Dessert Plating Week

Well it's been some time and it is time again to post! Here is dessert week and I should let you know I have decided a few things. I am going to cut down on my step by step postings and post mostly finished product but feel free to chat with me about the goodies! First up we made a light coconut dessert with a mango centre, a crispy sugary coconut based curl and coconut ice cream with mango reductions.

Here is the mango that will go into the centre. It was more a non Newtonian fluid than water or jelly and we poured them into half circle moulds and then stuck them together by heating each side. Good trick. 

Next we baked lines of coconut sweet cream and rolled them quickly onto rods to make spirals.

Then we cooked little circles of sweet dough with griottines on them to place the ice cream on later.

Plop the mango in the mould and pipe in your coconut filling. Bake and plate!

Here's mine. The plating isn't perfect but I would say my style is more staccato jazz than a smooth symphony at the moment. Improving but still playing with what feels right.

This was a particularly difficult but rewarding week so after getting a bit down on myself I went out for a bike ride and felt better. While on my ride I found a way to the bio-coop, an excellent all natural vegan vegetarian friendly all local product magasin! Aka my favorite grocery store in Agde.

The next dessert we make had rounds of carrot and mango on top of cream and a baked pillow of whipped egg whites and ground hazelnuts served with mango an carrot ice cream and circles (or what are supposed to be circles) of mango and carrot reduction.

I had a rough and fantastic day on the last dessert day. I was working my butt off and trying really hard but I made mistake with my pears and they were simply inedible. I was really angry with myself but the Chef and the other students in my class gave me some of their pears with no questions asked. I felt and feel so much gratitude that day. Then  I ate some yogurt that reacted badly with me and I was up all night sick.

Fast forward to some time off. I had to go to Montpellier to get my medical affairs in order and I had time to bum around the city before my train back to Montpellier.

First I caught a good picture in Agde centre ville.

Did you know that Agde has a lot of history with Greece? That's why you will find a lot of pillars like this one carved out of volcanic rock.

Finally after my medical check in Montpellier we went to Omija, the Korean store! 오미자가 너머 맛있어!

And we went past an American specialty store with bagels and pop tarts! Ahh the pop tart how could anyone survive without you?

And we found fabulous graffiti like...moustache rock. He's waiting to be invited in...

...Spray paint smurf...

...the humanization of the robot from A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy...

...and this little gate guardian robot.

As we were wandering around we noticed a gigantic crowd gathered and when we got closer we heard screaming and saw cops with orange capped safety training guns having a standoff with a guy in a car. It was safety training day!!

When it was time to go home we came across this little guy playing the most french song ever (I think it was a song from Amelie) in this place...

...La Comedie. I must say for someone his age the way he played was absolutely beautiful.

We came upon several more statues and beautiful places Montpellier before returning home.

So dessert week was not too shabby. I am getting much more confident in the kitchen and slowly more so with my french! 

Alright, until next time I hope the world is kind to you!

Au revoir!

Sara