I thought maybe we could make ginger bread houses, and eat cookie dough, and go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands

As a very wise man once said, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear", and that I have been doing over the past two splendid weeks of school and Friendtime.

Rockefeller Center:)

About 7 months ago My Friend and I bid the luxury of living within the same timezone ado and started this fun adventure we call a long-distance relationship. The experience has allowed us to become pretty boss at traveling and being super tourists, and it has taught us to value the time we do get to spend together to remind us that we are not phantom Friends. During the wonderful week that Curtis was in New England the adventures were abounding:

Scholarly 

• The 85th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It has been on my bucket list for years and spending the day in the city replicating Buddy and Jovie's Friendtime was the best possible way I could have spent my first Thanksgiving away from my family.

SANTA?! I KNOW HIM!

• Multiple trips to Burlington to experience civilization, while Montpelier is a pretty little Christmastown, there isn't too much to do for entertainment purposes. 

Visiting Champ

• An impromptu visit from Gene ( A.K.A. Jene' Marie Ann Hofer) in which she accompanied us to the Ben and Jerry's Factory where we got extra samples due to our Alma Mater and collegiate employer and we finished our day up with a mini pub crawl in Waterbury.

Fab Friends and Free Samples

• In addition, Gene and Curtis entertained each other while I was in class. They visited La Brioche for a breakfast date and Magic Hat Brewery for a tour with a Boss friend.

Enjoying the spectacle of my captivity

• A romantic tutorial on how to set a mouse trap, Stuart Little isn't so cute in real life. 
• Celebrating 19 years with Tyler Curran with pizza at Positive Pie and cupcakes provided by Chef Matt. 

• Multiple dinner dates including NECI on Main, a memorable Thanksgiving dinner diner, Italian with Bailey Meeee-ler, and a soup bar feast. 

• Tuxedo Club Tour and slumber party with Bailey!!
• Curtis had the pleasure of utilizing Mrs. Puff's new shoes in our first big snow, 8 inches. He took me to school at 4:30 am, he really is pretty great. 

White Thanksgiving

• An accidentally magical Christmas tree lighting on Church Street in Burlington, sigh. 

• Adult beverage Boss friend bonding induced by "The Great Yuengling Chase"

While My Friend's visitation is the front-runner in the exciting events of the past two weeks, I did have some pretty fabulous experiences in class. You know I love me some quality learning.

• Pies, Pies, Pies. Thanksgiving production wrapped up with close to 100 pies. 

A sample of the apple pies pre-bake

• Lots of fun demos: Marzipan flowers, chocolate boxes, pulling/blowing/spinning sugar!

Chocolate roses, treasure chest, and a sea turtle from Peter

• Tart production: lemon meringue and salty caramel chocolate mousse

Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse Tarts

• Lots and lots of tempering chocolate, Chef Phillipe busted out the tempering machine this week, a much easier way to create beautiful chocolate creations!

Ahhhhhh, THE tempering machine, Christmas present?

• Pear Brandy Chocolates. Delicious fun. 

Making Chocolates

Boozy and Tasty 

• Sugar, Custard, and Plating Desserts lectures

In addition to classroom learning moments, there are ALWAYS my momentous, overly dramatized life lessons I am learning living alone in a new place. 

• My roomies (landlords) have left me for 6 weeks to gallivant around New Zealand via Magic Bus. In the meantime I have become rather paranoid as I don't have a key to my house and I return home with random lights on, various household items misplaced, and mice monsters stealing the ever-so-enticing, peanut butter-baited, traps that I have fearfully set and taking them INTO the walls. They can smell the fear.  Coming from B.T.K.'s (burgers, tacos, and k-sa-dillas) home base, my overly active imagination, and my attention to detail don't really help.
• With the first half of the term over I have become a bit more comfortable with my new peers. All-in-all I have been blessed with a friendly block, 9 out of 10 are incredible, I'll take it. My anti-social solo lunch dates have been replaced with obnoxious, contagious laughter and witty banter with friends. A mid-class trip to the hardware store with Peter to purchase our own heat lamp for pulling sugar was the catalyst in an entertaining friendship. 
• This week I began helping Ty Guy with the breakfast pull at La Brioche. The result? Shortened nights and an increase in naps, but I'm not mad, I appreciate the opportunity to bake whenever I can and the time with my friends is better than sleep any day-or night. In addition, during proofing I have been able to research potential internship sites and ideas for my final and my Boss friend is a very beneficial and appreciated resource. 
• 17 days. That is it. 17 more days until I get to come home for Christmas! I am going to be missing two days of class but I have already made one up and I'll make the other up on Saturday, and I'll be home free!!! I am missing my family and friends like crazy, Curtis's visit further stimulated anticipation for home. I can't wait. "First we'll make snow angels for two hours, then we'll go ice skating, then we'll eat a whole roll of Tollhouse Cookie-dough as fast as we can, and then we'll snuggle."

Making Moves

Things are about to get real deep and overly dramatic, prepare yourself.

As of Monday, I am no longer with my Mod 2 family, I am now a Mod 3 with scary new students, new subjects, and a new Chef.


"Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man? Can Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan?"


Pshhh. More like, "Will silly Suzy survive an impatient  Chef John? Can Kat and Kirsten keep up with her antics when I'm gone?" Yes, that just happened.


While my world is currently slightly sideways as I am with new humans and I am starting class about the time I was returning home last week, my final week as a Mod 2 was pretty stellar. 

Look at the happiness.....

• Four day week. Monday was an inservice day, weird, but it came at the PERFECT time as my table service exam was Tuesday morning.
• Table Service Exam. Meh. Even though I transfered with a degree in HRM I still had to test out of table service, it's whatev, it's over. 
• Feast. All week. Bahhhh. I introduced the Northeast to the incredible combination of chili and cinnamon rolls, we had Scooby-Doo waffles, and pesto and prosciutto pizza. Now I'm trying to get fit.  

• Big learning week. Chef Matt is pretty legit, I guess.... No, but really. Last week he let me come in early and helped me on laminated doughs, as the only experience I had with them was during my practical exam and I wanted to be prepared going into Mod 3. 
• An additional learning moment, and a fairly devastating one at that, I was making cookies and Chef Matt came to the oven to see their progress and reacted with, "Oh gosh, those are horrible"-no kidding. It was rough. They spread like gossip on campus (which is worse than high school, bee tee dubs). I have never failed at cookies-the most basic baked good known to man, yet I had made chocolate chip frisbees rather than the soft, sugary dumplings I adore. I scaled down the recipe and paid particular instruction to the procedure and I failed once again. It was truly tragic. Long story short-I literally woke up with an epiphany, I had used cake flour rather than all purpose flour, idiot. 
• A fun farewell bake. Kat and I helped Tyler with the breakfast pull and multitasked with a dance party, it was fantastic. In addition, I slid on some sneaky muffin batter and fell into Chef Matt branding him with a blueberry handprint right in the middle of his whites, a surefire way for him to remember me forever. He sure is a lifesaver...

Chef Matt, Kat, Kirsten, and Suzy

Sophia Grace and Rosie...Super Bass

Happy Birthday Suzy!! And yes, those are stir stick candles and yes, he is lighting them with a torch.

While I do preface entering into Mod 3 with a dramatic saga about my departure from Kat, Kirsten, Suzy, and Chef Matt, it has been a very educational week. I begin Mod 3 with Cakes and Tarts, a 6 week class starting at 5 am and ending with a lecture/demo at noon. I am now accompanied by 10 classmates and Chef Phillipe. Each day we rotate onto a new task with the ultimate goal being to fill the bakery showcase with aesthetically appealing and tasty cakes and tarts. 


Week one, so far:

• Monday. Production: 23 Chocolate Chiffon cakes, lemon curd, chocolate lecture, and a new alias: Anna. Chef Phillipe also has an accent, although his is a bit more pronounced.
• Tuesday. Thanksgiving production: 28 Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecakes, Biscuit Jaconde with orange strips, and Chocolate piping demo. 

Times 28

• Wednesday: Thanksgiving production: Lemon Mousse Cake with Black Currant (Black currant gelatin insert, lemon mousse, biscuit jaconde, black currant glaze, and candied lemon garnish) cake assembly, cake catastrophe--5 meticulously assembled cakes were lost to a little nudge of a rolling rack by a classmate, I survived and carried on with my task- cake assembly round 2, mini lemon mousse cakes with my extra product. 

The inside of my cakes without the lemon mousse

• Thursday: Decoration: chocolate garnishes (my first experience tempering chocolate-it was a success, Chef Phillipe complimented me on it prior to knowing it was my first time!), candied lemon zest, candied lemons, black currant glaze, final assembly of my Lemon Mousse Cake, white chocolate spraying on my mini mousse cakes for texture and then garnishing them, and a buttercream piping demo.

Not at clean as I'd like, but "pretty neat huh"?

• Friday: Filling and coating eclairs, made raspberry and passionfruit pate de fruit and packaged them for sale, and helped with tiramisu. Lecture consisted of a chocolate tasting. What did you do in school today?

I am hoping that with time I will be as comfortable with my new classmates as I was with my amazing Mod 2's. But if not it's NBD, quiet boss-time never hurts. 

On another note, My Friend arrives very very soon and we are very very excited to tear up the Northeast. On the agenda:

• Burlington for dins and to see Champ- Lake Champlain's river "monster", I'm sure he's friendly.
• Church, Ben and Jerry's, Cider Mill, Cabot Creamery. Super tourists
• Birthday Dinner at Positive Pie with Tyler and Lizz, then cake.
• Dinner at NECI on Main, with wine, duh.
• ROAD TRIP!!!! Dinner date and slumber party with Bailey Meeee-ler!!!!
• MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE!!!!! boom, knocking things off the bucket list!

I. CAN'T. WAIT!!!

Delirium

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, "Delirium is sudden severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function that occurs with physical or mental illness"........or with overnight baking.

Over the past two weeks I have been partaking in NUMEROUS learning moments and instances of delirium, made possible through "Artisan Breads" and the magic the happens when the clock strikes midnight......Cinderella doesn't get all the excitement. 

Spending extended time with my blockmates and Chef Matt has allowed us to gain further insight into points of weakness with which we can ruthlessly torture each other. Chef Matt has a sense of humor and minimal sympathy, which can be misconstrued for having no heart.... however, his ability to provide an enjoyable work environment has eased the pain of the overnight bake-onset delirium.  Kat's unfathomably high metabolism has her taking mis-shaped bread and leftovers to munch on.....which Chef Matt translates into nourishment for her family, "Remember, Kat has a family to feed". Kirsten's grace allows easy access for jokes, she often "falls off her shoes" and lets the mixer cage "slip". Suzy's Suzy-ism's are priceless and provide plenty of entertainment, "I saw a streetsweeper once". And the continued abuse for my "accent" has proved to be classic entertainment to apparently withstand the test of time. 

The soliloquy I was asked to recite for their entertainment, any word with an "en" or "n (in)" results in a little chuckle. 

Furthermore, the discussion of the creepy security guard, Chef Matt's fear of the Midwest (his fear roots from BTK which he explained to Suzy to be Burgers, Tacos and K-esadillas), and potentially postal people, combined with exhaustion, has resulted in paranoia and elevated anxiety upon our departure in the wee-hours of the morning. Pumped up kicks. 

Das Stencil

Being a life long Kansan, I was expecting some mild teasing upon my arrival to New England. You know, some sort of reference to tornados, Dorothy, or perhaps a "midwestern" accent? Well so far there has been minimal reference to Oz or the bipolar tendencies of the weather back home, but this week I did endure some teasing regarding my "accent". However, this accent doesn't trace back to my midwestern roots, no no, I apparently carry a German accent that surfaces with such words as stencil, pencil, and with the letter "in"(N) in general. Oh yes, a harsh lesson I have learned in my 23rd year, how did I go so long without knowing I possess such a charming characteristic.

Chef Matt with Das Stencil



Regardless of the witty banter from my classmates and chef, well mostly just my chef, this past week was exceptional. Our last week in plated desserts was incredibly enjoyable and brought with it many learning opportunities, and not all of them pertaining to pastry.

A list of additional lessons learned this week:

• You will never get the answer you want if you never ask. 
• I ASKED Chef Matt if I could make candy corn!! Yep, a means by which to satisfy my obsession with the sugary bits of happiness that autumn brings me annually, bahahahahaha!! Well, the jokes on me. Turns out it is a fairly tedious task and Brachs is waaay tastier than homemade, however, Chef Michael enjoyed them and so I was then assigned the task of making a quadruple batch of candy corn for La Brioche to sell.

• Earworms
• Or "ohrwurms" as the Germans refer to them(how ironic?),  the parasitic phrases and catchy tunes that get stuck in our heads. What is the relevance of an "earworm" you ask? Well friends, Chef Matt is very very susceptible to the pesky parasites, the week began with Dream Police and a variety 80's ditties, and ended in original melodies relating to my newly Chef-diagnosed "speech impediment".
• My obsessive personality is quite dangerous in a pastry kitchen.
• I literally made myself sick on Friday evening gorging on the INCREDIBLE maple pecan caramel corn (see the addictive recipe below) looming on a rack within arms reach. Oh, my, goodness, I COULD NOT stop munching, makes me nauseous thinking about it. 
• Filing is much more hazardous than it seems.
• Monday was my first day working as an office assistant for financial aid, and whoa. The previous office assistant left 6 months prior to my arrival so I had a bit of catching up to do, and by that I mean a stack of papers 2 feet high that needed filed and four file cabinets of files that needed organized. A very monotonous task which resulted in multiple CARDSTOCK cuts on my hands and forearms, I would've never imagine such horrific work-related injuries
• side note.....I am currently listening to cats meowing jingle bell rock and I couldn't be happier
• Skeletons can be categorized at delightful and delicious
• Another holiday themed task I had this week was sheeting, cutting, and icing 50 gingerbread skeletons, and they were some pretty precious, palette-pleasing dudes. 

• Chef's whites attract chocolate, or maybe I still have a depth perception issue.....
• I was able to provide an additional form of entertainment this week as I was involved in a minor mishap with a chocolate cake tasting. So as you know, you must taste, taste, taste, and that I was doing when disaster struck. In the process of tasting the main component of my dessert this week, a chocolate lava cake with chocolate cinnamon sauce (yes just imagine the dangerous decadence) I misjudged the placement to my chops and the gooey goodness didn't miss a nook or cranny as is made its way down my face and onto my chef's whites. Ohhhh yeah, just as graceful as you would imagine.

• Oftentimes childhood classics turn into grown-up favorites
• Sophisticated S'mores, my finale in plated desserts and an all time favorite of yours truly.
• Main component: Rich Warm Chocolate Lava Cake                                                           
• Subcomponent: House-made Toasty Marshmallow and Creamy Cinnamon Ice Cream                                                          
• Sauce: Decadent Chocolate Cinnamon Sauce                                                                         
• Garnish: Graham Cracker Crumble, Chocolate Graham Tuile, and Decorative Spun Sugar   BAHHHHHH!!!!

       

Next up: Artisan Breads. 3 weeks. M-F 7pm-2am

Maple Pecan Caramel Corn, Dangerously Addictive

Will you teach me how to dougie?

They be like Smoove (what?)
Can you teach me how to dougie?
You know why?
'Cause all da b-words love me (aye!)
All I need is a beat that's super bumpin'
And for you, you, you to back it up and dump it!
Put your arms out front, lean side to side............

"Hannah, will you teach me how to dougie?"

Yep, that's right, Chef Matt ask ME to teach him how to dougie in class this week. NBD? No, definitely a big deal. For those of you who know me, you know that I am incapable of resisting a dirty beat and one dirty beat in particular: Teach Me How To Dougie. So when I was asked to teach my Chef instructor how to dougie, I immediately thought Russ or Derek or someone from back home had notified him of my obsession. Nope. Just another awesome addition to my adventure.

Yeah, so, um, that's all that happened this week.

Bahahahaha. I joke, I joke.

Although I did some "teaching" this week, the purpose in my adventure is to learn, and that I AM doing:

• For dessert bar this week we were given complete freedom over our desserts, the only stipulations were that, as a class, we needed to produce a variety of desserts and that our desserts had to reflect the season. After hours of research and googling desserts, (now actual homework and not just a means by which to procrastinate!) I learned, once again, that regardless of how much effort you put into something, things don't always go as planned. In order to be successful in the kitchen, you must be able to adjust to life's twists and turns. My mental masterpiece was too similar to my classmates, I wanted to be unique so I altered my dessert. A minor setback, NBD.
• I learned that nothing is safe in La Brioche's main production kitchen, Chef Matt munched on my garnish. And continued to munch on my garnish throughout the week, I suppose a compliment of sorts, but I was forced to monitor him and my maple candied pecans the remainder of the week.
• After four trips to the admissions office, I FINALLY got all of my uniforms!!!  

• I gave my class a glimpse into my inability to contain excitement. Twice.  Overly excited for next week's dessert (which I got to choose the theme for) and overly excited to share my story about my umbrealla hat. They don't understand me......
• I successfully executed a fall dessert with 7 complimentary/contrasting components. An apple spice cake with maple mousse, spice syrup, praline sauce, maple tuile, maple candied pecans, and sugar work garnish. 

• I GOT A JOB!!!!! Nothing fancy, A Financial Aid Office Assistant on campus, but still some skrillz.
• I passed my first exam: 100% BOOM

• Learned about Creams and Custards in lecture, most importantly Creme Anglaise and Pastry Cream. I also learned how to make tuiles, marshmallows, pull sugar, and various chocolate garnishes. And I experienced first hand the damaging effects of blasted humidity...no longer do I solely curse it for its detriments to my fur/locks/hair, my sugar work and tuiles were effected by this mayhem too.
• As the great Fergie once said: "I be up in the gym just working on my fitness"......so happy to be back in the gym. I need it too, since my incredible landlords are trying to fatten me up with tasty meals and desserts. This week alone I came home to chicken noodle soup, roasted chicken, homegrown squash, and apple crisp. They're so great!
• While at the gym, I was asked by a very elderly lady if my favorite color is purple. Staying true to my school, Go Go wild kitty cats!!!!! 
• We took a class field trip to the Capital City's Farmer's Market, pretty neat stuff Maynard! Our homework? We have to compose a dessert from ingredients at the Farmer's market......

• I sketched and started on my dessert for our final week, soooooo excited for it.....my alll time favorite!!!!!!!! Any guesses?! 

Hint: the theme I chose for next week's desserts is...............(that was a drumroll), Childhood Classics.

Ready.set.guess.

The Key to the Flagpole

The first week of sixth grade my english teacher told me that she needed me to go get "The key to the flagpole" from the eighth grade history teacher, Mr. Emmitt. So I went down to Mr. Emmitt's room and proceeded to ask him for the key, he smiles and says that Mr. Fetters had the key, I go onto Mr. Fetters room....I'm sure you can all see where this is going. THERE IS NO KEY TO THE FLAGPOLE. Just a sick joke they play on innocent new faces. Well, the way I felt at the beginning of this week was strikingly similar to the way I felt that day in sixth grade.

So Monday comes and it brings with it the start of this incredible culinary adventure, as well as a bit of chaos. I was assigned to attend two orientation sessions, one for students returning to NECI after their first internship and another for incoming students new to NECI. Well, to make a long story short, here is a bit of the chaos I encountered:

• A full on sprint back to campus (up and down "mountains"), in my chef's whites, with my        backpack and knife kit, to ensure punctuality, just to find out I was told the wrong time to return. I made it back in plenty of time-with plenty of sweat beads to accompany me in meeting my new classmates. Awesome first impression, Hannah-the sweaty girl.
• Literally going back and forth from the Admissions office to the orientation site FIVE times in search of answers to basic questions like: How do I get my email to work? Where do I get my ID card? How do I use my meal plan? Where is the fitness facility? When do I pick up the rest of my uniforms? Where is the key to the flagpole?!!
• Not receiving the reading assignment because I was not included on any of my Chef's class rosters. 
• MISSING MY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL because three people, including the head of the baking and pastry department, told me that I didn't have class on Mondays. Do YOU have the key to the flagpole?!

Aside from the disorder and confusion of the first few days, the rest of the week was incredible! As I become more comfortable and familiar with a different kitchen, I am regaining some confidence and opening up to my three classmates and my chef instructor, Chef Matt. 

My first class is Plated Desserts and the Art of Plate Presentation, in production we work towards a dessert bar two nights a week. This week, we all contributed to the various components of the desserts that were chosen for us. Next week we'll have a blind basket, like in Chopped and we'll be responsible for our own dessert. Good thing I practiced hypothetical Chopped competitions with the roomie this summer!! 

So in order to counter the negative list above, I have compiled a list detailing the awesomeness that the week turned out to be:

• I prepared three different pastry creams, mini carrot cakes, mini chocolate budino cakes, candied hazelnuts, scaled and sheeted crustata dough, scaled and shaped biscotti, and prepared french vanilla ice cream base. 
• After feeling completely incompetent for a short while, I finally got a grasp on how to make paper piping cones. We learned how to pipe chocolate feuille's and script in chocolate. 
• I plated the Baby Cake Trio for the first ever La Brioche Dessert Bar!

• I learned how to spin ice cream and sorbet. We made apple cider sorbet and it was FANTASTIC...bahhhhhh!!!!
• I purchased snow tires and had them installed---a surprisingly easy and affordable process!
• Accidentally sent two letters without stamps. details details. One of them successfully arrived without postage, the other was returned. No worries, I was a week ahead, she will still receive it before her big birthday!
• Four skype dates! Thank you Shelly Garcia, Tiffany Carter, Bailey Miller, and Curtis Schriever!

• I finally received my ID card so I was able to eat off of my meal plan and workout!
• I discovered where the doorbell is located when the florist delivered my AMAZING flowers from my friend. 
• I walked approximately 28 miles to and from class. Boom, gotta stay fit.

Even though I never found the "key", I'd say week one was an overall success. 

Making the Move.

Alright, So here goes nothing.

It has been suggested that I start a blog to keep my people back home up to date on this spectacular adventure. (And yes, if you are reading this, I am claiming you as one of MY people.) I am a little apprehensive to do so as I severely lack storytelling skills. So all I ask is please don't stop loving me, as I am aware of this weakness.

WARNING: The following paragraph is a bit of background info for those of you who aren't aware of the reason for "The Big Move". That is fair warning as to not bore yourself with meaningless details and poor storytelling if it isn't necessary.

Game on.

Baking is my passion. My love for baking was sparked and refined by my incredible grandma, Alice Lee. Culinary school was always a dream of mine and the "plan" was to attend The Culinary Institute of America post Augusta High School. Well things don't always go as planned. After grandma's punch-in-the-gut death my senior year of high school, I wasn't ready to move to New York and leave my family, so I applied to K-State- her alma mater.  After 5 glorious years in Manhattan, a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management, a minor in Bakery Science, Business Administration, and Leadership Studies, experience baking at coffee shops and at Colbert Hills, numerous birthday cakes, cupcakes, and chocolate chip cookies, I am off to Montpelier, Vermont to attend The New England Culinary Institute for an Associates of Occupational Studies in Baking and Pastry Arts.

Blah.

So after investing in a wardrobe to brave the sub-zero temperatures, researching the benefits of snow tires, and indulging in some new ink, my fabulous parents and sister, Laura, accompanied me on the start of my journey. With 26 hours of driving and the most intense exam of my life complete, I tested out of 3-6 months of classes and a 6 month internship.

After the exam, the PLAN was to stay here and start my adventure. Plan. Splan. Bah. I decided to go back to Kansas with my parents for a week and a half to prevent emotional and psychological distress (dramatic? yes a bit. it's normal). So after my unexpected holiday, I am back up north and slowly adjusting to this new life. The first few days were a bit rough, but after some exploring and discovering a bit of familiarity, I am beyond ready to start class tomorrow!

                            A pretty little trail for a nice relaxing hike


Up First: Plated Desserts and the Art of Plate Presentation. 3 weeks, 4pm-8pm. Boom.


I hope it was tolerable and you return for more updates and food photo's! :)