I have had quite a few of you ask for another article in the last two weeks. I apologize for my lapse of time in between postings. Life has been so very busy. Between school and three part time jobs there is very little time to sit down and reflect all of my thoughts and feelings on where this new journey is taking me. It has all been good!
Since my last posting I have found new loves. I didn't care too much for breads. We started baking artisan breads and they just didn't do anything for me. No real creativity involved I guess. We spent three very long days on breads and got interrupted in our studies. We got to spend two days on chocolate and two days on sugar with our head Chef. I was secretly cheering inside when I got this news. I thought good lord I can't take another day of making 6 different types of breads daily. So as much as I love learning from Chef Jim (hes' fabulous) I was thankful to get the learn from Chef Notter (this big guy) so early into our program.
Chef Notter is a multiple time world champion in chocolate and sugar sculptures. He has achieved every award you can get in this industry. So yes, we were all wigging out! He taught us on day one how to temper chocolate, its history, how to make it, how to sculpt it. I literally got into my car and cried out of excitement on the way home. Day two of chocolate I came home with a chocolate sculpture center piece of a chocolate guitar with roses. The whole time I was making this piece, I kept thinking, "this is really happening, I am really doing this, I just cant believe I am doing this." Chocolate equals yummy... as well as sheer happiness. I couldn't imagine that only in my second week I MADE A CHOCOLATE SCULPTURE!
Then came two days of sugar making, sugar pulling, sugar blowing. We worked with a hot box and burned our poor thumbs all day and I couldn't have been happier. Like a pig in mud I was very pleased to burn those prints right of my fingers. The smell, the warmth, the possibilities of what can be done with pure melted sugar is endless. So in week three I made A SUGAR SCULPTURE PEOPLE! I have pulled and hand blown a sugar piece of very delicate and petite little swans. Again, tears in the car all the way home that day. I just can't believe I am doing this. When the day was done no one wanted to leave. We kept hanging out. I couldn't figure out why. We just spent 7 straight hours of working our hands in heat and sweating it out... why did we all not want to leave???
It dawned on me the next day. Although we were not eating the product, we had all become addicted to it. To it's smell and to the feelings it bring to us as we work with this new art and craft. At the end of every day we all set our finished pieces out in a line and Chef Notter comes by to anonymously critique our work. Needless to say I was so frigging happy I didn't care what he had to say about my piece. Well for the chocolate sculpture he said exactly in his Swiss accent "zis piece is vereee nissszzz but it's too heavy and too deep for me, let's keep it a little more zimple next time ok?". I laughed out loud. This is because he was so right on. Art reflects who you are... and yes I tend to be very deep in thought, too deep actually. It is impossible for me to be simple. Well when we were working on our sugar pieces I was struggling with one technique and he came around as he always does to assist as I made a piece and he said "how are you doing how do you feel about zis one" I said well it's OK. I can do better. He said "why do you say zis, zis is verryyy nice, you zink too much, don't zink too much" and he walked away. ;o) This has become my new mantra- "don't zink too much". My next attempt of his approval on my sugar piece was decent, however I did "zink" too much again. ;o) He is a fantastic person!
We went back to breads this week and I absolutely fell in love. The ingredients, the mixing, the science of it all and the best part is the tasting. Pizza, focaccia, ciabatta, sourdoughs, ryes, you name it we make it! How I love it all. To take a risk and find a passion has been the greatest journey I have done so far in my life. So for all you friends and family out there, when life seems tough, hard going, unlucky, or lost do as Chef Notter says "Don't zink too much"!
I hope to get to you every two weeks if I can. I spend about 3 to 4 hours every night on homework for school after I get home from work. I thank you all for your support and excitement. It really is the best time in my life!
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