tan319

Curious question, about the man/woman angle. Maybe it's people getting tired of doing things the same way (more or less) forever, man get exasparated quicker or something, who knows. Maybe it's a press thing. I do like all pastry chefs, Luchetti, Barker may not intrigue me as much even though I certainly appreciate her work, as well as Sherry Yards, etc. Could be the rockstars/sports figure thing too, lol! FWIW, at the moment I'm helping a friend run the pastry/desserts dept. at a new place here and he's VERY old school, Bo Frieberg 1st edition old school, and sometimes it's a real drag running into that kind of philosophy when you know a newer technique say, involving ice cream will result in a better product. While we're on that subject, I hold no illusions personally about the clientele there and don't hold anything against the customer ( well, most of the time_) and what they want to eat. Even wd50 at some point was doing a Horchata creme brulee for people who couldn't come to the dessert party, I don't even think it was on the menu. If there's anything the last 3 years have taught me is pick your battles wisely ( I hope) If people want Vanilla or Chocolate, let 'em eat that ice cream 'till they explode. Ditto Steak & Mashed Potato. The trad TO avant garde tag was really about relating to what's on a plate, design taste, etc. but it's all good!

I was looking at that PA&D yesterday & realized that you twist the ganache by hand Also, a member (that you probably know) gave the cream measurement here, can get to it with a search.

I keep on meaning to mess around with Alex' ganache recipe. The Sorbitol kind of threw me off in the beginning ( it's a personal thing) but I loved it when I saw it on the Today show. AW is kind of silly. RE: Not utilizing a technique because it's been done. ala 'Bulli, etc., I got into a bit of a weird one over that kind of stuff a year or so ago in the Chicago forum with GE Bowles re: a Chicago magazine article that profiled him and Achatz and Moto and Bowles said he had never looked at the cdROM from '98/01 and I thought that was a bit hard to swallow as I had seen powdered foie gras on his menu ala the Pacojet. Guess I respectfully doubted it online. RE: Molds, etc.: Alex, did you squeeze out that ganache from a cookie thing a ma bob??? Man, we all like cake & ice cream, sorbets. Re: akwa: What he said, yeah!!! Herme' turns me on more & more all of the time and Adria needs to, well I guess he already HAS put out a new book ( or three, with his broher). How about we petition to get 'Los Postres...' published into English???

Trying to hit a couple of points here.... Wendy, the point was raised on that other thread, by me, about how with all of this new technology and approaches, perhaps we're still drawn in by familiarity, or "iconic" structures or taste combos, as xdrixn threw in. Specifically, the chocolate dessert by Stupak, profiled in PA&D 's signature desserts section was pointed out by me to be a bit jarring ( It's rumoured or is fact now that Alex Stupak will be stepping into the pastry chef position at wd50 in NYC when Sam Mason leaves to start his dessert-centric restaurant in SOHO) when compared to Sams sort of dessert musings. It wasn't to start a pissing match of any kind, more to reflect on how surroundings (restaurant you work in), influences ( everybody is probably influenced by French pastry in the beginning but the Spanish thing and now "New American" thing creeps in eventually for many of us restless or seeker types) affect us almost unconciously in our creations after awhile. A hard subject to tackle, as I was basically insinuating, in a way, that I don't envy Alexs position as the "new guy" at a restaurant that's been identified with it's pastry chef as much as say (don't kill me please, Wylie or Sam, or for that matter, any of you) Le Cirque was with Torres !!! Or Albert Adria is with El Bulli. There, I've not only said it but it crystallized for me!

Hey alex, thanks for checking in and participating and, please, add to this thread anytime you want. I would be thrilled as I'm sure many others would be to hear about anything that's blown you away anytime. As a former New Yorker (8 & 1/2 years or so, of course ending in 2k before all of YOU guys started kicking it up! ) I'd like to welcome you to NYC and hope it will be as much of a turn on for you as it was for me. RE: technique, flavor, etc: What always gets me, never fails, is when I get something going for me that is new and hopefully better. Teaching that to someone, especially someone who has got the blinders on, is even better. And as akwa said upthread, caring, nothing is more important then caring about what you're making and putting up for people to enjoy. This one place I recently used to be at, I used to crack up all of the prep people because I would never fail to exclaim how breath taking the shimmer off of the creme brulee was for me, or come running out to give someone a taste of some new flavor ice cream or sorbet I had come up with, to taste the diff a freshly churned one was. I still do all of the time.

I'm right there with you. Why IS it more interesting to those people to not just do the same things but to put down the newer stuff too.

To add my two cents ala minute, I'm always excited to learn a new technique or use a new ingredient. In my own things i tend to start with an idea and then probably reinterpret it somewhere, depends on where I'm working, what I can get away with w/o alienating people, etc. A lot of times , I think the management doubt the ability of the clientele to get their heads around something like an avocado dessert component or the chef just hates that kind of stuff. Read the May GQ (Christine Aguliara(SIC?) on the cover) for a terrific article on the chefs of Alinea, MOTO and Avenues in Chicago. Giving your people the Same Old Shit because every other place is has never made sense to me. At the same time, I don't feel people should feel compelled to try VersaWhip or Gellen or Agar just because it's new. You have to be comfortable and do what you do best. I feel slightly foolish now about feeling Stupaks dessert was "cold-ish" just because it defied a "reference" point (A Mason plate always has a certain "direction", to me.) Sauce placement, the 'schmear of the spoon, the quenelle of sorbet or ice cream will make me think of Balaguer or Adria or Gagnaire, a billion other people and, in fact, often it's not that concrete a reference for me. Mason is now an reference onto himself, as Ong, Stupak, Izunni, et al are. It's just, as alanamoana sez, "a connection" that can make us feel comfortable. Have to say, ice cream crumbs or scoops, both appeal to me, the whole thing does. PS: BTW: I REALLY hope Alex stops in, akwa too. I know both are busy but this ones for you guys too.

I think he meant "someone named xdrixn"???

A few members, notably akwa & Alex Stupak and xdrixn, all pro pastry chefs, asked about a new thread starting from a NY Forum thread about a new dessert restaurant. New Dessert Restaurant I threw this up as a thought over there... "True, and by my earlier post I didn't mean to imply that I thought Stupak is not soulful. Indeed, a Clio dessert menu I saw that a friend who dined there a few years ago brought back was inspirational. The menu items I saw from Alinea seemed very sci fi, more so then even Adria, and Sams desserts, from what I've seen, always seem connected to dessert, does that make sense? Provocative, unusual at times but always looking ( and sounding) delicious. The "chocolate band" of Stupaks seemed sort of "cold" and that was a surprise to me. Either way would be a rough decision. Maybe wd50 would afford him a chance to work some of those "classic" angles back in while leaving him the room to experiment with ingredients, etc." Alex and akwa said this (edited)... "QUOTE(akwa @ Jun 6 2006, 01:43 PM) shouldnt this be a different thread wg From Alex Stupak "im agreeing with akwa on this one.........if anyone wants to start a thread on dessert philosophy and approach im all for it cause i have a lot to say...." Alex Stupak, a GREAT pastry chef who is currently at Alinea in Chicago, which most would say is one of the most forward thinking restaurants in the US, was recently profiled with a signature dessert in Pastry Art & Design. One of the things he mentioned was coming into pastry and desserts from the savory side and how he never ( if I'm remembering this correctly) mentored under a pastry chef. That's something many have done, gotten into it from the "hot" side. Pichet Ong came into it that way, I believe. Many pastry chefs have also been self taught,like Pat Coston, to name but one. Then there are others, like Sam Mason or Nicole Kaplan, who started out from the gitgo in pastry. I think both staged with Pierre Herme at some point and other pastry chefs even though Mason also staged or worked with a chef whom I consider the premier French savory & dessert chef operating in the US, Michel Richard. Will this make a difference in how dessert is approached, looks wise especially? Is one reigned in or freed by what they have encountered ? Here 'ya go!

The xantham gum is a pre requisite? I just got the VW 500 samples yesterday, which is labeled for confectionary use. How did you finesse the recipe? Do tell!!! Thanks.

Mildly depressing stuff... Very ibteresting stuff though. I've often wondered how people like Keller start "the Stretch".

BTW, Congrats to Will for 10 best in PA&D soon come!

I'd love to try both technigues, sous vide with fruit ( Mason does his caramelized bananas that way, Ducasse a zillion fruits ditto). RE: Themomix: Yes, that's about what I would have thought Gilt would be using it for, perfectly in line with things I've read about it. Unrelated: I was looking at an old ish of Food Arts, with Conticini circa Petrossian/ El Bulli doing breakfasts at Hotels in Seville, and Oscar Palacios (SIC?), GILTS Pastry chef was in there from Cello, with two really nice desserts.

found out today the 500 isn't kosher.

I'd like to know too. I remember PA&D from a few years ago. Which one one? Thanks

That could be Re: Rewhipping to order. Maybe it was a quote from doc that the pineapple foam on the Manchego deflated a bit on sitting? Or maybe it was one of yours. Re: 500/600 strength Versawhip: The person I spoke to said a number of chefs had been asking about it and were getting samples of the 600. So maybe try your luck and whip out (up?) the 600 there, chap!!! Best of luck PS: The question about the bain marie, etc., you're basing that on the pix? Do you have to keep it warm?

I thought the pictures of Sam working with it (wd50 thread?) showed him using an handheld electric mixer, like an handheld KA unit. I get the impression it's an ala minute thing. Never got the idea that the foamer was the method of delivery.Page #9 Post 259 Docsconz The pics of the desserts like the Manchago shows the difference in the texture of the foam , as well as a few others and the KA handheld too. Hope this helps. I just sent away for my samples today Versa Whip 600. PS: Should I have asked for the 500 too? I didn't want to seem too greedy

That's nice, Seth! What is the cake about and what's it filled with? Flavour of ice cream?

That's what I'm 'talking about....

Thanks for the report, sounds a winner.

Those are some NICE books!!!

I look forward to reading my Fave food writer ( at least the Beatles one)'s newest book. Hoping the Achatz & Keller chapters rule!

Well, basically it's a blender, very adjustable speed blender/mixer that heats/cooks also. You can reduce a sauce while you blend it . The chances of scorching are practically nil and the people I was working with, the savory guys were using it MUCH more then we in pastry ever did. So I suppose you could do anything with eggs, an aioli or hollandaise, sabayon, and pasturise it (85c) yet not curdle the eggs. The El Bulli books '98/01, for instance, use it all the time. Thermomix There's the link, the site is being worked on (built out). The recipe book I've never found extremely handy or inspirational. I could envision a lot of uses in GILTS kitchen for them. Maybe someone from the kitchen there could illuminate us? Hope that helps!

Yeah, that's all I really mean, I'm a cheap date. A few things gurgling with the PSC's blinking, I'm jazzed. I'm interested in the kitchen size, how many cooks, etc. Would like to see a layout like the Per Se feature they did in Food Arts. The latest on on GILT was cool though. PS: THermomixes ROCK!!!! Used them a bunch in Miami doing a consulting gig, beautiful things!

RAAAA I can go!!! Now I know what I'm doing on my day off. ← Can't wait to read what you think, seth!