Would You?

11-NASA, originally uploaded by Theresa111.

If given the opportunity to go into outer space, would you? Personally, my first response is yes.

All my life, I have been intrigued by maps, globes, photographs of our planet and since 196o’s, man has really been able to see what our planet looks like. Most of us have see it through the eyes of the cameraman of the movie we are watching.  The telegraphic lens of Hubble and NASA photography.

For as long as I can remember, we have been invaded by aliens, martians and monsters. We have explored space via Star Trek, Star Wars and lots of science fiction thrillers.

But the question remains. Money aside, if you could go … would you?

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I Wish For Clay!

All day long, I have been sculpting, in my mind.  Would that I had some clay to caress, to hold, to mold.  For years now, I have heard people speak of reincarnation.  Is it real?  Are we souls reborn into new bodies? Alive for a while, to experience new things, different countries, better relationships?

In one of my previous lives, I have been a sculptor, of my inwardness and my trials.  When very young, I began sculpting in my mind.  I could close my eyes and feel the stone, rock, marble or clay.  Actually feel it with my fingers and hands.  The cool embrace we shared within my hands.   Entwined by tools.  The way my heart would be pulled by the creations we shared.

Oh!  What I would give for some clay.  To wet it down, cool water and slickness all running beneath my fingertips, staining my nails and skin with the loveliness of the red and earthen tones.  Squeezed out until shaped into a form, ready to be kilned by the heat of my passion, tossed about … ceremonial cremation … with tongues of fire, leaping their dance, to forever encase the unspoken dream, of a moment in time.  Etched and captured, forever.

Creative Life and Dark Days

I wonder how many times throughout the day I have to remind myself to stay up, positive, pumped-up. That’s what happens in the day-to-day life of a creative person. In this instance, mine.

Being born this way, creative, has it’s drawbacks. I see the world the way I want it to be. How it seemed to be, whilst I was growing up. A more hopeful place. Even a wondrous place.
Over the past two decades, things have changed in negative and mean ways. Dramatic ways. There seems to have been an realm of individuals born on this planet, that are of a different stock than those of my ilk. The many times I have picked up the newspaper, or turned on the news to hear … what! More bad news.

On the other hand, technology has been developing at a mind-boggling pace and increases more every day. You purchase an item and three days later, another, updated version has been developed.

The Inter Net has been the biggest component, in drawing the people of the world together, helping and encouraging us to learn and be more tolerant of others. This works both ways. I must confess that when I think of third world countries I am shocked to see huge skyscrapers and bustling cities. Then I chastise myself because I have kept myself so shrouded in the USA way of life. Believing in my compartmentalized mind, that other than Europe, everyone else, is still living in underdeveloped countries.

I have been concentrating so much on what has gone wrong within my own country, cities, suburbs that I have failed to keep an open mind. For this I am sorry and must plead ignorance.

Together with the changing world, everyday existence and with prices rising on all things, just trying to keep things together month-to-month … it becomes a balancing act. Being creative is sometimes more of a chore than a blessing. During these strained days, I find myself spiraling down into the great abyss, and when I have reached the bottom, somehow, I find my way out again.

As of late, I have been tracking these downward trials, which I find myself in. They seem to occur twice monthly, for about a thirty-six hour period. You might ask why in the world I subject myself, or open myself up to the world? Because someone else out there goes through this same horrid depression, for want of a better description. I do not drink it away and I take no pills. I deal with it.

It seemed to me a better thing to openly admit to my imperfections, and questions, why it is harder to create during these hours of dismal, downward fall. For those of you who think I walk around with a delightful countenance, smiling and radiating a happy face smile … I brood. I torment myself. I sometimes despair.

But I am resilient too. This is the side of me that most see. This is the creative and light side of my personality. This is when I find it easier to stay optimistic and hopeful. This is when I can easily send thought waves of love and be uplifting when I create. When I love the world.

In future, perhaps I will let myself create during a dark time, and we’ll see what artwork the other side brings. Peace, out.

“Adventures of Lady Laura”

My Roses, originally uploaded by Theresa111.

Introducing my first continuing story at my new web log site. Presenting  my original “Adventures of Lady Laura.”

After you have visited and scrolled here, please visit my new site.  Thank you my wonderful readers and friends.

Zebra Cake or Fan Torte`

Zebra Cake or Fan Torte`, originally uploaded by Theresa111.

When I checked my pastry arts notebook, I said “Wow, this will be a challenge to explain.”

A roulade` is a rolled-up sponge cake. The batter is spread into, if you will, a jelly roll rectangular shaped pan. Then it is baked very quickly. You can make these cakes ahead and once cooled can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen. Pull them out as you need them and they also are perfect to use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes of cake to place onto the bottom of those wonderful frozen mousse` desserts.

The characteristics of a sponge cake is it’s tendency to be dry and dense. When brushed or spritzed with a liquor flavored simple syrup, it immediately soaks up and absorbs the liquid. Hence the sponge cake drinks the application and miraculously it has now becomes moist and succulent.

The Zebra Cake was named thus because of the way it looks once it is cut into and plated for customers or guests to enjoy. This cake shown here was destined to be transported to a party and as such our chef instructor did not cut into it. Hey, I feel the same way!

To continue, because of the unusual assembly of the cake it has a layered appearance like stripes and so resembles a zebra effect. We’ll pretend you are assembling this cake.

Using the height of the tempered chocolate rectangular pieces already cut, you will determine the height of the cake (you can see the pieces are relatively the same size.) Now take one-half sheet pan size roulade` cake and spread it with 1/8″ hazelnut flavored butter cream.

Trim the edges and then cut the cake into four (strips … slightly wider than the height of the chocolate) pieces. Tightly roll up the first section. Place this onto the second piece. Roll the second piece encasing the first roulade` and keep it pretty tight. Take the now doubled roulade` and place it onto the third piece. Repeat. Tighten. Take the now tripled roulade` and place it onto the last piece. Repeat, Tighten around the edges. Wrap tightly and chill.  Place it like a wheel into the fridge, support it to stand up.

Remove from the fridge after well chilled and using a (pastry only) dry pastry brush, gently brush away any crumbs. Use a very sharp and hot knife to cut off both ends so the cake will be perfectly level. Turn the cake over and proceed to ice with butter cream once. This is the crumb coat. Return it unwrapped to fridge to chill once again.

The roulade` is like a wheel that will be turned on it’s side and iced with a thicker layer of hazelnut butter cream. Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Place the chocolate pieces around the base. Pipe perfectly whipped cream with a star tip, onto the top of the cake as they will support the triangle strips of cut tempered chocolate, when placed on their sides. Now you have a fan torte`.

Marzipan Rose Buds

My Marzipan Rose Buds, originally uploaded by Theresa111.

In the first few weeks of culinary school we students learned about a confection which tasted good and was so adaptable. Marzipan.  It’s a pretty cool ingredient to work with. As you can see it can be tinted with a tiny drop of food coloring to enhance whatever you are molding or covering, such as cakes and petite` fours.

These are different stages of a rose opening up. Familiar to all and to a novice it might seem incredibly hard to achieve. With practice as with most endeavors, it becomes much easier.

The gray container in this photograph is the inside top portion of an egg crate. We found them to be a very helpful tool in order to secure and support the delicate petals  of our flowers.  These take days to dry properly and they should be stored in a cool environment.  Do not refrigerate or it will chill and then when placed on a dessert,  will sweat and can lose its shape.  A cool dry place is best.

By examining these roses you can see that while they appear well done, they are in fact too thick, too heavy.These were some of my better first attempts.

After much practice, I finally got the hang of pressing out the marzipan thinner and my rose petals were more believable. The flowers on the wedding cake (June post) were also too heavy.

You can eat marzipan by itself, for those of you that do not know about this ingredient. Many French Chef’s mold tiny figures or fruits and sell for customer consumption or use them as display. I have seen many delightful creations.

Marzipan is make from almond paste and sugar. Please click on the link to see more photos and to learn of it’s history.

When I get around to buying some fresh marzipan or making it, I’ll do a step-by-step photo demonstration to use in a future post.