tan319

If I EVER do my dessert place idea, part of what I want to do is consult and perhaps provide desserts to restaurants that don't have a chef or ones that maybe I even used to work for. But to do any volume in it, say, like Sweet Street, you would more then likely have to start using crap products, wouldn't you? Because a lot of those restaurants aren't going to be able to understand if you're charging them more money for what they're getting. I've seen this 1st hand delivering stuff to hotels, someone complaining because the price of a flan went up, and I'm thinking,"jeez, you're dishwasher could make a decent one for you for 1/2 the price. That whole sweet street thing is a bummer to me. I can see consulting or providing dessrts, as long as there is an effort to hand tailor them to the restaurant. That's what I did when I was consulting. Maybe one item crossed over. But good luck, bri. I can see what you're talking about.

This is a better machine, for less money. Makes 1 1/2 quarts see it here And this is a 1 quart machine for even less money and it works very nicely. I have one as it is easier to carry around than the bigger machines. Well, that gelato chef looks like the S-it!!! Nice one

=R= I like that!

I've got to say I'm very excited that Will is going to be on the scene in a very present way again in NYC. I missed his work the 1st time around when he worked with Paul Liebrandt at Atlas (which spawned some other great people like Sam Mason), both of whom were probably a bit ahead of their time then. This won't be the case this time around. Google pastry chef Will Goldfarb and look at some damned interesting dessert combinations that were happening a good 3 or so years ago.

Man, that cuis machine is what I'm talking about! That's nice! If you're cheap though, or on a budget, those 4 qt, 'salt and ice Rivals at wal mart will make some good stuff. Your formula has to be right but I make all the ice creams and sorbets for my restaurant ( around 12/14 flavors between the two) and they're great!

akwa may be a bit shy, maybe do a search ? Solid chef, one of the 'godfathers' (sorry, akwa )of avant dessert cuisine.

Thanks for the link, Bux. The 'gullet google machine didn't take me to the thread. I remember seeing the site on louisa's site. Wish I could see a menu. Anyways, thanks for plugging me in.

gemini, I don't know how close Woodstock, Vermont is to Montpelier but, there's a pretty cool restaurant there run by G.E. Bowles in the Jackson Inn that you might be interested in. Go to http://gebowles.com/ He is one of the Food & Wine 10 best chefs this year. Website is very cool and he is plugged in to the new stuff. Just in case NYC is too much for the pocketbook?

akwa is solid! This would be a great opportunity for a person interested in more avant styles with a ground in classics. Wish I still lived there...

I second this.

As far as "fair" goes. little in life is. There is one big difference in the Vegas cup and the other international competitions from what I can see. The others are put together by governments (?) and the one here is put on by a magazine owner and an American (former?) pastry chef and businessman. It's their show, take it or leave it. They decide the rules. I doubt that many US wannabe contestants are going to protest too much, there's too much at stake, specutively, for their careers. Will Bajard and those guys stay home next year? Perhaps, but many others would probably welcome the chance to compete. So, we could talk this one until we're blue in the face but until Schenider is convinced otherwise, and I doubt that's going to happen, and I don't know if it really even should, nothing's going to change. Because, IMHO, there's not enough Americans practicing this old school stuff to be better then those guys. When FTV broadcasted that wedding cake comp., it excited me because everyone of those contestants were expressing themselves in their individual way. That was exciting! This comp. is so rigid, everything looks more or less alike, it just seems frozen in time to me. I appreciate the talent, I really do, but, damn... Why don't they change the format a bit and call it,"Battle of the M.O.F's."?

Well. that got heated rather quickly, no? kyototaco, You must not be around here very much, if you were, you would know that Steve Klc is probably not here, certainly in the last year, 6 months for sure, near as much as most would like to see. I was pleased to read his opinion on the WPC, maybe because it jives with how I feel about it. The work is great, no doubt about that. I've enjoyed the pictures very much. To me, it reflects a very small facet of what pastry and dessert cuisine is all about. if you haven't read it yet, go out and get the new Food Arts magazine, and read about the World Pastry Summit that was held at Greystone this past spring. They talked about where pastry is going, flavors to be explored. Read Pichet Ongs editorial, "Sugar, Spice. Is Everything Nice?" ( it's actually titled "Mincing No Words, sorry), about what the pastry chef faces now, in the marketplace outside of most hotels and resorts. About the choices we'll be making, and what our mission COULD be. Very inspiring, very true. And I have to agree with Pamela, Re: the US team situation. Sorry, just can't see telling a Frenchmen who works here and pays taxes here, that he or she can't be on our team, because of where they're from.

I meant the only game in town in the US.

It's a cursed location anyways, both of them should have known better.

i think you make a good arguement for team representation. Unfortunately, until enough people feel the same and make their unhappiness with the situation known, it will not only be a case of the organizers saying "sour grapes", (one in particular) but it is a case of the "only game in town". And who is going to argue with that? People surely aren't going to stick their necks out for a principle. That said, it's still hard for me to accept that these French guys on the U.S. team ( and note that Chris Hamner was on the US team this year) are doing it all for France. It's a complex issue, at least for me. But I dig where you're coming from!

McDuff, My post should have said ARE puree centric, meaning the Barry recipes. Sorry about the confusion. As I've said before, it seems weird to put out a product that you have to play with so much. But, if it works for you guys... The tempering thing seems very interesting. I've been getting into tempering (finally) and have pretty good sucess. Tempering Milk Chocolate, specifically, and it's turning out great, I just hate working in the heat and humidity in my shop, which should be wreaking havoc on my product. Anything that can make it work more to my advantage.

So, what do you do if someone blows a recipe? It would seem the volume for a Whole Foods outlet would be substantial. Just curious.... Also, it seems the recipes a bit puree centric. What if you're using a pate bombe? Maybe that's addressed in the book but at 150+$, know what I mean?

I'm with you on that. Richard Leach's book even gave weights, and considering Mesnier used to teach the pastry course at L'Academie de Cuisine in Md., you would think... Lazy bunch of crap

Speidec, Let me know how it works out. Speaking of work, where are you located? There could be a "pro" pastry chef looking to change his scene.... edited to add: you know, there's been so much going on that I forgot all about the paper thing. Have you guys done more with it?

I think the mascarpone is what is making it grainy. That stuff is very tempermental. I had some break on me the other day when I was making my dulce de leche mascarpone cakes, something that never happens to me. Had to stick blend it back to emulsify. You have a LOT of solid-ish type of ingredients there. That's going to mess with that ethereal type of quivery panna cotta we all know and love. Which I think liquids typically lend to it. My reciope is generally... For around 18 4 oz. servings: Quart of milk or half and half (my pref) 5 to 5 and a half cups of heavy cream. 8 oz. sugar flavoring. oh, and about 8 to 9 leafs of silver gel bloomed. If you're using that Glidden stuff, that really dark german gel, maybe back it down to 8? And be careful how much you use anyways, considering that yogurt and cheese(especially mascarpone?) have gums/stabilizers of sorts in them oftentimes. And if you're looking for that tang from the yogurt, would the creme fraiche supply enough of that? So, adjustments would probably have to be made considering all of that heavy stuff. One thing I'm wondering.... What if you tried, just for the sport, a neutral flavored type of those liquid yogurts, if they make them, like Nourishe(SP?) by Yoplait? Could be interesting. That panna cotta recipe above has never let me down. Good Luck to you!

I've seen fig sorbet recipes that are pretty reliable. If I was going to do a fig ice cream, I would probably not use yolks. Maybe do a base with the cream and milk and use honey, about 25% of the volume/weight of the sugar you would use, and perhaps try some brown sugar mixed in with the rest of the 75% sugar used in the recipe. Thinking about the yolk factor, I should say that that's something I would do in the restaurant, where I have access to dry extracts, ing. like powdered milk, atomised glucose, etc. Good Luck with your adventure!

Neil, et al... I would be VERY careful with amounts of Lavender used in a recipe. I had an assistant once at a restaurant I was at who decided to do a special ( on my day off) based around a polenta cake, a citrus compote and lavender ice cream. I came in the next day and tasted the ice cream and it was like a creamy mouthful of Caswell & Massey soap! An interesting idea could be to throw some Lavender into a good amount of sugar in a container and allow it to perfume it for a few days. The amount of Lavender that was used in that ice cream was about a quarter cup, it was too much.

That was great that they got back to you quickly. Gives one a little faith that owners only care about the Nicole Kidmans and such. Are you going to take them up on the dinner offer? Good Luck and Congratulations

I just wanted to welcome ChefGEB to eGullet and also add that his website, which I happened upon last night, was not only amazing looking, but inspirational too. To be cooking like that in a town of 3,000 is super ballsy! Menu looks great, love the philosophy behind the food. Best of luck and best wishes, Ted Niceley

BREAKING NEWS!!! CHEFS ARE STILL DOING THAT!