Mark’s Blog

Mardi Gras is a great excuse for a mid-week dessert celebration. Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday” in English, marks the end of the Carnival season in New Orleans. Carnival begins on January 6, on the Feast of the Epiphany and ends the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

Throughout the Carnival celebration, there are masked balls, parades, and good food. In New Orleans, as in France, the Epiphany is marked by a party featuring the “Galette des Rois”. The Galette des Rois or almond cake literally translates to Cake of the Kings. This cake, a pithivier, is made of flaky puff pastry filled with a layer of almond cream into which a “feve” (usually a bean or small trinket) is baked. The lucky person who finds the feve in his or her piece of cake becomes the King (or Queen) for the day…and has to host the next Galette des Rois feast party.

In New Orleans, Mardi Gras is an even bigger celebration than France’s Epiphany cake. The New Orleans style (NOLA) King’s Cake is traditionally baked in a ring shape, covered in a flat icing, sometimes filled with fruit or cream cheese, and always decorated in the official Mardi Gras colors of purple, gold, and green. These colors have represented justice, power, and faith respectively, since 1892.

So take advantage of this built-in mid-week holiday (yes, it is an official holiday in Louisiana) and celebrate with either a traditional French pithivier or a NOLA king’s cake. You’ll be glad you did.

Every Spring it seems as though all of the wedding cake designers across the country receive the same memo in which a collection of trendy color palettes are explained.  Have you ever wondered how these seemingly universal accords on what colors are “in” this season are reached?  We know that many cake designs are inspired by haute couture and interior designs, but taking it a step further, where do these color trends originate? 

In 1963, Lawrence Herbert, , the founder of Pantone, created an innovative system for identifying, matching and communicating colors. His idea that the color spectrum is interpreted differently by each individual led to the innovation of the PANTONE® MATCHING SYSTEM® (PMS).  You, no doubt, have see this book of standardized colors (nearly 2,000 of them) in fan format.  Since its inception, PMS has since expanded its color matching system concept to other industries in which color is critical, including fashion which directly then influences the cake world.

Cake decorators in the know often turn directly to the PMS color reports to get a handle on what color schemes will be popular in upcoming seasons or years in order to plan new designs for wedding and party cakes. For example, Spring 2010 will bring splashes of sunshine to the fashion world, so expect to see cakes with turquoise-based color palettes; turquoise is a color that evokes tranquility and escape–perfect for destination weddings. Violet’s purplish hue lends itself to romance and will figure largely in Spring fashion. In cake it will translate to sugar violets as side designs, color bases for bows, and linens for table scaping.  Other colors to be on the lookout for in cakes in 2010 are pink champagne and coral.

Pantone color reports do more than simplify identify color trends though…colors are explained.  In reading the reports, a better understanding of how certain colors correspond to different types of events and to various personalities as well as reactions that specific colors tend to evoke can be grasped.  This level of understanding can help a cake decorator develop a broader sense of style vis-a-vis colors and be better suited to guide his/her client through the cake selection & design process.

If this is your first time hearing about color reports, read one.  It is just like learning a new word that suddendly everyone around you is using.  Read the report and watch the whole world glow.

I recently enjoyed some chocolate that I had brought home from France.  Upon sharing it with a friend downstate, he asked me to help him choose a “good” chocolate to eat out of hand from his local grocer.  Much to my surprise, this particular store had a huge selection of chocolates, so I was certain that we’d have no problem finding something to satisfy my friend’s chocolate craving.

While my friend was not intimidated by the array of choices, he had no idea where to begin.   Today’s chocolate bar labeling bears much more information than the manufacturer’s name, so it is important to understand a few key components of the label.  Just remember that choosing a chocolate is very much like choosing a wine.  There is, in my mind, no one “good” chocolate for every palate.  Just as one person may enjoy a certain Sauternes while another finds it syrupy, such is the variation in taste perception of chocolate.

First, know whether you are interested in milk or dark chocolate.  The difference is straightforward: milk chocolate is chocolate to which milk or milk solids have been added during the production process.  So it will have a creamier and usually sweeter taste than dark chocolate.

On the label…labels of some purveyors have become increasingly specific about the cocoa content in their chocolate.  While this percentage printed on the label is somewhat helpful in gauging the intensity of the bar, it is not necessarily a clear figure among chocolates from different makers.  This number refers to the total amount of ingredients in the bar derived from the cacao bean, including cocoa butter, cocoa powder and chocolate liquor.  So two 70% bars from two different manufacturers may indeed have very different levels of intensity.  Why?  One of the two “70s” make comprise more cocoa butter and less liquor than the other, thus changing the overall flavor.  The bar’s overall profile will vary greatly also based on the beans used to make the chocolate (more on this in a future post).

The other part of the label that interests me is the ingredient list.  When sugar is the first ingredient listed on the label of what is puported to be a dark chocolate, I usually pass.  Chances are your chocolate craving will not be satisfied by a bar that has more sugar than chocolate in it.  This is why so many of us end up eating multiple bars of chocolate until we feel we’ve actually HAD chocolate.  With so many domestic bars containing only a mere 13-15% actual cocoa, we end up ingesting lots of fat and sugar without the satisfying chocolate indulgence.

I also try to steer clear of chocolates made with artificial ingredients.  Artificial flavors mask the natural flavors of the actual chocolate, thus defeating the purpose of eating the bar to begin with. 

The best way to choose a “good” chocolate is to taste many of them and keep a diary of what you like/don’t like about each.  For each one, follow 4 simple steps:
1.  Smell the chocolate.  A good chocolate should smell chocolatey…not like wax or some artifical chemical.
2.  Break the chocolate.  The chocolate should have a crisp “snap”, not crumbly or dull sound.
3.  Look at the chocolate.  It should not appear grainy and should have a nice shine.
4.  Taste the chocolate.  The chocolate should melt on your tongue and feel smooth. 

After you’ve tasted each chocolate, make note of the flavors that you identify.  Ultimately, did you like it?? Even if a chocolate is popular or is supposed to be “good” it doesn’t mean that it will be pleasing to your palate.  Choose one that is. 

For an opportunity to indulge in a vast array of high-caliber chocolates, attend the annual For the Love of Chocolate event at the French Pastry School at City Colleges of Chicago on Saturday, February 6.  Event details at www.fortheloveofchocolatefoundation.org/events.html.

If you would like to learn more about the history of chocolate in France, please join me at a special presentation at the Culinary Historians of Chicago at Lexington College on Saturday morning, February 20, 2010.  For information about this event, please visit www.culinaryhistorians.org.

One point that I sometimes found difficult as a competitor in cake shows was to agree with the judges’ decision on a winning cake.  Now that I am on the other side of the turntable, I understand things in a different light.  Even as a judge, the cake that first appears as the “obvious” winner is not always the correct choice. 

Case in point, this past weekend I was one of three judges to consider entries in a Marie-Antoinette themed wedding cake competition in New York City.  At first glance, I was drawn to a particular cake with a certain prominence; I thought “well, this will be an easy task”.  Not so fast.  Upon closer inspection, and conference with the other adjudicators, it was discovered that the work on another cake was a better representation of the theme: the color palette was spot on vis-a-vis Marie-Antoinette and her era, details coincided with Marie-Antoinette’s wardrobe, her Austrian heritage, and French lifestyle.  Some details on the first cake were out of sync with the period.  And as an overall piece, there seemed to be two incongruent styles represented in two portions of the cake that did not work well together.  After comparing each individual element on each cake to the rules the appropriate cake was selected as the higher scoring cake, without diminishing the many merits of the other entries. 

One of the greatest characteristics of a cake show is that it gives all of us a place to learn.  Whether you are a beginning cake decorator learning the basics of what it means to compete, or a professional designer who is looking for ways to take your own designs to the next level, judged shows provide the venue.  For judges the learning comes from conference with other judges whose perspectives and experience bring new light to details in each cake.  I have spent as much as 3 hours discussing and comparing three professional wedding cakes in tough competitions. 

At the conclusion of a competition, I encourage all show competitors and spectators to discuss choices with the adjudicators…not in an attempt to alter the outcome of the show but to simply learn more about the process through which the judges went in order to arrive at their conclusion.  Through such conversation, we all go home with some new ideas, new perspectives, and hopefully new tools to use at the next show.

If you are interested in upcoming competitions/shows, check out:

That Takes the Cake in Austin, TX February 27-28, 2010

National Capital Area Cake Show in Fairfax, VA March 20-21, 2010

After writing last week’s post about cake competitions, I remembered my visit (as an observer) to one of the most remarkable competitions on the planet–the World Pastry Cup in Lyon, France.  The World Pastry Cup or Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie is held every two years as part of SIRHA, the International Hotel Catering and Food Trade Exhibition.  It was created in 1989 by Gabriel Paillasson, former President of the Regional Pastry Chefs’ Professional Association.

The competition is exhilarating to witness.  Since each of the six required elements is completed live, spectators have the rare opportunity to watch the world’s top pastry chefs in their element.  Camera crews also project close ups of individual teams’ work onto theatre screens in the front of the hall for easier viewing.

Each competing country selects its own team using guidelines specified by the World Pastry Cup.  Teams test their skills during a 10-hour live competition in six areas including:

1. chocolate dessert
2. frozen dessert
3. plated dessert
4. sugar sculpture
5. chocolate sculpture
6. ice sculpture

An international jury assesses each element of the team’s performance: 60% of the total score is based on tasting, 20% on presentation of the chocolate & sugar centerpieces, and 20% on work ethic (including kitchen cleanliness and organization).  At the end of the two-day competition scores are tallied and bronze, silver, and gold medals are awarded to three teams.  In January 2009, Team France was the winner of the 11th World Pastry Cup.  ITALY came in second, and BELGIUM came in third.  Japan was the winner of the best chocolate showpiece; Team USA was the winner of the best Ice Sculpture.

If you would like to know more about the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie (World Pastry Cup), visit:

www.worldpastrycupusa.com/theCompetition.html

www.cmpatisserie.com/2009

This morning I had my first of many anticipated graduation ceremonies at the French Pastry School.  The students, having completed a 24-week intensive training program in all of the essentials necessary to succeed in the competitive pastry world, represented a wide range of emotions ranging from relieved (to be done with a challenging schedule of concentrated training) to excited (to be embarking on so many new career endeavors) to uncertain (of the current state of the pastry industry).  Although these individuals may be entering a competitive market just two weeks away from a generally lull time (January), I rest assured that they will each ultimately create a unique an satisfying niche in the trade. 

Just moments before the new grads and their friends and family arrived at the School, I managed to snap a few quick shots.  The following short series of photos represents a small part of the lavish buffet that the students created for today’s celebration to showcase their new-found skills. 

Those of you who may be in search of an enthusiastic, willing and prepared new member for your pastry staff, I encourage you to contact the French Pastry School with your open job postings.

Those of you whose mouth waters at the sight of the desserts and pastries portrayed in these images, I encourage you to consider visitng the School to find out more about how to apply for the l’Art de la Patisserie program or the new l’Art du Gateau program that will launch in August 2010.

The French Pastry School

226 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60606  USA
Phone: 312.726.2419   Fax: 312.726.2446
Email: info@frenchpastryschool.com

I am an avid supporter of competitions for the sugar arts.  Competitions encourage excellence, helping individuals develop skills to a higher level than what otherwise might be obtained.  In my own experience, I saved and used judging sheets from cakes that I entered in various competitions as coaches to help guide my work on future entries. 

While at the shows, I always took time to carefully study all of the other competitors’ cakes, often making it a point to ask other decorators questions about how they achieved a certain design element.  Careful attention to others’ work helped to internalize important details to consider when working on my own pieces.  Participating in a competition became for me a distance learning program of sorts.  I found that by devoting so much energy to improving my show-quality work my routine work improved, both in efficiency and in appearance.

Over the past three years, I have shifted into the role of a judge, an equally tenuous feat that requires critical attention to minute details on high-caliber cakes.  I now judge cake and gingerbread house shows around the country, providing demonstrations and hands-on classes before and/or after the show.

So, regardless of your own current skill level, consider participating in a competition.  It may prove to be just the nudge you need to take your work to the next level.

If you are interested in cake competitions, here are some that are coming up in the near future:

• New York Cake Convention (New York, NY): January 2-4, 2010 http://www.cakeconvention.com/
• That Takes the Cake (Austin, TX): February 27-28, 2010 http://thattakesthecake.org/
• National Capital Area Cake Show (Fairfax, VA): March 20-21, 2010 http://www.cakeshow.org/

The following images show my own progression from bronze to silver to gold medal awards at the Oklahoma Sugar Art Show.

Gold Medal, 2007 (Feathered Fantasy). This six-tiered, Hollywood-themed cake pays homage to Lucille Ball, featuring over 80 sugar orchids and 500 handmade fondant feathers, 400 of which enrobed a feathered pedestal. This work is featured in the 2008 book "Decadent Details, Perspectives of the Grand National Wedding Cake Competition" published by American Cake Decorating and Grace McNamara Inc.

Silver Medal, 2005 (Beaded Fantasy)This four-tiered oval cake is decorated with classic string work and a topper of life-like gum paste lilies. Its design is based on a wedding gown.

Bronze Medal, 2003 (Butterfly Garden)This four-tiered fondant-covered cake is styled after Versace's Butterfly Garden china pattern.

In going through some old image galleries on my computer, I came across some shots taken on a trip to Costa Rica where I had the wonderful opportunity to visit a family run farm on which sugar cane was a primary crop.

During the tour, I was impressed by the level of knowledge possessed by our guide (one of the family’s sons).  The photos below show the sugar cane in the field followed by the old ox-powered machine formerly used to extract the juice from the cane and the family patriarch cooking and casting the sugar into usable form.

If you find yourself in Costa Rica’s Cloud Forest (Monteverde) look up the “El Trapiche” tour for an enjoyable and educational afternoon.  http://www.eltrapichetour.com/Trapiche/Welcome.html

The Winter holiday season is associated with a number of traditional desserts, scents, and events.  One that encompasses all three of these is the gingerbread house competition.  One of my favorite Gingerbread House Competitions is the annual national competition hosted by the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC.  Held each year in mid-November, this competition attracts competitors in all ages from all over the country.  As a judge of the competition, each year I am impressed by the quality of the work that the competitors show. 

Although this year’s competition has passed, as past winners will tell you, it is never too early to begin thinking and planning for next year.  Enjoy some of my favorite entries from this year’s show below…or catch them on Good Morning America on December 24.  You may also view photos of the top three winning entries from each age category online at the Grove Park Inn’s web site:  https://www.groveparkinn.com/gallery/National-Gingerbread-House-Competition.

In the meantime, grab a little royal icing and some candies and decorate your own house today!

When I owned my bakery, I re-discovered this truth time and time again.  Yes, I enjoyed many a talented employee over the course of the nearly ten years of operating a cake business.  However, there were an equal number of new hires straight from various schools with the “deer in the headlights” look. 

Now that I am on the Faculty of the French Pastry School in Chicago (FPS), I understand where this look came from.  I was asking someone to perform a task that was beyond their exposure.

FPS heard the industry’s pleas and is about to change all that.  The School is in the process of a major physical expansion of its current state-of-the-art facilities, adding more than 11,000 square feet of new space for classrooms/kitchens to accommodate its new L’Art du Gâteau certificate program.  This new program will focus on all aspects involving the creation of wedding, celebration, and specialty cakes.

What does this mean for business owners?  Simple.  Beginning in mid-December 2010 businesses seeking talented cake decorators with professional training will have first pick of individuals who will have completed a focused training program led by a team of world-class professionals.  Since the program encompasses from-scratch baking, cake decorating, and operational concerns, this new crop of cake decorators should have much to offer.