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Today's class was not actually plating desserts but making a lot of different creams, sauces, cookies, tart shells, nuts, and garnishes to plate tomorrow. With about 15 people in class, we were divided into four teams with about 4 to 5 things to do each. With Natasha, Long Island Lolita, and Squarehead on my side, we were assigned caramel sauce, lemon confit, orange and chocolate pastry cream, pate sablée, and crystallized mint and cilantro.Before we began, we practiced piping with melted compound 
chocolate. Compound chocolate is chocolate made with a large amount of vegetable fat -- it doesn't need to be tempered to harden when cooled, but tastes cheap and fatty. Rolling up triangles of parchment to make the cornets needed to get the fine piping lines, we all had to write "Happy Birthday" over and over again, either in print or cursive. It's surprising how many people misspelled this. It's tricky getting smooth lines, I found the faster I drew, the nicer the lines but the sloppier the letters. And it was too easy to eat the ink.
chocolate. Compound chocolate is chocolate made with a large amount of vegetable fat -- it doesn't need to be tempered to harden when cooled, but tastes cheap and fatty. Rolling up triangles of parchment to make the cornets needed to get the fine piping lines, we all had to write "Happy Birthday" over and over again, either in print or cursive. It's surprising how many people misspelled this. It's tricky getting smooth lines, I found the faster I drew, the nicer the lines but the sloppier the letters. And it was too easy to eat the ink.
We divided up responsibilities, and I ended up making crystallized mint leaves and crystallized cilantro. Very simple garnish: wash and dry the plucked whole leaves and lay out. Brush lightly with egg white, sprinkle superfine sugar over it. Let dry for a few minutes, turn, repeat. Let dry a bit, transfer to a clean sheet, wipe off excess lumpy sugar. When it dries, the egg white stiffens the leaf, and keeps the sugar adhering.
Tomorrow, we make some more stuff, bust out some frozen treats from last week, and then create some REAL food porn for all y'all.
ADDENDA:
Started digging for an externship in pizza. I graduate from this here cookin' school in a month, I'm debating whether to blog about my time slaving in a pizza restaurant.
BREAKFAST: 6:30am, banana, .25 bowl, hunger 2/5
Last night's pasta still weighing on me, felt good but not very hungry at all.
AM TASTINGS: 9-11am, melted piping chocolate, melted chocolate on french bread, bits of roasted nuts, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
LUNCH: 1pm, salad pizza, fresh moz pizza, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
From Pie by the Pound, OK, not great.
PM SNACK: 5:30, 6 small pork dumplings, salad, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
From Rickshaw Dumpling, very overrated.
DINNER: 6:46pm, shrimp with rice noodles, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Half assed Vietnamese food.
From Pie by the Pound, OK, not great.
PM SNACK: 5:30, 6 small pork dumplings, salad, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
From Rickshaw Dumpling, very overrated.
DINNER: 6:46pm, shrimp with rice noodles, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Half assed Vietnamese food.
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