Espai Sucre Barcelona

 Apple-vinegar sherbet, calvados and anise seneds

 Extra virgin olive oil cake, white peach, green olive and "San Simon"

 "Sabao" with salt, lime and basil

 Banana ice cream, chocolate creamy-nutmeg and pisco sour

 Caramel cake, black olive ice cream-coffee with anise and orange

 Coconut tapioca, burnt yolk ice cream, and "orujo de Galicia"

 Chocolate with vinegar, strawberry, mint and pepper

 Mignardises

lime with rosemary, sesame and licorice, butter and salt, 70% chocolate and tea, coffee and anise, peanut and curry, cocoa and green cardamon

 Mignardises

lime with rosemary, sesame and licorice, butter and salt, 70% chocolate and tea, coffee and anise, peanut and curry, cocoa and green cardamon

Green apple and laurel

Really great establishment. Thank you Jordi. Such an inspiration. I have been wanting to come eat your desserts for 6 years now. So glad I had the opportunity. Now to learn Spanish so I can come back and take your classes.  Cheers

Desserts at El Celler de Can Roca

I had an amazing time working at El Celler. I got to see an old friend and made a lot of new ones. It was a fantastic experience. I was able to see a host of new techniques, ingredients, and tools. I wish I had more time. Thank you for an amazing experience. I am very blessed to have a chance to see and work in some of the best restaurants in the world. Below you will see a few of Chef Jordi's creations.

 Apple dessert Jordi served to a 12 top

 Shalimar

Chai tea custard, mango gel, spice gel, rose gel, orange cells, isomalt shards, flowers

Birthday Dessert

 Lemona

Bergamot parfait, brown butter, lemon with sugar, meringue, lemon gelee, distilled lemon granite, cream of lemon pith, lime gel, madeline ice cream 

 Masa Madre

Cocoa puree, roasted lychee, fresh lychee, cocoa nibs, yeast (mother) ice cream, vinegar meringue

Violeta

Toffee, candied ginger, salt, fresh strawberry, coconut nitro shell, lemon cinnamon espuma, violet ice cream, candied violet, coconut powder

Spain

I will be away from my computer and blog for 1 month. I will be traveling to Spain to stage at El Celler de Can Roca and visit many great food spots. I will be back with some amazing posts come October...stay tuned!

Dessert Special

White peach "custard", fresh peach, anise "sabayon", candied pecans, olive oil poppyseed cake, 
lemongrass gel, chartreuse F50 meringue, creme fraiche sherbet

Entremet

Chocolate Entremet 

Blackberry, Cherry, Bluberry

Nice Deco Lee!

Lucia's Dessert Special

"Pina Colada"

Coconut mousse, rum cake, passionfruit curd, coconut pastry cream, passion fruit gelee,

toasted rum cake, passionfruit gel, caramelized pineapple, pina colada sorbet, micro cilantro

One of my favorite flavor profiles, Awesome job Lucia!

Upcoming Wine Dinner Dessert

"Black Forest"

Mascarpone and vanilla mousse, malt gel, cherry gel, chocolate soil, atomized chocolate crumbs, dark chocolate "rocks", vegan chocolate cake, amarena cherries, cherry gelee, chocolate deco "trees", candied cocoa nibs, cherry spherification, milk chocolate ice cream, micro greens

Plating of the "Black Forest"
https://vine.co/v/h7x7dgmXamx/embed

Valrhona Class

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend a hands on Valrhona Chocolate class here in downtown Miami. The class was held at the Miami Dade Culinary School. It was a two day class taught by Chef Sarah Kosikowski (Valrhona's Eastern US Pastry Chef) I had the pleasure of working with a small group of very talented Pastry Chefs from around Miami and surrounding areas. We were broken down into teams of two and three and worked from a very nice recipe book that the team at Valrhona put together for us. Chef Sarah is very precise and extremely talented. She worked side by side with each team to put together some fantastic desserts and some very interesting recipes. We all had the chance to work with a few of Valrhona's newer products including: Dulcey (32% white chocolate, with notes of nuttiness and buttery shortbread), Opalys (33% white chocolate, with notes of fresh milk and vanilla) Caramelia Milk Chocolate Crunchy Pearls (Toasted puffed cereal coated in 36% caramelia milk chocolate), Absolu Cristal (Neutral Glaze that can be used in either hot or cold applications). I had an incredible time learning from Chef Sarah, and networking with Miami's top Pastry Chefs. I have included a few pictures of the buffet that we all worked on, as well as some of the plated desserts. I want to extend my thanks to both Chef Sarah and her colleague Jennifer Troia (Regional Sales Manager of the Southeast) for hosting such an informative and successful class.

A Tribute to Rafael

"Coconut and Whiskey"

Coconut mousse, mango cremeux, coconut milk powder, mango gel, fresh mango,

 whiskey "gummy", coconut wire tuile, coconut sorbet

New Dessert

"Tea Party"

Chamomile mousse, matcha cake, hibiscus gel, black tea gelee, matcha crumble,

jasmine foam, matcha "vines", honey sphere, earl grey ice cream 

Lee's Special Hakkasan

Matcha cake, matcha cremeux, strawberry gel, mandarin foam, crispy meringue,

macerated strawberries, freeze dried strawberry, micro fennel, mandarin sorbet

Delicious dessert special Lee!

Lucia's Dessert Special Gotham

Coconut panna cotta, passion fruit gelee, tropical fruit compote, passion fruit seeds,

coconut meringue, guava/mango gel, passion fruit curd, coconut sorbet

https://vine.co/v/bVid5K2iUT6/embed

Nice one Lucia!

Bianca's Dessert Special Gotham

"Black Forrest"

Chocolate ganache, vegan chocolate cake, cherry chantilly, crystallized almonds,

amaranada cherries, cherry/amaretto sauce, chocolate deco, almond ice cream

Really cool 10 second video of plating....

https://vine.co/v/bELKETn0ZBZ/embed

Well done Bianca!

Gotham Wine Dinner Preview

Greek yogurt mousse, carbonated green grapes, lime curd, mandarin gel,

fennel sable, honey, chamomile sorbet

Lucia's Dessert Special

"Strawberry Upside Down Cake"

Caramelized almonds, balsamic macerated strawberries, basil syrup,

strawberry gel, almond tuile, micro basil,  basil ice cream

I couldn't stop eating this cake....very very tasty!

Ana's Special Gotham

Strawberry and Meyer Lemon Tart

fresh strawberries, strawberry gel, meyer lemon cream, baked anise meringue,

almond crumble, almond tuile, sweet cream ice cream

Another Life Changing Dessert from Ana!

Preview...Dunn Wine Dinner Dessert

Milk chocolate cream, brown butter powder, malt gel, caramel popcorn, brown butter cake, 

milk crumbs, caramel sauce, popcorn ice cream

Kira's Dessert Special Hakkasan

Strawberry and goat cheese spring rolls, basil anglaise, strawberry reduction,

sweet and spicy pine nuts, pine nut frozen yogurt

Excellant work Kira!

Lee's First Special Hakkasan

Pear chiffon, mascarpone mousse, fresh asian pear, honey caramel sauce,

caramelized macadamia nuts, crumiel, macadamia nut crumble, ginger frozen yogurt

Really nice job Lee...whats next?

Bianca's Dessert Special Gotham

Dark chocolate mousse, orange grand marnier mousse, sable breton, orange honey gel, 

vanilla chantilly, almond cookie, vanilla and orange tuile, honey gelato

Bianca's 1st Restaurant Dessert....Congratulations Bianca!!!

Dessert in the works Gotham

"Blackberry Gateau"

Gateau (cornbread, blackberry mousse, blackberry gelee), mascarpone, cornbread crumble, blackberry gel, crumiel, honey ribbon, blackberry tuile, burnt honey ice cream

Ana's Dessert Special Gotham

"S'mores"

Bittersweet chocolate ganache, compressed graham cracker base, chocolate sauce, 

housemade marshmallow, torched meringue, graham cracker crumble, pink peppercorn,
 toasted marshmallow ice cream

Great Job Ana!

One of the best ice cream recipes I have ever had the pleasure of eating!!

New Desserts

 Milk chocolate cream, black sesame anglaise, cashew sponge, sesame powder, cashew nougatine, jasmine foam, crystalized cashews, milk chocolate puffed rice, salted caramel ice cream.

 Pliable 70% ganache, chocolate crumble, caramel sauce, yuzu gel, caramel cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate plaques, calamansi sorbet

 "Superfruits"

Acai and blackberry cremeux, aloe gel, goji berry, crispy angel food cake, verjus rouge gel, 

raspberry pearls, blackberry cells, aloe tuile, argan, dragonfruit sorbet

Kaffir mousse, rice pudding, ginger crumble, lychee gel, pineapple gel, compressed asian pear,

fresh pineapple, lemongrass sherbet

Vote for Me

Ultimate Dessert Miami

http://www.theultimatemiami.com/vote.php

Tasting with Antonio Bachour

Yesterday I had the pleasure of dining at the St. Regis in Bal Harbour. After an amazing lunch in JG I was escorted down to the kitchen where I met with Chef Antonio Bachour for a private dessert tasting in his pastry shop. Chef Bachour's desserts are absolutely amazing. I draw a lot of inspiration from other Chefs, to meet and get a chance to taste his creations was truly a memorable experience. Posted below are pictures of the desserts I had the pleasure of eating. Thank you again!

 "Berries and Cream"

 Coconut, Guava, Passion Fruit

 Tres Leches, Passion, Mango

 Chocolate, Gianduja, Dulce de Leche

"Crema Catalana"

Bon bons, Pistachio, Mango and Passion Macaroons