• A Wedding Cake Guide
• Soufflé - simply delightful delicate dessert
• Stylishly Composed Salads
• Elegant Desserts for all Seasons
   

A Wedding Cake Guide
By Chef Robert K. Straw, C.H.E.
Chef Instructor
National Center for Hospitality Studies Sullivan University

When it comes to weddings, getting the cake is one of the most important decisions that has to be made. There are many things taken into consideration before you come up with the final decision of what kind you will have and how it will be served to your guests. For instance, how many tiers will there will be, what flavors and style you want, how many it will feed, what colors and decorations you decide upon; to name a few factors that affect your decision.

A wedding cake is a very personal item for every bride and groom. The flavor and type of the cake can vary vastly. Whether it is a regular batter cake, sponge, pound or even cheesecake has to be decided. If it is going to have buttercream roses and decorations or more elaborate flowers and decorations made out of marzipan, pastillage, rolled fondant and royal icing.

You must remember the more labor that goes into the cake and decorations; the more expensive the 'cost will be for the cake. Wedding cakes are very labor intensive and that is what determines the final price. If you want a richer, stronger, unique flavor or more exotic cake will end up being more expensive. Most cakes are broken down to cost per slice. The minimum cost is approximately $2.25 per slice but can go up to approximately $12.00 per slice and sometimes more. A standard three tier wedding cake will feed about 150 people. So at $2.25 per slice that's $337.50 and at $12.00 per slice that's $1,800.00. That's a big difference.

Soufflé - a simply delightful delicate dessert
by NCHS Chef, Derek Spendlove
published in Modern Baking

The soufflé is a perfect ending to a healthy, hearty meal. An inexpensive alternative to rich, heavy, sickly sweet dessert creations, the soufflé's subtle flavor and light texture complement the natural sweetness and colors offered by seasonal fruits.

The soufflé's delicate texture is comparable to a moist foam cake. It's name, which first appeared in culinary circles in the early 18th century, is derived from a French verb meaning "to whisper" or "to breathe," which is suggestive of the soufflé's notorious fragility. Because of its fragility, the soufflé is suited primarily for foodservice bakers. For production convenience, soufflé batter may be prepared several hours prior to service, poured into molds and refrigerated until time to bake.

The soufflé is easier to prepare than most people believe. It developed its reputation for difficulty because it will inevitably collapse when punctured or allowed to cool after baking. After all, the soufflé is really a cake formulated with insufficient flour, which provides just enough structure to support its own weight. The pressure of the hot air inside lends the soufflé its only real support.

The flavoring can include fruit juices, purees, and liqueurs and should be suspended in the panada. This can be accomplished by flavoring cake crumbs and spooning them onto the prepared dish alternately with the soufflé batter.

The foam of the egg whites is created when air is effectively trapped by albumen that will expand when heated to leaven the soufflé. It should be strengthened with a small amount of edible acid or by whisking the egg whites in a copper vessel for ionization.

The first step in preparing a soufflé is to assemble your ingredients and supplies, which include a small saucepan, spoon, whisk, soufflé molds (ramekins) and bowl for bain-marie. Prepare the molds by greasing them lightly with softened butter and dredging them with granulated sugar. Store the prepared molds in the refrigerator until needed. At this point, flavor cake crumbs with gently reduced fruit juices, purees, liqueurs, or extracts. Set the crumbs aside until you are ready to assemble the soufflé.

Melt half the fat (butter) in the saucepan and stir in the starch (bread flour.) Immediately add the milk and sugar; cook over medium heat, stirring briskly until mixture comes to a boil. Remove the mixture from heat and whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla extract, then the remaining fat. Beat egg whites to a stiff (but not dry) peak. Fold egg whites into slightly cooled panada; stir vigorously for a short time (5 seconds) to completely homogenize and strengthen the batter. Next, alternately spoon the batter and flavored crumbs into the prepared molds, beginning with the crumbs. If you do not choose to add flavored crumbs, simply pour batter into the molds so they are full and level at the top.

Bake soufflés in a shallow bain-marie with very little water for about 12 minutes in a 375 F. degree oven. Lightly dust the finished product with confectioners' sugar, and serve immediately. In order for the soufflé to remain inflated, it must be served very hot from the oven. Presentation can be maximized by serving the soufflé on a hot plate, or by preparing and plating your colorful fruit garnish just before it is time to serve the soufflé. Customers should order the soufflé at the beginning of the meal so that the soufflé can be placed in the oven at the proper time to ensure a timely entrance into the dining room or café.

Vanilla Soufflé
Ingredients
3 ozs. Bread flour
3 ozs. Butter
1 pint Milk
4 ozs. Sugar
6 ozs. Egg Yolk
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
10 ozs. Egg White
Sugar, as needed to line ramekins
Cake crumbs, flavored, if desired, as needed

Instructions: Prepare soufflé according to article. Bake individual-size soufflés in a shallow bain-marie with very little water for about 12 minutes in a 375 F. degree oven. Lightly dust the finished product with confectioners' sugar, and serve immediately. In order for the soufflé to remain inflated, it must be served very hot from the oven. Yields 12 servings.

Stylishly Composed Salads
by Tom Hickey, CEC, CCE o photography by Geoffrey Carr published in the National Culinary Review, the printed publication of the American Culinary Federation.

Artistically composed salads begin with a flourish of greens interspersed with ingredients that add color, texture, and shape to surprise and indulge the senses.

A composed salad, according to On Cooking: Techniques from Expert Chefs (Prentice Hall, 1999) by Sarah R. Labensky and Alan Hause, is a salad that usually uses greens as a base and is built by artistically arranging a variety of other ingredients on a plate. Realistically, a cook should understand this definition. We all know that a good salad depends on our artistic talents to create a proper mix of colors, textures, and taste. Normally our minds are arranging these salads before we even look into the pantry.

The most difficult part of salad composition today is determining just what arrangement of greens to use for the body. Knowing beforehand what other dishes the salad will be served with and what part it is to play in the meal is important.

With so many types of salad greens to choose from, salads should never be boring. The appearance, textures, flavors, and even colors are varied. Combine tangy greens with those milder in flavor, crisp greens with tender varieties, and pale greens with those flashier in color.

One green that I fell in love with when I worked in Turkey was arugula. I was fascinated with its texture, flavor, and color. I found it to be an excellent salad green to use with seafood entrées as its peppery flavor lingered on the palate and married well with the delicate flavors of the local fish and shellfish. Arugula is also great when presented with tomato concassé and fine julienne of European cucumber dressed only with fresh lemon juice and a good extra virgin olive oil. Finish the dish with pan-seared medallions of lamb loin that have been marinated in the same dressing as the salad with the addition of fresh minced mint, lemon zest, and salad burnet.

Here in Kentucky, we use Kentucky limestone Bibb in many of our salad preparations, not only for state pride, but also because its delicate texture, flavor, and tenderness is hard to beat. The various field mixes of baby greens available today are also excellent choices. But, remember, if that is all you are offering, your patrons may soon get bored with these selections.

Try having a wide variety of greens on your menu. Even iceberg lettuce can be used as a nostalgic green on the menu, served with Green Goddess dressing. Many of our clients at the University's Winston's Gourmet restaurant order this salad because it reminds them of their youth. We offer a variance from the wedge of the 50s by cutting it into a large block. It elicits many positive comments and is a good seller.

Many of the classic salads are still good ideas, but need to be updated for the millennium in terms of their components. Why not add smoked rather than roasted turkey breast to your cobb salad or blanched soy beans in place of avocados? Try experimenting with an assortment of cheeses rather than always applying the classic Roquefort.

Try pan-seared rare tuna in your salad niçoise for a cleaner and more refreshing taste. Also, many of the Oriental greens and vegetables available today are well worth exploring. The popularity of soybeans is another example. If you blanch these beans, remove the bean from the pod, and marry them with other greens, meats, and vegetables, you create a wonderful salad.

I have also discovered that daikon radish, when slightly pickled with rice vinegar and green onion, adds an excellent crunch and intriguing texture to a salad. Tatsoi is another green found mostly in field mixes that has a flavor combining those of arugula and cress; its uniform leaf shape and dark green color make it an ideal blend for your salad composition.

The chicory greens, including escarole, endive, frisée, treviso, and Belgian endive, also seem to be underutilized due to their bitter flavor; but if dressed with a sweet and savory dressing, they can add a variety of colors and shapes to a salad.

If we remember the basic guidelines from Professional Cooking by Wayne Gisslen (John Wiley & sons, Inc. 1999), for arranging salads, our customers can always enjoy tasty, eye-appealing, artistic, and flavorful salads:

• Keep the salad off the rim of the plate. This refers to the body of the salad; dressing the rim of the plate with flavored oils, balsamic vinegar, spices, herbs, flower petals, etc. is fine.
  
   
• Strive for a good balance of colors. Your customers shouldn't need their sunglasses to view their salads. Also, too many colors make a salad look busy.
  
   
• Height helps make a salad attractive. A salad should never be a flat mass of greens on a plate. On the other hand, it shouldn't be so high that it looks like a "tower of power."
  
   
• Cut ingredients neatly and make every ingredient identifiable. This shows the cook's skill and also allows the patron to visually identify ingredients. Remember, if you cut everything in a fine brunoise or chiffonade, they will all mesh and be unrecognizable.
  
   
• Keep it simple. Always follow this rule of Chef Escoffier. Remember, "this ain't brain surgery." If you think on it too long, you are getting too deep and will lose your instant creativity.

Beyond these guidelines, always remember that salads are a cold food and should be presented on a clean, chilled plate and the greens should be of the best quality possible. Avoid any that are oversized, spotted, limp, or yellowing; these are past their prime. Store your greens properly. Leave them in their boxes until ready to use so they don't lose their moisture content through refrigerator evaporation. Also, clean and spin-dry the greens to eliminate any bacteria clinging to them and to allow them to better hold their dressing.

Insert TomHickey.psd
Caption: Tom Hickey, CEC, CCE, is culinary chairman and garde manger instructor at Sullivan University's National Center for Hospitality Studies and is a member of The Honorable Order of the Golden Toque.

Izmir Salatasi
Yields 4 servings
Izmir Salad (from the old biblical city of Smyrna where those luscious figs originate.)

DRESSING AND MARINADE
3 cups extra virgin olive oil Juice from
6 lemons Lemon zest from
2 lemons, finely grated
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
4 tablespoons chopped salad burnet Salt and pepper, to taste

FOR LAMB
1/2 marinade recipe
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
12 lamb chops

SALAD
4 cups arugula, washed
1/2 cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup European cucumbers, halved and thinly sliced
3 fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into wedges
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
3/4 cup purple onions, fine julienne Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine ingredients for dressing/marinade; reserving half for salad. Add dill to remaining half and marinate chops in this for at least one hour, preferably overnight.

Combine arugula, parsley, cucumber, tomato, and onion, and dress with olive oil-lemon mixture. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Arrange on plate with grilled lamb chops. Garnish greens mixture with toasted pine nuts.

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Oriental Green Salad

Yields 4 servings

For soybeans, I like to use Well-Pack Edamame brand, which can be found in Oriental markets.

PICKLED DAIKON

1 pint daikon radishes Salt, as needed

2-3 green onions, finely chopped
Rice wine vinegar, as needed
Pepper, to taste

To pickle daikon, shave daikon radishes on bias using Japanese mandoline. Season generously with salt; allow to sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze out juices. Rinse with cold water and squeeze again. Add green onions. Dress with rice wine vinegar, salt, and pepper, to taste. Let rest 5 minutes, then refrigerate until needed.

SALAD
11/2 cups soy beans, steamed and shucked
21/4 cups tatsoi greens
11/2 cups kiku sprouts (also known as Shingiko sprouts)
1 cup broccoli sprouts
2 ounces diced red bell pepper
2 ounces diced yellow bell pepper
2 ounces pickled daikon radish
12 fresh head-on large shrimp,

tempura fried Miso-lime dressing, as needed Steam soybeans, shock, and remove from pods. Discard pods. Using tatsoi as a base, compose salad utilizing remaining vegetables. Arrange three tempura shrimp on each plate, and drizzle with miso-lime dressing.

Miso-Lime Dressing
Yields 4 servings
12 tablespoons fresh lime juice
12 tablespoons yellow miso
1 cup rice wine vinegar
8 tablespoons mirin
4 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 fresh garlic cloves, mashed
1 tablespoon lime zest, finely grated Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Reserve for use on salad.

Elegant Desserts for all Seasons
by NCHS Cehf, Derek Spendlove
published by The National Culinary Review, the official magazine of the American
Culinary Federation.

With a flair for the dramatic and attention to the principles perpetuating
the legacy of pastry chefs, create celebratory desserts that will rival
those sculptures and pyramids of past centuries with their elegant
simplicity-and delight diners for all seasons.

Elegantly-styled plate presentation is an expression of joy through the creation of beautiful desserts. Each dessert should maximize visual design and flavor to delight the audience. The dessert course concept originated in the seventeenth century from the French verb "desservir," or to clear away the remains of the meal. Hosts began to serve a final course at banquets to provide a sweet ending to the celebratory meal. This course survived the revolutions of time and continues the elegance of the continental court festivals into our modern day lives.

The table arrangements of these court feasts used pyramid serving designs to create visual height and to accommodate the efficient service of the buffet. The centerpieces became landscape features to amuse the guests and evolved into the elaborate confectionery sculptures of Antoine Careme at the zenith of the "Grande Cuisine" era. The artistry of this style was reflected in the molding of desserts into tall figures and typically serving with a full-bodied sauce. This presentation style is reflected today in plating with a classic spiderweb design.

As the dominance of the aristocracy began to fade, so too faded the Grande Cuisine favored by this class. The new clientele was increasingly a private citizen seeking a fine dining experience and an aesthetically moderate dessert course. The classical style established by Auguste Escoffier stressed fewer flavors and colors per plate and sauces that flowed seamlessly with the central item. A sauce napped over the pastry would be a classic example of this execution.

Fine dining establishments continue to revolutionize the dessert course within our own century by returning the responsibility of plate presentation to the pastry chef. Today, a pastry chef's greatest challenge is to be unique. Presentation skills shift from tableside plating or selections from a trolley to a la minute plating, in which famed Chicagoan Charlie Trotter indulges.

The art of making desserts today is on a slightly different and more modest scale than it was at the turn of the century. Economics play a role, as desserts are intended to be eaten immediately rather than just used as a visual feast. Additionally, the flavor as well as the density of the dessert must harmonize with and complement the courses that have preceded it--some desserts are exceptionally light and frothy while others are substantial and extremely filling. Pastry chefs should consider four major principles when designing exquisitely unique desserts. The principles are eye appeal, presentation, color, and texture.

• EYE APPEAL: Each plated dessert starts with a frame just like a picture that demands attention from your guest. Start with the china. Selection is important as it determines what color, height, and definition one can create.
  
   
• PRESENTATION: This is the feature that will sell your creations. Use interesting sauce designs and appropriate garnishes. Vary sauce preparation from full-bodied sauces to fruit glaces, coulis, and purees. A combination of sauces also creates a feeling of movement on the plate. Keep your presentations simple by piping fine lines that reflect the visual curve of the china. Simplicity is the canvas on which you create your exquisite dessert.
  
   
• COLOR: Use no more than three colors per presentation. Excess in this area can draw the eye away from the dessert, which is after all, the main event.
  
   
• TEXTURE: Creative desserts should have a variety of textures. This can be achieved with smooth fillings, nutty crusts, luscious sauces, fruits, nuts, and a multitude of other edible garnishes. Temperatures--hot, cold, or a combination of these variables--also play a vital role in achieving textural interest.

The right balance of all these principles will ensure a dessert experience that will be savored and remembered for a long time.

Grand Marnier Sauce
3 eggs
2 ounces butter
4 ounces sugar
1 orange zest
2 ounces orange juice
2 ounces Grand Marnier
2 ounces fresh cream

METHOD: Cream butter and sugar. Transfer to saucepan. Add eggs, orange juice and zest. Boil lightly in double boiler. Mix with a whisk until stiff. Add Grand Marnier away from heat. Heavy cream can be added to create the right consistency.

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