Bonbini!

chocolate raspberry opera cake...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:34:00 +0000

I've been wanting to make this classic cake again for quite some time. My first attempt was 4 years ago when I was still in culinary school. The traditional opera cake is contained of almond sponge cake (biscuit joconde), coffee buttercream, chocolate ganache, coffee syrup and chocolate glaze. I didn't feel like making the same flavor I did last time, so I came up with the chocolate raspberry opera cake.

Basically, I followed the classical recipe from this book, and did some changes on the flavor combination. Here's the components for this cake.
- dark chocolate
- cocoa biscuit joconde, cut into thirds
- kirsch syrup
- raspberry French buttercream, divided
- milk chocolate-raspberry ganache
- the opera glaze

As you can see, this cake consists of eight layers and must be no taller than 4 cm, mine is only 3 cm. It's a challenge when making it from scratch. You'll have to make the buttercream and ganache before you bake the biscuit joconde. Here's the anatomy of my opera cake.
- the first layer is a thin layer of dark chocolate spread on the back side of the first layer of biscuit joconde, which will be the bottom.
- the second layer is the bottom layer of the cake, brushed with kirsch syrup.
- the third layer is the first layer of French buttercream.
- the fourth layer is the second layer of biscuit joconde, brushed with kirsch syrup.
- the fifth layer is ganache.
- the sixth layer is the last piece of biscuit joconde, brushed with kirsch syrup.
- the seventh layer is last layer of French buttercream.
- the final layer is the opera glaze.

The trickiest part is when you're ready to trim the opera cake. The cake needs to be freeze to firm up before trimming. You'll need to warm the knife in hot water, wipe it dry before you cut the cake. In order to get a clean cut, your knife needs to be clean, warm and dry every time you cut the cake.

mexican wedding cookies...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:40:00 +0000

I've had pain in my left thumb for about a year before I decided to see a doctor. The pain wasn't so painful until I tried to use it to open jars or cans--became impossible. Turn out it was arthritis. I didn't want to do the surgery, but it was the only option to fix the problem permanently. So I went for it.

Basically the surgeon removed the problem portion of the basal joint of the thumb and took a tendon coming down the underside of my arm, and push it into the space created from bone removal. It sounds scary I know. Anyway, the cast and stitches were remove after a week and there was no pain after that.

It's been almost 6 weeks after the surgery, and I'm now on the process of regaining motion and strength back. I need to do physical therapy 3 times a day for a month. Although I've regained range of motion and can use my left hand for some light works, I still have some numbness in the thumb and can't touch my little finger with my thumb yet. It was a bit crazy to work with only one hand for awhile. I so look forward to gain all my motion and strength back soon.

Here's the recipe that I can work with my left hand. Instead of powdered sugar, I coated these cookies with pistachio flour. They are less sweet, just the way I like. :)

Ingredients:

- 8 oz. unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup pistachio flour (plus 1/2 cup for coating)
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract.
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. orange zest

Preparation:

1. Cream the butter and powdered sugar together in a mixer until fluffy.
2. Add pistachio flour, almond flour and extract. Mix until blended. Then add the rest and mix until well blended.
3. Shape dough into 1" balls, place 1" apart on ungreased baking sheet. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Bake at 325F for 12-15 minutes or until the bottom of cookies are lightly browned.
5. Cool 5 minutes and roll warm cookies in pistachio flour.
6. Cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

riviera...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:34:00 +0000

Riviera is a flour-less chocolate cake, layers with chocolate mouse and lemon cream. I made this cake for my first customer. She wanted a chocolate cake with light filling for her husband's 30th birthday. I hope they like it!

lemon cheesecake...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:19:00 +0000

I'm excited to start off my 2012 baking business with this special lemon cheesecake that I made for my friend & students yesterday. Thank you to Annie for choosing Bonbini to celebrated her birthday.

In the near future, I'll include made-to-order cakes, cupcakes, pastries and hand-dipped chocolates that can all be custom ordered for parties, events, gifts for someone special. Stay tuned!

Ingredients:
(adapted from here)

CRUST:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups almond, finely chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted

FILLING:
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
1/4 teaspoon salt

TOPPING:
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, combine crumbs, almond and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and up to the sides of a greased 10" springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, beating on low speed just until combined. Add lemon juice, zest, vanilla and salt; beat just until blended. Pour into cooled crust. Wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil.
3. Bake in a water bath at 325 degrees F for an hour or until center is almost set. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Combine topping ingredients, then spread over filling. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Cool completely at room temperature.
5. Refrigerate overnight.

merry christmas...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:00:00 +0000

festive macarons...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:24:00 +0000

Macarons become my favorite treat to make for any holiday now. I like that I can flavor and color them in countless ways to fit with any holiday theme. Here's the pistachio macaron with raspberry powder on top, filled with pistachio ganache. Surprise your family and friends this Christmas with these festive macarons treat!

Ingredients:

Macaron Batter
Mass
- 75 g almonds flour
- 75 g pistachio flour
- 150 g powdered sugar
- 55 g egg whites, fresh
- pinch of green (powdered food coloring)
-----------------------------------------
Meringue
- 150 g sugar
- 37.5 g water
- 55 g egg white, fresh

Filling
- 100 g heavy cream
- 60 g pistachio paste
- 120 g white chocolate, 34% cocoa

Preparations:

Macaron Batter

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
To prepare the mass, combine both flours and powdered sugar together, then sift the mixture through an open mesh strainer. Discard the solids. Add food coloring and egg whites, mix the mixture with a bowl scraper until it comes to a thick paste. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside.
To prepare the Italian meringue, cook the sugar with water on high heat over the stove to 240 degrees. While the sugar is cooking, start whipping the egg whites on medium-high speed to soft peaks. When the hot sugar has reached 240 degrees, remove from heat and pour it slowly down the side of the bowl into the egg whites, whipping as you do so. Continue whipping until the mixture cools to the touch, about a minute.
Lighten the mass with 1/3 of the meringue, then fold in the rest of the meringue. Fold until the batter forms a ribbon.
Place the batter into a pastry bag, pipe it to a diameter of an inch and a quarter onto a sheet pan lined with a silicone mat. Let rest for an hour before baking.
Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees, and bake for about 10-12 minutes.
Leave them cool at room temperature. Fill them with filling and store in the refrigerator overnight to develop the texture and flavor.

Filling

Melt the chocolate in a saucepan over a bain-marie.
Combine the cream and pistachio paste together in a saucepan, bring the mixture to a boil.
Remove from heat, pour it slowly over the melted chocolate. Using a spatula, mix the cream into the chocolate quickly in the center to create a smooth and creamy texture.

mushroom-bacon mac and cheese...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:10:00 +0000

It felt great getting back to the kitchen. The first thing that came to my mind when my friend invited me to her party last weekend was baked macaroni and cheese. Making this buttery, cheesy and gooey comfort food from scratch was easier than I thought. :)

Here's the recipe, enjoy!

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. elbow macaroni
-------------------------------------
- 8 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 lb. brown beech mushroom
- 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp. fresh green onion, finely chopped
-------------------------------------
- 2 oz. butter, unsalted
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 tsp. fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 3 cups whole milk
- 8 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated
- 16 oz. white cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 tsp. salte
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
--------------------------------------
- 2 oz. buter, unsalted
- 1 cup panko
- 4 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 4 qt. casserole dish.
2. Saute bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, add shallot and mushroom. Saute until vegetables are tender. Add the vinegar and cook until liquid has cooked off. Remove from heat, stir in green onion and set aside.
3. Cook macaroni in boiling salted water, follow package direction. Drain well and return to the pot. Stir in mushroom-bacon mixture.
4. For the sauce, melt 2 oz. of butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and dry mustard, then thyme and tarragon. Cook for a minute, whisk in milk. Bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk in both cheese and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the cheeses are melted. Remove from heat and pour over the pasta. Toss everything together. Pour the pasta mixture into prepared dish.
6. Melt 2 oz. of butter in a small pot, turn off the heat and mix in panko.
7. Sprinkle Gruyere and panko over the pasta. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

at this moment...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 03:54:00 +0000

holiday season...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:00:00 +0000

fun thing to do with family and friends...

things i'm thankful for...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +0000

We're looking forward to getting our kitchen back. It's been three months since we started this project. There wasn't anything complex about the design, but the only changed from our original plan is that the island was moved farther toward the back patio a little bit. Although I can't cook the whole meal for Thanksgiving yet, I can make roasted turkey today. I feel so grateful to have my dream kitchen comes alive soon.

For your update, I'll be ready for macaron classes in January. To do the sign up online, you can check my Calendar now. I'm also planning to have more classes like bread and cake in 2012--will give more detail about these classes on my New Facebook Page. In case you did follow my old page, please consider to follow my new page instead. Soon, I'll stop using the old one. Thank you for your support!

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, here're things I'm thankful for this year.
my husband
my family
my friends
my beloved dog
my fans
living in a great neighborhood
getting a dream kitchen
being to work for myself
living my life the way i want

I hope you all have a great holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!

rest in peace...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:34:00 +0000

After a long battle against Yindee's brain tumor, we were in pieces when we had to put him to sleep last Saturday. He managed to enjoy life with us for 6 years 7 months 2 weeks.

This is only my third day without him being around. I already miss him. He was one of a kind dog with so much personality, the best dog I have ever raised.

11.11.11

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:33:00 +0000

one more month to go...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:01:00 +0000

It's been two months and we're now at the point of where we have to get a slab for the countertop. Although we have a love for marble, we'll get honed black granite for our countertop as it is the most practical choice for natural stone. Marble is more porous and need more care than granite. Since I'll be using the countertop for classes, the dark natural granite will suit us better.

According to the plan, we'll have a new kitchen within a month. However, I'm not sure we're on the track. Mark already put all the cabinets together, so we hope they'll be ready to lay them out on the floor soon--still keep my fingers cross!

happy halloween!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:01:00 +0000

technique...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:16:00 +0000

check out this cooking school restaurant at 4TasteBuds!

I've been eating...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

WAY too much lately...

are culinary schools worth it?

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:17:00 +0000

It's been 4 years since I graduated from culinary school. I never have any questions about doing so. There's been a lot of talk about this, some positives and negatives. I think the school question is a complicated issue, depends on many factors.

If you can afford to go to school, are culinary schools worth it? I can give you good examples and not so good examples. There were 22 students in my class, I'd say only one third still working in food industry. Having said that, all three of my close friends who I met in class are still stick to it and doing really great, one is a pastry chef in a high-end restaurant, one is opening her own shop at the end of this year, and the last one is enjoying her lifestyle as a consultant.

As you know, I had zero background about food industry. Culinary school gave me the opportunity to get into those doors. Since I knew what I wanted to do with my career, I was able to land my first job right away at a Michelin starred restaurant once I finished school. Three years later, I started my own business as a teaching school. One thing I can tell you and it is so true that you get out of it what you put into it! And to be realistic, goal won't happen overnight or without work. Make sure you're ready to make changes and understand the situation of low wages and high pressure environment that will affect your lifestyle. And remember once you get in the door, it is on you to prove what you can do behind the line.

A couple days ago, my friend Bex and I got invite to a special dinner with chef Martin Yan at California Culinary Academy. Tell the truth, I wasn't excited about the chef, but it turned out I kind of like him in person. You won't believe how old he is. I was very surprised when he told us he is a ~~88 years old man.~~ (it turned out he's only a 63 yrs old man--good joke, chef!). Anyway, he gave us a demonstration in class, then chef Mike gave us a quick tour of the campus, and then a 9-course dinner at their restaurant Technique that runs by their students. I have to say the food was good.

I'm not here to debate the school question, I just want to support all the kids and give them a chance. I'll write about the restaurant on 4tastebuds sometime soon, but first I need to check out their food more often before I can write about it. By the way, I'm going back to audit some classes next month--so excited!!!

In case you're interested in checking out their food, they're open from Tuesday through Friday for lunch ($10 for 3-course) and dinner ($10 for 3-course and $15 for 4-course). A very good deal, right.

Top Left (clockwise)
- Classic Naples style pizza
- Blue cheese with honey and white truffled arugula
- Heirloom tomato trifle with saba
- Garlic shrimp risotto
- Chinoise salad
- Tomato sorbet with basil oil and sea salt
- Halibut in tomato saffron broth with duchess potatoes and peas
- Chicken with gnocchi, artichoke, tomato and pan sauce
- Apple-oat crisp with cinnamon yogurt anglaise

6-stop MACaholic...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:35:00 +0000

Since I can't bake at home at the moment, I thought it would be fun for me to try out some macarons from local. My goal was to sample every flavors each local offerings, then choose the ones I think people would enjoy having their macarons and write about them.

I've been teaching macaron classes almost two years now, and I've been sampling these fancy French cookies in many countries in Europe, Asia and the States. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, these cookies are the latest food craze around the world.
Although the best macarons are easy to find in Paris, you'll be surprised about our local. After months of tasting, I'm excited to give you a 6-stop best macarons in San Francisco. Starting with my favorite!

L'Artisan Gourmet Parisian Macarons (255 Mendell Street)

Best macarons I've tasted so far in the city, with perfect texture and flavor!

You must make an appointment if you want to buy macarons at their kitchen.
You'll need to try all the flavors they offer. Yes, they're that good. 15 macarons fro $ 28.25.
Although they don't have a storefront, you can get them individually at Yoppi yogurt on Sansome St, Cafe De La Presse on Grant Ave, and Rigolo Cafe on California St.

Chantal Guillon Macarons (437 Hayes Street)
A French boutique bakery serving only macarons.

Best ever: salted caramel!
At least get a box of 6 macarons from 12 flavors because they look very pretty together, and you can always share with someone. $ 1.65 each.
Used to ship their macarons from Paulette in LA, now they're locally made in SF.

La Boulange de Hayes (500 Hayes Street)

If you're looking for authentic French pastries and breads, this is the place.

Avoid the lunch hour as it's always packed.
While you're here, try their croissants.
If you can't find a table, get a cup of coffee to go with your macarons.
10 seasonal flavors to choose from, $ 1.50 each.

Miette Confiserie (449 Octavia Street)
An adorable treat shop with a beautiful vintage feel.

A perfect stop for any sweet lover.
There's always something new to try.
7 flavors to choose, $ 1.75 each.
Happy hour! get a macaron for a buck from 5-7 pm weekdays.

Trader Joe's (555 9th Street)

Who doesn't love all the goodies at TJs?

Yes, their macarons are on my list too (so are their peanut butter filled pretzels).
The cheapest macaron you can get on the market at $ 0.42 each.
Sold in boxes of 12 with 2 flavors, chocolate and vanilla. They're in the frozen dessert section.

Bonjour Patisserie (655 Townsend Street)

A sweet tooth's paradise.

My favorites, passion fruit macaron.
9 flavors to try, $ 1.75 each.
Variety of dessert selections, like tarts, cakes and cookies.

If you can't find the best macarons after check out these places, you can always come to my classes and learn how to make them by yourself. To get information about classes, follow my Facebook page or check out my Calendar. In case you'd like to order my macaron for a party or wedding, contact me by email. I'll be able to create a macaron tower for your event. Here is the sample.

By the way, I'll be contributed this content for the iPhone app Urbandig. It's the app that shows you unique attractions to discover in specific cities, like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver New York etc. So If you're planning to visit San Francisco, download this App and check out my Mac Madness tour on the go. :)

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rainy season begins...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:58:00 +0000

happy birthday to you...teerak!

love you...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:01:00 +0000

happy anniversary!

fall desserts...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:09:00 +0000

It's been two months since I left Luce to focus on my teaching career. At first I was going to stay for a year, but I really needed to move on to another chapter of my life. So let me introduce you my friend, Laura Yuen, from PastryPixels. She is one of my close friend that I met from culinary school. She is now working at Luce, responsible for overseeing the pastry production. Check her desserts out if you're in town!

Dinner Desserts

Photo by Laura Yuen...

Top Left (clockwise)

Lemon Chiffon Cake

toasted swiss meringue, lemon zest meringue shads, lemon powder, lemon curd, graham cracker crumble and buttermilk sherbet

Chocolate Espresso Decadence

chocolate caramel tuile, cocoa crumble, chicory foam, chocolate sauce and coffee chicory ice cream

Caramelized Squash Mousse

gingerbread, squash chips, caramel sauce, graham cracker crumbs and apple cider sorbet

Green Cardamom Creme Brulee

cardamom infused plums, plum gastrique, almond tuile, almond crumble and roasted plum sorbet

Lunch Desserts

Photo by Laura Yuen...

Top Left (clockwise)

Mango Parfait

passion fruit gelee and passion fruit seeds

Chcolate Peanut Butter Mousse

candied peanuts, whip cram and chocolate sauce

Spiced Pumpkin Creme Brulee

whip cream and brown butter sage crumble

Caramel Panna Cotta

chocolate cremeux and chocolate covered feuilletine

temporary kitchen...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:13:00 +0000

Creating a dream kitchen is an exciting time for me, at the same time, it's a brutal irony to live through the stress of not having a kitchen at all. To survive through out the renovation, I use the guest bedroom as a temporary kitchen. I packed most stuff into boxes, excepted a coffee machine, knives, cutting board, can opener, hot sauce, salt & pepper, and my favorite spices. Then Mark bought me a freezer, fridge and microwave to complete the setup.

Since I didn't want to eat out every day for 3 months, I stocked up frozen and precook canned food for the first time. They don't taste great, but they're convenient to deal with. It's kind of hard when I can't cook my own dinner. I grew up eating fresh food, where vegetables and fruits were available all year round. My family made everything from scratch and I'm so used to that.

A good thing about renovation though, Mark and I can check out our local restaurants more often and then I can write about them on my other blog. My recent post is on Limon Rotisserie. By the way, you won't believe if I say I can live on McDonald's Asian salad and premium grilled chicken classic sandwich. These are my lunch to go on the weekend. I like that I can keep tracking how many calories I'm going to eat. :D

Week 3 of renovation is done. They just finished the demolition and the stairwell. The new furnace and water heater will be install next week, then plumbing and electrical. There was one minor mistake on the floor plan, but can be fix soon. Within a month, Mark and I will have to put all the cabinets together and get them ready for installation. I can't wait!!!

plan in colors...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:05:00 +0000

second week...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:48:00 +0000

Things are getting hectic as the whole kitchen is being tear down. The wall between the kitchen and the dinning room is almost gone. I can see through all the way from the back to the front of the house. While they were working on the foundation in the basement, they found out that the sewer line was broken. I was like oh NO!! Anyway, they're replacing the new pipe line today--more noise and dust to come. :((

One thing I'm kind of happy is I'll have a higher ceiling for my kitchen. They ripped off the sub-ceiling and that gave me about one and a half feet up.

kitchen renovation...

noreply@blogger.com (Thip) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 23:29:00 +0000

When my husband and I moved into our new house, we knew that we'd be renovating the kitchen in the near future. As an instructor, I wanted my dream kitchen to be able to hold at least 6-8 people at the same time. With the help of Ikea planner, I was able to put things together. I spent months working on my layout ideas and gathering information. Although I had specifics appliances in mind, it was a bit difficult to plan the layout because the fridge and the freezer were way too big for a 300 square feet. After I played around with the plan several times, a single wall layout with an island was my choice.

I agreed with hubby to go with the white cabinets and dark wood floors. Timeless and classic, we knew the white kitchen will open up a space and create the feeling of speciousness. Of course, he gave me a 100% permit to choose all appliances I want. I chose an induction cooktop over the gas cooktop, two single ovens instead of a double oven, and a HUGE set of the fridge & freezer that we started using it yesterday.

The construction is on day 2 today, and will be finish around November--cross my fingers!! The first two days of living on the working site has been a bit tough for me and Yindee. I get frustrated with the noise and the dust from the knocking down part. I know they do their best to keep things quiet and clean. It's me that need to be adjust to the situation. I remember I went on a vacation for a month when my husband did the kitchen remodeling on our first house 6 years ago. I couldn't get away this time though. :'(

Here're some photos of the first week of renovation.