bripastryguy

Thanks everybody for all your input It helped me out alot

elyse, had no choice, wanted the strongest flavors to come through.

For the tasting portion I ended up doing the dessert alittle simplified in a sheet pan and cut them into bars. i toasted them on site and handed them to the guests. It was alot of fun watching them eat the gooey marshmallow, everybody felt like kids (exactly the impact I wanted) I do need to get these kind of events better under control, but it is a lot of fun and whoever gets a chance to participate in one of these types of events- I say "Go for it" you wont regret it. Alot of the restaurant staff gave their time voluntarily and they all had a great time

I used an oval rapid mold to form the dessert layered: from bottom up graham cracker bisquit (cake) soaked with a diluted stout ganache ground chocolate caramel cocoa bisquit , soaked with vanilla syup banana mascarpone, with a little caramel added then the final layer of graham cake. froze it then unmolded. Decorated with a layer of meringue, set with a small amount of gelatin. On site, I torched it to a nice brown color and fragrant aroma. Stuck thin shards of chocolate lace tuile on the sides, not covering it entirely. then from the top of the dessert I placed a few caramelos pulled to resemble flames. garnished the plate with dots of caramel and a drizzle of chocolate stout sauce (used oatmeal stout in the chocolate sauce)-People liked it so much they want cups of it to drink.... then I finished off the dessert with a chocolate malt semi-freddo Hot, cold, smooth crunchy........ I was really proud. The judges loved the take on the idea and the cretive flavor combinations. I came in second behind Michael Fallon of the North Shore Country Club, he happens to be a very aacomplished pastry chef and I certainly don't mind coming in second to him. I really didnt think I was going to win, but i had a few friends who overheard the judges and they said that they really liked it. Next year, I'll win! (who knows, but I did have a blast)

The event has passed. I got second place for my dessert, the people loved it (2nd out of 50 restaurants, no too bad for my first competition) It went through many revisions. I wil post a pic a when I get them back. Lots of fun.I also served a Hot Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, they went nuts.... The only sugar I used in the hot chocolate was the reduction of the Stout to almost syrup, malt powder and sweetened condensed milk. It was cold here yesterday so the people warmed up nicely. This is the first time I combined beer and chocolate, i like it.... Looking forward to my next event

As a former employee of Gotham (pastry, pasta station, veg and garde manger). I felt is was the defining step in my culinary career( this was 12 years ago). Alfred Portale is a great chef, I dont know how much hands on he is now. His Exec Sous Chef Hacinto is a very good chef is his own right. The team I worked with went on to be "big" stars...Gary Robbins, Michael Shenk, Marina Waters.... I have eaten there a few times since my departure and have never been dissappointed. Service and food always excellent. He has scaled down the architecture and begun to concentrate more on flavor. I feel that you would have an enjoyable experience eating at Gotham.

Steve, I too used to use the chocovic (I am not sure as to %) S.O.S. used to carry their line. They have dropped off the face of the earth. Their base line was ok, flavor alittle chalky and not to fluid once melted. I have grown to really like working with Belcolade, a Belgian brand- I get from Dairyland. Their is also a brand OSG, i used to get from EuroSource Gourmet. Good all around, again I dont know if it is still avilable.

I have now decided to do a "Monkey Bar" -dense moist banana brownie with chunks of banana, chopped chocolate and peanuts. Then I'm going to glaze it with a bourbon flavored ganache. cut cubes, skewer then pipe the soft marshmallow. Still going to torch them at show. The Chef wants me to go with this idea and flavors for the plated dessert: Here goes: Banana Bourbon Smore spiced (ginger,cinnamon....)graham crust, bourbon soaked monkey bar, Caramel peanut mousse enrobed in marshallow. Bourbon creme brulee and graham nougatine Spiced graham crust: a cookie base, graham cracker crumbs, brown butter, sugar cinnamon and ginger monkey Bar:dense banana cake studded with chopped chocolate and peanuts, brushed with bourbon simple syrup (These 2 items will make up the base) I am going to mold this in a demisphere flexipan. Lined with the caramel peanut mousse, with the bourbon creme brulee inserted (molded in a smaller demisphere flexipan and frozen) then caped off with the base. then pipe the marshamallow decoratively on the exterior. I want to serve it with a passion fruit emulsion and also a chocolate malt sauce (too much???) and garnish with the graham nougatine(im going to grind unsweetened dried banana, graham cracker crumbs and caramel into a powder and bake for the garnish) *This is for the plated dessert, not for 500, I only have to produce 5 of these for the judges.

I steam them in ginger or good drinking beer with garlic, shallots, fresh herbs and apples (yes apple, they play off great with the natural sweetness of the mussels.) I then finish it off it with some s&p and butter. Have some crusty bread handy to sop up the juice. I even do them with with roasted garlic, caramelized onions and champagne (my wife's favorite)

I'm still looking for some advice on this..... So far this is what I came up with This will be done is a sheet with an extender Bottom layer: spiced graham crust middle layer: bourbon soaked banana bisquit (this will be baked right onto the crust top layer: banana flavored ganache topped with a slice of banana. I'm going to freeze it and cut cubes out and skewer them, freeze. Remove from freezer then dip in ganache. Freeze until needed. I will then dip them in the meringue (i may add a product i picked up called marshmallow oil/ extract) then I will refrigerate them until needed. At the event they will be torched and handed to the guests. The plated dessert is a take on 3 desserts enjoyed as kids and now revisted as an adult: 1)Banana Borbon Smore 2)CherrY Coke Float-vaniila bean panna cotta, cherry gelee, cola reduction 3)Illegal chocolate pudding(pots du creme) with warm white chocolate espresso foam and hazel nut macaroons Any ideas??????????

Patrice, It was the recipe you gave me a while back that I was talking about. This one seems interesting. Question: Can you use lemon juice instead of the citric acid? is there another replacement for it?

Elizabeth, Look for Patrice Demers and ask him for his recipe. I have made these a thousand times and have had the best results with his.

Steve, Reviewing this thread you started to talk about what you and Patrice did at the Chocolate show with chocolate, caramel, peanuts , can you put it here ?

How do you go about translating the whole site? Or must you do each recipe separately?

To let you guys know: The Chef has conceeded to let me change the menu and to drop the ridiculous $1.25 a la mode charge....... We will see what the future brings

Steve, I have done of few taste of the nations (in Dc years back when I was the pastry chef at les Halles) and I participated in Taste of New York for BR Guest (representing pastry Chef). So I have some experience with these events, but not this one in particular. Its a competition for the first part then the participating restaurants set up booths and people walk around tasting from each. I think their is about 50 -100 competitors. I plan to have everything done-The whole item on the skewer, Frozen either allready coated in meringue marshmallow or I'll bring the prepped skewer and do the meringue there. In your opinion, which would be the better way to go. An idea I had was to start toasting them with the blow torch and sticking them into a styrofoam centerpiece before the event starts and continue doing them while the people walk by. I am going to have a small fan behind us blowing the toasted marshmallow smell around (sensory attraction) Prep the whole item in a sheet pan then cut cubes, coat with ganache and skewer them and put into the freezer the day before. Keep the ideas coming......... Much appreciated

Yes, Michael I just started to play with them. Your idea has got my mind going. What is your ganche ratio for this? Do you freeze the ganache? You could pour it into a "coin" flexipan instead of cutting them. How long do yours hold up? I made an apricot pate de fruit and encased it with the caramelo and it help up pretty well for about an hour.

Joni, I think we need to call in Steve or Michael for this one (no offense Night) Its sounds alittle technical. At El Bulli. They do something similar, they will melt some caramel, stretch and pull it almost translucent and while still warm wrap it around whatever interior they are using at the time. I can search down some recipes for you.

Will do, I thought of the meringue idea as well. I think it is the best way to go. Any recipes that you guys feel would work? I have to get these all set and ready to go the day of the event. I would love to be able to set them all up, dip them in the meringue then freeze them. Bring em to the event and by that time they will have defrosted enough and I can toast them and hand them out to the guests. Any ideas?

I working on an idea for "A Decade of Good Taste", a culinary event on Long Island NY. Im planning to do a twist a smore dessert. "Bourbon Banana Smore" The base is a graham crust then a layer of bourbon soaked banana cake then a slice of banana. Im going to enrobe it in ganache then I want to wrap them with a marshmallow, place them on a skewer or wood fork and toast with a blow torch and pas sout to the guests. I need to make 500 of these. It is a component to my Childhood Revisted dessert. I have a good recipe for homemade marshmallows but I need it to be able to enrobe "the pop" or dipped into. Anybody know the way to go? Steve, Michael, Patrice, Winding??? Would love some help. Thanks, Brian

i just checked out that site. Their prices are pretty good. I havent looked at the shipping costs yet. It will take you a long time to go through 5 gals of inverted sugar. You can order Trimoline through http://www.chefswarehouse.com/ 18lbs for $33.00, I guess the 5 gals from Assouline is a better deal.

try paris gourmet or the Chefs warehouse (Dairyland) , they both have websites and I think both sell to the general public. I have found the passionfruit puree in some supermarkets (its packaged and kept in the freezer usually with the Latin ingredients)

My god! Michael I clicked on apicus and was astounded. I have reading through Oriol's book and now this, I'm almost on overload. I am going to begin working closely with a friend of mine (an Exec Chef at a country club, all the tools, no food cost, etc..) He has spent some time with the Adrias and at the Fat Duck in the UK. He has a great working knowledge of the science of pastry and its new direction. He will simplify things to me as we go over the recipes he has compiled. I will keep you all informed.

Speaking with Michael, I emailed him a link I found with Spanish Pastry chefs and some examples of their work. It happens to be in all in spanish, so if someone could translate some of the key words and phrases I think it would be more helpful. Ofcourse Albert Adria is there, so is Oriol Balaguer and Frederic Bau Take a look http://www.vilbo.com/secciones_saberysabor...es/postres.html

Look at the paris gormet website, they have some bon bon recipes. I think if you email Jacques, he would be more than willing to give you a hint.