A 3 Week Study in Dominique Ansel’s Tart Presentations

It has been a month of tarts. I was given nearly two dozen apples a few weeks ago and immediately thought of Dominique Ansel's apple tart. Pastry cream has always been a little intimidating to me due to how easy it is to mess it up at every stage but I jumped in and tried … Continue reading A 3 Week Study in Dominique Ansel’s Tart Presentations →

A Week (or two!) of Valentine Cooking

My plan for last week was to have one recipe to make each day for Valentine's Day. And then I got sick. I successfully made the stuffed cow heart. I followed it the next day with something easy - chicken pot pie. It wasn't the beautiful, fancy chicken pot pie I had planned because I … Continue reading A Week (or two!) of Valentine Cooking →

It’s Valentine’s Week! (themed cooking)

The only problem with holidays is that each one is only one day - either you have to cram a huge amount of cooking into that one day or you only get to cook one or two things. I dislike that method, so I spread a holiday out for a whole week. Including Valentine's Day! … Continue reading It’s Valentine’s Week! (themed cooking) →

Cooking Non-Masterclass Meals: Desserts

Something I spent a good deal of time on this year was learning the art of pie decorating. I never did very much before - a basic pie weave, a simple pressed trim on the crust. Nothing very pretty, really. I was more focused on the taste. But I mastered a few pies to taste, … Continue reading Cooking Non-Masterclass Meals: Desserts →

Skills work: Dominique Ansel’s Modern Apple Presentation

Skills Work Fruit Tart Finishing: Modern Apple Presentation Dominique Ansel Teaches French Pastry Fundamentals Chapter 08 I love how Dominique Ansel's classes are set up: each recipe is so in-depth that he spans the details of each part over the course of multiple lessons. While I wait to purchase everything needed for his tarts, I … Continue reading Skills work: Dominique Ansel’s Modern Apple Presentation →

Recipe # 6 – Dominique Ansel’s Mini Madeleines

Recipe #6 Mini Madeleines Dominique Ansel Teaches French Pastry Fundamentals Chapter 03 I have been wanting a pastry chef Masterclass for a long time. I love cooking but there's just something magical about baking. I'm not talking about fancy cake decorating or cute cupcakes, which seem to be the American trend lately. I mean … Continue reading Recipe # 6 – Dominique Ansel’s Mini Madeleines →