The Supreme eG Pastry and Baking Challenge (Round 1)

[chefpeon]

This is from Kerry's original post:

An idea was born. I said to myself, what if I could get Ling to take a retro dessert recipe and add her special magic. Bring the recipe up to date and garnish it in her inimitable style. That way I could learn what it is that she does to make her desserts look so much better than my desserts.

Well the idea grew somewhat from there and I decided to launch the Challenge.

So here are the rules so far (I'm sure they will change a bit over time as reality strikes). Tonight I will issue the first challenge. I will inform the victim (the challengee?) about my challenge. Once he/she takes up the challenge the clock will start. The challengee will have one week to complete the challenge. Photo's should be posted documenting progress and problems during the week. By the end of the week the challengee will post their completed work for all to see. Recipes of course should be posted to recipeGullet.

I'm certainly not intending to come off as the "lone whiner" here. I just sorta don't get it, is all.

If the challenge (and I understand this is NOT a contest) is for Ling to add her "special magic" to a dessert, how much of LING'S special magic gets lost in the suggestions of others? This challenge ends up being a challenge to ALL rather than just Ling.....you see what I mean? And if this morphs into a challenge where everyone can offer input then maybe "The eG Supreme Baking and Pastry Challenge" should be offered to everyone from now on, and not just one individual. So instead of a "tag-you're-it" kind of thing, Ling can say to everyone, I challenge everyone to try to make "X"" Then everyone can come up with their own ideas, bake them, take photos and post. Then we'll have a thread full of everyone's inventions rather than a thread where one person's ideas get completely lost in everyone's input, and at the end only one baked item created. The point I'm trying to make is that the challenge to the individual person is completely lost here....it's actually pointless.

The way this thread has played out is that EVERYONE participated in the challenge, and Ling was the one to execute it. She of course makes the final decision, but you can't argue the fact that she was influenced by all of your suggestions. That's all I'm sayin'.

I feel that since everyone seems to enjoy participating so much that the challenge should be directed to all who want to step up, and everyone can post their creations. That way we'll have tons to look at and enjoy the different items that people come up with that stems from one idea.

[gfron1]

If this is a challenge for an individual (aka Iron Chef), then how are the merits of the individual showcased when they are allowed to accept ideas and suggestions from the crowd? It makes it more of a challenge for a group of people rather than the individual, wouldn't you agree? I see Lorna going all over the place with ideas as they pour in, and her original ideas have totally morphed into something completely different as the thread has progressed. Wasn't the point of Kerry's challenge to see what LORNA would come up with, out of her own mind and creative spirit? I think she's almost to the point of second guessing herself.

Since this is the FIRST eG Iron Baker challenge this will be the one to work the bugs out, and figure out what the rules should be. But I think the question I've posed is something to consider....yes?

←

I see this more as a challenge than competition, but I also think that one great aspect to EG is that we all are presenting our individual skills, influenced by the group (just like we are from our families, cookbooks, etc). I'm fine with it as is, and the challengee just needs to be able to sift through the ideas and find what works best for them.

[Swisskaese]

I think some people are taking this way too seriously. This is suppose to be fun. I like it just the way it is. Ling, no pressure. Just carry on and if we are driving you crazy, just tell us.

If you want a competition, then go sign up for a professional dessert competition.

Edited September 30, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Trishiad]

I gotta say that I was reading all of the suggestions thinking, "Man, am I glad it isn't me in the hot seat trying to filter through so much good advice.". I would be driven crazy by so very many ideas from so very many directions. I was kind of interested in what Lorna would come up with all on her own. Although everyone has super ideas, it's making me, a simple reader, confused about the outcome.

A challenge of this kind can cost a great deal in both time and supplies (pineapples ain't cheap) and each participant should be allowed to use ingredients in his or her own way without the pressure of having to buy this kind of cherry or butter or pineapple, or whatever. Also, skill levels are different for each of us. Some of us might be intimidated by some of the suggestions and feel less than worthy.

The short is that I agree with Annie.

[chefpeon]

I would be driven crazy by so very many ideas from so very many directions. I was kind of interested in what Lorna would come up with all on her own. Although everyone has super ideas, it's making me, a simple reader, confused about the outcome.

I too, would never be able to make up my mind about a project if I were bombarded in all directions with cool ideas. I'd end up second guessing myself, doubting my original intentions, and not having a whole lot of fun at all. Also, being in the "spotlight" may be real uncomfortable for some people. There may be some real talented people that will decline being tagged for the challenge when they know all the attention will be on them and their final presentation.

I believe that if we gear the challenge toward a group of people who want to participate and there is more than one "entry", no one will feel any pressure, and we can all benefit by seeing each other's takes on one idea. We can share pictures and experiences.

This thread has spawned a lot of good ideas.....ones that I would have liked to see ALL of. The way it is now, we all only get to see ONE thing.

[Kerry Beal]

Gee guys, didn't know I was going to cause such a controversy. I've just wandered off to Sudbury for the day and came back to discover that all this discussion is going on.

Anyway, my original idea was a challenge, rather than a contest. It was to see what one individual could do with a set of constraints. How that individual goes about deciding what to try, in my view, is their choice. So if they want the input of everyone, fine, if they want to do it all themself, fine. I just think it is kind of neat to see the process that someone goes through in the creation of a recipe or idea.

I had sort of pictured that what would happen is that I would issue the challenge, Lorna would then post whenever she tried an experiment, show what she is thinking, how she worked around a particular problem, show what the dessert looks like so far. I was a little suprised originally A. at all the interest B. at all the input. But this is after all eG and we are all full of ideas, and we love to share our ideas, so I realize now I should not have been suprised.

So, while I'm sure the whole thing will morph over time into whatever it is going to be, for now, let's call it a challenge from one individual to the next. It is just for fun, I hope no one would feel threatened if challenged.

[ludja]

One recommendation I'd like to make is to make each challenge a separate thread instead of having a huge thread with all sorts of information and ideas lost in it.

Eg. Rename this thread: Upside Down Pineapple Cake, Egullet Iron Baker Challenge

The information and thread will persist a lot longer this way and the information will be more easily searchable. Later, after the challengee has completed their offering(s) others can add related material/questions and contributions to the thread. Each new challenge thread can have an index of the previous eG Iron Baker challenges in the way that the communal Cooking threads started by Chris Amirault have.

Edited October 1, 2006 by ludja (log)

[chefpeon]

Gee guys, didn't know I was going to cause such a controversy.

Wasn't trying to create a controversy really. Just wanted to make a good thing better.

My personal feeling is that when one person is challenged it puts them on the spot. I thought

if a general challenge were issued and people who wanted to join in, did so, then we'd get

a lot more out of it. More finished products made and posted. More ideas, more fun, and best

of all no one feels pressured.

[Pan]

If you don't have pineapple jam...

I've Flo Braker's Sweet Miniatures with me, and for a recipe called Pineapple Pockets, she makes a pineapple filling by:

Caramelizing 65g of sugar with 2 tbsp water, then adding 8 ounces of canned, crushed pineapple. She cooks this for 4 minutes more on high heat, or until it turns golden and syrupy. Then she stirs in 7g of butter and lets it cool.

←

Alternatively, get the pineapple jam when you're in Seattle. You will probably find some in most any supermarket. Strange that it's so hard to find in Vancouver.

[Irishgirl]

This is from Kerry's original post:

An idea was born. I said to myself, what if I could get Ling to take a retro dessert recipe and add her special magic. Bring the recipe up to date and garnish it in her inimitable style. That way I could learn what it is that she does to make her desserts look so much better than my desserts.

Well the idea grew somewhat from there and I decided to launch the Challenge.

So here are the rules so far (I'm sure they will change a bit over time as reality strikes). Tonight I will issue the first challenge. I will inform the victim (the challengee?) about my challenge. Once he/she takes up the challenge the clock will start. The challengee will have one week to complete the challenge. Photo's should be posted documenting progress and problems during the week. By the end of the week the challengee will post their completed work for all to see. Recipes of course should be posted to recipeGullet.

I'm certainly not intending to come off as the "lone whiner" here. I just sorta don't get it, is all.

If the challenge (and I understand this is NOT a contest) is for Ling to add her "special magic" to a dessert, how much of LING'S special magic gets lost in the suggestions of others? This challenge ends up being a challenge to ALL rather than just Ling.....you see what I mean? And if this morphs into a challenge where everyone can offer input then maybe "The eG Supreme Baking and Pastry Challenge" should be offered to everyone from now on, and not just one individual. So instead of a "tag-you're-it" kind of thing, Ling can say to everyone, I challenge everyone to try to make "X"" Then everyone can come up with their own ideas, bake them, take photos and post. Then we'll have a thread full of everyone's inventions rather than a thread where one person's ideas get completely lost in everyone's input, and at the end only one baked item created. The point I'm trying to make is that the challenge to the individual person is completely lost here....it's actually pointless.

The way this thread has played out is that EVERYONE participated in the challenge, and Ling was the one to execute it. She of course makes the final decision, but you can't argue the fact that she was influenced by all of your suggestions. That's all I'm sayin'.

I feel that since everyone seems to enjoy participating so much that the challenge should be directed to all who want to step up, and everyone can post their creations. That way we'll have tons to look at and enjoy the different items that people come up with that stems from one idea.

←

May I just point out that Ling derives inspiration for her desserts from MANY different sources including discussions with people on eGullet? So...in a way, this is only a little different from her normal process...(or so I think). I don't see how the challenge is pointless, as Ling will be the one executing the dessert. It is her STYLE and PRESENTATION that Kerry was looking for. Ling is the only one that can execute her style. (Just as Patrick is the only one who can execute his style)

Any input are only suggestions. Ling's choices will determine her style and presentation. I highly doubt that she would take one suggestion and execute it verbatim, without "tinkering" a bit. That is what she does...plays with recipes until they suit her.

Whatever. I love the thread. If anyone ever feels overwhelmed, they can always tell the rest of us to can it. Ling was the one to post her thoughts in the first place. Why, unless to get feedback?

Carry on....and do yourself proud Lorna!

Edited October 1, 2006 by Irishgirl (log)

[chefpeon]

Ok, I'll shut up now.

[FistFullaRoux]

My .02 -

I think the thing is, if you have an idea, share it. The current challenger does not have to use it. Or may use it as a launching point in another direction. It's all inspiration, even if it leads to incorrect - in your eyes - thinking. Some of the most valuable learning experiences for me have involved the input of others, and using my own judgement.

It's still up the the person who the challenge was issued to. It their choice to use suggestions or develop their own take and do it as they see.

[misgabi]

I made PUDC last week as my father requested one (claiming he had not had one in over 20 years!!). I had to use tinned pineapple as being the end of winter in country Australia the fresh were awful.

I cooked the rings in butter and brown sugar until soft and the sauce went thick and arranged in the cake tin. The main difference was that I spiced up the cake mix itself with chinese five spice and extra ginger and tossed in a can of crushed pineapple.

I was delicious. Would highly recommend spicing up the cake

[Ling]

^Yes, I definitely think I'll be adding spices to the jelly roll. (And maybe I should start calling it a roulade since it won't have any jelly!)

I hope there are no hard feelings from anyone in this thread. I do appreciate everyone's suggestions, and I do know that I can make the final decision on the dessert.

Speaking of which, I think ludja's idea of splitting up each challenge thread into its own thread is great. That would make the challenges much more organized.

I think I'll finish the challenge by tomorrow or Tuesday afternoon. I'm leaning towards a cooked mixture of caramel pineapples on the bottom of the plate, with a slice of spiced caramel jelly roll on top. Then I'll have a scoop of brown sugar cherry ice-cream on top of the cake, with maybe a brandy-flavoured tuile in the ice-cream, since I also used some brandy in the ice-cream and in the caramel.

There will also be some caramel sauce on the plate.

I plan to have the cake off-center in the top right hand corner, and maybe one chunk of fresh pineapple dipped in hot (creamless, butterless) caramel for the caramel spike in the adjacent corner.

(And if I don't like that presentation, I'm going to slice the roulade on a diagonal and stand it up, then anchor the ice-cream with brittle on the plate.)

***

So with that out of the way, I'll PM the next person with the challenge. Everyone who's posted in this thread is fair game, though it's all right, of course, to turn it down.

Edited October 1, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Shalmanese]

I plan to have the cake off-center in the top right hand corner, and maybe one chunk of fresh pineapple dipped in hot (creamless, butterless) caramel for the caramel spike in the adjacent corner.

←

Hrmm... How about instead of that, you try wattacetti's mouthwatering Pineapple pave:

The recipe is here

[chromedome]

Ling, I have three of those Eurodelices books, and while I mine them for ideas, I don't trust any of those recipes without trying them first. They tend to be rather vague at crucial points; I think some of the chefs feel that you should have to figure things out for yourself. Don't get me wrong, I love the series, but it's not one of those scenarios where the recipes are bulletproof.

I'm enjoying all the give and take on this thread, and look forward to the end result.

[Ling]

^Yes, those books seem to be very brief in their directions. It's pretty obvious that the person who wrote the directions is assuming that the baker is more advanced and can put together cakes without the writer specifying how long to beat the egg whites, for example. The torte recipes usually only have 4 brief paragraphs of explanation as opposed to something most cookbooks would spend several pages explaining!

So I finished the pineapple upside down cake challenge. I stuck with the idea of putting the pineapple on the bottom of the cake so it is "upside down" when compared to the traditional version.

I went with the brittle instead of the tuile because I figured some sort of hard candy would be better with cake, and because the brittle is a form of caramel...I thought it fit better.

The brown sugar cherry ice-cream was very nice with the spice cake roulade. (There is more caramel rolled up inside the cake.) As I said earlier, I stuck with the roulade idea to mimic the "ring" shape of the pineapple in the traditional cake.

The pineapple slices in the corner were inspired by Shalmanese's link to watticetti's pineapple. I coated the pineapple in sugar and browned them in butter in the pan, then added a tiny bit of Grand Marnier towards the end.

All in all, it is a very simple dessert to execute. I don't think any baker should have any trouble putting this together at home, so I hope my recipe is accessible. Thanks for playing along with me...now it's time for the next challenge! I am waiting to hear back from the person I PMed...I think he has until tonight (~24 hrs.) to respond. If not, I have another talented (pro) baker I want to tag.

I'll post the recipe in Recipe Gullet soon.

Edited October 2, 2006 by Ling (log)

[miladyinsanity]

I just had cake.

Now I'm drooooooling over your creation. Excellent as always, Ling!

[Kouign Aman]

Absolutely beautiful.

[Swisskaese]

Ling, as usual, your dessert is beautiful to look at and I am sure it also tastes good.

Happy belated birthday.

[Ling]

Thank-you! I should have plated another one though...the ice-cream is off-center on this cake. Ah well.

[Anna N]

I am almost afraid to post lest I be tagged! You would be treated to a Twinkie surrounded by Smarties.

But Ling, who could not respond to your creation? It is gorgeous. I'd like to be around to take care of any "off centre" problems.

[Tweety69bird]

Thank-you! I should have plated another one though...the ice-cream is off-center on this cake. Ah well. 

←

Beautiful dessert Ling, and as for the off centred ice cream the fact that it isn't perfectly aligned is kind of nice.

[Nina C.]

Thank-you! I should have plated another one though...the ice-cream is off-center on this cake. Ah well. 

←

Ling the whole thing is so beautiful. If you hadn't said anything we'd never know it wasn't on purpose. In fact, I like it off center.

[Kerry Beal]

Impressive, a challenge well executed!! I just knew you could take this dessert into this century and give it your special look.

Can't wait to see who you have chosen for the next challenge.