pastry chefs --- a resource

[grasswire]

(also for those who love to drool over pastry)

"Dessert Professional" is a magazine published by the same entity that used to publish the well-regarded "Chocolatier" for the home chef. DP is geared to the highest level of professional pastry chef. But there are very interesting things to learn from reading the web site or the magazine itself.

Disclaimer: DP is the client of a family member.

When I started looking at the magazine, I was astounded to see the kinds of "substances" that the professional pastry chef uses today. Many gels and thickeners. Many pre-prepared designs that are simply lifted off a sheet of chocolate or edible film and transferred to the dessert surface. All kinds of fancy tools and tricks.

So when you order a very fancy dessert, it's likely not made just from butter, sugar, flour, natural things. It likely also has some kind of seaweed-based gel or stabilizer, some pre-made ingredients, etc.

Check it out. Tell me what you think.

http://www.dessertprofessional.com

[MajorChode]

1. Carrageenan is a seaweed-based thickening agent

It's actually been used for hundreds of years and is all natural. It has some very good properties in that it will thicken something without having to reach very high temperatures, like most other thickening agents. The fact that it's made from seaweed doesn't bother me. If people knew where gelatin came from they would probably be put off more.