Sunday, October 31, 2010

Two Tone Pate de Fruit



Quite possible the coolest Pate de Fruit I have ever seen. The two flavors I used for this Pate de Fruit are Verjus Blanc, and Verjus Rouge. Verjus translates to "green juice". It is basically the liquid taken from white and/or red wine grapes before they undergo fermentation. The grapes are broken down and harvested when the natural sugars in the fruit are at there peak. The Pate de Fruit is a pretty standard confection when it comes to the pastry kitchen. It is basically a gel that is set with pectin. In this recipe I used high methoxyl pectin, sugar, glucose powder, and a citric acid solution. I scaled both recipes, both a little different than the next taking into consideration solids content, natural sugars, and acidity. I began by cooking the Pate de Fruit that required the higher temperature first, pooring it on a silpat with confectionary bars as a frame. Directly after pooring the first batch I began cooking the 2nd. Before pooring the 2nd batch on top of the 1st I used a heat gun to warm the top layer of the 1st. (ensuring a solid adhesion between the two) I think the two tone is a more modern take on the classic confection. Not to mention it looks really cool and tastes great.



Tuesday, October 26, 2010

COI


Above: Pastry Chef Bill Corbett and myself. Below is a picture of one of the Pastry Chef Bill Corbett's summer desserts. It is Caramelized White Chocolate Namelaka, Raspberries, and Sorrel. It was very refreshing and artfully presented. I really enjoyed the short time I had working alongside Chef Corbett. They are doing some really great things at COI. I highly recommend making a stop in and eating if you are in the Bay Area anytime soon. I also hear that Daniel Patterson and Bill Corbett have big plans for Plum, a new Oakland restaurant as well. I look forward to eating there the next time I make it to California.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

New iSi Product





It is called the "Twist and Sparkle" It is basically a more affordable soda siphon. Williams and Sonoma are selling it for $49.95. From what I can tell you would add your liquid or anything that you wish to carbonate into the plastic bottle, insert a Co2 canister into the top, and screw the top on to add carbonation. It seems like it could come in handy when making cocktails, or any other carbonated beverage. I wonder if the little wand has to be submerged into the "liquid" or if the entire bottle would be carbonated upon the C02.