Liz Castner

Cupcake Class: Studying with the Robicellis

ohoadmin — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:20:46 +0000

Cupcake Class: Studying with the Robicellis ohoadmin Fri, 03/21/2014 - 17:20 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Cupcake%20Class-%20Studying%20with%20the%20Robicellis_1400x680.jpg.webp?itok=47owNMQ3 March 21, 2014

By Liz Castner

Since the coining of the first celebrity chef, there have been many professionals in the culinary and pastry fields that new students can look up to as role models. There are, of course, a number of brilliant female pastry chefs here in New York City—and around the world—whose work inspires the artist in me.

While the question of who I look up to changes and expands as I learn, one person who has held my attention as an incredible role model is Alison Robicelli. I look to her and her husband Matt as successful examples of people who are real, people who work with their spouses every day, people who have started their own business several times, and people who have created delicious, luxurious, unusual recipes (shared with us through Alison’s naturally humorous voice in their new cookbook, Robicelli’s: A Love Story with Cupcakes).

Before my exposure to the Robicellis, I would have been quick to tell you that most cupcakes are just not worth it. Give me a slice of real cake, a piece of pie, or, hell, a really great cookie any day. I don’t eat food just because it’s cute, okay? This is where the Robicellis come in. They understand that a cupcake is really just a piece of cake, already pre-portioned for yo, so that you don’t have to cut it. They understand that it shouldn’t taste like a piece of cardboard and be loaded with all kinds of artificial colorings and flavors.

Reading their book is like talking to them – you come out of both experiences wanting a relationship just like theirs, to test out their cakes, and to be their best friend. I have never encountered a cookbook that reads like a memoir or a novel before, but Alison’s hilarious, expletive-filled prose is as charming as their cakes are addictive.

The Estelle Getty

Needless to say, taking a class with the Robicellis at 91��߹ was as exciting as I had hoped. In person, the Robicellis are cool, funny people who love to make and eat cake. Their teaching focuses on technique—for example, we learned how to make their French and American buttercreams delightfully illustrated in hilarious and helpful comic strips in the book.

We also learned how to candy bacon, how to make apple cake for "The Noah" using fresh apples, how to pipe the frosting in different ways and how to craft all sorts of other components of their various cupcakes. The three cupcakes we made – "The Noah" (apple cake, goat cheese buttercream, candied bacon, and brown bourbon butter sauce – my favorite of the bunch), "The Ebinger" (chocolate cake, chocolate custard buttercream, chocolate fudge glaze and cake crumbs), and "The Estelle Getty" (amaretto cake, cheesecake buttercream, and homemade amaretti cookies) were just fantastic.

The Ebinger

As Alison noted, “Yeah. These recipes are HARD. If they were easy, they just wouldn’t be as delicious.” I love that they fully respect those of us out there who admire them and want to make their recipes, but that they can also say, “Hey, we’re professionals. We live in a world in which we pay professionals for great steak dinners and we can also pay them for great cakes. If you don’t want to do the work, don’t worry, we’re already doing it. Enjoy!”

Before taking their class, I had to check out their Bay Ridge storefront, which is so warm and friendly. But upon visiting, I was faced with one of the greatest dilemmas: what to get? I’m not ashamed to tell you that I bought 4 cupcakes and ate them all for lunch. I enjoyed the "Chai Latte" (chai spice cake, vanilla buttercream and toasted spices), "The Hinsch" (chocolate malted cake, vanilla buttercream, chocolate malted sauce and homemade malted milk ball), "The Maltz" (chocolate bourbon cake, chocolate bourbon buttercream and brown sugar candied bacon), and "The Elvis" (banana cake, peanut butter buttercream and brown sugar candied bacon). They were all so delicious. I actually didn’t even have a favorite (although if I had to choose, I’d give it to the Maltz).

The Laurenzano

I also recently made one of their cupcakes for a wine and cheese event I was dessert-catering. Some people believe that desserts don’t go with wine. I am happy to report that the Robicellis are not like that (believe me, if desserts didn’t go with wine, I’d be at least thirty pounds lighter). But they also include at least two cupcakes in their book that, while they don’t include wine as an ingredient, pair just right. I chose to make "The Laurenzano", a moist fig cake topped with a goat cheese buttercream, fig balsamic reduction, and crispy prosciutto. You have no idea the compliments I got on these bad boys and I cannot wait to make my next Robicelli’s creation.

While it was certainly a detail-oriented recipe with many components, having finished my pastry degree, I am happy to report that they are not too hard for me to make. In fact, they are just right for someone like myself who is hoping to enjoy great cake, but also really nurture my creative side. Now that I have waxed rhapsodic about these people and their recipes, I just want to leave you with one crazy inspiring tidbit. My absolute favorite thing about the Robicellis is their flavors.

Beyond the recipes listed in the book, on their website they list ALL of their flavors and their components. Pro-tip: copy and paste, then save that one to a Word Document because it is sheer genius. Even without the recipes, an experienced baker with a knowledge of their style can certainly improvise and create their own version of a Robicelli’s delight (and believe you, I will. Not having a recipe for their Apricot Chardonnay cake will NOT stop me from figuring out my own!). So, to sum-up: The Robicellis are hilarious, inspiring food geniuses, and I am definitely improvising on "The Salty Dog" (grapefruit tequila cake and buttercream, grapefruit zest, and sea salt) for Cinco de Mayo. Check out their book!

Learn more about 91��߹'s professional Pastry & Baking Arts program and Recreational Cooking Classes at www.ice.edu.

Culinary Student Pastry Arts

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Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs: Chef David Bouley

ohoadmin — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 18:27:04 +0000

Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs: Chef David Bouley ohoadmin Fri, 03/14/2014 - 14:27 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Meet%20the%20Culinary%20Entrepreneurs-%20Chef%20David%20Bouley_1400x680.jpg.webp?itok=99iC64Fw March 14, 2014

By Liz Castner

Every year, 91��߹ Culinary Management students are exposed to some of the greatest entrepreneurs in the business. These industry leaders generously take time out of their busy schedules to share their stories and offer advice to the next generation of restauranteurs.

Most recently, my class was lucky enough to visit Chef David Bouley's whimsical TriBeCa restaurant, Bouley Botanical. Filled with window gardens, a gleaming kitchen, film equipment and every type of new culinary gadgetry you can imagine, Bouley Botanical is a culinary fairytale of sorts. Chef Bouley has clearly succeeded in creating a foodie fantasy.

Chef David Bouley

Bouley Botanical's success should come as no surprise, as Chef has a long history as an innovator in the restaurant business. He has studied in France under some of the most masterful chefs in the world and is credited with opening Montrachet, which revolutionized New York City Restaurant culture.

His success is largely attributable to his attention to detail and devotion to exceptional service. He shared with us the importance he places on a well-crafted tasting menu, as well as investing time in understanding what his guests like to eat. This enables him to provide patrons with the best meal possible, his primary goal as a chef.

While Bouley's bio for the Meet The Culinary Entrepreneurs event series only mentions it briefly, the chef emphasized the importance of health and wellness as central to his business. Bouley has dedicated his life to learning anything and everything he can about health in different ways.

I really admire this aim, because while many chefs are interested in nutrition, most chefs consider dining out as a departure (as opposed to a central part of) their guest's nutritional needs. Bouley also is essentially a Mother Nature purist. He views it as his responsibility to take the best that nature can offer and make it even more delicious while maintaining its nutritional content.

I consider myself fairly well-educated on the subject of health, but the tidbits he shared with us blew my mind. One fact he relayed to us is one that I had heard before, but never stopped to really examine: each plant food provides our body with nutrients, but the way that we prepare that food can diminish the quality of what it has to offer. Garlic, for example, is one of the healthiest foods we can eat, but according to Bouley, most of us are overcooking it, diminishing the positive health impact of eating it in the first place.

Similarly, we are all ruining the properties of green tea, which should never be heated to over 150-160 degrees. With the boiling temp of water at 212, we are basically murdering those leaves every time we heat the kettle to a boil and pour over them. Bouley also shared some facts that I had never heard before. He explained that our plants have changed, and as a result, the gluten that we develop from our wheat has changed as well.

While gluten for wheat used to be primarily water-soluble and easy for our body to digest, it is now mainly fat-soluble, making it more difficult for our body to process. This is why gluten has become increasingly difficult for people to digest comfortably, and helps explains why those without a known gluten allergy still feel better when they forgo eating gluten.

Inside Bouley Botanical

Trained in pastry, Chef Bouley has been working on using alternative plants to make breads and chips. He gave us a chip made out of kuzu - the leaves of a flowering vine given to the United States by the Japanese - topped with a kind of cheese and truffle oil: simply delicious. Chef Bouley has educated himself not only on how to best consume all of what nature can give us, but has also studied the ways in which science can enhance what nature provides. He drinks only kangen water, which is ionized to a pH value of 9.5.

According to Bouley, water with a pH of 9.5 is the optimum water for human consumption because it does all the things that water is really supposed to do for the human body. It detoxifies and washes away toxins we've taken in, it hydrates our cells and it provides us with the oxygen and hydrogen molecules our body needs. Keeping with the health focus, next on the horizon for Chef Bouley is a plan to educate and help the general population get the most out of natural products. He is filming the production of what he calls "Building Blocks: Ingredients in a Living Pantry" to show consumers how to best use food products to make quality, nutritious and efficient meals at home.

Examples of these building blocks include showing viewers how to roast fresh garlic to the appropriate "blonde caramel" stage and then use that product to make garlic puree and garlic oils, which can be used in a number of applications. Others examples include demos for parsley water, various applications for vanilla and the many ways to use herbs in cooking. The shorts are beautifully filmed in-house at Bouley Botanicals and are hugely inspiring, showing what a master does to get the best of his ingredients.

Bouley sees this living pantry as a way of prepping the mise en place for all your meals, of preserving ingredients that can go bad, and most importantly, of providing the highest amount of nutrients and flavor with the most reasonable amount of effort. Bouley offered some particularly ingenious examples, including using onion puree to thicken a sauce rather than flour or cornstarch. It's both healthier for you and delivers far more flavor—sheer brilliance. He also recommends drizzling a tomato with a little garlic oil and vanilla oil, and then taking a bite. I haven't done it yet, but he claims it will be one of the best things we have ever eaten.

Over the course of his talk, Chef Bouley clearly communicated some sound advice for those of us pursuing a career in food. First: our careers are ever-evolving, so we should never feel boxed in. There is always room for growth and experimentation, both in the kitchen and beyond. Second: it is very important to learn as much as we can about the ingredients we intend to use, whether in a restaurant kitchen or our own home cooking. Even though I plan to pursue a career in desserts, not generally thought of as the "healthiest" part of a person's diet, Chef Bouley has inspired me to learn as much as I can about my ingredients in order to deliver the best flavor and value to my guests.

Restaurant Management Demos & Lectures

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CAPS Pastry: Ice Cream Innovations with Sam Mason of OddFellows

ohoadmin — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 21:26:16 +0000

CAPS Pastry: Ice Cream Innovations with Sam Mason of OddFellows ohoadmin Fri, 02/07/2014 - 16:26 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/CAPS%20Pastry-%20Ice%20Cream%20Innovations%20with%20Sam%20Mason%20of%20OddFellows_1400x680.jpg.webp?itok=bCXPj42x February 7, 2014

By Liz Castner

I was sitting in my Culinary Management class when I received the email telling me about an exciting upcoming CAPS class at 91��߹ – "Ice Cream Innovations with Sam Mason". Mason is the chef-founder OddFellows Ice Cream Co., a hip and funky ice cream shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The moment I read the email, I knew I wanted to attend the class.

While I had never been to OddFellows itself, I had been following them on Facebook for months, lusting after posts featuring Mason's latest edible creation. In short, I knew the CAPS class would be far more complex and exciting than a day's worth of ordinary ice cream making.

Chef Sam Mason

As it turns out, I was right. Chef Sam is a truly inspirational and creative guy, a wonderfully quirky mix of Brooklyn hipster, mad scientist and straight-up food genius. He reminds me of a blend between Benedict Cumberbatch and Adam from HBO’s Girls. If I haven't already given myself away, I definitely developed an ice cream crush over the course of his class, and I'm not alone. Chef Sam is so inspirational that a number of 91��߹ Chef-Instructors, including the "King of Plating" himself—Chef Michael Laiskonis—stuck around to take some notes and observe his novel techniques.

The line up of flavors (17 in total!)

During our 8-hour ice cream intensive, we made an astonishing number of ice creams. Cornbread, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, "smash" Neapolitan, extra virgin olive oil, rainbow sherbert (composed of mandarin sorbet, raspberry sorbet, lime sorbet), chorizo caramel, lemon, rocky road, lemon meringue pie, peanut butter and jelly, caramelized onion and last but not least, beet. Yes, you counted correctly; that's 17 individual ice creams and sorbets. What's more, all of them were delicious—even Chef Sam's savory flavors, caramelized onion, and chorizo caramel. They were so good, in fact, that I currently have six pints in my freezer right now!

Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream frozen with liquid nitrogen to craft "Smash" Neapolitan[/caption] I'm a firm believer that you can benefit from any sort of class you take, regardless of whether or not you're already familiar with the material. But as this was a CAPS class, almost all of the attendees had at least studied pastry or culinary arts at some point, and many are currently professionals in the field. With that said, I am happy to report that I learned a tremendous amount from Chef Sam, including how to blend whole vanilla beans and sugar in the food processor to extract all the flavor, as well as how frozen nitrogen can help preserve the shape of certain ingredients when folded into the ice cream.

We froze chunks of meringue, graham cracker and lemon curd for the lemon meringue pie ice cream and froze globs of jelly into jelly rocks for the peanut butter and jelly ice cream. We even froze the different ice creams themselves, such as chocolate, vanilla and strawberry for our smashed-together Neapolitan. We also got to watch Chef Sam spin different ice creams, such as caramelized onion, using a KitchenAid and liquid nitrogen.

But the learning didn't stop there—Chef Sam also showed us how to craft components like chorizo-infused milk and oil, key ingredients for chorizo caramels and ice cream. We also discussed fat-washing techniques, which you can use for if you plan on making foie gras ice cream like they do in the shop, or even skirt steak ice cream.

The whole class!

The sheer amount of knowledge Chef Sam brought to class was staggering, but even more inspiring was his willingness to play around with flavors, proportions, and textures for the fun of it. Clearly, the guy is a genius. So, if ever you are thinking about taking a CAPS class, take it from this forever-student – if you feel inspired by the instructor and the topic, regardless of cost, it’s really worth it!

Ice Cream

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Practical Skills for Success

ohoadmin — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 19:17:55 +0000

Practical Skills for Success ohoadmin Fri, 01/24/2014 - 14:17 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Business%20Class-003_1.jpg.webp?itok=Qf0jBvTy Life as a Culinary Management Student January 24, 2014

By Liz Castner

One thing that certainly draws people to culinary school is the fact that the emphasis is on learning, not letter grades. At 91��߹, this also holds true in our business-focused programs, like Culinary Management, which is essentially a small, college-level seminar for the restaurant industry.

That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot of work to be done, however. As a class, we just finished taking our ServSafe certification test and are awaiting our results. Here in New York City, the NYC Food Handler’s license may reign supreme, but the great thing about ServSafe is that it is recognized throughout the US. Even if you end up staying in New York, passing the ServSafe test means you will have no difficulty getting your NYC Food Handler's license.

91��߹ instructor Stephen Zagor leading a culinary management lecture

Being ServSafe certified means that you have been trained in food safety and have a certificate documenting that training. This process is essential if you want to be a manager in the food service industry, as food safety is far more complicated than just learning to wash your hands.

We studied the various viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi that can cause food-borne illness, and learned how to properly train staff about preventing contamination. Culinary Arts Chef Instructor Ted Siegel also taught us about safely receiving and storing meat and fish, as well as how to determine if the animal protein in question is in good condition. Finally, we learned how to purchase the best equipment to ensure food safety.

Culinary Management student presentation

After learning these skills, I feel like I have a lot more restaurant industry knowledge to help me as I move forward in my career. For example, did you know that unless a countertop deep fryer has legs, you can’t use it? Or that there's a type of bacteria leading to food-borne illness that can trigger a miscarriage in a pregnant woman? Knowing about these types of issues is essential for those in the food service industry, as it ensures customers' safety.

While safety is key, the Culinary Management program covers a number of other important topics as well. Our four-hour classes are each broken into two-hour segments. During the second half of class, we have been focusing on marketing—which actually encompasses more than you might think. In addition to learning about advertising, public relations and promotions, we have also been learning about opening strategies, following trends, creating a brand promise and a positioning statement, and performing a competitive analysis.

While learning all of these facts takes a lot of focus, the task I'm working on lately is the most challenging of all: completing a marketing plan outline. It’s one thing to learn cold facts, but applying them to your own hypothetical business is another level entirely!

So here I sit, staring at my laptop, wondering how to devise an opening strategy for a wine bar. While I won't get a grade for this assignment, the pressure is still on—because better than the feeling of any "A+" is knowing that I'm fully prepared to open my own business.

Hospitality Management Restaurant Management Culinary Student

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Celebrating at Our Senior Reception

ohoadmin — Sat, 28 Dec 2013 15:22:36 +0000

Celebrating at Our Senior Reception ohoadmin Sat, 12/28/2013 - 10:22 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/012.jpg.webp?itok=FSK7Mc3_ Life as a Pastry Student December 28, 2013

By Liz Castner

Since my last post, big changes have occurred: I have gone from pastry student to a pastry cook! Yes – it's official: On December 9th, my Pastry and Baking Arts classmates and I celebrated the end of our coursework and the start of our externships. While I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment, I must admit—it feels a little odd to no longer be in class for four hours hours every morning, covered in flour, sugar and chocolate.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my fair share of graduations (grade school, high school, college), but this accomplishment feels like it came out of nowhere! In many ways, it did; we started in July, and five months later, I'm off to work in a professional kitchen.

Celebrating with my mom

While my time as a pastry student was brief, I think 91��߹ has the right philosophy when it comes preparing students for culinary careers: Train intensely in the classroom for a brief period, then apply the skills you've learned in the real world! We might be done with classes, but we’ll never be done learning. The confidence, skills, and culinary know-how we learned while students at 91��߹ has prepared us to learn even more in the future.

I'm looking forward to taking the skills I gained during my time as a pastry student, and applying them to a real-life setting during my externship. With that said, it was definitely a little bittersweet leaving the comforting, idyllic world of the classroom, but bigger and better things await us all. Plus–91��߹ has prepared me well!

The 91��߹ senior reception itself was entirely different (and way more fun!) than my prior graduations. The day of, Chef Victoria, my classmates and I set up the wine room on the 5^th floor. We displayed our final cakes, chocolate sculptures and the chocolates we saved specifically for this event. 91��߹ provided hor d’oeuvres and drinks, including champagne.

My classmates and I at graduation

My classmates and I hit up the champagne immediately–we were all ready to celebrate. And celebrate we did! Everyone’s family and friends came to the ceremony, and all were constantly ooh-ing and ahh-ing over our cakes and chocolates (which, to our credit, were absolutely gorgeous!). We munched, mingled and snapped copious amounts of pictures.

About a half hour into the festivities, Chef Andy got up and called us one by one to present us with our tall hats. This was the highlight of the evening; it was so exciting! Three of my classmates were awarded special medals for outstanding work, all three of whom were entirely deserving of the honor.

Overall, it was a fabulous time. But the party, like my time as a pastry student, seemed to end all too quickly. Luckily the festivities continued for me after the ceremony. I went to dinner with my wonderful parents and a close friend, and we continued the celebration over sushi and Japanese beers. It was a great night, one I won't soon forget.

My final cake!

While the reception itself was fun, working towards it was even more rewarding. I loved working on my final cake, which I based off a gorgeous image I found on Pinterest: a four-tier square cake with a glorious gold tree and deep crimson blossoms.

My version (I named her Vivian) turned out beautifully: whimsical and a little less formal than the original, due to its being two tiers instead of four, and round as opposed to square, but stunning nonetheless! Overall, I was very proud of my cake, as well as my classmates' unique and elegant creations.

A classmate's final cake

Like I mentioned, senior reception was on December 9th, so it's been little more than a week – but what a week it's been! I began my externship the following Saturday, and at the time of writing this, have been to work at Colicchio & Sons three times already.

Thus far, it's been an incredibly energizing and enjoyable experience, but it has also been very humbling. I realize I have a lot to learn, particularly when it comes to speed and efficiency in the kitchen.

I’ve already been asked at my externship about my plans for the future, and I have to say, I still really don’t know. After I finish my management class at the end of April, anything's possible.

There is still so much of the world that I want to explore; I might run away to Australia or Europe, or head back to California. Maybe I'll work in another New York City restaurant or bakery, or perhaps even teach kids’ baking and cooking classes. Who knows? The options are endless...

Career Pastry Arts Cake Decorating Culinary Student

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Chocoholics Anonymous

ohoadmin — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 22:33:43 +0000

Chocoholics Anonymous ohoadmin Mon, 11/25/2013 - 17:33 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/12182605_10153232238962934_7789684362273402074_o.jpg.webp?itok=aoFlhKoY Life as a Pastry Student November 25, 2013

By Liz Castner

While the chocolate section of the Pastry & Baking Arts program is certainly a highlight for most students, it was truly transformative for a candy-lover like me. While I love to bake, there's nothing quite like crafting beautiful, delectable little candies from scratch. However, prior to beginning the chocolate portion of the pastry program, I had yet to spend much time making chocolate candies. Little did I know, my candy-making horizons were about to expand considerably.

Amy and my chocolate showpiece

I have always been a stalwart fan of See’s Candies (a chain in California that makes delicious old fashioned chocolates), but more recently, I've been inspired by the modern candy-makers of Brooklyn's Liddabit Sweets.

Liddabit recently published an amazing cookbook that contains truffles, chocolate bars, fruit candies, marshmallows, honeycomb, caramels and toffees; you name it, they’ve got it.

And while Liddabit Sweets confections are carried in stores all over Brooklyn, the owners recently opened a store in Manhattan at Chelsea Market.

While I continue to be a fan of both See's Candies and Liddabit Sweets, my 11-day chocolate foray at 91��߹ has expanded my candy horizons considerably. Over that time, I learned key components of chocolate creation that make or break a chocolatier's success.

Number one: chocolate tempering. We used tempered chocolate in every recipe we made, from chocolate clusters to truffles and molded chocolates, to our chocolate showpiece. (All of these pieces have been saved and will be displayed at our graduation ceremony, which will take place December 9^th!)

A variety of class chocolates

Tempered chocolate is chocolate that has been guided through a series of temperature changes and agitations, resulting in a product composed of stable crystals. These allow for the chocolate to set uniformly and provide a satisfying snap when chewed.

To temper chocolate, one must first melt chocolate over a bain marie (a double boiler with the chocolate placed in a bowl over a pot of simmering water) up to a certain temperature. Each type of chocolate has a different temperature that it should be heated to – dark is 120 °F, milk is 115 °F, and white is 105-110 °F. The chocolate be stirred the whole time, which aids in the formation of stable crystals.

A classmate's framed chocolates

After the chocolate is melted, it is removed from heat, stirred vigorously, and (using the seeding method) unmelted chocolate pistoles (small, disc-shaped pieces of high-quality chocolate) are added to the bowl and melted in. The chocolate should then be cooled to 85 °F.

This is the typical cooling point for most chocolates, although certain types require higher cooling points. Once the chocolate is brought to the proper temperature, it is considered tempered (though you should test it to make sure), and should remain at that temperature for the entire time you are working with it.

My Shabby-Chic Matcha Green Tea Filled Chocolates

The truffles and the filled, molded chocolates were my favorite candies to make (and the tastiest!). To make molded chocolates, the first step is painting the insides of the chocolate molds with different designs and colors. After painting the inside of the molds, you pour tempered chocolate inside and turn the molds upside down over the bowl, scraping out the excess to insure a thick coating.

Once the chocolate sets inside the tempered, painted shell, you can add fillings such as Matcha green tea, salted caramel, and gianduja (hazelnut goodness). The final phase—known as "capping"—requires pouring tempered chocolate over the top of the cooled, filled molds, and scraping off the excess. The chocolate is then chilled for the final time and covered with acetate, creating a smooth bottom. The final product—an artfully crafted and perfectly shaped little morsel—is as beautiful as it is delicious!

Clearly, chocolate making is no small task. However, the end result is so lovely and delectable that it's entirely worth it. While being a chocolatier is not necessarily my future career path, I love making chocolates, and honestly can’t wait to make more for my friends and family while I’m home in California for Thanksgiving. I’m thinking of creating a Pie Trio – pumpkin pie, apple pie, and pecan pie truffles! I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Pastry Arts Chocolate Culinary Student

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Passion and Practicality

ohoadmin — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 21:31:24 +0000

Passion and Practicality ohoadmin Tue, 11/12/2013 - 16:31 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Culinary%20Management-Student%20in%20Class-2659.jpg.webp?itok=NjDiEF6t Life as a Culinary Management Student November 12, 2013

By Liz Castner

My first thought on day one of the Culinary Management program was, "Oh boy." As in—oh boy, eleven textbooks is kind of a lot. Oh boy, this is a room of people I've never seen before. Oh boy, this is the thickest information packet of all time. Oh boy, I have a lot to learn.

By contrast, my thoughts on the first day of my Pastry & Baking Arts class were something along the lines of: "Yay! Finally!" But today, a month into management, I've learned to accepted this contrast between my passion-driven approach to pastry and my practicality-driven attitude towards management. In fact, I'd be quite surprised if at the age of 24 I suddenly discovered an unrealized fire raging in my heart for economics or finance.

Liz Castner

From day one of "CMD"—as we 91��߹ students call Culinary Management—we dove straight into our work. We split the class in terms of the type of restaurant concept each student wanted to pursue, with myself and two other women interested in launching bakery/pastry shop working in a group.

Over the course of the next few classes, we examined different aspects of our chosen restaurant concept and learned how just one misstep, like a poorly chosen location or the ability to only operate at certain times of day, can lead to going out of business. We also went on two field trips to two very different businesses. For each location, we were asked to think about what type of restaurant concept we thought would best work in the space, based on the information we had learned.

Another highlight of the CMD program is access to a team of several different instructors, as well as guest speakers. Hearing multiple points of view from experienced professionals—not to mention those of my classmates—has made for an intense learning experience. I have definitely gained a newfound appreciation for what it takes to succeed in the food industry.

As my awareness has grown, my initial business concept has evolved in several ways. It has grown from a simple bakery and cake shop to a sleek, Northern Californian dessert bar with dishes designed to pair with specific wines and beers. As a self-declared wine lover, I would ideally partner was a vineyard and create seasonal desserts to pair with their wines. I would like to feature select beers to match with the desserts as well. Expanding on the idea, I would like to provide customers with a take-home experience, allowing them to order a cake, paired with a bottle of wine, to pick up at their convenience.

Other exciting thoughts I'm currently toying with include: tasting flights, dessert pairing and baking classes, and catering or hosting special events. I also like the idea of creating wedding cakes designed to pair with the bride and groom's signature drink, whether it be a glass of champagne, a cocktail, or a wine from our potential vineyard partner.

As you can see, the hesitation I felt the first day of Culinary Management class has now been replaced by excitement. I feel very passionate about this restaurant concept and am determined to educate myself as thoroughly as possible in order to make it a reality. My concept presentation is in two weeks—stay tuned to hear how it goes!

Culinary Student Hospitality Management Restaurant Management Pastry Arts

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Life as a Pastry Student: Trailing

ohoadmin — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 22:35:49 +0000

Life as a Pastry Student: Trailing ohoadmin Tue, 11/05/2013 - 17:35 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/colichino-and-sons.jpg.webp?itok=rzAZCUEf November 5, 2013

By Liz Castner

One of the most important aspects of both the culinary and pastry programs takes place outside the classroom—trailing. Indeed, I learned a tremendous amount about technique and working in professional kitchens through my trailing experience. However, if you had asked me several months ago what "trailing" was, I would have assumed we were talking about hiking. In fact, a friend recently told me that she thought I had been misspelling “trials” when posting about my trailing experience on Facebook. While my spelling was accurate, my friend was not far off in her interpretation of the word.

A trail is a combination of a job interview and a trial work shift. Basically, it’s an interview that can last anywhere from 6 to 10 hours. This is how every person cooking in a kitchen gets a job, and how 91��߹ Culinary Arts or Pastry & Baking Arts students get their externships.

For an externship, you only have to go on one trail, but as you progress in your career and are applying for more competitive jobs—for example, Sous Chef or Executive Chef—you will likely go on more than one trail at the same restaurant.

At the time of this posting, I have gone on 5 trails and have happily secured my externship at Colicchio & Sons, a restaurant in Tom Colicchio’s Craft Restaurant Group. Despite having found an externship, I also intend on doing an additional trail in a cake studio, purely because I want to see the magic of cake decorating on a professional level!

While trails are primarily places to apply for positions, they can also serve as a window into what it's like behind-the-scenes for those who are interested. In this sense, trailing is not simply useful for building your resume, but also figuring out the kind of job and working environment you ultimately want.

When I first started culinary school, I was 110% sure I’d be pursuing an externship in a bakery when the time came. Bake shop items are tasty and a lot of fun to make. Some shops specialize in wedding and occasion cakes, which are always exciting to craft. Further, they offer a work atmosphere that is often both calming and fun--a great combination in my book! Fortunately, I was able to trail at two truly excellent bakeries: Astor Bake Shop and One Girl Cookies.

Astor Bake Shop was a revelation—the small kitchen was not totally closed off from the seating area, so while mixing up pumpkin cheesecake batter, I got to listen to some smooth jazz and totally relax. It was a small kitchen, but a great work environment with some amazing seasonal desserts. Right off the bat, I was tempted to take this externship. I knew it would be comfortable and fun, and that I would learn so much from the wonderful and inspiring Chef, George McKirdy (who, I might add, is so cool that I would gladly hangout with him both on and off the job!).

Cake of the day at One Girl Cookies

Similarly, the experience at One Girl Cookies was fabulous. 91��߹ alum Dave Crofton and his team were incredibly friendly and welcoming. And the cookies—oh the cookies! They are truly some of the best I've ever had.

To top it off, I even got to whip up a batch of the newest cookie recipe they have yet to release. I wish I could tell you what's in it, but I'm keeping it a secret until Chef Dave announces it himself. For now, all I'll say is that this new cookie is not merely delicious, but also entirely innovative. I love that kind of creativity--bringing together flavors in different ways than the norm, particularly in desserts.

So, based on my above descriptions, it would seem that I had two incredible bakeries to choose between for my externship. Yet, while I fully intend to work in a bakery someday, I couldn't help but think—if I move back to California and look for a job there, what would be the best externship to have on my resume to show that I took advantage of my time here?

In New York, there are so many opportunities, and so many chefs that are known not just nationally, but internationally. Thus, while I truly loved my trailing experiences at both Astor Bake Shop and One Girl Cookies, I decided I needed to explore other options. I wanted to explore other avenues, hunt down any chance I could, and pick the absolute best one for me, not just for my resume’s sake, but in order to combine elements of everything I want going forward: a great atmosphere, beautiful, seasonal, and delicious desserts, patient chefs, friendly co-workers, and most importantly, lots to do!

I trailed at Oceana, Spice Market, and Colicchio & Sons. Either a chef or a representative from these three restaurants was present at the 91��߹ Career Fair here in September, which is how I lined up several trailing opportunities.

My experience at each restaurant taught me something new. My first revelation--which took place at Oceana--was that it is much harder to make a batch of 600 cookies than it is to make a batch of 60. Also it is REALLY HEAVY. Oceana's kitchen is huge, and there was so much to do. The chef I worked with, Chef Joseph Gabriel, was intimidating at first, but ended up being incredibly patient and nice. It was my very first trail (the bakeries came a little later). To say the least, I felt a little overwhelmed.

My next trail was at Spice Market, where I worked with the impressive and incredibly creative Chef Christina Kaelberer. This experience made me realize that I haven’t developed some skills that are crucial in a restaurant setting—namely, being able to quenelle and to be consistent in my output (i.e. make things the same shape and size). I left convinced that I must learn to do these things, STAT.

At Colicchio & Sons, I watched and helped a well-oiled machine churn out exceptional work. Furthermore, I spent time being taught by nearly every member of the culinary team—each of whom was kind, informative, and excited to have me there. The team also really loves the executive pastry chef, Stephen Collucci, a talented man with an inspiring and friendly demeanor. Everyone was excited about his work, and it was contagious.

As at Spice Market, they had me taste most of the desserts, which were beyond words in terms of their deliciousness. There was a lot to do, a lot to see, and a lot to create, but it wasn’t overwhelming—it was beautiful. At the end of the trail, I knew that this was where I wanted to do my externship. Fortunately, they wanted me too; I start in December, and I am completely pumped!

Before I go, I’d like to leave you with some tips that I took away from these experiences. I have no doubt that you will learn your own lessons, but if you've taken the time to read this far, why not pick up a couple of pointers to take with you?

1: Come in with a really positive attitude.

You want to display the following to your potential employer: I am eager to learn, and I am ready to work long and hard. Chef Dave complimented me on both of these things and even told me that these qualities are even more important to chefs than actual skill level, which will naturally increase with practice.

2: Leave your ego at the door.

No matter where they went to school, everyone who already works in the bakery or the restaurant in question knows way more than you do. You will learn these skills, but in the meantime, no task is too small.

3: Your chef instructors are good sources of information, but you have to ask!

After my trail at Spice Market, I went into class and asked my instructor Chef Scott for advice. His answer? “Take a knife skills class, silly! And buy a tub of Crisco to practice quenelling at home, over and over again.”

4: This is another piece of wisdom from Chef Scott, prompted by my frustration at failing to recreate an exact replica of a chef's perfectly executed recipe. Chef Scott said that it’s a myth that someone can just watch and learn, which was quite a relief to hear. In other words: Practice makes perfect. To be your best, practice at home.

5: Read the dessert menus ahead of time.

Chefs love it when you can show how much you care about being there!

6: Try everything, ask questions, and don’t be afraid of failure. Go on as many trails as you can.

It will help you gain not only perspective, but also knowledge of your own needs and interests!

Good luck on your trails!

Career Culinary Arts Culinary Student Restaurants Pastry Arts

Life as a Pastry Student: Laminated Dough

ohoadmin — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 20:27:07 +0000

Life as a Pastry Student: Laminated Dough ohoadmin Thu, 10/03/2013 - 16:27 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/IMG_2396.jpg.webp?itok=dclOLgj7 October 3, 2013

By Liz Castner

When you go to pastry school, there are certain things you know you’re going to make. Cake, right? Chocolate, of course. Plus pies, tarts, and maybe some fancy pastries you’ve never heard of. But there are certain items that, if you’re like me, you don’t even think about...like croissants.

One of my classmates prepares pain au chocolat (like chocolate croissants) with laminated dough.

I've always loved croissants, but never imagined that I could make them. I don’t know if I ever pictured anyone baking them, except maybe some mystical French elves. It just never occurred to me that I could craft something that amazing—mainly because I didn't have any understanding of how a croissant is composed, shaped, and becomes so miraculously flaky.

That all changed at 91��߹, the week we learned about laminated dough. It's a silly name for a very serious thing. When an office worker or an elementary school teacher says they need something laminated, they mean they want their paper encased in a coating of plastic for protection. When a chef says laminated, they mean a dough with layers and layers of butter folded into it. Croissant and danish doughs are laminated, but the most incredible, well-known laminated dough is the one and only puff pastry. This is a big deal in dessert, so naturally, each aspect of the puff pastry process has a French name.

First, you have to prepare the détrempe (pronounced “day-tromp”), which is a dough containing some butter, but not a lot, and is rolled out fairly thinly. The real butter moment comes next – known as the beurrage (buhr-rahge). Here, butter is pounded in flour and rolled out with a rolling pin. The last step, known as the paton (rhymes with baton), involves placing the butter sheet on top of the détrempe dough and then sealing up the butter within a dough envelope. The paton gets re-folded and rolled out a total of four times before it is ready to be used for production.

The many layers of puff pastry almost look like the rings of a tree.

My chef described this dough as miraculous, and she’s right. The miracle is the puff. When you bake it, it traps air in a magical way that can’t really be described in words. The other incredible thing about puff pastry its versatility.

For example, we made a gateau pithivier (my chef called this one of the most elegant French pastries), which is essentially a cake made of puff pastry with a delicious center of frangipane. From there we baked flaky apple and fresh fruit tarts, cinnamon-sugar palmiers and everyone's favorite: twisted cheese and herb straws.

We also made gorgeous millefeuille by layering pastry cream between layers of cooked puff pastry. I loved it all, and what's more, each pastry tasted distinctively different.

Millefeuille of layered pastry cream and puff pastry

It’s tough to express how awesome it was to make these desserts. Pulling them out of the oven was like unwrapping a present on Christmas. In addition to puff pastry, we also made croissants and danishes. The dough process is similar, but the fun thing about croissants, of course, is rolling them. After cutting the dough into carefully measured triangles, gently rolling them into their renown crescent shape is the happiest feeling. And oh, how they tasted—buttery, flaky and so, so satisfying. I’m not a mystical French elf, and I made those!

Learn to bake croissants with us — click here for information on 91��߹’s Pastry & Baking Arts program

Pastry Arts Baking Arts Breakfast Culinary Student

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Introducing Liz Castner

ohoadmin — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 14:38:43 +0000

Introducing Liz Castner ohoadmin Sun, 09/01/2013 - 10:38 Life as a Pastry Student September 1, 2013

By Liz Castner

Julia Child can remember the meal she that changed her life: sole meunière, her first meal in France, and "the most exciting meal of her life." Before that, she says, she didn't know that food could be both simple and good, better still because of its simplicity and sheer foodness.

Okay, she didn't say "foodness." Foodness is my word, meaning when food tastes like the best version of itself. Julia also talks about this phenomenon when she discusses a good roast chicken, gushing over how chickeny it can be. My cooking philosophy is the same; I love highlighting a particular ingredient, bringing out its best qualities in simple ways, like using herbs in a fruit pie or a little nutmeg to warm up a cookie.

As for myself, I don't have a clear memory of a perfect, life-changing meal. All I know is that I have grown up loving food. I was "spoiled" growing up by the amazing produce in Southern California, and I love fresh, vibrant fruits and veggies. Beyond that, I love meat, desserts, bread, cheese, wine. My parents also love food. My dad is a skilled and adventurous cook and eater, who will try anything once, and is often responsible for cooking almost everything for our large holiday meals. My mom likes simple foods, with roast chicken being her absolute favorite. She also has a (clearly genetic) sweet tooth, and has encouraged me to bake since I was quite young. They are incredibly supportive, and a clear influence on how my career path has turned out.

My path to becoming a pastry student was not a straightforward one, however. Though I was very interested in going to culinary school as a teenager (and worked out a lot of stress baking all kinds of tasty treats), I found another calling: special education. But after going to college and getting a bachelors in psychology, a stint in a doctoral program, a lot of work experience in special education and an emotionally draining ankle surgery, I found myself looking for a change in my day-to-day life. I wanted to start something fun, fulfilling, energizing, inspiring and new. Basically, I wanted to find my own foodness factor.

While mulling this over one day, I had the thought, "What if I went to culinary school?" Impulsively, and on a level that didn't really generate words other than "yes," I thought about it constantly. I did have some misgivings about leaving a budding career in special education and the students I love, but I realized that starting a career in food doesn't necessarily mean that I can't work with people with special needs anymore. All it means is that I can't do that full-time.

I began baking more, something I had not done much in the various tiny New York City apartments I've inhabited over the years. And I began trying new things, even creating my first wedding cake, for a friend's July nuptials. I began feeling really good. So, even as the Program Director of Daytime Moon Creations, a non-profit organization that provides theater programs to special needs kids, teens, and young adults, I started telling people, "I'm going to culinary school."

I enrolled in the Pastry & Baking program at 91��߹, as well as the Culinary Management program, which will start in October. The double diploma was a great fit, because I'd like to have my own bakery one day and know very little about business. In this hypothetical, beautiful little shop, selling some wonderful pastries and coffee, I would love to hire a few workers with special needs, to teach baking and decorating classes, both special needs and not, and to decorate some lovely wedding and occasion cakes.

So now I'm a pastry student, and I am enjoying it so much. It's flying by, actually, and I almost wish the program would slow down just a little, though I am relishing the jolt of energy it has injected into my life. Time really does fly when you're having fun. We're halfway through the second module of the program, and I have started to take some time to reflect on my learning and experiences.

This is a program that really values the foodness of our ingredients; when we first started out, we learned extensively about and tasted all of our ingredients, from different kinds of flours to sweeteners to fruits. My favorite ingredient so far is passionfruit—that fruit is pure foodness in and of itself! I look forward to sharing the incredible joy that fills the pastry program—learning new things, working with your hands, and being proud of what you've created.

My favorite thing that we've made has changed several times: chocolate mousse, creme brûlée, peanut brittle, cheesecake, bombes of homemade ice cream, sorbet, frozen mousses, eclairs, baguettes, Chelsea buns, focaccia, bagels, gorgeous croissants, pain au chocolat, and doughnuts! Talk about foodness - every single thing we've made has really elevated the ingredients to taste like their best.

Bread is a prime example. No one wants to eat flour on its own, but when it comes together with water, salt, and yeast in the proper way, we have a life-sustaining, delicious, French delight—the best that flour can be. I've only had 35 lessons so far, and can't believe I've already learned to make so many wonderful things. Every day only gets better.

Baking Arts Pastry Arts Culinary Student