Best part of my day...

Best part of a meal is probably the entree. But the thing that you probably remember is the dessert. You can have a great steak dinner, a nice glass of wine, but for most people that order dessert this part of the meal will overshadow the the preceding events.

Sure you'll remember that you had a good dinner. That fish dish with that sauce was good... What was it called again. Or the steak, yeah with the potatoes. It was nice.

But dessert, if you choose to go down that path will haunt you for better or worse you'll always remember that white chocolate and cardamom ice cream from Restaurant Theo (RIP... The restaurant not Theo). Or that crazy celery gelato that Johannger made at AIX... Another great restaurant that met it's fate due to the economy. How about Francoise Payard's macrons (yes I still have that recipe!).
There are a few meal that remember vividly. Some are great some are not, but I must say the thing that I remember the most is the desserts that I have ordered and made.
Pastry has allowed me to express my creative and destructive sides at he same time. I've used my DIY handyman skills to create some interesting presentations. Can't say that about cooking so much. For this reason, I am passionate about being a pastry chef.

I cook because I can. I bake be cause I love it.

On to the recipes. BTW, i'm posting a picture of something totally different.  I know it's not apple strudel, but it's apple related.  (also, those are not giant berries)






Braided apple strudel.
(So easy it can be done at home. )

1 sheet puff pastry (store bought is fine)
5 apples (granny smith, gala, and similar fruit works well).
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp corriander
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground Ginger
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup 10x

1 Peel, core, and dice the apples. Combine with all of the spices, cornstarch, and sugar.

2. Let macerate in a sauce pot until liquid begins to come from the fruit. Add the cranberries and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until the cornstarch thickens and the apples are tender.  Set aside and let cool.

3. If you can't find almond flour great of not follow this step. Freeze the almonds and them grind them in a food processor. Add the 10x and grind further. If you have almond flour, just combine equal parts 10x and almond flour.

To assemble:
Place the cooled apple mixture in the center of the puff pastry. Next, slice 1 inch strips down each side of the puff pastry. Next, dust the apple mixture with the almond sugar mixture.  Brush the puff strips with an egg wash.  Then braid the strips alternately down the apple mixture. Brush the top with egg wash and then dust with cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until puff pastry is full cooked.

Enjoy and stay sharp.

j-

Enough with the rants... Time for some FOOD!!

Okay... it has been a slower week at work and I have been able to play around a little more.  Here goes in no particular order.

Here is my take on a tequila shot...
It's a Prosciutto brittle and Grenadine Caviar (yes meat for dessert and no it's not fish eggs), Patron Gellee, Lime Ganache Truffle.  It's a progressive trio tasting. First spoon is the salt, next spoon is the tequila shot, the last is the lime.  At the time of presentation it is interesting to see the people's faces when they are told what it is.



Next up is a play on the classic apple tarte tatin.  Here I used petite anjou pears.  I slow roasted them with caramel in a 250 F oven for about 2 hours.  Hit it with a a puff pastry base and stuffed it with honeyed vanilla mousse (can't see it in the pictures, but trust me it's there!)



Third up to bat is another dessert trio.  Here I have a Deconstructed Tiramisu.  It's a maderia wine genoise, Mascarpone mousse, and esspresso spheres.  Encased in a chocolate tear.  Next to that is a mango, tamarind, and thai basil salad millefeuille. And finally that pink thing on the end is a Strawberry Nuage topped with Champagne Noodles... kinda a take on champagne and strawberries.



hope you all like the eye candy... make sure to follow my blog to keep up with the new things I'm doing and for those special invitations to the tasting we do at work.  I have a Champagne Tasting coming up in the near future paired up with some desserts that i have created.  So 4 Champagnes, and 4 Desserts to match... what else could you want.

Stay sharp!

j-