26 routes through the world of haute pâtisserie
In publishing volume 11 of so good..magazine, the conclusion we came to was that we still have much to discover, and therefore to show you. And it would be difficult to find clear similarities between the 26 artists that we have brought together in this edition, which is a good example of the depth and variety of the wonderful world of haute pâtisserie.
We began by bringing together Albert Adrià and Oriol Balaguer into the same workshop because, as pioneers over the past 20 years, they can reflect together on the evolution of the dessert plate. And we asked them to recall one of their most emblematic desserts of this period. “Textured pineapple, Juniper and Toffee” from Albert and “Orange, Oil and PX” from Oriol.
The great Emmanuel Ryon (cover) confirmed his versatility with three desserts full of sensitivity, products enabled by his current work alongside Anne Sophie Pic.
The North American, John Kraus, wants his customers to experience nothing more, and nothing less, than a moment of happiness. And he does this in his Patisserie 46 in Minneapolis, with his careful creations.
Since his victory in the US Pastry Competition in 2010, Nathaniel Reid has always been a target of ours. Now finally, in this volume, we can enjoy the elegance and perfectionism as well as the creativity of this true pâtissier.
Josean Alija is not only a great chef, he is also a relentless researcher. Perhaps this is partly why he is such a great chef. Using sweet ingredients, he develops delicate interactions, which allows each fruit to express its potential.
Nicolas Boussin circuits the world as a perfumist in search of new flavours and tastes. He brings to this so good..magazine three traditional creations in his own style.
La Pâtisserie Cyril Lignac is the sensation of the moment in Paris. What used to be the “factory”for chef Cyril Lignac’s bistrots, has now been converted into a business in its own right, with two locations in Paris. Alongside Benoît Couvrand, the chef shows us his new forms for old classics.
Michael Laiskonis, the Professor, shares his feelings with us after having changed the professional kitchen for the classroom. And he demonstrates his unique style, always looking for “new or inventive interpretations of the classics…”, always avoiding copies or imitations.
The Brit, Martin Chiffers, is one of the most respected chefs in his country. He is a coach to competitors in large competitions and a consultant to large companies, most notably as someone who develops great teams for luxury hotels throughout the world. His fascination for the Far East has taken him recently into the Japanese market, with the opening of Chiffers shop and the commercialisation of his products on a large scale.
The pastry chef of the Hotel Shangri-la in Sydney, Anna Polyviou, had a lot of fun recreating a menu “live” in front of customers who then tasted it within the kitchen. Emotions, creative concepts, techniques outlined “live” and flavour combinations are explained at the same time as she brings the dishes together then transports them to the racks, which are then taken to the public outside.
The strength of youth combined with a solid base in the traditional. An explosive formula that Antony Prunet exemplifies as well as anyone, and which he demonstrates perfectly in his stellar appearance in this so good..magazine.
Luca Lacalamita developed his talents while serving creative desserts in the restaurant, Enoteca Pinchiorri, in Florence, but he now demonstrates his mastery of many pastry techniques, which interact with an equally restless cultural and artistic sensitivity.
It is the combination of ingredients and textures in a unique presentation, which melts in the mouth, that produces an emotion. This is how Florent Cantaut, French pastry teacher, defines his work, and he displays this difficult art in presenting work that is simple in concept and presentation, whilst at the same time being elegant and refined as a whole.
What is New Korean Cuisine? Jong Hun Won dares to define it, in relation to sweets, as a combination of flavors and typically Korean desserts, filtered through the more refined European artistic methods to then be converted into a line of desserts that are recongnisable both to a Korean and Western public, but which ends up suprising them both, due to the innovation in the idea.
Japan and France live in an idyll of cultural exchange that for decades takes many and varied forms. Pastry is one of these forms and Yoshiaki Kaneko has travelled to the heart of Paris, to join that trend that seeks to make ordinary products and customs quite special and unique.
Jordi Sempere, professor at the School of Pastry in Barcelona, has become a consummate chocolatier and pâtissier maestro thanks to his inexhaustible perseverance. In this volume, he offers us an exclusive on two elegantly presented ingots.
Jerome Jacob is the brilliant winner of this year’s “L’Art du Chocolatier”, thanks, among other things, to his spectacular artistic piece. We could not believe that the material for this piece was not black amber! He shares with so good..magazine his new chocolate bars, as perfect as he has ever made them.
“Curiosity, a logical mind, a desire to share, and of course a love of good food!” These are the four most important values which, according to Nicolas Jordan, should be treasured by those who wish to dedicate themselves to pâtisserie. This is what he transmits to his students at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and which he has impressed upon us in the two creations that he offered so good..magazine.
In his restaurant, Sepia, in Sydney, Australia, the Brit, Martin Benn, has developed a form of restaurant pâtisserie which builds all kinds of bridges between east and west. In his desserts, Benn is also committed to showing his more relaxed side, looking for a sense of humour and surprise in his desserts to maintain the interest of his diners.
Hans Ovando is an emotional pastry chef. And this is reflected in his work. His creations often evoque places and moments, or, in some people, bring out their feminine side. On this occasion, he returns to the pages of so good..magazine to share with us, on the one side, the view of a tropical sunset, and on the other, a delicate Finger of greek yoghurt, cheese, white chocolate and strawberry, which he baptized with the enigmatic name of White Snow.
We visit the pâtisserie of the party with the great Kirsten Tibballs, the famous Australian chef, and regular contributor to so good..magazine. From her Savour Chocolate and Pâtisserie School she gifts us with a creation that brings together those favourite flavours of raspberry, vanilla and of course, chocolate.
Mey Hofmann and Eric Ortuño have earned their prestigious reputation for years now, thanks to their educational work. Now, success once again smiles upon them with their pâtisserie in Barcelona, where they create, among many other things, their award-winning croissants.
Heading up the workshop of La Épicerie Bouloud, Eric Bertoïa understands the rigors of the daily production of fresh-baked oven pastry. Bertoïa has to meet the needs of the demanding consumer, which has to be done every day, and which provides him with the opportunity to fully test his skills as an artisan.
The world champion, Dimitri Fayard, opts for familiar, recongnisable flavours, and not for those that no-one knows, but which many chefs insist on using. His desserts evoke experiences, flavours of our childhood, armotic memories, all of which form his personality as a chef.
In this transitional moment towards new possibilities of expression between Chinese tradition and European influences, Louisa Ho is playing an important role in gearing up this evolution. Whether it is due to her institutional role as president of the guild of bakers of Hong Kong, or due to her long professional career, the path ahead that she has blazed is exercising considerable influence upon her compatriots in a pâtisserie that is undergoing redefinition.
