catering job

lemon cream tartlets
I was enlisted by Anthony, one of my former classmates, to help with an order of petits fours he was making for a wedding today. He assigned me the lemon cream tartlets (yes, a miniature version of the giant tart I made a few weeks ago). All total, there were mini cupcakes with butter cream frosting and sugar paste butterflies, chocolate ganache tartlets, barquettes with raspberries and pastry cream, chocolate covered strawberries, molded chocolates and macaroons. The order called for one tray for each table, 17 in all.


Because the wedding was at a resort by the beach, Anthony created a beach theme by spreading graham crumbs on the platters and using sea shell molds for the chocolates. He also came up with the ingenious idea of using small pizza boxes to transport the tartlets.
The ride down to the resort was uneventful, mainly because Anthony was forced to drive slowly to keep all the tarts from bouncing around. The way back was a different matter, though. To use his own words, Anthony drives "like an animal", and it took all my self control to keep from panicking "a drop."
He was also kind enough to give me an autographed picture of himself on which he wrote the touching epigraph: "Dear Emma, Keep trying!" Many thanks Anthony! I'll hang that next to my award for graduating top of my class! Heh.


work update...
I've been assigned to make strawberry jam at work. The recipe is simple----just sugar and berries. All the sugar and the biggest portion of the berries are cooked together before adding in two more smaller additions of berries. Chef says she uses this basic recipe for all her fruit jams, simply adjusting the sugar as needed. I have every intention of trying this at home in the near future, but maybe with white nectarines instead (my absolute FAVORITE summer fruit).
Right now, the strawberry jam I make gets mixed with fresh strawberries and spooned onto the mint and strawberry sundae--either that or discreetly spread onto a fresh roll with some butter if I get hungry during service...