i get asked this, NO! i get dismissed as a pastry chef because everyone envisions a pastry chef being over indulgently fat. so i started thinking about it ...
i base my career around fat (butter, eggs, cream, chocolate, sugar, etc.)
i constantly snack on/taste my desserts.
i eat desserts at every restaurant (at least once) to gauge the chef (and if money permits, the pastry chef).
my night cap consisted of valrhona guanaja chocolate (70%) and a glass of baileys.
i love foie gras!
i love brioche!
i love pork belly!
recently i admitted that my last meal would be a braised pork belly and foie gras slider on a rich mans brioche (peter reinhart)
so why am i not fat?
good metabolism? yes, but ...
as a pastry chef i am sick and disgusted by what people consider dessert. i hate the idea of dessert. people think something super rich, super sweet, super heavy and super fat. when i think of dessert i think as the perfect end of a meal wether it be sweet or savory. i think a few pastry chefs agree with me on this.
with that in mind, i am on a mission to change peoples perspective of dessert. it will prove almost impossible in texas (everythings bigger in texas) but i will continue on my quest. join me!
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I had to go look up brioche, because for me, it is a knitting stitch. Also, I did have a moment where I sat and thought to myself, but... he doesn't knit...
hey this is an interesting post, ya I bet you must get plenty of remarks on "how come you're not fat. I personally think that people who really love food develop a sort of respect for food that they cant just massacre it with unreasonable amounts of butter and sugar and stuff it down their face as if there was no tomorrow. I think genuine food loves have a more delicate approach to eating which makes them eat in moderation. One thing I have always found shocking is butter-cream frosting traditionally used on cupcakes. I find eating a layer of butter with sugar and artificial colouring a culinary crime!
exactly! people who are very passionate about food eat it with respect. they are not glutons. they enjoy and savor every bite and know how to do it in moderation.
its really hard to convey that concept here in texas. everyone wants every big. everything has to be bigger in texas. it doesnt make sense! they dont care if it tastes good, just as long as they get alot of it.
on buttercream. i happen to like the stuff. my ex's recipe though (i use it still). her recipe was simply butter, cream and powdered sugar. it was very light and delicious.
Hmm I am with you on the rejection of quality for quantity (your ex about people wanting bigger portions, which is probably the total opposite here in France!) but I'm still not convinced on butter cream- I think it's the butter that scares me and the thought of clogged arteries. The fact that my family's cuisine is Mediterranean based explains a lot too- we worship olive oil, not butter!
Well, anyway, interesting post of yours once again :-)
The philosophy you discuss is why I am a fan.
The last time I ran into you at Soma, you brought our table a trio of small deserts. After a huge meal, the last thing my group wanted was desserts. Yet these tiny, immensely intruiguing bites were the best part of our meal. I walked away wanting to return.
Your small creations give more room for personal investment and creativity. For instance, you told our table that you made one of the dishes from a citrus fruit in your backyard. It is almost impossible to give a giant creme brule or chocolate bread pudding the same sort of personal touch.
Desserts should be small. And like yours, they should be creative. Unfortunately, most desserts in Houston fail in both categories.
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