10 Lessons Down, 90 to Go

So I survived my first two weeks of baking school. I have no cuts, burns or bruises to show for it, but I am exhausted. Did you wonder why I've been so quiet about the whole reason I moved to New York? Gone are the days of idle doughnut sampling. On May 31, I was inducted into a baking boot camp: 100 lessons in six months, covering every dessert item you can imagine.

In just ten lessons I've made:

• Nougatine (hard caramel with almonds)
• Gingersnap cookies
• Blueberry muffins
• Apricot Pâte de Fruit
• Dried pears
• Candied grapefruit peels
• Strawberry salad with tarragon
• Poached pineapple
• Roasted/baked apple
• Sabayon
• Ordinary (French) meringue
• Swiss meringue
• Meringue cookies
• Praline/coffee buttercream
• Dacquoise
• Flourless chocolate souffle
• Strawberry souflee
• Apple souflee

I promise to tell you more about the lessons, but before I get ahead of myself, let me introduce you to the Toolkit.

Here is what's inside:

As you can see, it's much like Mary Poppin's carpet bag. The place where I picked the kit up had a bit of magic about it, too. Tucked into a nondescript building on 31st street, JB Prince is an amazing source for culinary tools and books, but you'd never know it if you were walking by on the street. There is no sign on the building. I checked the address twice, half wondering if JB Prince was an eccentric old chef at a private residence or a store.

When I stepped up to the counter to claim my kit, the clerk pulled each and every item out to do an inventory. I nodded and followed along as she checked off the whisk, various spatulas, the pastry brushes, the melon baller, etc. But an azalea cutter? A bone tool? A Mexican foam pad? I knew, while standing there, that I made the right decision to study pastry. I'm sure an aspiring culinary student picked up his own special toolkit, but I can't imagine it being as intriguing as this.

It's exciting to know that by the time I reach lesson 100, I will have used each and every one of these tools. As soon as I discover what the Mexican foam pad is for, I'll let you know.