Pastry is the New Black

For a while it seemed that pastry was the embarrasing Aunt who wore too much lipstick, and not enough clothes, of the food world. All the food competition TV shows, quoted their contestants saying the same thing: "I'm not a pastry chef, I don't do dessert...Ever." And it was always in this superior tone, like pastry was the Filet-O-Fish to their spot prawns. Then, suddenly Pastry was so en vogue. It was popping up on every food magazine, every talk show. Perez Hilton was drawing drool marks on it's pictures...
I tend to think that the reason it was ever un-popular, is the same reason I tried to be snooty about it: It scares me.


Pastry and baking have been my sworn enemies since I started cooking as a kid. They have taunted and heckled me continuously. Of course I want to make croissants! Who doesn't want fresh baked bread? Would you say "no, thank you." to piping hot biscuits?


I love pastry. I love how it looks, how it smells and I REALLY love how it tastes, but I'm afraid of it (see? I told you I get intimidated.) I can throw together almost any savory dish with no measuring, no special techniques, and just my senses to make it delicious, and best of all, almost NO MATH. Baking requires just the opposite, and that seriously freaks me out. I have made some pretty durn good desserts and baked goods, but I still get those twinges of panic when I think about trying a new pastry recipe. This is the reason I have decided to look my measuring spoons in the face and yell "No more!! I will dip you into baking powder and yeast, with no fear!" I am going to dedicate the whole of my extracuricular cooking to trying new pastry and bread recipes. I will share them all, good, bad or as my favorite pastry chef, Candy would say: Stupid Good! Please feel free to share your favorites, and for the love of pete, any pointers you may have!



First up: Brioche.

Check back Monday for the blow by blow...