The adjacent day, I popped over to the challenger site, of which the sec 24-hour interval of Semi finals. I went at that spot to encounter reckon how things are, thence that I'll give myself a mental prep. The primary purpose of dropping past times is to collect my pistachios, promised to me past times the organizer. I idea I'll instruct skinless ones, but noooooooo, I got regular pistachios that comes amongst lots of skin. I left presently afterwards that too went to collect my ingredients at a designated baking supplies shop.
I got dorsum to my relative's identify too started working on my pistachios. Blanching, peeling too lastly toasting them. Because they were toasted correct afterwards blanching, at that spot were lots of wet inward the nut. Took me to a greater extent than than 1 hr to instruct them nicely toasted. In out of oven, airing too toasting again. Then I had to grind them... when everything's done, it was 11pm. I was dead tired!
SEMI FINALS
I'm baking Flourless Pistachio Torte amongst Strawberries (Montebello) today.
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| Mark, Fan too I |
We were given 3 hours.. I knew, I volition receive got plenty time.
First, I made my torte. Had to vanquish the meringue too this mixer was non the same every bit KA, much to a greater extent than powerful too I overbeat my egg whites! They were also dry. Luckily for this contest, there's no such matter every bit limited utensil or limited ingredients. Any errors, exactly maiden of all all over in i lawsuit to a greater extent than too they volition render y'all amongst the neccesary things, too for this, to a greater extent than eggs :) The organizers are really accomodating. I vanquish my meringue in i lawsuit to a greater extent than too this fourth dimension I remain deadening too steady. Phew, meringue was exactly prissy too my torte came out exactly every bit how I wanted it. But stupid me... forgot to comprehend them spell cooling.
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| adding lemon juice to vanquish egg whites Photo courtesy of QPC |
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| it's nicely shrunk, exactly the way I anticipated it Photo courtesy of QPC |
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| slowly cutting strawberries Photo: Courtesy of QPC |
When I lastly had to compose the cake, I constitute my torte base of operations a chip dry out on the surface. I brushed them amongst a lot of syrup, LOL. Worried to live commented the torte was dry.
Since I even thence had 45 minutes, I casually frosted all four tortes. Ran a trial amongst 1 torte before completing the assembly for the i I am going to present. When I am almost done, the emcee came over too asked me whether I am ready. I went huh? Times up? Oh no! I didn't fifty-fifty chill my cake! The gelatin glaze is all runny!
Oh no oh no!
I stood before the judges. All three said it looked beautiful. Judge Bernard said my cake was tooo sweet. Said all that he could sense of savor was sweetness. The two other judges differed too said it was exactly nice. The reason, they ate amongst the strawberries too he didn't. I was bashed when said my cake was soggy too sweet, too that I shouldn't state people how to swallow the cake, when I tried to explain, the cake is meant to live eaten amongst the strawberries, too the strawberry is non a garnish but role of the cake, based on the combination of Montebello created past times Pierre Herme.
Oh well... Oh well....
But, the role of the cake beingness soggy, I tin alone receive got myself to blame. The thence called 'syrup' the estimate ate was genuinely the gelatine glaze that never set. So, if for this I lost the semi finals, I could alone blame myself for working thence deadening too never looking at the clock. Being also confident thinking that I could instruct inward on time. Who's to blame that the estimate constitute it syrupy? ME!
I wasn't taken past times the negative remarks, because I knew.... it's my fault. My fault to overbaste the cake, my fault for non letting the glaze set. I wasn't distressing a bit. Don't worry. When the argue is known too it's clear, there's null to live distressing about.
After the judging was over, the populace could come upward too sense of savor our bakes. The feedback I got were all positive. Sweetness exactly correct too they told me it's delish! To me, that's enough.
It's too then fourth dimension to denote the winner of the day. I idea my neighbouring contestant, Fan volition win, because she didn't receive got much negative remarks. I was rather surprised to withdraw heed that instead I won it. Okok... I'm glad. I knew it was the outlook of the cake that saved my butt, because I managed to peep into the manly mortal judge's marks for me. 13.5/20 for sense of savor too 14.5/15 for outlook. Hehehe, My eyes are even thence quite sharp.
I went back, relieved that I volition go along to the finals. I'm exactly glad that my initial endeavour to computer program for finals aren't wasted, LOL.
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FINALS
For finals, nosotros were given four hours. That quite a lot of time!
I did a stupid mistake, yes to a greater extent than mistakes.
For the semi final's Montebello, I adjusted the recipe based on the size of egg. Because the master copy recipe used Grade C eggs too jumping to a AA egg, I definitely demand to recalulate it. But today, I didn't! When I did the sponge biscuit at home, I used Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 eggs, thence I thought, Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 too AA, the deviation is quite minor, thence I didn't bother. But nooooooooooo. My meringue didn't plow out every bit rigid every bit I wished too my batter was non every bit 'solid'. The baked sponge biscuit turned out rather apartment too inward the end, was commented a chip chewy past times i of the judges. My wrong, my bad!
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| Piping the biscuit batter Photo courtesy of QPC |
Some of y'all who were at that spot could encounter the speed that I was working........ deadening too steady.
After I got the mousse into the sponge biscuit ring, I basically had to hold back alone too I receive got to a greater extent than than 2.5 hours to kill. I tardily balled my watermelon. One past times i they came off my melon baller. I made a huge bowl of melon balls. Wrapped them upward too kept them chilled.
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| Photo past times Shenny |
Then I proceeded to brand chocolate decoration, every bit advised past times a pastry chef G during a consultation the 24-hour interval before. I was having some problems amongst some organic chemical compound chocolate that I was given to use. Luckily Shenny came to my rescue too gave me some chocolate chips that her store is using. Those worked similar a charm too stayed pipeable until the end. But..... chef estimate NS walked pass. Saw my chocolate deco, asked me, your cake volition await thence neat, delight don't clutter it.
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| Photo past times Shenny |
I dared non work the chocolate deco every bit advised past times the chef G that I consulted. I was advised non to work by chef NS who is also a judge. Who will you psyche to? The consulting chef G or the judging chef NS ? Of class the i who is a judge. I desire to psyche to him too receive got him similar my cake, LOL.
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| see the record on the correct side of the cake? |
When it's almost time, I took out my cake too wrapped a ribbon around it, exactly similar how charlottes commonly have. Then I constitute out, the store inward SS2 close Poh Kong sold me a piece of joined ribbon, without notifying me whether it's ok or not. Lucikily it didn't snap too stayed seat throughout judging.
I was anxious this time, hoping my lime mousse isn't also sour for the half dozen judges. And when they asked me to piece the cake for them, the knife came out clean! Phew, I was thence happy the cake set! If it didn't, I'm gone case! The feedback was almost all postive, flavours good balanced, beautiful, delicious,and everybody ate amongst a smiling on their face. One estimate fifty-fifty told me it felt similar eating a mock tail cake too the flavour combination of lime, watermelon, basil too mint was really special. The alone negative was that my sponge was a chip chewy, similar I said earlier. I passed some to the pastry omnibus said, too he said it felt similar eating mojito cake, except for the lack of vodka. He liked it too.
When I was asked nearly why I chose these fruits to run with, my dizzy oral fissure spoke non what was inward my head. LOL. I said a lot of tropical fruits were non inward flavour now, so I used those that are easily found! It was partially true, but bananas are also constitute everyday everywhere right. LOL. The primary argue was that I was thinking, some of the judges had been eating a lot of of the bakes these few days. I wanted something refreshing that volition brand them desire to swallow amidst all the butter too saccharide concoctions that got them satiated. If non I would've exactly gone amongst the BanaMisu, right!
When I was announced every bit the winner, this fourth dimension I was happy too glad, merely because I made a cake that everybody loved too most of import of all, this cake is a cake that I believe is good. This cake won my heart.
Friends also came past times to give me support, swain bloggers similar Lena, Esther, Sharon, Abbygail, Yvonne, Shannon, my adept friend Wai Wai too her friend too non forgetting my chocolate saviour Shenny who came on both days. Thank y'all all! Words can't limited how much it agency to me. But I am indeed blessed to receive got y'all all every bit my friends.
My baking mentors, Alan too Swee San, Annie and Hody who has been helping me to encounter my trials too kena kacau for questions inward helping me brand decisions. Not forgetting Quay Po whose ears are ever available to withdraw heed me rant. Not forgetting the ever caring Lena again. Thank y'all give thank y'all you!
I know a lot of y'all are supporting me mentally, it's a working day. I understand.
Thank y'all for all the good wishes on Facebook (92 good wishes too 120 Likes), too to a greater extent than congratulatory wishes afterwards I won. I know I've been bad past times non announcing it earlier, but I was feeling shy, haha, yeah, shy, serious! And also, I am also worried nearly everybody putting high hopes on me. I am already heavily betted past times my swain buddies! Haha, Pressure non from the competition, but from the attention too beloved showered upon me. But inward the end, I felt bad, knowing that beingness every bit my readers, y'all all receive got the correct to know of my participation inward this competition.
As for the organizers, give thank y'all you for replying to my every email, every query, clearing every doubt. I know y'all did your really best to accomodate our every need. I was thence happy that I wasn't restricted to using whatever at our counter alone too nosotros could inquire for utensils, instruct the bowls too spoons washed every bit many times every bit needed. I never had to worry nearly using dingy utensils (I wonder if Veron worried I'll give her diarrheoa, LOL). Budget for materials were generous (I can't complete mine), the coaches, mentors, judges were all prissy people.
I am glad I joined this competition... It's been a bully self challenge, a bully fourth dimension amongst friends, too a bully fourth dimension getting to know to a greater extent than professional person bakers. Thank y'all all!
To all on FB who idea my breadbasket cramps pre Finals were caused past times stress, no la! I was genuinely having mild nutrient poisoning. LOL. Diarrheoa can't live a production of stress.
Oh Yes.... the cross department of the cake?
Here it is, receive got a piece of it now, virtually, I'll give y'all the recipe tomorrow :)
Make it at home, thence that y'all tin receive got a piece of it, literally
Love ya all!
Buat lebih berguna, kongsi:
