It Takes a Calculating Mind to Be a Pastry Chef

BY
FABIAN VON HAUSKE

I, myself, don’t like eating desserts. I hate tasting sweet things. But as a pastry chef, I

like thinking about how to make a dessert.

Most of my inspiration comes from colors and shapes, and then things evolve from

there. Before I wanted to be a cook, I wanted to be a graphic designer. I needed

money to go to college and tried to go to school for graphic design, but that didn’t

really happen. What did take place, though, is the lens in which I look at things

creatively. If I see blueberries, I start to lean towards colors that go with them. Purple

throws my mind to brown or white tones; we recently created a blueberry and potato

dessert at our restaurant, Contra, that stemmed from this very thought. When I told

my father that I wanted to be a graphic designer, it didn’t sit well, far less than when I

told him I wanted to cook for a living. I got a job at a French restaurant while I figured

out if college was the right avenue for me, and I thought cooking was easy. When I

began working with pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini at Jean-Georges, I quickly realized

that this could be more than just an easy job.

Mexico has a very different palate than Europe or the United States. I grew up in the

southern part of Mexico City, so when I moved to the US, it was strange for me—it

still is. I’m trying to adapt to the flavor profiles of Americans. When I was growing up,

my mom didn’t cook, so my brother and I did all the cooking. We would create weird

combinations, and from that, many of those experiments translate to what I’m doing

now. Blueberries and potatoes might sound like a strange pairing, but it makes a lot

of sense—in my mind—because it’s earthy and very acidic. (Growing up with a

Mexican palate, everything has a lot of acid.) When you go to Mexico, you’ll discover

spicy flavors combined with sweet profiles, which doesn’t often happen here in the

States. Whenever I bring candies from Mexico, like a typical spicy candy, my friends

here are so weirded out. Those candies are completely normal to me.
My impressions of what defines the American palate is that it’s still forming and

evolving here, but a lot of ethnic foods are making their ways into the popular

masses. Cooking at Contra, we’re constantly trying to figure out what it means for us

to create contemporary food in New York at this moment in time. We often make a

roasted buckwheat and amaranth custard that’s whipped and served with different

kinds of grains that are covered in caramel, chocolate, coffee, and a

really tangy yogurt sorbet. It’s a dessert that’s inspired by the Mexican candy, alegría,

an indulgence that pre-Hispanic people used to offer to the gods during ceremonies

until Hernan Cortes banned the growth of the grain.

In my opinion, there is sometimes the misconception that pastry is specifically

designated to female chefs. Most pastry chefs tend to posses an incredibly organized

and precise temperament. We’re much less about being spontaneous in our cooking,

because pastry has to be exact. It’s science. I am part of this description; I am always

afraid of not being prepared and not having control over every single outcome. It

takes a very calculated mind—like someone who might have OCD—and someone

who wants to use formulas to get the same result every time to be a consistent pastry

chef.

But the culinary world for pastry chefs has radically changed over the last couple of

years. I think many pastry chefs are a lot less interested in deconstructing flavors and

making things look very geometrical, very beautiful, or pristine. Most of us are far

more interested in discovering and searching for interesting combinations and

building layers of flavor in a very simple manner.

Working as a “pastry chef” in a small restaurant—especially now—requires us to be

more involved in the kitchen as a whole. There are big restaurants out there where all

these pastry cooks have an unlimited budget, separate kitchens, 20 cooks who only

do pastry, and all the equipment you could want. But that model is changing. You

have to involve yourself in all the aspects of the kitchen. If you need to run the cold

section, you do it, and if you have to expedite one night, you will do it. You have to

because you need to be able to justify your job as a pastry chef, since you’re only
creating a small portion of the menu. I see that as a positive thing, the more

connected I am to the entire kitchen, the more sense the menu will have as a

cohesive unit. The more you are met with limitations, the easier it is to be simple and

focused. At least that’s what I thin

A. Say whether the following sentences are True or False. Quote from the text
to support all your answers.

1. Most pastry chefs are women, because pastry was made to women. ______
__________________________________________________________________
_
2. To be a pastry chef you needn’t be spontaneous, but precise. ________
_________________________________________________________________
__
3. Pastry chefs are very interested in deconstructing aromas. _________
_________________________________________________________________
__
4. According to the author, a pastry chef only needs to know about pastry and
baking. _____
_________________________________________________________________
__

B. Answer the following questions according to the text.

1. Where does the author get his ideas from?
_________________________________________________________________
__
___________________________________________________________________

2. What is necessary to be a consistent pastry chef?

_________________________________________________________________
__
___________________________________________________________________

3. Why does the author write “pastry chef” in inverted commas in the last
paragraph?
_________________________________________________________________
__
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

C. Find synonyms for the following words.

1. designing _____________________
2. linked ________________________
3. impediments ___________________
 Bakery Ingredients Market: Slated for Impressive Growth
The history of baking can be traced back to the Babylonian era. Humankind has
travelled a long road since then, at least in terms of new products as well as
techniques in baking. However, there hasn’t been much change in terms of the main
baking ingredients. But at the same time there is no denying the fact that many
products have been introduced in the bakery industry, over the centuries. Today the
bakery products have a wide variety and their consumption trends vary according to
the local preferences.
The new-age consumers of bakery products have become more discerning than
before. They want health, taste, convenience and an enduring shelf life from the
bakery products. This has largely influenced the use of innovative bakery ingredients
for adding fibre and increasing the shelf life of the products—all the while retaining
softness and taste. Ashok Malkani finds that there is ample scope for Indian
entrepreneurs to enter the Indian bakery ingredients market, despite the challenges
from international producers.
The quality of baked products is greatly dependent upon the quality of their
ingredients. The present day consumer is looking for new-age bakery products, with
great taste, visual appeal, and convenience. Moreover, they are also demanding that
the baked products should be healthy without compromising on the tastes. This is
leading to increase in demand for a variety of bakery ingredients in the bakery
industry.
The growing demand for myriad ingredients by the baking sector has perhaps
contributed towards making the food ingredients industry a multibillion dollar industry,
exhibiting fast global growth. The ongoing revolution in the food and beverage
market, particularly in the processed food domain, has lead to numerous possibilities
for innovative product development in the ingredients market also.
www.bakerymag.com
A. Say if the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE. Quote from the text to
support your answers.

1. Throughout the history of baking there has been many changes in the main
ingredients used for baking. _______
_______________________________________________________________

2. The quality of baked products is not related to the quality of the ingredients
used in baking. _______
_______________________________________________________________

3. Nowadays’ consumer wants healthy and tasty baked products. _______

_______________________________________________________________

B. Answer the questions according to the ideas conveyed in the text.

1. What has contributed to the growth in the food industry?

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

2. What do the new-age consumers want?

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
 3. Explain the sentence “Today the bakery products have a wide variety and their
consumption trends vary according to the local preferences.” (1st paragraph)
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
___________________________________

C. Find synonyms for the following words.

1. tendency (1st paragraph) ________________________

2. perceptive (2º paragraph) ________________________
3. requesting (3rd paragraph) _________________________
BREAD – THE STAFF OF LIFE

Bread, this ubiquitous basic food, is the forebear of all prepared foods. It is the

foundation of cooking, as we know it, and in many countries represents one of the

pillars of nutrition and gastronomy.

For a Middle Eastern, a meal without bread is unthinkable. Yet many nations use

rice instead of bread, and indigenous peoples in the Americas ate corn until the first

conquistadors arrived in the 15th century. To this day, Japanese, Chinese, Thai,

Indonesians and others in the Orient use rice as their basic starch. In fact rice is a

more efficient and prolific crop compared to any other grain.

The mixing of flour, salt, water gave rise to culinary development. We can

essentially claim the beginning of culinary development to have begun in the first loaf

of bread. Since then bread has come a long way. It can be unleavened, or leavened

with yeast, produces from whole-wheat flour, rye, corn, barley, cassava, oats, and a

combination of one, or two or more grains. Today, in specialized bakeries, you can

buy 11-grain bread. Also available are breads infused with herbs, olives, dried fruits,

onion, just to name a few adjuncts.

Bread is such a powerful food that in antiquity Egyptian governments controlled it

from production to distribution as a means of controlling the populace. In France

shortage of bread was one of the reasons to triggering the eruption of the French

Revolution in 1789.

Even today in many Middle Eastern countries, at least one type of bread is

government controlled. These controls apply to quality, quantity and price of the loaf,

but as everything else in these jurisdictions, no agency bothers much to enforce rules
and regulations.

Despite modern production methods, the essentials of bread production remained

the same consisting of flour, water, salt and yeast. However, today’s commercial

sandwich bread (4x$”) is highly refines, light, contains a lot of air, but has a

prolonged shelf life. Taste and texture, however, remain elusive.

The battle for lisbon’s best pastry

 By Karina Martinez-Carter

13 January 2012
On the streets winding up, down and around the seven hills that comprise Lisbon,
and in town plazas throughout the country, the pastelaria or confeitaria (pastry shop)
is a mainstay of the Portuguese neighbourhood.
Pastelarias in Portugal stay busy throughout the day as customers pop in to
purchase boxes of pastries, or pause for a bit to savour baked morsels and coffee.
Rows of flaky, palm-sized pastries fill window displays in stacked pans. The golden-
brown confections complement the colour scheme of typical Portuguese architecture:
from the burnt orange roofs to the clean white buildings to decorative hues that
resemble the colour of butter.
Rather than using elaborate toppings or mouldings, the Portuguese keep their baked
goods simple. Each type of pastry varies only slightly from the next, and they often
come topped or filled with a sweet, gooey custard. The fundamental ingredient is the
egg yolk, which is used in as many ways as possible.
The archetypal Portuguese pastry is the pastel de nata, a custard tart with hints of
lemon, cinnamon and vanilla, often sprinkled with powdered sugar and easily
consumed in a few bites. It resembles a tiny pie, and the baked, creamy egg custard
is cupped in the centre. Throughout the country, the pastel de nata is so adored that
discussions about which shop makes the best often become enlivened debates.
Many believe that this sacred Portuguese pastry is found in its most heavenly form at
the Antiga Confeitaria de Belem (commonly known as the Pastéis de Belém),
located west of downtown Lisbon. It is believed that the first-ever version of this
dessert was baked in the same spot more than 200 years ago by nuns at
the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, which adjoins the pastry shop. Nuns are credited with
 creating many of the country’s pastries, and some say the egg yolk became a central
ingredient in Portuguese baking because the nuns used so many egg whites to
starch their attire.
Pastéis de Belém has been in operation since 1837, and the same, closely guarded
recipe has been followed since that very first year. A few “master confectioners” are
the only ones who know the art, and they concoct batches of the confection within the
confines of a “secret” room in the shop. It is the most-frequented pastry shop in the
whole of Portugal, but it is not just tourists who bring the volume of traffic. Locals also
know it as the best spot for their most beloved pastries.
Those on a tight schedule order their pastries to take away from the dapper, bow-tied
staff behind the counter. Others eat at a table in one of the cafe’s multiple seating
areas, adorned with painted blue and white tiles, just steps from the Belem Tower --
a monument from which numerous Portuguese expeditions have set sail.
Lisbon’s kingly Pastelaria Versailles (Avenida da Republica 15 A, 351-21-354-63-40)
is a young cafe in comparison, dating back to 1932, but many claim Versailles’ pastel
de nata rivals the recipe found at Pastéis de Belém. The sign outside, written in a
fanciful script, foretells the baroque-style interior, marked with rich woods, ornate
mirrors and staffed with smartly dressed waiters. The cafe is a National Heritage site
and is one of the most famous cafes in the country, though its location slightly north
of the city discourages tourists from making it for a breakfast or teatime pastry. Other
favourites on offer include croissants stuffed with custard or pudim flã (a
Portuguese flan).
Pre-dating the Pastéis de Belém, Confeitaria Nacional opened in the capital city in
1829 and once served as the Portuguese monarchy’s official bakery, supplying the
family with their daily choice of sweets. The traditional Bolo Rei fruitcake is a house
specialty and a must for Portuguese Christmas tables. Though the Bolo Rei is
originally a French recipe, the Confeitaria was the first to introduce it to Portugal and
the bakery has adopted the dessert as their own. The bakery also sets out favourites
such as queijadas de Sintra, a pastry that originated in Sintra, a town 30 minutes
northwest of Lisbon, and features a sweet, light cheese in addition to many of the
same ingredients as the pastel de nata. Like many pastry shops in Portugal, it is
family-owned.

The Death of the Pastry Chef?

September 12, 2013 in Food News 4 Comments

Pastry chefs don’t have the most glamorous job in a professional kitchen. They’re
usually tucked away in a small corner where they work with limited space and
supplies while doing their best to keep their desserts away from the heat of the main
kitchen. Their dishes can be spectacular – light, flavorful, colorful and delicious – but
it is true to say that few people come to a restaurant just to eat dessert and that
restaurants make the bulk of of their money on the rest of theMENU . This week, LA
Weekly ran an insightful piece about the disappearance of the pastry chef from
restaurants, as fewer and fewer restaurants employ full time pastry chefs to put
together their dessert menus.
Los Angeles, where I live, is a city that is known for its love of informality. When I’m
traveling to more formal cities – like Chicago or New York – I often have to remind
myself that those are places where jeans are not what you wear to a fancy dinner
out. We like rustic plating and are seasonally focused on fruit and vegetables both for
main courses and desserts, not dishes where the ingredients are overworked or
transformed into unrecognizable sauces. These are all big generalizations (and I own
many pants that are not jeans), but they might well be a part of the “death” of the
pastry chef. The article points out that top pastry chefs – including women like Nancy
Silverton and Sherry Yard, who are the cornerstone of the pastry scene in LA – know
that amazing produce will make an amazing dessert, even if the dessert is a very
simple one. Fantastic strawberries tucked in a buttery crust will be an unbelievably
good strawberry tart. This philosophy has led to a decades-long tradition of seasonal
desserts at even the most upscale/fancy/formal LA eateries.
It stands to reason, for some, that you can cut out the pastry chef by supplying a
savory chef or line cook with the same produce and telling them to put it on a plate.
But there is a reason that savory chefs are not pastry chefs, and that 4 out of 5
competitors onChopped are only able to come up with some variation on pain perdu
for their dessert course. You can start with amazing ingredients and make something
that is decent, but you have to know how to work with them to make them shine. This
is true of both sweet and savory dishes, and sweet dishes just don’t command the
same respect that savory items do. To cut costs in a restaurant, more and more
dessert menus are left to people who don’t specialize in dessert and they end up full
of dishes that aren’t terribly exciting, such as ice cream with fresh berries or creme
brulee. Diners end up with fewer choices (and far fewer good choices) for dessert,
and pastry chefs end up out of a job.

There are still plenty of fine dining restaurants that are hanging on to their pastry
chefs, but it does seem that they are much fewer and further between at restaurants.
Fortunately, it isn’t all bleak for pastry chefs and dessert lovers to whom dessert is
another crucial component of a great meal. The same restaurants that are cutting
them out are still interested in serving delicious desserts – they would just prefer to
outsource them to save money. So, pastry chefs who might have worked in a kitchen
10 years ago are blazing new trails in pastry. There are more bakeries than before
and more businesses that specialize in desserts, desserts that can be supplied to a
restaurant without them having to hire a pastry chef of their own. These aren’t your
typical cupcake bakeries – but bakeries run by veteran pastry chefs, serving
everything from elegant macarons to seasonal fruit tarts and homestyle baked goods
that are better than your grandmother could have made. They have more freedom to
work and can sell a wide variety of treats directly to dessert-loving customers, rather
than being limited to a half dozen dessertMENU items. One perfect example is the
Helms Bakery Truck I recently visited.
The article asks if pastry chefs are becoming an endangered species – but it seems
that they just might be finding new and better roles to fill, rather than being tucked
away in the corner of a busy restaurant kitchen. This might not be the death of the
pastry chef. It might actually be the time for a pastry revolution.