This month's topic: Desserts
Our expert is Bruce Lafone, Sous Chef of Horizons, Asheville, NC
Bruce Lafone was literally born into the restaurant business; his father ran both casual and fine dining
establishments in Richmond, VA. At age 18, Bruce moved to London to study at Le Cordon Bleu School.
Through this experience, and an internship at The Savoy Hotel, he learned to incorporate old-world recipes
with fresh ideas to help usher these culinary delights into the new age. Upon his return to the United
States, Bruce made his first introduction into a AAA award-winning restaurant, the Five Diamond Lemaire
at the Jefferson Hotel. Despite gaining irreplaceable mentoring during his tenure at the Lemaire, Bruce
moved on to try his talent in Florida, where he worked at 30 Degrees Blue. At age 23, he opened his own
Gourmet Café, The Butler’s Pantry, in Bay Point, FL. Still eager to discover more culinary experience, and
test his theory that fresh, simple food, rich in its own natural flavors is always the best recipe, Bruce
moved around the country and finally settled at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, in Asheville, NC. He was
named Sous Chef of Horizons on June 15, 2006.
Question: What makes a soufflé rise?
Answer: Mostly the egg whites in the soufflé cause it to rise. Remember, when adding all the ingredients it is important to incorporate the whites so air does not escape.
Question: What does it mean to “temper” chocolate?
Answer: Tempering chocolate is the process of melting the chocolate to a certain temperature and then cooling it. The chocolate that you buy at the store is already tempered, but that changes as soon as it is melted. Tempering allows you to make whatever shape you like out of the chocolate.
Question: What is blind baking?
Answer: Blind baking is when you want to cook a pie shell prior to adding the filling, therefore preventing the shell to become wet or soggy. Most of the time you need to place a piece of parchment or wax paper over the shell and add baking beans. You can find those at most cooking stores, but I usually buy some inexpensive dry beans at the local grocery store. When you have the parchment and beans in place, you can not see the dough hence the term “blind”
Question: Why does dessert come at the end of the meal?
- Jamie Carlson, Boston, MA
Answer: Dessert does not necessarily come at the end of the meal. In Chinese cuisine, it is customary to alternate between sweet and savory courses. The word dessert comes from the old French word "desservir" which means "to clear the table." I think most people like to have dessert at the end of the meal, because desserts can be very satisfying. If you enjoy a cup of coffee or an after dinner drink and some sinfully, sweet chocolate after a big meal, it can be very nice. Or, you can always be like the author, Ernestine Ulmer, who was once quoted saying, "Life is uncertain, eat dessert first!"
Question: Why is cake served on birthdays?
- Stephanie Smith, Madison, WI
Answer: There are many different beliefs on why cakes are served on birthdays. Before calendars, people used to measure time by the moon and seasons. In ancient Greece, the people would bring cakes during the new moon to the moon goddess, Artemis. They would bring round cakes signifying a full moon with candles so they would look like a glowing moon. This signifies a new year and hence, a birthday.
Question: I am watching my waistline, but love sweets. What is a healthy dessert that I can enjoy?
- Emily Caspanello, Dallas, TX
Answer: There are many options for those of you who are watching your calorie intake. At Horizons we have a sugar-free strawberry tart. We make a simple pie dough and coat it with sugar-free melted chocolate. Next, we make a strawberry sauce and layer it over the chocolate. Finally, we add sliced strawberries and coat the entire tart with sugar-free apricot glacage. It is a little more tricky to make health-conscious desserts but they can always be done.
Question: Can I make creme brulee at home?
- Debbie Austin
Answer: Yes, you can make Creme Brulee at home!
Here is a simple recipe for creme brulee:
Serves 6
1 pint heavy cream
6 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
Making the Batter:
-Bring heavy cream to a boil, stir in ½ cup of sugar and take off stove.
-Keep stirring mixture until sugar dissolves.
-In a separate bowl whisk egg yolks.
-Pour 1/3 of hot cream and continue whisking.
-Repeat until all ingredients are incorporated.
-Allow mixture to cool
Cooking in Ramekins:
-Place ramekins in a 4" deep baking pan and pour mixture into each one
-Pour cool water into baking dish until it half full
-Cover baking pan with foil and carefully place into oven preheated to 300 Degrees
-Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until set
-Remove ramekins from water and place in refrigerator overnight
"Burning the Creme Brulee":
-Just before serving, sprinkle with brown sugar and hit them with a blowtorch* until golden brown
It is really not as hard as it seams, the key to making a good creme brulee is temperature control. Also, you can make any flavor of brulee that you want by simply adding your ingredients to the cream when bringing it to a boil.
**If you don't have a blowtorch, place under the hot grill until the sugar has caramelized, but be careful not to burn them. Leave to stand for 10 minutes for the caramel to solidify, then serve immediately, as the topping risks sweating and losing its crunch.
