Weblog Entry - 05/26/2003: "Chef for a Weekend"

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05/26/2003 Entry: "Chef for a Weekend"

Was really busy last week. I agreed to be a guest dessert chef at a local restaurant called 12 last Friday and Saturday, and it ran over my life beginning Monday. I had less than a week to prepare a menu, test the recipes, and organize myself and my assistants. I was very nervous, because although I've worked for Pierre Hermé, I've never been the chef, meaning, the head of the other chefs. I'm usually just under everyone else -- the stagiare. Now I've jumped from stagiare to chef, without any experience in between. I can't even describe how tense I was feeling -- my mom would be talking to me at breakfast and my mind would be thinking about puff pastry and how to keep it crisp in this humid weather.

Dessert Collection for Restaurant 12
Almond Tea Cake with Strawberries
(with pistachio crème anglaise and berry coulis)
*
Fresh Fruit Minestrone with Mango Sorbet
(strawberries,kiwis,mangoes in papaya-lime soup)
*
Balsamic Hinted Strawberry Tart with Mascarpone Cream
*
Chocolate Cappuccino Parfait with Caramelized Puffed Rice
(Chocolate cream, espresso granita, whipped cream and puffed rice)
*
Molten Chocolate Stars with Vanilla Ice Cream
(served with vanilla and chocolate sauces)
*
Pistachio Crème Brûlée

It all worked out though. By Thursday I was feeling more comfortable, probably because I had excellent assistants. We prepared the pistachio crème brûlée and the molten chocolate cakes, and I was feeling that everything would be alright. Friday we were definitely ready. It seemed like a big dinner party because it was just friends and family. Stephanie Zubiri was doing the hot food, so she invited her family over too. The real test came Saturday, when both of us were in the papers in a press release for 12. More people came in to try our food, and I was happily serving dessert past midnight. All in all, it was a great experience -- met and worked with a lot of good people and gained some confidence in myself. They want me to do it again this weekend, but I'm leaving for San Francisco on Monday, so I'm still thinking about it. Got to work on finding a couturier for my wedding first!!