Reflection #6

Yesterday, April 14th, I started my job at J.W Desserts. When I first got there John showed me around the kitchen, showed me where he kept all of his things, showed me the ovens and the walk in freezers. He got out about 50 bake boards for me to wrap in colored paper to put his cakes on. After I finished that, we made his specialty cupcakes. They are HUGE cupcakes that you dip the first two layers in white chocolate, then when they have cooled down and hardened a little bit, you do half of the cupcake in dark or milk chocolate. All of the chocolate is melted of course. So it is easy to get onto the cupcake. John has a wine banquet he is catering on April 17th and the 18th. There are going to be about two thousand people there. Before I came to work, he had made the crumb bars and the flowerless cake pans. Then he cut them up and I helped transfer them into little cupcake holders. I worked for about three hours. It was a lot of fun for my first day.

Reflection #5

At the beginning of my project, I checked out 16 books from the library on making and decorating cakes. I am going through them right now and taking out all of the recipes I like and making a cook book. I like looking at all of the pictures from the books of amazing cakes that other people have made. Some of the cakes are pretty amazing. I am going to have a pretty bog book of ideas and recipes by the time my project is over. I am also doing all of my annotated bibliographies right now so I can return my overdue books.

Reflection #4

A few weeks ago, I interviewed John Auburn at his bakery, J.W Desserts. I had all my questions ready ahead of time so I was all prepared. When I first got there, he offered us a piece of a cake he had just baked and frosted. It was delicious. It was like a coffee caramel wonderland! It was SO good, I couldn't stop eating it!

After my interview he let me and my mom go to the back and see his kitchen and all his equipment. It was so cool becuase his ovens were HUGE and they rotated so every side of the cake baked the same. He also had the biggest mixers I have EVER seen. They were like big enough to mix the world's biggest cake.

After my interview, he offered me a job. Of course, I accepted. He needs a long term assistant and I am so up for the job. This is my first real job besides cleaning house for my aunt. I have to get my food handlers' license and everything. I feel so grown-up! I start my job on April 15th. Wish me luck!

Interview

Q: How long have you been making cakes?
A: 19 years, professionally.

Q: How did you get started?
A: My older sister's "easy bake" oven, when I was seven.

Q: How many cake do you bake per day?
A: It's not so many"cakes" that I make, it's the amount of batter that I make. About 25 lbs. a day.

Q: What is your favorite part about your job?
A: Talking to my costumers. Being very creative. Tasting my cakes.

Q: Do you cater?
A: Yes and no. It depends on what season it is. In the summer, I'm really busy making wedding cakes.

Q: Is this your only job?
A: No. I'm a dad and a landlord. I also have my house and my kitchen to clean.

Q: How long have you owned J.W Desserts?
A: This is my 10th year.

Q: What is the worst thing that has happened to one of your cakes?
A: I dropped a cake but caught it in my other hand.

Q: What is the most expensive part?
A: The labor. 7 days a week. Work, but not working. Marketing, sales calls.

Q: Who have you made cakes for?
A: The Food Network, the Presidential Debates, the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, movie stars, bar mitzvas.