I don’t have a ton of fond memories from my childhood. The ones that I do have are centered around food. Unlike Anthony Bourdain, my family didn’t have money to take me and my siblings on a cruise to France. That is where he discovered his love of food digging into oysters, velvety soups and……...
Author: kriss harvey
The Lesson in Parfait Part 1
Frozen desserts will always be my favorite desserts. I am not just talking about ice cream and sorbet. I love granita too; they are simple to make and they are so refreshing. I wish Americans had a taste for granita. I don’t mean the stuff from the slushy machine that you see at poolside bars……...
The Lesson in Flavor
I understand why people think maple syrup is a fall flavor; it is delicious pairing with other fall flavors. It is amazing with roasted hard squashes made into puree or soup and I have worked with chefs that have used it to glaze pork, duckling and even scallops. It is a spring harvest though but……...
The Lesson in Making It Better
It has always been an obsession of pastry chefs and chocolatiers to make the better versions of items that we grew up eating. Maybe it was something that a relative made or a traditional cultural food that needs to be made for the mainstream. Other times, it is an inspiration from a commercially made food……...
The Lesson in my New Favorite Bonbon
I love the challenge of packing a lot of flavor in a dessert that weighs only 10 grams. Okay, maybe a bonbon isn’t a dessert but it is one of life’s sweet little pleasures. That is the burden of a chocolatier; being able to deliver a ton of flavor in something so small. I found……...
The Lesson About Listening to Other Chefs
I am super picky about my ingredients. I will never apologize for being snobby about ingredients. For me, everything counts. Having good recipes, using good techniques and using great ingredients is a strong foundation for a great career as a chef. Surrounding yourself with strong purveyors is extremely important. I had a chef friend many……...
The Lesson in Inventory
When you run a chocolate business, one of the keys to success is maintaining your inventory. This means leveraging your money correctly. But that can be risky. If mismanaged, this is the number one thing that can sink any business. You have to put a lot of money into packaging and all of it is……...
The Lesson In Once a Year
I was lucky enough to enter this profession long before beautifully made up television personalities held the title of “Chef.” If you asked a young person that is just starting their career who their favorite chef is, they would likely say Giada De Laurentis or Guy Fieri. That is their only exposure to the profession……....
The Lesson In Fruit Ice Cream
Until I take my last breath, I will dream about opening a small artisan ice cream shop.. I can picture it in my mind’s eye; It would be pure and simple. An odd mix of concrete floors, brick walls, a Pozzetti cabinet storing the ice cream and sorbet in stainless containers propped up to display……...
The Lesson in Making It Yourself
There isn’t any shame if you’re opening tubs of commercially made praline paste and marzipan. I do it myself. It depends on the usage though. If I am making the Rice Krispy barre, I will gladly open a 5 kg tub of smooth praline paste. The praline in that recipe is important but it isn’t……...