2011!

2011 has been a great year in the Culinary Arts III class, so far.
Early in the year we did an Asian inspired lunch, complete with home-made fortune cookies topping our cupcakes.

 

In January, we also had finals.  For our first final we all made and plated braised chicken, sauteed asparagus, and mashed potatoes.

Our second final was a Cupcake War.  We each got two secret ingredients from the country we had been studying and had to incorporate them into our cupcakes.  My country was Argentina an my secret ingredients were spearmint and vanilla bean.  I soaked the mint leaves in a chocolate ganache, giving it a minty flavor, to fill the chocolate cupcakes and I used to the vanilla beans to create a vanilla bean butter cream. 
I gladly passed both of my finals, [:

On a relaxed day in the kitchen, we made delicious crepes filled with nutella that someone *cough*Lindsay*cough* hid from us.

A week ago yesterday was my 17th birthday.  To celebrate the entire class made mini molten lava chocolate cakes...practically the equivalent to Heaven in your mouth. 

Yesterday was Valentine's day and we made cute little cupcake grams.  Some were chocolate with a chocolate butter cream and others were red velvet with a vanilla butter cream.  They were all topped with festive pink, red, and white sprinkles and a chocolate heart with a personalized message.  They were either picked up or delivered to the customers. 

This week we will not be doing a staff lunch due to a cheese tasting that I have been waiting to do!