The Agony of TEETH - (not the movie)

If your eyes are the windows to your soul, then what are your teeth;  the barricades to the fun factory.

I have been blessed with great teeth all my life, much in part due to the fluoride in the water in Never Never Land where we grew up, giving us strong healthy teeth, or so my parents said.

Braces were for those with severe dental issues only, too bulky, too sore and too expensive for our teeth back in the seventies Today I see every second person with braces, even those with nice teeth.

Teeth have never been my problem, despite three decades living in the world of sugar, I was trained like a rodent on a wheel to brush twice if not three times a day and although I perhaps have brushed in the wrong direction, my teeth have actually caused me little issue for many decades.

A slip of laziness perhaps in the thirties caused two fillings but they where righted by a dentist supposedly worthy of his credentials.
Seems he held too much trust in my inexperienced eyes and should never have been trusted with my perfect teeth.
The man gave me two fillings and until recently that was enough.
It lasted me all of 5 years.
I some how thought they lasted a life time, but a sore tooth a few weeks back had me worry. A quick trip to the dentist stated that the tooth below the filling was not in good shape due to it being a bad filling.

Part of me wanted to find the old dentist and sue his practice for malpractice.
I was given the option to consider removing said painful tooth or having a root canal.
Both scared the hell out of me.

48 hours later, the issue became more serious as I ate a salad taco.
Soft food- hard bite, took liberties with half a tooth and a lump of silver big enough to make an ingot, falling out in front of me as I tried to chew.
Dinner was done.
Nice taco it was too.

Thankfully a 9 day vacation was to ensue- supposedly taken in Vietnam but actually spent in the dentist chair.
Except not just one dentists chair, but several.
Seems not one dentist actually does the entire job these days.
One looks at your teeth, one cleans them, one repairs, one removes and one cuts and kills.
On day one I visited the "Looker".
He huffed and puffed and did little except to give me two options, remove or drill. In the end he could do neither and so gave me a welcome letter to doctor number two- "the Removalist".

Dentist number two - "Removalist", confirmed the two options.
Remove the whole tooth or root canal.
Which she proceeded to discuss with me while my face was packed full of cotton wool and anesthetic.

Removal meant a small denture - Im way too young and could never be bothered.
Thankfully the tooth in question is a molar  so it will never ruin the smile, but it is not allowed to stay an empty space because over years it can cause other issues with other teeth, both top and bottom.
I tried to reason with the "Removalist" that  if I were to be killed a day or two from now by theoretically being struck by a car , then what would it matter.
Why drill and spend days in pain and several thousand dollars on a new tooth if life was to soon end anyway. Remove it and let me go along my shortened voyage.
The "Removalist", and her two cohorts did not understand the entire conversation, nor why I was going to be hit by a car, even if only theoretical.
I guess few patients discuss such issues and just hand over cash willingly.
In the end I shut up, because I could not feel my tongue any longer.

She took out the remaining filling, removed the cause of the issue, the "junk" below and drilled only to advise me that the tooth that broke had broken far below the gum line and to do anything further I needed to visit doctor number three- "Doctor Cut and Kill".

You know its serious when you have to visit the dentist in a hospital and be all but "put out to it" as they do their business. Yes indeed this was "Doctor Cut and Kill"- cutting the gum down to the jaw line actually.
By the third syringe full of anesthesia she was describing that it took less medicine to blow dart a rhino, yet I still felt pain!
By syringe number four I was floating and talking to my mother again, who was sitting beside me by now, scowling at my ineptitude at brushing properly.

For the first time ever, I am glad my mother has passed away, for she would have given me absolute hell for having a bad tooth. She loved my teeth and was proud that I had a great smile. She would also have given me hell for having walked the best part of the way home after, floating like an angel high as hell on drugs.
Not that I remember why- I was a little drugged to the teeth literally, but at the time, walking on the expressway seemed quicker than hailing a cab, it was after all around 6pm- traffic was slow that night due to some idiot walking on the Expressway?? Go figure.!
Eventually a good samaritan stopped and bundled me off home, my ice pack strapped to my face unable to talk due to a lazy tongue and half a face that felt missing.
Dribbling and laughing like a crazed hyena its a wonder they did not take me to the asylum instead of to home.
How I remembered my address is beyond me also.
Even when sobre and undrugged it's usually a struggle.

When I woke up I found a pocket full of pills courtesy of the hospital or the good samaritan Im not sure? And a note about what to take and when.
Three pain killers every four hours.
All 24 tablets disappeared in 24 hours.
On day two I realized the note had a side two-  which stated drugs not to be taken with alcohol.
Half bottle of Hennesey had already been added to the cost of the procedure and I had little option as all the pain killers had gone on the evening of day one, second half of Hennesy used to numb the pain on day two and bottle itself used to numb the pain on day three by angry wife who found said empty bottle and realized our trip to Vietnam had set sail without us.

So now a week later stitches have ben removed from gum and jaw (not yet from wife and bottle) and a return to root canal work is scheduled for tomorrow. More drugs, hopefully another discussion with mum, and more cash emitted from bank account for sure.

So far several thousand dollars has gone in pain meds, dentist fees, taxis and Hennesy Cognac - but cheaper I guess than the vacation I had planned for us to Vietnam these past nine days.
I could never have eaten my way around the Vietnam that I adore and the crisp bread would have indelibly killed the tooth had it not already fallen out.
The saga does not end tomorrow though, so stay tuned. Even after part two of the root canal tomorrow morning, I have to visit yet another sadist for more pain in 6 weeks time - good luck with that schedule - mid Christmas rush at the hotel.

In reality my teeth have had a blessed life, and thankfully this is the first tooth I have ever had a problem with, so if you are young- always brush your teeth several times a day and never think its a wasted exercise, because decades from now you will thank me for saving you the pain and the cost - and the embarrassment of knowing that you dribbled on an expressway.

Anyway, enough- this Rhino has to get his shots in 6 hours.
Bed time it is.
But if you ever want to take the subject of teeth further, watch an incredible film called "TEETH" (2007) Stars: Jess Weixler, John Hensley, Josh Pais ...
Some great friends of mine (Sean and Paul) watched it in 2007 after glowing remarks from myself and still have not forgiven me for the loss of two hours of their lives, but its a fun flick if you have time to kill,  or a face strapped with an ice pack.
Till next time.
bye

if you don't like the movie, please do not blame me, I just watched it, I did not make it. :)

More Whims Of Fancy - PLATED DESSERTS 2015

The most popular postings I have ever uploaded are those related to plated desserts.

Outstripping every other blog by ten fold, the plated desserts series seem to capture what chefs and foodies truly are looking for.

So with the intent of assisting apprentices and young chefs and those in need of creative assistance, here are some newer plated desserts.

I hope you enjoy folks...

So happy also to see people viewing the blog from Nigeria, Russia, Croatia, Afghanistan, Ireland, Taiwan, Korea, Germany and Sweden. Its nice to see food enthusiasts from new countries enjoying the blog and so many readers always.

Three textures of mango

Passionfruit panna cotta, mango, pineapple and white chocolate

Pavlova re-visited 

VaWaCa...Vanilla creme chiboust, Walnuts , Caramel cremeaux and salad of citrus

Lychee

Passionfruit and yoghurt

Cream cheese and vanilla bean

PINKTOBER - Strawberry cheesecake, fresh cream and strawberries.

Flourless Chocolate cake

Les Fruits Rouge

24 karat TiramiSu

.....and inside the 24 karat TirmaiSu

Berries

Dulce de leche with dulcet chocolate

Sesame tuples brushed with copper dust,caramel sauce and honey mousse filling

Caramel on caramel

Trio of chocolate

Out of Left Field - Blindsided

If you are old enough to remember- anything-  then the fact is your old enough to have been blindsided.

We have all been blindsided- at least once but most likely many times throughout life, work, romance, reality.

In my apprenticeship I remember asking the breakfast chefs about the eggs they were cooking. Young and stupid I stepped into their domain and asked question while they worked. The head Breakfast chef was whizzing around the kitchen and filled the morning with information and food for me. Sunyside up , boiled, poached, over easy, over hard, blindside?
Stupidly , I asked . Whats blindside?
WHOOOMP!
That minute remains with me decades later.
The breakfast chefs were a team and they worked me well. Another of the head chefs team was used to their little act when silly little apprentices asked questions when they were busy.
Blindside - was an egg to the back of the head from further down the kitchen- hurts like a bitch and funny to all who watch, not to recipient. Lesson learnt!! Leave the main kitchen breakfast guys alone. I still do!

Anyone who has ever loved, has been blindsided at least once.
Sometimes, blindsiding comes in the form of not knowing until the final second who the romance is toward and being blindsided by love.  Other times it is that we do not see something coming until its too late and taking the shunt of reality at full impact velocity and being blind sided by the truth of infidelity.
Being blindside can be both good and bad.
As Carl Jung stated, "happiness" has little meaning if it can not be measured against "sadness".

As little humans we are often told by our parents to stop believing in make believe, to grow up.
Is that because they want us to, or because they are angry with themselves that they can't.
Reality does after all suck quite hard.

If we grow up and accept reality and stop pretending and dreaming it does not make us wiser or ready for life, because there is alway that one thing , that one person , that one event that blindsides us and turns our world 360 degrees from where it was headed.
Peter pan probably had a life planned for himself of flying between reality and never never land until his old age, but then comes growing up....and "the moment you doubt wether you can fly, you cease to be able to."
Blindsided by reality, Peter Pan must have never seen it coming.
On days I am having a bad life experience , a sad reminiscence or a sorry for myself moment, I try to imagine Peter Pan at the same age as myself and imagine the disappointment he must feel on a daily basis. That longing and tearing at his heart at missing Wendy, the pirates and all the fun in Never Never Land. "So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!"

Imagine being almost 50 and remembering such a place!
Imagine!
I do everyday!
It was a place called Drake Street, Devonport.
My own Never Never Land, where nothing bad happened............ until it did.
I grew up on Drake Street.
It was heaven.
Perfect houses, perfect people, great neighbors. Kids that were friends and sweethearts, first kisses and play mates. Even in single digits the double digit teens were our friends and taught us to play cricket on the roadway, football and how to ride bikes. They did so in fun and being helpful, never once where they belittling of our youth or cumbersomeness.
We had hiding places on that street, pets, horses, rabbits, dogs, trees to climb, neighbors that would never harm us.

And then my youth was blindsided.
I never knew what decapitate meant until one of our friends was in a motor bike accident- my father hearing it on a private radio monitor he could tune into on his radio.
 I asked the stupid question of what it meant- my childhood ended thereafter- and I could no longer fly. Never Never Land ended that day for me.
That was when I was in single digits.

Now Im half way to triple, and the blindsiding continues.
Thankfully its not always morbid or unhappy though.

As a chef my life is filled with stress. We do it to ourselves. Pushing boundaries and trying to stay relevant in an ever ethereal world, where you are only ever between the last compliment and the next complaint.
As a human my life has been filled with sadness and loss.

For decades I have wanted a cute puppy. I had thought for years it would be help with the stress and the tears. But my mother for years before her death had stated the truth.."who would look after the dog while I worked the 12 hour days.
The thought was there but never realized.
Then in January of this year an OJT who had worked at my current employ posted that she had 8 puppies to sell.
I foolishly thought it might be time.
I never thought for a second who would clean, wash, wipe up after her.
I actually never thought much about the idea until I was told to collect the puppy- a girl- in a park one afternoon when she was old enough to be separated from her mother.

Blindsiding is the word that expresses the art of never seeing something coming until it has hit you.
I was blindsided that day.
From the minute that puppy licked my face we both adored each other.
"Shayne"now mostly referred to as "my daughter" not "my dog", gives a love that everyone should experience once in a  life time.
She follows me around the house, shivers in my arms when getting a bath, haircut or her toe nails cut, bites me softly when she wants to play and bites me hard when she is hungry or mad.
I reprimand her for destroying shoes and tables, for destroying carpets and eating everything she should not, but despite everything she loves me and shows it without fear.
I never saw this coming.
Thoughts of travel on vacations now evolve around where "Shayne" might be able to fly, my future too will be based upon where she can go without question.
She is family after all now- you don't leave kids behind.

Perhaps Peter Pan should have had a dog.
Perhaps if Peter is still alive he could get one now.
It is said, "without love, we are nothing more than birds with broken wings."
This big bird has had his wings repaired and is beginning to find the strength to fly once more, thanks to the love of an unexpected source.
Blindsided, and happy.

Dad and daughter passed out after a hard day at work!!

Thinking about the park she can see from the bed

SHAYNE

My first sports jersey !!

GUILT !!- Im sorry you need to clean up after me.

Does this dress make me look fat ?

Tired!

STOP WRITING ...and play..Im bored

HELP...Im stuck!

THE FIVE YEAR PLAN

A friend wrote to me today and ended the note with a quote that I adore and which awoke the writing slumber I have been within;

“The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium”- Norbert Platt


I'm not old in the conventional terms.
I'm old in the fact that I have, with the thanks of God, great parents and a little luck, been able to travel and do a lot of things.
If I were judged based on the average, I would indeed be a centenarian, at least.
If the average Joe publishes one book in a lifetime, then 16 must put my age limit in the high nineties, and so on, countries travelled, average 20; I'm up to 86, cities worked in, death defying feats tackled , bucket lists achieved!! Yup....Im just compiling my second bucket list having with great luck and grace, completely ticked the boxes on my first.

So Im old, in metaphorical terms.
And with age comes certain perspectives.
Take for instance a recent question by a peer; "so what is your 5 year plan?"

Seriously. Do we still do those!!
I had a five year plan when I was 18, it included writing a book ! I did that, wrote 5 within 5 years and travelled the world twice, once on a book tour meeting celebrities far beyond my age group and salary level.

In my mid twenties I had a five year plan, it included emigrating to another country. I did that, spent ten years in Canada, and continued to travel the world thanks to luck, publishing, and a career that allows you to work anywhere.

In my thirties my third five year plan was to become a Corporate Pastrychef, to lead a great team and to open a business. Ticked those boxes.

Late thirties, five year plan and early forties- five year plan were equally exciting and all equally fulfilled.

I'm now mid-forties. And as I said, in metaphorical terms Im old.
Im' so old and have enjoyed so much good fortune that I'm a little sick of hearing about five year plans.
'Peer' asking the question has probably never met anyone else like me before and that's unfortunate for me.
I just could not answer truthfully. You see management just don't get it..
My answer - 'the truth' - is that within the next five years I want to slow down, I want to stay put, I want to relish the moment ...... for five years at least.
This does not in anyway mean Im' old and slowing down, or that I have lost the edge of my career. Instead it means that I found a groove and want to work magic within it for a while.
Things take time here, and the first two years have had their rewards, ups and downs but it has taken so long to achieve what we set out to do, if I spent five years here, I still won't have achieved the requirements in my mind at the usual pace I like to work at.
If I did I would upset a lot of people.

I write like the wind. a thought comes to mind while walking through the park on the way home, a leaf falls on the ground, a car screech, a word whispered, all lead to hours in front of the computer writing pages for an intended novel.
Which novel I have no idea, there are countless dozens of started concepts.  And thats another reason for the wanted slow down. Not to give up, but to move forward at a pace where I can complete what has been begun on so many levels.

Passion is still within me for food like never before. So much I want to cook, but I get less and less time due to the stupidity of necessity. Ordering, menus, costings, appraisals, hirings, interviews, meetings and work in general all sap the time away from the chef within. I'm hungrier now for good food, than anytime in the last ten years.

So the answer is, I don't have a five year plan.
I don't need one.
Im happy where I am and I just want to be left alone to do great things, preferably with the support of others to allow me to do it. I'm content, but not complacent ! There is a huge difference.
Not really an answer one can give to just anybody.
Most people asking such questions are looking for inspiring words, like "I want to be a leader", "I want to be promoted", "I want to be here or there".
Me no.
I'm happy where I am. My wife and family are happy here too.

Who needs a five year plan.
My mother used to say, she did not need a five year plan because she may not be here in five years to see it come to fruition and therefore she would be judged to have failed at it.
I miss my mothers wisdom, and like her, after a number of successful five year plans I don't want anymore either.
I've achieved more than most and am happy to continue doing so, but without time stipulations these days.
If I live another five years then so be it.
I would hope that within that or a close time frame I have achieved another published title, in fiction or non-fiction. and I would hope that I had published a book under both my most successful guises one for each genre would make me even happier.

Metaphorically I am old.
With that does not come complacency but contentment.
I don't need to to achieve at the rate of knots anymore, I'm happy to achieve at any rate.
Death also does not scare me anymore , the end is nigh, now, then or sometime and I welcome it when it comes, even if its tomorrow.
It does not mean that I'm morbid, but so be it.
It's got to come sometime and better for me it can come while I relish the idea.
Bucket list is complete and while I am working on a second at the behest of friends, it is exactly that.
A secondary bucket list.
What filled the first was the heart felt desires that would see me sent to the grave in happiness. With it completed, I am filling time with the rest, not completing dying destinycal desires.
I have lived a great life and while no where near giving up, I just don't need to plan for a future like so many others.
I'm a simple guy. Im surrounded by those who love me and bring joy into my life. I have been blessed with great memories and have also lost many people who meant so much.

I'm a strong believer in the words of Jay-Z on this subject, "Whatever deity may guide my life, dear Lord don't let me die tonight. But if I shall before I wake, I'm only happy to accept my fate."

My five year plan, truth be told, is to wake up every morning, breathe in and out and continue to do what I do, the best way I know how.
If that makes others happy, great, if not, fine.
That's life.
See you in five years time I guess, to see if I have been successful.
Plan on that.

HONG KONG

I have travelled 85 countries in 35 years, I had a job once that saw me flying more each week than most fly in a year and I have frequent flyer miles cards from nearly two dozen airlines.
yet for the past 18 months I was actually happy not to fly anymore.

The last flight I took was the funeral of my mother,other than the flight that relocated me to the Philippines. I guess the flight home to say good bye to Mum was enough and I just did not want to fly anymore after that. I was finally done !!

Suddenly in the space of two weeks I will tomorrow be traveling to hong Kong for the second time.
The first was a work trip, the second is pure and absolute luxurious time off.
Flying was fun last week, but it was about a comfortable seat and sleep as I had a freshly broken rib and had worked a very long day with it.
This trip is about, no laptops, no work, no phones, just peace, pool and relaxation.
So on the eve of my next flight I thought I had better post a few photos of the wondrousness that was Hong Kong, last week, so that I can free up some space for the posting of next weeks photos.
Food glorious researching food and some free time and fun will be the order of the day.

A good friend worked there for years and speaks admirably of the once British enclave, others I know speak not so fondly of the place. As confusing as it is tiny, I do know that it takes forever to get a taxi and even UBER has its issues finding you at busy times.
Schedule and plan, I was warned for a trip to Hong Kong and so after posting this, I am off to plan dinners, lunches and getaways as well as sleep time, pool time and massages.

to those who are reading the blog from the Ukraine, Sri Lanka and Finland, Welcome !! it is a pleasure to find new readers of the words and I appreciate the time you spend search through the old posts.

Be safe and see you all again soon, and enjoy the pics of Hong Kong's HOFEX 2015 and some of the hotel in which we stayed last week and this, the amazing Peninsula Hong Kong.

THE PENINSULA HONG KONG

The LOBBY

The Peninsula Hong Kong's lobby, the perfect way to start the day - coffee and a newspaper

the pool

heaven in water

The BBQ room - yummy - a behind the scenes photo

THE PENINSULA BOUTIQUE

THE PEN BOUTIQUE

PEN BOUTIQUE pastries

HOFEX 2015

JUST BUSY...

I get a lot of comments via email and FB and blog about why I don't post more blog entries...the fact is ..I'm just busy.
Working 10-12 hours a day, a young family and life just gets in the way of future endeavors.
No complaints from me, I have a great job and work for a fantastic Hotel group and have a team I adore as I watch each of them grow into the pastry chefs they are soon to become. The past month has also seen us work exciting events such as MADRID FUSION hosting Michelin Star Chef Mario Sandoval and Local Celebrity Chef Myrna Segismundo. Long hours and late nights but great to see the world of Michelin coming to Manila.
Blog entries are just the loser when it comes to priorities among all of this culinary excitement.

In any case, I am here tonight and am so thankful to all the new readers of the blog and for those who visit for some inspiration into this amazing career called PASTRY.
I have been in pastry now for 33 years this year and love every single minute we are creating new things, being pushed for more creativity and being challenged by the daily operation.
There are days we all wish things were simpler, that operations could be flawless and simplified, but thats life, and as I am constantly reminded by my immediate superior, if it was flawless then there would be no need for me to be there.

Great things are coming our way anyway, new cakes, new breads and new chocolates soon. We are constantly on the evolving trail of new and exciting items for our guests for unstring that our Hotel remains at the pinnacle of the industry.

To those new readers from Russia, welcome to you. Nice to see about 400 Russian readers through this past month , also the readers from Bulgaria, Morrocco and Ukraine, Saudi Arabia as well as Germany.
For all others, thanks too and enjoy the photos of this past month which has seen us enjoy Easter and preparations for Mothers Day. Coming soon, photos from HONG KONGS HOFEX 2015 as we take a whirlwind trip to see the latest equipment we hope to bring to Manila.
Stay tuned and come back soon.

Easter Displays

Easter Display #2

My favorite Easter Display used for Escolta Buffet

Bread Display by Ryan Carandang

Easter Amenities for all rooms

Easter Display number 4 for Afternoon Tea

Easter Eggs for Old Manila Dessert 

Easter Brunch Display

Easter Brunch Display

Cupcakes

Amenities

Amenities

Option for Amenities

Mothers Day Display for this next Weekend

Up Close

up close #2

Mothers Day display #2

stunning baguettes for dinner for Michelin Star dinner.

Beautiful brioche for dinner

Michelin Star Chef Mario Sandavol

Executive Chef of Peninsula Manila Hotel Mike Werhle

Chef Mario in action

The Old Manila team and Chef Mario photo bombing in the background

So many stars !! ha ha ha