A New Dessert Is Born.

From a very young age my mother used to warn me.

"Careful," she'd whisper.
"If you're anything like the rest of the women in this family you could get pregnant if a man whispers in your ear."

Although I'll admit I've not had much luck with that sort of inception, (or I have been very lucky, depending on how you look at things), lately my mind has been a whirl with dessert souls playing hide-and-go-seek, ducking in and out of the forest like pixies, and eagerly landing on plates, joyful.

I know a dessert is ready when I become giddy in plating what looks to be the final plate. It's hard to explain, but it's emotional.

Many years ago I sat in the basement of Zuni's tight triangular space, being interviewed by the then Pastry Chef. I was applying for a pastry cook position. Earnest and naive I answered serious questions much in the same way I do so today: honestly.

The Pastry Chef asked me how did I know it was pastry that I wanted and was meant to do. The question stopped me cold. I closed my eyes and reached deep.

How? Why? Why sweet things over salty ones? And how did I know? Really know?

"Before cooking professionally I was at CCAC majoring in photography. In the darkroom, not at all a delicious place: surrounded by awful chemicals and worse fumes, I watched images wash to the surface from enlarger to developer to stop bath. In those black rooms, developing film or paper, my mouth watered and often my eyes did as well. I was attached to the process, to those images I was capturing.

I am the same when working with butter and sugar and eggs. It's a similar science, yes, but more than that it's an emotional experience for me. Although I started on the line, cooking savory food, it was with pastry that I found that spot, that place, where my heart met the process and my hands and heart follow suit."

I didn't get that job, but no matter, it was a question I needed to answer. If not to that woman, then to myself. In this business you better fucking know why you're here because it will test every part of you and then some.

                So when a new dessert is born I feel its grace. If poems are birds then desserts are faeries.

Come in this winter and ask for the lebne dessert. It's gluten-free if you omit one component. From taste memory I replicated one of my very favoritest ingredients from a past restaurant experience: the insanely delicious sweet almond mixture that went into Mourad's bastilla (B'steya) at Aziza. Mine is a little different because I've added a dash of Juliet Mae's Moroccan Baharat and ground my nuts a little finer. There's also bright page Mandarin sorbet, candied Mandarinquats, half a dozen orange, mandarin and tangerine segments and satsuma gelee. Joyful, indeed.

I already have one citrus dessert on my menu, Lemon Essence. I wasn't sure I could do another. But you know what? Citrus is what's in season right now. And boy is it! There are kumquats, Yuzu, cocktail grapefruits, Cara Cara oranges, Satsumas, Page & Pixie mandarins, Meyer Lemons, sweet limes, Buddha's Hand, oranges: Valencia, Blood, navel and Seville sour oranges! It's insane the ebullient overabundance.

Can I tempt you with any of these orbs of sunshine? For those of you who love the hit of acid, appreciate the hide-and-go-seek of sugar-acid-sweet-sour, I have a feeling I have someone for you to meet.

Come and share my not-so-secret love affair with citrus.
                        
                see you soon?

Comments

[chadzilla]

How do you know that this is what you want to do?
That's a great question that may be asked of many endeavors. Sometimes it's hard to see the answer because you are in a whirlwind. When I read your words about putting a dish together, I relate 100%. Just like anything that requires total passion, it sucks you in. I remember being a kid in school drawing sketches in my notebook. It wasn't the pencil leaving marks on the blank spaces, but my whole consciousness was drawn into it. I saw it 3 dimensionally as if I were inside the picture revealing the things only my eyes could see.
That is the exact way I feel when I am really into a dish, a preparation, a presentation, a technique. You cannot notice it yourself because you are inside of it. It's usually when others start to migrate around you to see what is so entrancing that you realize the scope of the passion within.
I believe that this is the same thing.
Happy new year, Shuna. All the best.

[Susan]

Oh boo! I just realized that I forgot to ask if the chestnut dessert was available when I visited last time. Argh.

I do believe it's very important to know exactly why you want to do something. I agree with you, it's a huge committment-to yourself, to the industry that you're entering, and to those who are counting on what you do!

[Raspil]

Today's cake is

Cara Cara Creamsicle with Cara Cara marmalade filling and Cara Cara Creme Fraiche frosting.

Photos? Gimme two hours.

I will utilize these oranges to their extra sweet/low acidic end. I have to, I bought a frickin' case. I am also trying to prove to myself that citrus doesn't just have to be a juice/mixer (1/2 c of juice from one of these homeboys!) or curd or sorbet, it can be versatile. The components of this cake, to me, are baby steps. I can do better than this, not that this sucks, but there's more for me to consider. January-March is a fun time of the year for me now. I never used to consider it until I met this orange! It's Cara Cara Craziness up in this house right now! The aroma here is phenomenal!

[Patricia Sweeney]

Oh, all the lovely description and the tease of the ingredients and the hints of what's in it, and no photos of the finished dessert? Oh MY!!! This is so mean! lol

[Aaron]

"The discovery of a new dish does more for mankind than the discovery of a new star." -Brillat-Savarin

Have a nice day, I'm off on a long adventure...and I'm only talking about getting there.

[rachelk]

I love these photos, especially the hint of mischeviousness in the first. I would call it your Queen Mab hairstyle...I promise to come in an try that citrus dreamy sonnet soon!
And I nominated you for a Bloggie for best writing...