We all scream for ice cream

With the confidence of 12 weeks at Le Cordon Bleu under my belt, I felt the need to experiment a little on my own.  When my very generous friend Bobbi brought over a ton of gorgeous fresh produce, I felt the need to put it to good use. But having just made a fruit tart for my practical on Saturday, I was all tarted-out.  As the once beautifully yellow bananas were starting develop brown spots, they beckoned me to hurry up and bake something.  I thought about the obvious choice, banana nut bread, but to be honest, I needed a little break from all the baked goods.  I then turned to my fabulous ice cream cookbook, "The Perfect Scoop," by David Lebowitz and found so many delicious recipes.  Inspired, I went out and bought a bunch of liqueurs with which to flavor my ice creams.  Frankly, I felt the grocery store clerk was a little judgemental when I came to the checkstand with limoncello, Chambord, kahlua, coconut rum ( I already had both light and dark rum at home), and grand marnier (I had just run out).  I returned home fully armed and ready to start.  First off, roasted banana ice cream.  The recipe calls for cutting the banana into slices and roasting in the oven with brown sugar and butter, but I felt that rum was indicated here.  But I was uncertain whether dark rum or coconut rum would be more appropriate.  So I made one batch of each.  Unfortunately, the time of 40 minutes that the recipe called for turned out to be too much for my little bananas, and I burnt the ones with the dark rum.  No worries, I took out the coconut rum batch of bananas which I had put it in 10 minutes after the dark rum batch, after a total roasting of 30 minutes at 400 degrees farenheit - and they were perfect. (After 15 minutes I had stirred them up to ensure even cooking). Since I couldn't figure out how to turn on my new food processor (I will have to have my cousin Christopher to figure it out for me), I put the bananas in the blender with the rest of the ingredients and pureed until smooth.  I then poured it through a fine mesh strainer into my Kitchenaid ice cream attachment and 15 minutes later - voila!  I don't want to be one of those people, but let's just say, it was so good, that I gave a pint of it to my friend Breana, and two hours later it was all gone.  But don't worry, I have another pint in the fridge.  In addition, I took all the left-over berries I had from making my fruit tart on Saturday (see Elena, I'm not wasting them) and covered them with sugar and grand marnier overnight.  Adding a squirt lemon juice, a quick puree, and again through the strainer and subsequent ice cream attachment, I made the most delish berry sorbet, that unfortunately I ate the entire pint of last night.  Mmmmmmm.  The moral of the story - is that with very little time and preparation, you can make an amazing frozen treat and use up all your fruit that would otherwise go to waste.  Thank you, David Lebowitz.  You are my new hero!

The dog ate my homework

  Since I had missed class on Friday I was a bit behind so on Saturday I had to make 3 cakes - freeze two and decorate one.  I had just enough time to make my swiss buttercream with meyer lemon and champagne extract, but was unable to decorate the cake in class.  Chef agreed that I could take it home and decorate it there.  So last night I finally had the energy to decorate the cake - I got out all my supplies.  I put the cake on my Wilton turntable and carefully scored the side of the cake with my serrated knife, keeping the knife steady and slowly turning the turntable.  I then continued the cut all the way through, creating two nearly symmetric layers.  I brushed each layer with simple syrup.  Then I decided to put raspberry jam on the bottom layer, so I put the top layer in the box and continued to work on the bottom layer.  Chef told us if we were to put jam or lemon curd on, we should first pipe a barrier of buttercream on the outside edge to keep the jam from oozing out.  But I had left my pastry bags in the other room.  I went to get them and came back 20 seconds later but it was too late.  Bella, my very naughty German Shephard was halfway done with the bottom layer.  I looked blankly at the remaining layer sitting in the box and thought about how I could salvage the situation.  Then I remembered my round cookie/cake cutters - I cut two small rounds out of the remaining layer.  I then completed the decor, in the little cake you see above. 

The dog slept well after her indulgence.

I learned to never trust a naughty German Shephard alone with a chiffon cake.

It's not brain surgery

I have spent my entire adult life working towards the goal of becoming a brain surgeon.  Now with 4 more years to go, I find myself with a little break.  I haven't had a break from the constant struggle towards my goal in over 10 years so I had to make it a Ferris Beuhler's break and take this time to do all the things I haven't gotten to do because I was always so busy in the hospital.  One of them is to learn how to bake - I mean really learn how to do it right.  I have always wanted to know how to make the perfect pie and the most delicious cookies and cakes, but to be honest, I never really knew where to start.  I had never made a pie - ever, not even from an already made crust.  And the only cakes I ever made were cupcakes from a box.  So I decided it was now or never.  I enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu's Weekend Pastry and Baking Program and started baking - even pie!  What was amazing was the similarities baking has to surgery.  You have to prepare ahead of time what you will be making and know your recipe and how you're going to perform the different steps, just as you would a surgery.  You're hair must be up and covered.  Your nails must be short and clean.  The only difference is in surgery it's a little easier going in that you can wear earings - which are absolutely forbidden in the baker's kitchen for fear some pearl stud may wind up in someone's chocolate eclair.
So, earringless and with my hair in a bun (pardon the pun), I embark on my journey to learn how to make delicious pastries and baked goods.  I invite you to come along with me on my journey and perhaps share with me some of your own experiences.  Together we can help each other learn how to make the perfect pie crust, the most mouth-watering French macaroon, and the most delectable desserts - previously only experienced at too expensive for me to afford on a resident's salary-restaurants, now being served in our own kitchens!