Hey guys! I'm back with another goodie of a post. This beauty of a cake, rich chocolate mud cake, iced with dark chocolate ganache, white chocolate drizzle, passionfruit cream cheese macarons and meringues. Garnished with gold leaf.
I am so in love with gold leaf, I think it is such an elegant way to decorate your cake. It just brings the shimmer out in every cake without using glitter and making it look like a 5 year old cake.
So a bit in the life of me currently. I am working at a nice pub/nightclub in gas town. Gastown is a really touristy place in Vancouver and is such a nice place to walk down the streets. I am a server there so the hours range from 10am-3am. I haven't had to do a close yet which I am kinda relived about.
So this pub is actually a branch in a company called the Donnelly Group, which is a hospitality group in Vancouver and Toronto. They own about 15 restaurants/pubs. Which is good because it means you can pick up shifts at other Donnelly restaurants when they are low on staff. Since it is the same company it is same dress code, POS, food and liquor with small modifications to fit every venues needs.
So far I have been enjoying it because I like that it's not fine dining. Its just nice smart/casual service. The tips are a bit up and down. It really depends on what section you get and what day it is. But I am surviving so far.
You wouldn't believe how many people I serve and when they jump straight to the conclusion I am Australian. I don't mind because I lived in Sydney before I came to Canada. But I love just flinging it back to them straight away and being like 'No I am kiwi' and they begin stumbling on their words and start apologising. I don't mind, I just laugh and appreciate them for trying.
I think because there are not too many Kiwis or Australians in Vancouver. It is pretty pricy, actually let me take that back. It is darn expensive! Especially for the wages they have. As a server you get paid $10 an hour. And while everyone says yes but you get tips. Yes weekends, Friday nights we get good tips, but throughout the week we can be leaving the Restaurant after an 8 hour shift with $30 in our pocket.
So I think most Kiwis and Australians go to the seasonal towns like banff and whistler. At my current work their is one other kiwi guy. So I think it helps in my favour all the other servers are Canadian. People love foreigners, most of the time.
Vancouver is pretty pricey though, literally a closet with a mattress on the ground, with the mattress touching both sides of the wall in downtown you are looking at $800-$900 in one of the apartment towers. On a wage of $10 you would be relying on 2/3 of your tips to pay for that rent.
Also when you go out and socialise, have a drink with a work colleague, grab a casual bite with your friend you don't know how much you are spending. You will see the price on the menu as $16, but you have tax on top of that plus a tip. If you get liquor you also get a liquor tex on top of that. So your $16 bill can easily turn into $28.
I really don't like that about Canada they don't include tax in their prices and plus the tipping culture is annoying. I just want a set price I know what I am having and what I am paying.
Recipe:
Dark Chocolate Meringue Kisses Cake
Meringues:
6 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Method:
Preheat oven to 140 degrees.
Line a tray with baking paper. A good trick is to dollop meringue on the back of the baking paper and stick it to the tray.
Beat egg whites in a bowl with an electric mixer until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks formed.
Gradually sprinkle in the sugar 1-2 Tablespoons at a time. Until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks have formed. Beat in vanilla.
Place meringue in a piping bag with a circle nozzle. Pipe meringue kisses on baking paper.
Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues in the oven but ajar the door with a handle of a wooden spoon. This allows the meringues to dry out more.
Store in an airtight container to extend their shelf life.
With edible paint, paint half the side of a hershey kiss gives a nice effect.
This is one of those staple recipes that you always need!
Till next time xx
