Categories Pastry Chef Articles
John Kraus: ‘Taste is such a fleeting chance but sometimes there’s magic’
In the name of the rose
It clearly had to be named Rose. It was the first sugar flower he made with his hands, his mother’s name, the name of the place where he relaxes and finds his inspiration and, to top it all, his wife’s last name. After his Patisserie 46, John Kraus has opened a second store in Minnesota, Rose Street. A new establishment which goes one step forward from this pastry chef’s bright career, whose level of exigency never gives him a break. ‘I don’t feel that we can ever be satisfied, we must continue to evolve – that’s the beauty of this industry… Profession that continually humbles you because of its evolution and the thirst for knowledge that you can’t possibly attain in one lifetime.’
Good news since your last participation in so god #11: bronze medal at the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie and a new shop opening… How do you feel?
While training for the Coupe du Monde and completing it was a feat in of itself. It was an amazing experience that allowed me to meet incredible professionals along the way. It’s a daunting task but I realized why can’t this level of pastry be produced every day which in my mind is the real competition and exactly what we as professionals strive to do. It’s no longer about providing a croissant, it’s about providing the best possible product everyday. Throughout all of this I realized that the competition is in every single product every single day which is what we strive towards… the unending quest for perfection. In a profession that continually humbles you because of its evolution and the thirst for knowledge that you can’t possibly attain in one lifetime. Everyday has become a competition, the competition to provide guests with these moments that they entrust to us to give our very best and never disappoint.
In opening another store we want to share these moments with another neighborhood. I find value in taking the time to experience the simplicity of taste. And to breathe and enjoy a simple pastry that we know isn’t as simple as it appears. During the process for the Coupe du Monde I spent a lot of time in Europe and I witnessed a way of life that is expected by both the consumer and the craftsman through the quest of excellence and what most people have become accustomed to. In the US we search to find this custom.
It is important for people to take time and enjoy more than hastily eating or drinking just to start their day.
Talking about your new shop, could you describe the location and your offer? Why Rose Street Patisserie?
The location of Rose St is a small tight knit community that supports small businesses and their neighborhood. I live in the neighborhood and I love the people there. Over the last 25 years I have watched pastry evolve and I am continually intrigued by the story each pastry tells. From afternoon tea at the Dorchester in London to a Panettone from Paco Torreblanca to a moment with Sebastian Canonne. I want to share these moments because of the value in the story that has given me so much pleasure over the years with as many people as possible. I love this craft and the people along my path that are a part of my story in how I got to where I am standing at this moment.
Why Rose Street?
I was standing in one of the Queens Rose Gardens eating a piece of brioche (from Patisserie Valerie) and that was the very moment I realized I was in love with pastry. Since that time in the Queens Rose Garden I have never turned back. Not to mention I have never had a piece of brioche that fantastic, it has become a journey chasing that moment. These are the experiences that I would like to attempt to share with our guests. Taste is such a fleeting chance but sometimes there’s magic.
The rose has been a pivotal flower throughout my life. It was the first sugar flower ever I made, my mother’s middle name, my favorite flower, the queens garden that I have spent so much time walking through and now on this journey I have found my Rose as it happens to be my wife’s last name. It sounds a bit silly but for something that has continually been a positive in my life it was the only thing that made perfect sense to name my next patisserie after. And as I sat trying to envision a name for a patisserie the Rose continued to surface. Not to mention I can’t go looking for corners with the number 46 to place a patisserie.
The true goal for me as a professional is for our guest to be present in a moment of a craft and allow themselves the time to truly experience what happens from the moment the product leaves the farm for example, through the kitchen and into their hands. This to me is an amazing journey and deserves to be shared. It will forever be magic to me.
From afternoon tea at the Dorchester in London to a Panettone from Paco Torreblanca to a moment with Sebastian Canonne. I want to share these moments
What is the difference with respect to Patisserie 46?
At Rose Street we are extending our offering with an afternoon tea service, wine, champagne and savory options such as tartines and baker’s pizza.
Nowadays it seems your philosophy about the fresh patisserie and freshly baked products is trending. Are you satisfied?
I don’t feel that we can ever be satisfied, we must continue to evolve – that’s the beauty of this industry. We are driven by the consumer and their taste and our own creations. At both locations we search for the best ingredients for the moment and highlight them in their most simplistic form. A peach, ripe from the tree, we do very little to the peach we only add to it in the form of a tart or entremet to highlight the peach. When the season is finished we find the next beauty of that season. We do an afternoon tea that allows us to showcase the best pastry of the moment with hand-selected products. If you find the perfect peach there isn’t much you need to do to deliver the best product to the guest. I always find it challenging to deliver the best raspberry tart in January for example, because in Minnesota the raspberries are dead and frozen.
You will find these two recipes in so good #16
