NYC - NY

I learned these abbreviations in 1968, as a Freshman at Tufts, when I was sending letters (no Email or SMS then) to friends in the Big Apple. NYC is New York City & NY was New York State. Fast forward 41 years, these 5 alphabets carry different meanings altogether, as they appropriately describe my very existence @ LCB.

'Raymond, have you strained the sauce?' Not Yet, Chef! 'Is the souffle in the oven?' Not Yet, Chef! 'What about the salmon, is it cooked?' Not Yet Chef!

For now, NYC is 'Not Yet Chef' & NY is, of course, 'Not Yet'. If you think this is funny, please don't, it is not. Let me tell you why.

LCB competence assessment is categorized as follows :

CD = 90-100% Competent with Distinction
CM = 70-89% Competent with Merit
C = 50-69% Competent
NYC = 00-49% Not Yet Competent ***HELLO, I am here ***
WD = Withdrawn

So ... I told the Patisserie Chefs I gave myself a new nickname. Call me New York or New York City which stands for 'Not Yet', 'Not Yet Chef' & in the worst case scenario 'Not Yet Competent'. Chef Olivier thought it is funny, asked me the other day 'Raymond, are you still in New York City or are you closer to Australia today?' I told him I was en-route. somewhere between Tokyo & Sydney, I will be here soon. It was even more embarrassing when Chef Michael, who reads my blog, asked ' ... so how is TangCanCook doing today?' Talk about a 'red face'!

DOES THIS MAN LOOK 60?

We had this super funny waiter at Capitan Torres who kept everyone super amused, all night. He immediately identified me as the 'Professor' as I was glaringly out of place. Later on in the evening, after litres of house red, we were all relaxed as he became better & better. When he heard we are classmates at cooking school, he brought out a plate with 4 tiny whitebaits on it, surrounded by lines of ketchup & lemon wedges ' ... so what do you think of my award winning Cordon Bleu presentation'? Those $ sign spectacles were funny, I was asked to put them on, with a classic 'Asian pose' ie the V-sign. The waiter is right behind me, calls me 'Canton' when he found out I am from Hong Kong. A migrant from Portugal he should be in show biz as he is proficient in multi-European languages. He is very entertaining, very gifted in that way, and very good at it. I asked for another glass ' ... that will be 50 Euros, Professor' and as I leave, ' ... thank you for flying Cathay Pacific Canton, did you enjoy our inflight yum-cha ...' I was in tears, it was such a wonderful night out. I needed the decompression!

LCB - DINERS

While all of us are reminded of L'Art deVivre living in Sydney, a few of us took that extra step to 'live it'. LCB Diners was conceived and formed when 4 of us (Esther, Felix, Evans & myself) dined at Nick's Seafood a couple of weeks ago. Capitan Torres, a fun Spainsh restaurant at the heart of the city, was our 2nd event last evening. The Paella, Seafood Platter, & Tapas were delish. We had drinks at the Albion Place Hotel and these folks can drink like a fish alright. I even had a Petit Robusto al fresco with double McCallans to de-stress. My orders are to organize a Cantonese banquet, plus Indian curry at Mantra in Top Ryde near our school. There goes my diet plans. As the group grows we added Grace, Julia, Git & Scott this time. The more the merrier, in fact, as our friendship develops, and we only have 5 more weeks to do this. I feel like 'Uncle Raymond' here in the midst of fine 'Chef-Lings' as Git from Singapore calls himself. These extremely talented young professionals are so driven, I feel I can touch their energy & dynamism. They have so much future, can you imagine graduating with a full LCB Diploma in your early 20's?

I told them, when they are big culinary names in their respective markets, one day a bewildered maitre'd will come into the pass and announce ' .... I am sorry to interrupt, Chef. There is an elderly gentleman outside who insists to see you at his table, right away. He did not have anything to drink and I might even have heard him wrong ... he said, you were at cooking school, together? ....' I just love it!

PARIS BREST

First of all, Gentlemen, it is Brest - a town in France - without the 'a' as in breast. This very delicious pasty was named after the internationally famous Paris to Brest cycling race in France. Presumably the round rings denote the wheels?

Day 3 was a continuation of Choux practice, and for me, my piping technique. This requires steady and articulate hands, which I lack. We have to be precise, artistic & clean. I know I am not good at the first two skills, only to find out I was barely handling skill 3. The 'pipe' is an untamed animal, it is very easy to 'mess up'. If that happens at assessment, we lose points. After taking copious notes & watching the Chefs demo like a hawk for 2 days, I managed to get the steps right on Day 3, a big relief. My Paris Brest looked the part, even tasted right (to me) even though they did not look as refined as my young classmates'. Ce la vie ... I blame that on my age. If you have a moment between June 25th - 27th please say a little prayer for me. I shall need all the help I can get by then.

For my sins on Day 2 Chef Michael ordered another tray of Eclairs. I did it gingerly, aiming for 12cm each, as I began to get better cooperation from my pipe. When they came out of the oven daman said ' ... Raymond, if you produce 10 of these on assessment day you'll be right', made my day! With that encouraging remark I decided 'to let my hair down', with my new young friends.

CHOUX PASTE - ECLAIRS

On Week 5 in Patisserie we had 3 whole days on Choux Paste & Creme Patisserie, then apply them to dessert & afternoon items like cream puffs, eclairs as shown. Choux means 'cabbage' in French because cream puffs have a visual appearance of a cabbage, hence Choux is called 'Cream Puff Pastry' even though it is used in both sweets & savories. I was nervous as Choux is 1 of 3 test items in the last week of June, the others are Puff Pastry & Fruit Flan. These 3 lessons were the only chance for me to get it right, the next time I look Choux in the eyes would be exam time. Get it?

We had to do 3 things right to get anywhere (1) Choux Paste (2) Creme Pat & (3) Fondant. On Day 1 we did Cream Puffs and mine were the walking definition of 'extra-ordinary' ie in 2 separate words which means ... 'very ordinary' NOT 'extraordinary'. Eclairs were next on Day 2. I was even more nervous now as the exam order reads : 10 x Coffee Eclairs at 12 cm long, piped at 12 mm, with Coffee flavored Creme & Fondant. Eggs x 18, Butter x 175 gm, Milk x 1 litre, Vanilla Pod x half. Time 3.5 hours. Yes, it was a dry run of the real McCoy.

Verdict by Chef Michael ' ... none would be accepted if this were the exam, they were too large & uneven in size'. Bang, right between the eyes! I guess the cream filling & fondant (one hell of a seriously sweet affair this is) matter little if the size was wrong. Still edible, to me at least, they were spared from the bin. I thought I would seek consolation from the less discriminating motel staff. I was successful, and I felt much better.

NO WORRIES MATE!

If you are wondering what is happening as I seem to be hiding, I am OK. I have not posted anything on the blog because :

* I was stressed for 3 days in Patisserie this past week - see Choux Paste
* I was letting my hair down (tried to, that is, since I have no hair) - see LCB Diners
* I was affected by a parenting challenge

On point #3 I read some time ago that ... 'A parent can only be as happy as his or her most unhappy child'. Bingo! It is something that rings true in my life over the years. Parenting is an ongoing obligation that can take your breath away, both ways that is, depending whether it is good or bad news. Physical exhaustion from looking after them when they are young turns into mental anguish when they become adults, when the dynamics of the relationships change, when it is no longer just a simple parent-child environment. There is a certain bravado one has to adopt. One rationalizes, one becomes philosophical, one even laughs about it while all the time one is underscored by worries, frustrations & worse of all down-right fear of the 'what-if factor'.

Not all parents have to go through this. Some are fortunate, some are less fortunate but our creator is fair ... no one is spared, that I can assure you. You want to be a parent, you bettter be prepared. It is quite similar to acquiring the Basic, Intermediate & Advanced certificates @ LCB. One has to earn the credentials and even if one passes with distinction, the challenges 'out in industry' (as our Chefs love to remind us) are very different ie the hard realities of the real world are daunting, to say the least.

I apologize for another Sunday sermon, I did not mean to but my mind conspired with my hands and the verbiage flowed. I am feeling a bit sorry for myself, right now.

PS : what is the past tense of 'flow', it is not 'flew' I do not think, can someone please enlighten?

MY FIRST CUT

School started exactly a month ago on April 27th 2009 and to celebrate, I cut myself today. It was a small cut due to carelessness but a cut worthy of documentation for my journal. It was at Patisserie. I was trying to half a cream puff, thinking I should use a Slicer instead of a Chef's Knife, right idea but wrong application. I did not pay attention so the Slicer did its job, sliced the puff effortlessly, and then onto my finger - the same one that received a blister the other day. BTW the bandaids here at LCB are blue, in fact 'LCB Bleu', not because of the school color but rather an industry standard from what we are told. Apparently an opague or translucent bandaid will disappear in the food if it slips out, but a blue bandaid can always be found. I do not know who thought of it first, an occupational health specialist or a J&J marketing talent. Whoever, well done! I do not think Hong Kong has institutionalized this practice, have we Chef Donovan?

BEURRE!

Just to show the importance of ths subject matter in French cooking, we used this block in class yesterday instead of the individually wrapped supermarket version. The Chefs love to say 'in industry this is how we do things' .... sort of make a 'wannabe home cook' like me feel even smaller than I already am. Did I pledge the wrong fraternity? The recipe for the sorrel sauce in the salmon dish yesterday registers 260 ml of full cream AND 200 gm of butter .... hence the heavenly 'velvety' taste. I am sure Mimi Sham, my Dietitian, will have a word or two to say about this post.

GRADING

At the end of every lesson there is grading, a no BS exercise. The Chef will lay out a snow white table cloth on his bench, and we present our dishes with our name tags next to it. The class must pay attention to which plate to use for which course. Any plate heated over 90C is unacceptable as it will affect the immaculately prepared food, not to mention it might burn the diner. Fancy presentations will not get you anywhere, no brownie points here. Per Chef Steve 'I have seen them all, and I will not be impressed by any such creativity'. We are told garnish should not be over 5% on the plate, and they must be edible. In the first or second week one classmate garnished his dessert with a cinnamon stick, 'would you like to eat that for me' ... point taken, I guess the safe way is to copy the Chef's classic French presentation.

Grading means the Chefs will taste, comment & discuss everything (I mean everything) on the plate. There are 13 in my class .... just think of the gallantry of the task on hand, they shoud all get medals. My Supreme de Saumon a L'Oseille ie Sorrel Cream Sauce with Pomme Nature 'was slightly overcooked, but the sauce & potatoes were good'. The Chefs will inspect, will cut, will taste, will ask for response, will suggest ways to improve, will compliment, will encourage, and of cousre will bin if not edible - now how can I ever forget that - of course they will grade at the end. It is a serious & professional exchange, the moment of truth I have loads of respect for.

FILET DE BREME MEUNIERE

Another fish dish today : Fillet of Bream in Meuniere Sauce. 'Miller's Wife' is the direct translation of 'Meuniere' ... the story is she has access to flour, since her husband works in a mill, and also water where fresh fish are caught so she uses flour to coat the fish before pan frying, then serves it in a simple sauce of butter (but of course) lemon & parsley. This is Chef Steve's version as I forgot to take a photo of my own. Remember that great love affair : French Cooking & Beurre? Between the Bream, the Trout & the Hollandaise closed to 400 gm of beurre were engaged! For the Mueniere it is Beurre Noisette ie butter evenly cooked to brown color, it is ready when it releases that heavenly nutty 'nose'. Look at the sauce, it is not for the faint hearted, but it tastes so good. BTW my diet took a bad turn today as I shamelessly consumed my products at the end of class; including the Creme Caramel from the last lesson as dessert, complete with Creme Chantilly in a quenelle ie full cream whipped with icing sugar & vanilla. What can I say, this is LCB & like Chef Werner said yesterday, 'it is French'!

TRUITE AU BLEU

I have never cooked a whole fish, western style that is, today is the first time. 'Au Bleu' refers to the metallic blue color of the trout after it has been poached in Court-Bouillon. We were asked to not wash the trout, especially the slime over the scales as it protects the freshness of the fish in the first place, but more importantly the enzymes produced will react with the vinegar we put on the fish, to return the blue color. 'Au Bleu' also means cooking a freshly caught fish immediately, to yield the best color & the taste. The Bouillon is quite plain (with cannelized carrots, onion rings & turned potatoes as shown) but poached this way, the trout is delicious, not to mention the Sauce Hollandaise to accompany the dish. Honestly making the sauce is more of a nerve wrecking deal than poaching the fish, as timing is everything. I passed!

SALADE DE CHEVRE CHAUD MARINE

'Demo Only' means the lecturer will show us how to prepare a dish in class, one that (mercifully) we do not have to duplicate later in the kitchen. Today Chef Werner did a Warm Goat Cheese - Cabecou - Salad in a vinaigrette from wholegrain & Dijon mustard, set on a salad of choice leaves & herbs ie radicchio, oak leaf, chervil, tarragon & chives. Sitting on tailored croutons, the cheeses were grilled under a salamander. It is an outstanding entree, 'delish' as Jamie Oliver loves to say.

With my mouth watering at midnight, I wish you all 'Guten Nacht" ........

CREME CARAMEL

It may not have the perfect shape or lines on the slopes but it certainly tasted like a Creme Caramel. This picture was taken at my motel room, hence the dark plate. I will present it on a white plate tomorrw, see if it will taste any better, who knows. I am happy to say that I can now make one for my 'Patissier Wannabe' daughter Andrea Vaill Tang, my biggest critic. It is Week 5, almost half way, so we are expected to pick up on speed & efficiency. This old man is trying hard to keep up, today we all finished early, in part because we only have 2 items. Tomorrow may be hell again, as we will prepare fish!

POULET EN COCOTTE GRAND MERE

This is the French version of 'Chicken - Grandma's Way', another classic dish. The process looks simple when the lecturer demonstrates but when one goes about trying to duplicate, it is a different story altogether. As starters we have to (1) 'truss' ie tie & sew up the chicken into a standard presentation shape, before we (2) 'bard' ie adding slices of pure fat, in this case from bacon, to cover the chicken before the oven. I was in heaven as the fragrance of cooked fat is unmatched in the kitchen. Dexterity of a surgeon at closing the incision is called for in trussing. Fatty skin is vital in this step and being too mindful of it, I removed too much, hence my chicken is not 'handsome'. For the first time, ever, I was able to prepare a sauce that looked and tasted like Donovan's ie texture, shine, flavor & so on. The Chef approved, though it is slightly thick. I thought of diluting it with a dash of water but made the mistake of not asking, which I should have and my sauce could have been even better. Garnish is no simple task either ie a trio of mushrooms sauteed in butter, caramelized baby onions (exact size by the way) & lardens or bacon strips. Like a symphony at the finale every note is coordinated right down to the spotless, warm but not too hot plate at presentation. By this time I am normally soaking wet; from the heat, from physically moving around for almost 3 hours, plus of course, from fear!

We had the be-mustached Chef Werner Forster for the first time, standing in for Chef Steve. Hailed from Germany, where he cooked at Michelin star restaurants, he is another LCB veteran. He carries himself differently from the other lecturers, and we all liked his style & humor which helped to relax us. That said, he is no-nonsense as well. One of our classmates has a habit of chewing gum, and no one really noticed. Chef Werner did ' ... is that gum, can you take it out, it is French here, not American!' I love his directness, in a light hearted way.

GENUINE FLORENTINES!

OK ... my fault. This is how Florentines should look, in the classic French presentation. These were created by Chef Keith at the demonstration class. I was re-reading my blog just now and feel guilty about the 'fusion version' some of us presented in class. Folks, with my apologies, here they are .... the 'real thing'!

SUNDAY SERMON

Quoted from a book I am reading : 'Repacking Your Bags - Lighten Your Load for the Rest of Your Life' co-authored by Richard Leider & David Shapiro. I highly recommend it.

" .... For many people, the clearest example of life-time journeys in their lives are the relationships they have with their children. Despite the many ups and downs associated with parenting, more people with kids managed to maintain a life-long connection with their kids. This, however, does not necessarily mean they are carrying on what we would consider a grand dialogue. Mere proximity, without an abiding connection, is not enough. Very often, the only life-time journey a person experiences is the unconditional affection they feel towards a pet. In which case, it will not be for their life-time the journey lasts, but only as long as Fluffy or Mittens or Rex is around .... "

I like to share this because all of us wear the 'kids' hat, as long as one or both our parents are still alive. Most of us also wear the 'parents' hat, and most if not all of us (except perhaps Cecilia & Sonny) must struggle with this honor, at one time or another.

Whichever role you play, remember this : mere proximity, without dialogue, do not add up!

RHODES

Who dare say the Aussies do not have a sense of humor? This shop is located in a brand new Shopping Center in the next town, Rhodes, 1-stop away from my village Meadowbank. The City-Rail around metropolitan Sydney is quite well run, on time as well. What I fail to understand is; a roundtrip ticket to Rhodes - take 2 minutes - is A$4.4 while a 35-minute return to Town Hall, in the middle of Sydney, is $6.6? After a very stress filled week I needed ventilation, it could be anywhere. I dropped off my laundry, plus a few of my Florentines, at Kim's Laundry and took off for my neighborhood adventure, which is highly recommended by the motel staff.

Rhodes is a quaint little town, built around a serene bay with blocks of stylish new apartments. I had a leisurely walk along the water with a Hoya Petit Robusto, watching young families enjoy their Saturdays, complete with kids & dogs. Could that be 20 years ago when Dora & I led that life? 20 years ... my friends, when Jess was 2, Andrea 5 and Terri 9! Almost all the balconies face the water, almost everyone has a BBQ of course, this is Australia after all. This developer Mirca (I might have spelled it wrongly) must own most of the real estate as their signs are all over the place. The shopping center is named after them. It is not a mall by any standards but it is cozy, and it reflects the unmistaken life style here. To give an example; apart from a giant Ikea outlet there are 3 kitchen supplies stores, at different price levels. Things are not cheap either, and business must be good. BTW how can anyone not love that creative name for your slumber needs?

I watched Tom Hanks' latest - 'Angels & Demons' - and loved it. The best line : 'Do you believe in God?' His answer, 'I am an academic, faith is a gift I have yet to receive' .... brilliant! I do not recall when was the last time I watched a movie, alone. I thought the A$16 ticket is steep, only to find out Gold Lounge seats with large reclining sofas, little tables for your popcorn & soda etc are A$33! Those 20+ seats at a raised platform at the back of the house were all taken, while less well off folks like me were seated sparsely in the front. Snacks too are expensive, A$7 for popcorn & A$6 for M&Ms, Skittles & Maltezers. WOW!

I was going to come home for my ritual salad but since it is Saturday, and since I am closer to civilization, I might as well splurge. A quick tour around the Food Court ended in another Aussie experience, Oporto, a chicken sandwich joint. Having just learned to dissect a chook, I was still not able to identify where that slice of meat ... called 'fillet' ... comes from? One can have 1, 2 or even 3 fillets in a sandwich. What tops it all is the selection of sauces : Lemon Herb, Chili & Prego. What a name for mayo mixed with ketchup, as it was patiently explained to me by Karen, who must thought I am another migrant worker intruding Rhodes. I did not want to disappoint her so I played the Asian card & ordered chili, I almost choked from the first bite. The sauce is orange in color, sort of a murderous dose between Szechuen & Mexican peppers. Tobasco please step aside. If you do not believe me Oporto sells them for A$7 a bottle. By now it was passed 9pm, the cleaning crew from East Asia was a bit impatient as I sat down so I smiled, nodded and did them a favor. I took my a la carte dinner outside.

A single fillet burger plus a Diet Coke was A$7, watching Hanks play Harvard professor was A$16, train ticket A$4 ... now, for a lovely 5 hours of serenity, gourmet sauce, entertainment & absolute freedom the damage was A$27. Life does not get any better, does it?

FLORENTINES

I was able to marginally redeem myself today, our 3rd day working on chocolates or should I say couvertures. By marginally I mean the Florentines did not end up with the same fate as my Pralines & Rice Pudding ie the bin! The classic French way is 2 layers of smooth & thin chocolate cover, crafted with wavy lines using a toothed scraper. Since most of us do not have that particluar gadget (not included in our A$2000 knife set believe it or not) free expression took over. The 2 in the middle are in fact the flip side, a symphony of almond flakes, honey, cream, glucose, flour, sugar, mixed citrus peel, cherries & of course, butter. The Florentines are then baked in the oven, before applying the couverture, quite delicious! I thought the Chinese character for 'stamina or patience' is an appropriate reminder, for me at least.

I had a chat with Chef Keith & Chef Michael, both offered a good perspective. Chef Keith used the anology of a sponge that has soaked up too much water, and that is when absorption would slow or even stop. Chef Michael asked how I feel about doing both courses, in hind sight, and I can only offer 2 words .. naively ambitious .. now I know what it is like. That said, at this stage of my life an opportunity to live my dream does not come by often. Regardless of the outcome LCB will be an invaluable & certainly unforgettable experience I will carry to my grave.

'BOTTOMLESS' PRALINES

This is not meant to be funny. I failed to make pralines today, something my Patisserie peers take in stride. The bottoms of mine fell off and while they look OK from the top, no one would buy pralines without 'bottoms' so, into the bin, failed! I did not dare look into Chef Olivier's eyes, and it was not a good feeling.

We learned about Chocolates this week, starting with Couverture or pure coating chocolates that need TLC over a delicate process of Tempering ie inducing the cocoa butter to crystallize. 3 sets of temperatures are mandated in the process for melting, 'tempering' & re-warming. If one fails to monitor properly one will get pralines like mine. My brief moment of joy, when they came out of the mould, was quickly removed when I discovered the obvious.

'CHICKEN A LA CARTE'

What I am about to say has absolutely nothing to do with LCB, with cooking, with eating or with food. I received this link from my son-in-law Fergus, who co-founded the #1 selling Restaurant Guide in Hong Kong ie the WOM Guide. Via Fergus our family has become much more knowlegeable on eating out, and I thought this is another treasure hunt.

It is a rainy Friday evening with dark clouds, and to complement the melancholy I was terrible (again) in patisserie class today. The link could not have come at a better time, it snapped me out of the self-pity mode. My LCB focused egocentric existence has caused me to neglect the fact that issues with humanity are begging attention. With embarrassment, it is hard to identify with the word, HUNGER, in my closeted world these days.

This film clip won the Best Short Film Award at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival in 2006. It is also 'The Most Watched'. Ferdinand Dimadura conceived & directed this, apparently based on a true story. He also wrote, arranged & performed a beautiful song with lyrics that brought my tears streaming, as I watched quietly in my motel room.

' ... how can someone's laughter brings me close to tears ... '
' ... you'll never know cause you're never there ... '
' ... after what we have seen, can we close our eyes again ... '
' ... for all the things we know, what have we really learned ... '

Many thanks Fergus for such a soul-searching gift for the weekend. Your comment ' ... just a reminder of how lucky we all are ... ' sums it up perfectly.

WATCH IT !!!!! http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1081/chicken-a-la-carte

MY FIRST SOUFFLE

Another line crossed today. Who in any of your wildest dreams would think that I can make one of these? It did not exactly 'puffed up' in the best sense of that sacred French vocabulary but it looks decent, does it not? It was a savory, a cheddar & parmesan souffle that in fact requires 'the whole 9-yards' of Bechamel, egg yolks, egg white, folding etc etc Mine was the next to last presentation, I was literally seconds away from closing. The choice was either a better cooked product with no grades, or an unevenly cooked product with grades. It is the classic 'damn if you do & damn if you don't scenario'. I picked the latter and the verdict, ' .... not cooked in the centre, but it has the potential of a good souffle though ....' which means thumbs down. While efforts are sometimes recognized here, at the end it is the result that counts. My offspring may look & smell like the genuine article but it is merely a poseur! Knowing what I know now I will, one day, produce the perfect souffle. I beg your patience.

FIRST BLISTER

I am no prima donna, nor am I squeamish, this is merely to document my 1st 'injury' as part of my LCB journey. It was a small blister but the sharp pain was intense. Already using 4 layers of my tea towels as taught, they slipped and my fingers ended up in direct contact with a sauce pan in a 175C oven. That was no fun! Today we were told dull knives are dangerous because they are difficult to cut with as we exert excessive strength. An amateur, I have always been scared of sharp knives, now I am scared of BOTH sharp & dull knives. You cannot win in this game, can you? Well, it looks like Sunday will be knife sharpening day, in addition to laundry day. What a life! PS : my attempt to not get a cut, or a burn lasted only 3 weeks ....

DEMO ASSISTANT

We take turns to be the Chef's Assistant at the demo kitchen at every lesson. The job is really the 'go-for', with cleaning on the side. A good assignment though as it gives you a front row seat to the action. I am sure I was picked because of the horror show last night. In the picture I was asked to keep the lamb shank standing, which was challenging. We did Jarrets d'Agneau Braises au Vin Rouge today ie Braised Lamb Shanks with Red Wine Jus, served with risotto, French beans & turned glazed carrots. Shanks are not top cut meats (used to feed dogs in the old days) but it is now a trendy item in contemporary eateries. I like to think I have recovered from yesterday but am still not entirely together, my key problems are in the details & timing. Chef Steve had a 1-on-1 feedback with me, he will put my 'work flow' under a microscope next week, which I welcome & need.

BTW one of the challenges today was 'turning' the carrots. This privilege is reserved for the most junior kitchen hands like an apprentice ie preparing (or turning) vegetables to identical sizes, in this case carrots, but it could be potatoes, beets etc. One does not normally pay much attention to these art pieces on the plate until one is exposed to the discipline behind them. I had to do quiet a few in order to arrive at the final 6 turned & glazed carrots on the plate, only to be told I served too many. '3 are enough', one learns.

FAILURE ... A BITTER PILL

The reason why there is no picture is becasue I failed 2 out of the 3 items I am supposed to prepare today. No point of pictures is there? ' ... today was just one of those days, Raymond. You were distracted, you did not listen well, you better get a good night's sleep as tomorrow is another day of even bigger challenges'. The Chef would normally take a bite of what we present, and then comments. He did not touch any of mine today, ' ... throw that into the bin will you, because you will get sick if you eat that'. Try to visualize my pain at that moment?

It was a Cuisine class but today's lesson involved 2 desserts, not exactly my forte to begin with. Again they are French classics : the first is Clafoutis aux Cerises (Cherry Custard Flan) baked with Pate Sucree, accompanied by Sauce Anglaise (Vanilla Custard) and the second; Rice Pudding via the French Method.

To make a long story short, only my flan survived & only barely as the dough was too thick. I either did not take close enough notes, or pay enough attention during the demonstration, my sauce ended up 'cooked' ie more like scrambled eggs, entirely my fault for not watching the heat. 'Too late now, do not bother with making a new sauce, just concentrate on the Rice Pudding'. When I served up the pudding, he lost it. While the rice was alright, the egg yolks were not properly handled in the creaming process with sugar & butter. When the mixture was folded into the rice the yolk was still watery ie uncooked. I did not think he would put raw yolk into his mouth. 'Into the bin, what is wrong today, you are not your normal self, Raymond!'

I might as well throw myself into the bin along with all the BS I produced today. No, I was not embarrassed, I was furious with myself, I hated my incompetence.

Today is the start of the 4th week ie 33% already behind us as Dora observed. I was in fact quite driven. I woke up very early, all ready to go, only to end the day this way. In the locker room Israel tried to comfort me 'everyone has his & her good & bad days' which was very kind of him. That said, I know we are all here to be trained for a commercial kitchen operation where there is no such thing as bad days. You can keep your bad day, bad mood, bad vibes, bad experience to yourself and still deliver the good results. This is what it is all about.

A sad revelation, a loud wake up call & a defining moment : Tang-CANNOT-Cook!

NICK'S SEAFOOD @ COCKLE BAY WHARF

I had my first 'night-out' with my young friends last night in the city : Evans from Malaysia, Felix from Germany & Esther from Taiwan who, like me, are doing 6-days a week. Basic Cuisine but Intermedaite Patisserie since she finished BP 3 months ago. A few others were supposed to join but dropped out of our 'L'Art de Vivre' last minute, their loss. BTW somehow Evans & Felix found my blog so I better watch what I say from this moment on! These 2 young chefs - Evans has won cooking contests, Felix is with the Cirque de Solil kitchen team in Montreal. They work like machines on speed-mode in the kitchen; fast & precise. The good news is they set high standards for the class, the bad news is, my incompetence is now glaringly obvious. Thanks guys .... you get my drift?

Cockle Bay Wharf was hot last night, Australia (at least Sydney) seems unaffected by the bad economy, in fact employment rate picked up last month here. I was early so I ordered my 1st alcoholic drink in 4-weeks ie Absolute vodka martini, very dry, 4 olives @ A$12 a shot. I had 2 while people watching, great fun! I was told by the hostess, a 6-ft tall blonde from Stockolm, that Nick's is 'the best restaurant' on the promenade at Darling Harbour. When I asked her how does it rate against Ponthius, the 1-star Michelin joint in her hometown - where we dined with our Seabourn friends last summer - she just smiled. We shared a large seafood appetizer, a large hot & cold seafood laden main course, a plate of extremely large mussels that taste like the tiny ones in France, plus a large Greek salad ... all washed down by a red & a white. I forgot to bring my camera but the food was not bad, though mainstream. The waiter said Nick's is #2 across the State of NSW in liquor consumption @ A$1 million per month, or A$250K per week, or A$35K per day. Does it sound right, we know the Aussies can drink but is this possible?

Off to my 3-hour Sunday walk now, it is simply gorgeous out!

BREAD MAKING TRADITION

Yesterday was the 3rd and last day of our bread journey, we made Whole-Wheat & Pepita Bread ie the one with tasty toasted seeds (carraway, coriander, sunflower, pumpkin) in them. Rather than making loafs & rolls I was lazy, the 2 loafs shown are in fact huge. Chef Keith gave us an excellent lecture on the Traditional Baking System, step by step with application details. He is the walking encyclopedia on all things Patisserie, the counter part of Chef Steve in Cuisine. Knitting his immense knowledge with industry experience has made him the awesome lecturer he is. Central to his presentation on baking bread is : the tradition has not changed that much over time in terms of how we scale, mix, ferment, mould, prove & bake. 'I have kept up with my reading on the subject matter over the years, I can assure you the traditional way works'. Talking about life long learning, there you have it. He showed us a wooden tool, like a small paddle - the one chefs use to present beer & food at Inagawa, the robbata-yaki restaurant in Rippongi -which bakers use to reach the inner parts of brick ovens in the old days It is a 'peel' .... as in citrus peel. One never stops learning here. While we wait for the dough to 'prove' ie expand to double their size he showed us his work on a laptop. Incredible is a mild word!

Chef Michael, who ran our kitchen session was in a good mood yerterday, it was his 11th wedding anniversary. I congratulated him and told him he is a newlywed compared to our almost 30 years together. I accidentally revealed my age, which shocked him. He thought I am 50, what can I say? Must be that daily dose of Aussie blue sky & sun on my face .... thank you Chef!

AUSSIE SPEAK

I must write this blog for prosperity. I have been here nearly a month and am acculturating, notably through speech. I am getting a better feel for this foreign tongue, day by day. You see while my English is passable I now live in the midst of 2 unfamiliar languages, French & Aussie Speak. Slowly but surely I am improving, you will hear less of 'excuse me, what was that again' from me these days.

Being a friendly and easy-going culture the root word in all Aussie Speak is, 'Mate', pronounced 'Mite', lest people will not understand you. To qualify for citizenship you better learn to use this word frequently & freely. If you can attach 'Mate' to say, the end of every third sentence that will be just about right, Mate!

To make an Aussie feel at home, try the following. You must do it vibrantly, in your most robust tone, with confidence and lots of affection though.

* G'Day Mate ... ie Good Day Mate, be sure you pronounce it right ie Gud'Day
* You'Be Right Mate ...
* Right-To Mate ...
* No Worries Mate ...

Then there is this very special one known to all current & past LCB Cuisine students at various levels. Remember my 'idol' Chef Steve, our no-nonsense lecturer in Cuisine? He uses this expression at the end of a task : 'Bob's Your Uncle!' Hello? All of us were in complete bewilderment, those poor chaps on English Proficiency Courses were scrambling at their portable dictioneries, to no avail. If we were to guess it must mean something like; done, completed, finished etc but 'Bob's Your Uncle?' Sure, but so is Kalid! I told the class one day I will do everyone a favor, I will risk my grades, and pose the question : 'Chef, can you tell us more about our Uncle, Bob?' Yeah, Raymond, right ... they are cheering me on, they are not dumb.

IT HAPPENS

This advertisement is prominently displayed on notice boards, in lifts & around the public areas. The pressure is intense here, the schedules unforgiving & the counseling office is active. It is especially tough for students who struggle with English, who are required to attend language proficiency classes after school which must drive them nuts. That said, I regularly meet Intermediate & Advanced students who seem to take it in stride. They are empathetic, and ready to share their wisdom on the best way to climb this same big tree. As I wonder what actually drives this campus I can only turn to the pedigree, the professionalism, the spirit of the faculty but above all, the unmistaken 'pride of belonging' that LCB has so successfully nurtured here in Sydney. It is contagious, it is comforting, it is like religion. I am so fortunate to be able to join this fraternity.

MY CRUSTY & SOFT ROLLS

The Bread Journey continues today, I managed to produce a whole rack of look-alikes after some major sweating as we had to use our hands to prepare the dough ... 'to get a feel of the real thing'. Bread is no joke and while everyone is proud of their presentations I am sure it will be quite a different world when we get home. LCB offers a state-of-the-art commercial bakery to people who had never made bread. It is like giving a Porsche to someone who just passed the road test. These ovens can make everyone look smart, just look at mine. To quote Andrea when I asked her to prepare dessert for a dinner party at home ' ... your fridge is not cold enough & your oven is not hot enough, what can I do?' I see her point now. I am so pitiful my oven at home collapsed almost a year ago, I have not replaced it yet! Even with half-recipes today I ended up with almost 50 rolls. My friends at hotel reception, housekeeping, the Lebanese family at the coffee shop across the street and of course the Kim family at my laundromat all benefitted. Not a single roll is wasted. I love the crusties even though they did not come out as well as the softies. I also did not have enough time to be creative so most of mine are simply, round, without the gyrations the kids come up with. The best I could muster was colorful garnish from poppy & carraway seeds, black & white sesame, herbs, pearl sugar, polenta, and semolina ie the fine white bits that make pizza dough nicely crispy. All I can say is, I tried.

MY GUARDIAN ANGELS

Meet the 2 young Asians who are my 'bench-mates' at Patisserie, super guys. Pao is Thai, in his mid 20s, an IT consultant who loves to bake. He is not sure what he wants to do with this yet, may open his own bakery with the family. Ben, from Singapore, looks & behaves like a 19-year old. His mission is right on the $ .... a career in patisserie. I admire their dexterity, in fact ambidexterous, is a better word I was searching to describe patisserie, as they are both so good with their hands! Being older than their parents, they look to me like a young-at-heart uncle. I am enjoying the company of new found young friends here, who are so different in their dispositions. I respect their commitment, many have saved hard earned $ to be here. Some attend LCB x 3 days then work part time x 20 hours a week which is the maximum allowed for student visa holders. Why Guardian Angels? Well, my vintage cerebral cells do not run as fast as theirs, and being vintage they have less capacity to absorb. These folks are always looking over their shoulders to see what I am doing, just in case. Do not get me wrong, they are not my crutches as I work on my own steam reasonably well. That said, it is a comforting thought to be at the same bench.

BTW we practised making a cone-pen with silicon paper, filled it with chocolate sauce, and off we go! Andrea knows the drill from Chez Moi days, she is a natural. As for me, I am no Chocolate Calligraphist so to go on record I wrote this message, in chocolate, and posed with my buddies. I do not think the Chef will be amused.

YET ANOTHER FIRST .... BREAD

For years Dora has been drawing a thick line between her honors student status in the physical sciences vs my condemnation to low-life at St Paul's Co-educational College at 13, when I was assigned to Form 3 Arts to focus on the 'humanities', a word them mathematics & physics types can hardly spell, let alone study. It was like a life-sentence with no parole. I survived the rest of my years, until Upper 6 in fact, with a self-deprecating sense of humor which, to date, is still necessary at St. Paul's reunions. Amazing!

Not surprisingly yours truly was already lost-in-space only 20 minutes into today's lecture on bread, yeast, carbon dioxide, alcohol & fermentation process. Cut the science routine, just show me how to knead the silly dough ... I quietly protested! Anyways, I learned that dough in fact has a life its own & like people, needs TLC & careful management. FDT is 'Final Dough Temperature' ideally @26-27C. The formula calls for a fine balance of flour temperature @ 20C, room temperature @ 18C & to dilute the yeast properly water temperature has to be @22C if mixing by hand, or 27C by machine. Now, friends & family, does it at all sound like the Raymond you know? To make a long & exhausting day short, it was rewarding. A collection of what our class did was shown, most were excellent (mine included) ie soft crumb, thick crispy crust and we had a big bread party at the end. 'Bread without butter is not bread' Chef Michael proclaimed as he produced a large plate of generously sliced unsalted butter, the kind that makes Dora frown, at me. Since she is not here I had 3 pieces, piping and crusty hot .... with butter of course, didn't you hear the Chef?

POULET SAUTE CHASSEUR IN JUS LIE & RIZ PILAF

Here is the reincarnation of those chicken pieces shown earlier. I had to show you the Chef's version though as my pilaf collapsed even before presentation because I did not pack it tightly enough. My chicken and rice were both 'well cooked' but my sauce hit a wall ie too thick & not reduced properly from the white wine, the acid stayed & ruined the taste. What a failure, ce la vie. My classmates loved my pilaf though. I did not have the courage to tell them I was more liberal in my interpretation of 'butter' in the recipe than they were. Old habits die hard, I guess. To complete the chicken journey we were shown how to perfectly grill a chicken breast (Supreme de Volaille Grilles) along with a beautiful Salad Tiede Melangee ie warm dressing with all kinds of goodies such as herbs, mustard, bacon etc which I madly fell in love with. I can see this recipe gaining a prominent position in Chez Tang at home. Dinner was a treat last night as I had more than veggies. I ate the chicken I cut up, cooked & served. Life is good to me!

MY FIRST CHICKEN

Question : how do you cut a Size 15 ie 1.5 kg chicken, head & giblets already removed, into 10 peices for dinner service? My answer : with profuse sweating. Sharpening my chef's & boning knives is scary enough, even before I started. I made a secret pledge to not cut or burn myself during these 10-weeks, which Billy Chen will say : no way! In the hands of the Chef, it all look easy, almost matter of fact and after the unceremonial dismemberment of the 3rd chook we were sent back to our benches. Now what? First thing first, take out the Wishbone. All of us watched with amazement how the Chef managed it like magic, a crisp tuck of his fingers. When it is our turn it is a different story. Believe it or not some of us were looking for the Wishbone at the wrong end of the carcass. Sorry Chef! Then there is the Needle Bone alongside the main bone of the drum-stick, next to the phone cable like tendons. Try that for size. I managed to mess up even a straight forward piece of white meat, the chicken breast by filleting it verses cutting through the soft bone. Like a primary student I then tried to blame it on my boning knife being new & too sharp, but he did not bite. Finally it was done, as shown, after a lot of moaning & groaning. I cut up the chicken alright, but not myself ... touch wood!