Taste of Chicago

OMGoodness! Never in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine blogging about Italian Beef!!!

However, with the Taste of Chicago in full bloom right now, I began to miss the thought of not being able to frequent this annual event...the sweaty crowd, the blistering heat, the rowdy lines, highway robbery prices, but most importantly...the unforgettable aroma that fills the atmosphere.

So many restaurants, so many decisions, so little time. One could only spend so much time walking around this madness before deciding to go back and rejoice in air conditioning and the peace and quietness of their humble abode.

I for one, ALWAYS manage to get my usual...corn on the cob from Dominick's, elephant ears (fried dough) from Harry Caray's, and of course the Italian Beef from Tuscany. For those of you that have a sweet tooth, I would recommend Eli's Cheesecake, chocolate covered strawberries or chocolate dipped frozen bananas from Aunt Diana's Candy Makers,...OR Kobfa's favorite, the Rainbow Ice Cream from Original Rainbow Cone.

Because of all the sugar I have been consuming, I have been craving something succulent, something meaty, something spicy, something savory, something that makes me say "aaaaaah...now THIS is life". :o)

I have been craving an Italian Beef!!!!

Today, I asked my classmates where I could find good Italian Beef. To my surprise, they all gave me a look of confusion. They had no idea what I had been talking about. WHAT?!?!?! How could you not know what an Italian Beef is? At that moment, sadness fell upon me because I knew my chances of getting my hands on one of those soggy richness was slim to none.

However, Reggie, bless his heart, decided to jump on the internet during our lunch break and look it up.

To our surprise, there was a Giordano's out here in Orlando. I had never had an Italian Beef from Giordano's before, but since it's one of Chicago's favorite food venues, I figured that might be the closest to an original Italian Beef I'll get out here.

There are varying degrees of juiciness, depending on your taste. Nomenclature varies from stand to stand, but wet or dipped means the bread is quickly dunked in "the juice" (au jus); juicy even wetter; soaked is dripping wet.

ME!!!! I ordered EXTRA DIPPED! :o)

How did Giordano's do? The Italian Beef did not come with giardiniera (a common Chicago condiment on Italian Beef)...so I settled for jalapeno peppers instead...but it SURE hit the spot! *licks lips* Feels good to have a taste of home again. :o)

So to my fellow peeps in Chi-town...DO NOT take this mouth-watering goodness for granted!!! When I get back to Chicago...we are hitting the town at Al's Beef (or Portillo's...whichever is still open) *chuckles*

Home Is Where the Bed Is

This may not be your usual Bake Cake and Run blog...but blogs are for documenting your thoughts...good and bad, right?

Well, as I sit here contemplating exactly what to write...I conclude why it's been so hard to find motivation to blog these days. I want to tell you so much about school and all the different goodies we've been concocting, but I've been extremely emotionally drained.

It's been a little over two months since I've been home. Although it may not seem long and people have come out to visit me, it's not the same as actually being home. I miss my mom....my doggie....MY BED!!!!! (and of course my Honeydew) :o(

I must admit that it isn't too hard to make friends...er acquaintances rather, but the comfort of true friends (ones that you can trust, depend on, and just laugh it all off with) is definitely irreplaceable. I know that I am just a phone call or a touch of SEND on email away, but sometimes, it's seeing their smile and being in their presence that confirms "everything will be okay". *sigh*

Please don't get me wrong, I am still learning (and eating) lots. I even have battle scars!!! *flexes muscles*

The one on my thumb is from picking up a tiny speck of freshyly made caramel...

DON'T TRY THAT AT HOME!!!

And the one on my knuckle is from touching the rack in the oven...YES SAVITRE, an oven is HOT!!!! *sigh* I guess it's a live and learn experience. :o) No worries, I still have all ten fingers (for now, at least). *giggle*

This week concludes the Classical Cakes and Tarts unit...but I'm still trying to figure out what I want to make for the practical. We can pick from any of the entremets we've learned in this unit.

So, will it be the....

The Opera Cake?

The Fraisier?

The Engadine Nut Torte?

Charlotte Russe?

Suchard Tart?

Linzer Torte?

Oooooor any of the tarts/cakes we learned in the first week of this unit?

Decisions...Decisions! Honestly, if I had all week for the practical, I wouldn't limit myself to choosing just one. They were all so fun to make, I would definitely love to try them all again. :o)

Anywho, I have lots of fun and exciting things to look forward to this week, so I'm hoping that this will help lift my spirits and make being homesick a little more tolerable...afterall, there is ALWAYS a rainbow after the rain! :o)

G'night Y'all!!

A Sweet Trip to Vegas

The weather was gorgeous, people were stunning, and the food was sumptuous.

This wasn't my first trip to Vegas. My first trip was a treat for my college graduation. There aren't enough words in the dictionary to explain what Vegas is like...so if you haven't been there, I'd highly recommend checking it out (at least once in your lifetime).

I'm not sure what it is about bright lights and flashy crowds that intrigue me so...but the sight was definitely captivating. I was excited to finally check out the infamous Fremont Street.

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is renting a car (I know...it doesn't take much to make me happy). :o) It always feels like opening a birthday gift when you're handed the keys to a car that you DON'T know what you're going to get. So what did we get this time?

THE SMURF MOBILE *chuckles*

My first impression: I didn't think I had sunglasses dark enough to block out the bright shining blue...but I came to love it because it was also a convertible!

We definitely revelled in joy riding around town in our Cruiser.

Because I had been to Vegas before, my intentions for this trip was not for gambling, partying, and glam. This time I wanted to check out the sweeter side of Vegas!...Man oh Man was I in store for a treat!!!! :o)



We began our trip by checking out the Ethel M Chocolate Factory Tour.

Ethel M is owned by Mars Incorporated and was named after the mother of Forrest Mars.

In 2007 the company made the transition from Ethel M Chocolates into Ethels Chocolate. The new branding boasts a whole new line of 48 different handmade-gourmet chocolates designed by master chocolatier Jin Caldwell.

Unfortunately, when we got there, they were no longer making anymore goodies. *boo hoo*

"That's okay", I thought to myself because the trip had just begun. :o)

We continued our sacchariferous trip into the famous hotels of The Strip.

First stop, Bouchon Bakery of the Venetial Hotel-Resort-Casino.

I was excited to check out this bakery because it's owned by Thomas Keller. The only reason I know that name was because in our bread class, Chef Tim would speak highly of this man.

I was excited to see the carrot cake cookie because we had just made carrot cake in class on Thursday.


Golly gee!!! I definitely wanted to get my hands on one of EVERYTHING...but I settled for the vanilla macaroon! GOOD CHOICE SAVITRE!!! :o) *pats myself on the back*

Next stop...Payard & Patisserie Ceasars Palace of Francois Payard. As we walked in, before us stood a ginormous Chocolate Clock.

The nine time zone represents the international flavors and taste profiles which have been inspired by Francois and the recipes he has created over time. A time honored recipe for truffles was used to create the treats which are dispensed at regular intervals throughout the day for enjoyment of visitors to Payard & Patisserie Ceasars Palace.

Our feet were tired, we had a long day of travel, but nothing was going to stop us from getting to the Bellagio.

Here, we struck gold...er CHOCOLATE rather!!!! :o)

At the entry way encased in glass was a floor to ceiling chocolate fountain! My jaw dropped, mouth watered, and eyes wide as that of a kid in a candy store...I thought I died and went to heaven! *eyes gazing*

As much as you wanted to take your eyes off of it and browse the bakery, you just couldn't. When I finally got pushed around by the crowd and all the other excited visitors I was knocked back to conscious and continued to browse at all the delectables this place...this pastry paradise had to offer.

We had made it to Jean-Philippe Patisserie. There were cake displays all around, counters full of fresh pastries, and walls filled with purchasable confectionery treats, and a long line of happy customers waiting to place an order for fresh crepes.

We took home a box of Almond Dragee and Chocolate Coconut Tuile

(the Tuile was a must because that too was something I had just recently learned in school)

Sweets from my Sweetie!

Finally, our last day ended with the highlight of our trip! Mandalay Bay!

Home of Executive Pastry Chef...none other than Chef Vincent Pilon! *blissful grin*
Words cannot describe this experience...but I'll give it a try (but know that nothing I say will do justice for the actual experience)!

I was excited just to get a chance to see Chef Vincent again. I thought it would be a meet and greet and let him go his merry way back to his busy life...but NO, that was definitely NOT the case.

Oh my goodness, instead, he was gracious enough to take time out of his busy schedule and take us down to his bake shop and show us his kitchen, meet some of his staff, and see where all the works of art are created.

We also spent some time in his office checking out photos of some of his greatest creations. If you know me, I am easily star struck and loss for words. However, when chatting with Chef Vincent, there was definitely a feeling of ease. I wanted to just pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and go through each and every one of his photos in detail while listening to his life stories.

I was excited to see some of his chocolate showpieces...especially his latest work for The Lion King opening (seen on the right).

When I thought that I had seen it all, I had soon realized that THIS was just the beginning. He continued by showing us the "secret" passage ways of Mandalay Bay and areas I could never afford but only dreamed of seeing. (sorry, don't have any pics because I felt like it was top secret info that should only be captured in the memories of my mind).

Before I knew it, we ended up in the kitchen of the Grill on the beach and then soon walking amongst the hotel guests of the beach. The feeling was surreal. I couldn't believe what was actually happening...I, ME, lil Savitre, was walking around with Chef Vincent Pilon. It seemed only like yesterday I was watching the Food Network Challenges and seeing him win every competition he competed in...but NOW, I was there with him!!!! *still in awe*

Two hours later, we were on the casino floor, taking in recommendations of restaurants, and even going into one that was not open yet (Aureole). More joy and excitement came upon me when I saw the 42-foot-tall glass-enclosed "wine tower".

As soon as I saw it, I recognized it from when Lisa Garza (The Next Food Network Star) had to do a challenge in it!

I had never had a backstage pass to a concert before, but THIS definitely felt like VIP access. There was something about walking around with Chef Vincent that made you feel important, inspired, and definitely blessed with such an opportunity.

After we parted with him, Kobfa and I were paralized by the whole experience. We went to eat at The Noodle Shop (recommended by Chef Vincent). As we sat there, we were both basically loss for words. All we did was basically replay over and over in our heads everything that had just happened. I am forever grateful to Notter School of Pastry Arts for giving me the opportunity to have taken a class by him...AND I am forever grateful to Chef Vincent for making time for us and sharing with us. A visit with him was just the cup of tea I needed to rejuvenate my spirit for school.

The trip did not end here!!!....No trip to Vegas (for me at least) is complete without a visit to the land of my favorite chocolate candy~the four story M&Ms World.

If this isn't the SWEETEST trip to Vegas...I don't know what is!

Now, as Christina would say..."I need to sugar detox". :o)

Petit Four No More

PREPARE FOR A PHOTO FILLED BLOG :o)

Okay, so I've finally concluded that blogging is becoming more and more difficult to fit into my schedule...with school all day, gym afterwards, updating notes for school, and getting to bed at a normal time. *hmph*

It makes me sad not to be able to document my daily happenings...but I guess I just need to somehow make more time for it. But where oh where does the time go?

Without further ado...let's see what's been bake'n at Notter.

On Tuesday we finished our Petit Four unit...which I'm quite sad about. I actually liked that unit because all the pastries were sooooo cute. :o)

Chocolate Orange

(hidden orange coulis inside and sitting on an almond daquoise)

Mango Passion

Pate Choux

(translates to "cabbage paste", referring to the cabbage-like shape of cream puffs)

Brownies

Madelines and Financiers

Apple Custard Tart


Macaroons

For our practical, we had to create a pate choux, petit four sec (a selection of dry cookies), and a petit four of our choice.

What did Savitre decide to do?

For the pate choux, I decided to do a profiterole. The choux paste is baked into small round puffs that are served cold with a sweet filling and sometimes a topping. The term profiterole refers to a filling of ice cream. A cream puff has a filling of whipped cream or pastry cream.

For the petit four sec, I chose to do Rice Krispy Cookies...not to be mistaken with Rice Krispy Treats. These cookies are Tah DIE FOR!!! :o)

And for the petit four of my choice, I wanted to do a verrine (a confection, originally from France, made by layering ingredients in a small glass. It can be either sweet or savoury, making a dessert or snack.). Any guesses on my inspiration?.....CHOCOLATE, BUT OF COURSE! :o)

The bottom layer is a milk chocolate mousse, topped with a chocolate ganache (with Rice Krispy Cookie crumbs mixed in to give it texture), followed by a nice light praline mousse, and finally a super mega sweet whip cream topping. Talk about being a chocaholic!!!...That's ME!!! :o) *giggles*

Anyways, this is only a fraction of what we did in petit fours. I'd be here forever trying to upload all the pics.

For now, we've moved on to Classical Cakes and Tarts. WHAT?!?!?!? Did someone say CAKE?!??!?! Yippie!! I'm super excited...this is where I come in! Maybe I didn't know much about bread, or breakfast pastries, or petit fours, but when it comes to cake...NOW we're speaking my language.

Yesterday we were busy baking away and today we decorated. Check it out!!!

We made Grandma's Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake, California Fruit Tart, Apple Custard Tart, and NY Cheesecake....and none of them came out of a Pillsbury box. *chuckles* I was so proud and excited of our accomplishments...but then it dawned on me that I had no one to share all this yummy goodness with. I watched all my classmates strategically pack them away to take home to their loved ones...and then there was me. *sniff * :o(

I ended up taking home the carrot cake and cheese cake...and figured I will eat them by myself...*ho hum* such is life! :o) WHATEVER!!! TWO WHOLE CAKES to myself and not having to share or worry that someone else is going to get the bigger slice or last slice???? THIS is definitely a sweet life!!!!

Star, Veena, Jon...if you're reading this...know that I'll share this with y'all ANY day!!!! :o) With 15 weeks left to go in pastry school...you guys can be my taste tester anytime!!! Star, maybe I'll have left over for your 4th of July bash!!! (if not, I'm sure I'll have something) :o)