Enter The Dragon

With one month to prepare and of it two weeks to conceptualise, a week and a half to do all the icing sugar filigree piping, cutting out of pastillage and three intense days(of absolutely no more than 1/2 hours sleep in 60 hours) to bring the cake together. It all was worth it. Here is the Gold Medal Winner Entry for Class 4: Wedding Cakes, for the MIBC Challenge 2006. (A pastry competition held here in KL). Bagged by shangri-la Hotel's Pastry 2nd Commis, Me!

Now I can sleep, now I can celebrate.

I won I won I WON! YES!!!

Gold Medal for me. ~sighs happily~

I'm so happy I could cry...

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

A big thank you to all peoples who've come together to bring this victory to our turf. The Shangri-la KL pastry team, you guys are worth your weight in Gold. To my fantastic housemates (Colin, Derek and Steve) who've been there supporting me and telling me when to give it a rest so i don't fall from exhaustion.I loves you guys! To my family who've rooted for me from afar. To my sister Marilyn who've supplied me with help to stay awake! To a certain man who's been sending prayers from Bangkok, we'll see stars tonight baby *L* Gee this sounds like an oscar speech and I already hear the band playing me off stage...

Today

Today I baked a chocolate cake
Today I went to the gym and got a 30day free trial.
Today I moved out of an old situation into the unknown
Today I thank the heavens for great friends and good home-cooked food
Today I look back for the last time
Today for you, Tommorow for me.

Chocolate moments..

Dark chocolate, thick lucious oozing velvety massess of dark chocolate. Dreams are made of these. At least my dreams for the past few days.

I've been dreaming about a rich rum soaked raisin chocolate cake, covered with photo-finish shiny to the hilt dark chocolate glaze.

I've been dreaming about layers of praline-filled puff pastry encasing smooth whipped cream and devestatingly rich dark chocolate ganache.

I've been dreaming about light airy cloudlike swirls of dark chocolate mousse with khalua infused whipped cream.

~sighs happily~

I need a chocolate fix.

People dream in colour but my dreams were almost sepia with just muted creams and browns strongly contrasting the deep dark chocolate of cocoa.

Do you dream in chocolate?

Quote of the day

We should look for someone to eat and drink with

before looking for something to eat and drink,

for dining alone is leading the life of a lion or wolf.

- Aphorisms (circa 300 BC), Epicurus

The plan is..

True Friends, good food and fashion.

Necessity is the mother of Invention. But when it becomes incestuous and they both mate then comes a grand idea.

It's hard to find good food which is affordable and delicious. It's almost impossible to find a restaurant that makes us comfortable like our own home. It's like squeezing blood from a stone to get people to dress up these days for dinner parties. It's vistually impossible for good friends and new friends to gather together for something as simple as dinner.

What if, a group of friends, whom are passionate about food and some have food as their lifeblood and careers, what if they come together and have a Easter gathering. They could start at the furthest point for pre-dinner drinks and hors douvres, then move onto the next house for main courses and then to a resort-style condo for dessert and finally cap off the night with after dinner drinks at a friend's new place in the heart of the city.

So the plan is just that.

Four weeks from now, on the second weekend of Easter, hopefully this too will come to pass.

Easter marks a new beginning, rebirth, new life. Something for the inner gourmet to look forward to and hope for the fashion dis-inclined to be bedecked in the latest spring fashions. Spring, Easter, pastel colours never looked so fresh. And who knows, for those with the yesteryear memories or borrow notions of Easter Egg hunts, it might just be your night.

Happy Easter to all bunnies and chicks everywhere.

Last call at the bar.

There's an old lady mopping up the floor
spills from the whole night gone in a flash
Chairs are upturned onto tables
Ashtrays cleaned and stacked up neatly on the service station
The show's over
All the glitter swept away with the dust
All the excitement flushed down with used tissue paper

It was a ride,
it was drama
it was lust, temptation, utterly selfgiving and severely heart rending

It was good, it was fortifying and fun loving
reckless, responsible, rollercoaster ride.

It's done,
the last drop of drink has been drunk and what's more
the last sips of melted ice slurped dry from the rock glass

Where to now?
A new show? A new bar?
Out on the sidewalk in the cold, in the heat, in the rain?

You choose.
No, I'll choose
I choose liberty, I choose not to choose now.

What else can a pastry cook say?

Here's a good one. The recipe is always in my head. I like making one big cake. Don't worry it will sink in the middle because there's no flour in the recipe but that just means that the cavity can be filled with cream whipped with icing sugar and vanilla beans. It's delicious in it's dark silkiness. Best eaten with yoghurt ice cream and caramel sauce.


Soft Chocolate Cake

450g Cream
580g Dark Chocolate (Preferrably 66% cocoa mass)

9nos. Egg Yolk
6tsp Cornflour

9nos Egg WHite
150g Honey

Bring the Cream to the boil and pour onto dark chocolate stirring til it's all smooth

In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornflour till it's smooth. Combine the two mixtures

In a clean dry mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites together with the honey until soft peaks form. Fold this meringue into the Chocolatey Yolk mixture

Pour into a buttered and floured tin and bake at 170C for 15 - 20 minutes.

Dreams desserts and vanilin dung

Recently a plethora of friends' dreams have been coming true or about to come true. A good friend finally got her job overseas albeit the work visa problems, another friend is finally getting work and striving toward working for her uncle in London. One more good friend might have his dream restaurant up and running sooner than you can say "Have you got a liquor licence?"" This puts me into thinking what are my dreams? Where has my work led me? I've got a good job which although doesn't pay vast amounts of cash it does however expose me to a whole range of things, products and concoctions about pastry that I could only dream of if I were to work somewhere else locally. I'd love to own my own place. Great food and great service. Non-pretentious and secluded.

It would be fantastic and challenging to come up with the food, simple bistro fare and fantastic desserts. Summer berry terrines and chocolate caramel ice creams. Jade coloured pistachio and jet black sesame seed macaroons. Savoury bread and butter pudding with chunks of brioche, melted cheese and bacon. Pumpkin seed bread and milky butter loaves.

What with all the advances of food technology today we could create a whole new menu which challenges the boundaries of cuisine. Dessert first, main's last? Who knows? Even the Japanese scientists have come up with a method to extact vanillin (vanilla extract) from cow dung. They assure us it would be used for soaps and shapooos only because it wouldn't be profitably acceptable or socially feasible to have it in food. But it's okay to put it on our bodies and in our hair? Maybe room fresheners? Make your room smelling of the sweet vanilla of cow dung extract! What's next? Beer distilled from Kobe beef cows since they're drinking it already.

This isn't going anywhere... my dreams are on "slow" at the moment til I sort out my current life situation. Til then I'll keep on making beautiful and delicious desserts along with ice cream which you can slice with a paring knife easily because nothing less of perfection is expected in the Lost Horizon.....

Adieu.

A note on good food.

You know when friends ask you to go out to someplace new to eat, you're just a little bit apprehensive. But when your chef friends (and by Chef I mean people who work in the kitchens) say let's go eat, I'll bring you to someplace nice. You better bring your stretchable pants.

Pizza Uno is a non prentious little bistro. Not trying to be uppity and service was prompt and friendly. They have those lil italian soft drinks which is so hard to find here. Limonata, Aranchiata and Chinotto.

We had the marinated mushrooms which was really to die for,served with chewy bread to soak up the garlic and chilli infused oil. It was fantastic to start with. The Calamares Fritos was also good. The calamari was tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside. We also had a go with the Aglio Olio with grilled prawns. That was fantastic. and at RM23.00 per plate it was worth it. The pasta was aldente *thank goodness SOMEone can do it right* and the prawns were aromatic and succulent. The garlic slices, which I'm usually not a big fan of, were positively melting on the tongue and the chilli flakes packed a nice punch. We ordered the Pollo Romeo Pizza which had chicken, black olives, cherry tomatoes and pineapple. That was alright and then there was the Seafood Paella which although was good really tested the strength of our waistbands.

Of course talk centered on food. What else would chefs talk about? The best place for sunday brunch which features eggs, ham, sauteed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, brioche, coffee and orange juice (it's a toss up between La Bodega and Bakerzin both in Bangsar) and the best gelato available here. (Hands down it goes to Lecka Lecka). The best cakes in town (We still believe they're the best at Shangri-la) and the best Sweedish Meatballs (not at Ikea but at Puzzini Pizza in Uptown)

We talked about how we made our herb infused oils and chili flakes made with chili padi from Sabah. We pondered on triple layered moarsmallows, using the gorgeous jade coloured pistachios to grind up and make macaroons. We want to sandwich hazelnut ganache between nougat discs and dip themin dark chocolate and we talked about how to make the best creme brulee. Soft and meltingly tender inside and covered with a golden burnished crust of demerara sugar on top. It's like cracking your way into heaven in a ramekin.

All the talk made us all the more hungry and all the more eager to go out and do dinner again.

Soon.

Any takers?

Chickchickchickchick CHICKEN

The Chicken Song

Hold a Chicken in the air

stick a deck chair up your nose

Buy a jumbo jet

and then bury all your clothes

Paint your left knee green

and extract your wisdom teeth

Casserole your Gran

and Pretend your name is Keith

If the H5N1 bird flu virus really strikes this part of the world in a big way then I might be out of a job. Can you imagine a pastry kitchen without eggs? Can you imagine breakfast without eggs? Can you imagine how dull and foamless ckes would be without eggs? What about macaroons? ~sighs~ What we have taken for granted. Chicken, the safe meat. The meat that most everyone in the world can eat and not have to think about religious consequences (except for devout Catholics on Fridays) is losing popularity.

Egg prices have dropped by a few cents to encourage buying. Sales of freshly slaughtered fowl is on the decline. The local government is having a Kempen Makan Ayam (Eat Chicken Campaign) for goodness sakes. We pish-toshed when the Thai government had a cabinet meeting and served disease-free chicken dishes. And now it's seemingly close. Outbreak in Gombak, although contained, is still too close too home. There's an LRT stop at Gombak for goodness sakes! God forbid someone infected might just ride on the train to KLCC, sneeze and lo and behold we're infected right in the middle of KL.

It all sounds bleak and scary but I for one am not going to stop patronising KFC (if not only for their dreamy kitschy cheezy wedges) or ordering "burger ayam double special".

I was having lunch with a part timer at work the other day and he was eating just veggies and rice (the meat for the day was roasted honey chicken) and he didn't want to eat it.

Wayne: You're eating chicken. Aren't you worried?
Me: Worried about what? the bird flu? Forget about it.
Wayne: Waaa you don't want to live anymore ha?
Me: It's not that. But I'm not afraid to die. ~grin~

For proponents of chicken I say lets have kai fun (chicken rice) now! We'll dress up in fathers and eat em up real fast. We'll savour the taste of succulent roasted thighs and breaded and crumbed fried chicken chop.

I LOVE ANIMALS

they taste great

Not Here; Leave a note.

Last week :
Colin: You're off today? What's your plans?
Me: Clean up my house, do the laundry, sleep..
Colin: Update your blog?


This week:
Colin: So what are you going to do today?
Me: Dunno, watch a movie, buy some soap, go shopping..
Colin: Update Your blog?


I'm not here. I'm at work. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you.
I'm not here. I'm asleep. Please sms me cause my phone's on silent so I can sleep.
I'm not here. I've got a date. Call me in half hour's time to rescue me just in case the date's a disaster!

My poor blog. Hey that's not all I've been up to you know. There are books too ~chuckles~

Recent reads:

Coraline (Neil Gaiman) -

Coraline lives in a part of a big house with her parents. Life is boring. People call her Caroline. People don't listen to her. Then one day she opens a door to her other house with her other mother and other father. Where her toys are alive, her dinner is always delicious and her peculiar neighbours become Circus Masters and Dagger throwing stage performers. It's a kid's book but I love Mr. Gaiman's work anyways. Next up: Wolves in the Wall (If I can ever find it around here)


The Prize Winner (Terry Ryan) -

Contesting in the 1940's and 50's. A true story (written by the daughter) about her Mother's ability to win 25 worlds or less, finish the limmerick and make up a slogan contests. She singlehandedly saved her huge family from abject poverty with no help from the abusive alcoholic father.


Geisha (Liza Dalby) -

Just me being hot on the trail of Memoirs of a Geisha (A. Golden). Liz is the first American woman to become a geisha in the Pontocho district in Kyoto, Japan. This was set in 1975 so although a bit dated, it provides great insight into the history and lives of Geisha. Did you know the first ever Geisha was a man and the first ever female Geisha was thought to be a retired yujo (Prostitute). Includes pictures of the beautiful geisha and their fabulous kimonos.


American Gods, Writer's uncut version (N. Gaiman)
Again, my love for Mr. Gaiman's writings remain enthrenched in my reading repertoire. This one's about old Gods like Odin, Anansi and Loki transplanted to America via the migration of people around the world to the USA, versus the new Gods of Media, Technology and the Internet. And all at the center of it is Shadow. Who is shadow? Why did his wife die? Who's Mr Wednesday? What was that con again? It's all in there. Great reading for people who love painting movies in their minds. Mr Gaiman hurry up already and make Sandman: The Movie!


other than that there've been new t-shirts to be bought and oh I got my hair coloured a magma red. ~grin~

toodles!

RENT Rant

Just saw RENT the movie.

"it was poignant with a narrative that spoke to today's youth"

I remember queueing up to get RENT tickets back in Melbourne. I mean it is a musical about people not being able to pay rent so they had cheap front row tickets for people who can't afford to otherwise watch a musical. Thrice I queued. Thrice in the cold. Four hours wait with other RENT heads, exchanging milk-bottle gummies for nachos and reserving a place in the line whilst the Mimi-wannabe went to the toilet. I got those tickets. I was so close I could see the spittle from Mark and Roger.

I wouldn't call myself a RENT head but having seen it three times in Melbourne and twice in Singapore I'd say that I'm a big fan. Though I wouldn't go so far as to dress up as the characters. ~chuckles~ There's another production of RENT circulating with Karen Mok as Mimi. I wanna see it. I've got to see it.

In the movie, it was all there, Maureen and Joanne's powerful duet. Angel and Collins' "I'll cover you". I felt that some of the best stuff was picked out so as to appeal to non RENT fanatics. Which was a shame because I'd love to have seen it all.

It was great all the same.

It was RENT

and now I can watch it over and over again.

And now I can remember the words more clearly...

There's only us, there's only this

Forget Regret, or life is yours to miss

No other course, no other way

No day but today!

- Jonathan Larson

Change is good...?

Whenever it takes his fancy, that is to say, when the hotel isn't busy and there are no functions, my esteemed excutive chef feels the need to change the menu for new more exciting things. It should come as no surprise to me anymore but I still get flustered by the changes.

There was once when he wanted a change in the coffee house pastry buffet menu. One fine day he just decided that he was bored with all the old items. We were given two days to complete this task. A gargantuan one considering that we have almost 40 different items on the menu. We of course had to work day and night to finish up the items which was further delayed by the fact that we did not have many of the raw ingredients. Being as it may we managed to get everything done, bowing and scraping, stealing and pilfering to get enough cartons of cream and enough number of egg yolks. It was a miraculous transformation. The buffet was beautiful again. ~happy smiles and self-congratulatory pats on the back~ We all breathed a sigh of relief.

After three months, the scene was repeated. This time our ever knowing exec chef decided that the customers were too bored with all the (3month old) items. So it was revamped again. What struck me most is that we were required to do it all at the drop of a hat. Moussess done individually in plastic piping molds with layers of vanilla creme brulee in dark chocolate mousse then glazed with caramel galze and topped off with a single almond macaroon . Then there were the mango trifles which had to be done in miniature glassess complete with sponge sandwiched with raspberry jam and topped with a paperthin layer of lemongrass bavarois (I kid you not).

It's no wonder the pastry staff are always on their toes, it's no wonder that even when the hotel isn't making enough business to pay out overtime wages so the staff are encouraged to go home on time that the pastry staff work from morning til night whipping, tempering, creaming, baking, unmoulding, cutting and glazing the darned desserts.

It's no wonder the cost is so high every few months because we have to order new things, new order lists, new garnishings, new everything.

And don't let me get started on the home made ice cream we have there!

It's a good thing that I love my job, otheriwse I'd be so terrorised by it all that I'd be put off baking another cream puff in my whole life.

Currently, we're looking to change the lobby lounge's menu. Twenty new items by the sounds of it.

~phew~sighs~

Time frame: ....And the chef saw all the desserts that needed to be created and said,
" Let it all be done by tommorow night"

Rev up the machines, crack those eggs, whip that cream into shape, roll up those sleves.

Let the game begin!

red tape makes me see red...

New year, time for new rules at work.

1) Everytime you step out of the hotel premises, you need to have a signed letter from your superior.

So, I've got to track down my ever absent Exec Chef to ask him for a signature everytime I need to step of the hotel for a smoke break because they moved the smoking zone outside before because it was disrespecting the non smokers for us to smoke inside the premises of the hotel.


2) Three days prior notice for big cake orders.

Yeah like that's going to change anything. At the hotel where I work it is imperative that we strive to be market leaders and go beyond excellence for the revered guest. This by all means making a 10kg fondant covered cake for the Queen if and when she pleases within half an hour replete with sugar flowers and gold ribbons.


3) Reminder: No handphones to be used while at work

I agree to the rule but then again there is this other rule that you are not allowed to have personal calls whilst on duty at work. I totally understand that rule as well but here's the catch: If you're working in the pastry kitchen or the cold kitchen and need to service ALL the F&B outlets (count em 10: in-house dining, french fine dining, japanese superdining, in-roon dining, poolside, lobby lounge, chinese fine dining, exclusive club floor dining, delicatessen and also the take-away cafe) then 8 hours isn't sufficient to finish up all the required responsibilities of the day let alone running new productions for the coming days ahead. So we work for up to 12 hours a day and sometimes 16 hours. And we're NOT allowed phone calls OR even have our own phones to make calls?

I believe that rules are good for structuring and regulating staff but over excessive red tape is ruinious for people who don't have the constitution for it.

There's always a way for to bend the rules if you're resourceful enough. If you can blitz curdled vanilla sauce in a blender and still make it smooth and velvety and no one notices it then you can bet that I'm going to find a way around the so called "rules".

Just don't tell my chef about the vanilla sauce bit.

Bless my soul!

Oh Blessed St. Mary of Drag Queens,

Bless your never humble servants

with grace, jewels and support hosts,

Gay-men

Brian (Connie & Carla)

Looks like someone's looking out for us fabulously marginalised people.
Check this out and keep the bible sprouting enthusiasts at bay!

http://www.gaychurch.org/Gay_and_Christian_YES/gay_and_christian_yes.htm

***coming soon to a theatre near you!***

Morning Sickness : The Musical

~chuckles~

here's another one of those kinda songs

WARNING : Contents may offend those with less of a sense of humour.

Cue track : What's Goin On? (By the 4 Non-Blondes)

29 days of this month and still
My sanitary pad is still not filled with blood
From my mensturation..

I realised briefly about six weeks back
it was about that time I got into the sack with a guy
And he had no condom..

and so I cried that time when I begin to think
"The pregnancy test came out blue not pink!"
and I got a feeling, I needed to puke yeah

And so I wake in the morning
with a vomit reflex, clutched the toilet bowl
down goes my head, I'm screamin
Mornin Sickness!!

And I go uggghhh uuughh ugh ugh-ugh (vomitting sounds)
uggghhh uuughh ugh
I say ughhhhh... morning sickness!

And I tried
to stop my puke, yeah I cried
into the toilet bowl
for a solution

In a daze
oh my mind's in a maze
for days and days and days
i thought of abortion...

and so I cried that time when I begin to think
"The pregnancy test came out blue not pink!"
and I got a feeling, I needed to puke yeah

And so I wake in the morning
with a vomit reflex, clutched the toilet bowl
down goes my head, I'm screamin
Mornin Sickness!!

And I go uggghhh uuughh ugh ugh-ugh (vomitting sounds)
uggghhh uuughh ugh
I say ughhhhh... morning sickness!

New Year Fizz

New years last year was spent trying to get to the city in time, ducking the crowd, standing feet to heel sardine-like in an already overcrowded train...gotta get there, gotta have fun, gotta get drunk, gotta get kissed!

This year it was with a few good friends. Watching camp dvds (Connie & Carla and Trick), taking grand marnier shots from Korean shot glassless and having a prosperity burger meal. It was less than sparkly, less than noisy but it was good.

It felt good

We laughed and joked about old times, we reminisced about college and form six days. We dreamed out loud about the year that is to come. At the cusp of the new year, at the stroke of midnight, we drank to our health and happiness and hugged good intentions into our friends. As the fireworks lit up the sky among the "waaaahhs" and "I like that one!" and unfinished Auld Lang Synes, I began to feel it.

This year is going to be one of big changes for me. Drastic changes. I can almost taste it. I get excited when I think of it. I don't want to lose this feeling. Grab life by the balls!

Enter you! Voila it's Showtime

You brought the house down with a dance and a dum diddy

Enter you! In less then no time

This ugly drama has become pretty!

TwothousandandSIX here I come...

And may this year be your plum blossom year, little darlings!

Have a dream-filled new years!

Birth of a new year..

The new baby's about to come, the head is crowning. God the Father and Mother Nature have named this baby TwothousandandSIX. You can almost hear him cry. For with his birth, it brings many possibilities and hope, you know he will be with us for just one year then he will have a new sibling but that is in the future, we are talking about the now. In three days time, he will make his first cry, joined by millions of people around the world who shout with joy, albeit some drunk joy, that the New year, the new baby is here.


Many reflect, in my family it's a time for forgiveness, a time where old hurts are washed away literally and figuratively. Visions of us kids hiding on the top of the roof pouring ice-cold water down unto unsuspecting adults come to mind. Everyone is wet, everyone is washed clean, tears are diluted and everyone is happy. For the new baby year is here. So much hope. so much love. So much to give...


My new years resolutions

• Bring about world peace *or argue less with people*
• Work smarter to get that promotion
• Re-fine my pastry skills
• Love more.
• Finally get fit! a.k.a lose 10kgs
• Listen more to people without bias or prejudice
• Read more
• Surround myself with genuinely nice people.
• Be more tolerant, less a slave to gossip and more a friend to empathy.

Happy New Year Duckies. 2005 has been a rollercoaster for me.

Fun, guilty, exciting, excruciating, used, envigorating and eye opening.

Come new years let us make it a point to be kinder and better souls.

***watch this space***

Suggestion : Get a couple of friends, dress up in school uniform and smoke outside the school gates during monday assembly.

~chuckles~

Merry Drinkmas and a Tipsy New Year

Have yourself a wasted little Christmas

Let your wine be white

From now on we'll throw out all the coke and sprite!

Have yourself a lil sherry this Christmas

make your tippisiness stay

Til New Year your soberness is miles away

Here we are Happy-hour day

Whisky sour days or more

Drinking friends who get drunk with us

Get pissed near to us once more

Through the week we all will be a sipping

Beer like Kobe cows

Hang a left! Avoid the police check somehow!

And have yourself a hangover this Christmas now

**Sung to the tune of *duh* 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas'