Menu planning and writing

[pastrypez]

Hi there. I'm a fairly recent grad from pastry school and have only been working in this industry for 6 months, this is my second career. Needless to say the learning curve has been steep, having said that I really love what I am doing.

But, and there is always a but... I'm a disaster when it comes to menu planning. Any helpful information on where I can learn more about it? If I had to choose my first job out of school it would have been working as an apprentice under a seasoned pro; we don't always get what we are hoping for though, right?

I work for a catering company and while some may call me the pastry chef I am most definitely a pastry cook at best.

In general I need to know more about menu writing and specifically I have to come up with desserts on these themes:

-Spanish tapas

-Pub food

-Paired wine French dinner hosted by our wine purveyor

-something sweet, two bites, finger food with bacon, but definitely a dessert.

Any guidance or direction you can point me to would be appreciated.

Thank you

[pastrymama]

Hi, you have a great resource in your computer. Just google Spanish tapas, pub food, and bacon desserts and you will come up with lots of information. You can look at menus for restaurants in these themes and get lots of ideas. As for the French wine dinner, you will need to know what the wine for dessert will be, then you can look for or ask the purveyor for the tasting notes on that wine. Then you use flavors that are in the wine to complement. Just remember to try to make the dessert not too sweet. Hope this is helpful.