Avant-garde Dream Stage

[maggie]

I have the opportunity to do a stage this year, and would like to work with someone who is pushing the envelope, pastry-wise. I want to know what the heck Sethro and dejaq and tan319 are talking about when they talk chemistry. I want to be able to apply it to my current pastry philosophy of twisting the ordinary. Any suggestions? Any volunteers?

[tan319]

Write some people .

Write Sam Mason at wd50, maybe you can stage while he's trying out recipes for his new dessert restaurant/bar.

Will Goldfarb at Room 4 Dessert and his trusty right hand Robert Truitt, would be an excellent stage.

Pichet Ong is slightly more trad but pedigreed like crazy, he"s opening a place this fall too.

Alex Stupak is taking over at wd50 once Mason leaves.

If you want to go west, to LA. Adrian Vasquez at Providence in LA could be interesting.

Good Luck, you can do it, just don't make anybody feel like they're Frankenstein, because they're using things to get to a dessert in a different way but it's still a delicious dessert, same as yours, know what I mean?

Research their stuff with visits to websites and google articles.

Go back to some of the eG Focus's with these guys and check out some of the links, you'll see and read about what they're doing .

I don't think the three of us are talking anything very weird, usually stabilizers and gelling agents.

Good Luck

[K8memphis]

I don't think the three of us are talking anything very weird, usually stabilizers and gelling agents.

Good Luck

←

It's not weird if you know what it is. But I really don't know what it is (that y'all talk about). Or maybe I don't know how you apply the weird stuff (that you're talking about) to food. Next time I'll ask. Maybe. If Maggie doesn't know, I sure don't.

Great advise you gave. Wow wonder if I could stage somewhere. Heretofore I've just thought of it as something that Chef-boy would do. Hmm, interesting.

Edited July 6, 2006 by K8memphis (log)

[maggie]

Thanks, Ted. Your advice is great, but made me laugh because last summer I set up stages for my p.m. pastry cook with Sam Mason and Michael Laskonis, as well as at Daniel and Cafe Boulud Trust me, I'm not shy! I just cold called them. Well, I already knew Michael, but not Sam. I thought he and Pichet Ong were between places right now. Will Goldfarb sounds like a good choice, just the kind of stuff I'm interested in but don't know enough about to try on my own.

As for the Frankenstein thing, you've got me wrong! I think what they --and you, it seems--are doing is cool, and while I want to know more about it, I don't know how it fits into what I am doing now and want to do in the future. I just want to know more!

And K8memphis, me too! I want to know what that stuff is, but I don't even know what question to ask! I tried to follow the rest of the avant garde thread and got completely lost.

Does anyone else have other ideas?

[artisanbaker]

maggie:

don't know where his card is off hand but you can try emailing albert adria i think it's albert@bullitaller.es or something like that. will find card if interested

if not then seems that the pc at moto would be a good choice-can't remember his name

is leslie (?) still with you? we met at ferber class a couple years ago.

best

rob (chattanooga native)

[maggie]

OOOOHHH!!!Albert Adria! Now there's a dream stage! But I don't think the hotel would spring for Spain! That would be so very cool! And I'll look into Moto.

Yep, Leslie is now the Assistant PC. She's the most organized person on the planet. She keeps me on track. I'll tell her you said hey.

[alanamoana]

from another thread, it looks like alex stupack from alinea is moving to new york to work with wylie at wd-50. if he's settled in, you could also check that out.

also, why not some traditional stuff at the highest level...check out sebastien rouxel at per se.

maggie, don't be shy...have you checked out the cooking with alginate and transglutaminase threads on the cooking forum? bryanz is 19 years old and a college student and he's forging ahead experimenting with all this stuff. you've got all the tools and such at hand...just go for it.

[tan319]

also, why not some traditional stuff at the highest level...check out sebastien rouxel at per se.

maggie, don't be shy...have you checked out the cooking with alginate and transglutaminase threads on the cooking forum?  bryanz is 19 years old and a college student and he's forging ahead experimenting with all this stuff.  you've got all the tools and such at hand...just go for it.

←

I agree with alana, no reason to be flummoxed with this stuff, just go for it.

There;s plenty of info on the web, make time for it if you can.

Also, what alana said about Sebastian Rouxel, him and his sous are doing dessert at the highest level.

One of the former mods on P&B said he is a master of the Paco jet too.

Good Luck and Go For IT.

[Kouign Aman]

Why wouldnt the hotel spring for Spain?

Airfare?

Housing?

Sometimes it does hurt to ask - is this one of those situations or could you explore it with them?

It sounds like where ever you go, you are going to have so much fun! (in that hard working sort of way).

[tan319]

One thing to keep in mind re: El Bulli: Hundreds of people have resumes on the table for working there this year. I would imagine for this season the teams have been picked.

El Bulli/ Albert Adria IS the dream Stage.

[sooosj]

Cantu at MOTO doesn't allow stages. You have to commit to a minimum one year contract.

[artisanbaker]

re: moto - the one year thing must be a relatively recent decision.

see also the young woman at cyrus in healdsburg ca.

she is not so "avant garde" but it could be work well for you. she staged at moto i believe

http://www.cyrusrestaurant.com/clemmons_bio.htm

Edited July 13, 2006 by artisanbaker (log)

[maggie]

This is all great stuff! You all have been really helpful! I've already contacted a couple of the people mentioned and started conversations about the stuff I'm most curious about. As soon as the executive committee figures out how much they're willing to spend on us going on our stages, I'll be able to decide where to go. Meanwhile, I'm already learning. Thanks!