I've Got A Golden Ticket!

Fortunately I had the opportunity last week to explore the Lindt factory in Hampton, New Hampshire. Of course silly me decided to schedule it after the Hamptons' Memorial Day Weekend (basically the start of the summer season). So after working 12-13 hour days from Thursday to Sunday, worked the Monday morning shift, drove back home, showered fast, and got back in the car to drive out to Orient Point to catch the ferry.

My lovely parents drove, so I had some time to sleep on the car ride. After a night in a hotel, we got up early and headed over to Lindt. I finally got to meet the people that helped make my "Mocha Coconut" Lindt bar come alive. The man in charge and who scheduled this amazing tour for me was Nico Tomaselli, the Research and Development Manager. Nico was kind of enough to take the time out of his busy schedule to show my parents and I how Lindt makes their chocolate from bean to bar. It was INCREDIBLE. At the CIA, we take a Chocolates and Confections class where we discuss, read, and study how chocolate is made. Now add on some savvy technology to what we learned and bam, it's the Lindt Chocolate Factory. Unfortunately there weren't any "oompa loompas" making the chocolate like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. It was amazing to see the bar line where my "baby" was born and produced. After our tour, I was invited to check out the Research and Development Lab with Ann Czaja where "all the magic happens". Ann is a Maitre Chocolatier at Lindt and I had the opportunity to meet her at the competition. After speaking with Ann and Nico, it really opened my eyes to considering R&D down the road in my career. Lindt was extremely generous with a "goodie bag" filled with chocolates. On our way out, I also fell in love with the Lindt Bunny Smart Car. Who doesn't want a Lindt Bunny Smart Car?? Thank you to Lindt for hosting my parents and I for the day. Big thanks to my parents (especially Dad) who drove home in the rain and being patient with all the traffic. Happy June Everyone! Don't forget to eat some chocolate, it'll keep you sweet!

Hamptons Happenings...Or not?

Basically what my windshield looks like...

Well its definitely getting warmer in the Hamptons. First sign is that my windshield is filled with bugs, this is a recent development after the month and a half I have worked out there. With warmer weather comes more people heading out East for the weekend, which means the Hampton traffic has commenced and the sidewalks are filled with people and dogs. Luckily I grabbed some coffee today before I hit the traffic, so the extra 20 minutes of traffic could be enjoyed with my windows down, beautiful weather, and coffee. You also see the Hampton Jitney a lot more often! Next sign of it getting warmer, the farm stands are starting to re-open and get ready for their busy season. No worries, I will probably be at the farm stands all summer, I'll let you know of my findings!

In a few weeks I am fortunate that I have the opportunity to visit the Lindt facility in New Hampshire. I am extremely excited to learn about the Lindt production and to complete the circle of winning the competition. I can't fully complete my circle, just missing one link. Which I have a feeling I will never get to have and that was proven tonight. The talented Michael Symon (one of the judges of the Lindt competition) came into the restaurant I work at and unfortunately I didn't get the opportunity to meet him. I guess he was too full from our tasty food and had to get going. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade (or lemon glaze for doughnuts or lemon meringue pie, whatever your heart desires); I hope he had an amazing meal with us and maybe one day I will get to meet him, it would be an honor. 

I want to give a BIG thank you to everyone who reads my blog! After my last post, I have hit over 3,000 page-views. I know it may not seem like a lot, but I'm proud of it! So thanks again and keep reading!

Deer in the Headlights...

No I have not killed a deer...just a raccoon unfortunately (that was really scary). I have been happily at my job at Topping Rose House for a month now and am still doing the commute everyday I have work. I really enjoy my job, I just hate the over an hour commute. I am scared of two things when I am driving (home in the dark usually) which are the deer that are standing five feet away from me and then of course the cops. The cops will just give me a ticket and I can pay it off, my real concern is about hitting a deer. Deer can really damage a car and a person. So the sooner I find a place/room the better, for the deer and myself. Plus putting gas in the car is expensive and the drive is boring, plus not helping my road rage. This drive is worth it though. I forget about the drive when I get my hands dirty and my mind is racing of things I need to get done for service. Everyone in the kitchen is enjoying the quiet before the storm, aka start of the summer season/Memorial Day. The pastry side had a stage come the other day, she was only 14 years old. I tried to think if I was doing anything to help my career when I was 14 years old and the answer is no. I know I have always had an interest in food, but the first thing I did to jump-start where I am today was pick up a field trip permission slip to visit Western Suffolk BOCES. My parents I think were confused with the permission slip, I had already taken the only two classes offered at my high school in home economics and I wanted the next step. So I hopped on the school bus going to my technical school, excited and wide-eyed. My future mentor was teaching breakfast cookery, waffles and compound butter, I think strawberry? I was just so excited to be there. I knew that was were I belonged, but that wasn't until I was 15. At 14, I was still in the awkward phase with braces and blond highlights (I added a picture for everyone to giggle at). 14 was all about fitting in and getting ready for high school, I wish I was staging at restaurants and learning pastry techniques. Everything happens for a reason though. I am where I am today because of the path I've taken. Life is good.

8th Grade Yearbook Picture = Awkward Phase

On to Bigger and Better Things!

Unfortunately, I don't belong at The Culinary Institute of America anymore. I had yesterday and today off, so I took the opportunity to visit some friends before moving out to the Hamptons. I got to meet my old boss' beautiful new baby, hang out with old co-workers, see friends working at school, and relax with friends, but unfortunately being back made me feel like I didn't belong. I never cried or looked back the day I graduated at the CIA. I guess it's hitting me now instead. The school has changed and so have I. The people I walked through the halls with, studied with, worked with, spent most of my time with are no longer there. It's not my home anymore. That chapter of my life is really over and now its time to just take a leap of faith (like bungee jumping).

This leap of faith is including my new job at Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton, New York. It is a luxurious hotel and restaurant that has only been open since August. The kitchen is under the direction of Tom Colicchio (Top Chef's Judge) and is also a "farm to table" operation. We have an acre of land where we grow some produce and then buy from local farms on Long Island. Currently the restaurant is only open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday and brunch just Saturday and Sunday. However the hotel is supposed to be officially opening in April. I am excited to have this opportunity to work in this kitchen. Cross your fingers for me!

99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

Every time I was waiting for my next flight, this song (99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall) was constantly playing in my head. I only have myself to blame for all the flights and waiting, but I needed to save some money after this trip. I bought a return ticket from Australia originally, and it was cheaper for me to pay the change fee and fly back to Melbourne than to buy a new ticket from Japan. Yes it would've been direct from Japan, but I have some school loan payments coming up!


Flight Plan... Osaka, Japan to Singapore to Melbourne, Australia to Los Angeles to New York

Time waiting in airports:
34 hours
Time on a plane:
34 hours

Rock the Boat!

Well that was an amazing 4 weeks of traveling around Asia! Sorry I couldn't keep you up to date on everything that was going on! Internet was a tad hard to come by and extremely expensive on the cruise ship. Good news is that I don't get sea sick (a small concern I had when booking a long cruise). On the cruise we stopped in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, South Korea, and Japan. My laptop is currently dying, so I will touch on just a few of my favorite highlights! The Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand was beautiful. All the detail work and upkeep on the palace is incredible. Vietnam had some amazing food that I got to experience and very cool markets with various items. It snowed on the day I climbed The Great Wall of China, which made it a tad slippery but beautiful! The Temple of Heaven in Beijing was also a sight to see. The city of Nagasaki was interesting to learn about, to see how the city has grown since the atomic explosion. The parks and museums had so much information about that day. Of course I will have to have another visit back to China to check out the Terracotta Warriors and explore more of The Great Wall in better weather. Is it bad I'm already planning stuff I want to see when I come back? It was extremely interesting to see how people in Asia live so differently from us.

Luckily I made friends with most of the crew members on the cruise line! I had heard that the clientele of Holland America was mostly retired people, but I didn't know there would be about 10 people around the age of 18-25, we had a special club, called Generation Next. Everyday I was asked at least once if I was a crew member and when I responded that I was a guest on the cruise they were usually in shock. Of course I made friends with a lot of them, then they usually became my grandparent. I was asked once why I didn't have such nice wavy hair like my grandma. In response I just said we were just friends, not related and sorry I don't have wavy hair! So thankfully the crew was closer to my age and I got to hang out with them on and off the ship! Also figured out I would never work in a kitchen on a ship, because those bakers never get off the ship, forget about seeing the sights! So I will pass on that!

Two-toned in Singapore!

Singapore has been an amazing country to visit! First we got settled into our hostel located in Chinatown. The name of it is iStay.inn - An Urban Art Hostel, I have to say this is probably the nicest and best hostel I have stayed in! It is so clean and the people who work here are very nice and helpful! Like the name of it says, the walls are covered in modern art. Check them out on facebook! iStayinn-An-Urban-Art-Hostel The location is also amazing because the Chinatown market is right across the street, which is where to go at night. There are so many people there, eating, shopping, and just enjoying life. Because of this hostel, I also got to become friends with two really cool and sweet Korean girls that are doing an internship here. We explored some of the city yesterday! Also definitely the perfect time to travel to China, they are currently celebrating the Lunar New Year! There are so many decorations and cherry blossoms everywhere! Love it!

So I got the opportunity to visit The Culinary Institute of America's Singapore campus. I had contacted Chef Felder about visiting the campus and was excited when she said to come on by! The facilities are gorgeous! There aren't that many kitchens, but they are beautiful. Of course I was even more excited when I heard Chef Schorner was going to be there teaching! Actually the school just had their first graduation there a couple days before I visited, CIA's President Tim Ryan and Almuni/Iron Chef Cat Cora where there for the celebration. The school is doing so well, that they are actually expanding and building another new facility expected to be completed in 2014. Just like the CIA in Hyde Park, they have a resturant and bakery cafe, I got to have a little taste of "Sugarloaf," which is their bakery cafe that Chef Haymon (one of my old instructors) established! Maybe I will just have to come visit again, I wouldn't mind! Chef Felder also got my head thinking about what my next step should be... (truthfully I have no idea what to do).

You know those red double-deck buses that are in cities all over the world? Well Jessica and I decided to take the bus all over the city to see the sites and enjoy some sun. You can say I got a lovely farmers tan...(cough cough sunburn). I was trying on some dresses later in the market and the woman selling me the dress was laughing at me because I was "two-toned". Thankfully it is fading because that would be extremely embarrassing for the cruise that's leaving Singapore tomorrow! Yesterday like I said we got to explore Singapore a little more with our new buddies, and eating some delicious food. I took Chef Felder's advice to eat from the street fenders and little odd places. Yeah they aren't the cleanest, but they sure do know how to cook. Also another hint, go to places where there are lines and lots of locals. Obviously its worth the wait if they are returning!

Tomorrow I am boarding a Holland America Cruise that will be taking me throughout Asia  (for 28 days). Not a bad choice for my first cruise I suppose :). Unfortunately Jessica will be heading home due to issues with getting a visa (womp). I'm not sure how often I will be online, but I will try to keep everyone up to date!

Definitely not driving in this country... Indonesia

So it is the last night I am in Bali, Indonesia. This week has been more about just relaxing (and not spending too much money). Tomorrow we are flying out to Singapore! Like it says in the title, I will definitely not be driving in this country. Their lines on the road are more like suggestions here, drivers typically disregard them. Most drivers are also on scooters or bikes and I have seen too many almost get hit! Another reason I wouldn't drive is because there are a lot of stray dogs that just roam in and out of the streets. I usually hold my breath in the car because I am scared that they are going to get hit. Breaks my heart to see all these dogs just walking around, looking through trash for food, and being able to see their bones due to being so skinny. Unfortunately it is not just the dogs that are hungry, but people too. It puts life into perspective and makes me really appreciate everything and everyone I have in my life.

I did take the opportunity to visit the Elephant Safari Park here in Bali. These elephants are rescued from one of the other islands of Indonesia. They currently have 30 elephants, which include their 3 baby (more like toddlers) elephants. I also took the chance to ride an elephant! I had the pleasure of getting a ride from Ramona. She's a beautiful 21 year old and mother to one of the toddlers. After the ride, I was able to feed and pet her. The 3 toddlers than put on a small show that displayed their talents! They are so freaking cute! I wish I was able to fit one in my suitcase, but I'm already close to the luggage limits. Putting an extra 800 kilograms with my luggage would be a ton of money.When the baby elephant was born they weigh about 80 kilograms. (p.s. the mom could be pregnant for about 2 years!!)

We should get some "breaki" at "Maccas"...

You are probably wondering what my blog post title means.... Well so did I when I first heard it in Australia. "Breaki" is shortened for breakfast and "Maccas" is McDonald's. For some reason, Australians love to shorten their words. Everyone has heard of "putting the shrimp on the barbie," but they actually call barbecue food and grill, "barbie". When you are going out for a night on the town, don't forget to put your "lippie" on (aka lipstick). I guess every language has their slang and shorten words, but when you are in a new country, even though they speak English; it can be hard to catch on to what they are saying. The "ambo" (ambulance) will come if you need a lift to the hospital and when you go to Somoa or Fiji be careful of the "mozzis"(mosquitoes). And don't forget to add on some fresh "avo" (avocados) to your sandwiches!

I couldn't find P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way...

For the past couple of days we have been visiting Sydney, Australia. After an unpleasant train ride (couldn't stay asleep, smelly person next to me, temperatures varied, and crying children) we got into Sydney at about 7 am. You could say we were a bit tired. We got to our hotel and crossed our fingers that they had a room available that we could check into early. Thankfully we got a room and decided to take a nap. After nap time, we took a tour around Sydney, learning about random facts/tours we should or shouldn't take/a bunch of things I would've never known (and most Australians probably don't know either). We took a ferry over to Darling Harbour (yes that is the correct spelling Australians have, favor is spelled favour and color is spelled colour) to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe and enjoy some American food. 

The next day we headed to the Sydney Opera  House for a tour. Nothing we really wanted to see was playing so we passed, plus saved us some money. The tour was extremely informative and explained the opera house's construction and history. Originally they projected it would cost $7 million and take only 3 years, but that estimate was way off. It took $120 million and 15 years to finally finish. I won't tell you too much about it because it is something you should do if you go to Sydney. I am a huge fan of The Ellen Show, what are the chances that they would be filming a small segment from Australia on the steps in front of the opera house the same day I'm there? Slim to none, but it happened! Apparently she was choosing 4 Australians to fly to the USA. People were going crazy! After the tour we headed to the beach! We caught a ferry over to Manly Beach and I spent the afternoon over there. Lucky for me it started to look like it was going to rain after several hours being there. I took it as a sign to get out of the sun! Good thing I did, many hours later I found my sunburn, not too bad though! When I wrote this blog post I was on my flight to Bali, so you could understand it wasn't the most comfortable flight because of the sunburn. But it was worth it. The beach was beautiful, the sand was extremely soft, water cold but refreshing. If I could tan I would've been there a lot longer. Overall Sydney was a cool city, I think I even like it more than Melbourne. The city is a little more industrial/dirtier than Melbourne (still cleaner than NYC), but it was in a convenient location close to all the tourist sites (found the Lindt store there too), transportation to the beach was direct, and even the people were nicer. Didn't find P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way though. 

Just Keep Swimming (with Dory and Nemo)

We flew into Brisbane, Australia on Thursday and then drove up to Bundaberg, where our accommodation was located. On Friday we rented a car went even more north so that we could get a chance to see the Great Barrier Reef. Jessica and I took a day tour out to Lady Musgrove Island. Which is the furthest south of the Great Barrier Reef you can go. First we took a tour of the island, which only contain birds and trees. Surprisingly the only predator the birds have are the trees, the trees have branches that will first have white little flowers, once they bloom and fall off the buds turn brown and sticky. Unfortunately the birds will get stuck in the sticky branches and eventually die because they can't get the branches out of their wings. Sad but it's the circle of life on the island. We also had the opportunity to go on a semi-submarine ride. We got to see the coral, fish, and turtles from inside the boat. Then the best part of the day, snorkelling and checking out the Great Barrier Reef. It was beautiful. If I ever have the chance to come back to Australia, I would want to go further north and scuba dive! I'll just have to add it onto my traveling list. I would show you the pictures, but I purchased a water camera using film that I need to get processed. So look for a late post in a couple of months! I forgot I had to wind the film after every picture, very strange after using today's technology where you just need to click and take the next picture.

I'm currently on a train from Brisbane going to Sydney. I have to say I have no idea how my parents took me anywhere if I was anything like these children on the train. But then again my parents wouldn't punch me in the head for crying out for attention. Not right. Another thing I'm not a fan of on airplanes or trains is sick people. Definitely when I get off the train is get some vitamin C in me. And a little advice for the guy next to me, take a shower before getting on a train that's 12 hours, you smell.

Free Falling and Frolicking through New Zealand...

On January 15th I was able to check something else off on my bucket list: BUNGEE JUMPING!! If you like heights and a thrill than you should defiantly consider doing it. It was a once in a life time experience. I was only going to buy the photos but after seeing the DVD and having the same adrenaline rush I had to get it! I loved it!! I would do it again in a heartbeat! After taking a short bus ride we got put into a harness and a helmet and climbed up the Auckland Bridge. We took about a flight of stairs up to the launch pod. The instructors then explained what was going to happen and how we were going to jump. I was the second person to jump out of 4. The first and last girls needed a little but of a push from the instructor, but not me, I was ready to go. They opened the pod door, sort of like a garage door and the first girl jumped. Then it was my turn. The instructor asked if I wanted to get dunked in the water. I said I wanted to touch it but not get completely soaked. They strapped up my ankles and then attached the bungee cord. I wobbled my way to walk the plank. And  5.4.3.2.1... Take off. It was an amazing feeling. I think I even prefer it over skydiving. I don't know though, both have such an adrenaline rush.

On our last full day of New Zealand we decided to take a tour out to the Hobbiton movie set and farm. It was an opportunity to see another part of New Zealand. More of the countryside. We had to take about two and a half hour drive to get to the movie set. Of course I passed out on the way there (and back). After starting our visit with some warm muffins and tea at The Shire's Rest, we continued on a bus on the 1,250 acre farm. We got to look and take tons of pictures of hobbit holes, including the newly built ones just for the new Hobbit movie. We got the opportunity to learn a lot about Director Peter Jackson's camera tricks and what he had to do to capture his vision for all the films made there. Peter Jackson really took the time to make all the small details in the book translated to the movies. An example would be that the young hobbits were described eating plums under the plum trees in the book, however New Zealand climate is apparently not compatible to grow plums; so Peter Jackson stripped the trees before filming attached fake plums and leaves just for a couple seconds of the movie. Of course I had to run through some fields barefoot due to my brother's request. It was worth it though! After the tour we had some hard cider and got to enjoy lunch at The Green Dragon Inn. We continued onto the zealong tea plantation, which is the only tea plantation in New Zealand.  We got to try their 4 different teas with the traditional tea service and some food pairings. You can defiantly say we were exhausted after the long day of being a hobbit.