Tri2Cook

I'm not a pastry chef, I'm a dessert cook. I'm the pastry chef where I work by virtue of the fact that I do the desserts and am in charge of my department, so the literal definition of the term technically applies. I do not consider myself a pastry chef by the commonly accepted meaning of the term and don't present myself as such. In fact, I don't refer to myself as chef, pastry or otherwise, it's just what it says on my job description at work. I agree. Wedding cakes and showpieces are completely valid, take large amounts of skill to do well and are impressive when done well. They just don't interest me and are not really required skills for doing desserts in a restaurant setting (the restaurant where I work now requires more of what Eric does than anything else) so I don't practice them. If I signed on for a competition then, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I would do what I was asked to do. Depending on what it is, I may not do it well but I would do what I could. I have to say that I think draping some raw veggies over a form in a pastry competition is just about as wrong as not trying at all. Eric's dress was a trainwreck but it was a pastry trainwreck, not a salad bar. I would have masked the form and sprayed it, cookies and all, with chocolate to hide the ugly. A simple velvet dress with a few simple decorations wouldn't have won but may not have had him in the bottom three since they liked his flavors.

Ok, assuming I had the cojones to enter something like this, which I don't (so I give props to even the worst among them, because I wouldn't be willing to put myself in that situation), and also assuming I'd made it this far, this is the week I may have been in serious trouble. Maybe not, because I wouldn't have even considered making a wearable salad bar, but constructing a dress out of anything is not within the scope of what I do, have ever done or even thought about maybe doing. I have the fashion sense of a rock and care about fashion probably even less. I don't share Seth's surprise that this type of challenge would be part of the competition, it is part of the pastry world as a whole, but I do share his sentiment that it's not a part of the business that I practice or have an interest in.

I did this Jamaica-inspired dish not too long ago. It was tasty. Not completely white but you could refrain from browning the fish and use white onions instead of red if you're going for the full monochromatic thing. escovitch fish - green banana porridge - coconut milk rundown - pickled red onion

Started a batch this morning based on Katie's recipe. I couldn't follow it exactly, no high proof vodka available where I live, so I just used a bottle of Finlandia and I'll give it more time to infuse.

Well I gave that advice as one who rarely takes it himself. I have a large stock of those type of ingredients because I always order the large packages. I order the ingredients because I have a need to know how when I see a new technique. In a few cases, once I know how, I'm not as excited about it as I was initially and the ingredient sits there. Ordering a small amount to experiment with allows you to decide if you actually want to work with something enough to invest in a large quantity. Maybe someday I'll learn to take my own advice.

If you're not sure, just get the smaller size. Do some experimenting, see how fast you're going through it, then order the larger size next time if you need it. I don't know much about versawhip other than it allows you to whip pretty much any liquid into a stable foam so the only advice I can give you regarding your ideas is hit the kitchen. The stuff that doesn't work is almost as much fun as the stuff that does, just try everything you think of and see what you come up with.

I think Seth has explained his point of view pretty well. His reactions seemed over the top to us but we're also seeing it as the producers choose to present it and the reasons he's given us for being unhappy are every bit as valid as Malika's in my opinion. People seem to be willing to say that Malika didn't know entirely what she was getting into until she was there but some seem to be unable to give that same benefit of the doubt to Seth. I'm inclined to chalk it up as a bad experience for a fellow eGullet member who has never given any reason here to think he is anything but a professional and a good person.

Splash pages, music, cutesy "Where's Waldo" navigation (which only appears when you mouseover) that you have to find hidden among the flash images, lengthy sermons from the church of Alice Waters on the main page. All annoying to me. I don't mind pdf menus and I can live with a short flash intro if it includes a "skip" button (although I'd prefer it not to be there if I had a choice). I don't go to a business website for art and fun, I go for information.

Nice! I love toffee... I like it even better minus the chocolate but I'll scarf it down either way.

I don't think it's necessary. I think they're giving the Top Chef audience less credit than they deserve for their ability to enjoy the show for the food and the competition without all of the drama and screwy twists. The audience that needs those things to enjoy the show has Hell's Kitchen. As for the contestants, I wouldn't like working that way and I don't need to experience it to know that for sure. Pastry people usually have a certain amount of control freak as part of their makeup that is difficult to subdue. Whether or not the way the show takes a lot of that control out of the contestant's hands will kill the show remains to be seen. I'm not so sure I think the Just Desserts edition is destined for too many seasons regardless but I like seeing the spotlight on this end of the kitchen for a little while.

Never once questioned your ability. I've read your posts here on eGullet long before this show. I've read the helpful information you share. I've seen pictures of your work. I have no doubt at all that you are a very talented pastry chef working at a level that I'd love to attain (I also accept that I got into the game very late and never will have that opportunity even if I develop the skill unless I open my own place someday). I also don't think you're a lousy person and I realize that the show collects all of the drama moments they can while minimizing the focus on the work going on. I just think you have some learning to do in the area of dealing with other people. And that may not even be the case, I'm just basing it on what we saw on the show. Maybe outside of that arena you're a great guy who's fun to be around. I just hated to see you self-implode because I was looking forward to seeing what you were going to do as the show progressed. There's really nobody left to represent the style you do unless they're keeping it up their sleeve until later.

Me too... I'm just not sure I agree that she should have. I was sure she shouldn't have before reading Chris' reply, that made me think about it with a little more benefit of the doubt in her direction, but I'm still not sure that I think it was the thing to do. That's ok though, she wasn't doing it for me.

I suppose that's true. I was brought up that if you signed up to do something, you did it. Deciding you didn't like it wasn't really an excuse to back out. One of my dad's favorite phrases when I was growing up was "you don't have to like it, you just have to do it". I thought it was good for me but maybe not having the instinct to just quit if I'm not having fun is a bad thing. They liked her dessert so I suppose she can at least say she left on a high note.

The format, the knowing that most will be on cruise control through the majority of the first half of the season, doesn't bother me too much. I'd like to see them pushing more but I understand the strategy of "I have to get to the end before I can win". The focus on the drama moments is what annoys me the most. Seth needs some mental maturity and discipline. He had the spoiled kid not used to hearing the word "no" vibe on the show. "They won't let me make my own ice cream for the challenge so I'm going to hyperventilate over some paper cups to make my point." Kinda like the kid on the floor screaming at Walmart because mom won't buy the toy he wants. The whole "I want to make the showpiece, now I'm angry because you didn't make the showpiece" thing was completely ridiculous. Especially when your team won and the judges liked your dessert and your showpiece. The "I simply can't face judges table again unless we're the winning team" was major drama queen. You got a second chance on a show that doesn't give second chances. Smile and get to work. I thought "I want to leave because I don't enjoy cooking this way" was a legit way to feel but she knew it was a competition going in and someone else who may have wanted to compete didn't get to because she got the spot. She should have made the effort to continue. I'm beginning to wish I'd signed up for it. I'm probably not at a level that would have a chance under normal circumstances but, the way they're all volunteering to leave or mentally falling to pieces, I might have been able to get farther than I would have expected. Note: I don't really wish I'd signed up for it, that was meant to be funny.

No it's not. If that's the worst ice cream you've ever tasted, you didn't live on the poor side of town.

I have a very well stocked toy box of "molecular" ingredients. When I see a new technique, I have to know how to do it. Sometimes it's something I never do again once I figure it out... but I have to know how. So the ingredients keep coming in.

Carrot tops on their own are not the best tasting green things out there. I don't mind them in combination with other greens though. You can't really take the "make it green then worry about the flavor later" approach if you're going to use herbs or vegetables for the color. There will already be a flavor that tossing in some ground coriander won't overpower... at least not in any good way. If you're going to use veggies and herbs for the color, you have to take the flavor into account right from the start. If it won't taste good in the dish, you won't make it taste good in the dish by piling in a spice at the end. That idea might work with a relatively neutral base but I still don't feel it's the best approach. Then again, it's not my dish so take that for what it's worth.

Good point from you as well Mr. Hennes. It does indeed lighten the flavor in addition to the color. I think I'd be more concerned that heavily concentrating too much leafy green veggie or herb might bring forward some unpleasant bitter notes. Many dark leafy greens are riding the edge of bitterness in their natural, unconcentrated state. That aside, as long as the flavor compliments the soup, go for it. I don't know what your soup recipe includes. A roasted mild green chile base with a back-note of the herbs used in the soup and some lime zest might be nice.

I guess my question would be: do you want your desired shade of green at any cost or is the flavor the main consideration but you'll take the green if you can get it? Any time you aerate something, the color will not be as deep or vibrant (aerated unsweetened chocolate looks pretty close to un-aerated milk chocolate but take a bite and the difference is instantly evident) so it's going to take a really deep colored base to get an intense color in the foam. If you use enough of any dark green herb or vegetable you will probably eventually get a green close enough to what you want but if it's too strong or something that doesn't compliment the dish then it's really not worth it in my opinion.

I sincerely feel bad for those who have to restrict their diet for health/allergy reasons. All of the foods I crave but cannot eat are due to an inability to get them where I live. I'm not suggesting that's as bad as a medical reason but knowing you can eat it but can't get it adds its own little twist to the knife. I really want a big bag of live crawfish.

I think a big part of the problem for this show is that people have had several seasons to pick apart Top Chef and figure out all of the formulaic things about it they don't like. Those biases and dislikes have been stored away and are available to filter Just Desserts through in it's initial season. Had this variation appeared right along with season 1 of the regular Top Chef, it would be judged by much less jaded viewers. The only thing I'm not really enjoying (other than the drama edits which I accept as part of the Top Chef script and ignore) is the level of creativity from most of the contestants. I haven't learned anything, been particularly wowed by anything or felt the need to research anything I've seen so far. I want some "How the #%$& did he/she do that?" moments. I realize rule #1 in the How To Win On Top Chef instruction manual is "don't stick your neck out too far until it's down to the final 4 or 5" but I want to see some stuff that makes me want to go do some experimenting after the show.

Being in a small remote town in Ontario, Canada and subject to the whims of the LCBO my wish list would be way too long and contain much that is everyday to people elsewhere so I won't even bother.

I have it. It is interesting but not particularly useful in the kitchen unless you're prepared to do a lot of digging and experimenting. It's completely aimed at the industrial end of things but there is useful information for the cook if you dig deep enough. I would not recommend it to most as a kitchen reference at the price. You'd be much better served to apply that amount towards saving for Nathan's book or buying some of the other books I mentioned as stepping stones. Once you start working with the ingredients frequently and become confident through successes with proven recipes you'll discover that they really are just ingredients and will be comfy experimenting. Yes, some are expensive but the usual quantities used are so small that failed experiments really are no big deal.

I'm interested in watching this develop as well. It's put questions in my head regarding lime juice in pastry applications where it's not cooked. I've never considered the implications of making a fresh lime mousse or ice cream the day before it's needed. I've never done a taste test of a lime mousse or ice cream made the day before vs. one that just went into the molds or just came out of the batch freezer. If an old sour mix tastes old, then maybe an old mousse tastes old as well and I've just never realized it because they're pretty much always made ahead. Hmmm.

The problem is that there's not always a specific ratio so making a rulebook would be difficult if not impossible. There are ballpark ratios (almost always available from the manufacturer and/or vendor) that will get you close most of the time and spot on some of the time and the recipes given in a book will usually work ("usually" because some ingredients have variables that can change the result) but that's because you're working with what they worked with when creating the recipe. You can't always say "ok, they used .021% by weight of ingredient X to get ingredient Y to do this so I can use that ratio with ingredient Z instead and get the same result". It might work, it might not. It's a good place to start from but I wouldn't want to count on it without a test run. Unless you want to stick with tried and true recipes, experimenting will require... experimenting. Your best bet, since Nathan's book isn't out yet, is probably to grab Martin's pdf collections and some books like Alinea, The Fat Duck, Dessert FourPlay and the soon-to-be available Ideas in Food book and get a feel for what others that work with industrial ingredients are doing/have done. Blogs like Ideas in Food, Playing with Fire and Water, Cooking Issues, Khymos and Chadzilla have a lot of information if you dig through the archives. I don't think there's a need to invent the lightbulb at this point. The basics have been worked out, get comfy with them through the discoveries of others then jump in with both feet and see what you can create. I've put a lot of experiments in the trash or down the drain in the late hours of the night when nobody was around to see the failure but me.