The Supreme eG Baking and Pastry Challenge (#2)

[Ling]

How beautiful and creative! I am really impressed.

[K8memphis]

Ok I get the dessert-yness of it. That bison aspect was confusing until I saw your finished product. So pretty too. I love the plating.

[chiantiglace]

Killer gfron1(you should be glad, because thats the first time I have used the term "killer" on egullet), I did not expect much quite honestly. It is a tough, tough topic, no doubt.

I have to say, the plating makes it. I think so much of this particular one came down to the plating. The length is wonderful, if it was short and all together with only a small bit of sauce, it would have resembled an appetizer too much.

Well done.

[s_sevilla]

Looks beautiful....I'm inspired to go buy a mill and start making my own fresh ground Masa/hominy. If powdered masa makes better tortillas than anything you can buy in a bag, then I can't imagine what fresh ground corn would taste like.

edit: Still bummed the chocolate covered crickets didn't make it.

Edited October 9, 2006 by s_sevilla (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Amazing!! The plating is fabulous and I really, really, really want to taste the tamales.

[Kerry Beal]

Here is a link to round 3.

[Nina C.]

I must admit that I was very skeptical when I first read this challenge - but you have carried it off! Not only did you make a dessert that is beautiful and sounds like it would be tasty, but you upped the challenge to focus on local ingredients.

Do you think this is something you'd make again? Was it satisfying as a dessert, or was it more of a sweeter savory course? (I'm guessing that the tamale on its own might lean toward the savory, but the coulis tipped it in the other direction.)

Bravo!

[gfron1]

Do you think this is something you'd make again? Was it satisfying as a dessert, or was it more of a sweeter savory course? (I'm guessing that the tamale on its own might lean toward the savory, but the coulis tipped it in the other direction.)

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Thanks to all for the kind words. Would I make it again? The bison flag, although very tasty...its a bit too gimmicky. The ice cream - absolutely! The tamale - yes, but I'd work on thinning the masa. I've never been able to make a thin masa layer because it bunches up when you roll it. But it definitely was a sweet not a savory. You'll understand when the recipe gets posted. It had brown sugar, raisins, etc., so it was sweet, and really well complemented by the orange masa. I'm going to ask the friend who taught me how to make masa to make them with my recipe and see how they turn out.

[Desiderio]

Ahh well I was skeptical too, but I have to say Well done , the dish looks amazing and I think it probably taste the same ( now I regret I said I was glad I didnt have to taste it )

Bravoooo!!!

[Swisskaese]

I am speechless. The dessert looks beautiful and it sounds tasty. The beginning of the planning made me nauseous at first, but I am really pleasantly surprised.

Great job!

[K8memphis]

Bison flag???? Are you sure???

If that's not a buffalo chip, I've never seen one!!!!

Sorry sorry sorry, I couldn't help it!!!

[miladyinsanity]

Beautiful, gfron!

[Lori in PA]

My hat is off to you, cheese-head sculptor and devisor of meat-based desserts!

[Pontormo]

Looks beautiful, sounds delicious! Wow! I am humbled not only by the creativity but the fact that you came up with something this good in a week you hosted a large party and sculpted a portrait bust--or cheese head.

I admit that I was a bit skeptical when Ling first posted her challenge. It did sound as if it would be difficult to pull off something this appealing and original. One of the lessons here, I guess, is to keep the requirements simple and give the challenged pastry chef room to interpret them as s/he sees fit. Hat off to Lorna, too, for her choices, and...

Kudos to Kerry Beal for launching this new series!

[gfron1]

Here is the recipe.

[Chihiran]

It's so pretty and creative!! Are most people here professional pastry chefs?

[gfron1]

I don't think most are professionals. I'm not. I jokingly say I was taught by Julia Child because I always watched her TV show as a kid. I've not had any professional training - I just get inspired by pics posted here (like Ling, Patrick, Filipe (gone missing) and many, many others), then I research the heck out of things. For this dessert, I had never made fresh masa or mincemeat. I certainly had never made cinnamon bison flags. And I haven't made ice cream in over 10 years. I have more failures than success, but the fun for me is discovery and exploration. I'm often asked to do catering work and I have always said no because once someone is paying you can't mess up...and I do and will.

[Chihiran]

gfron, your desserts always look so polished. I assumed you had training!!

[Mette]

Well done for pulling it off - the melting pineapple had me a bit sceptical but it looks gorgeous - I've never had tamale/masa but love mincemeat - Brilliant!! And i bow down to anyone being able to carve cheese.

[Tweety69bird]

gfron1, what a beautiful presentation! Well done.

Oh, and your cheese head was very impressive. Did people actually eat it once they finished staring at it?

[gfron1]

thanks tweety. No, I warned them not to since I wasn't concerned about hygeine when I carved it.

[NYC Mike]

I don't think most are professionals.  I'm not.  I jokingly say I was taught by Julia Child because I always watched her TV show as a kid.  I've not had any professional training - I just get inspired by pics posted here (like Ling, Patrick, Filipe (gone missing) and many, many others), then I research the heck out of things.  For this dessert, I had never made fresh masa or mincemeat.  I certainly had never made cinnamon bison flags.  And I haven't made ice cream in over 10 years.  I have more failures than success, but the fun for me is discovery and exploration.  I'm often asked to do catering work and I have always said no because once someone is paying you can't mess up...and I do and will.

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Brilliant Gfron! Awesome dish!

-mike

[hathor]

Just gorgeous! I have a question though, there are a lot of flavor elements going on in this desert. In your opinon how did the flavors flow or meld? Did one element work better with everything, and one stand on its own?

[gfron1]

The flavors worked very well together. To me a plated dessert can have unique flavors that stand alone (and should stand alone), but I try to set a taste trail for folks. So, my assumption was that folks would hit the ice cream or bison first (probably the bison). Then they would knock over the tamale, dredge it in one of the sauces, and then finally finish with the ice cream.

If this is true (you're getting a longer answer than you anticipated ) then the flavors go from dominant, hearty cinnamon to fruity, raisin mush (mincemeat) with a bit of pineapple zing, which would lighten up the heaviness from the cinnamon and mince (which also had cinnamon and pineapple), then refreshed with the ice cream.

The type-A folks then repeat the process. The left-brainers then focus in on the one element that they liked most and go from there.

So, I think the trail worked well. Cinnamon to cinnamon/pineapple. Pineapple to light pineapple sauce...to light icecream.

I know this is a bit much, but its how my mind works on desserts like this. I like carryover or transferring flavors which were all over here. None was so dominant in itself that it overpowered or overshadowed any other. The green chile (which I have yet to mention) is a slight oddball, but sweetened up an otherwise more earthy dessert.

You asked if anything stood out, and for my tasters, the ice cream was the hit. I had it the next day and really enjoyed it, but not as much as the initial tasting. That could be the emotion/psychology of the big finish, but I think it also had to do with the sage ice cream in combination with the tamale.

BTW, if anyone tries any or all of these recipes, I'd love to get feedback. Its the problem with regional foods - you won't completely be able to compare, but I'd still like to know what others thought.

Edited October 10, 2006 by gfron1 (log)

[Kouign Aman]

Wow!