What Color Will My Uniform Be Today

I have stayed true to myself while in school...by the end of the day I am always the messiest student in class. If I am cooking with tomato sauce, I end up with a white and red uniform. If I am cooking with chocolate, I will be painted in brown. Last week I made a curry sauce and managed to get yellow sauce on my shoulder. Now that takes talent. I have two takes on it. One- I am trying to stand out in a sea of white chef uniforms. Two-If I have to pay $3.00 every time I do laundry I am going to make the washing machine work for my money.

Today I decorated myself in red while making strawberry filling for my Almond Fruit Torte.

ALMOND FRUIT TORTE
INGREDIENTS:
-1 1/2 cups blanched almonds
- 3 eggs
-1/2 cup Maple syrup
-1 teaspoon almond extract
-1 tablespoon agar flakes (thickening agent)
-3/4 cup water
-1 pint strawberries, sliced
-4-5 tablespoons maple syrup
-1 tablespoon kuzu, dissolved in a tablespoon water
-2 kiwis, sliced thin
-2 oranges, supremed

DIRECTIONS
-Preheat oven to 350
- Oil and flour an 8 1/2 inch spring form pan
-Powder almonds in a Cuisinart. Add eggs, maple syrup, and almond extract. Process until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
-Bake fir 20 min or until lightly golden. Top should be firm to the touch. DO not remove from the pan.Set aside
-In a one quart saucepan, soften agar flakes in water for 10 minutes. Cook covered, stirring often until agar is dissolved.
-In a separate pot, combine strawberries with 1/4 cup maple syrup and cook over medium, heat, covered, until soft. Puree in a blender. Put through sieve to remove seeds.
-Add strawberry puree to agar mixture, stirring well. Add dissolved kuzu to the pot stirring constantly, bring to boil. Continue cooking until thick consistency.
-Adjust sweetness with maple syrup, if desired.
-Allow strawberry mixture to cool slightly. Pour over cake (while cake is still in pan)
-Let mixture set then remove sides of spring form pan.
-Garnish with kiwis and oranges.

I made a whipped coconut cream by taking the milk fat off the top of the coconut milk (while still in the can), whipping it in the Kitchen Aid with some maple crystals, and vanilla. It was a nice compliment to the strawberries. It was also a nice compliment to my white chefs coat.