Moon and Stars

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It has been a few months since I started selling cakes online. There were ups and downs, of course. Sometimes when I saw other professional chefs I got scared, I lost my confidence. The business itself wasn’t in my plan at first. I’m young, I still want to learn a lot more but not everything you want could be bought with money. People keep telling me that I’m young, that I still have a lot of time, that it’s easier for me to learn stuff. However, I think they’re wrong, even if you’re young, does not mean you can just relax, does not mean you learn better, I think someone learns better when there’s willingness, when there’s passion. 

I’ve been selling typical indonesian cakes and they are totally different from french patisserie. Sometimes I felt that the skills that I’ve learned before are just useless because I no longer used them. I was really upset but I know not everything goes as plan and you just have to make the best out of it. I started looking for ingredients and equipments for french patisserie (really difficult to find). I made an entremet, my favourite dish when I was in school. It felt amazing and I fell in love with it all over again. 

   

   

One day one of my loyal customers ordered a Valrhona Opera Cake. It has so many memories, it was indescribable. When I made it, it reminded me of the reasons why I did all of these, I love to cook, it’s my forever love. I realize I have to fight my fear of other people’s capability of creating things that are so much better me. Do what you can do best and keep learning. A dream is like the moon and the stars. Many people know it exists but not many people believe that they could actually get there, not many people are willing to work that hard to get there. In the past people would think that it’s not possible to reach the moon, but eventually people found a way to get there and actually landed on the moon, now the impossible becomes possible. I’m here believing that I would get there someday, I would try my very best and if I didn’t reach it, that’s okay too,I know something better would come along to those who work hard enough for their dreams. Now I really understand what “nothing is impossible” means.

   

  

  

 

Examination

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So, this was my opera gateau for pastry exam. Both exams (cuisine and patisserie) went really really well and I was really happy to hear the good feedbacks from the chefs. I really enjoyed this semester, I’ve learned a lot. Next term is my last one, Superior level, 3 more months to go and I’m done! Superior is going to be amazing and exciting. I can’t wait! Thank you to all the amazing chefs in Le Cordon Bleu Wellington. I’m flying off back to my hometown and I’m gonna be back in Wellington in April. More food posts !

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Le Saint-James

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We made this cake for the assessment before the exam. It’s really delicious and personally, I think this cake is more difficult to make than a classic opera cake. This cake is made of Almond Joconde (imbibed with rum syrup) with nuts ,layered with Rum Praliné Mousseline A l’anglaise and Apricot Compote. Garnished with caramelized dry apricot, pistachios and hazelnuts.

The way we assemble this cake is similar to the way we assemble an opera cake. It’s the same technique, different products.

Almond joconde in this recipe is made of brown sugar, icing sugar, plain flour, ground almond combined with a plain meringue.

Rum Praliné Mousseline A l’anglaise is made of creme anglaise mixed with butter, praliné and rum, combined with a plain meringue.

Gâteau Opéra

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Gâteau Opéra is made of joconde sponge imbibed in coffee syrup, layered with chocolate ganache and coffee buttercream, topped with chocolate ganache glaze. This is one of my favourites.

I used french buttercream for the cake. French buttercream is made by whisking the egg yolks with a hot sugar syrup that has reached the soft-ball stage until the mixture turns light. When the mixture is at rtp. butter and other ingredients (e.g coffee extract or vanilla extract) is added to the mixture and combined well with the rest of the ingredients.