Photo Journal

I know I haven't written in a long time... too long, but I'm just going to make a photo journal of the last two weeks... please beware of drooling...

This was the Ad Hoc meal... Thomas Keller's "temporary" restaurant in Yountville... 4 course chef's tasting menu - $45... best deal in town!




















Kim & Zani had their wedding and reception at the CIA in St Helena... they spared no expense for the delicious food served to their guests... each course complete with a wine pairing and favors from the chocolate bar in NYC...













The last day I was in Napa we visited Taylor's Refresher, a Napa institution... although I don't have a picture of it, I also enjoyed a delicious carrot cake cookie from Bouchon Bakery - cream cheesy frosting sandwiched by cakey carrot and walnut cookies...













And in class, one of the more attractive things I've made were some meringues - some piped, others spread into a fall leaf stencil and sprinkled with almonds, coconut and cinnamon...













Last Thursday the school gave everyone in our class $20 and our chef organized a walking tour to visit 12 different bakeries, pastry shops and chocolatiers in Chelsea, Greenwich Village and Soho... I was in heaven! I ate truffles, brownies, gelato, lots of chocolate, a spinach pie, a banana donut and a chocolate eclair... it was definitely educational to see so many different shops and how they were organized and also to get a better idea of what types of products are offered and how they try to differentiate themselves...

Pictured below is the bakery case at 3 Tarts, store front of Eleni's and The Fat Witch in Chelsea Market, the chocolate counter at Jacques Torres' Chocolate Haven and display window of Vosgues Haut Chocolate (my favorite of all)...