For this month, it was Chef Jun Manalo for culinary and Chef Rushel Calderon for pastry who headed the dinner.

Vancouver Community College Baking Laboratory demos on youTube

http://www.youtube.com/user/vccbaking

Gluten Development

Baking Math – Part 1

Baking Math – Part 2

Chocolate Croissants

Croissants

Palmiers

Strudel

Turnovers

Eccles Cake

Cheese straws

Apple Cinnamon Crunch Loaf

Bagels

Gugelhopf

Hamburger & Hotdog buns

Lady fingers

Sponge Yeast Pre ferment

Stollen

Honeybee

Macarons: Italian Meringue Method

Almond Marzipan

Black Forest Cake

Boston Cream Cake

Brandy Rolls

Chocolate Truffle Mousse Cake

Choux

Decorative Sponge

Hazelnut Macaroons

Petit Four Glace Frangipane Frogs

Truffle Slices Finishing

Quick Puff Dough – Lamination

Angel Food Cake

Buttercream

Fruit Cake Tray Preparation

Biscuit Method & Cheese Biscuits

Raisin Scones

Knife Skills

Basic Yeast Dough

Vienna Bread

Shortbread Fingers

One Stage & Bird’s Nest Cookies

Creaming & Marble Pound Cake

Baking Powder Biscuits

Coffee Cakes

Cinnamon Knots

Cinnamon Buns

Apple Cinnamon Crunch Loaves

Braided Breads

Making Stollen

Moulding Fougasse

Moulding Epis

Moulding Cheese Bread

Rounding Buns by Hand

Baguettes – Moulding and Scoring

How to Check Proofing

Prepping Dough For Use on a Bun Divider

Moulding Pan Bread and Submarine Buns

Making Bread by Hand

Moulding French Bread Varieties

What inspired you to open a “cupcakery” in Ottawa?

Claudia  came from Mexico in 1994. We decided that Claudia was going to stay at home to raise their three children but at some point would need to work. We decided a family business was the best way to go so, at one level, our family and more specifically our children were the main inspiration for our business.  The day our youngest daughter took that bus to go to a full day of kindergarten was the same day Claudia went back to school to do a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts.  There was so much to learn that she had to set her alarm clock to wake up at 1 a.m. to do reading and homework. Daytime was her children’s activities and night time was hers on a new journey.  Since then, we have sacrificed a great deal of time and money and hard work as a couple and business partners to get our business off the ground.

We eventually opened our cupcake shop in the heart of Ottawa’s Byward Market in May 2011.  When we did the planning for The Cupcake Lounge, we wanted to project a traditional bakery.  In terms of design, we  always thought we had to go back to basics, back to where everything begins, so natural-looking walls the colour of some of the ingredients we use in our baking like cocoa powder and butter; nothing pink, black or purple.  We used natural elements like wood and stone, and natural light coming in from a skylight, an open concept so customers can see the actual ingredients that we use and the artisanal way we ice our cupcakes by hand with a spatula rather than piping. We put on a show.

Our principal mission is to bake hand-made, high quality,   signature cupcake products that celebrate important life and other events, and give customers great satisfaction.  We also want to manage the company on a sustainable financial basis, providing a good financial return, and offer career and development opportunities for employees. So far, we have 5 full-time employees and 5 part-time employees so we are helping the Ottawa economy.  We also want to promote socially responsible business practices in a way that respects the earth and the environment, helps the disadvantaged in our community, and improves quality of life.  We help support several deserving organizations including: The Canadian Cancer Society; The Children’s Make a Wish Foundation; The Ottawa Human Society; The University of Ottawa Parents Association, and; The Shepherds of Good Hope.

What is unique about The Cupcake Lounge?

There are a few unique things about The Cupcake Lounge. We ice our cupcakes by hand with a spatula rather than piping so they look very different than most cupcakes. Our cupcake are large so more like individual gourmet cakes than anything else. Our products have high-quality all-natural ingredients, no preservatives, no artificial colours, preservatives or transfats.  The only exception is our Red Velvet cupcake as we haven’t been able to find any natural ingredient that will retain the exactly red colour we want after baking. 

What is your favorite cupcake?

We sell over 40 different flavours of cupcakes throughout the retail year and 12 different flavours every day. We have many favourites including: Chocolate Chocolate; Key Lime, Lemon Coconut, Red Velvet; Strawberry, and Vanilla Vanilla.

Except for Jesse Blonder's photo of the Culinary Arts Program graduates

From left to right: Shirley Sasson, Lianne Azizollahoff, Ariel Benzakein, Ari Susswein, Eido Jacobowitz, Ben Elchonen, Chef Philippe Kaemmerlé

Chef Philippe Kaemmerlé, the instructor of the Baking & Pastry Program, trained in France, emigrated to New York in 1986, at the age of 28,  and worked as a Pastry Chef in some of New York’s most prestigious restaurants (including Club 21, Windows on the World  and Aquavit, among others). He’s done extensive work with various celebrated caterers and started teaching at CKCA in February 2010.

"Delicious" is an understatement!

Chef Philippe‘s meticulously trained Baking & Pastry Arts graduates – six in number, this time around -  presented us with eclairs, bavarians, chocolate cake, fruit pies, bread, cheese cake and more; presentation was both aesthetic and delicious!

In the early evening Chef Avram Wiseman (no stranger to these pages!) – CKCA‘s Dean and Instructor of the Culinary Arts Program – presented his graduating class of eleven students.

Top row, left to right, Tiffany Tarazi, Sarah Korn, Linda Hidary, Miriam Kronenberg, Elisheva Kohanteb, Chef Wiseman, Yehuda Weinstein. Bottom row, left to right, Ari Susswein, Chananya Rosenthal, Moti Ingber, Shalom Cohen, Miriam Blum (Photo by: CKCA's Director, Jesse Blonder)

With a cocktail style buffet we were treated to shitake tapanades, deviled eggs, salmon pinwheels, stuffed tomatoes, sushi, spicy meatballs and an assortment of other tasty delicacies.

Great presentation, incredibly tasty!

Having eaten at various establishments where CKCA grads are employed, having tasted what these students prepared, I have no doubt that they are bound for glory and success at some fine restaurants.

Congratulations graduates! Congratulations Chef Philippe, congratulations Chef Avram, congratulations Jesse! But, stay warned… we will review the eateries where the members of these two graduating classes may find themselves.

CS