New Pastry & Baking "Focus" 1/17-1/23/06

[aidensnd2]

Which is about 80% in sales.

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Wow, impressive...

[xdrixn]

Thanks for your time sam. Ditto on you being a bad ass! Well put sean. When you say soy protein are you using versawhip?

[tan319]

Sam

you are a bad ass

would you elaborate on the "soy protein" that is used in the beet foam????

thanks for all you knowledge

sean

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I know this one! What is "lecithin", Alec?

Thanks for answering my questions! Here's one more.

Just out of curiosity, what are some ideas you've fooled around with but weren't able to perfect (yet)?

Also, I'd love to see more pics, preferably ones that haven't made it up on sammasonnyc.com or wd-50.com.

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I was wondering about the versawhip too.

Is it the same soy protein you use in the Pineapple foam?

Also, since a lot of stories written about you and wd50 often take the mad scientist angle, can you say what your favorite plain old desserts or pastries are?

Thanks!

[WillieLee]

Sam

you are a bad ass

would you elaborate on the "soy protein" that is used in the beet foam????

thanks for all you knowledge

sean

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I know this one! What is "lecithin", Alec?

Thanks for answering my questions! Here's one more.

Just out of curiosity, what are some ideas you've fooled around with but weren't able to perfect (yet)?

Also, I'd love to see more pics, preferably ones that haven't made it up on sammasonnyc.com or wd-50.com.

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I was wondering about the versawhip too.

Is it the same soy protein you use in the Pineapple foam?

Also, since a lot of stories written about you and wd50 often take the mad scientist angle, can you say what your favorite plain old desserts or pastries are?

Thanks!

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The pineapple foam is versa whip as well, and though it is derived from soy it is different than lecithin. Versa whip is hydrolyzed, meaning their treated enzymatically or chemically. The final foam structure is completely different.

As far as favorite desserts go, I really dont eat sweets. I guess I go for the cheese tray. I think I ingest too much sugar in the course of a day to have an appetite for sweets.

[WillieLee]

Sam

you are a bad ass

would you elaborate on the "soy protein" that is used in the beet foam????

thanks for all you knowledge

sean

←

I know this one! What is "lecithin", Alec?

Thanks for answering my questions! Here's one more.

Just out of curiosity, what are some ideas you've fooled around with but weren't able to perfect (yet)?

Also, I'd love to see more pics, preferably ones that haven't made it up on sammasonnyc.com or wd-50.com.

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Tonight Im trying to put the final technique together for my miso brulee tube, which is just a cylinder of custard which is bruleed. It looks pretty fantastic, but I need it to be a bit more of an efficient process. I ll get some pics up tonight after service....

[WillieLee]

2) What do you do to the olives in the black olive claufoutis? Do you soak them in something besides water or simple syrup? Whenever I try baking with olives, it falls waaay short of your mark.

3) You got a book in the works yet? You NEED to have a book!

Keep blazing the trail, man. I will be behind you in the distance, trying to keep up.

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The caviar concept came from the technique that wylie was using for the oyster "pearls" on New Years Eve. It was no longer around so I started brainstoming for a replacement. The chocolate was just a perfect fit.

As far as equipment, I love my digital refractometer, it really makes for no errors in sugar systems. Poly-science immersion circulator, a must!.

The black olives are rinsed several times and cooked with sherry, long peppercorns, orange zest, and sugar slowly for three hours. They are then cooled and left in the syrup for one week. They slightly mimic cherries at this point with obvious olive flavor...

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Sam, are you doing the olives sous vide or in a pot?

Also, IS there any chance of a book?

Thanks!

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I think about a book all the time, I just want to come up with a concept that has a bit of originality. They really seem to take quite a while and a great amount of man hours. Both are in short supply around here.

[xdrixn]

Sam, Which hydrocolloid book do you refer to the most?

Edited January 20, 2006 by xdrixn (log)

[tan319]

I think  about a book all the time, I just want to come up with  a concept that has a bit of originality. They really seem to take quite a while and a great amount of man hours. Both are in short supply around here.

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A publisher like Montague, whomever did Balaguers book, would seem to be a good fit.

Hard to believe people haven't been crawling all over you bookwise!

What would be really nice is to have some of the "new" techniques a bit more broken down into laymans terms.

With Hydrocolloids, etc., instead of having to buy a couple of industrial volumes on the subject.

Not that I wouldn't if I could afford it.

I always feel a bit jerkish when I get samples and then there aren't a bit more specifics on how to use them, etc.

Don't want to bug them.

[chef robin]

Sam,

When i dined at wd-50 i had a dessert of grapefruit in grapefruit.

What did you use in the grapefruit foam, it seemed to be stiff enough that you could quenelle it around the sorbet but still had the feel of a foam.

Also have you tried using transglutiminaise in any desserts yet?

[WillieLee]

Sorry it took so long guys, but heres the process for the cocoa cotton truffles.............

Edited January 21, 2006 by WillieLee (log)

[WillieLee]

These came out really well..

Red Bell Pepper Madelines.

[WillieLee]

This will eventually be the Miso creme brulee. How it will be plated remains to be seen. Or it could never see the menu at all.............

[Sethro]

Thank you!

So uh... how is the creme brulee a tube?

What do you freeze it in acetate or something???

Edited January 21, 2006 by Sethro (log)

[Drewman]

Very cool pix.

Would you write a little about your 3 & 5 course dessert tastings? Thanks.

[docsconz]

This is what I love! You make things that are not intuitive work. Not only do you make them so that they are delicious (red bell pepper madeleines? ), but in fascinating forms like the trufffles and the miso brulee.

Thanks for the photos.

[tan319]

These all look great!

What is that pink colored box with the knob on it in the third pic from the cotton candy truffle set?

The Miso Creme brulee tube looks great too.

Do you offer specials or a dessert of the evening along with the tastings?

[Drewman]

I know that one, that's the base of the cotton candy machine.

[Tweety69bird]

Sam, your truffles look amazing! Great pics. Great imagination.

[tan319]

When you're dealing with cutting-edge techniques and rarely used ingredients, where do you start? Take the cocoa caviar you just posted above. I was messing around last year trying to make a "chocolate compote" component which was basically supposed to be tiny pearls of chocolate like that, but having absolutely no guidelines I basically ended up wasting alot of time and chocolate.

I guess my question is, do you have some set of resources you turn to for information on fringe techniques, or is it just a knack?

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The black olives are rinsed several times and cooked with sherry, long peppercorns, orange zest, and sugar slowly for three hours. They are then cooled and left in the syrup for one week. They slightly mimic cherries at this point with obvious olive flavor...

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I was rereading this today and a couple of things struck me.

One was what Sethro asked about references or resources you might turn to for info or is it just intuition?

The other was how did you decide to work with the black olives?

Was there anything in particular that made you know that the method & means of the cooking infusion would give you that result?

A friend of mine had that last winter around this time and she was blown away!

Oh, can you tell us what long peppercorns are?

And are there any pix of the olive clafoutis?

Thanks!

[chiantiglace]

I've really enjoyed reading this. You are now in my top five favorite pastry chefs. I have either a simple or elaborate to answer question. Not sure.

I was wondering what would it take for me to extern with you in august?

That is if a Johnson & Whales grad. minds taking in a CIA student

I do want to mention that you and Wylie have been discussed once in a while up here in gastronomy class, so theres definately an impact going on up at the CIA. Usually it's a trail off of Ferran Adria, but who doesn't want to be closely linked to Mr. Adria.

[chiantiglace]

Also had a new thought. I just found out the new "theme" for El Bulli for the comming season in April? i think. Seems there breaking down cellulose form and reconstructing the flavor compounds. I'm not really sure the whole thing.

My question was, have you heard of this yet, and if you have what are your takes. Do you see your self breaking down cellulose in the future for dessert purposes?

Edited January 22, 2006 by chiantiglace (log)

[WillieLee]

Also had a new thought.  I just found out the new "theme" for El Bulli for the comming season in April? i think.  Seems there breaking down cellulose form and reconstructing the flavor compounds.  I'm not really sure the whole thing.

My question was, have you heard of this yet, and if you have what are your takes.  Do you see your self breaking down cellulose in the future for dessert purposes?

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Im not really sure what that means. Cellulose is a quite a broad topic. Cellulose is in everthing from Beets to cotton. At WD~50 we use methylcellulose, which is a hydracolloid that has a reverse gelling capability. But I would be interested to see what Ferran has in store for"cellulose deconstruction"

[docsconz]

Speaking of Ferran Adria, how much have he and his brother Albert influenced your cooking? Who do you look up to and get inspiration from profeessionally? Is there anyone person who you would consider as having been your mentor?

[tan319]

A couple of more for you, if you have the time.

In the Fader article from over a year (2?) ago, you guys had just had " one of the most famous pastry chefs in the would" there to eat and eat your desserts, I'm sure. If you can divulge, who was it?

P.Hermes said in his Arts Culinaire article he was on his way, did he make it?

Anybody else of note?

Also, Who's work is turning you on at the moment?

In France

Spain

USA

Others

Thanks, Sam!

[WillieLee]

A couple of more for you, if you have the time.

In the Fader article from over a year (2?) ago, you guys had just had " one of the most famous pastry chefs in the would" there to eat and eat your desserts, I'm sure. If you can divulge, who was it?

P.Hermes said in his Arts Culinaire article he was on his way, did he make it?

Anybody else of note?

Also, Who's work  is turning you on at the moment?

In France

Spain

USA

Others

Thanks, Sam!

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You know, being that Wd~50 is such an industry oriented restaurant, I get to cook for some of the greatest chefs in the world. Herme has been in several times, Jordi Butron as well. One night alone we had Heston Blumenthal on one table, and Ferran Adria with Jose Andres on another. (NO PRESSURE!!!)

As far as who is doing really interesting things in desserts,,,,. I would have to say Jordi Roca, Jordi Butron, Paco Torreblanco, and of course Albert Adria.. They all have a style that is there own, and inspiring on many levels. Ultimately I think its important to be known or recognized for a unique style.