Dining
Dining
The Artistry of Pastry by Susan Campbell Incredible edible art, decadent calorie-laden concoctions… it’s all in a delicious day’s work for a pastry chef. So, let’s take a sneak peek behind the scenes to see what makes this special breed of culinary talent tick!
Pastry art past
Recipe for success
Pastry making dates back to ancient Mediterranean times, in fact, records of phyllo-type pastry go back as far as 11thcentury Turkey. Crusaders brought phyllo pastry back with them to Europe where French and Italian Renaissance chefs later experimented with its ingredients to produce lighter and flakier versions like puff and choux. As rich European socialites of the 18th century demanded more intricate and decadent desserts to fit their opulent lifestyles, many artistic chefs were paid handsomely to create unique confections. But it is French Chef Marie-Antoine Carême who is credited with elevating the skill of pastry-making to a fine art. As a young man working in a Parisian patisserie, he was a big fan of architecture so ancient ruins and intricately sculptured buildings were his muse as he created multileveled masterpieces made of confectioner’s paste, nougat, marzipan, and spun sugar. His work displayed in the windows of his employer’s shop brought him fast fame and soon his creations called pièces montées were in demand for royal
Beyond a love of sweets, it takes a special kind of cook to become a successful pastry chef. Though creativity is essential, this art is far more scientific than one would think. A pastry chef must learn about the science of the ingredients they use, how their interactions and reactions to temperatures and motions create different tastes, textures, and balances. And artistic skills and attention to minute details are required to create desserts that are as appealing to the eye as they are to the palate. A propensity for experimentation is also essential – colors, shapes, and textures must combine in a complimentary collage with flavors and tastes. Pastry chefs must also exhibit a high level of physical stamina; they spend countless hours on their feet daily, and often begin work as early as 3 a.m. They must be highly organized as they are often expected to menu plan and order supplies since their station in the brigade de cuisine typically operates as an island unto itself. Because dessert is always an option and never a given, the pastry chef must have an absolute passion for !
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banquets. The Rothschilds, King George IV, and Russia’s Romanovs were among some of his most famous clients, and Carême personally baked Napoleon’s wedding cake! France soon became known as a pastry art Mecca, and, with the inception of Le Cordon Bleu culinary arts school in 1895, pastry chefs became established as separate entities in professional kitchens. Today, the term “pastry arts” encompasses not only pastries, but also cakes, cookies, confections, chocolate creations, and much more.
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