Some New Events and Showpieces

   Hi to my followers:
This is just an edited version of my last post.  I was informed by one of my loyal followers that I had some typos and errors.  I am blaming it on the fact that I had a bad head cold.  Oh well.  I hope this is corrected now.
Thanks,
   Robin

     I have been very busy these last few months!  In August, I went to northern California to collaborate on a video with ChocoTransferSheets.com and The Chocolate Addict featuring their colored cocoa butter and my chocolate artistry.  I had so much fun filming with Nicole and Kurt Knobel, owners of ChocoTransferSheets.com, and Katreece Montgomery and Frances, owners of Razor Burn Productions and The Chocolate Addict.  I will be linking the videos when they are ready.  Sneak preview pictures are here.

Pictures from Video Filming Session

     I did a turtle themed 60th birthday party with a centerpiece and gift bags of chocolate pecan turtles for all the guests.  The birthday boy was surprised and thrilled!

   Then there was the tennis wrap party for the Sunset Strings at the Sunset Hills Country Club.  The team colors are purple, black and white.

     

     Here are some of the business cards I have made for sales departments of a few companies.

     In October, I was hired to build a showpiece and do a chocolate presentation for the City of Santa Clarita for the monthly Art Walk.  This one was called Chocolate Slam which featured all types of chocolate and chocolate art.  I was in three windows of the Luscious Soul Clothing Store on Main Street.   These are a few of the pieces I built.

     The Best in Show Event for Actors and Others for Animals went really well.  It was held in the ballroom of the Universal Hilton Hotel.  All the guests and celebrities loved the trophy centerpieces.  Everyone wanted to take one home.  I made 45 trophy centerpieces and 1000 chocolate paw prints, which were scattered on the tables for consumption (and they were consumed)!

The event itself, was really great.  It was a celebrity spoof of the movie, "Best in Show", featuring videos of the celebs and their pets.  The audience then voted on the Best in Show.  It was very entertaining.

     The best part of the Best in Show Event, for me, was that the Universal Hilton Catering and Party Department loved my chocolate work and asked for several pieces to display throughout the hotel!  These are the pieces that are currently there on display.

     There is more to come.

Where To Begin

     So much has been has been going on that it is hard to figure out where to start!  I have been working on some small parties, bridal and baby showers, making party favors, and desserts.  I have also been teaching classes at Let's Get Cookin'.  I had a booth at a party trade show.  I have been working on marketing my company.  Taking classes from world class chefs has been a highlight for me and I have been able to participate in several since my last post. I will elaborate and share pictures.  I am currently working on a large project consisting of 50 table centerpieces for a celebrity function,  and a presentation of my products and services for a large winery for their wine club parties.  I have been testing products for a company that makes transfer sheets and colored cocoa butters.  Next month, I will be making a video featuring those products and my techniques. I also made custom chocolates featuring a tropical fruit liqueur for the CEO of the liqueur company.  I am tired just listing all this.

     I spent a week in San Clemente at Stephane Treand's school, The Art of Pastry.  It is a beautiful venue with fabulous working conditions.  It also has a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean which you can enjoy while eating lunch that is prepared and served by a chef every day.  Not a rough gig! The class was making pastillage and airbrushing techniques.  It takes a great deal of practice.  It was very difficult and my first day of work looked like kindergarten paintings!  I kept working and it got better but still requires much more practice.  These pictures are from the third day!

   
                                                              Airbrushed pastillage

                                        

Me and my sugar showpiece with Chef Treand

     I spent three days with Chef Ewald Notter, working on holiday showpieces.  He is a master pastry chef and a great instructor.

                                         

                                                   Me and Chef Notter

     I spent six days working with Chef Jin Caldwell.  She is a World Pastry winner, worked at many great hotels, restaurants and pastry shops, including the Bellagio and Jean Phillipe Patisserie.  I learned so much from her.  She now owns her own chocolate company, Jin Ju Chocolates.  Her bon bons look and taste amazing.

Me and Chef Caldwell

     These are tropical fruit flavored dark chocolate ganache truffles that I designed and presented to the CEO.  He loved them.  The liqueur is very good and I was happy to make a truffle featuring it's flavor.

Carnivo XO Tropical Fruit Bon Bons

     Here is a sneak peek at the trophy centerpieces that I am working on for the celebrity event with the theme of Best in Show.  They are a work in progress and I am not yet finished with the design.  I have to make 50 of them.

Best in Show 2013 trophies

     I am making custom chocolates and other treats featuring wines, fruit vinegars and flavored olive oils from this winery for a presentation.  I am very excited about this project.

Chocolate Wine Bottles

Catching Up

     September and October were very busy and productive months.  I had a day at Williams Sonoma Calabasas, where I demonstrated tempering chocolate and built a large showpiece.  I also had a huge display of my products and sold them there.  I had a big audience watching me build the showpiece and a fabulous response to the tastes of my bon bons.  All the samples were gobbled up!
  

     I also started teaching classes at another venue, Vom Fass Westlake Village.  I develop recipes that feature their fabulous products, which include vinegars, olive oils and wonderful liqueurs and flavors.  I have had a great response from these classes and have really enjoyed developing the recipes.  The staff at Vom Fass is a pleasure to work with.

     My first class was The End of Summer Berries:
     

                      Fresh Blueberry Lemoncello Tart with Honey Grape Vinegar Shortcrust

                            Strawberries in Zabaglione with Vom Fass Fine Orange Liqueur
                                                                  and Robinart Biscotti
 


     I am now in Las Vegas, developing and refining new holiday recipes and techniques for my upcoming holiday season and future classes.  I am working with World Pastry Champion and Top Chef  Season 2 Winner, Chris Hanmer.  This is like pastry chef dream camp for me.  I will include pictures from this session in my next post.

Finally, an Update

     I have neglected updating my blog because I have been so busy.  So here goes!


   Here are some examples of airbrushing on pastilliage:

                           
                                             Some sugar work with airbrushed pastillage:

                                                           Me and Stephane Treand:

                                                           More airbrushed pastillage:

   


  I have had several opportunities to further enhance my techniques and skills.  I had a three day session with MOF Stephane Treand.  I worked on airbrushing, pastilliage, and sugar sculptures.  He is a pastry genius and creative and talented beyond words.  I found out that the airbrushing that he makes look so easy is unbelievably difficult!  The first day that I worked at it, my work looked like a preschooler did it.  With determination and practice, I managed to improve enough so that I am proud to post some photos of my work from that experience.


     In July, I was invited to a seminar from Dessert Professional and sponsored by Callebaut Chocolate and Pre Jel America.  Two very famous and accomplished French pastry chefs put on amazing demonstrations and served delicious and gorgeous creations.

                                        Five Star Chef Jerome Landau from Cocoa Barry
                                                                   and his creations

        I  was invited to attend a fabulous three day intensive chocolate workshop at the Guittard Chocolate Studio, by pastry chef and chocolatier, Jin Caldwell.  She has her won chocolate business called Jin Ju Chocolates.  She was pastry chef at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, among many other experiences.  I learned some wonderful techniques and got some fabulous recipes from that experience.
Here are some examples.

Graduation Cap and Diploma

     I have just made and delivered several of these cap and diploma pieces to this year's high school and college graduates.  I personalized each cap by making tassels in the school colors of each graduate.  Go 2012 grads!

Special Destination Wedding

     I just returned for the most wonderful special destination wedding.  The bride and groom were gorgeous, radiant and of course handsome.  I can't even begin to describe how spectacular the venue was.  It is a private estate in the mountains of Scottsdale, Arizona.  And I do mean in the mountains!  Camelback Mountain was in the background on one side view and the downtown skyline and city lights of Phoenix were on another side view.  There were waterfalls, fountains and several torches, the size of which would rival the ones at the Olympics!


     The home was built with three sides that wrap around the pool and back view and is all glass walls the open completely.  You become outside while remaining inside. After the fabulous bride and groom, and the amazing venue, my chocolate was the topic.

     Imagine traveling through the desert from Ventura County, CA to Scottsdale, AZ in 104 degree weather with an assembled chocolate centerpiece and 400 individual chocolate treats.  It was a challenge and the car did look like something from a comedy show when it was packed.  I had cardboard boxes with duct tape grids for the showpiece, two large coolers for the treats and two reflective silver car shades draped over all if it.  We traveled late at night and at 5am the next morning.  That was the tough part for a (not a morning) person.  It was all worth it because the wedding couple loved it and the guests were very happy.  I did see some hoarding of the goodies!  It was a wonderful event all around.