Whats new with Spanish Pastry Chefs

[tan319]

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

I just found a new one ( to me, at least).

www.afuegolento.com

Enjoy!

[tan319]

New stuff up on Apicius

http://www.apicius.es/

also, Michael, if you're here, I was rereading the thread and saw the 'steamed

cake' mention.

I'm intrigued...

Did you ever make one?

I'm getting ready to get the Balaguer book.What do you ( or anyone else. BPG? )think of it?

PS: I've been using the 'crema montada' technique for a lot of sauces lately and I love it!

I made a coconut based one today to go with this 'Faust' theme thing that we were doing as a special menu for a local symphony doing 'Faust'.

It was a ancho chocolate cake done in a sphere mold, inverted, with a milk chocolate semifreedo that I infused the cream with chile caribe.

Plated kind of 'Yin & Yang'-ish.

I tried to make it a "hellish' look.

Sold a good # before I left for the night :-)

Edited March 22, 2003 by tan319 (log)

[Louisa Chu]

One of the few desserts that my grandmother made was the very classic Chinese steamed sponge cake.

One of my goals in pastry is to start with a base in Asian classics/tastes/ingredients, apply them to French patisserie and then further refine them with the Spanish and Catalonian influence.

[Michael Laiskonis]

One of the few desserts that my grandmother made was the very classic Chinese steamed sponge cake.

A 'lurker' friend recently sent me a recipe for a similar steamed cake as well, after seeing mention of it earlier in this thread.

One of my goals in pastry is to start with a base in Asian classics/tastes/ingredients, apply them to French patisserie and then further refine them with the Spanish and Catalonian influence.

Indeed, a great, solid goal, and one we'll see more of, I'm sure. Have you fleshed out any specific ideas yet? As you are no doubt immersed at the moment in French technique, how might you describe, from that vantage point, what you find appealing about the Spanish approach?

[Louisa Chu]

Have you fleshed out any specific ideas yet? As you are no doubt immersed at the moment in French technique, how might  you describe, from that vantage point, what you find appealing about the Spanish approach?

Speaking of flesh I'd like to experiment with more with durian. Complex flavours and interesting texture. And a strong mystique. For example I think it could have a strong appeal as something very popularly American like cheesecake. But instead of cream cheese using a drained fromage blanc. And an extremely thin pate sucre with ground almonds. Served with a lime/kiwi coulis.

And hot sweet soups. Take the traditional Chinese sweet red bean soup and puree it smooth and serve it with some counterpoints in temperature, texture and taste. Perhaps float a quenelle of slightly tart blood orange sorbet with a tuile of slightly bitter green tea.

Just a couple of many ideas. And just ideas at the moment. And I'm sure similar variations are being done.

And what I find exciting about Spain and Catalan in both cuisine and pastry is that there seems to be an openess to ingredients, preparation and presentation on so many levels of dining.

Edited March 23, 2003 by loufood (log)

[tan319]

I've finally had a chance to take a closer look Brian, and it is a great resource. Though I've seen some of these dishes elsewhere, the recipes seem to have gone through some evolution.

Most of the translation engines I've seen are pretty lame. What I've been doing is keeping a notebook of new Spanish pastry terms, especially the verbs, as I have the most difficulty getting the methods down. And with this new wave of pastry, we can't take too much for granted. I'd like to think we can teach each other!

I have many sites relating to Spanish pastry bookmarked. I'll slip a few in as we go along. I would love to see this thread evolve into a discussion of the techniques, flavors, and presentations that turn us on. Brian, Night, Tan, etc., are you in?

Here's a teaser... Perhaps my favorite Spanish website, it is run in connection to both Montagud Editores (who gaves us books by Hermé, Bau, and Balaguer) and the Spanish pastry magazine, La Confiteria Española. I believe new material is added to the site monthly. Surf around, there is  alot in here...

Apicius

Michael and anyone else who might be into it:

Does anyone subscribe to the mag Michael mentioned, La Confiteria Española?

Any info would be appreciated!

BTW: I think my copy of O.B.'s book will arrive tomorrow.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bripastryguy]

Tan,

Your gonna love th OB book, i hear he's working on a new one

[tan319]

Tan,

Your gonna love th OB book, i hear he's working on a new one

:-(

It didn't come today...

Thanks for the note, BPG!

I'll give you a heads up when I get it in my paws.

BTW, where did you hear about the new one?

Does he have a web page?

[bripastryguy]

a friend of mine that spent time at El Bulli told me he was working on a whole series of books

[tan319]

a friend of mine that spent time at El Bulli told me he was working on a whole series of books

cool,

keep me advised if not too much trouble. I have a friend who is staging there @ the 'bulli' at the moment too. More of an aquintence, I suppose. I met him when I worked at CC . He's a good friend of one of the chefs I work with. a former cook at union pacific and Jean George, savory stuff. A great cook and guy.