Packing Up! (again...)

Missed a few days of blog. Had wonderful Asian food Adventures on those days! Wonderful! I'll write about that on my 16 hour flight headed for Los Angeles tomorrow. Its 2 am and I'm still wide awake. Good thing all of my clothes dried up from the washing machine. Just about to finish packing, Whew! How am I feeling???? Excited!! Yess! Really excited! Funny why I don't feel nervous for that pastry job interview, I guess it hasn't gotten to me yet. Hopefull! yes! very hopeful! I feel really positive today! :) and starting to get quite sleepy as well.

After A Days Tour

Yesterday, I went to visit The Grand Palace here in Bangkok where the Kings and Queens of Thailand used to reside. It’s a very beautiful place. The temples are all intricately handpainted with gold and colorful Thai patterns. It’s a place where I was able to draw out inspirations for some of my cake creations.

It was however a very tiring and long trip. For anyone planning a vacation here, please read up on Bangkok scams on the net and be ready to face a few of them as you go on with your tour. From Taxi and Tuk-tuk drivers to men pretending to be employees of the Grand Palace misleading you to go to another tour guided trip with them. Whew! Those guys made me really hungry at the end of it. While on the train back to the hotel all I could think of is to get some food, head up to my hotel and take a long nice swim.

I was famished! Then I saw this lady making thin pancakes on a griddle. Hmmm… .looks interesting. She was making crispy crepes! It’s a traditional Thai snack. When the crepes are cooked. She puts meringue on top and coconut spiced with pepper. Definitely, I got my self an order. When I turned back, I saw another food stall with soups in large bowls. Looks like ginataan. Feeling so hungry, I thought I can finish one bowl of these warm desserts. I chose a bowl of Tapioca with sesame seed in coconut cream. Then I saw sticky rice pudding with mangoes! I remembered my sister told me she loved it! I could not help my self but purchase one serving as well. (Hmmmm never let me order when I’m hungry, tend to over do it!). Went back to my hotel room and shared it with my family. Here are some of the food shots I got.




The crispy Thai crepe tasted like our barquillos with a sweet –salty topping on top. It was pretty okey although not something that I would crave for. Quite satiating. The Tapioca and sesame soup taste like our ginataan indeed, but with less of the ingredients. (I like the Filipino ginataan better). The rice pudding with mangoes was good. It is a lighter version of the Filipino suman but with more flavor. Its not as sticky since they used long grain rice for this dessert. They added more coconut cream on the mixture and stronger pandan flavor. Since they used less glutinous rice in their proportion, its not as heavy as our suman. The mangoes and coconut milk goes with it perfectly.
Fully satisfied and re-energized, I went to swim on the beautiful blue lagoon.

Lemongrass

Dinner time and my sister brought us to an authentic Thai Resto where they usually bring their foreign guests and business associates. It’s a small restaurant in Sukumvit Street. Just like a house with a signage. When you go inside, you will be welcomed with exotic Thai interiors. Very Asian. We had Som-Tum salad. It is made from papaya, carrots, and other mix of vegetables dressed with dalanghita vinaigrette and sweetened with palm sugar. It was serve in a bowl of red cabbage. You actually eat it with raw long beans and cabbage. Yummmy! We had Tom-Kha-Gai for our soup. My favorite from what we have ordered that night! There’s a contrast between the creaminess of the coconut milk and the sourness of the soup. It has chicken in it and is made more robust with basil, white ginger and lemongrass. It’s a combination of complex flavors that I could not fully describe but am plainly just enjoying it. Had two bowls that night! Yummy Yummy. We had Cha-nom-din (minced pork with chilli and basil) and Par-boong-di-dang (sautéed vegetables – dad’s favorite for the night) Everything was Yummy, yummy, yummy but not for those who cannot have a lot of chilli. The service was excellent. Another WOW meal for me.


Night is not over though! Lenotre still in my mind. I purposefully left space for dessert and am craving for chocolate! Went back to Emporioum. I spotted Feuille d’ Automne. It’s a chocolate mousse cake with layers of French meringue in it. Bought it to our hotel room since its almost closing time. It was well made. The chocolate work is perfectly done, the design is classy and very enticing… like calling to you “bite me!” The mousse is made with rich and dark chocolate. I can say that the chocolate used is of really good quality; the snap of the chocolate work in the garnish, the smoothness in the texture of the mousse and the over-all bittersweet flavor and mouth-feel of the dessert. The meringue layer is light and crisp, which is very difficult to achieve for desserts like these especially if it is taken out. I was truly impressed! It was nothing but perfect. A SUPER WOW dessert for me.

When the Plane Landed

It was around 2pm when we reached Bangkok. They are one hour behind Manila time so our next meal was somewhere in between lunch and meryienda. Surprisingly, Bangkok is indeed much more developed than Manila. I felt a little sad why we got so left behind when a few years back they were catching up behind us. They have good roads and infrastructure. When we reached the hotel, I was starting to get hungry. Around 2:30 most probably. We went to Food Park located at the 5th floor of The Emporium, One of Bankok’s high-end shopping center. Its comparable to Dish at Rockwell but with finer restaurants and modern-chic interiors. I was determined to get my first pad-thai. Yummy is the only word to describe it!





I also had chicken and shrimp dumplings. It was cooked to perfection. This is indeed a happy meal! I was looking around the other food shops and noticed Lenotre and Visage! WOW! I got excited! These are really popular Patisseries from Master Pastry Chefs in France and Asia Respectively. I did not have space for these wonderful sweets so decided to just come back for them after dinner.

As I was strolling around looking for what I would like to sample in the next few days, got attracted to the piles of fruits in their supermarket. They have large sweet melons, big red strawberries, cherries and apricots. They also have a wide selection of tropical fruits from durians to mangosteens, dragon fruits and perfectly ripened papayas. WOW! Shopped for some fruits and headed back to the hotel with our bag of goodies. My sister just arrived from her meeting and bought with her a bag of lansonses! Locally grown, these little berries are nothing but bursts of sweetness. Sad to say, but a world of difference from what we have in Manila. I do hope we can grow the same quality of fruits in our country.

In Between Countries

12:00nn - Now in the plane headed to Bangkok. Slept half way through the flight. Have one more hour before we reach Thailand. I’m really excited with the food that I will be savoring! Now I’ll get to try authentic Thai Cuisine!

We had A Malaysian Brunch at the Airport at Killiney Kopitiam a while ago. Had otah a rectangular fish cake with robust flavors and chili, wrapped in banana leaves. We also had Malaysian chicken curry and Nasi Lemak (rice with Malaysian chilli sauce and fried fish). I had it with milk tea and my sister had black coffee. No food pictures for this meal, kinda famished. After our quick breakfast we headed to the Duty Free Shops and went to shop for some make up. The Airport in Singapore is one of the best I’ve been to so far. Modern interiors, very spacious and generally great shopping.

Sweetness!

Here are some of the sweetness I’ve sampled the past few days. Blissful moments I may say. Thanks to my sister who has been saving some of the confections in this list for me from her travels.

RICOPERTI AMARETTI VIRGINIA. Amarettis are Italian cookies made from ground almonds, egg whites and sugar. This one is slightly different since its much lighter compared to the chewier ones that I have tried previously. The cookies are dipped in milk chocolate. Almonds and chocolate, truly a classic combination. My sister got this from Café Cino at Hilton Kuala Lumpur. These cookies are imported from Italy. She instantly got addicted to it with her first bite. She couldn’t find it here in Singapore though. Well I guess its something to make her look forward to flying out for work again.



EL ALMENDRO TURRON BLANDO is made from finely gound almonds put together by milflores honey, and a hint of cinnamon. El Almendro follows five centuries of traditional Mediterranean recipe. This is the recommended brand of turron by the Spanish Tourism Board It is a cross between nougat and mazapan with a rich praline-like nutty flavor. Take it in small portions for utmost enjoyment.



PRESTAT ORGANIC MILK CHOCOLATE. All ingredients used in this wonderful box of chocolates are organic. Made in London, these wafers are handmade so as to be exceptionally thin. Prestat chocolates have been enjoyed by royalty and nobility, by stars of the stage and screen and, even, by bishops and abbots for over 100 years. The chocolate melts in your mouth, and at the right temperature, it snaps - an indication of its superior quality. It is slightly spiced with a hint of cinnamon.



LINDT LINDOR DARK CHOCOLATES. With all the different chocolates that I have tried, I think Lindt chocolates still has a superior smooth mouth feel compared to other brands. Lindor are pralines with a smooth chocolate filling inside. Lindor Dark's bittersweet flavor is simply sublime! Lindt has given me a lot of fond food memories. I remembered when I was still a child an aunt of mine gave me a box. It was a combination of different kinds of chocolates from milk to dark, filled with different nuts, liquor, and dried fruits. Every piece opened was a surprise. It was one of my best Christmas gifts ever. I did not know how to read back then so I did not really know what it was. From that time on, I was always looking for that chocolate. My mom would buy me other chocolate brands which I did enjoy as well but I knew it was not what I had back then. I was continuously searching and hoping that I’d get that mystery chocolate that I once had. Then during the duty-free hay days, I found a familiar packaging of gold and celadon green. That was the Lindt Pistachio. Right there and then, I knew I’ve found what I was looking for. This is my chocolate! As I grew up and got into my profession, I learned that indeed this was the best chocolate even the Pastry Chefs in France prefer. Its really delightful for me to realize that at an early age, I already knew the difference between superior chocolates and the not-so-good ones. Still my happy potion until now!

Wine and Cheese

My sister and I have been wanting to have wine and cheese together since we had our tour last year. Well now she has her own stash in her wine chiller and Bugis Juction is just a stone's throw away from her place so we got ourselves some pecans, grapes, crackers and of course cheeses. We originally felt like having a Chianti so we chose the camembert and gouda. I also got myself some black cherries! It was a temptation I could not resist. Cooked dinner for the family that night. Pan-seared salmon with pesto sauce and broccoli florets. (The salmon was great! It was really fresh which made a whole world of difference). After dinner my sister felt like she wanted a Cabernet Sauvignon so we decided to meet somewhere in between so we agreed to opened a bottle of Casillero del Diablo Merlot 2005. It was great of course! We chatted the whole night till the wee hours of the morning. Another fine addition to my food memories.

Muthu's Curry

Whenever I visit Singapore, it is a must that I go to a really good Indian restaurant. This time its Muthu’s Curry. Its located at Race Course Road, easier to take a bus than the MRT to reach this place. A modern looking restaurant with gold accented tiles, yellow light and ceiling draping. By special request, I specifically asked for my sister to bring me to a place where I can get good Indian bread. We had poppadum for our apps. These are very light and crisp bread as thin as potato chips. The flavor is quite neutral but it was spiced up a sprinkling of cumin seeds. Good start, really got me excited to get through the meal! Then we ordered 2 more kinds, which we all shared. We had romali rotti. This rotti is quite different from the ones that we have in Manila. This is the chewy version that is stretched really thin. As thin as fabric! No exaggeration!


Then we had buttered naan. Unlike most Indian bread, this is leavened with yeast, an exception to their collection. These breads are traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven, which is heated to a fierce temperature. These were served with 3 different dips. The first and my favorite is palak paneer. It is made with pureed spinach, little bit of spices and cubes of paneer (Indian cheese). This is not as hot as compared to the other two dips that we ordered. We also had Masala Dhal (dhal in a sauce spiced up with masala) and Murgh Makhni (buttered chicken in curry sauce). Good thing I ordered sweet lassi (sweetened yogurt) for my drink! Cooled the hot sensation of the chilies. My sister got the masala tea. Its black tea with milk infused with cardamom and a hint of cinnamon. For our entrée, we had fish head curry and Shish Kebab. They served their kebab with lots of cilantro! It balanced the strong flavor of the lamb and cools down the heat from the chilies.



It’s really good. We had this with our biryani rice, not much flavorful but just right for the strong dishes that go with it. I was so full at the end of the meal. But I was determined to go the full course and would NOT leave until I get myself some dessert. With a full stomach, we ordered kulfi! It was well worth it!

Kulfi is their traditional Indian ice cream. Though not as smooth as an Italian gelato, the flavors are sublime. The texture is comparable to the dirty ice cream that we have in Manila. The combination of the ingredients used really impressed and truly inspired me to be adventurous with spices in my desserts again. For one, the pistachio kulfi is flavored with cardamom. A combination that I used to play around with in my ice cream making days when I was still a culinary student. Someone did actually do this!! Aside from the bits of pistachios, it has a slight hint of almond. Makes it more interesting. The Strawberry kulfi was a surprise for me! I thought it was just plain strawberry… just that! But Whoa! There was something in it! A familiar flavor that I knew I had tasted before but can’t seem to really determine it with my first spoonful. Tried it again… Turkish Delight! It’s the candy that a nice Aussie lady offered me during my wine tasting tour in Sydney. I didn’t like it then, could not even finish one bite of it! I thought it tasted like soap. This time though, I love it! Just enough to give the dessert an interesting twist, very refreshing and not too overwhelming to make it seem like I drank a whole bottle of perfume. This meal is definitely a WOW for me! Good start… Perfect ending!

Dance and Dine - Singaporean Way

Right after the plane landed, August 18, 1:00 am. I was half asleep I guess. Passed through the immigration officer then got my luggage. My sister was waiting for me outside. First thing she told me… “ Lets drop your luggage at home then head back to Clark Quay. Having a little party. Exactly what we did! When we reached Clark Quay, makes me wonder if I indeed landed in Singapore. The place was packed with Europeans, Australians and Americans and a sprinkling of Asians. Went straight to a bar - China One where our Adobe friends were waiting for us. Had a couple of grapefruit vodka on the rocks and partied till dawn almost broke. What was great about the bar scene here in Singapore is that it’s non-smoking! Well perfect for me! John was sharing that smoking is not allowed in bars, restos and hotels here and that soon Europe and Other Asian countries would follow that policy. (Hmmm... I can imagine a lot of squinting from my smoker friends)

4:00am, after partying, Bruce got sooo hungry and wanted to treat us to his favorite dimsum place at Geylang. We rode a Mercedes Cab (they travel in style by the way) and went to 126 Eating House - Street Hawker food! It was great! The sio pao was yummy, yummy. The bread was really light and melts in your mouth and it was perfectly white. We also had different varieties of crisply fried and just-got-out-of-the-steamer hot hot dumplings -shrimp, pork and sharkfins. Their fried fish fillets was really great! It has a crisp crust and the fish was well cooked, juicy and tender. Dimsum here in Singapore are very flavorful, though generally less salty as compared to the ones in Manila. Since Bruce is Dutch-Indian and John is Malaysian-Chinese, we had interesting conversations about our different cultures, food and religion (Indian God Ganesh with an elephant head!) John suggests that I try should try the pastries and cakes at My Secret Recipe in Malaysia. He says its good! This is just a great way to end the night… or start a day!

The Real Journey Begins...

I have just finished packing up my stuff! Got messages from Abi (Yes Abi I have finished packing up finally!), Henry and Jeff as well as my dear Aunt Ofy wishing me good lucks and happy trips! Jen was so sweet to have been writing blog entries of well wishes and chatting with me up until the last few minutes of my packing up hours. I will miss you too Jen! In a while we'll be heading off to the airport for our first stop! Singapore! :) I will surely visit Canelle Patisserie and have a little chit chat with Chef Pang! I love his desserts. I don't think he still remembers me from my last visit, will still drop by nonetheless. Really excited! I hope the rain slows down a bit though.... :)

Focaccia Focaccia!

Long been overdue this picture! Well here it goes my focaccia from last week! I loved the well spaced soft crumbs as well as the crisp thin crust! Knock it at the bottom and it has that nice hollow sound :) I used garlic and herb infused olive oil to give it a more interesting flavor. I Invited my friend abi to have dinner with me and i served that to her as a starter! She loved it as well, even wanted to get the rest of it for "baon"! Hahahaha. I'll make more for you Abi, promise! Life's simple pleasure. Feels great to be able to make a friend happy with a simple dinner at home.

Focaccia!

There’s something about making bread that is magical. How fascinating it is that with flour, water, yeast and a little bit of salt, one can make it with different textures and flavors. When I make bread, I feel like, I’m just a part of the process, just mixing and shaping it at the right moment. The bulk of it is just allowing nature to take its course.

Last night before I slept I felt an urge to make bread. I prepared my poolish pre-ferment and went to bed. When I woke up, just like inspiration struck me, I though I want to make focaccia. Something simple but has always been a favorite of mine. Back in high school, I have always wanted to be able to make it. I remembered having these wonderful bread in Italianis and Uno. Then I wondered, when could I ever make one of these? I guess I got my answer….. Today! While my banana bread is warming up in the oven and my daily espresso shot brews in may mocca, I measured up my ingredients and started working on it. While fermenting, I had my breakfast. A good way to start the day isn’t it? Went on to work on my wedding cake again. Will take short breaks in between to shape and bake my focaccia. Let’s see how it goes later.

To Be Or Not To Be

Got a text message from my Aunt Ofy this morning thanking me for the banana kleintorte that I gave. She said she's going to miss me and if ever I go, no one would send them desserts anymore. I would miss them too! They have been like family to me. Its been a while since I have actually made something for them. Her daughter Marielle will be taking up culinary after high school so I assured her she'll still get gourmet food regularly. Actually, two of my cousins thought of getting into the culinary profession. Well to help them decide I asked both of them to join me in one of my events. Jade was the first one. I had a wedding at The Penn and I asked her to help me assembel my croquembouch towers. At the end of the day, she made her conclusion and decided to take up fashion design instead. That was not even considered hard core kitchen work. We were inside a function room, sitting down on cushioned chairs, and walking on carpeted floors. I always thought she was more of the fashionista. :) Marielle on the other hand assisted me to assemble a chocolate wedding cake at the Rockwell tent and helped me prepare some items for a consultancy job that I had. After a whole weeks worth of kitchen and paper work, she knew it was for her and was fully decided to take that path after hight school. Feels good to have helped them in a way decide on this very crucial stage in their life. But then again, the search for ones purpose in life does not end when one sets foot in college. Its just the beginning. Good luck my dear cousins! I'm sure you'll do well in whatever field you take!

Ironic

I had a funny conversation with two other baking aficionados this morning. A very talented and beautiful woman who has been in the baking and wedding cake industry for over 20 years now. She was my chef instructor. I have a high regard for her craft and her business acumen! With us is a pastry student currently taking up her apprenticeship at Mandarin. Her fiancé came with her. They really look good together, getting married really soon.

It started out with stories in kitchen, long hours, no holiday, no weekend schedules, kitchen boo-boos and burn marks- lots of em! Oh and yes… ugly dry calloused hands and veins popping out of your tired feet! Suddenly my Chef instructor commented. Looking at the only thorn among the roses in our table. “ You think she will actually cook for you every day when you get married?---- Of course not!” I couldn’t agree more. Our lives revolve around the kitchen. Imagine standing and cooking for more than 12 hours a day, preparing for a function of not less than a hundred people or perhaps doing a wedding cake as tall as a human being (even taller). By the time we get home. All energy is drained out. The trick is, she shares… “If you have a restaurant, put in your hubby’s favorite dishes in the menu! That way, whenever he wants to have something, he can just order it!” – Smart huh?!
How ironic that as pastry chefs and cake makers, we never have cakes for our own birthdays. I thought it was just me, hahahaha NOT. It’s our birthday…. So most probably we will be at some spa relaxing and getting a massage or in some nice resto having wine and cheese instead of baking. Cakes for sons, daughters are usually grand though! (With a little bit of say… overruns from the sugar flower production line. A little crack or discoloration in the petal won’t hurt would it???? Hehehehehehe.).

The message???? As much as we may seem excessively obsessed with perfection, effortlessly bringing out items from the kitchen… when the ovens are shut off and the kitchen lights are out, it is actually the support and understanding of family and friends that gives us that much energy and time to bring out only the best from our kitchen. With out them, it would be impossible to go through it all. Thanks to my family and friends, owe it to you!

My First Love

I love what I do. I am at my happiest when I get to play around the kitchen, measuring and mixing butter, sugar, flour chocolates and eggs. I am fascinated by breads, cakes and pastries. How a few ingredients handled differently can become hundreds of different things. It’s an unexplainable bliss to be able to create wonderful desserts and heaven to see empty plates all wiped out. Raves and compliments are music to my ears. That’s why I love what I do.

Started out as child’s play. A hobby. An ambition. Now a journey. As a culinary student, every waking day was something that I look forward to. It was another day of learning, new techniques, new ingredients, new flavors. As a Cake artist, each and every work of art should be nothing less than perfect. As an instructor, becoming an inspiration to others is what matters most.

What’s next is something that truly excites me. Another dream that I hope will come true. In the next few months, things may still be the same, or may totally change. It is a journey that I look forward to taking. A Pastry Chef’s Journey.