Wendy DeBord
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Posts posted by Wendy DeBord
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I love zuc. parmasan. I saute them plus some onions and peppers (mushrooms too if you like, plus anything Italian works in it). Then use my homegrown tomato sauce. Sprinkle liberally with parm. cheese and fresh Italian herbs, bake. Before it's done I smother it in mozerella too.
If you make rattituie (sp?) put in in zuc. boats and bake that with some parm. cheese.......really good. Also the rat. freezes well, which is a plus.
Isn't there a mock apple pie that uses zuc. in place of the apples?
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Yes I've often eaten at the Hamburg inn......honestly it's only been o.k. the place is cool, but it's hit or miss on quality. I guess I didn't know there are 2 of them....where's the other one? Or they want to eat breakfast at the hiV (sp?) that's just too weird for me. Any other breakfast spots you like?
How about a Indian restaurant you like in IC?
My step daughter is a manager at Mondos downtown......so we eat there alot. I like the Tomato Pie better though.
I recall them talking about Kolona...but I can't place any facts to it. Maybe that's were my honey used to go shroomin.
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Iowa has some good eaten....it's not fancy but damn, its good! Jwagnerdsm you got me, your mentioning places no one's taken me too and I can't wait to check out your places. Any further leads in the Iowa City/Coraville area? I'm not from there so I'm stuck always following my DH's leads, it would be cool to intro. him to a new (he lived in IC for many years).
How about Whitey's? No matter what time of day we stop as were on our way to IC, sometimes it's ice cream for breakfast!
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I'll pile on the heap. Hot oven, hot pans sprayed with pan release (make your your oil spray is all fat-alot of brands first ingredient is h20 and that makes items stick). I also get a better rise if I make the batter the day before.
karen do you poke them part way thru the bake (I prefer them not)? And any tricks on holding them?
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I'm not a huge fan of fresh blackberries......maybe I've never eaten good ones. They are always too tart and too seeded.
But I do like blackberry flavor. I'd puree it, add a little sugar and strain out the seeds then freeze. I'd use the puree in many ways.
About the only thing I bake them in is a raspberry and blackberry muffin. It's about the same as a blueberry muffin. Freeze your berries so they don't bleed into your batter.
Since your a big fan of BB how about using them in a shortcake. Stew some down so you have some juice with your fresh berries.
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A creme brulee is a bit too soft to set up to tart consistency. Individual tarts wouldn't be a probelm, big one big tart would be a mess to slice.
Ah......it never accurd to me that someone might mean a full size tart of creme brulee. Although a chocolate (white or dark) would set up enough to work in a larger format.
You don't have to cover your sides if your using a torche, but under a broiler you would.
P.S. Are you thinking of her pumpkin brulees....I can't recall seeing Martha doing this? (not a big deal-just can't remember it)
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I made those recipes as written (first you learn- then you improve/tweek, and I don't think I could improve on either one of those excellent bakers recipes). I can't remember off the top of my head what the proportions were at all. but...The fat to flour proportions worked fine in each recipe.......it's not like butter was oozing out of either. Silvertons is basicly a danish dough with rolled in fat, that equals steam/lift/flake.......so the butter proportions were fine- it's a rich dough.
But very much to my supprise I liked the coffeecake dough, danish and broiche recipes from Gisslens pro book (#4 I believe) better then Reinharts or Silvertons recipes for the same. It's almost embarassing to post that seeing how respected Reinhart is!
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You can definately bake a custard in a tart shell. That's very classic. Brulee-ing the custard with a sugar top is all you do to call it a creme brulee tart.
You need to par bake your crust before adding the custard. You don't use a water bath in this case.
Rose Levy B. has a recipe in her Pie and Tart bible for this. You can also make a huge number of variations on this dessert.
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I've made Reinharts and Silvertons recipes from sticky buns and I have a desenting vote on them. Although they are both wonderful doughs I think they are the wrong type of dough for this item. They are more similar to brioche and danish dough which I believe to be an over kill in sticky bun or a cinnamon roll.
Granted it's just my taste and my idea of what a good sticky bun is. That's why I tryed to ask you what you were looking for in detail- texture.
What I like is a plainer dough with sticky buns and cinnaman rolls. It should be on the soft side but not tightly grained (like a broiche) and not flakey (like a danish dough). My dough of preference for these is a potato dough. It's got enough body to hold up to heavy caramel, is plain enough so your toppings are highlighted and the potato factor keeps them moister longer then a regular sweet dough.
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Well it turned out that I have no results. The chef 86'd it. He's so hot on this darn caramel tart I made-he wanted that instead.
I had planned on doing the rasp. curd and a stove top brulee, served in a martini glass (so you could see the layers)with a tuile spoon and a couple fresh berried tucked to the side of the glass.
Next time......
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Well Steve did hit all the right points. Good job of cutting thru all our c---.
All my excuses are lame. I try to do the best I can with-in my limits (family obligations). I guess the answer is I'm not ready to commit to rising above the excuses. Mainly-I fear investing even more financially and emotionally into a career that I don't see offering a rewarding return. And I'm not talking finacially rewarding-I just see employement as a pc as a horribly shrinking, becoming extinct job opportunity.
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I've worked my way thru this obsession. When it comes down to it the similar is better imo. No you don't need a starter, but you could if you wanted to. Yes, you can make them at home. You can buy a frozen dough if you want and just go from there.
Gooey and really stick sound yummy, but it doesn't tell me enough about what kind of roll you like so I could stear you in that dirrection.
There's all kinds of sticky buns what's your ideal one like? Hey, you could mail me one from Taylors bakery.......
and skip the written description. -
Tan you snuck in your post above while I was writing. I see your frustration and believe me I do "get it", been there- done that. You got to remember you'll attact more bees with honey..........come on line and bitch to us (I alway love a good whine). Hey wasn't it you that told me not to let them see me sweat? They've found your weakness.......figure out how to convey your points to the management "good waitress equals good sales".... and forget the idiots who will never be a good employee where ever they work.
I think having 3 or 4 people helping you plate is too extreme and I don't think I'd like it.......UNLESS your talking about fine dining on the highest level. Oh hell maybe I'm jealous or too simple but unless the freezer is across the room- that's too busy of a menu if the guy can't get it down to him plating and 1 runner.
Anyway I'll try to wake up and focus here, sorry.
You know in some regards this whole conversation leaves me to throw my arms up in the air and ask "what is a good dessert?". I'm just shocked to read people posting that the average pcs' work stinks. I find I'm now comparing myself to others, wondering if I fall into "that" catagory. Whats good, whats bad, I'm not so sure I know those lines as well as I used to when I was even more ignorant. How sweet is too sweet, when is simple too simple?
SERIOUSLY
What do you want from us? Do we need to make you think? Do we have to give you new flavors your not familar with? Do we have to be original to be good?
I need you to qualify what level restaurants your talking about?
Time after time what has sold for me are basicly twists off of classic or familar desserts or old fashioned really homie stuff. (But I'm not working at the four seasons either) Yes, I love to work out of Bau or Orial B.'s book but Herme's tortes are as gourmet as I can sell.......and then I dumb down my descriptions as to not overwhelm.
I have a grossly sweet caramel pecan tart I'm doing (from payards book- he does hazelnuts instead of pecans and choc. chantilly no wc) that they are doing dessert numbers like never before on. Sweet crust, med. soft caramel made stove top, fried and salted pecans mixed in. Then topped with layer of chocolate mousse, layer of vanilla bean whipped cream, caramel and ganche drizzled on top with more pecans and I sprinkle salt liberally over the top.
Go figure. I win when I give them what they want. Does that make me a crappy pc?
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Thanks for the thoughts.
After thinking more about this I can't do the raspberry yoplait thing in good concience. I could go for the passion fruit or mango but not raspberry.
I noticed Richard Leach has a ricotta raspberry brulee. He uses cream cheese & ricotta in his custard base, passes it thru a sieve and bakes. Then I didn't follow his instructions: he makes a whole berry coulis tells you to put it in another dish and top it with a vanilla sabayon. So I'm serving two bowls (one of brulee the other rasp with sabayon)....it totally lost me-anyone familar with this?
I like the idea of the stove top brulee on a rasp curd or a rasp jellie. Two tones are better then one as far as I'm concerned (more interesting). I think I'm going to head down this road and see what happens.
THANK YOU
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Just when I thought I'd made every flavor of creme brulee I get a request for a flavor I haven't done, raspberry. Actually it sounds gross to me.
Basicly I'd like to know how others have done this successfully?
Put berries on the bottom and proceed as usual?
What about mixing berries with just a bit of raspberry preserves to heighten the flavor?
But is this going to turn the creme ontop into a pukie pink shade?
Or do I go the other way and make a raspberry brulee by flavoring the whole custard raspberry?
P.S. I have to bake these off first thing this Thursday 8/21.
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I'd love the recipe Lesley. It might take me a while to get the emulsifier but I'm women with a mission!
Thanks
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The whole focus on bread in some places baffles me. It's never seen as a cost per entree expense....and some places spend alot on their bread!!
Yes the whole entree size thing has gotten well out of control. We go to those places and we complain about them at the same time. We want value but it's making us fat.
As to atkins and other diets.......well it has backfired in other areas. I think people now really splurge when their going to sin. Were going to such extremes with our eating.......it's all playing into our obese society. It seems to me this should increase our sales.
Tan-I don't think you should follow your sales as closely as you mention. You got to let somethings go and this is definately a must. Refocus. You can't badger someone into boosting dessert sales. You have a undertone of being pissed off with the waitstaff. Trust me they'll sense that and f-you in the process. It's not a battle, it should be about fun and positive feelings of increased revenue for them.
I've worked places where the waitstaff stunk, that's your employeers problem make them address it!
I've come down many notches since I've been struggling with employeement issues. I used to run my own department. But I'm now working like a a line guy for the chef instead of with the chef... and I think it's a positive! It's a bit hard on the ego, but that's o.k. it's good for me. It puts all the sweat on the chef and I feel far free-er at the end of the day.
As I'm out marketing myself, I've had managers say they'd buy a percentage of their desserts from me but not all of them. They never buy everything from one source to protect their butts incase something were to happen. But then what about their kitchen-their chef and guys. They are rely on them completely. Any comments?
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I've found the same results Claire, people pick the cake mix based cakes over scratch ones. That's the reason for this thread, I'd prefer to beat the mixes. When your working as a pc it's aukward to tell the chef you need him to buy you cake mixes!
Unlike many people I've had alot of success with Martha recipes (current ones). I tried her yellow cake. I didn't find it too moist (that would have been a good thing), it just was o.k.. 1234 cakes become way to firm after a couple days of refridgeration.
That's a big factor: how the cakes hold up under refridgeration because I'm using them in wedding cakes that I have to hold over night. I find cakes using all butter or all shortening get too firm. Altons with butter flavored crisco scares me. Cakes that contain oil remain soft which is why I looked to chiffon cakes.
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I do make sponge cakes but I haven't found one that fits the bill of a yellow cake. You have to cut thinner layers to do that nicely and unforunately that requires more time then a 2 layer wedding cake which is what this clients wants.
I'm competing with cake mixes (which is what the customer knows). I've done some taste tests as I think I mentioned before and the final color seems to also influence the votes. My white cake isn't snow white as the mixes (which by the way is what most bakeries pass on as "scratch") and it's denser then a mix.
What are you using for your cakes Steve? Sponge, chiffon,etc.......?
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Has anyone found the perfect recipe for either of these? I use them only for wedding cake orders, which is my main concern for posting this.
They fall into one of those 'have to make' items that I secretly cringe inside over because I still don't have a recipe to brag about. I do have a decent scratch white cake but in taste tests everyone still picks the mix over the scratch cake.
And YELLOW cake has lately been my cake from hell flavor. I like a butter cake, but lets face it it's not the texture people rave about in a wedding cake. They want moist and fluffy.
I've don't mind yellow chiffon cakes but they don't hold up well in shape for wedding cakes.
I've made countless versions of both cakes and don't lack for more recipes to try. Instead I'm looking for recipe help from someone who's mastered these, anyone?
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I only suggested getting out of a place because you (Sinclair) have seemed extremely unhappy and stressed and have written about it here. I guess it worried me that you seemed so morose and beat up.
No, I'm the happiest I've been in years. Yes, I've gone thru alot over the years....but I'm in the best place possible. Being freelance is like being self employeed. I'm just pointing out reasons and experiences hoping that someone reading this who hasn't been in our shoes will learn and maybe open up.
Yes, I do have issues that are near and dear to me and I'll push them out there until I can't type any more. I drag things out of the closet because until somethings are addressed and thought about, nothing will get better. If just one chef reads this thread and walks away with a better understanding of the pastry side we've done something good.
One thing I'll always be frustated about is how little attention is given to desserts by the hotside and management. I'd like someone to address this seriously with the masses of chefs out there that aren't working in "elite" restaurants. Attention in this regard: having a pc on staff. I don't understand why they don't care about making a profit on desserts? Shouldn't they care about the quality of every item they serve their clients?
Obviously I've worked at places that have (to some degree) or I wouldn't have been hired.
I had one place that used me for their weekly buffets and ala carte menu then only sold ice cream on their banquets. How totally stupid that looks finacially (to me). Their explaination was they wanted to keep my hours down. Full time-making their banquet desserts would have paid for everything else.
Having a pc on staff doesn't always have to mean complications. I try very hard to always make my work something that doesn't demand more attention or work from the hot side. But it's still a "battle" (for lack of a better word) to teach and show chefs this. Often I'll have a chef cut me off mid sentence when I'm suggesting something "new" to them. "New" as in different they how they've always done things. I'd like to figure out how to comunicate better and break down the barriers between pastry and the hot side.
For instance (this is something I've seen at EVERY club I've been at), I'm at a place that's bastardizing morning pastries. They have a line cook baking off fruit breads (that are beyond horrid) and they buy in packaged danish and serve it in the package. Nothing ever gets eaten off the platter by the clients and they hold and re-serve this over and over. They do similar with their cookie trays (for golf outtings lunchs). They use a brownie mix (that's fine) but they never have the same guy bake it off. I've seen it vertually raw, burned, stuck in the pan, etc... and they hold their cookies for weeks at room temp.
From my experience when things aren't being eaten it's usually because they're not good. But from the chefs perspective they think these items aren't being eaten because no one is hungry or no one eats danish anymore. So instead of looking at why no ones eating and improving what being offered the chefs go the other way and think "why bother" if no one is going to eat it (yet alone pay for a pc to make these items that aren't going to be eaten).
I think to some extent we're like witch doctors (sorry I couldn't think of a better example) to chefs. They really don't understand our work and fear that we'll be difficult and more demanding upon their kitchen.
I have no interest with "recognition" from from anyone outside of where I work. Recognition from with-in is everything. Just being treated at part of the group, the whole team is what pleases me now. (p.s. I have it).
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You got me interested Doc (love the colors), but I didn't see any info on widths or footbeds....have any comments about either?
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I'm in a different position then most of you. I've been a pc at clubs, not restaurants. I've always worked with a weekly or bi-weekly changing menu plus all the extras which tend to be way more time consuming then ala carte desserts and I'd often have to adjust my menus downward (simplier) for lack of time from the constant last minute demands. In that type of job-no I didn't have to tell the chef anything and I also couldn't count on him backing me up in any shape or form. Freedom usually comes with compromises.
Now- I'm still not doing the "norm." pastry work. Freelance is get in and get out work. What you can produce is harder because you have nothing at hand pre-made. Everyday is like starting a new job. I now do work for chefs making what they want, it's not my department anymore (it involves constant compromises). But I'm really enjoying it. It's alot of flying by the seat of my pants stuff- makes everything I've done before look easy.
Just saying that this job comes with lots of different expectations for the pc and handicaps I get pissed off when I see knocking of pc's, this isn't a lazy cooks easy route to a pay check. Sure we're not all great, lord I feel inferior when I see what some pc's can do. But I still pull a measely ole rabbit out of my hat from time to time. If my clients want oreo cheesecake f-you, that's what I'm making fat guy. That's not degrading or making less then, we still do our best.
Quit your job tommarrow Tan and see how easy it is to find another comfy gig. Once upon a time you could leave a job when you had enough and find another with-in a couple weeks -it ain't so anymore boys. In Chi town even the lousy bakeries all drying up and closing down. The economy seems much worse then I see published, everythings down to bare bones around here. Pc's are the last to get hired and the first to go.
Just for once I'd really like to understand the hot sides motives for not pursue employing a pc in their kitchen in every kitchen!? I guess I wear blinders cause everyway I look at it, it's a win win situation for a kitchen to have a pc..........why doesn't everyone see that? Get us in the kitchens fat guy, then we'll talk about tweeking our menus and goals!
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It can be done. It's not easy, it can't all be done at once by everybody, but every little bit of work you do to push the ball uphill is helpful to everybody.
I do work to push that ball up the hill in many ways.
I've had this similar conversation more then once online where you can communicate with more professionals then in any other way, I know of. I think if you really want to do good Fat Guy start this topic with the savory professionals and push them to move that ball up a notch. The topic of desserts or pastry chef made items in the savory menu never gets addressed seriously by chefs. The small futal attempts I've seen -never went anywhere, no one ever really responded but pastry chefs. I write with passion on this topic, but I can assure you all that I sleep well, none of this torments me. I'll just keep posting and keep talking maybe someday someone will hear me and that will make it worth while.
I'd like to know why an equal percentage of sales don't return to the pastry dept. from what they generate? Perks being-man power, equipment and ingredients.
Why isn't dessert more seriously covered in Culinary Schools? No one can tell me it is! Its a % of their sales and no one give a s--- if they make any money on it or not.
Why aren't managers noticing the lack of sales and asking the chef "how come he's not returning better numbers on this part of his meal?". "Why are we willing to sell a less then average dessert when we pride ourselves on our high standards and quality?" "Why are we selling a scoop of ice cream for a dollars profit when we could sell any other dessert for 5x the profit?". I'll never understand that- chefs would scream if management sold hamburgers for banquets but no one notices that their selling nothing for dessert. As soon as the entree's down they clean up the line and go home. Why? Cause thats the end of their meal.
P.S. The lack of creativity or so you wrote fat Guy might not be that. I'm often forced into average results due to time constraints. I work in my off hours mentally to plan out creative and good desserts....we don't have the same "down time" that line cooks have after they've prepped there's always something that need to be done in the pastry dept.. Do any of you fellow pc have time in your day to experiment? I can't take the time or the ingredient waste, so my creativity has to be kept well with-in my known boundrys of success because whatever I do, their eating it-it's not play time and it's not landing in the garbage. And like it or not there's a certain percentage of clients that want that rocky road gob of sweetness you laugh at. Serious work is for serious restaurants- and it's a real small market.
Dubuque or Dyersville, Iowa - Good Pork Tenderloin
in The Heartland: Dining
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I'm in Chicago burbs, stepdaughter and her family reside there in IC/Coralville area. We have alot of links there. We love Iowa, good people and good food. We ALWAYS enjoy our visits and they are always too short.
Hubby is a Hawkeye fan for life, named my cat and my e-mail the same too. He was raised in Davenport and Bendtendorf, sibling and him went to college in Iowa City.
Oh, love those Ross burgers! and Yen Changs in IC!