Sweet Reading

Whether this is pastry or poppycock, there’s no telling. But what I can say for certain is that reading cookbooks is a lot of fun. Especially pleasurable was a cookbook, Dessert Cuisine, all about restaurant pastry making from a Spanish chef with a lot of style. Oriol Balaguer has much more background in pastry than I, yet, the direction we moved in is very similar. I appreciate his beginnings in a bakery, and eventually moving into the plated desserts of a restaurant.

The writing, albeit translated, also has a tone that increases my interest in what Oriol is doing in his pastry. He describes the use and structure of basic ingredients such as eggs, sugar, and flour. As these are part of nearly all pastry, the ability to put them together in so many different ways to create entirely different effects is astounding. As I read how Oriol manipulates and revises ingredients to create the many textures of a plate I revel in the beauty and concept. In a sense he moves from a piece of dessert, which is typical of all bakeries and most restaurants, into building a dessert, but with such grace that it doesn’t come across as bizarre.

Now, you may wonder whether this was merely a pastry picture book, and since I fairly seldom completely follow a recipe, why this is so meaningful. Well, the situation is similar to that of a person who enjoys reading science fiction novels, yet who hasn’t actually conversed with aliens. I do love reading recipes. (But then I have even greater pleasure in changing them!) Recipes are always a little different, whether it be the ratio, flavoring, or just technical description, and therefore interesting.

While I sometimes feel akin to the chef on the Muppets, throwing things about, speaking gibberish, and wielding a cleaver, I sensed a certain camaraderie with Oriol which is uncommon. Inspiration may not be lacking, but like many artistic and unnecessary fields, encouragement sometimes is. This young chef’s work is the sweet perspective I appreciate when faced with yet another season of candy canes and amateur fudge.