Happy Friday!
Last night was “savory” night in class. Our chef wanted us to understand that puff pastry can either be used for sweet OR savory items and last night we made puff pastry bouches (little bowls) filled with Lobster Newberg, Vol au Vents filled with cherry preserves and last but not least, the heart attack waiting to happen: an entire wheel of brie cheese wrapped up and baked in puff pastry. How’s that for your arteries?! We also (much to my surprise) had the first night of our practical. Practicals in this class are on Friday nights but since we are dealing with laminated doughs, the dough itself has to be made on Thursday night so it can sit overnight in the fridge. I wasn’t expecting that but my dough actually turned out really good so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for tonight when I actually have to produce multiple products from it and turn them in for a grade. Eek!
Lobster Bouchees
Vol au Vents (puff pastry windows) filled with Cherry Preserves
A heart attack waiting to happen
So, last night I went to bed dreaming of french toast. I really really was craving it! So, this morning I got up and fixed to make myself some of the good stuff! This time, however, I tried a new recipe out of my beautiful book, My Sweet Vegan, instead of the traditional eggy kind I’ve been making for years. I was skeptical at first. Nutritional yeast? Whole wheat flour? Soy milk? Not the ingredient list that I had been using, for sure. After taking my first bite (in maple syrup, of course) I knew that this was something special. The taste was absolutely wonderful…sort of nutty and sweet (it helped that I topped mine with about 2 tbsp of walnuts). The bread didn’t set up as firm as it does when you cook it with eggs but since I drown mine in maple syrup anyways I didn’t even notice a difference. I also had an Amy’s meatless breakfast patty and a navel orange as well. Divine!
Romina
March 14, 2008 at 12:56 pmI love your vol au volants! I’ve always wanted to make them. Savory pastries are so delicious. I know they’re not as popular, but they’re just as good. =)
Mmm… that french toast is gorgeous. I hope you enjoy that cookbook! I hear very good things about it.
Annie
March 14, 2008 at 1:00 pmHa I know its awful for you, but my family always makes the brie wrapped in pastry (with dried cranberries with pecans) whenever we have partys. Its gone in about 8 seconds, and is sooo good!
BethT
March 14, 2008 at 1:00 pmI have had the baked brie before, topped with brown sugar, nuts and dried fruit inside the pastry. Sinful, yes, but DELISH!
Rhodeygirl
March 14, 2008 at 1:04 pmQuestion:
Do you take off the hard outer part of the brie first?
my friends and I always make brie baked in puff pastry with cherry preserves in the middle of the brie, and walnuts on top at the end (I hate cheese but everyone else loves it!)… We have always had this debate and can’t seem to solve it!
jenna
March 14, 2008 at 1:13 pmRhodeygirl,
Nope! We didn’t take the outer part off…just wrapped the entire thing up like a present and baked it!
NJ
March 14, 2008 at 1:21 pmJenna,
It kind of sucks you have to use lobster in your class, but I guess it’s the nature of the beast when in cooking school huh? You guys don’t have to drop them in yourselves do you? I would think that would be impossible for a compassionate consumer like you. We all do what we can, but I was just curious what you guys do about that in the kitchen there. Does it ever come up with you or other veg students? Do they pretty much tell you guys “this is how it is, deal with it or don’t”? I always wondered…
Thanks for all the work on this blog, it’s fun.
jenna
March 14, 2008 at 1:34 pmNJ,
Since I’m in the baking program now our main concern was the cute little puff pastry cups that the lobster went in. The chef made the lobster newberg and we just went and filled our cups with it. It was QUITE different in the culinary program though! In my meat fabrication class I had a chef instructor tell the class “sorry vegetarians you have to try everything or you will fail the class” (I did eat meat back then) but I HATED his policy and I think now that if i were back in that class I would def. fight it and refuse on matter of principle. I can still learn the techniques and gain knowledge without trying oxtail.
I actually am the only veg student that I know of in school…..its hard sometimes because everyone’s like “why don’t you eat this??” and I have to explain all my reasons and then they sort of just look at me. I don’t think I could ever drop a lobster to its death….I grew up in a house where my mom would never do that either. We didn’t really eat a lot of lobster growing up..I think I only have eaten lobster like 3 times in my life and I never saw what the big deal was with it.
Cara
March 14, 2008 at 1:47 pmWow your baking amazes me! I want to try them every time. Hahaha. Sounds like good french toast. mmm.
blueberrybabe
March 14, 2008 at 2:03 pmSawSaw-
sorry for the like 10 day late post but i just read your response about how your nickname came to be… that is really cute! this is totally not like that but i thought i would share- i have a little sister who is TEN years younger than me and when she was little she used to call me “buddy” which turned into “bud”. for our whole lives we have called each other bud and it is kind of funny bc we will leave messages for each other saying “hey bud… it’s bud” or write emails “to bud… love bud”!!!ok that was so random and silly but i am so happy it is friday! hope to do some blogging today i missed u guys the past couple days!
Jenna- I am so jealous of your baking skills you are awesome! congrats on the gig!
Mel H
March 14, 2008 at 2:08 pmLola,
I checked out your website! Great job so far!! i can’t leave a comment though bc i don’t have a google acct. Have a great day everyone
Evey
March 14, 2008 at 2:11 pmYour pastries look amazing Jenna! Yum, yum, yum!
I also had a sweet tooth this morning, and I was also in the mood for French Toast, but no bread on hand (darn it!).
But I was still able to satisy my sweet tooth as I whipped up some delicious whole wheat vegan pancakes! Yumo!
And I even topped it off with homemade strawberry syrup.. hehe..
A question about nutritional yeast: What kind do you buy? Everytime I go to Whole Foods and ask for some, they direct me to capsules… I thought nutritional yeast was a powder? Maybe I’ve got something wrong..
erica
March 14, 2008 at 2:16 pmjenna, your pastries always look so professional and amazing; you definitely deserve that catering job! congrats! your french toast also looks delicious, especially with the walnuts on top. hope you have a great day!
evey –
i get red star brand nutritional yeast; it is a powder, and it comes in a plastic container version of say, what parmesan cheese comes in. 🙂
blueberrybabe
March 14, 2008 at 2:17 pmnicole r. aka yoga expert!!!-
i just started yoga a couple months ago and it totally intrigues me. i mentioned in a previous post that at first i hated it but i am becoming semi addicted! i love that i still feel like it will take me years to really feel like a true yogi! anyways i have a couple questions for you now!
1) i do yoga at equinox in new york- 2 days a week is my schedule now. i guess after reading some posts I realized that the classes I do are both vinyasa i think. you mentioned that some of the other classes hold poses for a long time as opposed to the flow of vinyasa. what are the different results in terms of body strength or mental or whatever?
2) i’ve heard teachers say some stuff about yoga being good for internal organs or something weird like that? did i make this up?
Thanks!
Sara F
March 14, 2008 at 2:37 pmjenna-
this is sort of randomn but…are you planning to run a half marathon sometime in the future? Did you say you have run one before or did you just begin the training? If so, how did you train? I’ve run one before and am considering doing another this fall. Just curious how you prepared for yours. Thanks.
ashley
March 14, 2008 at 2:54 pmhey i know this is very random but i wanted to make the olive oil cake from a few months ago and i can’t find the recipe anymore..can i please have it?
btw your pastries look delicious!!!
Becky
March 14, 2008 at 3:20 pmOne of my favorite Belgian beer bars used to have this amazing baked brie with dried fruit and walnuts … yum! I could seriously probably eat the whole lb. (and then feel sick for two days …)
So for ice cream lovers, do you have a natural not too processed but low-fat ice cream bar or novelty you recommend? I just discovered that my favorite (Edy’s slow churned cookies n cream bars) has the evil words “partially hydrogenated”. Ugh! I was so excited it was warm enough to buy these again and everything!
Also, just a “meat” related comment. I’m not a vegetarian but I don’t looove meat. As in, I selectively eat the meat products/meals that I really enjoy, but I don’t crave meat for its own sake. Last night I went to a Korean BBQ where I ordered pork cause I love the way these restaurants marinate pork. This was a bad restaurant though and the pork didn’t taste the way I thought it would, but I ate it anyway because I ordered it, and I still feel kind of sick today and wish I hadn’t. It’s really funny how eating more plant based foods recently has made me realize how not great meat makes my body feel. I’ll still eat it if it’s worth it because it’s something I absolutely love, but it’s definitely spurring me to continue on my more plant-based diet. Just wanted to share with people who’d understand (b/c my husband does not!)
jenna
March 14, 2008 at 3:28 pmSara F
I was training for a half marathon but injured my leg and had to rest so I never made it…while I was training I ran a 10K race though (6.1 miles) and LOVED it. Hopefully in the future I can get back to training because running a race was so much fun. I train using the Galloway method which is running 3-4 minutes then walking for 1 minute.
Elizabeth
March 14, 2008 at 3:40 pmI’ll bet the baked brie would be a nice appetizer for the party you are catering. Your pastries are lovely!
Mel H
March 15, 2008 at 1:07 amI love Breyers Natural Ice cream! yumm
Caroline
March 15, 2008 at 1:56 amHi Jenna! I actually made vegan French toast for breakfast this morning too. I didn’t follow a recipe though, so it didn’t work out exactly as planned…