Good Sweets

The awkward moment when you see your desserts on a shelf of Croatia's most common grocery store (Konzum). It is on 3 locations so far, but going very well. Definitely a different challenge, lots to learn!  

LaVie

I got a crazy mad opportunity to work in a stunning 3-Michelin restaurant in Osnabruck, Germany called "LaVie".  I met Chef Thomas Buhner randomly while I was working at Daniel in NYC. Fortunately I was the only one who spoke German (jaaaa, Deutsch!) in the restaurant and we had a little chit chat.  

The brief meeting turned into a great friendship and an offered me to spend some time with his team. So of course that's something I would do in a heartbeat! Last May I spent only a couple of days in LaVie, but this time... I decided to stay for a month. And wow, that's all I can say. 

I worked a lot on chocolates/different pralines and improved my skills tremendously. I must say it's nice when you do small quantities and hand dip them all. Love it! One of my favorites was white chocolate, quinoa and caramelized white chocolate. DELISH. All of these ideas come from a fantastic young Chef Rene Frank who taught me a lot and has impressed me a lot.   

I think I developed my hidden passion for chocolate work..

THE Banana milkshake dessert. For the love of everything that is great, as soon as I cracked this ball open I felt as if I was having my all time favorite banana smoothie. Seriously! And it has ginger in it, lots of it!

These little fellas are rockin'. Who would ever think milk chocolate, corn and sesame would be a match made in heaven?! Oh yes. 

The Snowball. Dessert made during Christmas time, so pure and elegant. The ball is blown sugar and has lots of lovely surprises in it ;)

At the end of my time in LaVie I finally got a chance to quickly go home, change, and have dinner at this beautiful restaurant. It is amazing how the perspective changes when you sit down and have this meal and when you're in the kitchen. 

There were so many different flavors, textures, techniques, temperatures...It was truly a party in my mouth. I had a wonderful time, learned lots, but also struggled working with 12 men...yea...If you think something like that would be fun, WELL it's not! I was the only girl and they were of course acting very stupid. Men....

A beautiful little city Osnabruck is. I shall be back!!!

Trip back "home"

I am late with writing...again.
WELL, first I need to give my impact on my 10-day trip to NYC and it has been 9 months since I left. I have to say....totally missed it. Once you fall in love with the Big Apple it's hard to reverse that. I am not saying I could live there, but for the years I spent there, it was absolutely fantastic and I would do it all over again. Most of my friends are there and they were one of the main reasons I went, but this time for a visit only.

I stayed with a very dear friend of mine, she made everything super Christmasy :)

Boqueria - fabulous Tapas bar. The one I went to was just off of Spring street. 

My absolutely favorite Vietnamese food joint - Pho 32 in Korea town. Their Pho is dirt cheap and incredibly good!

Love the streets of ny. 

It was time for me to visit the Culinary Institute. My home for 4 amazing years. Sometimes I wonder how it all went by so fast. 

Students are still doing fantastic work in the advanced breads class. They would even make the Germanic countries proud with their Gugelhupf! 

Chef Migoya is still rockin at the Apple Pie bakery cafe. Stunning work as always. 

Don't be fooled, it's just a cake/pastry...in a shape of an ice cream.

I was actually standing there waiting for a cab to pass to take this shot. 

I was dying to go to Stumptown. THE coffee place in the City. THE place who made me a coffee fanatic and taught me to never put sugar in my coffee again. 

And of course, I was super thrilled to see my former Chef and "dad" Dominique who left our restaurant Daniel back in October and opened up his own bakery. I am so proud of him. He literally put France and  NYC together and got this. 

Wonderful Buche de Noel, huh?? 

My other favorite place in the City, even though a chain, still great - Pan de Quotidien. 

I did not buy these, but a good friend of mine did...He LOVES them. 

Lunch at Prune, great great food, definitely worth a visit. Can be crowded, so don't go for brunch..

Crif dog. A good hot dog place in St. Marks. Worth visiting. My buddy ate both of these...(and that was after that lunch at Prune, haha)

I got these for my dear Croatian friends from Queens, they love Christmas and Cupcakes!

Being in the Big Apple again was so lovely and fulfilling, I decided I must go once a year. At least for the shopping....