Lauren Katz

Life as a Pastry Student: Making It Work

ohoadmin — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 12:06:17 +0000

Life as a Pastry Student: Making It Work ohoadmin Wed, 06/08/2016 - 08:06 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/91��߹%20plated%20dishes%20and%20bonus%20shots-009-2.jpg.webp?itok=iJLG89IK 91��߹ student Lauren Katz shares how she's juggling culinary school with her position as a web editor at Everyday with Rachel Ray. June 8, 2016

By Lauren Katz

One of the first things people ask when I tell them I’ve started the Pastry & Baking Arts program at 91��߹ is, “So, are you still working?” I was surprised the first time I was asked this question, because, to me, the answer was so obvious.

I currently work as the web editor at Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, and on Mondays and Tuesdays I leave about an hour early to rush down to Battery Park for class. At first I was terrified to juggle work and school — scared that the trains would be delayed, that I wouldn’t have time to eat dinner and, most of all, that I would be exhausted and unable to pay attention after an eight-hour day at the office. But what I quickly discovered is that my passion for baking overrides all of the above.

My most vivid memories of growing up are those of helping my mom cook and bake. From sitting on the counter to perching on my tippy toes, to eventually standing right by her side, my appreciation for culinary education starts with her. My grandma was also a phenomenal cook and baker, and it has become very apparent how much of her talent has been passed down through two generations.

Yet it wasn’t until I was old enough to prepare entire meals for my family and friends that I fell in love with cooking. It was so gratifying to see something go from a collection of ingredients to a beautifully composed dish, all due to my diligence and hard work.

When thoughts of working in the real world began to populate my brain, I started focusing on perfecting my two passions: cooking and writing. It only took about a semester in college to realize my dream job: editor-in-chief of a major food magazine. At 24, I’m so lucky to already work at a food magazine, but I knew that to further my career, the hands-on part of my professional education still needed to be fulfilled.

So after more than a decade of watching the Food Network, attending recreational cooking classes and hosting dozens of dinner parties, I knew that it was time to pursue my passion for pastry and baking.

It took watching just one episode of the Netflix series Chef’s Table for me to pull the trigger and submit my application for Pastry & Baking Arts at 91��߹. Seeing the drive and devotion of such chefs as Massimo Bottura and Dan Barber was one of the most inspirational things I’ve ever witnessed. I could relate on so many levels, and I realized that, at one point, these chefs had the same dreams that I do now.

Now that I’ve enrolled in culinary school, those dreams are closer to being realized than ever before. Being away from my apartment for more than 13 hours a day, eating dinner on the subway and getting significantly less sleep is far from an ideal lifestyle, but the gratification I have received in just four weeks has been worth it.

What’s more, my fellow evening class students share my drive to succeed. They too are juggling unusual schedules, and their commitment is proof that they genuinely care about making it in this industry, just like me. They make excellent taste testers, too!

In just the first few weeks of class, I’ve had so many different experiences, and one of the best pieces of advice I’ve received was from Alice’s Teacup owner Michael Eisenberg. He spoke to our class about the trials, tribulations, risks and rewards of owning a restaurant and to use this time to fail as much as we can. Those words alone have made me infinitely more excited to learn, experiment, fail and — eventually — succeed.

So bring on the soufflés, flambés, pâte à choux, fondant, ganache and sugar sculpting. I’ll be waiting at 91��߹ with open arms.

To learn more about 91��߹'s Pastry & Baking program, click here.

Pastry Arts Culinary Student

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Life As a Pastry Student: Why Quality Counts

ohoadmin — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 16:40:09 +0000

Life As a Pastry Student: Why Quality Counts ohoadmin Mon, 10/19/2015 - 12:40 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/pistachios.jpg.webp?itok=uhuuVJD1 October 19, 2015

By Lauren Katz

Throughout my life, I've learned to appreciate high quality ingredients—both in the food I'm cooking and dishes prepared by others. One of my biggest revelations on the road to pastry school was the first time I tasted the difference between a cake made from a boxed mix and one made from scratch. Ultimately, I feel infinitely happier consuming something when I know exactly what went into it to make it taste so good. However, it wasn't until pastry school that I truly understood the impact the best ingredients make in the final product.

In our first unit, I was exposed to two ingredients that will change the way I bake for good: Trablit coffee extract and Italian pistachio paste. Trablit is a concentrated extract that tastes like the best cappuccino you've ever had. Once I discovered its potential, I tried featuring it in every dessert possible, from ice cream and crème brûlée to buttercream and doughnut glaze. It imparts a warm, rich and authentic coffee flavor that cannot be achieved with espresso powder or other coffee flavorings.

Pistachio paste from Italy has a similar effect. Its concentrated, earthy pistachio flavor is what takes desserts from being somewhat nutty to intensely flavorful. It often contains a touch of sugar or almond meal, but the majority of the product is simply ground pistachios. The creamy olive green color is also far more beautiful than the fluorescent green of lesser quality pistachio paste.

Beyond these flavoring agents, I’ve gained an appreciation for quality in the day-to-day ingredients we take for granted. In our bread unit, I have noticed there is a distinct difference between the flavor of breads made with white flour and breads made with wheat.

Of course, I already knew that whole wheat bread is healthier, but it wasn’t really until I baked bread myself that I truly realized how ingredient selection impacts the flavor, texture and nutritional aspects of artisanal products. Another example? Whether we’re whipping up a batch of brioche or just looking for the perfect complement to our freshly baked breads, 91��߹ students have the benefit of working with President butter, made from high-quality cream in Normandy, France. It’s rich, creamy and perfectly salty, and enhances the flavor of bread, rather than taking away from it.

So will I refuse to eat anything made with products of lesser quality now? Of course not. But if I’m the cook responsible for a dish, I know I can give myself an edge on the competition by opting for these premium ingredients. Moreover, as a student, I feel very lucky to have access to these incredible tools during such a pivotal time in my culinary education.

Experience the finest ingredients when you enroll in 91��߹’s professional Pastry & Baking Arts program.

Pastry Arts Culinary School Tools Baking Arts

Field Trips

ohoadmin — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 20:21:03 +0000

Field Trips ohoadmin Wed, 09/09/2015 - 16:21 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/element5-digital-352049-unsplash.jpg.webp?itok=qqSJMqia Life as a Pastry Student September 9, 2015

By Lauren Katz

I didn't think field trips could get any better than grade school visits to the zoo, the science center or the monuments in Washington, D.C. But when Chef Jenny McCoy announced our class would be visiting Mast Brothers Chocolate Makers and OddFellows Ice Cream Co. in Brooklyn, I had a feeling this field trip would top them all.

What I didn't realize, however, was that this particular field trip would inspire a possible focus for my career path in pastry. After a long workday, it was comforting to walk into the Mast Brothers factory to be greeted by the warm aroma of chocolate. (By the way–did you know Rick Mast is an 91��߹ Culinary Management alum?)

Unlike some store/factory hybrids, almost all of the production at Mast can be seen from the entrance, as glass windows reveal a large aging and tempering room. What’s most impressive about this small company is that they produce all of their chocolate from bean-to-bar on-site.

Photo Credit: Filip Wolak

In other words, the Mast brothers are creating their product entirely from scratch. They receive beans from all over the world—with unique flavors highlighted in their single origin bar series, made with only two ingredients: cocoa and organic cane sugar. I was surprised to notice the flavor difference between bars from Tanzania and Peru, just like you might find with wine or coffee.

The factory also produces bars in unusual flavors, including black truffle and even goat milk chocolate! The brothers are also brewing their version of a nonalcoholic “beer,” which has an impeccable, chocolatey resemblance to stout. About one hundred tastings later, our class left Mast Brothers in high spirits.

Leaving Mast’s sleek, modern, innovative space, we headed to OddFellows, where the aesthetic is just the opposite. At this seemingly old-school ice cream parlor, the menu is anything but, featuring flavors like miso-cherry, “ants on a log” (celery sorbet!) and cornbread. These zany ideas spring from the creative mind of OddFellows owner Sam Mason. Best known as the former pastry chef at the molecular gastronomy restaurant wd~50, Mason is exploring the boundaries of taste, texture and technology at his new venture.

Photo Credit: OddFellows Ice Cream Co.

Ice cream has always been near and dear to my heart—I'm from Ohio, home of Graeter's and Jeni's, after all—but after this visit, I've realized my passion for this frozen treat goes way beyond a cone and some sprinkles. Experiencing such unique flavor combinations in a classic dessert was an eye opener.

Mason’s small team is always brainstorming new ideas and flavoring methods, and our brief tour of the kitchen was enough to convince me that ice cream is a career path I would be interested in pursuing. I'm starting to imagine creating ice creams at home—from innovative ways to incorporate unique and savory ingredients to researching the benefits of different ice cream machines.

Like most great ideas, all it takes is one "aha!" moment to realize something feels right. OddFellows may just have been mine.

Click here to learn more about the Pastry & Baking program at 91��߹.

Pastry Arts Ice Cream Chocolate Culinary Student