Mark’s Blog

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. 

Crêpe stand at an open market in Paris.

Each time I return to France, I make it a point to sample as many crêpes as possible. Although crêpes are often considered to be a French delicacy, crêpes originated in Brittany (Bretagne), where they were used as bread. Brittany, a separate country until 1491, still has a very unique culture and cuisine.

In 1491, when Anne of Brittany, who had inherited the duchy of Brittany, married Charles VIII, king of France, Brittany was temporarily united with France. The union became permanent by treaty in 1532, during the reign of the French King Francis I, who had married Claude, daughter of Anne of Brittany.

The word crêpe is French for “pancake”. Crêpes were originally called galettes crêpes, meaning “flat cakes”. Today, the term galette refers to a savory crêpe served as a main dish, usually made with buckwheat flour. A crêpe is usually made with wheat flour and is generally sweeter than a galette.

The word crêpe refers both to the individual “pancake” as well as the filled product. Fillings for dessert crêpes include a wide variety of foods from fresh fruits, nuts, and chocolate. My all-time favorite is the classic butter and sugar crêpe…but I would never turn away a banana and chocolate crêpe either.

Crêpes Suzettes at Le Pharamond in Paris.

To make sweet crêpes at home, use the following recipe.

Dessert Crêpes

2 large eggs

1 C whole milk

1/3 C water

1 t vanilla

1 T rum, Cointreau, amaretto, brandy or other liqueur to match filling (optional)

2 T butter, melted

2 T sugar

1 C all-purpose flour

Beat the eggs lightly. Add the pre-combined milk, water, and vanilla followed by the liqueur and butter. Whisk in the granulated sugar and finally the flour. Mixing the batter at least 30 minutes before it is needed will allow any remaining lumps to dissolve and any unwanted froth to dissipate. Crêpe batter may even be stored overnight in the refrigerator for use the following morning for a sweet breakfast treat.

Those who know me know that I am extremely organized and deadline-oriented.  Those who know me well also know that I tend to procrastinate on certain things.  Today, (finally, after many invitations from Mindy) I had lunch at Hot Chocolate in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood.  Oh, how I wish I had gone sooner!

I generally prefer to choose restaurants where I know I will be served a well-made dessert.  Today’s lunch spot also had to be convenient to the Blue Line to accommodate a friend arriving at O’Hare from London.  Hot Chocolate is just minutes away from the Damen stop; and with Mindy Segal at the helm, I was confident that dessert would be just right.

My smoked portobello sandwich was teeming with flavor: hummus red pepper and tomoato preserve served on a soudough flatbread.  My friend’s lamb sausage was served with a delectable Krema Kasa cheese and wild arugula.

Already full from the satisfying portions and local brews, we opted to share one of Mindy’s dessert creations: warm brioche donuts served with hot fudge.  What a perfect indulgence on a rainy day.  The sugar crystals danced on my tongue preparing me for the warmth of the brioche and the silky fudge that topped it off.

Besides the spot-on foodstuffs, the thing that will keep me (and my friends) returning to Hot Chocolate is the attentive service and friendly greeting we received from our server and hostess.

I now understand why everyone has been encouraging me to check out Hot Chocolate and hope you will too.

Hot Chocolate.  1747 N. Damen.  773-489-1747.  www.hotchocolatechicago.com