Bangkok is ALIVE!!!

Cooking cooking cooking. That's how my schedule will be for the next 2 weeks and I feel great. That should keep me going since I'm nearby close to being bored. Bangkok is getting back on its shape but still there are remnants of the recent political unrest, present at some areas. But all in all, things are running as smooth as it was. But anyway, school has been really fun last week... And it should be funner for the next practicals to come.

One of the practicals last week, involved killing a lobster. It was really painful to watch, since I have become so much attached to my lobster. :P I don't remember how many times I said "SORRY" to my lobster before poking its head with a knife. Countless times. But then when I started to thrust fully my knife to its brain, its tail curled like a worm and I freaked out like shit. Wonder how much that hurts... I twisted its head apart from its body and still it was curling on its own, back and forth on my chopping board. Apart from that, it was my first time as well to De-Bone a chicken LITERALLY off from its skin. It was my first time to do a ballotine. I would describe it as the bitch life. And to present it, you must do the aspic platter made with milk and the clarified bouillon, which made it all... *sigh* Also, earlier we did the stuffed trout. To take the bone off from its fish meat, how the hell do you do that? Then we had to skin it. ... ugh. Things are so complicated. Duh, why am I even complaining. :p

But anyway demo dishes were...

Chocolate Orange Souffle with Vanilla Ice Cream

Verrine (Avocado, Cheese and Tomato) with Hazelnut Crisp and Sea Bream Fillet marinated in Vanilla Oil

Brioche Cake with Dried Fruits

White Boudin with Caramelized Apples and Potato Puree

Puff Pastry with Tomato Confit??? sorry.
Flammenkuche

These were for practicals...

stuffed trout with riesling creamy sauce

this was chef's ballotine and aspic platter design in milk and clear bouillon

and this was mine... i don't even know what i did. duh. but pleasantly okay, i guess.

cross section of the ballotine. those are pistachios and at the middle is the foie gras roll

and this is Sebastian. haha. Lobster w/ carcass sauce and rice with raisins.

Oh btw, for the past two days during my weekend, I've been going back and forth to MBK and Pantip Plaza, looking for the perfect camera. I've been on a dilemma. It's a battle between Olympus Ep2, Canon G11 and Lumix GF1. With all fairness to the shops I've been to, both MBK and Pantip, they're really giving me rock bottom prices. Cameras are definitely cheaper here in Thailand than in the Philippines. But still I'm on my canvassing moment. AND my point and shoot camera has to retire soon.

Pantip Plaza... 5 Floors of technology

Pantip is just beside Platinum Mall, Pratunam

Today I went to Siam Center just to kill time, since I finished really early today. And boy was I devastated when I saw the burned part of the Siam Square community. This is like the haven of the cheapos and the fashionable. It was just really sad.

got this at Yeah!
new addiction. Curry Chicken Noodles at Oishi Ramen MBK.
Buddhist Holiday. you don't want to wish for a stampede. :P
and this is why I feel safe. lol... Our school's broken glass stairs.

and yes, my ponytail has got to go. So, welcome back old hair

That's all from Bangkok...

xoxo

Babinella

KILL THE WABBIT...

JUST TRY WATCHING THIS 1st

I survived the Wabbit "Rabbit" Practical. Okay that's it. Well it wasn't really scary at all, except for the preparation wherein you have to cut its head. Sadly I had to cut my station-mate's rabbit 's head. So make that 2 rabbits. Its eyes are just staring at you. ulk. Okay so i'm done with the rabbit part. I'm just really wishing that NO PIGEONS would come my way nor frogs. It's just not included in my food chain!!! PLEASE por favor. No more. But you know what, it was my VERY first time to finish FIRST. I was just so happy. I really made it so fast. I don't know. Anyway demo recipes were flavored custards and cold vegetable platter "GRECQUE" style.

this was the rabbit we made. Looks nice huh??? But I gave it to the guard here in my apartment. He said he could eat "KRA-TAI". So yeah, no food wasted.

flavored custards in caramel, tea and custard original. This is "the heaven".

this was the cold mixed vegetables with coriander seeds and fresh coriander leaves. (not a fan) Sorry.

Okay so anyway that's it for culinary school this week. Things are getting easy at Le Cordon Bleu and I think I'm getting comfortable with the process of cooking the french way. GRrr.. Okay so Friday night I was out with some of my friends. Toured a little bit. Finally. Im a student tourist. So earlier, I went to MBK to check out their stuff. It's like Platinum Mall + actual stores inside. This place is huge as well. So many tourists inside. I bought 2 shirts for 400 baht. Not bad at all. I went there Via BTS sky train from Saladaeng station to Siam Square. Just a little walk from Paragon. saladaeng station

Yesterday as well I played again some tennis @ Pang and Jeff's place, but this time Pang played with us. Good thing it didn't rain. The sky was so dark that day. I had a good match with Jeff. We played two tie breaks.

And you know what's the best way to cure nostalgia? JUST KEEP ON COOKING YOUR OWN FILIPINO FOOD! That really helped a lot. I did Sinigang na baboy without the Kangkong and Chicken Adobo without the pamintang buo. Kaloka! Pero okay lang. It turned out really great. I just really miss being a bum. Not. :))))

that's JeffPang is afraid that I'm gonna post her photo in my blog. haha I just did.

chicken adobopuro taba ba? Hinde ah. hahahaa

After this and that, I found this store YEAH! at Siam Square where they sell reasonable Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Y-3 stuff. The one at Chidlom is just too expensive. They import it directly from the US. Maybe Macy's? LOL. But the place was just AWESOME. Floating store platforms everywhere. :))))) Sadly I just bought a key holder for a reasonable price. So no harm done. :)

cherry blossom display @ Siam Discovery Center (nice camera work. so much clarity haha)

ANYWAY THAT'S IT FROM BKK.

Much love and respect....

xoxo

Babinella