I need to freaking let go already. Aggghhhhhh

talk about sugar overload...

So my trail went well, I think! (I'll know officially by Friday if I get the position...) It was fun working in a real restaurant kitchen, and everyone was really nice and patient and stuff, even when my nerves got the best of me and I kinda made a few mistakes here and there...

The kitchen crew ate dinner ("family meal", which looked DELICIOUS by the way), at 4:00PM, but I was sooo full from all 239874 breads that we made (and took home) in class today, so I didn't eat anything. Throughout the night, though, Chef Jansen fed me various desserts, like this graham-cracker semifreddo with a toasted marshmallow sauce (that I made!) and some chocolate sauce (a take-off of s'mores), a deconstructed meyer-lemon sticky rice pudding with rice foam, and this super-sweet meringue souffle with a caramel sauce.. (it was so sweet I took one bite and threw it away).

When I was done with all my work, Chef handed me the dinner dessert menu and told me to pick something that looked interesting, so I chose the Brown Butter Cheesecake.

Pictured above is the brown butter cheesecake baked on top of a pecan daquoise, rolled in crumbled pecan daquoise, topped with creme chantilly and a scoop of banana sorbet (my absolute favorite part of it all!), served with some bruleed bananas, pecan tuile, salted caramel (really salty), and some candied pecans. I think all the components meshed really well, and I appreciate the fact that they give you a large portion, seeing as it's $12...

BUT. It was sooooooo rich and such a large portion that I couldn't finish it, so I ended up throwing 1/3 of the cheesecake away. (gasp) I proceeded to leave the restaurant with a headache from all the sugar I consumed that night, and when I got home, I had to lie on the couch to regain my composure....

What's weird is that the more I bake and stuff, the less I'm able to consume large amounts of sugar. Maybe it's me getting old. Either way, the irony . . .

first ever trail!

In culinary speak, a "trail" is the interview, or audition to make it into the kitchen as a cook. You go in for a shift and work for them, and all the while they're observing your technique, cleanliness, attitude, etc. If both parties feel like it's a good fit, then yay, you're hired!

So with that said...I have my first trail tomorrow at Oceana, a fine-dining seafood restaurant in midtown west, for an extern position. I met the pastry chef at our school's job fair a few weeks ago, and we bonded over talking about dim sum (since it's his life passion to learn, and I happen to know how to make it!) He's known for his awesome plating (it definitely helps to have an architecture degree and background...), and really nurturing teaching-style. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time because I really really want it, so pray for meeee please!

:)

Be strong and take heart

Psalm 31

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

...

⁹ Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.

¹⁰ My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
and my bones grow weak.

...

¹⁴ But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."

...

¹⁹ How great is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you,
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.

...

²⁴ Be strong and take heart,

all you who hope in the LORD.

The s t e a d f a s t love of the Lord never ceases.

His mercies never come to an end.

They are new every morning, new every morning.

Great is thy faithfulness, O Lord.

Great is thy faithfulness.