Whole Wheat Bread

I have tried several version of whole wheat bread  and this one stood out among others. I adapted it from  Dutch whole wheat bread called Volkorenbrood. It became my  trusted recipe and have used it since.

I used a mixture of wheat flour, Imperial whole wheat mixed flour and wheat germ. It's surprising how the combination of the three makes a delicious, good textured whole wheat bread.

Night Out with Kath at Ark Bar

My friend Kath took some time to visit before flying back to America. It is probably our last rendezvous in Thailand as her family is moving back to the US for good. I can't imagine not seeing her family in Bangkok when I go back.

Anyway,  it was only a short stay but I had a wonderful time visiting with her. On her first night on the island, I took her to Ark Bar where a DJ friend works. Unfortunately, we're not able to meet him as he was on holiday  again.  AB is a good place to chill out, away from the busy Chaweng streets so we decided to stay and get a drink. We talked, laughed and reminisced the past years while we sat comfortably on the beach and sipped our mango shake.

Mango Sticky Rice Pudding (Khao Niao Ma Muang)

Another addition to the dessert menu is this classic Thai mango sticky rice. I have eaten it countless times but I had never cooked it until today. The executive chef asked me to cook the  pudding and arrange it on a dessert plate.  I used banana leaf as the base. I molded the sticky rice in a mousse ring and laid it on the banana leaf. I put diced mango on top, poured coconut sauce on them and sprinkled roasted black sesame seeds. To garnish, a fresh mint leaf or Thai orchid can be used. The chef was in a hurry and neither of us wanted to sprint into the kitchen to get  mint leaf. (The bakery is in a separate building, on the other side of the resort) . He needed to show it to the big boss immediately so just for the photo taking purpose, he used basil leaf instead. :) I had no idea where he got it though.

Plating dessert is a daunting task for a beginner like me

 Cheesecake is a new addition to the dessert menu. The executive chef and I tried different plating designs for cakes. Some staff joined in. We designed the plate  by putting together ideas based from our experiences and what we got from internet. Both were too fancy for the big boss. She liked it simple and the chef wanted a dessert plate that is quick to assemble so we settled for a simple design  another staff had come up with. Funny eh? Sorry I don't have a picture of it as it was devoured by the staff before I could even click my camera. I managed to take a picture of the two though.

Danish Envelopes, Pinwheels and Cinnamon Rolls

There was a  time when making pastries scared the life out of me. I still recall the struggles I faced when I encased the  butter in  dough. That was so long ago. Now, making croissants and Danish pastries has become my stress reliever. That's something I look forward to doing when I go to work. I am in a world of my own once I start working with pastries. When I see them double in size and finally smell the rich buttery aroma that fills the bakery, I feel my mission for the day is accomplished :)