chefette

http://www.pastrynet.com./magazine/issue1-may05.pdf pretty photos and an article here. Originally from Pasticeria Internazzionale also a recipe

"Microbial polysaccharides produced as microbial exudates include xanthan gum, curdlan and gellan gum" " Gellan gum is a gel-forming polysaccharide derived from Pseudomonas elodea. These gels are clear, heat stable, and set quickly with minimal refrigeration" "Gum systems, particularly with gelling agents such as pectin, gellan, gelatin and carrageenan, tend to provide better flavor release, less masking of flavor, than an equally thick or gelled system based on starch,". "Part of this is due to the lower use levels of gums vs. starches. Gums are generally used in the range of 0.05% to 1.00%, while starches are usually in the 0.75% to 10.0% range. The higher concentration of starches tends to encapsulate or capture flavor molecules more readily than gums." "NutraSweet Kelco took the Japanese notion several steps further by working with gellan systems that not only maintain their separate textures within a beverage, but also suspend particulates composed of lots of different materials - say, spices or juice pulp pieces, in addition to gellan beads - in the beverage" The article is waaaaaay beyond foolin around. THIS is research! http://www.foodproductdesign.com/archive/1999/1299ap.html

Interesting as I was just reading a couple of fascinating articles about gums and gelling agents yesterday. They don't talk about calcium chloride, but alginates are popular. Most of the info re calcium salts was in conjunction with gellan and its ability to create viscous pourables that would gell pretty much as soon as you stop the stirring action. "One of the more interesting synergies, is the one that develops between an alginate and a high-ester pectin. "By using a blend, you can get it to gel under conditions that neither one would ordinarily gel under,". "Normally with a high-ester pectin you would need low pH and high solids. With an alginate, you'll need a calcium source and a higher pH, one above 4." By mixing these together, a gel will form in a pH range lower than needed for an alginate and higher than required for a high-ester pectin (in the 3 to 4 pH range) without the high solids or the calcium ions." "Alginates are extracted from brown seaweed or kelp. Alginate is made up of the five-carbon polymers mannuronic acid and gluronic acid. In the presence of calcium ions, it forms thermally irreversible gels. The reaction can easily be varied to control speed of set and degree of setting. Alginate gels are heat-resistant and can be prepared at very low solids."

Options: 1- Status quo. Pros: You know the area and like where you live, you are getting by Cons: You feel undervalued and are not getting ahead. Do not forsee any changes in the economy 2- Sign up for FPS 6 month program Pros: It would be fun. Give you the satisfaction that you have a top notch school credential in your pocket. Cons: Need to borrow $17.5K for tuition. Living expenses and relocation would be certain to drive additional debt. Would entail going over a lot of basics and putting up with a bunch of beginners. 3- Sign up for Notter Master Classes/Master Classes at FPS Pros: Get to identify and target specific areas that need work. Can elect to take classes with world renowned experts. May allow opportunity for developing personal relationships with instructors/chefs. Cons: Still expensive and requires travel expenses. 4- Decide to take a self development research/stage/educational tour including visits to locations/markets of interest that have more robust and better paid pastry industry, master classes at Notters and FPS, stages in top pastry kitchens around the country Pros: Identify potential opportunities and develop useful working relationships. Learn some new techniques and see some new desserts (hopefully). Line up a new life with confidence. Cons: Still expensive, time consuming 5- Take a pastry job in Vegas Pros: It’s a job. It is union. Better payscale and benefits. Cons: It’s a step backward. You would be working in huge volume. You might find out you have an addictive personality and become a compulsive gambler. As we see on TV each week two people in Vegas are victims of really horrible murder crimes. 6- Start your own business Pros: Gives you independence and ability to go more in the directions that you want. Allows you to be the boss. Cons: Need to fit into the market. Expensive and would require loans. Could be risky. 7- Change careers Pros: Most other (non food) careers have starting salaries up around $40K and the sky is the limit. Cons: Might require retraining and relocation therefore incursion of debt. You might be unhappy. 8- Take a job with a big corporation doing food research Pros: Lots of PCs are taking jobs with companies like Au Bon Pain and Mars etc to help them improve their product or develop higher end specialty products. Good salary. Nice jackets. Travel. Benefits. Still pastry. Access to large clean kitchens and lots of equipment and assistants. Cons: Well, it is industrial – but it’s the future – right? 9- Get on the Cast of a Reality TV Cooking show 10- Become a food writer. Write a book. 11- Wiggle your way into the Food TV thing and get a TV show.

I saw that he was listed also - and checked all the cakes - but No Mike. Maybe the cake was destroyed enroute or something.

I think in the last year without even trying I have come across at least three articles in the newspaper about "oh, hahah I never made a cupcake except maybe from a box and now I am planning to make my own cake - and not just any cake, but a really really fine and fancy one". They go through a huge breathless adventure and load of money and say - hmmm now I kinda understand why maybe nice cakes aren't all that cheap. Everytime I read those where they are talking about copying some top cake artists' cake I wonder to myself why they aren't also going to make their own Vera Wang wedding dress (based on a photo in Bride's magazine - no pattern), maybe cater all the food, block print the invitations, design and build their own home. I do think that a cake for 15-50 should be a manageable task though so check those links and the references from Ruth. Keep your plans simple so that you can achieve them and so that this will not impinge on your wedding festivities - which you should be enjoying.

Why have you decided to put this kind of pressure on yourself? Is it an economics decision? Or you are just jazzed up about doing it yourself? Will you also be making your own dress (Couldn't help myself) Here are some links to earlier discussions dealing almost exactly with your question http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=15132&hl= http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=29321&hl= http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=67296&hl=

I think that you need to consider the personal pros and cons specific to yourself starting with a very honest self assessment and I don't think that comparing yourself to the PA&D 10 best issue is the best way to start. It sounds like you are giving yourself a sort of inferiority complex. If only one other person in your area is doing anything better than you then you and that involves doing showpieces and ice sculptures then you are doing pretty well - maybe you need to spend some effort making some changes in the 'wall' that you have hit economically. How much is the ice sculpture guy getting? Have you ever gone by and chatted him up? How good is his work? what is his resume like? Don't forget to add in opportunity costs when considering the school investment - it isn't just the tuition. There is at least temporary relocation and living costs, plus not working during that time. Plus interest if you have to take out a loan for the tuition. I expect it is more like $25K plus at minimum after that - how does that affect your payback and recovery timeline? What are the salaries for people with your resume in Las Vegas? If you walked in to the Bellagio would you really be at a disadvantage just as you are? Do you feel that asking for $35K would be unrealistic as you are today? If you have the $17.5 - $25K latitude to spend or borrow I would think that you could put it to work for you more strategically by taking some time off from work and setting up a stage or 10 with or through contacts on this board. Spend a week or two in Las Vegas trailing or staging with some people - talking to them - make those connections, go to NYC (I KNOW) they take stages most everywhere there. Go see if the new French Laundry guy in Napa will let you stage or trail with him. Then reevaluate yourself and your directions and your path. Take the classes with Ewald that you really think will fill the gaps to give you the confidence to achieve those goals. Or you could do up a business plan, get an investor or two and think about starting up something of your own. Maybe you are just undervaluing yourself.

First off, as someone with 4-5 years experience you should be a pretty good judge of the market in general and in your area specifically. are you thinking of relocating? Is anyone else with superior skills and technique in your area outpacing you economically? where is your economic wall in relation to other people in your area? are you comparable? or behind? and where are your skillsets in relation to theirs? How do you forsee the $17.5K investment enhancing your ability to command more money? Would investing $17.5K in your career in any other way actually give you a better payback? How old are you? how much career time do you have ahead of you to recoup your costs - will it really give you the ROI you are hoping for? in that question- what ROI do you think is realistic?? what would you need? Or is this just something that you want to do?

There are several Nutella recipes in Tentations Hope no one will feel it necessary to decry Philippe as a Nutella pawn

I will just say it here and I am certain that the tsunami of passionate backlash will prove my point See's Chocolates - manufactured mediocrity with a huge and dedicated following that will never concede that See's is maybe just a teeny tad higher on the chocolate scale than a Whitman's sampler from the drugstore.

and thinking about this today - something that Ms. Hull did not bring up - because it was apparently not relevant to her point is that this isn't just how hispanics that used to be gang members and learned to cook in prison are scraping by in top kitchens to make food for the gentrified $600K condo owners - this is exactly the same pay and same life that the college grad 30-something career changers going to work as cooks get. School does not count as your dues - you don't come in and get to be higher up the (forgive me) food chain because you speak english or have some diploma in your pocket. Miguel actually has alot on the ball, has a great resume and lots of good experience behind him and will hopefully do well. just a little seed to keep in mind as a reality check.

Someone MUST have read this by now... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5052800490.html Anne Hull - "The Hope of D.C.'s Aproned Ranks"

Are we starting to talk about the question of "if it is produced in volume - can it still be art?" or "Can you produce art commercially?" what are the lines? Does art have to be one of a kind? How many reproductions before something is just a thing? what distinguishes artisinal chocolate from bulk manufactured? and of course - art doesn't necessarily mean that it is good or better and manufactured does not need to mean that it is bad or inferior. but we already talked about that. is a bad artist better than a good manufacturer? I think that as with all artists - you rely on your customers to recognize and appreciate you - to support your work. Developing a following. I guess that is sort of validating. In a field where your art is so temporal you cannot afford to be a misunderstood artist and if you aren't developing a following or being understood then you have to re-evaluate or perish.

More a question of opportunity I guess. Also, since I don't read french and puzzle out the instructions which are not always what you wpuld anticipate here are some that look tempting off the bat petit pots de creme: vanilla/fraise/basilic, citron/orange/corriandre, orange/mangye/estragon I went to the troublr to translate it and it is pretty interesting you do the three 'compotes' then the creme which you divide and flavor assemble and bake - creme is atop the compote - serve as a trio in small glasses cocajou - coke gelee, grapefruit vanilla powder, cinnamon, lemon juice, whiskey coconut emulsion toated bretton shortcrust confit apples with calvados gelee and a crumble raspberry and rhubarb, jus espais a la coco white chocolate gelee, raspberry and basil chocolat moelleux, caranel and sea salt cappucino caramel, sucettes glaces au tiramisu there are picture that you want to just eat up but i am not exactly sure what the recipes are for could be drinks or puddings/gelees croquettes au chocolat friatines au chocolat not at all sure exactly what this is but it looks tasty hamburger d'agrumes en gelee, riz au lait a l'infusion de menthe d'angelo musa porc au caramel et riz saute a/ l'ananas of his wife anne-lise menu It all seems kind of Jose Andres mini bar and the savory items are even more enticing than the sweets - although I think that Philippe has always been a visionary in sort of moving more toward lack of clear definition between savory and sweet - that there are elements of both throughout and that technique overlaps. Philippe just does it in a very subtle way. I think you would probably like this book, most of the preparations actually are much more direct and shorter than lots of the complex books. Making something just hasn't happened yet but perhaps I shall prepare something this weekend since I have a little time.

Well - it is a really gorgeous book - very large format paper bound 16 tall x 11 wide. gorgeous photos, all in french (naturally) finger attitude starters a table exception la cuisine de mes potes sweet snacking total regression sweet basics index I haven't made anything from it so far though

The fondant is definitely yellow - it looks like they painted on the white first then did the blue. Now now J - get that thread started - the sooner you start the thread... the sooner you will be prepared to get started on the caking and the baking - bringin home the bakin

start another thread about how one starts a small time business doing expensive cakes that totally get me pysched!

I really love those rolled in stripes - they are so vivid and exciting - just fun.

Cotovelo - do you mind sharing the name and location of your shop? nevermind - I found your site - nice work! http://www.christopherelbowchocolates.com/ I thought that was a really good post that dealt with the issue very well. Are you still selling to Dean & Deluca?

bingo!

None of this is to dispagage use of edible paper transfer sheets. I think they are pretty cool and would like to try them myself.

Here are details from a couple of the other cakes using painted, piping, and applique techniques Carolyn Wanke's cake - I had thought it was painted - eben seeing it in person - out looking at the closeups - and you might not be able to tell from this - but it was more textured than I had thought. The black lines are piped, there is use of applique as well as painting. I think this is the royal icing embroidery/painting technique. Sorry - not sure whose cake it was. more painting and here is a cake I did 5 years ago in a competition. I painted scenes on rolled white modeling paste that I then attached to the cake. I chose this instead of gumpaste or pastillage becuase I wanted the panels to remain flexible so that they could be ahered directly to the cake. In hindsight - this might not have been the best possible idea because if the bride had wanted to retain the decor it would have been very difficult. The white modeling paste was also difficult to paint on since it seems to contain fat and therefore was fairly resistant. But I thought I would post this for JSkilling so she could see another example of painted panels

on Nhora's cake - with the strawberries - It looks like a stencil or transfer with the vine/leaf/flower pattern onto the cake and then from there she built and dusted her blossoms straight on top of the print. I had actually thought that was all painted on - but when you look closely you can see that the vines are almost perfectly identical from one to another strip - but I think that if the was indeed a transfer - then that is a really good use. On the Jan Kish Cake - you can do your panels in gumpaste or pastillage any time you want. They do not require any direct correlation in time to the production of the cake. You make and dry the panels, paint your scenes and then you just attach them to the cake when the time comes. She did also paint a decorative effect directly on the fondant. If you are a slow worker - this is a style of decoration that would be worth considering - assuming you have artistic skills and can paint. Re the use of the edible printed sheets - I think that they have great visual impact, they are very attractive, they are very well applied technically and have been used to good overall effect. In addition, the cake artists using those sheets also demonstrated other skills in decoration - Beryl's origami birds, piping closures, flowers... I don't think the whole 'this allows a more affordable cake' arguement is very strong. In this venue I think that they are interesting because you still don't see all that much use of these in the market, and for brides doing some cake shopping they are something of a hot trend.

here are some examples of hand done work airbrushing, painting and integrated use of 3-D flowers by Nhora de la Pava--layered on top of a printed transfer detailed stenciling and utilization of texturing as well as painting by Kerry Vincent use of applique but very clean and detailed by Martine handpainting and use of appliqued pieces by Katrina Rozelle detailed piping striping by rolling in, painting and applique very detailed painting by Jan Kish