pieces to choose from on day 2. Since I had so much time left, and with my sponges still too warm to cut, I felt like making some more. Unfortunately I had to make my 3rd fold of puff pastry right in the middle. I didn't want to rush through the fold so I just let the chocolate set up with out combing and got rid of the chocolate. I had 15 pieces and only needed 10, they were all in pristeen shape so I wasn't stressing it, I just wanted to pass the time efficiently. I spent the remaining time cleaning up and organizing for day 2. By the end of the day, after the fourth fold in the puff dough, I was still up 1 project above everyone else, the italian buttercream. The next day I took my time with everything. I drew the projects down to the 2nd to last minute of the 3 hours we had. It was a stressful day, I just wanted to take my time and keep focused. I crumb coated my sponge cake, filled my eclairs and then I was on to the apple strip. This was proabably the most intense part of day two. I had to cut everything perfectly, which I believe I did. Rolled my 14 and 7/8 oz dough to 21" x 7". I chilled it in the freezer and trimmed the edges to match 6 1/2" x 20". After that I chilled it again and trimmed the borders, 3/4". The borders were inverted on top the sides and I used the straightedge quides to make sure they were flush with the base. I then place 7 rows of thinlly sliced granny smitth apples on top (1/4 an apple to a row). I then chilled it again in the freezer. After it was stiff I used a fork to vent the borders after eggwashing. I used the parchment paper to cover the borders while I sprinkled on the cinnamon sugar so there was any unnecessary darkness after baking. I place it in the over and it took about 50 minutes I would say. While the apple strip was baking I finished my cake and then glazed my eclairs. I new the fondant was a little too thick but keeping it at an optimum 100degrees was a pain enough and at this point I was drained of mental energy. I felt it was good enough (my mistake). If I had treated the glaze properly I would have just the amount of points I would have needed for a high pass, I was so close too. Anyways, heres a couple visuals: There is the apple strip with one slice cut, the 24 eclairs, a 4 oz cup with pastrycream in it, a 4 oz cup with butter cream in it, the buttercream cake with one slice cut out on the plate facing 7oclock, a piece of uncooked puff pastry, and the 2nd sponge with only the top trimmed off. ~Anthony

well, I kind of meant in a more experimental fashion. Thats kind of like saying you've eaten transglutiminase before.

Alex dont use food grade parrafin, just use carnauba wax. Anything that sounds related to kerosene will freak me out. speaking of strange ingredients, has anyone used stearic acid in food?

Sugarella, that has to be one of the funniest stories I have heard in a while. May have been frustrating for you, but if I heard a customer demand to see me after my wife (hypthetical) decorated a cake for them not specifically as they saw fit, I would laugh and laugh. I would not have a problem (not to diminish your statement) with being known as a cake deocrator, I just cant do it, nor do I really like it that much. I must say when a friend or my sister asks for a cake, I will enjoy it and put my heart and soul into it. But theres something about putting that much energy into something for a random customer I am not too partial with. Don't ask me why. Though I do agree if it were considered a sculptural contest a lot more men would probably feel more comfortable with it. But them we would get a lot of wicked looking geometrical cakes as opposed to naturalistic floral piecies. there would also be a lot less piping and a lot more building I think.

Michael Cluziel

First of all, what is the nonesense? Do you have a problem with the other side of baking. The truth be told I am not very good at the cake decorating and the upscale pastries, but I love to put together a well composed plate. People treat this subject so tenderly. Nothing can ever be accomplished if you keep throwing accusations out. From ones experience to another. There is no fact of anything in this nature. I am not going to sit here and drill anything into anyones head, but if you can't deal with ones experience do not contribute to this. I have worked in all female applications, half loved and adored me, and half hated me. I still can't figure out how to please them all. It goes back to that team thing, if one person feels you are treating another they dont like better, they hold a grudge on you. Then their whole "team" holds that grudge for the sake of not pissing off the initial person. As people come and go in a restuarant I have had women go from hating me to liking me within a day, I can't figure it out. Maybe its me, maybe I treat them differently, I sure don't feel I do. This subject really doesn't need to get heated at all. I think thats why dejaq fired out so boldly to keep it from happening, because essentially he is right. If you read enough (which I haven't read much) about human psychology you will know women and men think much differently and treat situations differently. But I am not going to sit here and agree to men being more individual and maybe have a cut-throat ideology to them while women play a more resourceful team game. I am agreeably much more relaxed working with a team of men than a team of women, mainly because I can yell at them, or be yelled at and not take affense or worry about hurting ones feelings. We are very demanding to one another on a kitchen line and there are very few boundaries. Yes there are plenty of women out there who play just as rough, and I love the ones that do. There are a few females here that have talked to me about hating working with so many girls, and how they have to try so hard to balance personalities. Hey, I didn't say it, they did. And you know what, those girls you can play hard with you go very very far in this area. There are plenty out there, and I don't know if she will let me use here as an example but Wendy chimes in on several subjects like this, shes not afraid of the give and take relationship in the restuarant and she does a fantastic job. So everyone get mad at each other for discussing this, and we can all leave here with a chunk taken out of our emotions, or just deal with each and everyones comments and maybe their is something we can gain for our mental selves.

Whoever said women play as a team and not as an individual keeps them from getting anywhere, or implying I must say, is wrong on more than one level. Women may be more inclined to play in teams, but they are selected teams. You've seen them at social events, in the gym during school, during any event that requires picking your own group. Girls/Women are vicious. They don't play 'everyone' in the group, they only play the ones that will benefit them. Women have a natural sense for corporate life in my opinion, they may just end up all killing themselves in the team when there is no more competition. I am not sure exactly how the pyschology of it all works, but I think everyone understands the process. As far as women 'restaurant' pastry chefs, Ted I also agree the topic is irrelevant, but in a less hostile fashion . From my experience in school and in the work field, women aren't as competitive as men in this sense, specifically this sense. Talking to many of them, they not only do not know about the things I am talking about and or are into, they could careless to take part of similar goals I have. Since I have been here I have only met maybe a half-dozen females with the goals to be a high-end pastry chef at a restaurant. They probably all think its neat in some sort of way, but most of them are here for different reasons, and there is nothing wrong with that. Most of them want to make beautiful cakes and pastries, whats wrong with that. Heres a better question for you, why the hell don't we see more male cake decorators. I mean, we all can, but we don't normally get competitive with it. Have you seen the wedding cake competitions, they are filled with 25-70 year old women, even the judges. The last one I saw had 3 women judges and 1 man. The announcer singled him out at the end too, "and the only MALE judge.....". So yes, this question is as relevant as asking why aren't there more women that eat steak in perspective to men. Who knows, maybe one day there will be, but it has nothing to do with equal rights, don't be so hasty to bring up a case with the magazines, they are filled with women writers and employees (who do a great job) and they seem to pick men for the top 10. P.S. - Just because men have a higher concentration in this area of the field, I don't feel I have any easier of a chance to be top 10 one day. As a male that is.

I am not really sure how the place is set up, but why not catch notice from your consistent customers by changing non-essential items. If you know 20 people are going to bitch about you replacing their prime rib with grilled salmon entree, try changing its accompniments. If its all getting baked potatoe and vegetable medley, try changing that for instance. Set up a menu (different style so customers automatically know to look for changs) and change what comes with the featured item. If you get good feed back on how much they liked the marinated asparagus over the broccoli they are used to eating, that just gives you an edge for the future of biggere changes/experimenting. Besides, if someone gets mad over a side dish they still won't be as mad as they would be over the loss of a favorite 'cut'. The upgrade sounds like a pretty good idea too, to prime. I still think if you put out consistently 'killer' soups and appetizers, maybe even desserts, you will gain a clientel that will want some experimentation on the entree side. It is one hell of a ladder to climb, but if you are willing to take the time I say these are your best choices.

I feel like a jackass caught in the middle. I am surounded by so much irony its killing me. Previously I had planned Sam Mason to do a demonstration here at CIA as well as Alex Stupak right after him. During this time of organizing we have been struggling with planning because they are both going off in new directions and I have been trying to keep up with them. I am very very confused. This world is smaller than I thought it was. Sam, Alex, its been fun for me, I hope we can get our shows on the road soon. ~Anthony.

did you trim the cake?

its about 29K a year, approximately 60K for the associates degree. The new tool/knive kits are amazing, unfortunately I came a couple blocks before they started issueing them. It is much better to live off campus I DONT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS!!!!!!!!! If you disagree you are either an RA, or you failed general math. You can find an apartment for as low as $700 a month (2 bedroom). The average a person pays a month is $450-500 a month off campus. Considering a 3-1/2-4 month TRIPLE occupancy dorm room is $2000, I think living on campus is BS. Unfortunately admissions talked me into living on campus even after I had a couple apartments squared away into consideration. Now I am in a triple, I have been here for 6-7 months and have had 6 roomates. My first two roomates didnt get along and one of my roomates moved into a double with his friend. Next my new roomate never slept here because he had top bunk, so after a couple blocks he moved out. After that one of my roomates got an RA position and moved out. Then the one that replaced him vanished in the middle of a friday. Apparently sources tell me he said the curriculum wasn't challenging enough. He had only been here 3 blocks, no wonder it wasn't challenging. I think he had financial problems. Right now I have a roomate from Kentucky, and one from Colorado. I have been with a Pensylvanian, a New Yorker, a Californian, and one from Oregon and I am from North Carolina, what a mix. Soon I will be leaving in 5 weeks and there will be another new face in this room. There aren't too many other expenses. Occasioanlly a chef reccomends you purchasing a tool for class or a book to read. You can usually find the reading material in the library though. The tools are necesary for you to get for later in life so the cost is weighted well. Unfortunately I don't think financial aid will be very strong in the near future. I receieved a decent amount, but I think it will be cut soon. That is just what I was told. Look into scholarships if you have time . There is plenty of money out there. One day I will get around to it, but I probably cause too many problems for an organization to want to donate money to me.

I never tell someone how to do something while they are making my meal. I only think it in my head. And no one has more to say about what WE do more than ME currently. Even though it seems my speech is legitimate, there is nothing that can be done about it. Oh well, time to step up to the plate and push them harder I suppose. Or at least show them whats out there, thats what I've been trying to do with these events.