Pastry Arts Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Didier Saba: Turning a Passion for Macarons into a Thriving Business Feb 06, 2024

Show notes

Born and raised in the south of France, Didier Saba started his career as an accountant, but his love for creating French pastries eventually led to training at the famous pastry school Lenôtre. With the help of a renowned pastry chef from Lenôtre, he relocated to the United States and opened his first Le Macaron French Pastries Cafe in 2009. Didier and his family founded Le Macaron with the mission of bringing authentic macarons to the States. Educating and delighting customers about how macarons are truly "the gem of pastries" in France, the company has grown over the years through franchising with more than 70 locations nationwide. Today, Le Macaron is the #1 macaron franchise in the nation. Didier, who is the owner and CEO of Le Macaron, is often told that he has mastered the savoir faire of the macaron, which is one of the most difficult pastries to make.

lemacaron-us.com or on Instagram @lemacaronfrenchpastries

In this episode we discuss:

How Didier came to specialize in macarons
Coming to the U.S. to open a macaron shop in Florida
Achieving success in a bad economy
Adding more French products to the line
Franchising Le Macaron
Tips for making perfect macarons
Most popular macaron flavors in the U.S. vs. France
Didier's advice for prospective pastry chefs
And much more!

Gonzo Jimenez: Perfecting the Art of All-or-Nothing in Chocolate and in Life Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

Chef Gonzo Jimenez was born in Northern Argentina and raised in a Spanish household surrounded by good food and long family meals. At the age of 17, he started working in restaurants and fell in love with the culinary world. He enrolled in pastry and culinary school in Buenos Aires. After completing his studies, he traveled around the country working for five-star hotels and celebrity chefs.

From 2009 to 2013, Chef Gonzo worked for large hotels in the United States, including the St. Julien in Boulder, CO, and The Hyatt Corporation in New Orleans and New York. Most notable amongst his various accomplishments throughout this period was the launch of his personal line of chocolates, providing different hotels throughout Manhattan, NY with high-end confections.

In 2013, he moved back to South America to work at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Santiago de Chile. Soon after he accepted a highly coveted position with Barry Callebaut as a Corporate Chef for the South American Region and Director of the Chocolate Academy in Chile.

Chef Gonzo is República del Cacao's Corporate Pastry Chef for the United States and North America. He travels North America representing the brand by teaching classes, giving demos, and providing technical assistance to all its customers. Visit Gonzo's Instagram page at @chef.gonzo.

In this episode, we discuss:

How a young rebel got his intro to the culinary world
The moment he became hooked on the art of chocolate
Honing his skills at hotels and restaurants
Learning about chocolate on an industrial level
Opening a chocolate and pastry shop in Arizona
His current position as Corporate Pastry Chef for North America at Republica del Cacao
Running ultra-marathons as a hobby
And much more!

Philip Khoury: Raising the Bar on Plant-Based Desserts Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

Philip Khoury is the award-winning Head Pastry Chef at Harrods in London and the author of the newly released book A New Way to Bake: Re-imagined Recipes for Plant-Based Cakes, Bakes and Desserts (Hardie Grant, 2023). Chef Khoury started his career at Australia's most awarded restaurant, Quay in Sidney, before becoming Adriano Zumbo's head of R&D, launching hundreds of patisserie lines in his native Australia. After a number of years spent realizing the food industry's unsustainable reliance on animal exploitation, he decided to begin tackling an area he had previously thought impossible: vegan pastry. He has launched a collection of plant-based and allergen-friendly patisserie at Harrods, as well as overseeing the production of their iconic made-in-house pastries and desserts. To learn more about Philip or to purchase his book, visit philipkhoury.com.

In this episode we discuss:

Tasting a Pierre Hermé pastry and realizing he wanted to pursue a career as a pâtissier
What he learned while working at Quay, Australia's most acclaimed restaurant
From production kitchen to R&D at Adriano Zumbo and what he learned there
How he landed his dream job at Harrods
What motivated him to become vegan and how he introduced vegan desserts at Harrods
Writing his first book and sharing a collection of approachable vegan dessert recipes
Philip's top tip for making a whipped ganache
And much more!

Yolanda Gampp: The 'Queen of Cakes' and Host of YouTube's 'How To Cake It' Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

Affectionately known by her fans as the 'Queen Of Cakes', Yolanda Gampp is a self-taught cake artist with more than 24 years of experience and half a billion views on YouTube. With her quirky personality, obsession with organization and commitment to perfection, Gampp has shown the world that even the most unexpected items can be turned into cake. She entertains while she teaches, laughs at her own mistakes and is one of the most respected and celebrated celebrity cake artists in the world. She has been featured as a judge on "Crime Scene Kitchen", "Cake Wars," "Best Baker in America" and "Nailed It," to name a few. She is also the author of two cake books and recently released first children's book. Gampp is the co-founder of How To Cake It, a content commerce company inspiring a community of more than 14 million people to become better bakers through live classes, courses, and more. www.howtocakeit.com

In this episode we discuss:

The moment that Yolanda fell in love with cake
How she taught herself to craft sculpted cakes
How she launched How To Cake It on YouTube
Featured judging gigs on TV dessert competitions
Writing projects: two cake books and a children's book
Expanding the How To Cake It brand
Yolanda's top tip for cake decorating
And much more!

Episode Sponsored by

The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley

This podcast is sponsored by The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley. Get complimentary samples of The Perfect Puree to experience flavor, first-hand, delivered directly to your business. Samples are available to food service professionals in the United States to sample the robust flavor line-up of fruit puree, concentrates, zests and blends. Visit www.perfectpuree.com/pastryarts to request your samples now.

Adam Thomas: An Untempered Approach to Pastry and Chocolate Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

After over 20 years of making sweets in celebrated kitchens all over the world, Chef Adam Thomas launched his own brand, Thomas Craft Confections, in Brenham, TX. Adam began his professional journey working at a San Diego bakery at age 18 with Alsatian master baker Pascal Zindel, and it was there that he realized that confectionary arts was his calling. During a successful apprenticeship at the prestigious Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Adam connected with long-time mentor, Jean-Francois "Jeff" Lehuede. While still working at the Ritz-Carlton, Adam took on a second role at the St Regis Monarch Beach Resort to learn from pastry chef Stéphan Tréand, MOF. After taking the role of Head Pastry Chef at the Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey, Adam was sent to help open other Ritz-Carlton hotels in Abaco Island, Bahamas, and Denver, Colorado. From there, Adam was sent to Enniskerry Ireland to assist with another opening at the Ritz Carlton Powerscourt. Then it was chocolate competitions in Cologne, Germany, and Madrid, Spain and learning chocolate science in T'Hain l'Hermitage, France and Schwyz, Switzerland. Adam went on to Executive Pastry Chef residencies at Capella Singapore, The Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, and at the longest running 5-star resort in the country, The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs. It was in Colorado Adam was able to sink his teeth into the baking and pastry program and make it one of the very best in the country. Adam now owns and operates Thomas Craft Confections in Brenham, Texas.

In this episode we discuss:

How Adam got hooked on pastry
His apprenticeship under Pascal Zindel
His illustrious, global career with the Ritz-Carlton
Why he was drawn to chocolate work
The experience of chocolate competitions in Europe
Working in Singapore and appreciating desserts with less sugar and fat
Engaging with peers on the 'Untempered' podcast
Adam's kitchen tips and advice for neophyte pastry cooks
And much more!

Episode Sponsored by Guittard Chocolate Company

We know the level of expertise required to succeed in pastry. At Guittard, our family has been perfecting our craft for five generations. We source premium cacao beans from all over the world to offer a variety of flavor profiles and meet any application need. Now these chocolates are available in an easy to use 3 kilo bag. At Guittard, we focus on the chocolate details so you can focus on your craft. Visit www.Guittard.com to learn more.

Rebecca Masson: From Parisian Pastry Dreams to Houston's Sweet Success Sep 04, 2023

Show notes

You may recognize Rebecca from her appearance on Top Chef: Just Desserts or the standout mention in Southern Living where her Houston-based, sweet tooth haven of a storefront, Fluff Bake Bar, was named one of the "South's Best Bakeries." The Wyoming native made her first "go big or go home" play back in 1999 when she secured a spot at the famed Le Cordon Bleu school in Paris, and soon after, a coveted internship at the landmark Le Bristol hotel. There, under the tutelage of Pastry Chef Gilles Marchal, she got a taste of Michelin-starred kitchens. After graduating, she worked her way through many famed New York City kitchens, eventually becoming head pastry chef at The Red Cat with Executive Chef Jimmy Bradley. After years of work in the Big Apple, Rebecca pivoted to Texas just as Houston's culinary scene was starting to heat up. Masson accepted an invitation from Executive Chef Ryan Pera, now chef-owner of Coltivare and Revival Market, to oversee pastry for *17 Restaurant and the Sam Houston Hotel. She quickly generated a cult following in the 713, earning a nickname as the city's "Sugar Fairy". My Table Magazine designated her Best Pastry Chef, the first of many local honors, which led to positions with Houston-based and nationally noted chefs and restaurateurs ranging from Charles Clark to Chris Shepherd, as well as a role with HEB Central Market, before stepping out on her own with Fluff Bake Bar in 2011. Masson moved Fluff to its current, larger location in the Heights neighborhood in 2020 and her pastries and confections have received notable coverage in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Texas Monthly, Houston Chronicle, Culture Map, Saveur and TimeOut, among many others.

In this episode we discuss:

How Rebecca got hooked on pastry
Her experience attending Le Cordon Bleu
Staging at Le Bristol in Paris
Working for Daniel Boulud in NYC
Opening Fluff Bake Bar, using a commissary kitchen
Launching the brick-and-mortar Fluff Bake Bar
Rebecca's top kitchen tips and advice for future pastry chefs
And much more!

Episode Sponsored by Guittard Chocolate Company

Jana Lai: Persevering and Winning at the Top Tier of the French Pastry Scene Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

Jana Lai is a pint-sized pastry chef with an insatiable appetite for success. With her determination and fierce competitive spirit, Jana has fought through the competition scene, recently taking home second place at the World Pastry Cup as the first female ever to join the French team.

Hailing from Australia, Jana began her culinary journey under the guidance of notable chefs Maria Lantelme, Shaun Quade, and Pierre Roelofs. But the call (and smell) of the pastry capital of the world proved too strong to resist, and Jana followed her heart to France, where she continues to hone her craft with an unrelenting dedication to perfection.

Today, Jana serves as a pastry chef instructor at the prestigious Ecole Bellouet Conseil, under the expert mentorship of Jean-Michel Perruchon, MOF. And with her fire still burning bright and her sights set even higher, Jana shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

In this episode we discuss:

How Jana first became interested in pastry
The trip to Paris and the connections she made that changed her life
How she got a job working for Jean-Michel Peruchon at Bellouet Conseil
How she ended up on Team France, competing at the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie
The rigors of training for the competition
The excitement of placing second at the Coupe
Three of Jana's favorite pastry shops in Paris
And much more!

Episode Sponsored by Guittard Chocolate Company

Elaine Boddy: A Conversation with the Sourdough Whisperer Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

Elaine Boddy is a sourdough baker, cookbook writer and teacher, but mostly a sourdough 'simplifier'. The key focus of everything she does, and shares, is to show how truly simply sourdough can be made. She removes the complication and unnecessary steps, and often the fear, that can come with making sourdough. Elaine shows bakers all over the world how they can easily make their own healthy, tasty bread, week in, week out, in their home kitchens, to suit their lifestyle and timings. She has a website, Foodbod Sourdough, a YouTube channel and a new podcast, The Foodbod Pod.

Website: https://foodbodsourdough.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elaine_foodbod/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foodbodsourdough

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/foodbodSourdough

In this episode we discuss:

How Elaine fell in love with baking sourdough bread
Tips on making a thriving sourdough starter and what flour to use
How Elaine developed her master sourdough recipe and why it works so well
Why she starts with a cold oven and leaves the lid on!
Her advice on using pasta and vegetable water in bread
Using hydration percentage to control the strength of the dough
Tips on making and shaping baguettes without the bother
And much more!

Nicole Patel: An Award-Winning Chocolatier Talks Shop Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

In 2006, while pregnant with her first son, Chef Nicole Patel made a batch of chocolate truffles as last-minute holiday gifts. To the delight of her friends and family, truffle-making became an enjoyable pastime for Nicole that relieved the stress of her corporate engineering job. In 2008, a serendipitous trip to the Texas Wine Country led to Nicole being the first person in Texas to make truffles using local wines. Thanks to her dedication and self-taught skills, Delysia Chocolatier quickly rose to become one of the Best Chocolatiers in the Americas, as recognized by the International Chocolate Salon and Taste TV.

Nicole has most recently been named 2023's Best Chocolatier in the Americas with the highest honor, Six Star Award: Grand Master Chocolatier, an impressive designation she has received a total of ten times. Her most recent accolades comprise over 88 awards in total, among which are 20 gold medals and 22 silver medals. Notably, she has demonstrated unmatched mastery in the Spicy Chocolate, Hot Chocolate, Ruby Chocolate, and White Chocolate competition categories.

Nicole now pairs the process efficiency skills from her Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees from Texas A&M University with unbound creativity in the kitchen to keep Delysia successfully moving forward. Nicole never could have imagined how her experience working at a Fortune 100 company as a supply chain, quality, and business process improvement expert would prime her for distributing her own products across the country.

Nicole lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Rahul and their two sons, Sébastien and Colin.

In this episode we discuss:

How Nicole made the transition from a corporate career to chocolatier
Juggling her day job with her chocolate business sideline
The construction challenges of opening a brick-and-mortar business
How she cultivates partnerships with other food artisans
The big pivot: promoting virtual chocolate tastings during the pandemic
How Nicole develops and maintains her corporate gift giving accounts
Nicole's top tips for cleaning chocolate molds
And much more!

Episode Sponsored by

Dobla - IRCA

We know pastry chefs are busy. Ordering from Dobla and IRCA means not having to make everything from scratch, and instead spending time assembling final products for sale. It means getting more products in one place, which cuts down on the time spent browsing catalogs, placing orders and visiting with sales representatives. That means you spend less time focused on the business and more time on the thing you love: creating succulent sweets and savories that will keep your customers coming back for seconds. For more information, visit www.dobla.com.

Kelly Nam: A Pastry Superstar Talks About Her Career Trials and Triumphs May 16, 2023

Show notes

A certified pastry star, Kelly Nam is the Executive Pastry Chef and Partner at Joomak Banjum restaurant in New York City. She began her career as a pastry cook at Radius in Boston, and then went on to hone her skills at prestigious restaurants including L'Espalier in Boston and Nobu 57, Gordon Ramsay at The London Hotel, The Modern and Electric Lemon in New York City. She also served as Executive Pastry Chef at Frenchie in Paris. Last year she was named 2022 Pastry Chef of the Year by the Michelin Guide NY. Follow Kelly on Instagram at @shell.bugi or @joomakbanjum.

In this episode we discuss:

How Kelly first got interested in baking
Her work experience at top restaurants and the chefs who inspired her
How Joomak Banjum came to be
Her innovative use of savory flavors in desserts
Her thoughts on being named Michelin Guide NY Pastry Chef of the Year 2022
How she deals with the problem of finding and retaining team members
Kelly's advice for those thinking about becoming pastry chefs
Her tips for making a perfect meringue
And much more!

Episode Sponsored by

Dobla - IRCA

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