CKatCook

Wow....let's see.... I learned enough to know I want to spend my life doing this! Danish pastry has to have room tempurture (sp?) butter (better bake, can't spell!) DON"T SNIFF THE RISING BREAD! That hurt! Challah bread, caramel, working on chocolate and cupcakes. How to break into the pastry biz. I look forward to next year when I will order my first chocolate online!

Oh man, I passed this book up for Peter Grewling's chocolate and confections, but now I have to go back for it!

In 2008, I will eat hopefully not as much junk as last year! Better quality, smaller meals. Truffles...never had them. (can you imagine that???) I will make homemade chocolates and pastry..I WILL master puff pastry! I will find a way into a career as a pastry chef or chocoletier (after I lean to spell it ) moving to a new city to do it.... I will learn about Wines...I want to learn about wine. I will teach the people in my life that taking time to prepare and enjoy good food is a luxury. I will read mass quanities on chocolate, pastry, cooking, chefing....

This is so funny...a long time ago I was a rather devout vegan, and the chef at the hotel I worked at one day offered me to come to the kitchen for bacon. I refused. She would cook some up when she knew I was coming in and leave it in the path I would walk to go into my desk. With in a about 2 weeks, I picking off that plate! After 4 years of no meat. Now, if you are made of pork, you better run faster than me...

Hmmmm....let's see....AMEN!!! We had this huge ice storm here that wiped out our internet and power for a week. It's all finally back on and now we are just tired and want to just to have some fun. I made some divinty, biscotti, chocolate dipped pretzels, gingerbread, fudge. And that is a SHORT list compared to what I normally make. I don't even think I am doing a special Christmas dinner like I normally do. It's just too much and I am simply ready to enjoy myself for a change....and not spend half the time doing dishes.

Don't feel bad, for me it was a BK Big Fish w/ bacon and extra mayo....

Wow...my power has been out due to a storm in the area here and I come back and there is lots of advice and replies. I am very grateful for all the advice, tips and hints. I guess before I go to culinary arts school I will definately stage some where, I am thinking of hitting up the best hotel in the area and start collecting equipment and books. Is there anything you would definately NOT do? Meaning, if you had it to do all over again, what would you change? Thank you for all that you do....

Beautiful!! We are finally digging ourselves out here from the storm and another may come. So heaven knows at this point when I will get to a store to buy stuff to make this, I hope this evening. If my camera can get a decent picture I will post it

Well, I guess from my prospective 40-50 a year (if I work this right) does not sound that bad. I know that sounds crazy, but right now to be honest, I am only clearing 36(not including my husband's income), and before that I was a social worker making much less. So really in terms of money only I am only trading one career pay for the same pay different career. One where I will be happier doing. I realize that it's hard, hard, hard work. (Bless all those that have done this all their lives...) I appreciate your kind advice, and once again it is good to get the real deal as far as advice is concerned. I know I need to learn more on the aspect of owning a resturant, and if the truth be told, we may never end up doing that. Now, exactly where in the pastry field I will end up I don't know yet. I have alot of interest in all areas. I love chocolate and candy work, I love straight up baking and particular French pastry. I know I would like to spend some time in France, honing my craft some. May arrange an internship there if I can wing it some how. My husband is just happy cooking. (me being the more practical of the two of us...LOL)

I do plan on starting in a hotel. I have a huge hotel background and would love to work at some place like Bellagio or even a resort.

definitely a point well taken nicole. you're looking at the investment in time and money in school and then at least five years of "drudgery" before becoming a pastry chef. while i do think people in pastry tend to be promoted quickly (for lack of qualified applicants), i don't think it is always wise to move up too quickly because you then lack a good solid foundation. i know that i moved up very quickly, but stepped back early on because i knew that i needed more time to develop my skills and palate. ckatcook, i wasn't implying that you and your husband were a team in the pastry kitchen, i've read your other threads...i'm just saying that if you want to work in the same place at the same time, that is something you'll have to take into consideration. a lot of places don't want to hire couples because if they get screwed by one, they're likely to have to get rid of the other. not saying you'd do that, but it isn't an ideal situation in every case. it will likely take your husband even longer to get his footing in the business (promotions, etc) because there are many more savory cooks out there who are 18 years old and full of spit and vinegar. while there are advantages to age (being older and more mature), the energy it takes to work 12-16 hour shifts isn't always there in the older and more mature body. there are lots of cooks waiting in the wings. ← Thank you for your many kind responses. My hubby and I do not want to work in the same place until we own our resturant. Even then the resturant would be split into a pastry side and savory side. Believe me...LOL. I am not trying to argue, I just want you to have a clear picture. I am not deterred into being a pastry chef. I just love it...LOVE it. At this point I can't imagine doing anything else. However, it has been nice to hear "the good, the bad and the ugly" of it all. I mean just starting out you do hear all this wonderful stuff. I am not a fan of jumping into things blind only to go 'oh crap' later. I guess I would rather be happy and poor...hehehehe....

everything looks beautiful! wow...yum...

While money is not a very important factor, it is one factor in many I am looking at to make the decision. I appreciate the tough talk, these are the kinds of things I want to hear. edited for stupid spelling....

My hubby and I aren't a "team" he is going for regular savory chef, executive chef stuff. I am going for pastry. I wanted the "down and dirty" I didn't want it sugar coated, because if we move so we can go to culinary arts school, then I want to go with my eyes wide open. "No holds barred", so to speak. I realize schools love to sugar coat things and I really wanted a real answer. I have heard that the probably of making in the 50's is slim considering I am 38 now and lack experience. I hear advice completely the opposite. At this point I don't know which way is up. I realize that you have to love it, because one could never get rich doing this and I do love it, but I don't want to starve either. Make sense? Thank you for your honest answers to this difficult question. edit to add: Money isn't the only thing I am factering in....I am of the philosophy if you are going to be poor, be poor doing something you love..

I am putting this here because I wanted those that work in the pastry industry to answer.... I am trying to get a realistic picture of what kind of money pastry chefs actually make. As I have mentioned before on the boards I am fixing to relocate so I can go to pastry school with my husband and I have been having some difficulty finding online a good ball park figure of what pastry chefs make, so I get an idea of what to expect. I know this is a bit of a personal question and if you don't feel like answering me here if you would kindly PM me with it, I would be grateful. I read anywhere from 25, 000 to 60,000 on the internet.....so I am confused. Thanks!

Can I play???? Does anyone know where I can find a good recipe for one. I don't have one. I looked in ALL my cookbooks....

I had to take a bit of a break after Thankgiving, whew... but now I am back in the kitchen... I am making gingerbread ornaments this weekend. Homemade marshmellows, fudge, double chocolate chip cookies, jam thumbprints, biscotti - chocolate dipped, are all getting made to give away probably the weekend after this weekend.

I just wanted to say, that since I have started to learn about food and cooking I often watched the food network for techniques and such. But now that I know a little more about food I find most of the shows just terrible and the food laughable. Not that I am a great cook, but I doubt I will be making Rachel Ray's hot dog saled any time soon. I actually watched the holiday dessert battle on iron chef and was floored when one of the judges yelled across the room to Paula Dean, "hey why do you talk like that you are from Massachusetts" I have also noticed various snide remarks comming from Alton Brown, Emeril as well as some interesting looks on Mario Batali's face, particularly when he had to suffer an iron chef battle with Rachel Ray. This has been an interesting thread.

I am not sure of my time to commit to cooking thru the cookbook, but I will say I love the suggestions. My hubby and I have been on a bit of quest lately to make things healthier and its a challenge, so I love all the tips everyone is giving. I am a dessert hound. It seems I have to end the day with something sweet. My answer to this, Fruit based desserts. I mean why are desserts here in the US it seems these huge, intestinal nightmares? Making omlets (sp?) with one whole egg, two whites doesn't effect the flavor...

7 layer chocolate cake. M&M's with pretzels, eaten together, my friend got me on those and I cannot stop! edit to add~ french fries with mayo and bacon. enough said.

wow, everything looks fanstastic! I cannot wait to get back in the kitchen and cook.....

I love recipes from way back like this!

I posted this here instead of the pastry forum, I thought it would be more appropreate. I got to thinking today about chocolate and all the different uses, and I began to wonder if there was any savory recipes out there other than mexican mole sauce. (which seems to be the only savory recipe I can find) Does anyone have any good recipes that are not sweet, but use chocolate? Thanks! (curiousity killing the kat again...hehehe ) (also, sorry for any misspellings, its not my strong point)

Give me a good crunchy crust anyday!

I made a sweet potato maple bourbon pie...mmmmmmmmm....