Pastry Arts Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Cedric Barbaret: A Top Pastry Chef and Dessert Entrepreneur Living the Dream in Amish Country Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

Cedric Barbaret, owner, operator and chef of Bistro Barbaret & Bakery in Lancaster, PA, has over 25 years of professional pastry experience as well as a Master's Degree in Pastry from Patisserie Chereau in France. His passion for pastry began at Patissrerie Barbaret, his family's bakery near Lyon, France, where he served his apprenticeship. Chef Barberet's experience includes a position as Executive Pastry Chef at Donald Trump's prestigious Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. While working in Palm Beach in 2005, he spent two months creating Donald Trump's five-foot high, seven-tier Grand Marnier chiffon wedding cake. Barberet has also worked at the Las Vegas M Resort Casino & Spa with Executive Pastry Chef Jean Claude Canestrier. In 2009, Barberet joined the prestigious team at Philadelphia's Le Bec-Fin as the Executive Pastry Chef and most recently served as the Executive Pastry Chef for Buddakan. Follow Chef Barbaret on Instagram at @cedricbarbaret or the business at @bistrobarbaretandbakery.

In this episode we discuss:

Cedric's pastry roots at his family's patisserie in France
His decision to get a Master's degree in pastry at the age of 18
How he landed in America as a young pastry chef
Designing and making Donald and Melania Trump's wedding cake
Opening the luxury M Resort in Las Vegas: hello high volume!
His days as Executive Pastry Chef at Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia
Winning FoodNetwork's Chopped Sweets
And much more!

Episode Sponsored by

Puratos

Imagine a milk-alike, plant-based chocolate that tastes great and does good. That's what makes new Belcolade M. Plant Based Cacao-Trace Chocolate so exceptional. Our cocoa beans are carefully selected and fermented to perfection at our post-harvest centers across the globe. The result is a creamy, dairy-free chocolate like no other—and greater income for our cocoa farmers. Take your creations to the next level with Belcolade M. Plant-Based Chocolate. Great Taste, Doing Good. Learn more at https://www.puratos.us/en/chocolate/categories/real-belgian-chocolate/belcolade

Karen Krasne: A Pastry Chef and Entrepreneur Talks About Her Career of Extraordinary Desserts Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

Karen Krasne is the owner and Executive Pastry Chef of Extraordinary Desserts and the author of Extraordinary Cakes: Recipes for Bold and Sophisticated Desserts, which is in its third printing. Once called the "Queen of Cakes" by Gourmet magazine, Karen brings a fresh and contemporary sensibility to special occasion cakes. What makes her cakes showstoppers are their unexpected flavor combinations and vibrant touches using fresh fruit and real flowers, which add flair without being fussy.

Karen's cakes have graced the cover of Bon Appetit, and Forbes recognized her as one of the country's ten best pastry chefs. Karen has been featured in The New York Times, Sunset, and The Los Angeles Times, among other national and international publications. Karen is an industry veteran having been in the industry for over 30 years. She studied pastry making at the Cordon Bleu and returns to Paris, France each year to train with the masters at LeNotre and Bellouet Conseil.

In this episode we discuss:

How Karen first became interested in pastry
Her European training
Why she decided to start her own business
Her signature items at Extraordinary Desserts
Her inspiration and process for creating new recipes
Karen's priority of hiring and nurturing women employees
Writing her book, Extraordinary Cakes
Her thoughts on the latest pastry trends and the next generation of pastry chefs
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.

Brad Kintzer: A Chief Chocolate Maker Talks About His Dream Job Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

Brad Kintzer is the Chief Chocolate Maker at TCHO Chocolate, based in Berkeley, California. Prior to joining TCHO, Brad was chocolate maker and product developer at U.S. bean-to-bar chocolate pioneer, Scharffen Berger, acquired by The Hershey Company in 2005. Previous to his 20 years of chocolate making, Brad studied tropical botany and environmental studies at the University of Vermont, and spent months working on cacao plantations throughout Latin America to better understand the origins of chocolate flavor. At TCHO since 2009, Brad and his team are focused on innovating in every aspect of chocolate making; from cocoa genetics, fermentation and roasting, to creating unique and tasty chocolate products for market. Brad volunteers on the board of the Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) and also the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund (HCP).

In this episode we discuss:

How Brad's interest in botany became an obsession with the cacao plant
Brad's first job at a chocolate factory
His first job as a chocolate maker at Scharffen Berger in San Francisco
Landing a job as Chief Chocolate Maker at TCHO in Berkeley, CA
How TCHO partners with cacao farmers to produce better chocolate
How TCHO transitioned to 100 percent plant-based
Brad's favorite source for cacao beans
His thoughts about eliminating heavy metal contamination in dark chocolate
And much, much more!

Episode Sponsored by

Dobla - IRCA

Josh Allen: The Business of Bread Feb 06, 2023

Show notes

Josh Allen is the Founder of Companion Baking. Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, Allen was immersed in the food and baking industry from an early age. His great-grandfather founded Allen Foods, a well-known broadline food distributor with a large customer base across the Midwest. Allen spent much of his childhood delivering groceries to various foodservice operations, cleaning the freezers and sweeping the trucks for his family's business.

Today, Companion's award-winning bread is served in more than 400 restaurants, grocery stores, and businesses around the Midwest and across the country. Allen credits his success to listening and nimbly adapting to his customers' wants and needs. In addition to their baking operations, Companion has two cafes in the St. Louis area and has expanded to offer a small line of pastries.

In this episode we discuss:

What inspired Josh to become involved in artisan bread baking
How he started his first wholesale business, Companion Baking, at the age of 24
Josh's emphasis on "listening to his customers"
How he cultivated the customized bread programs at Companion Baking
Companion Baking's initiative to reduce waste across the board
How Companion Baking has dealt with labor shortages, supply chain issues and inflation
Josh's top tip for measuring fermentation
And much more!

Episode Sponsored by Puratos

Imagine a milk-alike, plant-based chocolate that tastes great and does good. That's what makes new Belcolade M. Plant Based Cacao-Trace Chocolate so exceptional. The cocoa beans are carefully selected and fermented to perfection at their post-harvest centers across the globe. The result is a creamy, dairy-free chocolate like no other—and greater income for their cocoa farmers. Take your creations to the next level with Belcolade M. Plant-Based Chocolate. Great Taste, Doing Good. Learn more at https://www.puratos.us/en/chocolate/categories/real-belgian-chocolate/belcolade

Cheryl Wakerhauser: A Conversation with a Successful Pastry Entrepreneur Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

Pastry chef, entrepreneur and bon vivant, Cheryl Wakerhauser, sees every day as a chance to learn something new and contribute something else. After a short-lived career studying to be an astronaut, Cheryl received a degree in pastry arts from Vancouver's Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts and then headed straight to Southern France to further train at the prestigious pâtisserie of MOF Philippe URRACA. Her eccentric dessert restaurant, Pix Pâtisserie, was born in Portland, Oregon in 2002, where adventurous guests could enjoy bold flavored sweet treats paired with a Belgian ale late into the night. Bar Vivant was added to the space in 2012, bringing a savory menu of San Sebastián inspired tapas to pair with the ever growing, award-winning beverage selection, showcasing both champagne and sherry wines. The pandemic inspired a new business model – vending. The Pix-O-Matic debuted in 2020 selling the same fine French pâtisserie that was served in the restaurant, but in a 24-hour contactless vending machine.

Her techniques, flavor combinations and whimsical design (along with a few parlor tricks!) can be discovered in her acutely instructional cookbooks, Modern French Pastry and Petite Pâtisserie, which have received accolades by France's two most prestigious professional cooking trade journals, Thuriès Gastonomie and Le Journal du Pâtissier. She also teaches food and wine master classes, where students can learn how to make a croquembouche, perfect their macarons or explore the different styles of sherry wine.

In this episode we discuss:

How Cheryl first became interested in pastry
How she landed an internship with Phillipe Urraca, MOF
What it was like to be one of the only women in a French pastry kitchen
How she turned her dream of opening a pastry shop into reality
The careful crafting of a fun atmosphere at Pix Patisserie
Navigating the COVID pandemic and the brainstorm of the Pix-o-Matic
How she was able to write two successful cookbooks
Cheryl's secret for making pastry cream in record time
and much more!

Episode Sponsored by

Dobla - IRCA

Maurizio Leo: Finding Joy in the Quest for the Perfect Sourdough Loaf Jan 01, 2023

Show notes

Maurizio Leo is the software engineer-turned-baker behind the award-winning sourdough website, The Perfect Loaf. He grew up in an Italian household and spent summers visiting family in Italy and the back kitchen of his family's Italian restaurant, learning the importance of making food by hand. He holds a master's degree in computer science and co-created the stargazing app, SkyView, before circling back to food and discovering the craft of baking sourdough bread. Since that first loaf of bread, he's been obsessed with adjusting the balance between yeast and bacteria, tinkering with dough strength and hydration, and exploring everything sourdough. His debut cookbook, The Perfect Loaf (Clarkson Potter, 2022), is now available wherever books are sold.

In this episode we discuss:

Maurizio's first career as a software engineer and as co-creator of the Skyview app
How he became obsessed with sourdough baking
Why he started his blog, The Perfect Loaf
Maurizio's take on fermentation and tips for maintaining a successful sourdough starter
The importance of hydration in sourdough
Why dough temperature is a key to making a perfect loaf
What it was like to write his first book (which is over 400 pages long)
His tips on home flour milling and storing wheat berries
And much more!

Episode Sponsored by

The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley

Get complimentary samples of The Perfect Purée to experience flavor first-hand delivered directly to your business. Samples are available to foodservice professionals in the United States to sample the robust flavor line-up of fruit purees, concentrates, zests and blends. Visit www.perfectpuree.com/pastryarts to request your samples now.

Cynthia Samanian: How to Begin Teaching Pastry & Baking Online Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

Cynthia Samanian is the founder of Culinary Creator Business School, an online business education company dedicated to the culinary industry. Her students learn how to create, sell and teach virtual cooking classes, corporate events and recorded courses that help them unlock more freedom and flexibility. Cynthia hosts the 5-star rated Culinary Creator Business School podcast. She's appeared as a guest on top industry podcasts and conferences including Eat Capture Share, Food Biz Wiz, the Food Blogger Summit and the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). Growing up as a first-generation American in a Persian family, Cynthia is no stranger to the power of food to unite people across cultures. Cynthia is a graduate of Harvard Business School and currently lives in sunny Oakland, California with her husband and two young daughters. Learn about the free training for pastry and baking pros at www.teachpastryonline.com.

In this episode:

How Cynthia got started with her business school
The market opportunity for online classes, courses and events
The primary benefits of teaching online
How to achieve financial flexibility, time freedom and impact online
The 4 proven ways to make money teaching online
How to get started with teaching your very first online class
And much more!

Episode Sponsored by

The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley

Genevieve Ko: Succeeding in the World of Food Journalism Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

Genevieve Ko is a deputy editor and columnist of New York Times Cooking and the Food section, for which she also writes articles and develops recipes. She came to The Times from The Los Angeles Times, where she was cooking editor. She is the author of Better Baking (HMH, 2016) and has contributed to more than 20 cookbooks, as well as other food publications. Born and raised in East Los Angeles, she now lives in New York City and cooks dishes from everywhere. Check out Genevieve's recipes for Thanksgiving pies here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/dining/thanksgiving-pies-recipes.html

In this episode we discuss:

What initially piqued Genevieve's interest in food and cooking
How she got a foothold in the world of food writing and recipe development
The process of collaborating with high-profile chefs on cookbooks
Writing her own book, Better Baking
How the food media landscape has changed over the past 10 years
Some of Genevieve's favorite dessert recipes on NY Times Cooking
Genevieve's advice for budding food writers and editors
And much more!

Episode Sponsored by Dobla - IRCA

Lasheeda Perry: A Conversation with the Queen of Flavor Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

Lasheeda Perry is the pastry chef and owner of Queen of Flavor, a company that specializes in everything from revamping your dessert menu to helping you design and execute your dream dessert menu.

Lasheeda has always had a passion for culinary arts, and luckily for the sweet-tooth everywhere, this love has materialized into a successful and rewarding career. Prior to creating Queen of Flavor, she received her culinary education from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI. Immediately after graduation, Lasheeda secured an entry level pastry cook position at Four Seasons Resort Dallas. Within five years of beginning her career, Lasheeda would hold the title of Executive Pastry Chef at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Bon Appetit Management Company LinkedIn.

Throughout her culinary journey, Lasheeda has received numerous awards and accolades. In 2012, she won season two of Food Network Sweet Genius after proving her skills by overcoming tight time constraints, masterfully incorporating secret ingredients and accommodating larger-than-life requests. That same year, several of Lasheeda's desserts landed on Philadelphia food critic Craig LaBan's coveted Four-Bell Finestlist. In 2018, she was a finalist on Food Network Best Baker in America, Season 2 where she was named the "Queen of Flavor". Lasheeda is never the one to pass up a cool opportunity. Last November, she was presented with the chance to take on an iron chef, on Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay, and that she did! Queen of Flavor's pastry services include, menu development, virtual baking classes, R&D development, interim pastry services, pop-ups, and more.

In this episode we discuss:

How a high school teacher jump-started Lasheeda's path to a culinary career
Her first taste of success: winning a culinary competition and a trip to China
How C-CAP helped her land a full-tuition scholarship to Johnson & Wales
Lasheeda's first job in the pastry kitchen at the Four Season Hotel in Dallas, TX
Her first Executive Pastry Chef position at Bon Appetit Management Company at LinkedIN
Landing the position as Executive Pastry Chef at the Four Season Atlanta
How she got her first gig on the FoodNetwork and how it felt to beat Bobby Flay
Lasheeda's best advice for those entering the industry
And much more!

And much more!

Sponsored by Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company's Professional Products Division now offers their Premium Chocolate in convenient 5lb. bags. This exceptional product portfolio includes their new non-dairy 72% and 52% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips. The full line makes it easier for operators to enjoy the benefits of baking cookies, brownies, cakes, molding truffles, filling tarts, or topping mochas. For more information and to request a free sample please visit ghirardelli.com/5lb or email professionalproducts@ghirardelli.com.

Romain Dufour: Master Baker and Problem Solver Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

Romain Dufour knew from an early age that he wanted to be a baker. He was inspired by his uncle who owned his own bakery in a small town near Bourges, France and Romain worked as an apprentice there for two years. Romain attended the Ecole de Boulangerie et de Patisserie de Paris, earning two diplomas in four years. For his second diploma, Romain was hired at the renowned Plaza Athenée Hotel in Paris, under the direction of Christophe Michalak, World Champion of Pastry. In 2016, Romain arrived in Chicago with a new position as the R&D Master Baker for Eurogerm KB, a French-American company specializing in dough conditioners, bread mixes and pastry mixes. In this role, he brings together his high-end baker training, extensive production experience and innate creativity to develop new, clean label recipes for an impressive list of notable clients within the dynamic food industry.

In this episode we discuss:

Romain's introduction to baking: trial by fire
Baking at the Plaza Athenee in Paris under Christophe Michalak
A challenge at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai
The differences among dough conditioners
What a clean label means in terms of Eurogerm dough conditioners
What a typical day is like for Romain
Romain's top tips on making the perfect flakey croissant
And much more!

Sponsored by Taste Europe, Butter of France

French butter is churned longer to achieve 82% butter fat making it richer and creamier with a golden hue. For tips, tricks and recipes on how to use French Butter to romance the flavor of any cuisine visit www.tasteeurope.com.

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