Sweet Mary

Week 4 Update

I've been feeling guilty for not blogging more about my internship. I am already into week 4 here, which technically means there are only 8 weeks left. It's very different than culinary school. Very different. I make such a wide variety of items from week to week. And, it's a long day without any real break; consequently, when I get home, I don't feel like reflecting or rehashing details much. In addition, I can't bring a camera and start snapping photos of everything I do (as much as I'd like to!). It's a work environment where people are busy. An intern taking photos would be distracting. And, I should really stay focused and get my work done.

I do like it, though. Very much. I am finding it much much easier to organize my tasks and day which means the day runs pretty smoothly. And, once in a while, I do have some down time during which I conduct research for my internship project which is to develop a recipe for the pie chapter of the dessert book. That has been interesting, fun, and will really help me understand the job of a test cook. I've also been enjoying some of the discussions that arise from watching and/or participating in some of the tests or tastings. You really do learn a ton from just being around so much cooking and baking. When you've done a recipe or seen someone else do it 12 different times, you're bound to learn something.

Furthermore, I will reiterate that I really like my team. They are communicative, helpful, and very creative in the kitchen. So, all in all, the internship is truly going well and I have no complaints. Well, maybe one. It does suck and cause stress outside of work to not get paid. But, I knew that going into this and I'm doing my best to deal with the fact that I am a 38 year old intern!

Just so you have a clue as to what I've been up to in the test kitchen, here is a generic production list: cookie doughs (bar cookies, basic sugar dough, meringues, etc.), a little bread here and there (baguettes, pizza dough), cakes galore (vanilla cakes, genoise, chocolate cakes, frostings....and yes, I even had to slice one of those suckers into layers and ice it up today....which went very well after all the training in Chef Z's class!), tarts (fruit, chocolate, savory, blind baked, partially baked, tarte tatin, etc.), and pizzas. I even had to make two recipes of mac and cheese one day for an editor.

As for living in Boston, it has been going pretty well. I've been out and about in Jamaica Plain, Brookline, and the North End. I've eaten some good Thai food, visited Clear Flour Bread a few times, and am gearing up for an Afghani restaurant in Cambridge this Friday. I've seen some art at the Institute for Contemporary Art and even been out to Walden Pond. Oh...and I've been trying (not too hard) to become a Patriots fan. I think that might happen if I stick around longer than just a few months because I still feel a bit of longing for the Baltimore Ravens. What are you gonna do?

I hope to get my arse out to an apple orchard this weekend and do some pickin' in order to put something all nice and fall-like up in the recipe section (despite the fact that it was almost 90 degrees today!). Check back Sunday or Monday night.

Chocolate Truffle Tart

Yes, it's hard to believe I even have the will to cook for myself now that I am working in a culinary environment full time. However, I don't want to neglect the site....so, here you go, a recipe for Chocolate Truffle Tarts. I took some extra chocolate tart dough home after making a few similar tarts on the job this week. Mind you, I can't divulge the secrets of all the great recipes going into the Test Kitchen's dessert book that is in the works. In fact, when it comes out, I will probably shamelessly promote it and encourage you to go buy it! Consequently, what I've done is find some similar (but not the exactly the same) recipes that will do the trick and help you make a rich and delicious tart.

The first thing you will want to do is make a chocolate tart dough and bake it off. You can do ahead and make the tart dough I have listed in the pie/tart section of this site. To make it chocolate, replace 1/4 cup of the flour with a nice Dutch process cocoa powder like Droste. If you make a regular sized tart, make sure you blind bake it. Make your dough. Chill till firm (about 20-30 minutes). Roll it out. Put it in the tart pan. Chill till firm (about 20-30 minutes). Cover tightly with foil. Weigh down with pie weights or baking beans. Bake at 375 F for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove weights and foil. Finish baking till browned, roughly 6-10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Chocolate Filling

This recipe from the Martha Stewart site is a good one. The filling is a ganache which is perfect.

12 oz semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (depending on what you like)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Put cream in small saucepan and bring to just under a boil. Pour over chocolate. Stir till creamy. Mix in vanilla. Pour into cooled tart shell. Smooth top. If you want you can sprinkle caramlized nuts on top. I had some hazlenuts on hand that I used. Let set.

Testing

On the first day of my internship, I had flashbacks of starting culinary school while walking to the test kitchen. White uniforms. Hoards of 19 years olds smoking cigarettes and talking about last nights party outside all of the buildings on campus. Notebooks. Lectures. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. The first week of class kicked my butt, but by the fourth day or so I started habituating, my nerves calmed, and I just got to work.

That is exactly how I feel tonight after my first four days in the test kitchen. I'm tired and aching. But, it's not in a bad way. It's more of an understanding that this is what I signed up for and after three months of thinking about it, now it's happening. And, I'm glad, really glad, the first few days are out of the way so I can go in Monday all rested with the knowledge and experience I've already gained. Moreover, this was definitely the right choice for me. I will be challenged and learn a ton.

So, let me try to describe what it felt like for me. We (i.e. two other interns and me) had a 30 minute tour around the building that included some basic information and introductions. Then, we were introduced to our teams and handed recipes or tasks to do. It was kind of crazy and there was no time to really think. So, I just got to it. I baked a bunch of cakes and made frosting, as well as mise en placed (i.e got all the ingredients ready) a whole mess of stuff for the chefs. It was non-stop all day on my feet without a break. I wasn't sure how to prioritize as my pile of stuff to do grew, which made me a little frazzled!

It wasn't easy for me. I like to kind of wrap my brain around instructions, methods, theories, and information before I do anything. So, just being thrown into the turning wheel like that was pretty freaking stressful! However, after four days, some mistakes (of course), and a bunch of conversations with the chefs on my team, things are calmer and procedures are making sense. Time goes by so quickly that I have to be mindful to drink enough water, eat, and, if at all possible, take a short break.

So, I work on the book team and, right now, they are working on a dessert book. I think there are six chefs total and all of them at any time can give me things to do. Again, sometimes I am just preparing ingredients or doughs for them to use. For instance, for the past three days, there has been a photo shoot going on and I've made a bunch of cookie doughs for them to use during the demonstrations and photo stills. Many times, I am making recipes straight through to help them test different aspects (i.e. changed ingredients, height of a cake, measuring yields, fixing problems, etc).

The hardest thing for me so far has been to bake straight through a recipe following the instructions exactly even when you know something might be wrong or off. They want to see how someone in his or her own kitchen would fare with the recipe the way it is written. You can't take any shortcuts. You can't use any tricks you may have up your sleeve. And, you absolutely must measure accurately. So, really, they want you to take your time, read the recipe thoroughly, mise en place, and begin. Sometimes, though, they are looking for certain variables so they want to know how long it took to bake or mix so input is necessary.

In addition, in many instances, I have to unlearn some of the things I learned in culinary school. Their magazines and books are for the home cook or baker and not intended for an industrial kitchen. Measurements and methods can sometimes vary. It's quite different than being in school.

The environment there is a whirlwind of activity at various times of the day. Ovens are on and burners are going. There are people buzzing around and tastings going on all day long. And, yes, we do get to eat if we have a moment to spare. Once the official tastings are finished, the food is put into a communal space where anyone can grab a bite. Also, anything not eaten is packaged and is up for grabs at the end of the day. I've gotten to bring a few tasty things home this week for dinner. And, I have some pizza dough to use this weekend. Nice.

The tastings are also really interesting. I've been asked to be a part of a few and I feel really fortunate. I made two rosemary polenta cakes the other day using different methods and to be able to taste both, as well as here what the team had to say was a great learning moment. That's what a test kitchen is all about. I loved hearing about how and why the recipe developed and ingredients changed. So, already, in just a few days, I've learned quite a bit.

As for the people who work there, I'd say they are a really interesting mix. Funky. Quirky. Friendly. Funny. Creative. Dedicated. Hard working. Talented. And, there's a few, in particular, who seem to really take the time to work with and teach the interns. I appreciate that tremendously.

So, all in all, not a bad first week. Now, I'm going to go watch a movie and crawl into bed.

San Francisco Highlights

Although I went into this trip with a rather ambitious list of places to visit and things to eat, I realized when I was out there that I needed a break from those endless lists of things to do and wanted the freedom to just sit in a cafe reading for hours or take a long walk through the park. I simply wanted to do what made me happy rather than worry about bloggging. So, although I crossed a few things off, there were quite a few that I left for the next visit. For instance, I never did make it to Tartine. I drove by it at least three times, but never stopped to go in. In addition, Citizen Cake was on the list but was closed for renovations. I also skipped a few chocolate shops after tasting Rechiutti's chocolates from the market at the Ferry building, touring the Scharffen Berger factory in Oakland, and also stopping by Charles Chocolates in Emeryville. I had hit my threshold for sweet things, I think. What I enjoyed most was hanging with a few of my friends who I don't get to see nearly enough. I also loved the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, sitting at a cafe down at the end of Judah on Ocean Beach reading and people watching, talking with some of the artists at Creativity Explored (a gallery and studio for people with developmental disabilities), seeing Daniel Johnston at Bimbo's, and eating at the Citron Club on Haight (great cheap noodles and such...I can't stop thinking about their cold citrus mint noodles). So, here are just a few highlights and photos. You can click on my Flickr site to the right if you want to see the full set of photos. Bread from Acme; market in the Ferry Building. Market in the Ferry Building. Rechiutti Chocolate (Lavendar Vanilla, Cardamom Nougat, Single Origin Ecuador). Petite Patisserie in Potrero Hill. View from the new tower in the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. Array of pralines from Charles Chocolates. Crazy industrial chocolate machine at Scharffen Berger. Drinking expensive crappy beer at the ball park (and happy about it!).