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Cakes by Blackman High School Culinary Arts Department
Students of Chef Brenda Lewis , Certified Pastry Chef, Blackman High School Culinary Arts Department prepared a five tier we dding cake and Christmas theme cakes as a class project, then organized a display of their cakes for fellow students, teachers and administrators to see their completed cakes. Afterwards the cakes were shared with everyone. This is a fun project and to see the students realize they can do this and see the final product, it is great. This encourages them to take cooking seriously. |
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The young man in the striped shirt is Brian Graham and he made the Christmas tree cake. He is C.A.II, and will graduate this year. Nikki Rawls made the tractor cake and is a second year Culinary Arts students and is a junior. Amy Amaro is a junior (C.A. II) and she made the Christmas Teddy bear cake. Felica Hicks made the Christmas house and both Sarah Overby and Felica decorated it. Sarah is a sophomore and Felica is a senior. Josh Whalen made the Noel Christmas candle and is a senior ( C.A. II ). |
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Dinosaur cake decorated by Felica Hicks and Sarah Overby. Patsy Stone made the Christmas Playboy bunny and is a junior (C.A.II ) Jesse Siharath made the Christmas wreath , he is a junior (C.A.II) and will really be good by next year as he does a lot of cakes and wants to do competition for Skills USA. |
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Wedding cake iced and decorated by all classes but the main decorating people for it were Patsy Stone, Nikki Rawls, and Amy Amaro. Took the tallest guys in the class to really mount it together and put the bride and groom on it. Was a fun project for all classes plus the best part was to eat it and share it with other teachers and students. This cake should feed over 400 people if cut correctly.  |
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We just finished baking and decorating over 700 cupcakes for the Blackman Elementary School and entertaining them for trick & treating and cupcakes and punch. My class has done this every year that BES has been built. We enjoy entertaining the small spooks each year. My class likes the cakes, pies, and cookies that they bake. Some are already selling them to friends and family.
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Natalie MacLean - At the World Food Media Awards in Australia, Natalie was named the World's Best Drink Writer find more wine tips and articles at www.nataliemaclean.com
Reading Between the Vines
Some people have anxiety dreams about falling off a cliff—mine are about restaurant wine lists. In my nightmare, I'm handed a large leather-bound book that looks like a prop from Lord of the Rings. Within it, somewhere, lies the Secret of the Ideal Wine, the one perfect drink for my friends and me.
I know I'm not alone in this dark vision: Most people would rather peel a thousand grapes than choose wine from a restaurant list. Here are a few tips on choosing a good wine from a restaurant list—and how to avoid what I call the Vinous Fly Traps; aspects of ordering and drinking restaurant wine that make you feel like a bug drowning in icewine.
Ask for help. Find someone to help you, usually the sommelier, the bartender or "someone who knows the wine list well." Most of us will ask how a dish is prepared or what its ingredients are, even though choosing between salmon and lamb is much simpler than picking one of thirty merlots. Ask which wines the sommelier is most excited about or, "What can you tell me about this wine? Does it pair well with some of the dishes on the menu?" You can help the sommelier by mentioning wines you've enjoyed in the past to give her a sense both of your favorite style and price range. Or you can point to something suitably priced on the list and say something like, "Do you have anything like this that's full-bodied and not too oaky?" (or whatever your style preference is).
Match Your Meal. Often you and your dining companion choose different dishes: You're having steak and she's having fish. If the restaurant offers the option, you can order half bottles or wines by the glass. Or you can try to find a wine that matches both dishes: Some wines such riesling and pinot noir can pair with a wide range of dishes because they are neither too full-bodied, nor too light. European wines generally tend to be more balanced and food-friendly than New World ones, which can be fruit-heavy and oaky.
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Expensive Doesn't Mean Better. I use the Wolf Blass Yellow Label Index: knowing the retail price (about $17) of this popular but overrated cabernet sauvignon from Australia, I can usually figure out the markups up the other wines. Higher up the scale, I use my Veuve Clicquot Non-Vintage Champagne (about $58) Barometer. Many diners actually mistrust a moderately priced wine, assuming it's no good. But if you know the markups (100% is considered reasonable to cover a restaurant's operating costs), you'll know if you're looking at plonk or a fairly priced wine.
Drink Local. Focus on the area of the list that seems best stocked, which often is wine that complements the restaurant's cuisine. An Italian trattoria usually offers lots of chiantis that are great with pasta; or those red velour-draped steak houses will likely be strong on full-bodied cabernets that pair with meat. If you're dining in a winemaking region, such as the Niagara and the Okanagan, local wines are often a good bet. They're usually cheaper (because there's no import tax and shipping costs); they'll complement the local cuisine; and the owner may know the producers personally, and be familiar with the wines.
Go for the Best Values. Some of the best values are from lesser-known regions and grapes. Look for New Zealand and South African sauvignon blanc, German and Alsatian riesling and Chilean chardonnay. For reds, try South African and Australian shiraz; Oregonian, Canadian and New Zealand pinot noir; Chilean cabernet; Argentine malbec, Rhone grenache; Loire Valley cabernet franc and red blends from Portugal as well as the southern regions of France and Italy.
Conversely, some of the worst values are often the big-name grapes from big-name regions, such as California chardonnay and cabernet, or the red blends from Bordeaux. They're good wines but they command a higher price because they've become premium brands, much like you'll pay more for a BMW than a Honda Civic.
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Beware of House Wines. That humble little house wine is often cheap and nasty stuff that you can use in a pinch instead of Liquid Draino. Not only are they bad to drink, they're also usually a bad buy—one of the biggest rip-offs on the list. Many restaurants price a glass at the full wholesale price of the entire bottle. With four to five glasses per bottle, that can be a 300% to 600% markup. Drinking most of them is like accidentally walking into a bad neighborhood: you're going to get roughed up and robbed—and you'll learn never to take that wrong turn again. Using the clues above, plus whether the list notes the wine's name, region and vintage, will tell you whether you can trust the house wine. Otherwise, stick to a bottle.
Choosing from a restaurant list doesn't have to be a high-wire circus act; rather it can be the start of an evening where the wine and food rise up to meet each other and bear you aloft on a cloud of sensual pleasure.
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CALLING ALL CHEFS - 2007 Chefs Only Tour
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Academia Barilla will be offering a Professional Enhancement Session in 2007 at the culinary center in Parma, Italy. This is a fantastic opportunity to join with other chefs for a 5 day intensive study of Italian Gastronomy.
The Academia Barilla Culinary Center is a unique facility located in the food-rich region of Emilia-Romagna - dedicated to the education, preservation, and promotion of authentic Italian cuisine and products. |
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*100% Hands-on course work – taught by top international chefs in a world-class facility.
*Exclusive tastings of regional products
*Professional olive oil tasting
*Specialty recipes
*Gourmet tours to producers of Parmigiano-Reggiano, Prosciutto di
Parma, and Balsamic Vinegar
*Winery visits
*Centrally located luxury accommodations
*Daily transportation
*Meals in local restaurants
*English speaking guides and classes
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All of this is being offered to you, for an exclusive “chef only” price of $3,000 per person. This price is based on double occupancy and airfare is not included.
The tour is planned for March 25-30, 2007. Space is limited. Call us toll free now to reserve your spot 866-772-2233,
or write to us at academiabarillaculinary@barilla-usa.com for more information.
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