Chicago...My Kind of Town!!

OMGoodness...Where in the world have I been?!?!?!?!?!

Carey (hometown friend) just sent me this video!!

My head has been in fantasy Disney World...I can't believe I missed this!!!

ROCK ON CHI-TOWN!!!! You people are the BESTEST!!!! :o)

(Taken on September 8. 2009)



Oprah's reaction is so amazingly cute...loved that she's so surprised by it!
Chicago luvs YOU Oprah!!! :o)

Sorry, I just had to do a quick post on this...but stay tuned for field trip frenzies :o)

Eat Drink and Be Extremely Full

Warning: This post has nothing to do with baking, nothing to do with running, just tons and tons of eating. So, if you're like me and LOVE TO EAT...this post is for you. :o) Oh, and it's an unusually long post...don't say I didn't warn you :o)

While some women like to spend their money on purses, shoes, or clothes...Savitre loves indulging in FOOD...glorious FOOD! *hee hee*. I love it when my hometown hunny comes to visit, it means time to explore new restaurants!

This weekend was definitely not one bite short of what we do best...EAT!! (it's the number one thing we have in common). Boy oh boy...oh how we love to eat *rubs belly* :o)

After picking up Kobfa from the bus stop in the pooring rain, running errands, and visiting Renee and her sister, we decided to fulfill my craving for Thai food (it's been almost SIX months of Thai food deprivation)! So, we headed to Thai Thani in Celebration.

I didn't know what to expect because the Thai community in Orlando is definitely not as big as it it in Chicago. However, when we walked in, we were greeted with a friendly smile and immediately shown to a table. The restauarant was spic and span and definitely had an authentic feel. My FAVORITE drink at any Thai restaurant is a Thai Iced Coffee and Kobfa's is the Thai Iced Tea. After skimming through the menu, I felt like I could order one of EVERYTHING. *Mmm*

However, we settled for:

Som Tum - GREEN papaya thinly sliced, mixed with string beans, tomatoes, and flavored with dry shrimp, peanuts, chili, garlic, and lime juice.

Nam Sod - Ground pork sauteed with ginger, lime juice, onion, shallots, and peanuts, served on a bed of lettuce.
Garlic Steamed Mussel - Mussels steamed with lemon grass and basil leaves served with house spicy sauce. First time I had mussels was in Brussels when I was 13...loved it ever since.
Phad Bai Kapow - Basil leaves, onions, scallions, and bell peppers stir-fried with chicken.

I was hoping that they would have mango and sticky rice for dessert, but unfortunately they didn't. Instead, we settled for Sang Khaya - Thai Custard (sorry, I forgot to take a picture because I was too excited to dive my fork in and chow away at it)...maybe next time. :o) Ahh...this sure hit the spot!

As though we didn't get enough rice in our diet, the next day we headed to downtown Orlando to check out Ichiban Sushi. However, our anxiousness got the better of us and we were there an hour and a half before they opened (DOH! *smacks forehead* should have done my research). It was all good because this gave us a chance to scope out downtown (which seemed pretty dead for a Friday during work hours *frown*) and take a nice stroll around Lake Eola. Was it worth the wait? INDUBITABLY!! :o)

As of now, I cannot remember how many sushi restaurants I've been to here in Orlando, but this is definitely TOPS on my list. It's a trendy and chic locale. We ordered the Naha Roll, Sonic Bomb, Dynamite Roll , and Spicy Tuna Roll (something we ALWAYS order to gauge how good everything else is going to be). Sure enough, it was extremely good, I ordered another Dynamite Roll and Kobfa ordered another Spicy Tuna Roll. Hmm....guess we should've saved the walk around Lake Eola for AFTER dinner. *long exhale* :o) Maybe I should start an Eat Sushi and Run blog!! *laughs*

Later that evening we just HAD to get dessert...so when it's late and you have a hankering for something sweet...where do you go?

The BIGGEST ice cream stand in town!

Yeppers...Twistee Treat...for some good o'l fashion soft served ice cream on a cone. :o)

Umm...so at this point, one would think we consumed enough food to last us through Chicago's bitter winter, right? WRONG! To top it all off, we had made a reservation about a month ago for Victoria and Albert's at the Grand Floridian.

Mood: I had fun getting dressed up and dining amongst an older crowd (it was clear that Kobfa and I were the youngest ones there).

Ambience: dimly lit, music provided by a live harpist.

Service: Two attentive servers ("Victoria" and "Albert"). They were willing to bring me a shawl since they keep the AC on high because the gentlemen were required to wear a jacket. As soon as I sat down, they brought me a mini stool to put my camera on so it did not have to dangle off the chair or rest on the floor/table. Before we left, I was given a long-stemmed red rose, an orange-date-nut bread, and our personalized menus kept in pristine condition throughout dinner. We even got a tour of the kitchen, met some of the chefs, and saw where the Chef's Table Dinner was located (hmmm...put this on my list of must do). The tour is not included in the dinner, but curious lil Savitre just had to ask for one...so I encourage you to ask! :o)

Food: SUPERB!! A six course semi-fixed menu with a pre-appetizer. We also did the wine pairing...have not had some of the best wines in a looooong time. :o) Kobfa and I each had alternate selections for each course so that we could try more of these palate-pampering delights.

Okay, so there's really nothing I could say about this place that will do justice for it..so instead, I will leave you with pictures (and description) of our exquiste culinary dining experience.

Three bread courses with three different butters.

Amuse Bouche (bite sized hors d'oeuvre = pre-appetizer): They are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons, but when served, are according to the chef's selection alone. Because tomato was in season, the dish consisted of four different preparations. My favorite...the tomato custard baked in an eggshell. Champaigne pairing: Pommery Royale Brut NV

And so begins our two hour journey into the six course feast:

TOP: Prosciutto Wrapped Gulf Shrimp with Florida Melons and Jamon Iberico. Wine Pairing: Maximin Grunhauser Riesling Kabinett Abtsberg, Mosel 2007

BOTTOM: Sesame Crusted Big Eye Tuna with Tat Soi Salad and Tamari Honey Foam. Wine Pairing: Marcel Deiss Pino Blanc Bergheim, Alsace 2005

LEFT: Black Grouper with Zellwood Corn and Bamboo Rice Ragout. Wine Pairing: Langtry Sauvignon Blanc Guenoc Valley Estate 2007

RIGHT: Red King Samon with California Asparagus, Crab and sauce Bearnaise. Wine Pairing: Chimay Ale Peres Trappistes, Belgium

TOP: Duck Breast, Sausage and Confit with Salsify, Cherry Sauce. Wine Pairing: Acacia Pinot Noir, Carneros 2006

BOTTOM: Poulet Rouge with Mushroom-Truffle Ragout, English Peas and Yellow Chanterelles. Wine Pairing: Apollo-Falter Spatburgunder Rheinhessen 2007

LEFT: Marcho Farms Veal Tenderloin with Marble Potatoes, Ramps and Sauce Soubise. Wine Pairing: Cesari Mara Ripasso Valpolicella, Veneto 206

RIGHT: Niman Ranch Lamb with Sumer Vegetables and Celery Root. Wine Pairing: Castillo Perelada La Garriga Samso, Catalonia 2005

TOP: White Chocolate Gelato with Tableside Shavings and Micro Orchids. Wine Pairing: Paolo Saracco Moscato D'Asti, Piedmont 2006

BOTTOM: Colston Bassett Stilton, Coach Farm's Goat, 36 Month Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano and Thomasville Tomme. Wine Pairing: Quinta do Crasto Late Bottled Vintage Porto 2002

LEFT: Tanzanian Chocolate Pyramid, Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Souffle, and Peruvian Chocolate Ice Cream and Puff Pastry.

RIGHT: Caramelized Banana Gateau

Finally we finished off the meal with "Celebes" Coffee brewed right on our table.

No matter how full you get, you always manage to find room for Friandise (a French term for confections, a variety of small sweets such as preserved fruits, petit fours, or truffles served after the dessert course). The salted carmel was the best. The best way to eat it is turn it upside down so that the salt touches the tongue first! YUMMERS! :o)

Okay...NOW stick a fork in me, because I'M DONE!!! :o)

p/s During this Labor Day weekend...while some ran a two hour half marathon...I did a two hour eating marathon! YAY ME!! :o)

Showy Showpieces

Heeeeeee's Baaaaaack! :o)

Aaaahh, the school never cease to amaze me!!

When we walked in on Monday wondering what class we were going to be having and who will be our teacher...to our surprise we find out that we were sent back to the old classroom.

Bye bye marble table tops :o(

Hello Chef Jim. :o)

Yes sirree, Chef Jim now leads us in Chocolate Showpieces and Pastillage.

I'm beginning to think I signed up for Chef Jim School of Pastry Arts instead of Notter School of Pastry Arts. "Always laugh when you can. It is cheapest medicine." :o)

Our class had mixed feelings at first...not having Chef Notter as our instructor. I guess when we started school here, we all looked forward to having Chef Notter as our instructor. It was a lot of fun having him for our Candies and Pralines unit so we were anxiously waiting to have him again for Chocolate Showpieces, Pastillage, and Sugar (his specialty)...afterall, it is why we all wanted to go to school here, was it not? *sigh*

Anyways, after much discussion, we all decided that having Chef Jim was actually a GREAT thing. He's done a lot of showpieces before in competitions and is also featured in the Artisan Pastry-Silicone Molds (see B5) of Chicago School of Mold Making's latest book. I admire his patience for us and willingness to seek new opportunities to teach us stuff beyond the curriculum.

As we work on our showpieces, he is constantly encouraging and continually pushes our creativity. No matter how many times I break my showpiece because of my orangutang arms and gorilla hands (trust me, I do not have enough fingers and toes to count on to tell you), he has always been able to fix them and still help me make it look like a showpiece. *mini claps*

Making a showpiece (in short):

-Cut out chocolate traced from templates.

-Create other elements (ie flowers, spheres, curlicue thingymabobbers, tubes, chocolate cigarettes, coral, fish, etc.).

-Assemble pieces (this was where I kept breaking everything...*grr*).

-Airbrush showpieces (even used a paint gun on one)..always my favorite part!!

-Stand and let dry.

-Attempt to bring it home without it melting in the car or breaking (not an easy task!).

Here are the final products of my showpieces:

Chocolate Showpieces

Pastillage
(made from gelatin, water, powdered sugar, and cornstarch)

Underwater Themed Showpiece

Chocolate Heart Box
(this one I made for my mom's bday, Sept. 6, wish I could give it to her)

bless her heart - she spent her bday in Thailand for my uncle's funeral

I would have to say, minus the times I would get frustrated with everything breaking, I definitely enjoyed this unit. It was always interesting to make all the different elements and have no idea how it would all come together...but when it did...it was the COOLEST!! *thumbs up*

Savitre's 4-1-1 Update :o)

-Three weeks until graduation (12 actual class days!) Woo Hoo!! *jumps for joy*

-Chef Notter has been busy doing demos on the road...WE MISS YOU CHEF!! *sniff*

-The administrative office (of two) have been busy working on some top secret project ... appears that the Royal Caribbean International's Oasis of the Sea debuts in Dec. 2009 with the FIRST cupcake shop at sea called Cupcake Cupboard. *wink wink*

-Continually training for the Expedition Everest Challenge in less than 2 weeks!! Virtual Curb Crew Captain or not...you know who you are...BEWARE!!!! *tee hee* :o)

A Sight To Remember

Ahhh....the rain is falling (actually it's soaking wet pouring), I have coffee by my side, and soft music playing in the background. Looks like a great night to UPDATE THE BLOG!! *cracks knuckles to prepare*

After last week's craziness, I definitely needed something to boost my spirits. After Renee had left on Thursday night, I remembered that there was supposed to be a shuttle launch sometime soon. When I looked it up on NASA, I realized that I still had an opportunity to catch it on Friday night. Whaaaa?!?!?!? A NIGHT LAUNCH?!?!?! Could I really be this lucky?!?!?! You hear such wonderful things about it, how gorgeous it is, how amazing it is when it lights up the night sky...were I to be that lucky to witness such history?

Indeed! The Discovery launch (STS-128) carrying the COLBERT treadmill was set for 11:59 on Friday, August 28, 2009. I have tried TWICE already to catch a launch since I've been out here, once was while I was at school and the other from my balcony. Both...a bust! *frown*

So, feeling like a giddy little 8th grade girl, I did what any other shuttle launch seeking enthusiasts did...reasearched the best place to view the launch.

FIRST BEST PLACE: NASA Causeway.

SECOND BEST PLACE: Space View Park.

Any guesses as to where Savitre went?

Answer in T-3 seconds:

Yup, I chose the second best place. Okay, I didn't REALLY get to choose because the first choice was sold out *sigh*...BUT... nonetheless, I did NOT do too shabby.

Before I had left the house, I had checked the status on the launch, and they had said it was at a 60% GO. The launch had been scrubbed twice already, and the most recent one being on Tuesday due to an anomaly in the fuel valve of the orbiter. Thousands of people sat soaking in the rain down to the last four minutes just before take off to find out that it was getting scrubbed. What were my chances of sitting out there in the sweltering heat and getting a chance to see the launch?

I got there at 3pm because I had read that it gets really packed and it's hard to find parking.

Umm....but where was everyone?

Photo taken at T-8 hrs.

Sure enough by 9pm (after everyone got out of work and had their dinner, probably in the comfort of their own home), they all appeared out of nowhere! :o) Good thing I got there early and camped out for a rock star spot!

But let's rewind a little.

So, what does Savitre do to kill time?

PLENTY!!!! Life is never a bore, is it? *chuckles*

Let's begin with, I spotted a bunch of cool creatures...

Manatees

Shark Fin!!! *eeep*...okay, it was really a dolphin :o)

...and the rescuing of a sea turtle...poor lil baby 100 lb sea turtle :o(

I also spotted the Fox 35 News van. Oh how I would love to be on TV!!

Oh wait!!! I was! *cheeky grin* As I was hanging out by the pier with an elderly couple, the camera and anchor man came up to me and asked me if they could interview me. "Sure, why not?" I thought. Knowing how many interviews they do, I didn't think they would truly air ME...little o'l ME? Sure enough, they did! I was featured (my 7 seconds of fame) on the six o'clock news saying something along the lines of *ahem-clears throat* "today is my lucky day, I'm sorry that everyone else came out earlier this week and got soaked in the rain, but today is MY lucky day and I KNOW the shuttle WILL launch".

Please don't ask me why I say what I say? If you know me by now, you know that I say a lot of gibberish *hee hee* :o) Well, right after it aired, Reggie called me asking for my autograph...he's such a silly goose like that. I have yet to see it, but thank goodness for Renee's sister, she recorded it on dvr for me. Anyone know how to transfer dvr recordings into a data file? I'll post it on my blog if you tell me how...pleeeez *begs* :o)

Anyways, in the nine hours of sitting and waiting and sitting and waiting some more, it was easy to meet others that shared the same interest - THE SHUTTLE! I met a bunch of friendly folks traveling from all over. I also met a world traveler, Victor (originally from Australia). He helped pass time by sharing stories of his trip thus far and even taught me how to use MY camera (and boy oh boy...never did I realize that I had an extremely uncool camera *hmph*). Anyone want to buy Savitre a really niiiiiice camera for her graduation gift? Hahahaha....yes, until I graduate, I'm going to use "graduation" as an excuse for everthing!!! *giggles*

Check out the storm coming in from the left!!! EGAD!!
No worries...there was no raining to be had on THIS parade! :o)

Alright, here are some of the photos of the shuttle I was able to capture with my not-so-high-tech camera. Enjoy!

Here are photos I found from online :o)

As a child, it's ALWAYS been a dream to see a shuttle launch...this night was priceless! *smiles with content*

Lost For Words

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Afterall, a picture is worth a thousand words. :o)




Although my spirit was brought down these past two days, have no fear...Renee was there. Thanks to Renee, my weekend could not have started out on a better note.

First we had sushi at Seito in Celebration. Sushi is Savitre's comfort food...it never fails to make me smile and heal my soul. Mmm....mmmm :o)

We then hung out on the rocking chairs overlooking Town Center Lake. While chatting the night away (since it was a gorgeous night out), we waited patiently in hopes of spotting an alligator. Did we see one?....We sure did!! My first alligator spotting in Florida! Woo Hoo!!!

Check out the other creatures we saw too :o) I love these Floridian wildlife...so fun to capture with my camera!

Anyways, I would love to do my posting on my night of "Discovery" but my bed is calling me now...so please stay tuned for the day the shuttle launched!