A Tad Different from New York

"Frosties," not Frosted Flakes 

So I have been in Australia for a couple weeks now and while I have been here there have been a couple things I have had to adjust to. Some of the basic everyday things are completely different. Light switches are opposite, if you want to turn the light on you flick it down. The date is written with the day first, than month, and then year (today is the 25/11/12). That was one of the hardest for me to get used especially since I date everything in the cake shop. Stores are really only open from 10-5, with the exceptions of food stores and most restaurants. There is late night Thursday shopping though! When you do go to a store, they are VERY big on being green. They do not hand out plastic bags like it's their job. If you want plastic bags for your groceries/purchases, most stores will make you buy them! I even went to Target the other day to buy a pillow and I was charged 20 cents for the bag because I didn't want to carry around my pillow (would've looked like I stole it or something). The cost of living is also higher here, that includes buying food, clothing, rent, and everything else! Speaking of clothes, everyone has their own style here. Of course there are trendy things to wear, but it doesn't seem like anyone sticks to a specific style. Also when reading the temperature. forget about Fahrenheit, it is in Celsius over here, just as meters and kilometer instead of feet and miles. Don't forget the seasons are also switched, I'm starting summer, when it is starting winter in New York.

As far as transportation goes, cars drive on the other side of the road and the driver sits on the right side. I made the mistake once of trying to get into the passenger side, but actually went on the driver side. Cars also have the right of way unless it is a designated pedestrian walk way, then the cars have to wait for them. There aren't any large trucks for families here. So no SUVs, or even pick-up trucks. They mostly drive small cars, vans, or small SUVs. Or they drive these modified small cars that have pick-up truck back to it. Very interesting. Of course there are huge trucks that deliver food and what not, but that's it. Mail is delivered on bikes right now by mail carriers in neon yellow outfits, you can't miss them. People bike everywhere here! Not just to work, but for fun or as their primary transportation. In the city, ambulances are only used for severe injuries, if not as critical, a nurse/paramedic/first responder ride a bike with their neon colored vests stating their position on the back with their medical bags attached to their bikes.

What the modified pick up truck is.

So last weekend I went and saw Breaking Dawn Part 2, the last Twilight movie, but when I went to the movie theater is was different too. When you buy your tickets, you are also choosing what seat you want to sit in during the movie. They don't have to wait all night to get the best seats in the theater for a new movie because when you buy the ticket online or in the theater that part is done. You would just have to walk right in. Also some movies come out later here than the USA, unless they are very popular.

If you want to eat a cookie, it is called a biscuit here. Also  if you want a grilled cheese it is called a toastie. Marshmallows also don't come plain or at least I haven't found any yet. They came with raspberry flavored/pink marshmallows with the plain ones. You also only need to be 18 to consume alcohol and there are liquor stores all over, usually right next to the food store. It is taking some time, but I think I am getting used to the culture and everyday life here.

Australians don't know what Thanksgiving is!!

Today was definitely one of the hardest days I have had to deal with. I have to say I haven't dealt with being homesick too much. I keep in contact with my family a lot and usually after work I am exhausted that I don't even think about anything. But today (with the time difference), was different because I was missing my first holiday away from my family. It even makes me upset now, just thinking about missing out of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, helping my mom in the kitchen, sitting down with my family to eat a wonderful meal, usually playing a board game in between dinner and dessert, and then just relaxing/too stuffed to move. I just wanted to say that I am thankful for my amazing family to support me with my dreams and aspirations. You all mean the world to me and I wish I could be there with all of you today. I miss you a lot!

There were some differences/trouble we had making Thanksgiving dinner with the food that is available to us in Australia. First, they do NOT have "Libby's Pumpkin Pie Puree", which means no pumpkin pie, because we weren't sure what Australian pumpkin to use. Next, the turkeys are a lot smaller here, which is good because all the ovens are smaller here as well. We were lucky to be able to fit about a 20 pound turkey in the oven. So for our family's sweet potato dish, we used sweet potatoes (from a can, YES, I am guilty) with some butter and brown sugar, and put some marshmallows on top. Well here in Australia, they don't have sweet potatoes in a can and just plain marshmallows. They have flavored marshmallows mixed in with the plain marshmallows. The pink marshmallows almost tasted like the bubble gum tape we would buy when we were younger. So I compromised with freshly sliced sweet potatoes (costing me a fortune) with some brown sugar and butter, with the plain marshmallows I picked out of the bag and apparently that was the dish of the night! Also, they do not have "French's French Fried Onions", so I compromised with some soy chive and sour cream crunchy noodles with my string bean casserole. Also I can't seem to find cranberries anywhere! It is also strange, because in the USA, everyone looks forward to Thanksgiving and then Christmas, but in the food stores they are already playing Christmas music

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving with their loved ones! My Thanksgiving is just about over and everyone in the USA's is just beginning! I wish I could be there enjoying the day!

Introducing the Lindt Mocha Coconut Excellence Bar

About a month ago I competed in the Lindt EXCELLENCE Recipe Challenge, held at The Culinary Institute  of America. However I had to wait until this morning or New York's Saturday at 1:30 pm to finally find out the results of the competitions. I was first selected as a finalist and would compete against 9 others, each with our own chocolate bar that we created.

My chocolate bar inspiration was the "MO-CO-NUT" (Mocha and Coconut). I came up with this idea when we were celebrating my mom's birthday and a belated birthday for my uncle. My mom loves coconut cake and my uncle loves mocha frosting. So put them together and you get Mocha Coconut. Then the practicing began and didn't finish until the night before the competition which worked in my favor because I was so tired from practicing that I didn't have time to think about the competition. Waking up in the morning was a different story. If you don't know me, I have some tendencies to be very organized and clean a lot. Its just who I am. I had to make sure everything was in its place and ready to go. So after anxiously awaiting to be let into the bakeshop where the competition would take place, we were told that we would be videotaped while competing. Well this was a first! I had to make sure I stayed cool, calm, and collected the whole time! I was proud of the product that I came up with and made, so I had confidence in what I as doing. I had finished my chocolate bar in about a little over an hour. I cleaned up my station and then decided to help another finalist, Simon clean up his work bench. I give him so much credit for learning how to temper chocolate a week before the competition. Of course he chose how to temper the messiest way, tabling; so I helped tidy up his marble. After finishing the competition, we were photographed (of course) and critiqued on our chocolate tempering skills and appearance of the bar.

Fast forward about a month later and here we are today. I knew something was up because Lindt had offered to fly me to and from Australia for a 2 hour reception. However with getting used to my new job and the time difference I declined and offered some words of thanks instead. My parents attended the reception in my honor. They took pictures with Michael Symon before they announced the winners and enjoyed themselves. Apparently they went from 3rd to 1st place. I am told, they described my chocolate bar and myself. My mom was crying while they announced my name. Michael Symon went up to my parents and asked if they knew how hard it was not telling them I won when they were talking. I am extremely excited that Lindt has decided to produce and sell my chocolate bar. I am thankful for such a great support group, also known as my family. They have seen it from start to finish. Thank you Lindt for an amazing experience I got to participate in.

Photo taken the day of the competition!

Flat Out Like a Lizard Drinking...

Flat out like a lizard drinking...aka Australian slang for I've been very busy... It has been awhile since I  wrote on here, but it is because I have been so busy with work and exhausted afterward. That's good right? Today was my first payday too, so I can't really complain too much!

This week has been hectic! I started working on Monday, like I mentioned in my last blog post...but to update you, work is good, busy! I've made trio-layered mousse cakes (dark, milk, and white chocolate mousse cakes), mixed berry individual mousse cakes, apple pies and tarts, helped make Toblerone mousse cakes, organized and packaged a ton of cakes, and lots more. Yesterday however I had the pleasure of assisting one the bosses to Thomas Dux, which is a smaller upscale grocery store with specializes in organic, gluten-free, local, and products that are specialized for the guest. Check it out http://www.thomasdux.com.au/. My boss and I advertised our different products that were sold at the store and I got a little taste too! White chocolate raspberry cheesecake, gluten-free lemon cake, chocolate and marshmallow cake, and a strawberry cheesecake, I have to say our wholesale bakery does a great job, very yummy. We were there for awhile, because it was a special occasion for Thomas Dux, VIP night of a fashion show, as well as a singing performance from Jessica Mauboy (in the Australian film "Sapphires"). Today however was a long day, especially towards the end. Early in the week my other boss, Jonathan asked me to do a specialty cake for a friend of his in a shape of a cactus. So during the week I researched and figured out what I wanted to do. But today he tells me an hour should me enough time, right? I said sure, even if I rushed it should be good. So around 3:50 pm rolls around and the customer is here to pick up the cake... uhh ohhh... My boss said I still had an hour or so to do the cake, that he would keep him occupied. Angry that I wasn't able to work on it earlier in the day to have the cake waiting and ready for the cake, I quickly started cutting a stencil and then cutting the cake into layers. Quickly filling it with white chocolate ganache and then decorating it with a mint chocolate chip mousse on the outside. News flash: they don't use fondant here!! I asked the cab driver when I first arrived and he said that traditional wedding cakes are a fruit cake with marzipan on the outside. The cab driver also said that fondant was becoming more popular, but not there yet. So I quickly rushed to get the cake done in a little over an hour, while the customer is basically watching my every move (no pressure). However when it was done, the customer seemed very happy about the cake. After I cleaned up my station, of course my boss asked if I could quickly ganache a chocolate cake slab for an order for the morning. After a long day, it was nice to sit back with a meal I cooked and enjoy a glass of Australian wine...

I'm off for the next two days, so hopefully tomorrow I can blog about all the differences here!! Sorry Mates!

Did you see the kangaroo on the street??

Yummy Cheesecake!

Today was my first day of work at Cake Indulgence or also known as Cakes for Corporates. It was a long, but great first day at my new job. Today the company was a little understaffed so I ended up helping out with the production side of things! Tomorrow I should be back to where I belong with cake decorating, but no worries I had a lot of fun on the other side. First I started off with garnishing/finished 200 muffins and then packaged them for an order, then scooped about another 200 cupcakes to be baked. After that add on another 200 or so cheesecake pans that I prepped and put the crumb layer on the bottom for a large order that is for tomorrow. Now that I type it, this doesn't seem too much. Add in a half hour break with my pb&j sandwich and that was my work day. Of course you have to add in that it was one of my bosses birthday and in celebration, I got to take home a cheesecake! I wish it was their birthday more often, more free products would be great! This is also the boss who likes to joke around with me, hence the title of this post "did you see the kangaroo in the street?". You have to understand that we are located right outside the city of Melbourne, so of course there are no wild kangaroos jumping around (I wish there were though). So now I joke back saying "Oh yeahh, they are giving me a lift home after work". The search for a new room to rent is going on. I'm thinking next post I might talk about all the differences I've seen here in Australia compared to what I'm used to in the USA.

A Dingo Ate My Baby (Make Sure to Say in a Heavy Australian Accent)

I had some amazing experiences yesterday and loved every minute of them! Before I talk about yesterday, an update from last post...eating kangaroo was a new experience I enjoyed at the hostel. One of the Australian Managers of this hostel decided to roast some kangaroo in the oven for one of the visitors that is leaving very soon. I was surprised to find that I actually liked the kangaroo. The meat was very gamey and tough, but it had good flavor. It was served over mashed potatoes, which is pretty traditional!

Don't you just want to pet a dingo??

I got the chance to hang out with another American co-worker yesterday, her name is Jessica. She invited me along to enjoy a Bunyip Tour, which is a well known tour company for unique and informative tours. It was definitely worth the money I spent. We were on the tour with 20 others for about 12 hours or so, but this included driving around to the different destinations including the main attraction of the Phillip Island Penguin Parade. We started the day out going to the Moonlit Sanctuary, getting to see all the different Australian animals. This included wombats, kangaroos, koalas, dingos, wallabies, emus, and many other Australian animals/extinct species. I've got to say dingos don't look that dangerous, they look like a pet dog, but you've go to be careful around them. Don't let the dingo eat your baby! First I got to feed the wallabies, they are super duper cute! The wallabies just look like a mini kangaroo. The kangaroos were stubborn and didn't want to eat the food out of my hands, but they were pretty to look at! Then I got to get really close to a koala bear, I was basically hugging it! The koala looks like a grumpy old man (who loves to sleep) and doesn't want to open its' eyes though! We all loaded back onto the bus to visit Churchill Island. This is a historical landmark, where we got to see demonstrations of sheep searing and working dogs getting the sheep or even the turkeys together. While watching the sheep searing, I was wondering how many ugg boots could be made from the coat that was taken off. The took a quick stop at the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory for some delicious chocolate samples, we didn't have enough time to do a tour.

I wanted to steal the koala bear!

Feeding the wallabies!

We hopped back onto the bus and journeyed over to Cape Woolamai Beach. It was gorgeous! Of course I had to put my feet in the ocean, which is called the Bass Strait (where the Indian and Pacific Ocean meet apparently). The water was cold, but the scenery was breathtaking. I could have stayed there all day, if it was just a little warmer.The beach is very well known for the surfing community. I might just have to make another trip back there to enjoy the beach or learn to surf. Back on the bus we went, and we were on our way to the Koala Bear Conservatory. I got to walk around the conservatory looked for the cute koala bears in the trees. Some were an arms-length away and some koalas were all the way up in the trees (probably holding on for dear life). Fun fact about koalas, is that they have an extra thumb to help with climbing as well as a plate on their bum to help with sitting in the trees. I wanted to take one of them home with me to snuggle with like a teddy bear! Luckily after the conservatory, we had a little energy break of tea and biscuits (what we call cookies). Next stop was the Nobbies and Seal Rocks, unfortunately we were unable to see the seals because they were a tad too far for us to see. Nobbies are actually just very large rocks, which I didn't know. We got to walk the boardwalk along the water and snap some amazing photos of the peaceful atmosphere, however it was freezing outside! Last, but not least; the main attraction of the tour was seeing the Penguin Parade on Summerland Beach. Of course if it was cold on the boardwalk, it's going to be even colder with no sun. Jessica and I originally sat in the stands, however we couldn't see a thing. So we stood at the top, because we were told that after they come out of the water, they walk along a path right next to the pathway. We watched a few penguins struggle to get out of the waves that pulled them in and out, then headed over to the pathway. Jessica and I probably saw about 100 penguins, it was incredible. The penguins have a white stomach and dark blue on their backs, heads, and fins. The penguins are called little penguins or fairy penguins, because of their small sizes. They were adorable, probably about 15 to 20 cm, waddling their way to their homes. They only travel in groups and not alone, that way predators can't attack just one. 

That was one filled day! Like I said before, it was completely worth the money! The tour guide/driver; Peter was extremely knowledgeable and drove pretty fast to get us home around midnight. His driving reminded me of Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban's knight bus, with the crazy driving throughout London. 

(If you need a reminder of this scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhguwCSnIZc). Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little bit between the driving and the scene. I plan on hopefully booking another tour, I've got my eyes on the Great Ocean Road Tour! 

Land of Oz

I started the day off yesterday wondering around the neighborhood since I woke up at 4 am due to a dandy thing called jetlag. Then I headed over to where I would be working to take another glance. On my way, I passed two streets I was hoping to see, Victoria Street and Alexandra Parade (both of my sisters' names). Later on I also took a little trip into the city. I will say it is so clean, it puts NYC to shame with cleanliness. I feel like I need to invest in a new wardrobe while I am here. They have SO many cute clothing stores, as well as small/artsy boutiques and restaurants surrounding the city. Something I need to get used to though is that a lot of the stores are only open from 10-5, with the exception of some cafes opening earlier for breakfast and some bars/restaurants opening later and closing later. While visiting the city, I got to purchase my first Australian chocolate bar, which was called Boost (Cadbury Milk Chocolate with Caramel and Crunchies). I wouldn't be surprised if I purchased another one in the near future.

Today however I checked out of my shoebox of a hotel/hostel this morning and waited a lovely hour to finally catch a cab. Forget that I had the hotel call 3 times, I finally flagged down my own cab (NYC skills). Now I am currently staying at the Home@Hoodle. Where I am actually staying in a hostel. There are Germans, Italians, an Argentinean, and some others I haven't met here at the moment. Right now Nicole and I have our own room, but there is space for 2 more. Hopefully we have it to ourselves until we can find another place to live. That's what I've been doing all day, looking for somewhere else to live, because even though the people are nice, there are VERY thin walls and my cleaning ocd has definitely kicked in here. It is like I am back in college, sharing a bathroom with a bunch of strangers, sharing a bedroom, and living areas. Tonight should be interesting though, we are having a kangaroo roast! Might as well take every opportunity I can. Where else would I be able to taste that? Time to organize and continue the hunt of somewhere else to live! Cheers!

G'Day Mates from Australia

Well here I am in Melbourne, Australia day 1; starting my baking and pastry career at a wholesale bakery named Cake Indulgence. First of all if you are ever debating coming to Australia from New York, BEWARE! First there was the 6 hour flight (not so bad) to Los Angeles, California then a 2 hour layover (started feeling like I needed a shower) and finished off with a 16 hour direct flight to Melbourne. That was a LONG flight. However this plane was probably the largest one I have been on with 2 floors and all the works. I used Qantas Airlines for both flights. I must say their service and hospitality were fabulous (plus free wine always helps). Even though they handed out menus to every person and had a larger selection than other airlines, the food did not live up to their wonderful descriptions. So 24 hours later, I finally made it to Australia.  When I was finally able to stand up and get feeling back into my legs/feet, I found my way to The Nunnery Accommodation. Of course on the way, I had a little shock with people driving on the wrong side of the road and the driver sitting on the wrong side of the car, but found comfort when I saw a lot of American cars (made me feel at home a little bit). The Nunnery Accommodation is a hostile and hotel, where I will be located for my first 2 nights here. It is kind of like I am back in college, sharing showers and toilets, people my age just chilling around. I met up with another American Nicole, who helped show me around and get the ropes of everything. I had to work out a couple of hiccups with the company I worked with to be placed in Australia. I decided to get a different phone that could call/text in Australia and back in the USA, unlike the phone I was issued that would only call in Australia. We also went to set up another bank account that my job uses for direct deposit.

After a long day of finally getting into Australia, bank accounts, cell phones, looking at living situations... Nicole and I decided to grab a bite to eat from this cool green restaurant/bar called "Grumpy". I forgot how hungry I was and needed food for some energy. I got to enjoy a pizza with asparagus, dried tomatoes, ricotta, and pumpkin with a pear cider. It was delicious and the perfect meal to start me off in Australia. Ohh geezz jetlag is kicking in. Talk to you soon!