Fall Desserts part 2

The Hazelnut: On the plate is a swoop of a fig gastrique, which is a syrupy reduction of carmelized sugar and vinegar. On top of the gastrique is placed the creamiest cheesecake with a hazelnut cake base/crust. Small piles of mission figs are placed around the cheesecake. The cylindar tube is made out of brix dough, lined with white chocolate and brushed with gold dust. The tube is then filled with frangelico (a hazelnut liguor) caramel with candied hazelnuts folded into the caramel. To garnish on this dessert caramel lace is placed in the cheesecake. In the 3 years that I have been working here this is the first dessert that does not have a scoop of either ice cream or sorbet!

The peanutbutter: Starting on the left we have thin sheets of milk chocolate rectangles which separate squares of flourless chocolate cake and piped peanutbutter mousse. Chocolate crumbs and broken toffee bits craddle the large scoop of peanutbutter ice cream which is soooooo good! The garnish here is a super fragile toffee tuile, I swear sometimes all you have to do is look at it the wrong way and it breaks.

The Grape: This dessert was only on for a month because the quality of grapes didn't last that long. On the right we have a small pile of muskat, redflame and concord grapes that have been slightly roasted and then tossed in a vanilla white wine sauce. On the left a chevre goat cheese cheesecake that has been placed on top of a small pile of chopped candied walnuts. And to finish it off is a small scoop of grape sorbet that was made from the same grapes.

In other news the surgery went well yesterday and Jeff of course was amused by me. He said that he wished he had a video camera to record everything I said and did while I was coming out of my deep sleep.

The body truely is an amazing thing! I feel like all I did yesterday was sleep on the couch and then I still managed to be in bed at 10pm and sleep nearly another 12 hours. Today's agenda; continue to sleep, relax and heal. I am very much looking forward to reading and watching a few Christmas movies today and tomorrow.

Fall Desserts Part 1

The Tropical: Starting at the bottom; a coconut macaroon cake which I am told is delicious, then diced tropical fruit which includes papya, pineapple and strawberries. A passion glaze is then drizzled on top of the fruit. On the left of the cake is a scoop of coconut ice cream and to the right is a tropical chiboust (a meringue that has been folded into a thick custard and then set with gelatin.) To finish it off we have 2 pineapple chips as a garnish.

The Chocolate: Chocolate sauce is drawn onto the plate ancoring the hot chocolate tart. Hot fudge spills out of the tart as you dig in. On top of the tart we have a mint marshmellow which slightly melts by the time it gets to the guest, so that you have oowy, gooey goodness. And yes that is the proper technical term. A thin plaque of manjari chocolate (64% madagascarian chocolate) holds the mint ice cream and manjari ribbons garnish this dessert. This dessert is probably our most popular.

So this post was going to be one where I was going to vent and cry out my frustration and extreme disappointment, but after recent events it now has a different spin. But just so you know why:


Two weeks ago was a really rough week! One that I was hoping to have cause for celebration and excitement and then it turned as quickly as it could. Sometimes I feel like a jinx. It seems that if I get excited about something big that is going to happen to us I want to tell everyone but as soon as I open my mouth no matter how sure things were looking for us they change. This was no exception. My husband and I were getting ready (again...) to do in-vetro. The date had been set, the first week of December- that way I had time off work to lay down and do nothing but let nature (and modern medicine) take its course. The best part about this plan was that we would find out 2 days before Christmas if we were finally about to be parents. So we had begun the mounds of medication needed to make this work. I was on the 2nd of 4 that I would have to take, halfway there when my doctor had to run a test that could only be done at this point in time. It was a new test, at least for me. One that none of my other specialist had ever done before, maybe that's why we felt like this new doctor was the one for us. Anyway she discovered that I had a couple of polyps and a tear in my uterus. Come on! Are you kidding me?! Can't you give us even a little break?! So now instead of having in-vetro the first of December I get to have a surgery to remove the polyps and repair the tear. Of course I was a wreak after the news and I'm sure that the massive hormones I was on didn't help at all! All I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry. I couldn't help wondering if we needed to come to terms with living a child free life. Because after many fasts and prayers, even some more recent, we know that adoption is not the rout we are suppose to take.



I tend to listen to books on tape because with traffic and navigating the Vegas strip I commute about an hour a day. Well On Wednesday when I was heading back to work I was listening to April's General Conference. It was the priesthood session and Dieter F. Uchtdorf began to speak. I know that we aren't suppose to have favorites but he quickly became one of mine as soon as he was called and not just because he is German. :-) Anyway his talk was on patience, you can already see where I am going with this. So many things in his talk jumped out at me and it was exactly what I needed to hear. So even though we have been trying to have a family for 9 years I still need to be patient. If my heart had not been comforted enough I then began preparing my primary lesson for Sunday and wouldn't you know it was about Job. I was again comforted by what I was preparing and just to make sure I was ok and could make it through, Sunday's talks in Sacrament meeting were all about our trials, enduring through them and of course patience. I love how things like that happen, we hear just what we need to in order to have our prayers answered and hearts calmed. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Is it already November?!

For some reason my blog has been really acting up and it would not let me post anything forever! But don't worry you haven't missed much. I haven't been up to or done anything exciting in that time. As I reflect back on last month or two the only things I can think of doing are working and going up to Logan for the quickest trip ever for the sealing of my niece and nephew to my sister and brother-in-law. So to continue where I left off back in September..."Summer Desserts Part 2"

The Peach: Starting on the right; an almond peach bread pudding-cake that has been tossed in creme de peche (a peach liqueur) anglaise (a rich custard sauce, essentially melted down vanilla ice cream) and then baked. YUMM!! On top of the cake we have roasted peaches that will remind you of a world in a better place. In the middle of the plate, it's kind of hard to see but there is an almond milk foam that deflated by the time the professional photographer snapped the shot. Just know that it was really cool! On the left is a beautiful sugar lattice bracelet anchored by some sand that is really a brown sugar crumble and a scoop of sour cream ice cream. Which is heaven in and of it self. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this dessert, seriously one of my all time favorite!

The Cherry: As always starting at the bottom; a line of cherry port reduction was drawn onto the plate. Above that we have 2 thin sheets of Manjari (64% Madagascan dark chocolate) chocolate that sandwiches a log of white chocolate pistachio cream. On top of the sandwich is a pistachio sponge cake. Than there is a layer of neatly stacked cherries that have been sauteed in the cherry port reduction. To complete the tower we have a pistachio tuile. To the left; a square of flourless chocolate cake and a scoop of ever so smooth, melt in your mouth creamy pistachio ice cream. Oh ans to top it all off two chocolate curls to add height.

Sweet Talk (Part 1)

The Bavarian: This dessert is so light and refreshing. Its a perfect finish to the tasting menu which is so heavy and rich. On the plate we begin with a berry sauce and mint oil. Fresh berries which include: blueberries, blackberries, golden and red (sometimes orange too if we get them in) raspberries and lastly Harries Berries delicious and amazing strawberries. They should be at $65 a flat! The berries are sandwiched between 2 layers of puffed pastry. The puff was sprinkled with layers of sugar and ground caramel. Its then baked with weights on top of it so that it doesn't raise like a puff dough normally would. A vanilla bavarian and a scoop of mixed berry sorbet on top with a pulled sugar spiral to complete this dessert .

The Crepe: Starting at the bottom; pineapple caramel with flecks of gold ground this dessert. Then we have citrus crepes filled with coconut, lime rice pudding. On top of the 3 crepes there is a pineapple tuile (crushed pineapple that was spread super thin then dehydrated, sprinkled with isomalt -an invert sugar- and then cut into rectangles.) Slices of roasted pineapple are sandwiched in between the tuile. A scoop of mojito (lime juice, sugar, mint leaves and rum)sorbet on top and 2 pulled sugar sticks to finish.

The Valencia: Starting at the bottom, we drew on the plate a chocolate swirl with writing chocolate. On top of the swirls we poured an orange reduction. Chocolate crumbs act as a bed for the scoop of orange ice cream. On the left is a milk chocolate cylinder filled with all sorts of goodness: flourless chocolate cake (sinful to those of you who know it by name and have tried it), burnt orange caramel, buttermilk chocolate cake, toffee bits, orange cream, glacage, then topped off with an orange cremeux and glacage. Garnished with a chocolate cigarette. Super rich!

Tell, tell sign that I have been living here in Vegas too long

Yesterday as I was walking into work (with my black pants and chef's coat mind you). I was thinking what a nice day it was, not too warm, really nice. Then I found out that it was 97! So, so sad. Yep I have been living here way too long!

I'm taking my camera into work tonight to snap shots of the summer desserts. So my next post will contain all sorts of yummyness.

What I have been up to lately

I love the idea of canning but I am quite the novice. So when my sister in-law that lives here called me up and asked me if I wanted to come over and do some applesauce and pie filling I jumped right on it. Here's what I took home, isn't it a beautiful sight?!

I am never at a loss for projects around here. While I'm watching TV or a movie I always have to be doing something with my hands and it's usually crocheting.

There seems to be a lot of people I know having babies lately so here is the little pile of burp cloths I have going.

Not that many boys, just girls seem to be being born lately.

My latest quilt, a small lap sized one. My favorite color is blue for as long as I can remember it has been. One of my favorite combinations with it is brown. And I have to admit I was almost disappointed when it became so popular as a color combination, only because it will look out dated very soon.

I love the fabrics in this quilt!

And another shot, I am just tickled "blue" at the way it turned out!

I am such a suck for Americana themed things. I love the month of July my heart just fills with pride and joy for this great country that we live in. So here is a wall hanging that I finally finished. I don't know why but this one sat on my table unfinished FOREVER!

This last month I finally gave a quilt away that has been sitting in my sewing room for years. I couldn't take any pictures of it because it was a surprise for my new niece Marisol. I wanted it to be one of the first things that she, and she alone owned. Something that she didn't have to share with a dozen other kids in an orphanage. Years ago I asked my sister what her favorite color was and with the color purple in mind I went to work. And then it sat and sat collecting dust, 2 years later she was wrapped up in it. And guess what I forgot to take a picture of it so I'll have to have my sister take a picture of Marisol with the quilt and sent it to me.

This was written back in April, I totally forgot about it but didn't want it to go to waste

Yes is has been quite a while and now looking back I’m trying to recall what all has happened in the last 2 ½ months…….
*My younger sister finally came home from Mexico with her 2 beautiful children! What should have only been a 2 week trip turned into almost a full month. Unbelievable! It seemed that anything that could have gone wrong did. But now it’s all done and in years to come they will have funny stories to tell. I can’t wait to meet them and let them know that I am their favorite aunt. J
*My husband and I were able to take advantage of living here in Vegas (we don’t smoke, drink or gamble so naturally we live here. J ) this doesn’t happen often so when it does we jump on it. We were given tickets to the show ‘Jersey Boys’ by one of his clients who is actually in the show. It was fabulous! We loved it! After the show ended at midnight we went out to dinner at our favorite little spot and a local favorite. Vegas is just coming alive at 1am so it was really fun.
*I had surgery for the first time. I was very nervous not knowing what to expect but I had a wonderful nurse that walked me through and explained everything. Everything went perfectly and I now have a clean bill of health. Apparently when I was in the recovery room coming out of anesthesia I was so worried and kept asking the nurse if I snored, no not how well did everything go, was it better or worse than they expected but did I snore. And I guess that I was so worried about it I asked several different times.
*We (well mostly my husband) planted our first garden here in Vegas. I know your all thinking what in the world can grow in Vegas, the answer just about anything. You just have to plant in off seasons. All of the plants are doing well but the peas have really taken off. My husband has such a green thumb and he has been itching to get his hands in the dirt forever. He already has plans on what he will do to for next year.
*I’d like to think that I am a very graceful person but in reality I’m totally not. I should have realized this when I was 7 and in a body cast, but no I still picture myself as elegant as Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. In the kitchen I’m pretty good but recently I have the proof that I am not as graceful and coordinated as I once thought and unfortunately I have the burns to prove it. My forearm looks like a war zone and I fear that my arm modeling days are over. But I learned a new and very helpful trick. Directly after you burn yourself don’t run for the ice go to your fridge and cut open a lemon, yes a lemon. Rub the lemon directly onto the burn and the burning will go away instantly-no joke! You will need to continue to rub it on as the juice dries but it is like magic!
*Work has been crazy busy. We changed out our winter menu for our spring one (delicious!!), that in its self is a task. But then on top of that my boss was asked by Food Network to do a “Challenge”. She accepted and we all went to work in helping with the design, testing and then making different pieces of the display. You can take 50% with you already made. The theme was a Christmas Store Front Window. So we immediately went to work on making sugar snowflakes, she wanted 200 to hang from the ceiling so we got to work on 100 of them. They turned out beautiful and I wish that I could show you pictures but that was the one strict rule they had- no pictures can be released until it airs which won’t be until December. But I can tell you that all of the long hours we put in paid off she won!! Wahoo!
*It’s a little pricey to eat at my restaurant, about $200 per person and that’s even the cheaper menu without the wine pairing. So this will make you feel a little better and make that $200 look like nothing. We had a private party a little bit ago where they had a custom menu and they paid $1,000 a person. Cha-ching. Crazy!

I am shouting it from the roof tops. It’s the best news of the century, and almost 3 years in the making. Today my sister and brother in-law are finally flying down to Mexico to pick up Omar (now 7) and Marisol (now 6). They will probably be down there for 2 weeks signing everything and then they will be home. Hurray!

Getting Tired

I am on another 12 day straight run, so no time to do anything but sleep and work. We opened up a day early (on Tuesday) for a private party, I am continually amazed at the money people have! In order to buy out the restaurant its $40,000 and then your food in on top of that, I know crazy. Sunday is Valentine's Day which we are normally closed on Sundays but because it is Valentine's we are open and actually sold out. We are running a special menu that day its only $300 per person, any takers? Then Monday and Tuesday are Chinese New Year and since we have a large Asian clientele (I know its very odd-French restaurant, Asian clientele...go figure) we are open for that as well. I'll try and post some pictures in my next post, now its time for breakfast (at 11:30) and then to work immediately after. Hopefully I'll be home and in bed before 3am only to start it all over again, only 8 more days. Good thing I have a massage scheduled in 10 days!

Work has been utterly crazy I feel like I am just getting back on track from the insane holidays. I worked way too much that I felt like I completely missed Christmas. Which in a way I guess that I did. I was so upset by all of this that yesterday, yes the 18th of January I finally took down my Christmas tree. My sweet husband knew that I didn't want to take it down because I missed practically everything so he patiently waited until I said it was time. I don't know what our neighbors thought when they looked out the window this morning and saw our tree on the curb, ready for pick up.

This weekend was the first full weekend I've had off since before Thanksgiving, and I took full advantage of it. (My restaurant is closed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday-not the normal weekend.) I got a much needed massage yesterday and decided that I need to treat myself to that every month and my husband said the same thing-wahoo! Since it was a rainy day (Super rare here in Vegas so I fully take advantage of it) we ordered in dinner and watched a couple of movies that we got for Christmas, like I said just getting on track and catching up with everything.

Have you seen Julie & Julia? My parents gave it to me knowing that I would love it and I did. I laughed and cried-a lot. There is a scene in the movie where her younger sister writes her a letter to tell her that she is going to have a baby, she is thrilled and devastated at the same time-she was never able to have children. That scene touched me so deeply; I loved the movie and recommend it to any foodie out there. Meryl Streep is amazing in it!

Here is a quilt top I finished in October. I'm a sucker for civil war replica fabrics, so I used several in this quilt.

Trying it out on my bedDessert photos. Here is our Hazelnut dessert, sorry these aren't the professional ones. Ok, starting on the left side of the plate. Gold dust that has been brushed on. Then the triangle, on the bottom: chopped hazelnuts, then a frangelico (a hazelnut liqueur) caramel, a hazelnut shortbread cookie, and then caramel mousse piped on top. Next we have chopped up candied hazelnuts as a base, two brandy snap tuiles and a scoop of cajeta ice cream (caramel made with goats milk)

This is our smore dessert. A chocolate sauce line is drawn across the plate. Then the half moon shape is made of a rich chocolate fudgie base (this is the "sinful" that many of you have tried) and then a toasted marshmallow-yes we make marshmallow from scratch. I get that question a lot, I don't know why? The 2 round spheres are a graham tuile. Graham cracker crust is then a base for a scoop of Godiva ice cream.

This is our new apple dessert. The base is made up of chopped, sauteed apples. Then brioche that was soaked in calvados (apple brandy) custard and then baked-its like a delicious french toast. Topped with a scoop of maple ice cream and then a sugar garnish.