Monday Must Have & My One-Year Blog Anniversary

It is Monday.

And being that it is Monday, it's time to feature a new Monday Must Have, since it has been a bit too long since I've had one. AND it just also happens to be the exactly one year ago today, I started Jillicious Discoveries, and I still can't believe how fast the year went. But more on that a little later.

Today's Monday Must Have is one of my personal kitchen gadget favorites: The Fluted Pastry Wheel. Ahhhh, this little kitchen gadget is so fun to use and frankly, I wish I could use it everyday on every dessert. Anything you use a knife on to cut or trim edges on, you can use this cute, little pastry wheel on instead.

For example, remember this post? It was during this challenge when I was introduced to the homemade graham cracker and since then I've turned a blind eye to the boxes of graham crackers in the store and have made more batches of these tasty little goodies and every time I get to use this fun little tool.

Just look at these edges. So much more exciting than cutting with a regular knife.

More pastry wheel uses include; edging for pasta, ravioli, cookies, crackers, lattice work on pie dough, crimping on dough edges and anything else you can think of in your culinary adventures.

WOW--it's been one-year of blogging here on the Jillicious Discoveries blog and I just wanted to say...

First, a big shout out to all of you who I've gotten to know in this fun world of blogging and to those of you who have visited and commented and then even came back again! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I've learned much from your ideas and comments and experiences and from following your wonderful blogs, I've been truly inspired to learn more in this vast culinary field we are a part of.

Second, I will continue into this second year of blogging by sharing my experiences, and insights and all that I continue to learn and figure out along the way. I hoping to make a few changes in the next few months and I'm excited to share them with you here.

And finally, no anniversary is complete without a gift of some kind, so in keeping with the traditon of celebrating...

I'm giving you the chance to WIN your own Fluted Pastry Wheel and a package of these fun little "shower caps" (another favorite from a Monday Must Have during the year) and yes, it is open to ANYONE no matter where you live!

Just leave a comment with your email or a link for me to contact you and answer the following questions:

1) What would you or do you use the fluted pastry wheel for in your baking experiences?
2) What would you like to see or read more about on this blog?

I will be accepting your comments/entries from now until next Monday, May 3rd at 8:00 pm (PST). The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Tuesday, May 4th, 2010. *One comment/entry per person.

Happy Monday!!

I'm Back! And I Have Pictures....

I'm officially back from vacation and let me just say how great it was to relax and take some time away for myself. But it is also good to be back home and re-energized and re-focused on plans and ideas for the future.

As promised, here are just a FEW highlights from my trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado. Since this was my first time visiting the Rocky Mountain State, well my first time actually stepping foot on Colorado soil (I'm not counting the 10 + times I've had lay overs at the Denver airport)--I did take part in the tourist-role type of things to see and do while being there.

One of the first of many trips to, near or past the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. Shown below is Pikes Peak covered in snow (I was so glad it was way up there and not down where were--I think snow is pretty, but I am not a fan of being in it too long or being freezing cold).

Entering the Garden of the Gods....

Lone tree growing out of red rock....

More red rock....

Old Colorado City Trail....

HUGE rock/mountain formations....

Even more HUGE red rock/mountain formations.....

The famous "kissing camels" (zoomed in to see better).....

Another shot of "kissing camels" without the zoom...

More MASSIVE red rock that was impressive and cool to see up close and personal....

Token shot of the information board, which shows the date it became a National Natural Landmark, which happens to be the same year, I came into this world....

Another shot of the attempting to show the HUGE sheer size of the mountain....

During the next week, we visited a few of the local bakeries and several restaurants--most of which had really delicious food and desserts. A few of my favorites were these next bakeries. Keep in mind, this truly was a vacation for me, because I purchased and consumed more desserts during my vacation than I ever do while I'm at home. It was really fun to compare and contrast the different desserts to my own Jillicious Desserts and so I like to think of this part of the vacation as "research."

First stop Germany:

Wimberger's Old World Bakery

I tried to be really good about taking pictures of the food, but I kept forgetting about doing this every single time we came here. Did you catch that? Yep, we came here at least four times and each time picked up some fabulous bread: poppy seed rolls, Kaiser rolls, pretzel rolls and many other wonderful dense breads full of grains and seeds--the really heavy kind that fills you up after a few bites. They also have a large selection of German sausages and other meats and some cheeses in their deli section. There was also a little grocery section that had German brands of anything from mustard to candy.

And then the sweets. Oh, the candies...they carried the German brand Haribo Gummi's in every flavor and shape you can imagine. I'm now completely hooked on the Happy Cola's and I can neither confirm or deny that I may have consumed these tasty little gummy treats in large quantities.

Next stop The Netherlands:
Boonzaaijer's Dutch Bakery [pronounced bone-zi-yer]

Inside it was bright and cheery with an area for eating (I loved the little round tables with tulips painted on them)....

One of the bakery cases filled with several types of cookies and bars.....

And another filled with delicious looking cakes and pastries and also where we selected three desserts to take home and do our "research".....

Here are the three desserts we decided on: Lemon Bars (because we were told these were the very BEST), the Mountain Peak (the Bavarian cream filled pastry) and the Chocolate Mousse Cake (because we HAD to have something chocolate)...

Let's start with the Lemon Bars. I can understand why the woman at the bakery said these were the best lemon bars she's ever had. They were really, REALLY good. The lemon flavor was strong and tangy, but not over powering and the crust was tender and buttery and flaky and both components were the perfect amounts and compliemented the other and when we finished it, I wished we had more.

The Mountain Peaks were a nice surprise because although I thought they looked good, I wasn't prepared for how PHENOMENAL they actually were. I mean they were so YUMMY!! Here's the description from their menu: "Flaky pastry crust with raspberry and Bavarian crème. The choux lid looks like a mountain peak topping."

Need I say more? The picture speaks for itself.

The third dessert was a slice of Belgian Double Mousse cake and it was very delicious. I liked the combination of the milk chocolate and dark chocolate mousse in between the layers of the dark chocolate cake (see the picture right above the lemon bars).

Our final bakery stop was in France:

Marigold Cafe and Bakery

I don't have any pictures of this excellent cafe, because they were under construction and so there wasn't much to see, but they were still open during this time and so we visited their bakery and after much drooling over the many fabulous desserts, we decided to try the Double Chocolate Mousse Cake.

That's right, this cake deserves three pictures in a row to show off the details of how AWESOME this cake really was.

This cake was voted Best Cake; Colorado Springs, 2005 and let me just say that THIS cake totally deserved that award! Hands down, this was my favorite dessert from our "research." Here is Marigold's description: "Layers of Callbaut Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Cake covered in Chocolate Ganache and topped with Milk Chocolate Shavings."

My mouth is totally watering just typing this post and thinking about this cake. It was the most delicious cake--the mousse was smooth and rich, but not too rich. The dark chocolate cake was moist and just melted in my mouth and the ganache covering added yet another depth of chocolate that I still can't stop thinking about. When I visit my friend again, this will definitely be one of the first stops I make after I arrive. We also went back for lunch a few days later and the lunch was also excellent.

Now it's back to work, back to my life here in Oregon and on to planning the Jillicious Desserts spring menu. It was great to spend time with my best friend and experience her new life in Colorado and being able to relax and get back into the swing of things here. I'll be posting some book reviews later this week, since I took advantage of the time I had on vacation to read several books that I can't wait to share with you. Till then, happy baking, reading, working or whatever you have on your to-do list this week.

Monday Must Have: Book List for 2010

One of my 2010 New Year's Resolutions is to take time to read more food books.

Let me explain what I mean by food books. Of course cookbooks are always something that I think one can never have too many of (and believe me, I test this theory every chance I get), but I'm referring to books that are written about food, the history of food, people's experiences with food or in the food industry, food from different cultures or food theme novels, and so on.

I received several fascinating books from my sister for Christmas, that I'm dying to read and have already started (THANK YOU again sis!!) and that inspired me to create a themed book list for 2010.

So here is the Monday Must Have challenge for you; whatever your reading interests are (food, biographies, mystery, drama, fiction, non-fiction, etc.), to compile a list of books that you want to read by the end of the year.

I've started a list of books already on my shelf. Started is the key word, this is the beginning of my 2010 list that I will continue to add to during the year. And to hold myself a little more accountable, when I've finished the book, I will post a summary and my thoughts about the book and list them over on the side bar under the title, 2010 Book List.

Jill's 2010 Book List (so far):

1) My Life in France [by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme] *I started this before the holidays and I need to finish it this month.

2) The Art of Eating [by M.F.K. Fisher]
*This is a compilation of five of her books:
Serve it Forth
Consider the Oyster
How to Cook a Wolf
The Gastronomical Me
An Alphabet for Gourmets

3) Pomegranate Soup [by Marsha Mehran]

4) Rosewater and Soda Bread [by Marsha Mehran]

5) Tender at the Bone [by Ruth Reichl]

6) Comfort Me with Apples [by Ruth Reichl]

7) If You Can Stand the Heat [by Dawn Davis]

8) The Food of Italy [by Waverly Root] *This is a second read--I first read it in culinary school five years ago and I think it would be interesting to see what more I get out of it now.

9) Blue Trout and Black Truffles [by Joseph Wechsberg]

10) Roast Chicken and Other Stories [by Simon Hopkinson with Lindsey Bareham]

I'd love to know what books you are looking forward to reading in 2010 and of course recommendations are ALWAYS welcome!

Passing Along Two Blog Awards

The craziness of the holidays are coming to an end and now that I can begin to catch up on so many other aspects of my life outside of work, I need to take a few minutes and thank two fabulous bloggers for awards that they passed on to me.

Early in December, I received two very nice awards and before the month ends, I would like to first thank each one and also pass it on to other great bloggers.



Kate at Serendipty presented me with this award and I'm very thankful and honored that she thought of me. I've enjoyed ready her fabulous blog and learning more about her and the wonderful country of Belgium, where she currently resides.

This award came with some fun instructions:

1) Post the award on your blog. Present this award to seven others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.

2) Tell those seven people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP, inform them of these guidelines, and ask that they link back to you.

3) Share TEN HONEST THINGS about yourself.

I always seem to have a hard time coming up with these types of lists about myself--it's always much more interesting to read other people's lists. So I will just try to list them without over thinking it.

Jill's Ten Honest Things:

1) As an adult, the longest I've lived anywhere is 4 1/2 years. By around 3 years, I start to feel antsy for change. (Since I left home for college, I've lived in Idaho, Utah, Connecticut, New York, Vermont, Hawaii, Washington, California and now back to Oregon--where I've been for three years this month...hmmmm, is it time for another change?)

2) I am a SUMMER person. I love the hot, sunny, warm weather and despise the cold, icy, rainy, snowy winter weather. The minute it officially becomes winter, I begin a countdown of the days till spring (it's 79 days).

3) I would consider myself an animal person, but I do not like animals (cats, dogs, etc.) in the house. I believe they belong outside. (I'm not a fan of animal smells or hair or other things that come from an animal being in the house or on my clothes or furniture).

4) I crave ORGANIZATION. New Year's Resolutions, to-do lists, organized drawers, new planner pages, clean car, clean house, things organized in binders--all of it, bring it on!

5) I love BOOKS, especially cookbooks. I once heard a chef in culinary school say that if you have at least one great recipe in a cookbook, then it is a book worth owning. This has been my motto ever since and I never feel guilty when purchasing yet another cookbook.

6) Let's see, since this is a food blog and all, my favorite food is any type of Hawaiian or Asian Cuisine. Give me a good plate lunch and I'm very content.

7) Card games or board games bring out the COMPETITIVE side in me and I will hang my winning score sheet on my refrigerator for all to see. :)

8) I secretly dream of living in France, finding and trying out all the best Patisseries and traveling around Europe for a few years (not so much a secret now that I've posted it here.)

9) I've never had a cavity. I've never worn glasses or contacts. I've never had major surgery or stayed overnight in the hospital. I did break my wrist in the 5th grade from roller-skating when I should have been doing chores (I refer to that as my dis-obedient accident).

10) As much as I LOVE TO PLAN, I hate the question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" For some reason when I'm asked this, it completely stumps me and I can't think of a single thing to say.

WHEW. I made it!

I'm passing on the HONEST SCRAP award to:

Threads Talk (Thanks for always encouraging me and understanding what it's like to own a small business)
Feasting on Art (I learn something new every time I visit this blog)
Barbara Bakes (So many great recipes and ideas are found here)
Marcellina in Cucina (I recently discovered and am a fan of this great blog)
Delicious Dishings (I always feel inspired after reading her posts)
The Ungourmet (Another newly discovered blog that I enjoy reading)
Chocolate Chip Trips (A blog that I've followed and always print out her recipes)



The second award I received this month was from Msmeanie at Chocolate Chip Trips. Her blog is a great read with wonderful recipes and awesome pictures of her food. She too, is a fellow Daring Baker and I really appreciated her thoughtfulness in passing this OVER THE TOP award to me.

I'm in turn, passing this OVER THE TOP award to another two blogs that are AMAZING and truly over the top:

Julia at Melanger to Mix (Very inspiring blog to read and her photography is just BEAUTIFUL)
Mandy at What the Fruitcake?! (Each post has wonderful photos of her food creations and is enjoyable to read)

Thank you again to both Kate & Msmeanie for these awards. They really made both my day and month!

Monday Must Have: Be Thankful For What You Have

In honor of Thanksgiving this week, I think it's very appropriate to pause in our very busy lives and think about what we are thankful for in our lives. I've had the topic of gratitude on my mind for the last few days and it's been good for me to reflect about the many blessings in my life.

Here are ten (of the many things) that I am grateful for:

1) My Mom--She's always there for me and supports me in all that I do.
2) My spiritual beliefs
3) My health
4) Doing what I love for a living
5) Friends
6) Opportunities for education & learning
7) Good books
8) Being able to share my talents with others
9) Experiences I've had in all aspects of my life
10) The hope of what lies in the future

I would challenge you to take a few moments during this holiday week to write down what you are thankful for at this time in your life.

P.S. A couple of weeks ago I received a nice surprise from Anula over at her blog Anula's Kitchen. Thank you Anula!!

This blog award is just another wonderful example of how supportive people are in the blogging community which I really appreciate and am grateful to be part of this online community.


I am passing this award to five blogs that I've really enjoyed following. Reading each of these blogs have made my days a little brighter and I thank you for that!

Sue at Munchkin Munchies
Kate at Serendipity
Julie at Willow Bird Baking
Kate at Apple & Spice
Cooking School Confidential

Monday Must Have: Find your favorite kind of CAKE!

Let's talk CAKE.

I have a theory...there are two kinds of people:

Group #1) Those who like cake, and
Group #2) those who say they don't.

I find this interesting, especially the second group who claim that they are not cake people. To them I would say that they haven't had the opportunity to taste a really GOOD cake. I've been given this reason time and time again, when meeting with clients for a wedding cake tasting during a consultation. Actually, when I hear that, I have to hold back a grin, because I know that they are soon going to change their perception and move to the first group of those that like cake. I take them on as a challenge to help them open their eyes to the wonderful world of cake; quality cake that is.



I think there are several reasons why people say they don't like cake. Their experiences have included poor quality frosting or too much frosting, dry cake, or cake made with inferior ingredients. I know that some people love boxed cake mixes, but a box mix can't compete with a cake made from scratch, using quality ingredients.

Most celebrations revolve around the cake; weddings, birthdays, baby showers, office gatherings, and holidays. We have all had some kind of cake at one time or another. And on top of that, there are many flavors of cake to choose from--white, yellow, chocolate, marbled, cherry, red velvet, lemon, orange, strawberry, carrot, and on and on. Everyone has their preferred flavors and then you could really divide the cake people into chocolate lovers and the rest. But that is another topic for another post.



What makes a cake really GOOD?

I believe that there are three key aspects that make the difference between a "just OK" kind of cake and a "WOW, this cake is AMAZING". They are: ingredients, technique and the correct ratio of a QUALITY frosting to the amount of cake layers. All three of these attributes are very important and when they are done correctly, you will have a DELICIOUS cake. If even one of these are missing, then the cake is less than excellent and just becomes another cake that isn't memorable (or at least not memorable in a good way).

Ingredients = Need to be fresh, of good quality and the amounts need to be measured accurately, so the cake will come out correctly every single time it's made.

Technique = A cake needs to be mixed using the correct method. Cake batter can be over mixed, under mixed, ingredients incorporated at the stage or at the wrong temperature--all of which can result in problems during the baking process and ultimately the final product.

Correct ratio of a QUALITY frosting to cake = More frosting is not necessarily better. The icing on the cake should compliment the cake or enhance the flavor, not take over completely. And a quality buttercream makes all the difference. Ever eat a cake with too much frosting and the taste leaves a lingering unappealing aftertaste on your tongue? You know the kind I'm talking about--this can ruin a potentially good cake. Picture a smooth, creamy buttercream that is so silky and is filled with a vanilla flavor that works with the moist cake, so that one bite is never enough. That is what GOOD cake should taste like.



I know I haven't mentioned the appearance of a cake. Yes, it should look appealing, because seeing the cake is the first of several senses we use and that first impression is important. My goal with every cake I make, is to make it beautifully delicious; which means it needs to look inviting and with that first look, you just know that the taste will match or exceed its appearance.

Back to those clients I have had over the past several years that have come in to taste wedding cake samples. I'm happy to have them come in and sit down to taste different flavors of cake to help them make a decision for their big day. I've even had the bride or the groom mention again, how although they really aren't cake people, that they just need to find something that will be suitable for their guests. I just smile and say, "It's OK if you don't eat the entire piece of cake, but just give it a try." I cut them a piece of the cake, made just hours before, and set it in front of them.

And then I watch and wait.

The bride loves cake and digs right in. The groom, tentatively cuts his with his fork and takes a small bite. I watch as a look of surprise passes over his face. He goes in for a second bite. Neither is saying anything, but I'm hearing sounds of enjoyment. And then it happens--the moment I've anticipated and enjoy every single time. The bride asks the groom, "So, what do you think?" The groom doesn't say anything, because he is on the last bite of cake and the plate is almost as clean as it was before the cake slice was laid on it. Finally, I hear "WOW, this cake was so GOOD! And I don't even like cake!"

And just like that, another non-cake person experiences a change and is open to moving up to the first group of those who like cake. I love watching this happen. It's just another perk to doing what I love and sharing it with others.



If you haven't enjoyed a really good slice of cake--keep looking. It's out there. Sometimes you have to taste many kinds of cakes from different sources, but you will find it. And if you happen to be in my area, try a Jillicious Cake--you might just become a member of group #1; those who like cake. I love a challenge.

What is your favorite kind of cake?



P.S. My current favorite is the Caramel Hazelnut Spice Cake (pictured in this post) & the latest edition to the completed 2009 Jillicious Holiday Menu found here.

Monday Must Have: Kitchen Inspiration

My first sugar showpiece in culinary school.

Creativity. I love it. I need it. I crave it.

I enjoy what I do for a living because I have this outlet where I can create something that is a part of me, for others to enjoy.

One of the things I loved about culinary school was the constant learning of new skills and techniques and it seemed like the creativity just happened being in such a conducive environment. I remember the first day of my Confectionery & Showpiece class, where the chef demonstrated a FANTASTIC sugar showpiece (which I wished I had taken a picture of to share with you). When she finished, she had us pick out three colors of cooked sugar and said, "OK, now it's your turn to make a showpiece in the next couple of hours."

I had picked three colors that didn't really seem like they would work together and the perfectionist in me began to panic. As I worked, practicing the techniques that the chef had demonstrated, I began to gain confidence in learning another new skill. Although we had a choice in the colors, we still needed to incorporate the hedge rose flowers and the pulled sugar technique in our project.

The above picture was my very first sugar showpiece and although it's not anywhere near what you might see on a Food Network show, I was very pleased with how it turned out and when I look at this picture, it brings back memories of the excitement and the challenge of learning something new and allowing my creativity to shine through. Overall, this picture represents a time when I thought something was impossible and how with a little direction, practice and creativity it became possible.

But every once in awhile, there are times where the creativity doesn't seem to flow and I need a little extra help to get those creative juices flowing. At times like these, I turn to those things or people around me to get going again.

Things or people that INSPIRE me:

Cookbooks
Cooking Magazines
Collected Recipes
Created Recipes
Favorite Food Blogs
Other Pastry Chefs
My Mentor Chef D.
Ingredients
Seasonal or Local Produce/Ingredients
Bakeware/Cookware/Kitchen Gadgets
Culinary Classes
Prints/Patterns/Themes
Art/Paintings
Places I've Lived/Visited
Experiences

What INSPIRES you in the kitchen?