Saturday, November 06, 2010

Fall Festival






Student Services hosted a Fall Festival for the students with caramel apples, popcorn, punch, pumpkin carving competitin and a costume competition.  All smiles on deck....

Friday, November 05, 2010

Make it easy......

A co teacher was telling me about this one student who can't seem to do anything right in the Baking and Pastry kitchen.  Since I have been working late nights in their kitchen, I was watching him and had casually said, "let me know if I can help you"...I can see in his face the desire to conquer baking, and the willingness to work on it.  So, at some point I saw him struggling with marzipan carrots,  and I showed him an easy-way technique, and this kid was so grateful and so proud that he actually overcame a what to him was such a difficult task.

Sometimes, we really have to acknowledge that the students of today have so much baggage that prevents them from learning the way we used to, and that we have to design easy-way techniques for them to acquire a skill set. We so easily get frustrated and expect our students to think for themselves, but we don't teach them how....

The real awards of teaching is when these students come to you, so grateful for the tiny little time you spent with them.....

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Freddi and Marshall's Cake

Former Vice President of Academic Affairs Marshall Shafkowitz married  Freddi Press in Chicago in a beautiful ceremony Saturday, Oct 23.  I designed an all white cake for the couple using different heights and textures for each tier.  Pulled sugar flowers added to the simplicity yet, elegance of the very tall cake.

Free Hands On CupcakeWorkshop





Every month we select a theme for a  free hands on workshop I conduct for my Baking and Pastry Club for our students.  October was cupcake month.  We used several media for frosting and decorations...from buttercream, ganache,modeling chocolate, marzipan, fondant, royal icing...here are some pictures