Chicken Noodle Soup Topped with a Tuile Cookie Spiral

I have 12 of the molten chocolate cakes or Fondant au Chocolat with a ginger orange syrup in my freezer right now. I was so excited to learn how to make those. 

Good morning monday...

"[the apples in hot caramel] tends to burn your fingers [as you pull them out of the caramel with your fingers one by one] 'ohh lala you zee its hot even for me' but then it will gradually drop to 100 degrees (212 degrees F) so you will be fine" -Chef

"we start sugar work next week, so it will be good to have some good blisters started on your fingers" 

-Chef

....oh good...cant wait!

Just a few quotes to get the week started off right. Now even though I do have several burn blisters from pulling all of those little apple (6 apples in total) slices out of  searing hot caramel, I have to admit, it was worth it. Normally on a menu I would go straight for the chocolate dessert, but this apple tartin will make you rethink your dessert choice of the evening and asking for 'a la mode' would just be an insult. 

When a person takes the time to hand place all the 1-2mm thick apple slices in the tartin tin you know that this is more than just food, it is edible art that can actually touch more than just your taste buds. I have been thinking a lot this week about personal touches. Even the imperfections are more beautiful when you know that someone has taken the time to try to make something special.  This week we focused on plating our desserts as well. It seems like an easy enough task to decorate a plate with a little tempered chocolate, caramel drops, and raspberry coulis...but when those 3 dots of sauce on your plate have all been made from scratch just to make the plate and dessert more beautiful visual and in taste, somehow it seems like more than just 3 dots of sauce. Those three dots are drenched in substance and become personal in a strange way. I have been lucky enough to be reminded of those personal connections made through food by my friend Jasmine and my roommate Ann. I have been dog-sick all week, but have still had to attend class...3 hour practicals in an extremely hot or extremely cold kitchen while sick...oh yeah now thats a challenge. Ann, my roommate, made me a home remedy with pears and left me a sweet note! My good friend Jasmine made me homemade chicken noodle soup. Its times like these when you realize that food is so much more than a meal. 

Delices aux Fruits Exotiques...or in English the Exotic Fruit Mousse. This dessert actually was one of the more relaxed practicals we have had so far. I know it is hard to believe considering all that is on the plate, but the assembly is basically something we could all do in our sleep at this stage. I decorated mine with a piped tuile halo, fruit, passion fruit coulis, raspberry coulis, mandarin caramel, and tempered chocolate twists. I re-plated my dessert about 3 times, because I just could not decide on my design...and my piping bag broke...twice. My piping bag disasters must be a bit of a joke now, because I was mocked several times today. Even though I did not get as much hight as I wanted with my chocolate twists, it was a great feeling leaving the kitchen today after getting to use some creative plating. 

PS: I am pretty sure this dessert is a product of the 80's...mainly because of the neon green pattern we put on the outside of the sponge cake....it was done against my will.