I should cross out the title of this chapter and call this, “The Salted Butter Caramel Lesson”. If I had to write a chapter about everything that I know about caramel, I would never finish writing.. So I will save a chapter for other caramel topics such as ganache and sauce and I will focus……...
Pâte de fruit seems to be the most challenging confection in any chef’s repertoire and I think I know why : pectin and how to use it is a complete mystery to almost everyone. So, let’s start there. Pectin is a glue that is derived from plants. There are two types of pectin; thermoreversible and……...
The macaron is a perfect example of what I like to call, “recipe efficiency.” That being, the practice of having a simple, great recipe that you can literally make dozens of different ways with just small modifications. Creme Anglaise is that way and so is ice cream. In a previous chapter, I stated that the……...
I call this chapter, “The Praline Lesson” but it is much more than that. We are indeed going to make praline paste. It is a fundamental recipe that you will need to have in your pantry as it is used for many applications that you will learn here. First, let me explain what pralines are……...
Before social media made it easy (and inexpensive) to market your brand and innovations, if you wanted to reach new people, you had to hit the road and go on tour. One day in 1994, Sylvain said to me, “Hey Serge, Pascal Janvier is doing a demo in Gaithersburg. I signed up for it. It……...
Let’s first take care of a little business about the two different spellings of the name. The ancestral spelling is Cannelés de Bordeaux. Cannelé is an old French word that simply means,“fluted.” The reason why there are two spellings of Cannelé is because the people of Bordeaux are protective of their little pastry and wanting……...
You only need two macaron recipes; a reliable plain recipe that you can color any which way you desire and a great chocolate macaron recipe. Even with cacao powder aiding the taste of a chocolate macaron, most of the flavor of a macaron will come from the center filling. I am very picky about that……....
After I was dismissed from Kinkaid’s, I had to find a job fast. There was no chance that I was going back to Florida. I was on my own for the first time and I loved it. It was my version of going away to college. I had roommates, a steady diet of pizza and……...
Escaping the looney bin of the Pink Elephant and Gasparilla Island was only temporary. I found myself back on that island just a few months later with a new kitchen and a new bunch of misfits including a familiar face, Jeff Morales. He was still his obnoxious New York self. I was looking for a……...
When I was 15 years old, I was dreaming of girls and cars. I knew I couldn’t get a date without having a car. I didn’t even own a bike. Even if I did own a bike, how was I going to ask a girl out on a date? I couldn’t pick her up on……...