sorry no post last week! here’s a little special something to tide you over till the next mammoth entry:

Frank Strati’s Chocolate Astronaut ready for lift-off, courtesy of the Saturday Kids Baking Class. Isn’t it a coincidence Frank decided to make this in the 40th anniversary of the Moon Landing week?

School Holidays have ended, and apart from feeling ‘that much’ emptier inside, it’s time now to focus on our new late winter/early spring collections coming out in the Bakery. Some of you may have heard me mention Michael Klausen’s evil cinnamon buns (in your face atkins!), but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Some projects I’m working on include:

• mapping out the Bakers, Pastry Chefs, Cafe Staff, Office, Packers/Slicers. I’m thinking groovy mugshots for everyone
• Improving after-class support for the Training School
• Getting the Canberra Chef Road Trip event up and running (2 weeks left! cue breaking out into a nervous sweat)
• Getting ready for our new product launches in the Bakery, which includes a whole load of taste testing, getting the ‘feel’ for each new bread, pastry or cake. And of course, pictures. It’s such an intricate process that really starts with an impromptu interview with a pastry chef or Michael to get a story on how it came about, tasting it to get a ‘feel’ for it, a thorough understanding of why and how it came about, then getting it down to words.

I suppose getting the ‘feel’ for every product that comes out of Brasserie Bread is something that doesn’t come easily. It’s not just about getting the right ‘romantic’ (read: snazzy marketing) description to make that bread or pastry fly off the shelves. What intrigues people is the story behind the creation: the intention, the purpose, the passion, and the complex emotions that come out of tasting something delicious (you need look no further than Masterchef’s Matt Preston’s sinfully delicious facial expressions to know what I mean) After a lengthy chat to Michael yesterday about one of his latest and most exciting creations, he forwarded me this article on one of his sources of inspiration, coming from the renowned Poil ne Bakery in France. An interview with Leonard Poil ne, yielded this thoroughly illuminating quote:

“If you start to make too many things, that’s extension,” [Poilane] says. “My motto is, Do things with intention, not with extension.”

It’s a fantastic saying that gives my system that kick I need whenever I feel slightly lost amidst the million things that are going on here on a daily basis. Not a bad quote to live or work by, don’t you think? It sure beats getting that 4th cup of coffee anyway..

Thanks for listening!

Mei @ Brasserie ‘OHMYGOD CINNAMONS BUNS’ Bread