Good-Byes~

Today was my last day in the pastry/bakery kitchen. Kinda sad to leave the kitchen eh.. I was getting used to the idea of getting free croissants and Danish pastry for breakfast. Sighhh…. Nooo that is not the only reason to why I am sad, if that’s what you are thinking. LOL. I will miss making lots and lots of pastries everyday. Hehehe…. So quick rite? Its been a month! A MONTH I tell you… It felt like it’s only been 2 weeks, 3 max! And not too long after, you’ll hear me say it’s the end of internship! Goodness me!

Anyway I asked the chef who is below of the head pastry chef (confusing eh?). I asked him “Chef. Honestly, how do you think I had been for the past 4 weeks?? Am I good or am I lacking something?” Here’s what he answered “You actually lack information, you still need to learn a lot about cakes and patries BUT considering that you are still in training, you are considered good. You have the initiative and interest, you show enthusiasm, you don’t mind staying back to do more stuffs and that is good. Cause it benefits you, so it’s a win-win. Don’t care what others would say you are stupid or something you did is wrong, you are here to LEARN. They can’t expect you to do it perfectly cause you are still in a learning process. But one thing you should do is speed up. Other than that I have no problem with you. Keep it up! And good luck in the next department!”

Hearing that I am touched you know. I’m like whoa this guy so high of a rank but he so damn humble right. He knows that nobody is perfect and yeah we are still trainees, you shouldn’t compare our work to those permanent workers who has years and years of experience!

So I would like to thank chef Tarzini who inspire me to be better and yeah just show intiative! Thanks chef! May you have a great path along your way!

I Failed!

A few days back.... Chef asked me to make some kind of danish pastry but with chocolate inside. Then i was like. Oh okay... sure!

Then i need to cut the dough straightly with the roller cutter. I told him you know.. i said i cannot cut straight wor. Then he was like it's okay... just try.. and so i did. Finish cutting ady, i waas like shit. That is not STRAIGHT AT ALL. Then he said it's fine, it's gonna be covered also, no worries. Then after finished that, he said u now need to cut it small into portions. 6cm each using the roller cutter again. He said this time MUST STRAIGHT. If not sure die. I'm like eehh???? do u really have to say that??? Then cut cut halfway he noticed he was like "ehh?? Are you sure this is 6cm? It looks kinda short for 6cm." Then i told him "no. i'm not sure at all. Then he measured it. It was only 5.5cm like dat i was like "crapp.. i'm screwed"
then he was like talking to himself, mumbling and everything, he tried to save it but it just can't be saved. Next thing i know he pulled the garbage and dump it inside. I was like "NOOOOOOOO.................. What a waste!" then i started to feel so guilty u know..

Imagine the whole dough gone to waste just because i cut it too short. I feel damn guilty that day. But then i think he's not mad la... just a bit dissapointed i guess? But yeahhh... still i know he's a bit pissed off la~ i mean who wouldn't right?

Anyway this is how the thing should look like

Day b4 Easter

I am disappointed today!!!!! The chef made the apple crumble by himself already. Then he was like kidding la, haven’t made it. Then later he said made already. I’m like which one’s which la??? ==”

Then in the end he showed me. Here. I made ady. I’m like you meaniee… I told you already wait for me!!! So mean….

Anyway my shift was sppose to end at 6 today. But then at like 5 my baker chef told me nothing else to do…. Go help out pastry la~ I’m like okayyyyy…. LOL
I made out mini cupcakes (again) then when I finished it was 6.15 like dat. I asked him, not making anything else a?? Then he told me make carrot cake (I made b4). I told him if I don’t have to grate the carrot I don’t mind. But then he was like ehhhhh then go home la you. Shoo2.

On the way back to locker room I remember “shit. Aka lost her key, cannot open the locker.” So I need to climb up to go find her. She still got stuff to do somemore. But then after thinkinggg… I was like oh what thell. I got nothing to do at home also, so I helped her out on her so-called-chores. LOL. I grated the cheese. It wasn’t as bad as she described it, but the cheese gets heavier by time to time. LOLS….

When we finally finish everything we went to midvalley! TEEHEE… Go makan at Nam Heong A.K.A Esquire Kitchen. Damn full, stupid waiter la. We asked how big is the soup? He said small…. Just nice for two person. Then when the soup came we were like this can feed 4-5 mouths. Hahaha…… But anyway had a good time la~ It’s not such a bad thing that aka lost her key. If not also I hardly see her. Hahaha… So thank q for being careless aka~

Choclicious

Today my Chef gave me a really really delish cake…. He said you try. I’m sure you’ll like it. At first I was like how are you so sure? Then after took the first bite I was like whoaaa…. Me likey! Hahaha… Lovin it really. It’s a chocolate sponge cake with chocolate mousse on top. So there’s a soft base with a layer of mousse that melts in your mouth and also with a layer of something crispy which I had no idea what it was.. But it was really good. It was somewhat similar to the one I had at canele, spore.

This is the one at Singapore (Canele)



Now that I think of it. IT DOES look the same…. But without the orange powder thingy and macaron. Muahaha… feel so happy…. And satisfied… and fat. Haishhh… If this goes on I’m gonna gain weight le! ==” NO NO NO NO!!!!! T_____T

And this is the one that I had at meridien
(sorry I took a bite! LOL)




I’m in bakery now but he asked me whether or not I wanna stay tomorrow. He’s makin apple crumble. I was like yesss!!! Of course. Hahaha…. Sooo hopefully tomorrow would be a good day~ Dam dim dum…. <3

Biscotti

A few weeks ago I learned how to make biscotti. The dough must be left overnight then only be baked. I was very eager to learn at first (indeed) UNTIL I I found out how much suffering I have to go through. The dough was sticky like hell and it did NOT look appetizing when it is still in dough form. Especially since it is coffee biscotti and the color looks somewhat…. (u know what).
I measured out the dough and one loaf (some sort) must be 800 grams. Then it is baked until cook. When it cools down it is when I’m dead. I had to cut the biscotti. It’s long, it’s hard and I have to cut it like really really really thin! About 1-2mm width. Yeahhhh… Imagine that…

This is how I should cut it. (see how thin it is? Then chef still said that is quite thick! -.-)




This is what the biscotti looks like after being baked and NOT YET CUTTED.
And I have seven of it! (DAMN IT)





This is what I have accomplished….. yay me! ==”




Anyway while I was cutting that my hand hurts like crazy. I barely can feel my hand. I kinda sprained it you know. You know the feeling when you are carrying something heavy and your hand just stay in the same position for quite some time? That little hurting feeling when you try to move your hand afterwards. Yeah well that’s how I feel but this is kinda worse.
So yeahhh…. I swear if I have anything to do with the making process of biscotti again, I’ll scream and run like a little girl! Oh wait! I forgot, I AM A LILL GIRL. LOL!
End of post. See you in the next one! =]

I heart Music

The kitchen is such a quiet and lonely place when you are inside it for like hours and hours and hours. You don't see the sun, you don't see other people, other than your colleagues, you don't taste the fresh air, there's no music, no entertainment or such. It's just kinda sad... But that
s not what i was gonna talk about today.... Since i started working, every single day a song just pops into my head out of nowhere. And everyday the song is different.

So i figured out how to post videos from utube. I did that for the ease of all of you! See i'm so kind! Anyway here are some of the songs.. Hope you like it as much as i do! =]

Heaven on Earth

Oh my god... I'm gonna gain weight! So sad but happy at the same time. So many temptations in front of my eyes. Maling pastries but u cannot eat them! Isn't it sad???
But it's okay la... when i thought of it... cause eat too much also not good for me. But don't eat it also damn sad! Boohuhu.. I don't know what to do. But i learned a lot so far. I learnt a lot of new recipes and they all look GOOD.... muahaha~

So far what i remembered is i get to learn to make creme brulee, bee sting, roulade, peanut butter sauce, (more)macaron, cookies and sooo many more. lol. But basically i enjoy it la... But to tell you the truth, pastry IS NOT an easy task. Its lotsa work and its not simple. It requires skills. Everything is heavy inside pastry kitchen. The trays, the machines, bowls,pots. And don't forget to mention dangerous too! The HOT oven! The cold chillers! The big n heavy machines! Sure die if you don't work properly.

Then somoe they always call me slowww!!! Damn sad.. I was trying to do my best by not ruining anything. so I did stuff nice and steady. BUT APPARENTLY,thats not how it works there. I do something they always say this "amoiii... what r u doin? almost an hour already! QUICK QUICK!" I'm like wait laaaaaa.... I'm no robot!!! =[
But other than that it's all good. Hahahha

And to be honest. NOT a single day that i leave the pastry kitchen and manage to get no stains on my uniform. NOW NOW.. Don't think about that big sloppy mess. It's just some chocolate stains or somethin. I blame ice cream most. IT IS NOW OFFICIALLY MY FRENEMY!

A CONFESSION!

Friends,families,strangers,readers,brothers,sisters,uncles,grandpas,grandmas,blogwalkers,dogs,cats,turtles,rabbits and the list goes on. I have a confession that i have to make. After working in pastry kitchen for like one and a half week.... I'm starting to HATE ICE CREAM. YES... You heard me RIGHT. I said HATE!

What makes me hate it you ask?? First of all. It's so freaking cold. I can't feel my hands when handling it. Like literally. It became numb. I even put my hands under HOT running water and i cant feel the hot water. I'm serious. The water is hot... not warm. I feel like im in alaska. Then i hate the fact that it melts sooooo quickly, when it doesn't. It's like friggin hard until i can't even scoop it out. Stupid ice cream. Then all these made me think. What is the good of ice cream anyway? Sure its nice and tasty, sweet, that melting feeling in your mouth. But when you really think about it.... it's only sweet in your mouth. It gives you no actual benefit really. It makes you fat, diabetes, and feel sinful... YEAHHH... so people! stop eating soo much ice cream (so i don't have to scoop so much) LOL.

But who am i kidding, i still eat it anyway... Hahaha.. Yeahh.. i know, i'm SOOO FICKLE-MINDED. Sighh.....

FIRST DAY!!!

So a few days back (5 April 2011) was my first day at work at Le Meridien. Yeahhh… I was quite nervous at first but at the same time kinda excited! YAY!!!! So anyway back to the story. We were supposed to be there by 9am. I was there by 8.30 (don wanna b late on 1st day of work!).

Basically they briefed us about the place and how things are gonna work for the next three months then we received our name tags, lockers and we were off for uniforms. There were like hundreds of ‘em. I got assigned in pastry kitchen first. Yay me! After everyone got their uniforms, we were sent off to work IMMEDIATELY. Most of my friends have like a whole day of briefing and orientation at LEAST. Me and my fellas only 2 hours or so. But oh what the heck.

The chef briefed me and Lydia (a trainee from other college who will b in pastry for SIX MONTHS!) showed us the dry store and all the different chillers. Let’s see, there’s the walk-in chiller, walk-in freezer, ice cream box, standing haagen dagz chiller, cocoa room, a-la-carte chiller, four door chiller and a few more. All that in pastry alone. I’m amazed. Ahahaha~ But I gotta tell you. I was kinda lost yesterday. Quite blur really, new place, need to adapt to my surrounding (camouflage).

What I did was really simple. At first I was only asked to put cookies inside the container which is kinda boring. When im done with that, I was asked to pipe cupcakes. All two hundred and sixteen (216) of ‘em. But the chef said I was kinda slow. I can’t help it! It was such a huge piping bag and a huge hotel! I didn’t wanna do something bad by making it all messy and uneven. So I piped it nice and steady. But since he complained, I needa pace my speed and so I did.

At first it took me an hour to pipe 72 cupcakes. I speed up to only half an hour < -------- proud (lol)
By the end of the day, I was parched completely. I was like REALLY REALLY exhausted and my feet hurts like hell. But I think it is because I haven’t had my kitchen class for a very very long time. Almost a month ago I guess?? So yeah, that’s most probably the reason why. Anywayyy…. You guys are bored already aren’t u? So I guess I’ll stop for now! Be back for more stories of me and my training okay! See ya next time! Ciao for now! XDXD