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Chef’s Kitchen
Each month we bring a guest chef into our Chef’s
Kitchen column to give us tips that elevate their cooking (and hopefully
ours). They also provide a recipe that showcases their tips. Our guest
chef this month is Chef/Owner Laurie
Pfalzer of Pastry Craft, an in-home pastry instruction company. Laurie
comes to your kitchen to help you develop the simple skills to create
beautiful desserts, breads and confections. She encourages lively
discussions about baking and pastry technique and is passionate about
teaching not only the "how," but also the "why" behind the techniques.
She'll help you discover Northwest produce, allowing you to create
seasonal delights. Even better? You learn to how to fix your mistakes!
 Laurie
spent three years as the pastry chef at Salish Lodge & Spa in
Snoqualmie, Washington. At Salish, her greatest joy was working with new
pastry cooks, guiding them through the learning process while infusing
her passion and knowledge about baking and pastry, Northwest produce and
artisanal products. She has worked with Master Baker Jeffrey Hamelman at
the King Arthur Flour Company in Norwich, Vermont and has created pastry
in kitchens at The Wauwinet Inn on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, and
Baby Cakes Bakery and Cafe in Poughkeepsie, New York. Laurie graduated
from the Culinary Institute of America in New York with top honors. She
is a member of Seattle Chef's Collaborative and Slow Food and teaches
around the Seattle area in various locations, including PCC Natural
Markets.
The Secrets of Sugar
By Pastry Craft Chef/Owner Laurie Pfalzer
Making a confection like caramel is fun, satisfying
and a lovely gift. Use these simple, professional tips when you're
cooking sugar and your confections will be stress-free this holiday.
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Always start with a very clean pot and utensils
so that you don't "contaminate" the sugar.
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Add enough water to the sugar in the pan before
cooking it to ensure there are no dry spots in the sugar, especially
on the bottom of the pot. I like to add water into the sugar pot
right from running water at the sink, using my hand to wash down the
sides. I finish washing down any leftover crystals with a pastry
brush dipped in water.
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Once the sugar comes to a boil, do not stir it.
Stirring will cause the sugar to crystallize. Instead, if you need
to even out the color, gently swirl the sugar by grasping the
pot handle and moving the pot in a circular motion.
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Always watch cooking sugar closely. Once it
starts to color amber, it can get dark very quickly.
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Above all, have fun making your confection!
Pastry Craft
To schedule a call or get more information, email
laurie@pastrycraftseattle.com or call 206-819-9025.
www.pastrycraftseattle.com
Click here to see
Chef/Owner Laurie Pfalzer's recipe
December 2010
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