Challenge 29 – Cooking class

Rest the pastry!  That was the key secret I learnt in this cooking class in Woolloomoolloo.  2 days to make a dessert?  Well, ok then!  Run by a very opinionated pastry chef, it was clear that her time working with Gordon Ramsey had influenced her!  Not afraid to bad mouth others in the industry, or bad mouth in general, she did however know how to wield a rolling pin.

This was a woman unafraid of large numbers.  She buys butter from New Zealand by the tonne, and owns a number of patisseries throughout the city.  She bought into a winery, which she says was an easy way to lose a hundred grand, and now has multiple pallets of wine to offload, which she is using mostly in cooking.  She’s doing a lot of corporate cooking classes and is receiving sponsorship and it sounds like attention in the industry.  She is also accountable for the considerable sum of money she has borrowed to the GM of ANZ.  She did however admit that baking isn’t a way to make a dollar.  Sounds like the training may be though.  There were about 15 people in the class, and she had it wrapped up in half the time scheduled.

She gave us a demo of the 3 parts of the lemon meringue making process.  I was particularly impressed with the scale of the meringue she whipped up in her industrial mixer.  It reminded me somewhat of Mr Stay Puft from Ghostbusters…so much meringue!  I had to strongly resist an urge to start a food fight in her kitchen.  I had visions of her going straight for the knives, and not being afraid to use them.  She did mention in passing that violence was how they communicated in her family.  Italian background.  Don’t mess with the boss.  Apparently people pay her to be her apprentice.  I’m sure you’d be an awesome chef working for a few years under her.  And you’d have thick skin too!  She also told me I was annoying.  Too many questions?  It happens.  She sure exudes a sense of dominace in her kitchen.  Not to be trifled with.

Haha, I love dessert jokes.

Mmm, tasty tart!

It was only at the end of the class as I was blowtorching the meringue that I reflected that I much preferred my meringue to be crunchy.  I was thinking more pie than tart, although I think all the rest of the recipe is the same.  I’ll simply bake my pies in the oven for 10 minutes after I add the meringue!  Easy done.

It was meant to be a 3 hour class, however we were finished in less than an hour and a half, and it mostly involved us watching her prepare food herself, and very little hands on for us.  We piped the lemon filling and meringue that she prepared and that was about it.  Apart from the blowtorching.  Got to get one of those.  Crème Brulee anyone?

So the verdict?  Definitely worth the $50 or so I paid online for some of the tips she gave.  Definitely not worth the $300 that is apparently the full price for the class.  She does run savoury pie classes too, so I’ll keep my eyes open for another $50 class.  There were certainly some great tips, and I’m a little less intimidated by making my own sweet pastry now.  Thanks chef!  The proof of course will be in the eating!