lesliebakes

Happy 2012! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday - I know I did :)

It seems I've run out of storage space on this website, so I'll have to start a new one.

Graduation Photos courtesy of Kris: http://ottawablah.blogspot.com/

Leslie's Superior Pastry Blog: www.lesliebakes1.livejournal.com

With Christmas coming up, I was asked to work this holiday season at the shop, so I will spend most of my time here in Ottawa. It's already been a busy few days!

Truffles Galore


I have so much more respect for truffles...it's a lot of work!


Florentines! Sooo delicious!


this recipe comes passed down through generations all the way from Germany


coating w/chocolate


All done


Then off to sponge cakes!

mixing w/my hands...feels amazing!


more truffles! getting the hang of it


the last little house.it's amazing how fast I can decorate now compared to my first day of internship


Marzipan 'Potatoes'



Chocolate Dipped Orange Peels


Soooooo Delicious!


Baby Florentines!

Just finished the exam...and boy, what a sigh of relief.

I think overall we all did ok, in that the chefs said all the cakes were sell-able...but at the same time, I think they thought we were stressed and hence made many mistakes. I think we somewhat disappointed them - and perhaps ourselves - let our nerves get the best of us.

For Superior, we're going to need to work a lot better.

Hopefully no one will call my cell phone tomorrow, and I'll be good to go for graduation on the 22nd!

Chef Christian was telling us last night that we shouldn't be worried about the exam. He says, come in early, we get a coffee, and treat it like any other practical. (Except if you get the Fraisier and mess up the Genoise, then Chef Herve will kill you, since that's from Basic.)

But really, the chefs aren't out to kill us. Just how Chef Christian feels he gets his salary when he sees great results from the student practical, we should use this exam opportunity as more of a showcase to thank the chefs and show them just how much we've learned this term.

On a final note, it's not so much Le Cordon Bleu, but more about the Chefs that truly make a difference in what culinary school you choose for yourself. It's their stories, their experiences, their knowledge. There's no text book that they're really following. And for that reason, I definitely picked the right school.

I can't believe it's over. We just had our last workshop yesterday, and tomorrow is the exam...which means today is going to be major study day for me.

I really can't believe how fast the time has passed. I learned so much and was truly inspired this term, as compared to Basic where I was so worried!

On Tuesday we had a plated dessert workshop with Chef Cyril, and yesterday was a bread workshop with Chef Christian. I definitely prefer making bread, to making plated desserts, but hopefully someday my love for plated desserts will change. I just lacked focus and clever creativity. Perhaps there was too much selection. The same goes for my powerpoint presentations. Visually challenged perhaps. Trying to focus on the positive, I did take the initiative to try some new recipes instead of just following our books. I made a passion fruit jelly w/cubed apriocot, a ginger infused chocolate creme brulee, macarons, and a mint dark chocolate ganache.

Here are my desserts which I'm not very proud of. The one on the end which actually looks nice was re-done by my Chef. During class he also made several plated desserts which were just AMAZING...and were made using some of the components I had made - which made me think....darn, why couldn't I do that. Definitely takes years of practice, experience as well as reading, seeing and exploring more.


At the end, it was nice to see everyone's work, and share, and eat!


Sugar Rush indeed!


Good bye plated desserts, hello BREAD!

Bread Workshop
I love how Chef Christian was looking for a place to write, and just threw flour on the table.



Chef preparing bacon for our bread - which Steph & I fully took advantage of.


Chef's baked bread. The round ones have basil & garlic oil in them. Sooo delicious. 
We were all welcome to eat them right away, and boy did Chef smear on a huge chunk of butter on my piece.


Me at work



Me & My Best Pal Steph


Everyone's presentation


Fermented Dough! RAWR! It's Alive!


Thanks to Chef Christian for a great bread class. Bread IS magic, and I can't wait to start making fresh bread all the time! But as Chef says...this is only the tip of the iceberg...so much more to learn about bread.

Before I start my post, for Chef Christian, I must first inform everyone regarding the importance of today. December 9, 1905 French law on the Separation of Church & State. This law is seen as the backbone of laïcité.

Moving along, today was our final lesson of Intermediate Class.

Tresor vanille-fraises des bois (Demo Only)


Douceur chocolat - Chef`s


Mine


Everything went well except for that glaze. Tricky stuff. Hope I don`t get this cake for the exam, or if I do...that it goes on well. I know I`ll pass regardless, but it would just make my heart feel better seeing a smooth glaze.
Thanks to Chef for teaching us how to make those cigarettes - though mine looked like cigars. Gotta PUSH! PUSH! like giving birth at the hospital. haha. And massage it...like loooooove.

Chef always says this isn`t a job for him. When he sees us succeed, to him, his salary has been paid. I hope to feel the same way when I have a job.

And 1 thing to make me happy...

After an amazing weekend, it was back to class.

Delicious Cake. Don't forget the gelatin!

Chef's


Mine



Tomorrow is our last lesson, then 2 more workshops. Super tired, so just a short posting today. Exam list is out, so time to start studying!

I keep waking up before 6am. Too excited for school I guess.

Glaze on the top is hard to do...so the trick? Bam Bam! Don't touch it.


Check out those 2.5 cm of gorgeousness

Started the day off with our written exam, and then today's demo was all about the amazing Opera cake.








Chef's chocolate tart

Today we had Chef H perform the demo, followed by the practical for Pacific Cake.

Chef's Pacific Cake


Chef's Plated Dessert


My Turn
I don't know what happened to me today, but I think I wasn't focused enough. Perhaps it was because I switched spots in preparation for the exam, or maybe I was just distracted, but I made so many errors and wasn't as fast as I usually was. In the end my result was still good and I finished on time along with everyone else.

Chef told me to take a photo of my work before he graded it and we devoured the plated dessert :)


My cake


My plated dessert. I can definitely see how my internship at the chocolate shop has given me confidence in working with chocolate.


Chef tweaked my plated dessert a bit. He says we'll have a workshop on plated desserts where we'll discuss rules and such later on, but overall very good, so I'm happy with that.


The cakes are on their way home to mama. Tomorrow is our written exam! Wish us luck!