chocolateschool

yes, we can!

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:59:49 GMT

Kinda late, but better than never: congratulations to Obama & America! ^_^

Curious to find out what the next President & first family will be dining on in the White House? I can tell you this: it won't be beets! Click here to find out more =)

tiny perils to your health

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:36:03 GMT

How adorable/tempting/dangerous is this:

Mari's NY brownies come in different gourmet flavors such as classic, caramel sea salt, coconut, and Thai coffee. Each of the brownies are tiny, they're gone in just 2 bites, so they don't do much harm.... or do they?

They remind me of those reduced-fat snacks, which people think it's ok to pig out on because they don't contain that much fat, so they end up doing as much damage, or maybe even more, than regular fat-laden snacks.

You know what? I still want them anyway =)

bake, baby, bake!

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 01:52:28 GMT

I read an article in the LA Times discussing the many merits of Baked Alaska, in recognition of yesterday's VP debate between Biden and Palin. I'm not a big fan of the Governor of Alaska and her drill mantra, however I am a very big fan of the dessert.

Baked Alaska is not a dessert I seem to find that often in Indonesia. It's a classic dessert - maybe it's gone out of fashion a bit? - but it's a real treat for your eyes and mouth =)

Basically, you:
- take some sort of cake, use it as your base - not too thick, just 2 cm will do
- pile ice cream/sorbet on top of it, 3 flavors will do very nicely, e.g. the classic neapolitan trio of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, or you could do it the haute cuisine way and use some type of fancy shorbet like blood-orange sorbet
- cover the whole thing with meringue - plain meringue will do, or again you could go all the way and use flavored/scent-infused meringue
- pop the thing into your freezer for an hour or so, till it's frozen
- then slightly scorch the surface of the meringue with a broiler or a creme brulee torch
- classically, you would then pour some sort of liquor all over, then flambee the dessert in front of your guest's eyes - this is optional though, I think the dessert tastes just as good without the flambee.

And there you have it - Baked Alaska!

meet charles & marie

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:53:51 GMT

Charles & Marie are two very rich people who live in a world that most of us only see in movies & TV shows. At least I think they do. Anyway, their Epicurean Delight blog is a great source of delicious, trans-fatty food (sorry Arnold) that you can find all over the world, such as Dean & Deluca's Whoopie pies, mmm... Hop over for a peek into the privileged life =)

governor arnold, the trans-fats-terminator

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:42:21 GMT

Health-conscious Californians can thank their governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, for making California the first state in America to ban the use of trans-fats.

Trans-fats are widely used for frying or baking tons of food, such as donuts & french fried. It's sad, but true: if something tastes really good, it probably isn't good for you.

Trans-fats are made by adding hydrogen to liquid oils, like veggie oils, so they become solid & stable (i.e. they don't spoil quickly & can stay on supermarket shelves forrrrevvvaaaaahhh). The problem is, that solid stuff, when you heat it up e.g. for deep frying donuts or fried chicken, it melts, sure, but once it gets inside your body, it solidifies again, gets stuck in your circulatory system & then wreaks havoc on your heart. Nasty.

So, hooray for Arnold! He's proving himself to be quite a capable governor after all! =)

the perfect wok

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:45:30 GMT

The Wall Street Journal posted an article & this video on "The Perfect Wok"; apparently even ultra-wealthy brokers need to cook, and look after, themselves =)

more cupcakes =)

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:20:42 GMT

Still craving for cupcakes like this one: A Good Appetite's Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes: strawberries, sour cream & cheese cheese together in a cupcake that tastes like a cheesecake. It even has a graham cracker crust, yum! Curious on how to make it? You can find the recipe here =)

sprinkles - the cupcake nazi

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:09:53 GMT

sigh... what I wouldn't give to have a sprinkles cupcake right now.. their perfectly frosted but minimally decorated cupcakes look so good.. and the descriptions sound so delicious.. e.g. "Belgian dark chocolate cake filled with canilla marshmallow cream, glazed with a rich bittersweet chocolate ganache".. i actually asked if it was possible for me to buy the prepackaged cupcake mix & have them deliver it to indonesia/singapore, but they said no.. sigh...

item #11 on my list: sprinkles cupcakes! =)

the consummate chocolate chip cookie

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:41:43 GMT

yum... this NY Times recipe was adapted from Mr. Chocolate himself, Jacques Torres =)

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.

red, white & blue

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:12:49 GMT

The 4th of July has passed, but I couldn't resist posting this - it's gorgeous!! Who wouldn't want a piece of this cake? Good news is, you can make it yourself! To see the complete recipe for Spice Cake with Blueberry Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting, please visit Two Fat Als' blog here =)

my badge of honor =)

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:57:08 GMT

I just received my EC chocolatier badge today! I will display it with pride on my blog from now on hehe =)

the latest trend in spain - bistronomia

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:32:40 GMT

"The egg soufflé with vegetables at Gresca, one of a number of Barcelona restaurants that practice bistronomia, offering high-quality cuisine at an affordable price. Bistronomia is a combination of bistro (a nod to the traditional dishes that form the starting point for these chefs) and gastronomia (a reference to the haute cuisine techniques used to update them)." - Creative Plates at a Good Price in Barcelona, NY Times.com

Spain seems like such a great place to eat & enjoy food. Why? A few reasons:

Tapas: plates of hot & cold savory tidbits that accompany you as you make your bar-run
Olive oil: Spain is one of the best producers of 'liquid gold'
Ferran Adria & el Bulli: the 3 Michelin star chef & his No.1 ranked restaurant - in the world
Jamon & Manchego: Spain's delicious ham & sheep's milk cheese - they transform a cheese & ham sandwich to a completely different level
San Sebastian: a city which has the highest concentration of Michelin stars per capita than any other city, including Paris
and now this: Bistronomia!

So.. although there's nothing directly related to chocolate here, Item #9 on my Wish List™ is: go on a culinary tour through Spain! =)

.. and yet more summer food =)

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:34:28 GMT

I love picnics. Picnics = summer to me =) The idea of packing up some food & drinks in a basket, heading off to a sunny, sandy beach or green, leafy park on a warm & bright day; it's one of my favorite ways to spend my spare time. Mark Bittman's just written an awesome article with 101 picnic-friendly recipes that take 20 minutes or less to prepare. He's even divided them into categories such as cold noodles, potato salads & egg salads, desserts, sandwiches, seafood, fruit, etc etc etc. Get your picnic basket ready here =)

... and some more summer food...

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:20:43 GMT

The Washington Post's also getting all summer-y and posted an article on summer desserts, and no-bake desserts for that! They have recipes for the Cherries and Fudge Ice Cream Cake pictured above and Raspberry White Chocolate Fool, mmmm... Ready to start indulging yourself? Then please click here =)

some more summer food =)

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:50:47 GMT

The Vancouver Sun posted an article about some more chilly soups for summer, such as Cold Asparagus Soup with Smoked Salmon. Yum! =)

COLD ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH SMOKED SALMON

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes 4-6 servings

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 lb. asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoon flour
33/4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus 4-6 small sprigs for garnish
Salt and white pepper to taste
4-6 teaspoons sour cream
2-3 slices smoked salmon, sliced into thin strips

Place the oil in a pot and set over medium heat. When it's hot, add the asparagus, onion and garlic, and cook 3-4 minutes. Mix in the flour. Slowly, stirring steadily, mix in the stock. Mix in the potatoes and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer the soup until the potatoes and asparagus are tender, about 10 minutes. Purée the soup in a food processor or blender or with a handheld immersion blender. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and cool to room temperature. Stir in the chopped dill; cover and chill the soup in the fridge at least 4 hours, or overnight.

To serve, divide and ladle the soup into 4-6 ice-cold bowls or decorative glasses. Set a teaspoon of sour cream in the center of each soup. Decorate the top of the soup with the strips of smoked salmon. Garnish each soup with a dill sprig and serve immediately.

The article also has recipes for Mint Chilled Cherry Soup and Cold Tomato Soup with Corn Salsa. Spicy! =)

elmer chocolate?

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:30:12 GMT

There seems to be a new brand of premium chocolate gaining popularity in Indonesia, i.e. Elmer. They're so new they don't have a website yet, but they're doing demos all round Jakarta. I've never heard of them before - but I heard that Elmer is available in Bandung too, so I'll try to get my hands on some Elmer chocolate on one of my weekends sometime soon =) It just sounds a bit too similar to Elmer's Chocolate in America though, in my opinion.

a soup fit for summer

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:31:01 GMT

This soup really looks like gazpacho, which is one of my favorite soups to eat, but it's not. It's Chilled Papaya & Watermelon Soup - with Lemon Coriander Cream! The ingredients are very Asian & very easy to find. I haven't made it yet, but it sounds really cool & refreshing, perfect for a hot, steamy day =)

At first I thought the concept of eating normally hot/warm food - such as soup or noodles - at a cold temperature was kind of weird. I still remember the first time I tried Korean noodles served with a spicy wasabi-flavored broth and ice cubes!! I couldn't get my head around the concept at the time. But now, I love the contrast between intense heat (spiciness) and cold. Just as with gazpacho, the spicier & the colder it is, the better! =)

If you'd like to try another cool, summery soup, you can also take a look at Canada.com's Strawberry Soup with Cucumber, Basil and Black Pepper Aspic =)

inspiration

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:53:37 GMT

I just submitted my 8th and last chocolate assignment for EC. I'm done! =) But I still have tons of practice & trials to do before I can consider myself a true chocolatier. I hope to eventually be able to produce not only beautiful chocolate truffles, but chocolate flavored snacks & confectionery as well, such as La Maison du Chocolat's chocolate sorbet...

or Oren's Cestropbeau ganache brownie.

I'm always inspired when I read/see/eat something new & magnificent. Another thing that just stoked my fire: I read yesterday's Sunday Times Life section, which featured several young up & coming Singaporean chefs, including my former chef de partie =) and it really inspired me again to keep on developing my skills during my free time outside of work - and to keep my dreams alive.

meet thomas - the perfectionist

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:47:08 GMT

How could I not include Thomas Keller in this blog? He is one of my most admired - if not indeed THE most admired - culinary hero of mine. His approach to food & cooking is truly inspiring, as portrayed in the books by Michael Ruhlman, and even in the bonus mini feature that's in the Ratatouille DVD.

One thing I admire most about Thomas is his determination. He went through multiple failures during his career, yet after 20 years+ of persistence, he finally made it. Success doesn't come easy for most people, but it's ok to fail over & over again, as long as you pick yourself up every time, continually improve yourself, and keep on trying =)

epicurious.com has the recipe for Thomas's version of profiteroles. Please note that he does not scoop his ice cream in the shape of quenelles - a fact that must make life a tiny bit easier for his pastry chefs hehe =)

cocoaroma

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:54:30 GMT

I just discovered Cocoaroma, a magazine devoted to chocolate, looks quite interesting. You can browse excerpts of their articles for free or buy their previously published issues if you feel inclined to do so. =)

good ol' days

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:21:32 GMT

I've been looking at the pics I took during the past 2 years when I was a student at a culinary school in Singapore; even though it was difficult at times, when you look back most of the times, you realize that there's always a bunch of good stuff mixed in there too, that you might not have been aware of at the time. Does that make sense? Anyway, the point is that if you're going through tough times now, cheer up, things are probably not as bad as you think, and chances are, you'll look back on the 'hard times' fondly one day =)

This is one of the first things I learned how to make at my apprenticeship site. Warm chocolate cake! aka lava cake aka molten chocolate cake. I used to be quite intimated by cutting out the cake from its mold - I was afraid I'd damage the sides of the cake & the molten center would come oozing out before we served it to the guest. I was even more intimated by quenelling - scooping out homemade ice cream, using ONE regular tablespoon, in ONE smooth motion, and creating a perfectly sized scoop in the form of a quenelle. It's harder than you might think, and it takes practice - I never really got the hang of it hehe =)

I was semi-horrified whenever we got an order for profiteroles; half horrified if I was the one who had to scoop out all 3 quenelles of ice cream, half relieved that if the quenelles weren't perfect, at least they would be semi-covered by the pastries on top hehe =)

the cake-tionary

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:03:50 GMT

Bee sting cake, baba rhum!
Devil's food cake, dobosh torte...
Frangipane, opera cake!
Pavlova, sacher torte, tiramisu...

If you know all of the cakes above, congratulations! =)
If you don't, but want to, then please head on to The Nibble's Amazing A-Z Cake Glossary =)

amedei revisited

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:17:49 GMT

I'm back in Bandung for the weekend, yay! =) I just tried 1 square of Amadei Madagascar to see if I liked it or not - sadly the answer is still no. I have to finish the box of 16 squares that I bought though, so I'll keep trying till I finish the box & see what happens =)

grills work for desserts too!

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:25:04 GMT

In the mean time, on with more food! =)

Here's an awesome recipe for Grilled Nutella and Pecan Pound Cake Sandwiches from the LA Times.

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 cup Nutella, divided
16 ( 1/3 -inch-thick) slices pound cake
1/2 pint premium ice cream or gelato (try vanilla or butter pecan)
1/4 cup coarsely grated chocolate, divided

1. In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast the chopped pecans, stirring or shaking the pan frequently, 1 or 2 minutes, until aromatic. Set aside.

2. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons Nutella on each of eight slices of the cake, then top each slice with a heaped teaspoon of nuts. Top each prepared slice with a remaining slice of cake to form a sandwich.

3. Using a flat, thin, long-handled metal spatula, gently place each of the sandwiches on a clean, well-oiled grill over medium heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until lightly golden, rotating each sandwich 90 degrees halfway through, to get good grill marks. Flip each sandwich; repeat on the other side.

4. To serve, place a grilled sandwich on each of eight plates with a small scoop ( 1/8 cup) of ice cream. Garnish evenly with any remaining nuts, and sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons of chocolate over each serving. Serve immediately.

The article also has 2 more recipes for grilled desserts, yum! =)

meet The Burger - another outrageously priced burger

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:09:28 GMT

"The fine ingredients of what is called simply 'The Burger' include Wagyu beef, white truffles, Pata Negra ham slices, Cristal onion straws, Modena balsamic vinegar, lambs lettuce, pink Himalayan rock salt, organic white wine and shallot infused mayonnaise in an Iranian saffron and white truffle dusted bun."
- FOXnews.com

Guess who makes The Burger.

Alain Ducasse?
Thomas Keller?
Heston Blumenthal?
Daniel Boulud?
Charlie Trotter?

Nope.

BURGER KING!!

I kid you not, folks. To find out the price & more, click here =)