The Journey Begins

So here I am on my first day of school at FCI.  Adorable, huh? Yeah, all the girls wear earrings everyday, just so that we're distinguishable from the boys.  Ha ha!  Pastry school has exceeded every expectation I could imagine.  I was nervous, anxious, and excited upon moving to New York, but now I love it!  I have a teensy little studio in Greenwich Village, about a mile from school, so I can easily walk to and from class everyday.  My four doormen LOVE me, because I have kept them well-fed since day one of school! 

                    The Classic Pastry Arts program is divided into three levels, and in each level, we learn SO MUCH  it is almost overwhelming!  Right now I'm in the middle of Level II, and everyday poses a new and wonderful challenge.  I'll post pictures later, but in Level I, I mastered tarts of all kinds, pate a choux (cream puff dough), puff pastry, artisanal and breakfast breads (i.e., croissants, danishes, scones, ciabatta, focaccia, yeast rolls, baguettes, etc.), and simple, classic French and American cakes, among various types of cake fillings and icings (French, Italian, and German buttercreams, mousses, Bavarians, mousselines, etc.).  Since starting Level II, we've sharpened our cake-making skills, and I've advanced to making my own marzipan and fondant for covering cakes and making artful decorations to adorn these cakes.  We just started tempering chocolate, so I'm looking very forward to destroying my chef jackets and making all sorts of chocolate showpieces.  I'm anxious for Level III, because we will be blowing sugar and making sugar showpieces, as well as creating sugar paste flowers under the training of world-reknowned pastry chef, (THE) Ron Ben-Israel.  I'll post later on all the incredibly talented and world-famous chefs I have had the pleasure and privilege of training under. Some of them you might recognize from The Food Network. More posts and pictures to come.

                        The purpose of this website (under the pressure of my dear sister) is to allow those who are interested to see and share in my experience and journey in pastry school and New York City.  Hope you enjoy!