tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23473482190060146842012-02-16T02:48:13.514-08:00Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.comBlogger1851100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-39455126895177386752011-07-10T22:42:00.000-07:002011-07-10T22:55:32.454-07:00

Long before I fell in love with baking and French pastries, I was very much into interior decorating. My childhood home was a single-storey, rather tiny house and I would have these grandiose plans in my head as to how we could extend the kitchen, add a second level to the house just off of the kitchen and imagined climbing up a spiral staircase each time I walked past the dining area. I still

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-29340674203602135642011-07-05T14:49:00.000-07:002011-07-05T19:45:04.065-07:00

I've had visions for a BBQ millefeuille for quite a while now. It all started about a year ago when I received an email from the lovely Meg Zimbeck of Paris By Mouth, an excellent resource for great eats and fine wines in Paris. They were my go-to site when I first moved to Paris to attend pastry school last summer. I had submitted my name to participate in a giveaway that Meg was running back

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-11024286829941135822011-05-18T13:10:00.000-07:002011-10-14T17:22:22.607-07:00

They say that when you truly love what you do, you never work a day in your life. These past couple months have given me a first-hand experience at that - going to bed every night excited about the next day and waking up every morning with such eager anticipation of what each day had to offer, learning the ropes of a new trade, facing the fears and uncertainties of the unknown while at the same

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-78657431684210738682011-03-06T15:26:00.001-08:002011-03-06T15:26:14.280-08:00

After spending this past Christmas holiday in Singapore, D and I hopped on a short 1+ hour flight to another island up north in Malaysia: the island of Penang, the Pearl of the Orient where I had lived for most part of my life. The Betelnut (Pinang) tree from which the island derived her name Penang is very similar to Singapore yet so different in many ways. Both islands were once British

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-72270665180989190762011-03-06T15:26:00.000-08:002011-03-06T15:26:53.114-08:00

Good lazy Sunday afternoon to all! I'm pleased to announce that after a good nap and a great afternoon snack (a glorious piece of this), I've finally found the time to pick the winner of the USD 65 CSN giveaway.  I wished I could give a prize to everyone who had left a comment but alas, we only have one coupon this time so based on the number of eligible entries, congratulations to commentor #8, 

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-25953642633944698482011-02-17T13:25:00.000-08:002011-03-06T16:39:49.264-08:00

It's been a while since I played around with photo montages and video editing but here's one that I created on a favorite dessert that I made recently - le plaisir nutella. This is my take on PH's plaisir sucré, a simplified version, no doubt but with flavors and textures that still left me wanting for more. This dessert is best prepared and enjoyed in individual servings rather than a larger

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-38710590849410966132011-02-14T10:32:00.000-08:002011-02-14T22:17:10.772-08:00

D and I have never been big about V-Day celebration. According to D, everyday should be a Valentine's Day, sans all that commercial hype, of course. Nonetheless, we do try to make simple efforts to let each other feel special on V-Day: a simple card, a short note, a little kiss and sweet greeting as we head out the door in the morning........ Instead of paying 2-3x more for roses from the stores,

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-88416268709562496472011-02-05T22:10:00.000-08:002011-02-16T15:02:15.694-08:00

La Cerise sur le gâteau. Plaisir Sucre. Whatever shape or form and whichever name it takes on, there is no denying that nothing - and I really mean nothing - beats the heavenly combination of gianduja layered on a bed of crunchy-chewy hazelnut dacquoise, then topped with thin layers of tempered milk chocolate discs and luscious milk chocolate mousse. Doesn't reading the ingredients itself make

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-55390230257050219092011-01-25T09:36:00.000-08:002011-01-25T13:03:49.187-08:00

Asians, in general, aren't that much into desserts, especially those cloyingly sweet ones.  Much to my surprise, I found lots and lots of bakeries and pastry shops springing up like mushrooms after rain this last trip to Asia. I suppose the local bakeries and cake shops have always been around but I don't ever recall seeing that many French-style pâtisseries (and they even carry the French term "

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-64029941470258408262010-12-31T19:59:00.000-08:002011-01-03T03:02:13.284-08:00

I'm currently vacationing halfway across the globe from France, visiting family and friends for the first time in 3 years. This year marks the first decade since we moved to the States and sadly, only our third trip home to visit the family. So many things have changed since we left; the increase in business globalization and international travels have led to more and more developments in this

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-81022829902654689412010-12-31T07:52:00.000-08:002010-12-31T16:56:02.534-08:00

As guilty as I am of not updating this blog on a more regular basis, the past one-and-a-half weeks have been such an awesome time spent with family, relatives and friends whom I haven't seen in a long while that I felt the need to be totally selfish with my time and take the time to simply enjoy this special "homecoming". However, it is the last day of the year and while there're still lots of

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-34553609723362623842010-12-27T02:17:00.000-08:002010-12-27T02:17:29.183-08:00

Nestled in a quiet, cobbled-stone alley off of busy Boulevard St. Germain des Pres, Un Dimanche à Paris is my latest discovery of yet another fine salon de thé in Paris. Barely a month old, this ultra chic chocolate boutique not only offers specialty chocolates but it's also a pâtisserie cum salon de thé cum restaurant cum lounge cum culinary venue for private events all at the same time. I

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-8239936589861870122010-12-15T04:39:00.000-08:002010-12-15T04:40:24.693-08:00

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you move from one disconnected scene to the other and everything happens rapidly - one minute you're making dinner at home and the next minute you find yourself in the midst of totally different activities in different parts of the world? I feel like I've been living that sort of dream this past month.  39 lessons, 1 written and 1 final practical exam

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-81757282284227417652010-11-28T14:00:00.000-08:002010-11-29T03:14:42.948-08:00

Whenever I work with chocolate, I would remember my cute little niece, Nicole singing her favorite song by her favorite cartoon character, Dora. Buh-tay, buh-tay, cho-co-la-tay.....buh-tay, buh-tay, cho-co-la-tay. She'd repeat it time and time again, making circular motions with her right arm, stirring her invisible pot of chocolate. If only she knew how difficult working with chocolate can be...

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-18350932688536416312010-11-28T13:30:00.000-08:002010-11-28T13:32:14.095-08:00

I went back to Le Bristol again for tea over the weekend, this time, for their thé à la mode -  fashion high tea. I have not heard of the designer - Avtandil Tskvitinidze and I have a hard time pronouncing or even spelling his name - but I've been intrigued by the whole concept of showcasing latest designer collections and pairing them with delectable pastries. Nevermind that it wasn't  Lagerfeld

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-13748918065100264372010-11-26T16:23:00.000-08:002010-11-26T16:30:09.837-08:00

As part of the learning curriculum, the school organized a pâtisserie visit to Angelina's this week. Angelina - not the actress but the infamous Parisian tea salon and dining room, with its glorious gilded ceilings, trompe l'oeil walls and classy ambience that was once frequented by famous celebrities the likes of Coco Chanel and Katherine Hepburn. Despite having two class sessions preceeding the

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-61795009922991763422010-11-26T14:16:00.000-08:002010-11-26T14:30:46.951-08:00

Day 13 in Paris. 13th day of a strange nomadic life in Paris, waiting, waiting, and still waiting to move into the apartment. It's really quite a challenge to settle in when you continue to live out of suitcases, having to pack up your things every morning before heading to school since you're never certain when you have to check out of the hotel and move into another place. The program is very

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-14394719002084985892010-11-21T13:57:00.000-08:002010-11-21T13:59:32.577-08:00

Why has Jen been so quiet? What has she been up to? Could it be that she has stopped blogging? Could it be that she’s enjoying the beautiful weather in Paris so much that she’s out and about every minute of the day? Could it be that she had been so overwhelmed by school, what with 9 hours worth of classes almost every single day that all she wanted to do during breaks was to catch her breath and

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-55587060703866639882010-11-15T13:34:00.000-08:002010-11-15T13:34:10.185-08:00

Here's Chef JJ in action right at about 8:32 am (classes started at 8:30 am). Unlike that first day, we sailed right into the first demo class - sans the meet-and-greet-at-Jardin d'Hiver, sans the welcome speeches, school tour, introduction to les chefs  - skip all of that and get right into action while the rest of the visitors nibbled on LCB's signature croissants and enjoyed morning coffee

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-6235889503250315282010-11-14T13:36:00.000-08:002010-11-14T13:36:22.189-08:00

I spent the evening at one of my favorite neighborhoods in the City - St. Germain des Prés - with my favorite girlfriends from school whom I haven't seen over couple months. I picked our rendezvous point: Café Germain because I wanted to meet her - yes, the lady who's literally shooting for the stars that you see in the photo above. The fashionably chic, high-heeled, yellow trench coat and

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-74765201904038696682010-11-13T15:08:00.000-08:002010-11-13T15:09:50.778-08:00

Wet. Cold. Overcast. This, was the Paris I arrived in today. Clothed in gray, there was a certain gloominess that blanketed the City as the cab drove into the périphérique intérieur, markedly different from the warm, sun-struck days I had spent here just this past summer. Has it really been two months already? I've been enjoying the time at home tremendously so much so that I dreaded leaving for

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-68920392201266476352010-10-26T18:24:00.000-07:002010-10-27T15:27:41.730-07:00

Fall has finally arrived.  The foliage on the deciduous plants in our backyard have turned a deep crimson, the blazing hot and unusual summery weather we got to experience a couple weeks ago is now replaced by brisk, cooler temperatures and al fresco dining gives way to cozy meals in the warmer indoors. What better way to welcome a beautiful autumnal morning than   to enjoy a warm slice of apple

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-85471786329733541982010-10-22T23:29:00.000-07:002010-10-22T23:46:13.676-07:00

The first time I had hachis parmentier was in Paris but the irony was, it was served during a Brazilian party thrown by a Brazilian friend whom I met in pastry school. It was quite an eclectic meal with dishes from various countries and cultures: a part-American-part-French appetizer of endives with ratatouille and cubes of cheddar. I particularly loved the   Brazilian Muqueca, a white fish

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-83963243098203918202010-10-20T20:41:00.000-07:002010-10-20T21:44:21.840-07:00

I'm totally mad at myself for being a day late on this week's TWD post and even more frustrated, to the point of infuriation, at having to fix the messed up codes on my previous blog template. What began as a task to fix page break code errors late Monday evening snow-balled to an entire Tuesday of switching templates multiple times, trouble-shooting, reformatting and changing layouts along the

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-64986295879330078672010-10-12T13:26:00.000-07:002010-10-19T11:44:52.941-07:00

We're only about a month or so away from the start of the holiday season so folks, let me ask you this: have you started getting ready yet? Glorious Fall, with its warm, golden tones and a bounty of seasonal fruit, foliage and nature's gifts, offers an abundance of inspirational decorations for the holidays. Almost a standing tradition at our home, we would kick-start mini projects for the

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-47840695932686674172010-10-11T14:40:00.000-07:002010-10-19T12:42:51.057-07:00

"Old Time, that greatest and longest established spinner of all! His factory is a secret place, his work is noiseless, and his hands are mutes" ~ Charles Dickens Contrary to my leisure days at home, the summer months in Paris were a constant drill of activities, swaying to the momentum of demo classes, practical sessions, practice bakes, catching up on class notes, mentally preparing for the next

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-74022550475707764382010-10-10T00:39:00.000-07:002010-10-19T12:46:07.396-07:00

A mustard tart? I must admit I wasn't too excited about it initially but after reading everyone else's rave reviews about this week's FFwD pick, I knew I had no excuse to not try the recipe. I'm truly glad that I jumped the "mustard" bandwagon because it's really quite a genius of a recipe, with that touch of je ne sais quoi that has become so familiarly, so rightfully, French. I made the

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-59858615825120385722010-10-01T21:44:00.000-07:002010-10-19T12:47:42.541-07:00

Do you realize that we have entered the final quarter of the year and only a month or so away from the start of the holiday season? Well, neither did I but the folks here certainly did and are preparing ahead of time, prompting the perfect opportunity for me to share this recipe of a cookie that I got totally addicted to while living in Paris. Speculaas (or speculoos in French) is >/span> a

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-79208168843270030192010-10-01T15:31:00.000-07:002010-10-19T12:48:05.905-07:00

Je suis vraiment, vraiment, vraiment heureux aujourd'hui parce que c'est vendredi - pas un vendredi ordinaire. C'est vendredi français avec Dorie!! Donc voila, voici mon gougères! Unlike my struggles with French language, Dorie's gougères were a breeze to make. Truth be told, it was >/span> actually my third time making gougères from Dorie's latest book: Around my French Table but the only time I

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-28023531296077566152010-09-28T21:52:00.000-07:002010-10-19T12:48:52.515-07:00

When I was planning for our dinner party, I couldn't be more delighted to learn what Leslie of Lethally Delicious had picked for this week's TWD bake. Instead of our usual backyard-BBQ party, I wanted to >/span> have a sit-down, slightly less casual dinner and there's this simple elegance about Tarte Fine which makes it quite the perfect dessert for the evening. The rich, buttery and flaky

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-42090419213299004032010-09-25T21:21:00.000-07:002011-07-16T10:30:40.857-07:00

It’s been three weeks since I returned from Paris. Almost two whole weeks of jet lag, of sleepless nights and finding myself doing laundry, vacuuming or tackling cleaning chores  at odd hours in the middle of the night, then wearing myself out by baking during the day - I’m almost done test-baking the recipes from school - resuming my workout regimen, catching up on my favorite TV programs that

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-60836984490227637662010-09-21T21:17:00.000-07:002010-09-21T21:17:50.197-07:00

After three long months of hiatus from TWD, I'm glad to be back and baking along with this great group again. Still on a "temporary blogging break" to allow me some time to get readjusted to things back home, I'm keeping this post really short. Besides, you don't really need a lot of convincing  on this week's pick by Rhiani of Chocoholic Anonymous : coffee-break muffins. Deprived of the regular

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-57672041489079705782010-09-06T18:20:00.000-07:002010-10-19T11:49:38.399-07:00

Barely 48 hours since arriving home from Paris and I was starting to have withdrawal symptoms. No, no, no - I'm not talking about missing Paris, well not yet. I've had a fantastic summer there, for sure, but towards the end of my stay there, I was miserably homesick and being home now makes me realize even more the wonderful priviledges we have in America, especially the great life we live in

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-86484119324438558962010-09-01T14:55:00.000-07:002010-09-01T16:24:09.067-07:00

My last night in Paris. I can't believe that I've actually spent 3 months here and that my stay in this fascinating city has come to an end.......no, wait a minute. Who am I kidding? That was the line I had envisioned writing for my final post from Paris but in reality, I am more than ready to head home. When even the majestic Eiffel Tower, with its blinking lights and fabulous light shows seem a

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-90164527029551941542010-08-30T14:51:00.000-07:002010-08-31T08:26:10.128-07:00

I've been in such a blissful state of mind the past week (read: VACATION TIME) that I am way behind my blog updates. Here're some photos that I'd like to share from last week's graduation ceremony - yes, I passed (phew!) - thanks to all for your kind wishes. It's been wonderful to hear from you, especially some newcomers this past week. Thanks for all your emails and I just wanted to let you know

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-34581442583287785962010-08-19T10:34:00.000-07:002010-08-19T13:35:34.089-07:00

 THE DAY. Basic pastry final exam at Le Cordon Bleu, after 20 weeks of lessons. I didn't know what to expect when I woke up this morning. 10 recipes, 3 will be picked and it was anyone's guess which 3 those would be. After 9 practice bakes, including a failed attempt  (I'm officially announcing my loathe for making French brioches!), I could not be any more ready than I was as I made my way to

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-91356701227680483852010-08-15T07:41:00.000-07:002010-08-15T08:09:44.456-07:00

Rainy Sunday morning. You've visited the national monuments. You've spent hours at some of the world's best museums. You've walked  up and down the stretch of Champs Elysees (and wondered why you were once so captivated by an over-hyped shopping area crowded with tourists), taken long strolls along the Seine, explored popular neighborhoods like the Marais, St. Germain des Pres, Latin Quarters and

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-39256291070260441982010-08-14T00:56:00.000-07:002010-08-14T03:32:28.311-07:00

We had our final demonstration session yesterday. The mood was unusually somber, not a whole lot of jokes throughout the session with Mean Chef just working from one component of the cake to the other, showing us the steps in making one of the most fabulous ensemble that we've seen this semester: an embedded cake - and I say embedded because you can't see the layers from the side, even before the

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-56469620091424665602010-08-14T00:27:00.000-07:002010-08-14T00:59:34.811-07:00

When you think of French gastronomy and French cuisine, what comes to mind? French cuisine is known to be one of the best in the world; visit any of the world's greatest restaurants and chances are, the Chefs there have been trained in France. Gourmet. Fine food, wine and incredible pastries. Michelin-star establishments. Highly skilled master Chefs. Quality and fresh ingredients. Those are the

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-91655643287376320682010-08-12T05:00:00.000-07:002010-08-12T14:00:09.493-07:00

We had the most grueling schedule of our course yesterday: back-to-back practical and demo sessions followed by a short break, then another practical session late in the evening. I left the apartment before eight in the morning and didn't get back home until past 9:30 pm. It was both physically and mentally challenging, since you not only have to be on your feet in the kitchen for a long stretch

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-20601876464985363572010-08-07T15:33:00.000-07:002010-08-08T08:46:23.983-07:00

Whilst July was a slow month of fun and sun, August seems to unravel at such a rapid pace. I've had back-to-back sessions in school almost everyday with little time to catch up on notes from Chef's demos, let alone blog updates. We've just completed our written exam which constitutes 10% of our grades and by noon next Friday, we would have wrapped up the final demo session with less than one week

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-46176892322500672522010-08-07T15:32:00.000-07:002010-08-07T15:32:27.758-07:00

I have a dream....... ....that someday, I'll be creating beautiful works of art such as these click post title for more and exhibiting the precious edible gems in a jewellery boutique-like setting ....employing the latest technology:  temperature-controlled domes, POS pdas (and perhaps someday, an entire wall of OLED touch-screen ordering system; by the way, this technology was the reason that

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-27219672336899221042010-07-29T16:00:00.000-07:002010-07-29T16:01:48.842-07:00

Did you know that the croissant originated from Austria and not France? The history of the croissant dates back to the 17th century, during the seige of Vienna by the Turkish Ottoman army. The story goes that since bakers had to work during the night when everyone else was sound asleep, they were able to hear the noise made by the enemy attempting to attack the city. The bakers then sounded the

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-24881452860723100292010-07-25T15:28:00.000-07:002010-07-25T15:41:23.588-07:00

Each lesson in school begins with a Demonstration class. This is the only session where the Chef would show students how to prepare a dish (or pastry in my case), from mise en place to technique to final presentation, with critical details embedded throughout the session. read more Don't blink, or worst still, fall asleep or you'll miss the important tips and tricks from the Chef which will,

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-87402573888229430732010-07-22T00:17:00.000-07:002010-07-22T03:55:05.699-07:00

July has been a month of vacation for me so far. I learnt that right after Bastille Day, most Parisians flee the city for their annual summer vacation so being true to my Parisian self  (I've still got to work on looking effortlessly chic but that's a minor detail, I guess), I headed down to southern France to a wonderfully nice city: Nice. D and I had been to Nice many years back; we  loved the

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-63498959632512087312010-07-14T15:30:00.000-07:002010-07-14T15:30:02.477-07:00

My first 14th July French National Day celebration! It had been pouring and I had to resort to a different plan for the day. Besides, we had our students' party last night so waking up to wait in line at Champs Elysses by 7:30am with less than 6 hours' sleep didn't seem overly appealing to me. My plan B - spend the day taking photos right from my apartment balcony: not a very good angle and

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-88378369591881319822010-07-14T12:55:00.000-07:002010-07-14T12:55:44.871-07:00

My trip to Amsterdam would not have been complete had it not been for this: (click on post title to read more) My biggest obsession, as you should be able to tell by now, is pastry and sweets hence it goes without saying that in all my travels, I will always be on the lookout for interesting delectable desserts.  You know how a place, a meal,  things you see or a single fabulous experience can

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-11953996774984710392010-07-11T12:00:00.000-07:002010-07-11T23:16:19.376-07:00

It's World Cup finals today. I couldn't have chosen a better time to be in Holland! It's a sea of orange and crazy madness everywhere. I'm not much of a soccer fan but it's exhilarating to be part of all this. Exciting yet terrifying. I was almost ran over by this hoard of rowdy teenagers who have already had one too many drinks early in the evening. So I'm going to play it safe and keep out of

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-84283847129543717322010-07-11T09:10:00.001-07:002010-07-11T23:13:47.919-07:00

I'm very much an impromptu traveler. Spur of the moment - that's pretty much how my travels are planed and defined these days. I booked the trip to Amsterdam just earlier this week, having felt somewhat "stifled" after a long weekend in Paris. If it wasn't for an earlier commitment that I had made, I would've taken a getaway trip last weekend as well. There're plenty of weekend travel offers in

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-71003994627043511722010-07-10T15:52:00.000-07:002010-07-11T09:06:11.030-07:00

To celebrate my one-month-living-in-Paris anniversary, I decided to take a short trip and get out of town. Now, isn't she a weird person, everyone thinks. Why would anyone who's still new to Paris want to get out of town and visit other places? Well, alright, so here's the official answer: it's another one of those no-classes-Friday-and-Monday-what-do-you-do-with-all-the-time sort of long weekend

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-73540334139471590042010-07-08T09:55:00.000-07:002010-07-08T11:24:25.722-07:00

J'adore ça! C'est trés jolie! And that, my friends, was the best compliment I've ever received from the Chef since we started. Our eighth practical session and this was, by far, the piece of work that I'm most proud of: I know, it doesn't look like much and I think I've even done more elaborate cakes than this.  Nonetheless, today's bake combined a lot of the elements from the previous

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-44166295127443033932010-07-05T14:26:00.000-07:002010-07-05T14:26:49.133-07:00

Can you believe that I've been in Paris for exactly one month already? Well, I can't. It seems much, much longer than that. School is in full swing - 9 demo sessions, 8 practicals, 1 minor injury in the kitchen, yelled at by Chef twice (but multiple très biens from the same Chef too) and soon we'll be having our mid-summer break, right after Bastille Day. Vacation time again! I know, we're living

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-25363596582946746512010-07-05T00:00:00.000-07:002010-07-07T01:05:02.691-07:00

It's all about KAYA today. Everyone wishes to be kaya, even those who are already kaya wish to be more kaya. So what is kaya? Kaya is a Malay word which literally means rich. As in wealthy rich. However, this post is not about wealth or riches - someday, perhaps. But today, I'd like to share about this absolutely wonderful jam that I've made, which I didn't even plan to make in the first place

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-78220654731610842542010-06-27T14:01:00.000-07:002010-07-02T08:44:28.657-07:00

When you're in the city where delectable desserts abound, where streets are dotted with boulangeries and pâtisseries at almost every turn, resisting to stop, look, admire and then covet for those delightful treats is almost a futile attempt. The reason why I simply don't even try. Bad for my blood sugar? Yes. Equally bad for my waistline? For sure. Will it totally reverse the 15+ pounds I've

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-79667967762203619542010-06-24T15:01:00.000-07:002010-06-26T14:36:14.800-07:00

My third week in France. So far, it has been nothing but a wonderful ride through and through. All these complaints about the French being rude, aloof and unhelpful must be really unfounded, I thought to myself.  Everyone I've met has been more than friendly and gone out of their way to help. I've not had one single bad experience so far! And then it had to happen.  Yesterday. My off day from

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-20679072716104044952010-06-20T11:57:00.000-07:002010-06-20T11:57:34.658-07:00

Quiet moments before the week started Orientation day Fruits in seasonon my day off from school..... 1st & 2nd practical sessions le week end!the American invasion... what's most important..... Rejuvenation! Most refreshing time! Exploring neighborhoods.... An awesome week!Joshua 1:9 De grandes choses sont à venir! 

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-62793571269248053882010-06-19T03:21:00.000-07:002010-06-19T08:02:34.576-07:00

Allez, allez, allez!! Vite, vite, vite!! Pastry boot camp - that's how I'd summarize the pastry practicals we had during the first week of school. A word on the class format: each lesson begins with a demonstration session where the Chef would teach a new recipe then show several recipe variations, for example, the first lesson was on shortbread pastry - the Sablés (French butter cookies) and

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-15490855184791438542010-06-15T01:51:00.000-07:002010-06-15T02:12:58.828-07:00

A play of a similar title of the book that I had read in preparation for pastry school in Paris but those were exactly the first words that came to mind when I saw these: Yesterday was the first day at school but before I share about Orientation day, I just have to show you the latest tools of the trade for pastry chefs: No, the Kitchen Aid mixer doesn't fit into this bag but I know, it looks as

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-13867926124401432172010-06-13T04:49:00.000-07:002010-06-13T04:49:40.520-07:00

Sunday morning at the market Fruits in season Skinny French asparagus Even the mackerals look stunning, don't you think?! I hope Dorie's new book has great recipes for this! Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous Spring blooms What do you think of the color combination? Matches my trolley? Très Français, non? I could've bought more but had to stop myself A gorgeous Sunday morning in Paris!

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-14374216743251584672010-06-10T22:55:00.000-07:002010-06-13T11:54:05.601-07:00

In another couple hours' time, it'll be exactly one week since we set foot on Paris. Strange, but it feels like we've been here much longer than just a week and I still haven't figured out why that is so. Perhaps it's because everything has been going wonderfully smooth, settling in has been tremendously easy and we've already established a regular routine in this short time like waking up to

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-76040543181602041782010-06-09T15:12:00.000-07:002010-06-19T09:56:55.118-07:00

Gray skies. Cold. Wet. Awakened by the pitter-patter of the raindrops against the window panes, I propped myself up and took a peak out the bedroom window. Just the kind of day to pull the sheets over your head, curl up in bed, snuggle with your other half - your beau - and just sleep in for the rest of the day. Pas moi. I was on a mission! Come rain or shine and no matter how much D griped, I

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-71702483352888698372010-06-07T14:34:00.000-07:002010-06-07T21:24:08.681-07:00

Today's our fourth day here and my, how time flies! The weekend breezed by in a flash; D and I did some touristy stuffs in the city, took a short trip to Versailles to visit the magnificent Chateau,  moved into the apartment, my home for the next several months and by the time this entry is posted, I've had a great dinner at a neighborhood bistro nearby, took a short stroll back to the apartment

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-10755668809103100432010-06-04T20:38:00.000-07:002010-06-04T20:38:02.302-07:00

In the midst of packing, packing and more packing, I was so tempted to simply skip this week's TWD bake. I've always been well-organized and probably over-ambitious when it comes to putting a list of to-dos and making sure each item is checked off prior to a trip, especially one such as this, but alas, I'm only learning now that the energy level one has is inversely proportional to one's age!

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-57893269121709527992010-06-04T14:27:00.000-07:002010-06-04T14:40:09.103-07:00

I'm here! Finally, back in Paris! We arrived early this morning, after a long, cross-country, transatlantic journey - one that was filled with unexpected flight delays but followed by favorable flight re-routes and better seats! Despite the almost full-day travel, I had this fresh burst of energy as we landed in Paris. Je suis arrivé! Since it was way too early to check into our hotel, we took a

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-56692500862222055632010-05-30T06:28:00.000-07:002010-06-01T08:36:17.220-07:00

A piece montée, which means "mounted piece" in French, also commonly known as croquembouche, refers to an assembled structure of cream puffs to form a towering dessert centerpiece. Cream puffs are truly reminiscent of my childhood; my mum made the best and whilst I love eating them, I've never attempted making cream puffs before. Pâte à choux was on my to-bake-before-Paris list, so I was

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-49626272317472188892010-05-26T22:20:00.000-07:002010-05-26T22:25:15.825-07:00

I went for the stars on my first attempt on pâte feuilletée. Instead of the regular pâte feuilletée, I was overly ambitious and attempted the inversée de Pierre Herme! I'm not sure what I was thinking (or drinking) that day! It was a hot day, 80˚F outdoors (I wonder where have all the warm weather days disappeared to lately?!), my beurre sec was not truly "sec" and with zero experience handling

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-64568103938358485392010-05-26T17:53:00.000-07:002010-05-26T22:37:52.418-07:00

It seemed like time stood still the past week. A week away from the internet, a hiatus from blogging and minimal to zero indulgence on time-wasters like one of 'em social networking sites. I needed to re-prioritize and re-focus on the most critical part of life that I've somehow neglected. I've often heard of how a minute or a phone call or a doctor's report can impact one's life deeply. Still,

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-93233999512102002010-05-14T13:24:00.000-07:002010-05-14T13:28:15.175-07:00

This month's Barefoot Bloggers first pick by Kimberly of Indulge and Enjoy is a refreshing break from baking for me. I hardly make risotto and when I did, I served it with proteins, so Ina's Spring Green Risotto is certainly a welcoming change. Unlike baking, I tend to eye-ball ingredients when it comes to cooking and this recipe was no exception. I'm sure I had a little more than a pound of

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-51470327962741374252010-05-14T12:05:00.000-07:002010-05-14T12:05:38.986-07:00

It seemed that life just flashes before my eyes in the past couple weeks. Since D and I both made the decision that I should go absolutely go for IT, the wheels were set in motion and everything happened so fast. It hasn't even been a month since I got my acceptance letter from the pastry school. It was only a week ago that I visited the French Consulate to get all the necessary travel paperwork

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-56442955842127984812010-05-11T14:54:00.000-07:002010-05-12T17:42:46.355-07:00

I’ve been looking for a simple, yet elegant and impressive dessert to serve or to bring to parties. Eureka! I think I’ve found it in this week’s pick: Classic Berry Tart by Cristine of Cooking with Cristine. And to think that I was almost going to skip this week’s bake, especially with all the ongoing preparations for the move! Folks, just so you know, I’ve made a decision to take this to the

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-24999646107533745082010-05-09T21:22:00.001-07:002010-05-12T17:15:53.068-07:00

Earlier this week, I posted some photos of my first foray into ice-cream making. I'm a, what the French say, débutante, when it comes to photography; up until beginning of this year, I've only been shooting with a simple point-and-shoot camera.  The ice-cream photoshoot was one of the most frustrating one that I've ever come across since I started to get more serious with photography - food

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-28638523749619109742010-05-08T22:13:00.000-07:002010-05-12T17:51:47.140-07:00

When I had my first financier, I was still a financier but had no idea that the it was called a financier. Now, isn't that a cute play on words? Alright, alright, I'll spare you the agony. Financier (fee-naah-syehr) - a dense, little French teacake with a slightly crispy exterior but an inside that's melt-in-your-mouth soft.  The basic financier uses very simple ingredients:  butter, sugar,

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-89979018601884330802010-05-04T18:07:00.000-07:002010-05-12T17:52:08.501-07:00

My very first ice cream maker! My very first attempt at making ice cream!! And it will definitely not be the last. In fact, I love this whole process of making ice cream so much that I've already put the ice cream maker tub back to freeze to get it ready for the next batch! Ah, the joys of discovering something new. Something wonderful. Something as simple as making ice cream. Thanks to Becky of

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-26740967123996806012010-04-29T13:33:00.000-07:002010-04-30T11:22:45.863-07:00

We are banana people. We love bananas. Every trip to the grocer's would not be without us paying a visit to the banana aisle. It's a must-do, almost like a ritual - regardless of whether we still have any bananas at home - not much thoughts into what we'd be doing with all the unfinished bananas - we simply adore this long, yellow and cheap (less than a buck a pound) fruit! As of last weekend, we

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-21162258052134742252010-04-27T10:54:00.000-07:002010-08-31T15:42:50.584-07:00

9:00 am Breakfast with D 9:30 am Started TWD's weekly bake. Excellent cookies 10:30 am Since D was still having severe sinus allergies, we decided to stay home instead. I spent a good hour or so taking shots of my bakes for FWB11:00 am : Frolicking in the backyard 11:30 am...still frolicking.... 12:30 pm Lunch! 3:30pm Visit to my dear nieces 6:00pm ......continuous hours of chasing

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-83495802037819590342010-04-27T09:29:00.000-07:002010-04-27T17:51:50.576-07:00

I love recipes that call for loads of nuts, fruits and chocolate, even more so when the recipe is entirely suitable for a myriad of substitutes and variations. This ravishing cookie - with its colorful bits of fruits, nuts and the jewel of it all: embedded chunks of gooey chocolate  - is just what its moniker implies. Chock full of goodness! I was happy that I could make use of the leftover odds

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-73562514030744539272010-04-24T14:46:00.000-07:002010-08-31T15:41:47.849-07:00

TGIF! 8:00 Morning drive to zumba class a foggy Friday morning........road visibility of....what do you reckon......100 ft? 9:45 am Great zumba workout.....but way behind on strength training! Bummer.....Time to head home for more excitment like this:Friday's laundry day. This is only the first load.....10:30 am - Stop. Smell the roses........ 11:00 am: email, news, blog....... Time for lunch?

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-80785320459264775862010-04-23T11:16:00.000-07:002010-04-23T11:25:48.124-07:00

8:00 am Morning coffee, emails and news. 8:30 am Review schedule for the day and realized - shucks! I've got couple bakes for the baking group that I"ve yet to complete! Plus, we need desserts for the guys' soiree tomorrow! You see, D and his buddies are having their GNO (guys night out) while the wives are having our GNO (girls night out)...or should it be LNO? Anyways, that means it's going to

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-19521380830106554402010-04-22T21:21:00.000-07:002010-04-22T21:23:10.812-07:00

This bake marks my debut as a Barefoot Blogger member, something that became official this month although I only found out about it late in the game. I started following Barefoot Contessa on FoodNetwork channel about 8 years ago and have been an avid fan of Ina Garten since then. Ina's the type of neighbor you'd like to have - sweet, personable, makes some of the most scrumptious food ever and

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-75744925386179005062010-04-22T14:26:00.000-07:002010-04-22T20:00:26.219-07:00

Interviewer: Day 3 of the Project. So how is it going? Me: So far not bad. Getting the hang of  it - noting down details of things that caught my interest and being aware of how I spend time everyday - not that I'm saying every single minute is well-spent. (laughs) Interviewer: It's been a rather slow week for you. Is it like this everyday?Me: Slow is a relative term, I guess. Compared to life in

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-43692563989763825612010-04-21T08:24:00.000-07:002010-04-21T08:24:15.662-07:00

A reader commented that this project is quite like reality blogging. Reality blogging. I like that! So let's use that from now on out. Thanks Lazaro! By the way, Lazaro has a cool blog - check it out! Jen's reality Tuesday: just another typical day of class, errands, more errands and none of the dramatic episodes that everyone craves for in reality TV. It's been a wet, rainy day. In fact, there

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-84659614964970468102010-04-20T20:00:00.000-07:002010-04-30T11:21:06.330-07:00

Does anyone still keep journals? I do. I still have journals way back from my teenage years.  By the way, where I come from, they're called diaries.  I've always been journaling for the most part of my life. I find much clarity in being able to write down everything that has taken place. In fact, growing up, it was my ritual to document every single day in my diary during our annual year-end

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-26796058763349788352010-04-17T22:59:00.000-07:002010-04-17T23:01:02.389-07:00

A gorgeous day of sunshine and clear blue skies in the Bay Area! Le Printemps. My favorite season of the year! We made an impromptu trip to the City and spent some time at the SF Botanical Gardens. I've made a short photo montage to remind myself how blessed we are to be living here.....the first installment of my "Week in the Life" project....more on that next week, but for now, enjoy!

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-10310421327708493912010-04-15T21:01:00.000-07:002010-04-15T21:36:37.585-07:00

Fail to plan, plan to fail. You must've heard of this a thousand times before. But do you believe it? I'm still on the fence.  There were many times when I had detailed, well thought-out plans, including backup plans (and backups for the backup plans) but the outcome of those plans were simply far from what I had wanted. On the contrary, some of the best experiences in my life were unplanned;

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-1027735612540965802010-04-13T11:30:00.000-07:002010-04-18T16:47:13.827-07:00

I can't get over the strange coincidence of how this week's pick  - Swedish Visiting Cake by Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs happens to fall so close to Hakan's (my husband's Swedish colleague) farewell. Hakan's assignment in Northern California ends this week and he will be heading back to Sweden on Friday. I didn't have the chance to welcome them with a Swedish Visiting cake, so with lots of

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-43387829390551971552010-04-08T17:46:00.000-07:002010-04-09T14:44:46.050-07:00

It seems like everyone who is into serious pastry baking has some form of Matcha (green tea) bakes in their repertoire, especially those French pastry fanatics. I know of a person who's undergoing this rather strange evolution where all of a sudden, cupcakes, buttercream frostings, frilly-pretty sugar gum pastes and fondant aren't enough and wants to challenge herself with genoise, joconde,

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-60808272289459916272010-04-06T15:42:00.000-07:002010-04-07T09:11:01.960-07:00

Vegetarian chorizo. Did you do a double-take? Chorizo? The Spanish pork sausage? But it's supposed to be a vegetarian dish? How can that be? Enter the Soyorizo - the soy chorizo. Same spicy bold flavors as the real deal just sans the meat! Now, how great is that? We've been minimizing our meat intake and trying to introduce more and more vegetables into our diet so imagine my delight when I

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-63986332183173878442010-04-06T08:27:00.000-07:002010-04-06T09:08:25.948-07:00

I'm extremely pleased with this bake even before baking it! How's that possible? Because this week's pick by Erin of When in Doubt.... Leave it at 350 (pages 180-181 of the book) gave me the perfect reason to get a solidly good bundt pan! I have muffin pans, round and square cake pans of all sizes, mini-bundt pans (but they don't count!), cute little tartlette pans - remember these?  So now it's

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-87633665988250816642010-04-02T14:15:00.000-07:002010-04-09T14:52:14.580-07:00

It has been 3 months since our Paris trip. I said I wanted to share more about our trip, didn't I? Well, what can I say? Procrastination life takes over sometimes! At least the post title doesn't read "Our macaron encounter in Paris 3 years ago......"!! Better late than never! (There, I feel so much better now) My quest to learn and perfect les macarons - not the American macaroons, but French

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-25221746997472265032010-04-02T10:39:00.000-07:002010-04-02T14:33:06.131-07:00

Tamago - a square block of egg. An oxymoron? I'm not sure but it's just so good and while it's primarily used for sushi, it's simply delicious with any meals - salad, poultry, stir-fried noodles, even dessert! How about snacking on thinly-cut slices of tamago just as you would a layer cake! What's not to like? Here's a v-clip of my hubby - Mr. Sushi and Mr. Photographer making tamago. How to

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-81219405538189085342010-03-28T23:23:00.000-07:002010-03-30T12:09:47.505-07:00

Makan is a Malay word which means "to eat". Makan-makan is a typical Malaysian gathering whereby friends and families commune together to eat, drink and be merry. The question "Come, let's makan-makan?!" means time to relax and unwind - an open invitation to party! Everyone looks forward to makan-makan to enjoy some good food and good times in good company! My husband and I wanted to re-create

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-69028966313833774352010-03-25T23:00:00.000-07:002010-03-28T09:33:24.418-07:00

Say the word "sambal" (pronounced as sum-bahl) and this would send my taste buds into a frenzy and mouth salivating, longing, yearning just for a lick of that spicy-sweet-salty symphony of flavors! Sambal is a spicy condiment, a cross between a sauce and chutney - a must-have staple in South-east Asian, namely Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai and Philippine cuisines. Sambal adds that zesty flavor to

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-81873203628533183812010-03-23T08:45:00.000-07:002010-04-07T13:28:08.050-07:00

Another incredibly delectable cookie recipe from Dorie - sweet, creamy rich dulce de leche (milk caramel) sandwiched between two equally rich, buttery and cakey cookies. This week's TWD pick is by Jodie of Beansy Loves Cake and by the name of her blog, I know now why she picked this somewhat-cookie-somewhat-cake combination! Cake in a cookie -  not a bad idea at all! Condensed milk used to be a

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-30816293109304058852010-03-20T10:34:00.000-07:002010-03-21T10:15:10.968-07:00

I woke up to a pleasant surprise this morning: 20 March 2010!!. My iPod Touch cake is today's Top9 on FoodBuzz, a leading online food blog community. Woohoo!! Totally flabbergasted! It's a first for me - what an encouragement and such a thrill! Thanks for all your kind comments. Now let me continue to bask in this glory, however short-term it may be...... *my iPod Touch cake featured in box #7

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-65798844895714669872010-03-18T10:09:00.000-07:002010-03-18T11:13:33.273-07:00

I wasn't going to blog about this bake but after getting feedback from hubby's colleagues - all rave reviews - I feel that this is the only right thing to do. Sharing great recipes is a good thing, especially if it's a recipe by THE Dorie Greenspan! I was on a quest to make breakfast more interesting for D; it has been cereal or oatmeal every single day for quite a while now and while there

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-81155725496008445632010-03-16T12:00:00.000-07:002010-03-16T15:01:41.977-07:00

Well, it's not perfect (yet) but it didn't crack, has that much-coveted "feet" and tastes mighty good! Not bad for a second attempt! Made my day!

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-22068143917281370392010-03-15T09:22:00.000-07:002010-03-23T17:25:20.412-07:00

Before:After: The 6-year old birthday boy was happy beyond words. Precious!! The cake: Red Velvet Cake with Creamcheese Filling covered with Chocolate Fondant Icons individually shaped with fondant Photos by D.Hann Photography Post publish update: this iPod Touch cake has been featured as FoodBuzz's Top9 on 20th March 2010! So thrilled! And this made it even sweeter!! Do you have a

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-19489686060357312202010-03-10T10:05:00.000-08:002010-03-10T10:08:18.490-08:00

Those of you who know me will know that I love collecting stuffs. All kinds of stuffs; stuffs that aren't of much dollar value, really. Not expensive cars, exquisite jewelry or exotic animals (God forbid!) nor masterpieces of Rembrandt, Picasso, Monet or even Peter Lik (I wished!) One man's trash......another's  Jen's treasure! Let me share with you what I "dug up" today from my closet beautiful

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-38459148939214556702010-03-09T12:37:00.000-08:002010-03-16T15:02:11.883-07:00

Have you met? Allow me to introduce you to TD - my favorite mug of all times. I've had TD as long as I can remember. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment indulgence while browsing the aisles of Sur La Table. I'm one who loves to make lists - a list of things to do for the weekend, a list of bakes to cover, a list of restaurants to visit, a list of places to see, a list of places to clean in the

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2347348219006014684.post-89442995017798237342010-03-07T14:02:00.000-08:002010-03-09T12:44:33.927-08:00

At our home, the weather dictates when we get to cook BIG, and by big, I mean lots of high-heat, high BTU stir-frying like this or even deep-frying like these irresistable little poppers! You see, I simply do not do any form of deep-frying indoors. There's something about that lingering greasy odor that makes the food so unappetizing - yes, even 'em wonderful deep-fried fries and don't even

Jencraftedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612891194083002693noreply@blogger.com0