Revisit

On our day off this past Monday, we attended a food and restaurant industry expo to learn of any new trends or new products being introduced. So, essentially, it was a work day I guess. Now that we have been operating for a while, it is so much easier to navigate through the countless booths since I have a clearer idea of what we need. We came across some savory vendors and of course I'd always like to fantasize about serving a savory menu in addition to our desserts at Honeybee. "One step at a time," I'd always have to remind myself. Having a savory menu would open up an entirely different world of items to address: the dining ware, cutlery, table service? Would we even be considered a pâtisserie anymore? Perhaps a bistro! Well, wouldn't that be nice?

Afterwards, we had a dinner reservation at my old workplace. The old workplace that is now categorized as American rather than French with a new executive chef and pastry chef. The setting was the same as I last remembered it but the atmosphere was slightly different. The attire of the servers and runners had been revamped, now donned in a slick vest. The cooks and pastry cooks wore a trendy blue apron over their whites rather than the mundane yellowing white apron. The food itself was most noticeably different. The flavors of each savory dish were strong, sometimes overwhelming. It was delectable and necessary to consume slowly to enjoy it to the fullest extent. The desserts were a work of art. The plating was so intricate and beautiful. Of course I had to take photos to give credit to Diana, who did the plating on most of these.

It was really nice to be back again; to be treated like family despite so many unfamiliar faces who now work there. I'm so glad that my old colleague/friend had invited me to visit. The hospitality had been warm and friendly as usual. It was yet another memorable meal at The Modern. Hope to be back again sometime soon.

Being there gave me a nice surge of memories and a hint of desire to be back at a fine dining establishment. That dinner service rush with the tickets pouring in. Being swift, precise, and delicate with your movements. Having a pastry team family. Perhaps one day again. Honeybee ain't so bad either. If only there was a bigger pastry team instead of me being so lonesome on most days!

Anyhow, bed time again. À tout à l'heure.

Surviving Valentine's Day

And so I have experienced my first Valentine's at the shop. Friday wasn't so bad. Saturday was manageable. Sunday: the day that honors Saint Valentine himself. Cakes flew off the shelves much quicker than I had anticipated. It was such a bitterly cold weekend so it was surprising to see the number of people coming in! All in the name of love, I suppose. It was rather touching to think people were choosing our cakes to make up part of their celebration. Luckily, I had stayed up until 5am the night prior to decorate our Love with Coffee cakes! They were all gone before the end of the night. I surely hope many hearts were filled with happiness from these desserts. So the theme I've decided on for our specials was "time". I kept wondering, what's the best gift you can give to someone you love? Your time is the most valuable gift. 

The sugar cookie set, aka LOVE Cookies, took a good 3 full days worth of time just for the royal icing decoration alone. Needless to say, there was the dough making, rolling, chilling, cutting, and baking. The Saint Honoré took time in assembly by dipping each individual choux in hot caramel and adhering it to the base. On a side note, caramel is very prone to cooking your fingers if you aren't careful. Another little pastry knowledge: Saint Honoré is the patron saint for us bakers and pastry peeps. Why not honor the saint of pastries on a day of love, right? Blossom, a raspberry cheesecake, took time to slowly bake at low temperatures to ensure a creamy texture sans cracking. Love with Coffee, the most time consuming of all, needed time set aside for piping individual flowers to adorn each mini cake of 3 layers generously soaked with a coffee syrup. Each mini cake needed to be crumb coated, chilled, and frosted smoothly along the edges just like its adult versions. So did I stick to the theme successfully? Or was that too boring to read through? haha Well, regardless of the sleepless nights, I enjoyed every moment spent on these. It was nice to make something different from our usual menu and I hope the recipients felt the love put into each of them!

On a more personal level, my husband bought me a box of heart shaped doughnuts from one of my favorites, The Doughnut Plant. I'm not a flowers and diamonds kind of gal so food would be the best way to my heart. Extra points if it's sweet. 

Anyway, it's getting kinda late. It seems like this is the only free time that I have to blog a little. Another day to tackle tomorrow. I wish I had some hi-def photos to post up but I didn't even get the opportunity to do any proper photo shoots. So sad!