The Pastry Prophet Coming Soon to Your TV

October 2, 2013

So I competed on a baking competition show…

It was phenomenal!

I entered because my friends encouraged me to do so. Casting calls for Top Chef: Desserts and Hell’s Kitchen came and went. I didn’t think I had what reality television was looking for. When my local ABC affiliate asked for people to apply for LiveWell Network’s Holiday Cookie Challenge I applied.

Lo and behold I soon found myself whisked off to sunny San Francisco. My favorite city within the continental United States.

This December as you decorate your homes for Christmas, Hanukkah, and maybe Kwanzaa, you may flick your cable to the Live Well Network’s Food Rush and see my Cheshire Cat grin.

I didn’t know how I would perform in front of cameras. To tell you the truth, I soon forgot about them and focused on the moment.

Now my annoying laugh and snarky attitude will be available for all to see.

 

It’s Business Time: How to Start a Food Business According to the Internet

July 17, 2013

Starting a food business is a pain in the rear.

Philadelphia has a long list of requirements to start a food business. One cannot wake up day and decide to make sheet cakes and sell them from the trunk of their car. I understand why rules exist so things like that do not happen.

Also, there is the problem of staying focused. I don’t have ADHD, but I have the attention span of a kitten. Once something distracts me that it.

My proudest moment was getting such high scores at culinary school. My sister “jokes” that was hardest I have ever worked in my life. I had a full-time job and an internship–all while attending school. I was exhausted, burned out, and smelled like cookies.

I worked hard and stayed focus. I need to gather the same drive now as I did before.

Side note: Perfect example. The time it took me to finish the last sentence and start this paragraph I went onto Facebook; wrote a post about Cinematic Titanic coming to Philadelphia; and poked around and bought something from Esty.

So it’s back to checking off each step in my business proposal and looking for a reasonable kitchen I can rent. At least I can call it research if I find myself on food truck websites.

Links to help (providing you don’t get distracted):

Mobile Food Vending Unit-Plan Submission Guide
A Guide to Starting Your Food-Related Business (Philadelphia)
QRS Training ServSafe
Philadelphia Mobile Food Association (PhillyMFA)
SCORE (Small Business Mentoring)

 

Watch and Learn: Sculpting With Fondant

June 24, 2013

I recently received a request to make a penguin cake. My client’s mother loves penguins and a cake adorned with these flightless birds would make her special day even more fabulous.

I was a bit hesitant because I’m not a sugar artist in the actual sense. I can make things taste good and kinda nice to look at. As usual, my customers had total faith in my abilities.

Back in the old days, I would have camped out at the public library (which is still a favorite haunting spot for me) studying books about penguins, mentally forming them in my head with fondant piece by piece.

Fortunately, I live in the age of the Internet and all I had to do was type in fondant penguins in YouTube’s search field.

And I found the channel The Cake Makery with Louise Wilson. With her fetching English accent, she shows viewers how to make penguins out of fondant.

After two slightly deformed penguin attempts, I finally got the hang of it.

fondant penguin how-to sugarpaste sugar paste art

Brother Fondant Penguin

fondant penguin how-to sugarpaste sugar paste art

Fondant penguins

Happy Penguin Lover

I made the pond out of melted sugar dyed blue and the rocks are candy that I bought.

I wish I could say that it takes a special kind of talent to make those penguins, but Miss Wilson explained how to create them so simply anyone can do it. I know it’s cliche to say that, but it’s really true.

My client’s mother loved the cake! I received an order for her father birthday this October.

He is a fan of sharks.

Peanut Butter (and Jelly) Love

June 12, 2013

PB & Jams Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I have discovered a new appreciation to an old favorite. Peanut butter. I always loved the flavors of pulverized legumes, oil, and salt. Until my adulthood, I thought Peter Pan was the way to go. When I tried natural peanut butter my head exploded because all the natural flavors really came through.

Why? No chemicals. I’m a child of 80s. It really blew my mind to take a childhood favorite and make it better by serving it unprocessed with chemicals.

Continue Reading…

High Tea at the Simpson House Tea Room

May 5, 2013

Last weekend marked the first warm and beautiful day of Spring. I decided to celebrate the loveliness of the season by having high tea.

In Chester Springs there is a tea house where you can sit in a quaint dining room where lively classical music plays and your server offers your choice of wonderful teas.

I looked forward to this for weeks. Unfortunately, the traffic on the highway was a 10-mile parking lot. Nothing – and I mean nothing – will get between me, a cup of tea, and cute finger sandwiches.

I entered totally apologetic about my tardiness. The proprietress calmed my nerves and showed me to my table. The atmosphere of the tea house quickly placed me back in the right state of mind. The decor was bright and tidy with wood tables and chairs, as well as, crisp linen tablecloths and napkins.

 

My friend and I decided to wear fancy dresses, but the other guests either wore similar attire or comfortable weekend casual. Combined with the decor, music, and the attendees it seemed several past has come alive again the present. And it did it so well.

I ordered the seasonal Blueberry Burst tea. I have an addiction to blueberries. I love them in any way, shape, or form. This was a black tea with bits of fragrant blueberry blossoms intermixed with the black tea leaves. Of course, a choice of sweetener was offered, but I preferred to drink my tea black. I wanted to taste every natural flavor.

To start our meal, we ate a lovely tomato soup and freshly made salad. Although it’s at the beginning of spring, the hot soup chased away any lingering chill from the weather. The tomato chunks intermingled with the warm broth. Although I wished for more, I didn’t want to kill my appetite for what was to come.

Our server presented by the much-anticipated finger sandwiches, pound cake slices, scones, and sweet condiments of fruit jam, Devonshire cream, and lemon curd. The sandwiches arrived in both a variety of sweet and savory selections included chicken salad surrounded by a delicate and flaky croissant, diced olives and cream cheese and a firm milk bread and also a date cream cheese filling in a fruit bread that complemented it well. That was not all, but they were the most wonderful.

The tastiness of each item was overwhelming. If I chose to indulge in the sandwiches, I attempted to it daintily.

The Simpson House Tea Room is a refurbished 1890s farmhouse that has retained all of its charm from the era. Whether you are getting reacquainted with an old friend or celebrating an occasion, this business offers you all that you are looking for with friendliness and decorum.

Most importantly (for me anyway) if you tried a tea that you must take home, you can purchase it. Drink it whenever you wish to remind you of your special moment in time.

Simpson House Tea Room
110 Pottstown Pike Village of Eagle
Chester Springs, PA
610-458-0120
Website: http://www.simpsonhousetearoom.com

Story and photos by The Pastry Prophet

Fads and Trends: Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

April 23, 2013
Food trends come and go.  The current trends in the pastry world are cupcakes and another is bacon. I have seen women lose their minds over cupcakes. Really… like each cupcake held the secret of youth.
The other trend you might have noticed is the addition of bacon in and on everything. Bacon ice cream, bacon soda, bacon on cupcakes, you get the idea. In other words: Bacon + edible common/proper noun.
I like some trends and others I just roll my eyes when I see people go all zombie apocalypse over it.
Don’t get me wrong. If someone is willing to pay me to indulge his or her cravings then get out of my way so I can release the T Virus!
I present to you bacon chocolate chip cookies.
 
bacon chocolate chip cookies

Bacon chocolate chip cookies. They are winning me over.

 
My co-worker and his friend sauntered over to my cubicle to issue me a pastry challenge so to speak. He asked if I can incorporate bacon into chocolate chip cookies.
My response: How many do you want and when do you want it?
I have a fool-proof cookie recipe, but any baker will tell you that if you add anything to the equation you can possibly change the flavor (for better or worse) and possibly the texture. 
First off I baked off a pound of thick cut hickory smoked bacon in a sheet pan at 400°F. As easily distracted that as I usually am, I hung around the kitchen to make sure it didn’t burn.
After 30 minutes and some rotation, I had a pan of porky greasy happiness.
 
bacon

Men dream of this. A sheet pan of piping hot bacon.

 
I drained, cooled, and chopped the bacon. From that, I set aside a cup of decorations.
Tossing the bacon in the cookie dough I could see specks of bacon among the chips. Since this was not a test, but the real thing, I hoped I had an equal amount of chocolate and bacon flavor.
When the cookies cooled I dipped each cookie in Merkin dipping chocolate. I sprinkled the leftover bacon bits while the chocolate was still wet.
Side note: You can use any dark, milk, or white chocolate you wish. This chocolate I prefer to use as decoration because tempering isn’t necessary (read: I’m lazy).
I think they turned out darned pretty. I’m big on presentation, but the ongoing debate with my friends is presentation versus taste. I think people eat with their eyes and nose even before the item hits your taste buds. If it doesn’t smell good or look good, it makes it more difficult for someone to try something different even if the description sounds tasty.
So relying on presentation, I think the chocolate and bacon coating on the outside gives you an extra pow of bacon/chocolate deliciousness.
boxed bacon chocolate chip cookies

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies are boxed and ready to go.

 
 
I delivered the cookie challenge to my co-worker and I think he practically fainted. Initially, I describe this cookie as a man cookie, but that’s sexist. There are plenty of female aficionados of bacon.
The bacon trend train still has a way to go. I’m wondering what else can I highlight with bacon… bacon pecan pies, bacon blondie brownies… there may never be a final answer.

Follow