Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Here's some examples of the instagrams submitted! AMAZING





Demonstration at Iphoneography Exhibition


On Saturday, October 1 at EX Atrium, I did my first public demonstration after a while (It's probably been 3 months since my last one!). During this event, Bittersweet Corner collaborated with Iphonesia and Tea Rose Wedding Company to organize a Cupcake and Table Setting Demonstration. At the end of it, Iphone/Instagram users were supposed to snap the ready products as creatively as they can and submit it via Twitter. The top 3 winners would then win prizes. It was amazing how some of the images came out!








Tuesday, August 16, 2011

New Updates!

It’s been quite an eventful couple of months. First and foremost, I apologize for the lack of updates in the Bittersweet Blog. Our calendar has been filling up faster then expected (which is ofcourse amazing news!)

Here’s what you missed in July-
Ira’s Birthday Party
We haven’t had a request for a tea party until sweet bubbly Ira contacted me. Although I was going to be in Singapore, it was too great of an opportunity to miss. So I did what I can and left it to my assistant to make sure Ira got a lovely tea party. And indeed she did.

Green Tea Russian Teacakes as Party Favors

The lovely Ira on Her Special Day

Tea Party Marie Antoinette Style


Birthday Cupcakes


Instyle Fashion Show Catering
By now, our small team is already used to sudden requests of catering for events. However, the Instyle catering is by far the largest of them all. We prepared for 500 guests with menu that includes Nutella Brownies, Strawberry Tart, and Stuffed Mushrooms as the savory selection. We recruited extra help from my other office (Pansophia Indonesia Foundation- www.pansophiaindonesia.org) and had a percentage go to the foundation. 


Bittersweet and Pansophia Catering Team

Sea of mushrooms, strawberry tarts, and nutella brownies





Our Wall of Fame
If you haven’t dropped by the store recently, we’ve added some cozy elements to our little corner. We’ve put up several of our articles and reviews on the wall as a dedication of thanks to those who have featured us. It adds to the whole general homey feel of our store don’t you think?


“How to Make Macaroons” on TV1 Coffee Break
For those who missed us, we were on our first TV feature on Friday, 12th. But don’t worry; here are the instructions for those who missed the demonstration on “How to Make Macaroons”

On location shooting w/ TV1 team


What an unattractive picture! But oh well

Our pretty macaroon chef's face was covered :(

Green Tea Macaroons Ingredients-




Macaron recipe  (yield: 20 macarons)
Egg whites 90 g
Sugar 125 g
Almond meal 125 g
Icing sugar 125 g
Green tea powder 5g
Green tea butter cream:
Butter 100g
Icing sugar 50g
Green tea powder 5g

Directions-

1. Sieve all the dry ingredients
2. Whip egg whites with sugar (firm consistency).
3. Add in almond meal, icing sugar and green tea powder to meringue.
4. Then fold it slowly until well mix.
5. Put macaroon mixture to piping bag and pipe it on the baking tray approximately 3cm-4cm
6. Leave piped macaroon at room temperature for 15mins.
7. Bake macaroon at 180 degrees for approximately 8 mins

Filling



1. Mix room temperature unsalted butter until creamy and add in icing sugar with green tea powder.
2. Stick macaron with butter cream (let the macaron cool it down on the tray first then take it off slowly)



Friday, July 8, 2011

Sweet deals for our sweet fans..



Thank you to all families, friends,supporters, readers. We have been overwhelmed with our recent exposure in a national newspaper, Kompas. Without all of you, our sweat, tears and effort will not materialise to something so delicious :)

On another account, we are happy that a recently launched online discount coupon online marketer KrisKros has approached us to carry out our first online discount coupon deal - exclusively to our fans (of course :)).

There will be more exciting happenings from our little store around the corner from tea parties, launch events and not forgetting our presence in Potato Head Sunday Food Market (24 Jul). Our chef, Elaine Marlene, has concocted ice-cream flavoured cupcakes to entice your palates.

Keep updated and send us your comments.
Have a great weekend!!!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Pahit-Manis Pilihan ELAINE (Kompas Urban Sunday 26 Jun 2011)



Pahit-Manis Pilihan ELAINE

Dari tangannya lahir fruit tart, kue yang kesohor di antara warga Indonesia di Boston, AS. Dari tangannya juga, lahir sebuah kedai pastry di Jakarta. Toh, semua itu hanya jalan untuk menopang kerja utamanya: membangun pendidikan bagi anak-anak miskin.

Cappuccino panas, fruit tart, dan carrot cake menjadi menu pembuka obrolan pagi itu. Elaine Marlene (24), pemilik sekaligus chef di kafe Bittersweet Corner, menunjuk pada deretan kue yang ada di balik lemari kaca. Ada macaroon, lemon tart, aneka cupcakes, caramel tart. ”Saya sendiri yang memanggang semua kue ini tadi pagi,” kata perempuan cantik berperawakan tinggi semampai ini.

Elaine tak pernah kursus, apalagi sekolah membuat kue. Bakatnya itu muncul tiba-tiba di waktu yang tak terduga. Awalnya, ia prihatin melihat teman-teman kuliahnya di Boston menghabiskan uang yang cukup banyak untuk katering sebuah pertemuan. ”Mereka menghabiskan ratusan dollar untuk sebotol wine. Sungguh pemborosan. Akhirnya saya menawarkan diri untuk membuatkan kue buat mereka,” katanya.

Di kamar kosnya, Elaine memiliki oven kecil. Setelah mencari resep di internet, ia nekat membuat kue. Ia modifikasi resep yang dibacanya, menambah ini dan itu, sampai cocok dengan lidahnya. ”Pastry sebaiknya tidak terlalu manis. Dan untuk racikan yang menggunakan cream cheese sebaiknya dipadukan dengan buah-buahan yang agak asam, seperti stroberi, kiwi, atau blueberry. Saya juga coba berulang-ulang bagaimana agar dasar kue tidak lembek, tapi tetap crispy. Ternyata kue buatan saya itu banyak yang suka, dan mereka langsung memesan lagi,” katanya.

Dari mulut ke mulut popularitas fruit tart buatan Elaine sampai di komunitas Indonesia di Boston. ”Dalam waktu sebulan, lebih dari 150 warga Indonesia di sana sudah tahu kue saya,” katanya.

Tapi, bagi Elaine, bukan soal kepopuleran kuenya yang penting. Yang lebih utama ialah apa yang bisa dia lakukan dengan hobinya itu. ”Saya selalu katakan kepada teman-teman bahwa satu atau dua dollar itu matters untuk anak-anak miskin di Indonesia, terutama untuk pendidikan mereka. Saya ingin menggabungkan hobi memanggang ini dengan charity,” katanya.

Bersama beberapa sahabatnya, ia kemudian mendirikan Greater Indonesian Future Through Sponsorships (GIFTS) di Boston. ”Kami banyak mengadakan acara, entah itu bentuknya entertainment atau party, atau sekadar pertemuan. Kami tidak meminta uang kepada mereka, tetapi mereka membayar untuk hidangannya. Uang yang kami peroleh semuanya kami sumbangkan untuk anak-anak di Indonesia. Begitu seterusnya,” kata Elaine yang harus membagi waktunya dengan ketat antara kuliah, membuat kue, dan pekerjaan paruh waktu.

”Saya tahu bahwa saya di sana untuk sekolah, jadi kuliah tetap prioritas. Tapi kalau antara tidur dan memanggang kue, ya saya prioritaskan kuenya, karena saya tidak enak kalau tidak bisa memenuhi permintaan pemesan. Jadi, saya biasa memanggang dari malam sampai jam 3 pagi,” katanya.

Kalau membuat kue hanya sekadar hobi, maka pekerjaan sampingannya adalah menjadi fashion buyer dari produk-produk berlabel internasional. Ini pun ada latar belakangnya. Lulus dari Jakarta International School, Elaine tidak langsung daftar ke universitas. Ia ingin bekerja dulu selama satu tahun di Indonesia. Jadilah ia mengajar bahasa Inggris, bekerja di beberapa butik kelas atas di Jakarta dengan aneka jabatan. Mulai dari mengorganisasi pertemuan antara pembeli dan suppliers, menjadi sales marketing, membuat profil perusahaan, website, fashion stylist, sampai menjadi humas.

”Lewat pengalaman bekerja di Indonesia itulah saya menjadi buyer sejumlah brand, terutama untuk pakaian dalam dan tidur. Setiap hari Sabtu-Minggu, saya naik bis ke New York untuk bertemu langsung dengan para brand representatives, seperti dari Oscar de la Renta, Betsy Johnson, dan lain-lain,” kata Elaine yang melewatkan sekolah dasar di Singapura dan sekolah menengah di Amerika.

Semua untuk yayasan

Setelah lulus dari Northeastern University (dengan GPA 3,6) tahun 2010, teman-temannya menganjurkan Elaine untuk tetap meneruskan hobinya membuat kue. Berkat bantuan temannya, sebulan kemudian ia telah menemukan tempat yang strategis di Plaza Indonesia. Berdirilah gerai Bittersweet Corner.

”Modalnya dari tabungan saya, bukan dari orangtua. Saya kerjakan semua sendiri, mulai dari desain, membuat website, profil perusahaan, pemasaran, pengadaan barang, sampai membuat kue. Jadi, setiap hari saya bangun pukul 05.00 pagi untuk memanggang kue-kue yang dijual di sini,” katanya.

Tapi, lagi-lagi ini hanya hobi. ”Pekerjaan utama saya adalah di Yayasan Pansophia Indonesia, saya di sini full time,” kata Elaine, yang menjadi humas sekaligus mengurus operasional di yayasan tersebut. Pansophia Indonesia merupakan organisasi nirlaba yang mengupayakan agar anak-anak miskin bisa menikmati pendidikan yang layak di usia emasnya.

”Kami mendirikan sekolah di Dadap, Cikarang, dan di Karang Tengah, khusus untuk anak-anak yang berusia 3-5 tahun dengan fasilitas pendidikan yang baik. Semuanya gratis. Mereka memperoleh makan dua kali sehari, seragam, sepatu, dan perlengkapan sekolah,” kata Elaine yang awalnya sempat menjadi guru bahasa Inggris di sana.

Sekolah ini diterima dengan positif oleh komunitas Dadap. ”Banyak ibu yang tidak ingin anaknya lulus dari sekolah ini karena mereka sudah melihat perubahan positif pada perilaku anaknya sehari-hari,” kata Elaine.

Kini, ia mencoba mengembangkan sistem ”anak asuh” untuk membiayai anak-anak di Dadap agar bisa lebih banyak lagi yang belajar di sekolah itu. ”Biaya per anak sekitar Rp 300.000 per bulan, jadi kita mencari orangtua asuh yang berminat untuk menjadi donor selama sebulan, dua bulan, setahun, tergantung kemampuan. Saat ini sudah ada 35 orangtua asuh. Sedangkan murid kami ada 100 orang di dadap dan 20 orang di Karang Tengah,” katanya.

Bukan hanya itu, dengan jaringan pergaulannya yang luas, Elaine juga ingin merintis kerja sama dengan sekolah-sekolah yang memiliki kurikulum pelayanan sosial (community service). ”Para anak-anak SMA itu bisa menjadi sukarelawan di sini. Sewaktu kuliah dulu saya mengikuti program Big Sisters-Big Brothers. Kita memiliki semacam adik asuh. Tidak harus selalu membantu sebagai tutor pelajaran, kadang yang dibutuhkan adalah bagaimana memperkuat self-esteem mereka. Saya ingin mengembangkan program seperti itu di sini,” katanya.

Di usianya yang belia, Elaine telah tahu apa yang ingin dilakukannya bagi dirinya dan bagi masyarakat di sekitarnya. Dia langsung berbuat, tanpa harus banyak bicara....

-------------
p.s: many thanks for such lovely front page review from Kompas. We apologise for not updating our blogger but we shall attempt to do when we are not busy baking and serving lovely treats to you guys! :)

Friday, April 15, 2011

April Showers Bring May Flowers

My old copies of my favourite books..stacked beneath "How to be a Domestic Goddess" by Nigella Lawson


April is my favourite month of the year because of the following:

a) It is my Birthday month :)

b) I am constantly reminded of the Teenage Workbook: the passing of April showers by Adrian Tan. As much as it was a book of the 1980s, I fondly recalled a particular scene where the two main protagonists danced to a 1950 Al Jonson’s classic song called ”April Showers”.


"Here's a thought that we should never miss: Though April showers May come your way, They bring the flowers That bloom in May; And if it's raining, Have no regrets; Because, it isn't raining rain, you know, It's raining violets" - Al Jonson


April showers bring May flowers” is a reminder that even the most unpleasant of things, in this case the heavy rains of April, can bring about very enjoyable things indeed – in this case, an abundance of flowers in May. It is a lesson about patience an endurance. Qualities that remains valid to this day...


I got thinking about how our small business has prospered into something beautifully tangible. Despite our initial success, maintaining a constant patronage and brand awareness have been a challenge due to our cul-de-sac location. Such quote only strengthened me as a business owner, that at even the most difficult setback, one has to persevere for things that you truly believe in. We seek to improve ourselves, when difficulties arise, innovate and renovate.

This month of April, our Easter rendition of the Easter Rabbit include pastel coloured macaroons, flowered cupcakes, rabbit & egg sugar cookies. We continue to participate in Potato Head Easter Sunday Food Market Edition on the 17th April and possibly another "big but undisclosed" curated market event (details will follow) at the end of the month.

Our head pastry chef, Elaine Marlene is also holding "Cupcake & Cookies Workshop" at the following times:


Days: *Thursdays and Fridays 1:30-3:00pmor 5:00-6:30pm; Saturdays* 10:00-11:30am Fee: Rp.115,000 nett (Includes- Equipment, ingredients, cookies, cupcakes, and packaging.)


As always, our Easter sweet packages are also available for catering orders. Menu is attached below.


Have a wonderful Easter celebration and a Happy Birthday to me!


Love, R

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

March News & Events

Along with the amazing press write-ups that we've received on Femina, Prestige, Harper's Bazaar, Grazia, Martha Stewart Living, Good Housekeeping, and Her World (and others I may have missed), we had quite a stretch of events as well this month. The team is tired but will do it all again in a heartbeat. Contact us for any questions or requests: orders@bittersweetindonesia.com

March 11, Friday
Martha Stewart Living High-Tea

* Martha Stewart Living Indonesia has been so kind as to contract us for their high-tea events. Their emphasis on lifestyle and homey feel is a great compliment to what Bittersweet believes in.

March 16, Wednesday
Pacific Place Food Demonstration: Serving the Perfect Dessert in Less than 30 mins




* Pacific Place has been so kind as to feature me in their All About Food Month for 2 demo days. I got to know so many wonderful people especially mothers who fell in love with our cakes and came for the following food demo. On this day, I demonstrated how to make 2 of our best-seller cakes. Our Carrot Cake and Fruit Tart. On average, each cake took approximately 30 mins.

March 18, Friday
Pacific Place Food Demonstration: Cookies & Tea Pairing



* What I emphasized during this demonstration is to learn how to pair the pastry or cookies you're eating, with the tea you're drinking. It's all about complimenting your taste buds. Along with that, I shared with the viewers what has got to be the easiest cookie recipe EVER. And they taste so good, please don't blame me if u get addicted. For those who missed the recipe, I'll share it with you right now:

All you need is:
1 box of Ritz Crackers
1 box of chocolate compound (dark or semisweet is fine)

Directions:
1. Simmer the chocolate compound in a silver bowl over a pan filled with water
2. Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat
3. Dip your Ritz Crackers until fully coated with chocolate
4. Leave it to dry ( In the fridge for 5 minutes or at room temperature for 15 minutes)
5. DONE!

March 20, Sunday
Potato Head Sunday Food Market



* This is our second time joining in the fun. We sold our best sellers and also our macaroons in which were sold out within a few hours!

March 27, Sunday 
Plaza Indonesia Food Tasting Fiesta

* In celebration of Plaza Indonesia's 21st Anniversary, we joined in the Food Tasting Fiesta that they organized for 100 random participants. We provided our best sellers; brownies, carrot cake, red velvet and oreo cupcakes, and all of it literally was wiped out of the table within 30 minutes!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Jour du Macaron 2011


The weather was sunny and breezy, the kids were piping macaron fillings, the adults were enjoying our delectable macaron. More chitter and chatter droning away while sipping coffee au lait with macarons. T'was the perfect Sunday...


Our 60 macaron were snapped out so quickly in the first half session of the Sunday Food Market in Potato Head, that we hate to see some of our customers frowning in disappointment - don't worry, folks, we are sure to provide more next time!



Flavours available on the day includes strawberry, green tea, oreos, chocolate and durian (to those with daring taste buds)

Keep updated with small simple events like this from Bittersweet Corner.
Meanwhile, stay tune and have a good Monday morning!

Oreo cupcakes exclusively from us

Monday, March 14, 2011

All About March

It is already Mid-March and things are getting busier for us once and again. This month we see ourselves featured in various magazines such as Femina, Prestige, Good Housekeeping, Grazia, Her World and many more. The staff is working in a frenetic pace to keep the orders flowing for all of you guys! :)

Before I start rambling on to other unimportant things, Bittersweet will be involved in fun events coming up this and next week. We are delighted to announce 2 inaugural Demo classes in Pacific Place's All About Food Event.

  • Baking Demo: 16th March, 12pm @ Ground Floor: "How to serve the perfect dessert in 30 minutes"
  • Pairing Demo: 18th March, 12pm @ Ground Floor: " Create your perfect tea and cookie combo"


On top of two exciting sessions above, we have once again collaborated with Potato Head in its Sunday Food Market's Jour Du Macaron (Macaron Day), to support the renowned pastry chef Pierre Hermé and the prestigious Association Relais Desserts in their effort to money and awareness for various charities (for more information, refer to Jour Du Macaron official website here) . Some of our available macaroon goodies flavour are Vanilla, Strawberry, Green Tea, Chocolate, Lemon, Snickers© and Oreo. This year's Macaron Day falls on the 20th March, do drop by and say hi!


Monday, February 28, 2011

It was a busy February for Bittersweet...

It was indeed a busy month for Bittersweet. We've received wonderful responses for our full service catering. We also had a lot of fun getting to know new friends and feel abundantly blessed with having the opportunity in having our name more exposed to the wider public. 
Please contact us at orders@bittersweetindonesia.com if you need your event catered. 
Fit Flop Fashion Show
February 25, 2011
Hans & Lilie Wedding Souvenirs
The Ritz Carlton
February 19, 2011
Martha Stewart Living High-Tea
February 18th, 2011





The crowd had a fun time decorating cupcakes from yours truly:)

Potato Head Sunday Market
February 13, 2011



Valentine's Day High-Tea @ EVE Boutique
12 February, 2011
Prevention Magazine February: Health Hero Section