Chocolate Adventures: Godiva Challenge Finals 2014

Dare I say? I rather enjoyed the energetic chaos of baking under a time limit while hundreds of well-dressed people milled about, watching and chatting. In fact I'd love to do it again!

Heather, Danny, Victoria and I cooked up five lots of our dishes- one for each judge and one for the photographer- during the finals on Thursday, and I think we all did brilliantly. Ultimately, Heather was victorious with her intricate and amazing 'Conference of Chocolate' (it included poached conference pears, awesome pun setup!) All three were a lovely bunch to bake with, and the people of Godiva and Luxx PR were incredible.

There were a few frustrating times where us contestants were battling against the very swish but slightly puzzling equipment of the kitchen showroom we were working in. At one point I set my first batch of caramel on legitimate fire because my hob would only operate at too hot or too cold before switching itself off (resulting in me hovering my pan just over the hob for a good half hour to get a good caramel!) Heather's sorbet almost didn't freeze at all because the freezer was playing up, and one of the tempering machines Victoria was using didn't actually temper the chocolate.

Despite these little setbacks, all of us produced some pretty kick-ass desserts. I think best of all, I got some very invaluable feedback on ingredient balance and technique. My aim is always to improve, and getting a few tips from Godiva's head chocolatier was just brilliant.

I hope Godiva Chocolates repeats their Chocolate Challenge next year: I look forward to entering something new and original. At least next time around I'll be aware of the competition and have more than a few hours to come up with a recipe, make it and enter!

For my recipe that made it to the final, check out my blog Tashcakes! to see how my Praline Mousse Coeur is done.

In Which my Baking Pays Off

Almost two years ago, I promised myself I would bake something new at least once a week, and write something new once a week: and so, Wacky World and Tashcakes! were born. I've been diligently writing and baking ever since, and becoming more and more proficient at both. My writing has slowly gained me more and more recognition at work, but my baking remained a more personal love, shared with the people closest to me (and of course, I suppose, the anonymous faceless body called the Internet).

Yesterday, I found out that I had gotten though to the finals of Godiva's Chocolate Challenge competition with my praline mousse coeur.

I and four other finalists were chosen over a shortlist of 10, which were chosen from over a hundred entries. All four of us win an expenses-paid 5* trip to Brussels, and this Thursday we'll be put through our paces in Godiva's kitchens in London to bake our chocolate creations for a panel of four Big Name judges for the top prize: a visit to Godiva's chocolate Atelier, and our creation on the menu of Hix Soho for a week. There will also be a few hundred people watching, and apparently the odd journalist. I'm also up against a big name in the food blogging and writing world, a professional baker and a budding chocolatier... making me feel like a bit of a weird outcast wildcard.

I still think I'm having a crazy and weirdly elaborate dream.

Words cannot describe how I'm feeling... and I'm a professional writer. So far the closest I've come is 'excarded' (scared/ excited). Well, I am pretty darn excarded!!

Pinch me.

Ow.

Pass Me the Mic, I'm a Superstar!

Well, not quite. But I will be singing karaoke on an open air stage in Trafalgar Square in front of potentially thousands of people in a couple of weeks' time.

In Japanese.

About false eyelashes.

It's Japan Matsuri London on the 5th October- London's (recently) annual Japan festival. I missed last year's because I was doing something else with a friend and we ran out of time, but this year I signed up to the Facebook page so I could plan in advance.

Almost as soon as this year's festival date was announced, they announced the Nodojiman karaoke contest. The requirements: to sing a Japanese song- in Japanese, of course- on the main stage in Trafalgar Square on the day. The prize: a return ticket to Tokyo.

Hell, yes.

All I had to do was record a demo of myself and send it in with my application. So I picked a song I know and love- Tsukema Tsukeru by Kyary Pamyu Pamy- practised my arse off in secret in case I sucked (in my car, whilst my parents were away in Malaysia etc), recorded a demo and sent it off. Soon after I received a confirmation of my application, and was told I'd be notified in the last week of September after the closing date if I'd gotten through to the final round: the karaoke-in-front-of-lots-of-people round.

That was about two months ago.

Yesterday evening after work I checked my emails to find this:

Dear Natasha-san,

Thank you for applying for the Nodojiman J-Factor competition.

I am delighted to inform you that you have gone through to next round.

The Nodojiman team is looking forward to welcoming you at Trafalgar Square on Saturday 5th Oct 2013.

I will send you e-mail you again nearer the time with details of the day.

I felt wildly excited- and wildly terrified at the same time. Which is pretty much how I still feel! Luckily I've been practising almost every day since getting the confirmation email, knowing that I'd only know if I'd have to perform on stage just over a week before the actual event.

To celebrate quite possibly what will be the maddest thing I've done during 2013 (and there have been some contenders), I wore false eyelashes for the first time in my life to the office today. After all, I can't sing a song about false eyelashes and not wear them, and I've got to practise.

Of course, practising putting on falsies is the least of my worries- after all, the last time I sang solo was four years ago for my degree final. Wish me luck!

Update: The Whittard Afternoon Tea Blogging Competition

Remember I entered the Whittard of Chelsea blogging competition? Well, I didn't win- but I did get a runner-up prize of three boxes of different teas. Words cannot describe the happy.

Check out pictures of my plunder on my baking blog Tashcakes!

In Which My Obsession with Cake Pays Off

Recently Whittard of Chelsea ran a competition for bloggers, challenging us to write an article about afternoon tea (Whittard's being purveyors of tea, coffee, hot chocolate and all related paraphernalia- therefore being one of my favourite shops). Ten people would be shortlisted and a public vote would be run to pick the winner.

Guess who's been shortlisted?

Please follow this link and leave a comment at the bottom of the page to vote for my entry, which is number 8: 'Why Afternoon Tea is Awesome'. All voters get the chance to win a year's supply of tea, which spices things up a bit too!

I'm so excited! I say my obsession's payed off because although I haven't won yet, I'm still chuffed to have been picked for the final vote. I love writing, and although I write in these blogs for myself first and foremost, it's great to be reminded that my writing is enjoyed by others, too. Plus I've mentioned before in the story of how I won a Christmas in a box that I seldom win things, so I'm excited about that, too.

Look at it this way: the best case scenario is that I win a hamper of tea and coffee, and you win a year's supply of tea- and we can swim up to our eyeballs in caffiene.

Sounds good to me!