Paris adventures & Le Cordon Bleu Training update 2

July 2, 2015July 2, 20152 Comments

Hello :D!

Woah! I can’t believe it’s already halfway through the course, we’re at lesson 10 already :D.

Dacquoise cake with marzipan rose ( 😛 first rose I ever made)

Although it’s getting more intense and challenging, I am learning new things about my physical strength. HAHA… everything at school is done BY HAND! Literally in this picture above, each class member had to whip up 5 egg whites to make the meringue sponges and 7 egg yolks with HOT cooked sugar and cold butter to make the beautiful praline buttercream.

Intense but FUN :D.

Here I must thank the people who have been praying for my wrist and encouraging me to keep positive. I was tentative at the beginning, because I felt a bit of aching pain after the first two lessons of making pastry dough and was afraid of my wrist would hurt more or worse re-injure myself. But it has been going very well, everyday my wrist has gotten stronger and I believe it’s 100% now and I’m no longer afraid 😀 THANK YOU!

The school timetable is pretty intense, but we’ve been lucky to be given 2 LONG weekends.

A classmate and I decided to take advantage of this long weekend to see a museum and patisserie hop. (:P haha, I know I am still able to eat pastries even though surrounded by it all day long at school.)

Le Cordon Bleu training begins….

June 26, 2015June 26, 20152 Comments

Apple Tart

Hello! Apologies for not being on time with posts ><”

School began about 10 days ago, and I haven’t had a single real moment to reflect and think about what to share with all of you.

One word that keeps popping up is intense. The course is labeled “Intensive Basic Patisserie”, and let me assure you, it has been INTENSE!

Days usually comprise of at least one demonstration class (3 hours), where chef shows and teaches techniques you will have to replicate in practical class (3hours). A minimum of 6 hours of class a day. We’re already up to lesson 8, that is 48 hours of baking!!!

Madeleines – Apparently the “heads” on these pastries are its main feature I’ve been displaying my madeleines the wrong way all this time

Paris Adventures Before School Begins

June 16, 2015June 16, 20155 Comments

Bonjiour!

I made it to Paris 😀 after a LOOOooOoNG 12 hour flight.

It’s two days before school begins, and I’ve already eaten and seen so many beautiful things here.

Let me take you on a tour of my version of the Parisian experience. Very limited at the moment, but let’s hope I can build up.

I’m living currently in an AirBnB hired apartment in the 15th arrondissement (kind of like a suburb which refer to as in Melbourne).

It’s a quiet suburban area but FULL of so many places to explore, although I did venture outside my arrondissement too.

I’ll share with you the most memorable moments over the past few days, I’ll also link the address to the places in case ONE DAY you all decide to come to France for your own adventure 😀

In transit to Paris ~ Hong Kong

June 13, 2015June 13, 20151 Comment

Hello from Hong Kong!

I arrived in Hong Kong two days ago and it is HOoOOoooOOT! (humid summers)

Over the last 2 and half days I’ve been eating my heart out 😀 with the foods I don’t normally get to eat so freely in Melbourne 😛

My dearest cousin has been on this munching journey with me 😀

The end of a long chapter of life into a new adventure

June 8, 2015June 8, 20156 Comments

Bonjour!

So……..I am off to Paris this week! 😀

It’s been a long journey to come to this next part of my journey in life. Letting go of a routine that I’ve been doing for about 4 years, into a new adventure 😀

It’s so EXCITING! I am going to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

A hospitality school that I learnt about through the movie “Julie and Julia” (a must watch! If you have not seen it yet)

Let me give you all a tad of a background, I’ll try to be short.

I’m what you would describe as a “safe” person, I graduated high school, and went straight into university then onto working life. Adventure is A LOT not a bit daunting for me.

Continue reading →

Korean Pickled Radish

May 26, 2015May 26, 2015Leave a comment

Recently I picked up some pretty cheap white radish or daikon (korean white radish) which prompted me to make and share this recipe with all of you.

Pickles is not something I ate growing up, apart from the pickles that came in a MacDonald’s cheeseburger. And even then, I’d pick them out and toss them to my sister or Mama Choy to clear up. 😛

I simply was not a fan of pickles.

UNTIL!… University. I don’t remember the exact point or restaurant I discovered this, but I am sure it was with some friends (M&N) eating KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) that I discovered that pickles can actually be yummy ^_^

I discovered how to make these types of pickles which I refer to as “cheat’s method for pickles” from my neighbor

She shared with me the secret of pickling root vegetables, that I could eat without my nose screwing up, WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE!!

I like to have it along side BBQ meats, with dumplings, with noodles, as a snack on its own, or my favorite is to have it after a heavy meal and it makes me feel so much better!

Let me show you how easy it is to eat it, and it goes with almost ANYTHING 😛

Lemon Pound Cake

May 19, 2015May 20, 20153 Comments

Growing up, one of my favorite cakes was bought from Asian bread stores. It is a square slice of chocolate vanilla marble pound cake.

This cake is not only memorable by its buttery large moist cake crumb, but its packaging. 😀

I was and still am, so fascinated at how tightly wrapped this cake was

Also the fact that if I couldn’t finish the whole slice in one sitting, I could portion it out to last me all day. When I’d had enough I could use the glad wrap to re-wrap the cake, so that it stayed fresh for the next snack session 😛

I still love this vanilla pound cake today and occasionally buy it, but I wanted more of a fresh and zing to this traditional cake.

Hence, the birth of LEMON pound cake into my life 😀

Choyful.

Joyful food for thought