Happy New Year!
With the holiday season finishing, everyone is becoming hyper aware of their pants getting tighter by the day. But before everyone decides to eat healthier there is one more pastry tradition in France that people indulge in: the Galette des Rois. You've probably heard of the English equivalent, "Kings Cake" which is usually thrown around people's mouths before Mardi Gras (which I have come to learn is soooooo not correct). But it is in fact associated with a different holiday. The Epiphany is a day to commemorate the visit of the three kings to baby Jesus, which is celebrated on January 6. Typically kids leave out their shoes the night before hoping the kings will stop by and leave them a small gift hidden inside. The most famous tradition is the sharing of the King Cake or Galette des Rois. Traditionally a circular shape -in France it is a puff pastry filled with frangipane (depending on the region) that has a little token (la feve) hidden inside. When the cake is cut, each person checks their piece to see if they were lucky enough to get the token- if they are, old tradition says they are the king or queen for the day. I am fortunate enough that I was able to share a galette with my coworkers on New Year's Eve. One my sous chefs told me that traditionally the youngest member of the group (me) is meant to cover their eyes and individually name all of the guests while their mom (in this case, my other sous chef who is comically neither my mother nor even female for that matter) passes each piece out to the corresponding person. After understanding my task, I covered my eyes and named all of my coworkers one by one, trying really hard not to forget anyone. After I knew everyone had gotten a piece I finally named myself and you wouldn't believe my luck; I got the token! My coworkers told me it meant I have to buy the next galette. Others have told me that I have to bring champagne so in fact, I'm not sure which one I should do. Maybe I'll just buy both and everyone will be happy haha. The galette was delicious and I encourage anyone who has the chance to taste Chef Nicolas Paciello's galette to do so. Featuring layers of buttery puff pastry filled with candied roasted pecan frangipane and topped with a pecan cookie crunch, it's to die for. And it's not just because I work for him...it's really good. Trust me.
Anyway, playing that little game got me wondering about this tradition and how it started. Later at home I did some research and learned a lot of really cool new things. So if you're interested in the history of desserts like I am, read on! If not, and you are content with my little work story then cool.
As I mentioned before, January 6th is the Epiphany (the visit of the three kings to baby Jesus). Because the Epiphany is celebrated all over the world there are different variations of the cake but in France there are three main variations: Pithiviers, Le Gateau de Rois / Pithiviers Fondant, and La Galette de Besancon / Galette Comtoise.
Pithiviers
Named after a small city just south of Paris, France this version has a base of pate feuillete (similar to croissant dough) that is traditionally filled with almond cream although, it can also be filled with frangipane (a mixture of almond cream and pastry cream). This is the most common galette de rois that I've seen in Paris, which makes sense since it's just north of Pithiviers. This version is seen as more modern because pate feuillete wasn't invented until the 18th century by a pastry chef of the Prince of Conde.
Le Gateau de Rois / Pithiviers Fondant
This version is a slight variation to the galette I mentioned above, hence the name. Some consider this to be the "authentic" Pithiviers. The difference is easily visible; this version is more cake-like in texture and decorated with an even coat of white sugar glaze and colorful candied fruit.
La Galette de Besancon / Galette Comtoise
This galette originates from the East of France in the 14th century made from pate a choux (the same dough as cream puffs and eclairs) flavored with orange blossom.
So two of these variations come from the same origin and include almonds. But why? What makes almonds so special to have ended up in two of the three variations? Well let's look back at the city where it came from, Pithiviers. Since it's origin, the city was a popular place for trade, which is why the locals referred to it as "the crossroads of the four paths" or Pithiviers in the local language of Carnutes. The "four paths" refer to the paths from Orleans to Reims and Sens to Rennes. The high quality of wheat in the region meant that baking breads and cakes was common and it only made sense to incorporate the almonds that Romans brought to trade in the town.
On another note, French people have a close relationship with food and while researching I found it amusing that I found an article from the city of Besancon that announced the outlaw of the modern Pithiviers (the first one on the list filled with frangipane) in order to preserve the history of their regional galette de rois (the third one on the list). To be honest, I didn't research much into it to check sources and see if this is true but honestly after living in France for a year it would not surprise me at all; I just find it comical.
I actually learned how to make the modern version of Pithiviers at school and really enjoyed it not only because it was a fun challenge but also because I got a good grade on it. :P
Now I'm curious to learn much more about the city and try all the different variations. Maybe that will be my next project, I promise I'm not just making excuses to eat more desserts...or am I?
Which version is your favorite (if you celebrate the holiday) or if you haven't had it which one would you like to try first? P.S. If you have anything to add or if I got something completely wrong about the tradition please let me know! :)
References
3 Comments
Today I visited the chocolate museum in Paris, Choco-Story. It was such a wonderful experience to learn about the history of chocolate and how it transformed from the cocoa bean into the chocolate we know today. Chocolate is always seen as a guilty pleasure and an indulgence but should we really feel guilty? Chocolate has transformed throughout history but its many health benefits have been around since the Aztecs and Mayans discovered the cocoa bean. Here’s 21 things that you need to know about chocolate plus some if it’s health benefits: 1. There are 3 different major varieties of cocoa bean: Criollo, Forastero & Trinitario In case you didn’t know, chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which are grown on trees. (Meaning it’s derived from a plant so it’s healthy right?)
2. Three countries produce 68% of the world’s cocoa.
3. The Aztecs and Mayans used cocoa beans as an early form of currency. In early society Aztecs and Mayans used cocoa beans as currency to purchase other goods. One rabbit cost 10 cocoa beans. 4. Aztecs and Mayans were the first ones to make cocoa into a drink. They believed that cocoa beans were a gift from the gods and made offerings that were a mix of blood and crushed cocoa beans. In doing so, they also ground the beans, added spices and diluted it with water. It was considered a drink of the gods because of its health benefits including making the body stronger and fending off fatigue. 5. Aztecs and Mayans designed special pottery to “foam” the cocoa drinks. As you can see in the picture above, the pot has a spout and a tube like handle. To foam the cocoa they would blow air into the tube and voila! 6. “Foaming cocoa” was used as a celebratory drink at marriage ceremonies. Now, we use champagne (or sparkling wine). 7. The Aztecs and Mayans are the reason why we raise a champagne glass for a toast. Since were on the topic of toasting at ceremonies I thought this was one of the coolest facts. In fact, they had a special goblet with 3 hollow legs filled with a single cocoa bean. Before drinking, they would shake the goblet, which would make noise (from the cocoa bean) to ward off evil spirits. So in fact, when we raise our glasses for a toast, we are doing so to get rid of those pesky evil spirits! Cool huh?! 8. Cocoa is the base for Mole, a popular traditional Mexican dish prepared for special occasions. Again, here the Aztecs and the Mayans are responsible for passing on this tradition. As I mentioned before, they believed cocoa was a gift from the gods so it only makes sense that they would use it to celebrate special occasions. 9. In the 1650s, London had dedicated “Chocopubs” for hot chocolate. After chocolate was brought back from Mexico by conquistadors, obviously Europeans loved it. It became so popular they made a pub just for hot chocolate, which they called Chocopubs. And why did they go out of fashion? The world may never know. Maybe I’ll bring it back! 10-14. The Spanish originally sold cocoa products in pharmacies because of its health benefits! The Aztecs and the Mayans introduced hot chocolate to the Spanish as a medicinal drink because it made them stronger and gave them more energy. So of course, the Spanish did the same. Cocoa was mixed with pepper for people suffering from liver problems. Cocoa and grey amber was believed to be beneficial for your heart. (What’s grey amber? Essentially sperm whale vomit that washed up on shore – if you don’t trust me google it. It’s an interesting read. Yeah…) Cocoa mixed with achiote improved breathing. Cocoa butter was sold as an ointment for burns and wounds. 15. The three main ingredients to make chocolate are cocoa paste, cocoa butter and cocoa powder all given to use by the cocoa tree! The jewels of the cocoa tree are the cocoa beans because they give us all we need to make chocolate! 16. Pinat and Cadot, two French metal mold manufacturers, started producing molds for chocolate in 1820. Molds changed the game for chocolate. For much of history, chocolate was consumed as a liquid drink for nobles (in Europe). When chocolate was made into a solid state you could imagine it was even more popular and created a new wave of chocolate business. Medicinal Benefits of Chocolate It’s time for all the chocolate shamers to sit down. Here’s some facts based on scientific research that disprove the common medical evils chocolate causes. (Note: Chocolate refers to dark chocolate. Please let me know if you want me to explain anything further. I’m nowhere near an expert but I understand everything I wrote here!) 17. Chocolate reduces cholesterol levels. Thanks to the stearic acid naturally found in the cocoa butter. Stearic acid is converted to oleic acid when processed by our livers. Oleic acid reduces bad cholesterol levels and increases good cholesterol levels. Oleic acid is also found in olive oil, which is commonly known for its heart health benefits. 18. Chocolate prevents cavities. Cocoa naturally contains powerful cavity fighters including tannins, fluoride and phosphates. Tannins prevent the development of bacteria. Flouride makes your enamel stronger and phosphates keep the acids formed by sugars that are being metabolized at bay. 19. Chocolate reduces stress and helps combat fatigue. As the Mayans and Aztecs figured out long ago, chocolate is a godsend. Chocolate naturally contains caffeine, theobromine, serotonin and phelylethylamine which all work together to benefit us by reducing stress and fighting fatigue. 20. Chocolate doesn’t cause acne. I know that’s technically not a benefit depending on how you look at it but there is no medical study that shows a link between chocolate consumption and acne. 21. Chocolate has a low glycaemic peak. Diabetics have no fear! You can still eat dark chocolate just watch the amount of glucids you’re consuming and you’re all good! *All information presented is directly from the museum. I hope you enjoyed all that good history and facts about chocolate. Join the Pati Cake & Friends Facebook group to get access to photos from the museum! What’s the most interesting fact you learned? P.S. I got myself a little model cocoa bean as a decoration for my table! How COOL is that?! Advice for visiting the chocolate museum – Choco-Story Paris
Tax day is here and I thought it would be the perfect time to talk about my cakespiration (cake inspiration) for my calculator cake! The infamous calculator cake, like many others, was a labor of love. This cake required hours of careful dedication and attention to detail. With my Mom’s birthday just around the corner I decided it would be a perfect treat for her. Every year I see my mom work 10+ hour days, almost every single day of the week (yes, including weekends) and yet somehow manage to also be Supermom. But even the term Supermom still doesn’t capture how she is able to work that much and also buy groceries, plan meals, clean, watch tons of Netflix, spend time with family and still go to bed early! She is the hardest working person in the world and I know that for a fact. How does this tie into Tax day? Well, quite simply she works in accounting so naturally she basically lives at work during tax season. Tax Day represents immense stress and also relief (especially at the end of the day) because just for one second my mom can breathe before a ton of work falls on her desk again. Unfortunately her birthday falls 2 weeks before Tax Day meaning she has no time for celebrations and is usually stressed to the limit. But I love birthdays and more importantly I love my mom. Despite the fact that every year she says she doesn’t want anything; (Yes, even cake. I know. Sinner. Don’t worry Mom, God forgives everyone.) I ignore her every year and make her a cake. But I was tired of doing the same cakes with just flowers and wanted to challenge myself to really show my mom how much she meant to me. In fact, she taught me to be an amazing person and even though there is absolutely no way I could come close to repaying her, I’ll always try my best. So I sat down for a long time thinking of things she likes and wanting to create something to match her attention to detail, passion for her work and obviously, it had to be delicious. And BAM! There it was, the calculator cake! But not just any calculator, the calculator that she uses at work and the very same one we have at home. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the sound of the click clacking of the keys and the little printer on top sliding across the line of paper to print with the classic typewriter font and light blue ink. I remember watching the paper print continuously and slowly collect in a crazy spaghetti shape on the floor in front of her desk. I swear my mom doesn’t even need to look at a calculator to use it. It’s incredible. Ah, the memories. And there it was; my cakespiration. I would recreate the instrument of my mom’s work. I worked vigilantly to plan and prepare a cake for her without noticing and let me tell you, moms have this weird sixth sense and ALWAYS figure stuff out, so trust me when I say it wasn’t easy. I somehow managed to bake and decorate the cake without her noticing, only accomplished by my masterful planning and ultimate sneakiness. I spent hours decorating the cake to be precise and perfect not only in appearance but in taste too. Because honestly what’s the point of a pretty cake that doesn’t taste great? I had no templates or guides to use, just my mom’s calculator, my self taught decorating skills and some basic tools. I hand colored, cut and positioned each piece to exactly match the calculator. Then, once positioned, I went in and hand painted each calculator key to match. For the final touch, the total amount displayed on the calculator was the date of her birthday that year. What’s even better? I recorded myself decorating the cake so play the video and check out the process! Inspiration for cakes can come from anything, especially when it means a lot to you. I know my mom really enjoyed her cake because she was speechless when she saw it and that my friends, that’s my reward. If for one second, I can take away my mom’s stress during tax season and let her enjoy her birthday I would do it in an instant. Even though this is nothing compared to everything that my mom has given to me, I hope she see’s how great she really is and how much I appreciate everything she does for us. So here’s to you Mom. You will always be my greatest source of inspiration and I strive to be half as amazing as you are. <3 Love, xxPatricia Today I’m getting technical with pastry. As part of my program at Ferrandi we have technology class every day where we discuss the scientific side of pastry and desserts. We deconstruct our recipes, learn why each ingredient is important and what they contribute to the final dessert, the processes and techniques used in recipes, and ask probably a million questions to our expert chefs. Sometimes we spend an entire two-hour class just talking about one ingredient! So, let’s talk about salt! Did you ever notice that almost all desserts have salt in them? Recipes and packages don’t really explain the purpose of salt in dessert but it is one of the most important ingredients in baking because of the following reasons: Salt contributes to developing the flavor You’ve probably heard this or something similar before. Salt helps to offset the sweetness of sugar (one of the main ingredients in dessert). Just a small quantity of salt can help enhance the flavor of other ingredients to help make their flavors more pronounced. Have you ever seen someone eat feta cheese and watermelon? My grandma does and I always thought it was gross. But the saltiness from the feta cheese helps enhance the natural flavor of the sweet watermelon giving it a more complex taste. Salt improves textural qualities, increases the elasticity of gluten and the firmness of dough. The first thing I think of when someone says dessert is cake, then chocolate, then sweet fruit. But dough? What does dough have to do with dessert?! A lot actually! Dough is most commonly referred to when talking about bread but in fact it also refers to pie doughs, sweet bread doughs, etc. Salt is especially important in doughs because it improves the textural qualities, increases the elasticity of gluten and firmness of the dough. One of my favorite rainy day treats is a fresh hot cinnamon roll! The beautifully soft texture and ability for the dough to be rolled wouldn’t be the same without salt! Salt regulates the activity of yeast cells to help stabilize fermentation Since we’re talking about cinnamon rolls, a yeast raised dough, it’s perfect to talk about how salt regulates the fermentation process. Yeast is what makes most doughs rise and it is quite a tricky ingredient to work with if you’re inexperienced. I won’t go into too much detail because this is about salt, not yeast, but put simply salt hinders the ability for yeast to grow while sugar feeds it. In the cinnamon roll dough you mix yeast with sugar to help in grow (that’s why they get nice and fluffy)! You add salt in the dough to keep the yeast from growing way too much and developing a weird taste in your dough. I hope that makes sense! (Let me know if it doesn’t; I’d be happy to explain more.) Salt plays a role in the coloration of baked goods Do you ever wonder how an almost white pie dough can color to such a beautiful brown crust of an apple pie? Because ovens don’t bake items with direct heat, salt is important to help color your baked goods. Salt is hygroscopic (it attracts water) Salt is also hygroscopic meaning simply that it attracts water from the air. This is especially important in contributing to the softness of doughs and crusts in humid conditions. In dry conditions salt helps set water. Salt helps preserve your delicious treats The fact that salt is used as a natural preservative is probably the most widely known. As our ancestors discovered, salt helps preserve things so that we can enjoy them for longer periods of time. However, compared to our ancestors, we don’t use nearly as much salt as they did because we have cool and new innovative technology developed in the mid 1700’s called refrigeration. Now, a little bit of salt is added to preserve the textural quality of baked goods over time. So there you have it, six scientific reasons that salt is in your dessert! I hope now you have a better understanding of why salt is so essential in desserts and pastry to help develop the taste, texture and preserve your sweets naturally! Next time you make a dessert don’t forget to add the salt!
Are you interested in learning about where salt comes from? Comment below! Pi day (March 14) is coming up, which gives you an excuse to indulge in a delicious pie even though it’s not Thanksgiving! In baking and pastry school we recently focused on tarts, the French cousin of good old American pie, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic to share these classic French tarts with you! If you are looking for inspiration for your next pie or tart to celebrate Pi day search no more! Here’s five classical French tarts that are sure to make you drool. 1. Chocolate Tart (Tarte Chocolat) I mean you doesn’t love chocolate? And when you create a tart with chocolate as the star you are sure to attract a horde of chocolate lovers. I certainly did fall in love with this rich indulgent tart. It starts with a perfectly buttery and crisp crust filled with rich 60% dark chocolate, coated with a glossy dark chocolate glaze, and topped with whipped chocolate ganache. Want to be extra fancy? Add some gold leaf to accent all the dark tones from the chocolate. 2. Pistachio Almond Vanilla Bean Fruit Tart (Tarte Aux Fruits) This tart is what dreams are made of. Seriously. I love chocolate so of course I loved the chocolate tart but this not so simple fruit tart literally made me want to cry; it was so delicious. After I took photos, you bet I cut myself a little piece to try, which ended up being about a third of the entire tart… It has fruit so I justified it as part of my fruit serving for the day. :P So what exactly is underneath all that fruit that makes this tart amazing? Three delicious components. That perfectly buttery and crisp tart shell, filled with pistachio almond cream, topped with a generous layer or pistachio vanilla bean pastry cream (a.k.a. pudding), piled with fresh naturally sweet berries and accented with gorgeously green watercress. You’ll bet I ate that entire tart by myself. I have no regrets! It was amazing! 3. Apple Tart (Tarte Aux Pommes) I think one of the most iconic pies in history is good old American apple pie. The French have a similar, more sophisticated and technical tart version that is no easy feat to master. A buttery and crisp tart shell holds apple compote and a bed of sliced apples to make the classic Tarte Aux Pommes (Apple Tart). Sounds easy right? HA! No. The challenge lies in the precise slicing and arranging of the apples in perfect uniformity. Put simply, each apple has to be exactly the same size, thickness, length, shape, and spaced exactly the same distant apart from each other during arranging. I think my best advice for anyone trying to master this tart is to spend plenty of time doing every step perfectly. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. 4. Lemon Tart (Tarte Citron) Ah, the lemon tart. The first time I tried lemon cream in France was at the Eiffel Tower restaurant. It was to die for! I had to learn how to make it and was insanely excited to do so in school. This tart is actually fairly simple but still amazing none the less. Lemon curd (lemon pudding) fills a buttery crisp tart shell and is decorated with meringue and watercressIt’s the French equivalent of the classical Lemon Meringue Pie. I decided to go a little outside the box for my decorating and made a meringue shaped heart. 5. Pear Almond Tart (Tarte Bourdaloue)
Ironically, even though this is last on the list, this one was the first tart I made at school! It was absolutely delicious. I discovered how amazing simple flavors can be when you focus and emphasize them so they can shine on a dessert. The pears on this tart are poached making them melt in your mouth as you enjoy the difference in textures between the crisp and buttery tart shell, soft almond cream and pear which a slight crunch from almond slices. This tart is perfect with some tea or coffee for an afternoon snack! I’m so glad I was able to learn about these five classic French tarts in my baking and pastry program at Ferrandi. So far, I’ve been in school for almost a month and I gained a TON of experience and knowledge. I can’t wait to see my progress from the beginning of the program to the end. I’m really excited to recreate these to feature them on my menu when I get back to Chicago! Which tart would you try first? This week I started my classes at my baking and pastry program and it couldn’t have been better. I’ve been waiting for this for many years and I couldn’t be happier about life right now. Wondering what this past week has been like? Read on to learn about my baking and pastry program! My School and Program Before I get into the nitty gritty, I’ll tell you a little bit about my school and my program. Ferrandi – Paris is a very highly respected culinary school all throughout the world but especially in France. Ferrandi has been described as the Hogwarts of culinary schools. It’s been around for about 100 years and has 3 campuses in France. All of the chef instructors in my program have trained and worked for at least 20 years in the field in various settings (hotels, fine dining, small pastry shops, etc). In total, this year there are about 50 students in the international intensive program. The international intensive program is 5 months of training with approximately 80% of the time spent working (actually making pastry) and 20% of the time in lecture or watching demonstrations. After the 5-month program, we receive a certificate and are matched by our chefs to an internship for 3 – 6 months. Thankfully, the program is taught all in English but we are required to attend French classes in order to be able to work at our internships. Chef Instructors The chef instructors in my program are all professionals and have years of industry experience. They are very eager to share their knowledge with students and answer as many questions as possible. In order to get a more personalized experience, the entire program is divided into 4 different classes and each assigned a chef. This means there’s approximately a 13:1 student to chef instructor ratio, which is a great learning environment. Every 2 weeks, our chef instructors shuffle groups so we can learn from different chefs (as they all have different teaching styles but still cover the same material in each class). My first chef instructor has insanely high standards; he expects absolute perfection. He tells us that we are making products to sell to customers, so he wants everything to be perfect because that’s what customers expect. His attention to detail is insanely critical in everything he does including the preparation of the workspace, the process of making pastry and adding the finishing touches on the product. It’s eye opening and I’m so glad to be able to train under him. Uniforms As with most professional places, uniforms are required to be clean, ironed and worn at all times while on campus. If chefs don’t approve of your uniform you can be sent home to change and/or excluded from class. So they are quite serious about uniforms here. Honestly, this is the only uniform that I absolutely love! It consists of a chef jacket, apron, black chef pants (with guy-sized pockets!!! Girls know what I’m talking about!), a hat, and non-slip super fashionable shoes (sarcasm). I feel so professional! Classmates My classmates come from all over the world. In my class alone (just 14 students) there are students from China, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, the Bahamas, and Brazil. Now that I think of it, I’m the only one in my class from the United States. Everyone in my class all came to pastry school for the same reason, to follow our dreams. But, all of us come from very different backgrounds and experience levels with pastry. Before following their passion for baking and pastry some students were chemists, accountants, doctors, academics, military soldiers, journalists, primary school teachers, civil engineers, and even chefs of cuisine. Because everyone comes from different backgrounds, this also means that we all have different levels of experience with pastry. Some students have absolutely no experience while others have already been to a culinary school. As you would probably guess, most people baked as a hobby and it turned into a passion. Now we are all learning and growing together to live our dreams and it’s quite amazing! The energy of a room filled with like-minded people is unmatched. Library I wasn’t really surprised to discover there was a library on campus mainly because almost every single university does. What I didn’t realize when I walked into the library that it was essentially going to be super culinary nerd heaven. There are entire sections on chocolate, pastry, fruit, running food businesses, flour, food science, etc. I couldn’t help but get really giddy about all the time I’m going to spend in there. Although, I don’t think it’s going to be possible to read everything since most books are in French but hey, it’ll be great practice! In The Classroom I know this is defiantly the part everyone is waiting for. There are two different kitchens where we train, also referred to as labs. One is more modern and spacious, while the other one is older and more compact. Every week we switch labs in order to become familiar with both types of working environments. Our class is structured very organically to how one would work in a professional kitchen. The chefs require us to respond with a resounding, “Yes, chef!” To know that we understand what he is saying. (Except keep in mind it’s in French so it’s technically “Oui, chef!”) The chef will explain and demonstrate what we are working on for that class then will tell us to go try it. While we are working, the chef walks around and ensures everyone is doing things properly. After each step is completed, we all gather around together to see the next step and so on until we each have our own finished products. Check out these cream puffs I made all by myself! They definitely were not perfect but I think they came out alright! The chef makes everything look so easy… So far, this week has been amazing. I can’t wait to see how I will develop my techniques and grow throughout this program. I’m so elated to finally be studying what I’m truly passionate about and I know my classmates are too. Time seems to fly by and I’m doing my best to get the most out of this experience!
What do you think about my chocolate cream puffs? Maybe I’ll add these to my menu when I get back home! If this is your first time reading check out my post Europain 2018: Getting Ready For The Most Exciting Weekend to get some background information and see why I was so excited for this weekend (a.k.a. it’s the first part of this 2 post series). This past weekend I spent 4 days at Europe’s biggest bakery exposition and learned quite a lot about the baking industry not only in Europe but around the world. With seminars on ancient versus modern wheat, chocolate tastings from around the world, pastry chef demonstrations and over 400 exhibitors, I returned home pretty exhausted every day. Interested in what I did this weekend? Read on for this weekends highlights. Day 1: Highlights The night before the first day I spent at least an hour trying to plan my schedule with critical precision. I wanted to get the absolute most out of this weekend so I made sure to plan my schedule accordingly (a.k.a. I had 5 minutes to go from one section to the next, which meant I couldn’t stay for the Q&A session and considering the enormity of the exposition I had to more or less speed walk everywhere.) So, as you could probably already imagine I was in a constant hustle the first day. Ancient and Modern Wheat Highlights I know you guys are just as excited as I am to learn about ancient and modern wheat! Don’t worry I won’t give you the full breakdown of the hour long hot debate but I will give you some nice highlights! But before I do that I want to note that the panel consisted of Jean-Francois Berthelot, a farmer, miller and baker, Alain Bonjean, an expert in modern seeds, and Isabel (I didn’t catch her last name) a wheat researcher. These people seriously know their stuff! So without further ado…the highlights from the debate!
I honestly could write a whole post about the discussion they had regarding the classification of ancient and modern wheat, links to gluten intolerance and celiac disease, and the genetic modification of wheat. I kept it nice and simple for you here! If you are interested, leave me a comment below and I’d be more than happy to explain further. :) What does all of this have to do with cake? Well, wheat is harvested and then milled to make flour which goes into cake! Ta da! The Pastry Chef Demonstration Miracle & Aftermath Pastry Chef demonstrations consist of you watching a master create a recipe right in front of your eyes. PLUS, you get to taste it after. Hopefully, unless there’s a giant mob, which there always is, that fights over the samples. Pastry Chef François Perret of the Ritz Paris created a gorgeous 5 star honey, almond, and pear dessert. As he assembled different components of the dessert, he passed out the candied almonds he made which were amazing! The plated dessert consisted of chopped fresh Williams Pear, candied almonds, a scoop of vanilla ice cream encased in an igloo of whipped cream, topped with a cookie (resembling a honey comb) topped with honey. He made enough desserts for everyone that initially came to the demonstration and stayed the whole time but of course people see food and stick around to grab some as they walk by. Long story short, when the dessert was completed I saw the pastry sous chef, Jeremy hand the last sample to the couple next to me. :( Sadness. My heart sank. But just then, Jeremy walks over to the demonstration dessert plated by the pastry chef François Perret, picks it up, walks over to me and sets it in front of me. I turned into a bright red tomato!! God is good. My heart stopped. Here I was looking down at a gold trimmed plate with the dessert that was just made in front of me. I looked back up and Jeremy was there again with a silver spoon for me to dig in. I didn’t hesitate. Three bites in to this delectable dessert of multiple layers and textures, I wasn’t even ready for what was about to happen… From behind me the crowd of people managed to somehow obtain tiny sample spoons (I assume from fighting someone to the death) and literally swooped in and started eating off my plate. UHM WHAT?!? I was stunned. So stunned, I froze in fact and that started a chain reaction of the rest of the mob munching on my dessert. I felt like a poor injured zebra being attacked by a swarm of hungry vultures. Below is a photo for reference. Day 2 Highlights The second day at Europain started off pretty well, or so I thought. I managed to get there with plenty of time to spare before the demonstration I wanted to see, so I decided to check out some of the exhibitors in the mean time. Of course, what I didn’t realize was they switched the first and second pastry chef demonstrations meaning when I casually arrived early to the first one I was at the end of the one I actually wanted to see! :( At least I still got to try the rich chocolate tart! Mustard Whipped Cream?!? I stayed for the next demonstration since I already had that time planned to be there for the first one titled, Strawberry and Mustard. Yeah, not a combination I would typically put together and if you know me I’m a pretty picky eater. Hence why I went the route of pastry because I love almost everything sweet. Anyway, the dessert consisted of strawberry jam, a raspberry, a layer of crunch and topped with mustard whipped cream. By itself mustard whipped cream is well…mustard whipped cream. Exactly how you would imagine it. Except here mustard is all from Dijon so it had a certain spice to it. I don’t think my palette is refined enough to enjoy the flavors the pastry chef was trying to convey in this dish. Would you try mustard whipped cream? Cocoa beans and chocolate from around the world I was excited for this one because well, put simply, I LOVE chocolate. Giving me a space where I can learn more about it and try different types? Heaven. Cocoa bean farmers from around the world each had a station to showcase their regions cocoa beans and the resulting chocolate bar. The first lady that I talked to instructed me to simple peel off the skin from the bean and eat it. Now, eating chocolate and eating a cocoa bean are two completely different things. To put it in perspective, imagine 100% dark chocolate. Eating a cocoa bean is sooooooooooo bitter. That’s because the chocolate bars we know and love are filled with cocoa butter (fat), sugar, and milk (in the case of milk chocolate)! Each region that grows cocoa beans has its own unique taste, smell and appearance. The variations in flavor are so slight you have to really make sure you cover all of your taste buds to detect it but there definitely is a difference and when you notice it, it seems huge. I always thought chocolate was just chocolate but now it’s so much more than that. I plan on studying more into chocolate so maybe I’ll turn into Willy Wonka? 2017 World Pastry Chef Champion *Imagine me jumping up and down while saying this* I met the 2017 World Pastry Chef Champion, Jean-Thomas Schneider!!!!!!!!!! And he taught me how to make an amazing lemon crème and lemon mousse for the replicated half lemon dessert he demonstrated. What’s even better than that? I GOT TO TRY IT. And it was out of this world! After taking a photo with him and scratching that off my bucket list, my first thought was, “note to self: new life goal – World Pastry Chef Champion” The world isn’t even ready yet ;) Day 3 Highlights Agri Ethical I mentioned this seminar in my last post and I was really excited to hear from the founder of Agri Ethical – the European equivalent to Fair Trade. Those of you who know me well know that I am very fond of the idea of Fair Trade and am glad the future is heading that way. For those that aren’t sure what Fair Trade means, it’s basically the idea that the farmers harvesting our products are paid fair wages, improve our environmental farming conditions and provide better products for consumers! Sounds great huh? Yup! It is! So I’m really glad this organization, Agri Ethical is making steps towards implementing that concept in France. Coupe de France des Ecoles The Coupe de France des Ecoles is basically a competition for student teams from different schools to go head to head and create masterpieces of sugar and bread. They worked tirelessly throughout the weekend and created beautiful works of edible art. It was exciting to watch students work and compete with the skills they learned in class. I couldn’t help but think that soon I will be one of those students! Day 4 Highlights Mondial des Arts Sucrés (International Confectionary Art Competition) The Mondial des Arts Sucrés (International Confectionary Art Competition) was mesmerizing to watch. There were a total of 16 countries that competed: Ecuador, Russia, Taiwan, France, Canada, Venezuela, Morocco, Colombia, Ukraine, Brazil, USA, Japan, Singapore, Mexico and Georgia. Each team consisted of one female and one male pastry chef to represent their respective countries. Here’s a list of everything they had to make for the competition: · 20 plated desserts · 20 individual small ice cream cakes · 30 x 2 types of confectionary · 4 entremets (small snack dessert) · 1 sugar centerpiece · 1 chocolate center piece · 1 sugar and chocolate presentation stand for their confectionary Just typing that list was exhausting, I couldn’t imagine having to make it all! Each country had plenty of people in the crowd cheering them on with flags. There was some really great energy there! The theme this year was French luxury. Masters de La Boulangerie (Bakery Masters) I have never seen bread like this before. Honestly, I didn’t know there were so many different types of bread other than sandwich bread and a baguette. There were 3 different categories of the competition: · Nutritional Bread Making · Gourmet Baking · Artistic Bread Making The USA competed in Gourmet Baking represented by Jeffrey de Leon and Artistic Bread Making represented by Jacob Baggenstos. Unfortunately we didn’t win either of the sections BUT we did a great job and the competition was fierce. The 2018 winners in each category are: · Nutritional Bread Making – Peter Bienefelt – The Netherlands · Gourmet Baking – Déborah Ott - France · Artistic Bread Making – Peng-Chieh Wang - Tawian This is a huge honor because there are (now) only 9 Master Bakers in the entire world! So there you have it! A behind the scenes look at Europe’s largest baking exposition. I hope you enjoyed this post because I truly did enjoy every second of this past weekend, despite the fact that I came home exhausted every day. I’m so excited for my pastry courses to start next week and going to Europain was only a little introduction into my future career and life. And you know what? It looks pretty sweet.
Yes, that pun was intended. So what do you think? Would you be up for the challenge of eating bread and sweets all day for an entire weekend? P.S. I should mention that this entire expo was in French with only a couple of the seminars being translated so forgive me if some topics aren’t as thorough as you hoped. P.P.S. I should also mention I ate WAYYYYYYYY too much bread this weekend but it was for a good purpose: education. ;) Want to see more photos? Subscribe to the blog and enter the Pati Cake & Friends Facebook group for FULL access to all photos I took at Europain 2018. I’m SO excited for this weekend. I have the opportunity to attend one of the most prestigious baking conferences in the world, Europain 2018. This baking conferences happens every two years and I am blessed that I don’t have to travel very far because it’s in a suburb of Paris just 45 minutes away from me. Do you know what else is super awesome? I managed to get into all 4 days of the conference completely free. How did I get so lucky? It wasn’t easy but I’ll tell you. 30 Hours in a Baking and Cake Decorating playground Europain 2018 is from February 3-6 from 10am -5:30pm every day. That totals up to approximately 30 hours of anything and everything related to baking and cake decorating. This is the first time I’m am going to a conference of this size (featuring over 400 exhibitors) and it’s exciting I’ll be able to connect with people from around the world based on our shared passion for baking and cake decorating. Seminars about ancient wheat and chocolate tastings from around the world? Sign me up. Ok, so what is this conference all about? Like what am I going to do for 30 hours? Have no fear! I shall tell you. Every day is jam packed with seminars, roundtables, expert speakers, contests, interviews, demonstrations and over 400 exhibitors. So even though 30 hours seems like a lot, it’s honestly really not. Over the next couple days I’m going to spend my time studying the show schedule to make sure I don’t miss ANYTHING. By the end of the weekend, I am totally going to turn into an extremely well risen baking nerd (pun intended). Here are a few events happening this weekend that I’m super pumped for:
Honestly, just writing this I simply cannot contain my excitement! I’m seriously considering camping outside the convention center like people on Black Friday. Alas, I have managed to prevent myself from doing such crazy things but I don’t know how much longer I can wait! Thank God, it’s only a few days away. A chance to hear from and see top pastry chefs compete in contests As I briefly mentioned above there will be plenty of fantastic speakers talking about super nerdy topics like ancient and modern wheat. I think for the general public that probably sounds like the most boring thing on the planet but for me (and I’m sure other bakers) it’s super fascinating. As I’m writing this I’m getting giddy just thinking about all these amazing bakers and pastry chefs who will be speaking on their areas of expertise. I’m honestly so grateful I’m going to be at this conference. And no, I will not apologize about my excitement. For some perspective, think about one of the coolest topics you know. Now imagine getting to go to a conference about that topic where you can learn more about it, meet other people who are obsessed with it, and just live and breathe that for an entire weekend. Yeah amazing. I know. So now you can understand how I feel. Anyway, bake to the topic at hand. Whoops I mean back. Or do I? ;) In addition to all of these amazing speakers there will also be live international contests happening. Teams from around the world will compete head to head in the Bakery Masters and Mondial Des Arts Sucrés (International Confectionary Art) contests. When I say all over the world I really mean it. Here’s a list of countries that are competing this year in the Mondial Des Arts Sucrés contest:
Let me know if you’d like to hear more about the contests! The Orlando Cake Fair Before I tell you how I managed to get a free pass into this amazing conference I have to tell you a little story about the International Cake Expo – Cake Fair that happened this past October in Orlando, FL. Per usual, I was perusing the Internet looking for cake related events I could attend and stumbled on the International Cake Expo – Cake Fair. It was only a few months away from the time I found it, which meant I might actually be able to go with proper planning. The more I researched and read about the Cake Fair the more excited I got. There were cake competitions (that I could enter!), classes, demonstrations, exhibitors, famous speakers who are my idols including Buddy Valestro aka Cake Boss and Duff Goldman and even a fashion sugar art show! Yes. Models wearing sugar art inspired dresses. I think my heart rate is 140 bpm just thinking about it again. But here comes the sad part, after calculating and planning like mad there was absolutely no way I could afford attending the conference since I had to save all my money for pastry school in Paris. I was heartbroken; I honestly mean it. My heart ached at the thought that I would be missing out on so many chances to learn new techniques and possibly meet my idols. I thought surely if I found it on time I was a sign that I should go but as the days went by the miracle I was hoping to happen (maybe finding a ton of money on the ground or you know one day it could rain $100 bills) didn’t happen. The weekend of the cake show passed terribly because all I could think about was not being able to go and everything I was missing out on. But let me tell you everything happens for a reason. So how did I get into Europain 2018 for free? One day while reading my usual baking magazine subscription on a lunch break I flipped to an advertisement for Europain 2018. My eyes frantically scanned the page. Europe’s baking convention. February 3-6. PARIS. Use code below for FREE entry. I couldn’t believe my eyes. NO WAY. I ran to my computer hopeful (but not too much so I wouldn’t get disappointed) and punched in the code. It lead me to a registration confirmation page. “Congratulations Patricia, You’re registered for Europain 2018” I cried. So here I am today, sitting in my apartment in Paris preparing for probably one of the most educational, inspiring and epic weekends of my entire pastry career. God is good guys. And yes, everything happens for a reason. Because if I would have gone to the Orlando cake show I probably wouldn’t of kept looking for more. So as you look into your new year breathe deeply and don’t worry if everything doesn’t go the way you expect it. Because Mr. upstairs knows what he’s doing. Keep your head up high because GREAT things are coming your way! :)
UPDATE: Read all about Europain in my new post What It’s Like To Be At Europain 2018 I moved to France without knowing how to speak French. Yup...I’m kind of crazy! Also, because of said move across the ocean, I am on a VERY tight budget. So you could imagine I’m trying to learn French as fast as possible without spending any money. But how? Find out below. 1. Listening to people's conversations (AKA Eavesdropping) OK, so I know you are generally not supposed to eavesdrop because it’s impolite but if I can barely understand what they are talking about does that count? HAH. Also, when I’m squished in between 2 people on the metro it would be silly of me not to try to test my French listening skills! So far I can only understand common simple phrases but one day I’m sure I’ll be able to tell who isn’t working hard enough at work or whose husband forgot to pick up the baguette for breakfast…again! 2. Post-its EVERYWHERE Don’t laugh. Just kidding. You totally can. I was while I was running around my apartment slapping post its everywhere. Everything in my apartment is now named in French with a bright neon yellow post-it. It’s silly but kind of funny because every time I inevitably see them, I say them out loud or to myself. So far it’s working quite well! I’ve had the strong urge to use these vocab reminders around the city but I don’t think Parisains will be as excited about it as I will. 3. Watching TV in French with French Subtitles Every day I try to watch a different channel to mix up the variety but in reality I’m looking for a kids show that will teach me French. Kind of like a French Dora! That would be hilarious! I was surprised that they play A LOT of American TV shows. In the 3 weeks that I’ve been here I’ve seen the following shows on French TV: · The Simpsons (PSA – French Marge's voice makes this unbearable to watch) · Dr. House (A favorite! I was so excited I probably woke up all my neighbors.) · Grey’s Anatomy · Pawn Stars · The Big Bang Theory (Another favorite!) · Friends (Yet another favorite!) 4. Reading library books…for babies If you haven’t laughed at me by yet you probably will now. I mean, at least chuckle. Imagine an adult at the library browsing through a selection of books for babies, selects a few and proceeds to plop down on a comfy child sized chair and read. Every thing is at least 3 times smaller than me and everyone looks at me confused, even the kids! Oh well, one day I will work up to elementary level and then hopefully to high school level books. These books pictured were all really fun to read! 5. Translating advertisements (instead of ignoring them) You know those annoying waste of paper advertisements you get in your mailbox? Yeah, I keep those. NAY, hoard them. And then I study each one and try to decipher the advertisements. Sometimes when I’m really into figuring out what it says I stop, look up and, as if coming back to reality, realize one thing; I’m studying an AD. HAHAH. Learning French to at least intermediate fluency is one of my goals this year so I’m willing to do anything and everything to achieve that. To my multi language speakers: Tips would be greatly appreciated! Have you ever done anything creative to learn a foreign language? I’d love to hear about it!
Earlier this year I found out about Ladurée, a famous bakery and tea house founded in 1862 that invented the gorgeous colorful French macarons that are sweetening up lives around the world! So of course as soon as I got to Paris I ran to the original Ladurée at Rue Royale to validate myself as a pastry student and try their famous macarons – I was not disappointed. Of course I bought a box of 12 to try almost all the flavors they had that day! Here’s 5 reasons why they’re so amazing: 1. Flavors are out of this world! Not that lemon and chocolate caramel aren’t flavors you can get almost anywhere but man they sure did make sure these bite sized beauties tasted out of this world. Sometimes it’s the simple things that are the hardest things to accomplish and each flavor was great! They have 10 classic flavors: Chocolate, Rose, Orange Blossom, Liquorice, Pistachio, Salted Caramel, Coffee, Lemon, Raspberry and Vanilla. Each season they release a new flavor, I’ve tried Passion Fruit. It’s delicious. 2. Locations around the globe As of 2018 there are 90 locations around the world! In France alone Ladurée has 30 locations. If you’re in the U.S. you can find Ladurée in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, and Miami. Unfortunately no Chicago location yet but hey maybe they’re just waiting for the right person to open a location there… like me! ;) 3. Macarons aren’t the only star desserts– Croissant aux noix and pain au pistachio Besides the fact that the macrons are amazing they also have other awesome desserts! Pain au pistachio (think croissant with pistachio filling) and croissant aux noix (croissant with walnut filling and sweet glaze) were my two favorites! Where can you go wrong with a croissant much less a sweet croissant!? 4. Beautiful picture perfect packaging Can we please take a second to appreciate how adorable this packaging is? I felt like I was getting a present. Now that I think about it I kind of was! There are a variety of colors for their branded boxes which you get to choose when purchasing your macarons! Your sweets are kept fresh inside the box with a piece of parchment sealed with an elegant Ladurée sticker and then placed into a branded classic mint colored gift bag. Oh and they give you a little info sheet with the different flavors (just in case you forget) and a brief history! 5. Rich History As I mentioned earlier, Ladurée has been around for quite a while, 156 years to be exact. When Louis Ernest Ladurée opened his bakery doors in 1862 I really doubt he could imagine what the future would hold for his bakery. Less than 10 years after they opened, a fire destroyed the bakery and placed Ladurée on its new path to success with a gorgeously decorated interior by famous painter Jules Chéret. In 1930, Pierre Desfontaines, Ladurée’s grandson took two macarons and sandwiched them with ganache in the middle creating the macaron we know today. Pure genius. He also opened a tearoom (known in France as a Salon de thé) where women could gather together in a place other than their house and enjoy tea. Back then this was revolutionary because women weren’t allowed in cafés so the Salon de thé at Ladurée became popular quickly. Read more about their story here. So there you have it! Five reasons why Ladurée really is a big deal. Trust me, when it comes to famous things I’m hyper critical and Ladurée didn’t disappoint! I guess I’m going to have to make it my personal mission to make sure all the other locations are as consistent as the original…
Does anyone want to help me eat a ton of macarons? |
AuthorHey there! I'm Patricia a recent college grad and business owner who had the crazy idea of picking up my life and moving to Paris to chase my dreams! Follow me on my journey to becoming a Pastry Chef. 😁👩🏻🍳 Archives
January 2019
Categories
All
Stay updated.Sign up for email notifications when new posts are published!
|