13

A K I TCHEN WI THOUT BOUNDAR I ES | NEW YORK C I TY | SEP TEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 1 , 2013

THE 8 TH ANNUAL S TARCHEFS .COM INTERNAT IONAL CHEFS CONGRESS

Leaving it aLL on the Line

7 LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

8 CAREERS THROUGH CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM

9 IN MEMORIAM: COLIN DEVLIN

Main Stage Emcees12 JOSH BECKERMAN THE FOODIE MAGICIAN | NEW YORK, NY

14 KEVIN SBRAGA SBRAGA | PHILADELPHIA, PA

Wanderlust: David Myers and the Global Kitchen16 DAVID MYERS HINOKI & THE BIRD | LOS ANGELES, CA

Richard Around Town: A Legendary Chef Cracks the Big Apple20 MICHEL RICHARD VILLARD MICHEL RICHARD |NEW YORK, NY

Umami Burger World Domination24 ADAM FLEISCHMAN UMAMI BURGER | LOS ANGELES, CA

Unsung Kitchen Heroes28 APRIL BLOOMFIELD SPOTTED PIG GROUP | NEW YORK, NY

Modern Ma La: A Sichuan Mission30 DANNY BOWIEN MISSION CHINESE | NEW YORK, NY

Crazy Creamery Collaboration at Oddfellows 31 SAM MASON ODDFELLOWS | BROOKLYN, NY

34 JOHNNY IUZZINI SUGAR FUELED INC. | NEW YORK, NY

Full Range of Flavor36 BRYAN VOLTAGGIO RANGE | WASHINGTON, D.C.

Performance Art and Pastry Imagination40 JANICE WONG 2AM:DESSERTBAR | SINGAPORE

In Pursuit of Maximum Flavor44 AKI KAMOZAWA and ALEX TALBOT IDEAS IN FOOD | LEVITTOWN, PA

Man of Manzanilla: Modernist Spain Takes on the Big Apple50 DANI GARCÍA MANZANILLA | NEW YORK, NY

The Patisserie King56 FRANÇOIS PAYARD FP PATISSERIE | NEW YORK, NY

Boom! Introducing the Museum of Food and Drink60 DAVE ARNOLD MUSEUM OF FOOD AND DRINK | NEW YORK, NY

The Mystery and Madness of Atelier Crenn64 DOMINIQUE CRENN and JUAN CONTRERAS ATELIER CRENN | SAN FRANCISCO, CA

A Peruvian Empire Built on Passion72 GASTÓN ACURIO ASTRID Y GASTÓN | LIMA, PERU

Full Sous Vide Immersion 78 JAMES BRISCIONE INSTITUTE OF CULINARY EDUCATION | NEW YORK, NY

82 ANTHONY SASSO CASA MONO | NEW YORK, NY

Charcuterie Secrets from Olympic Provisions84 ELIAS CAIRO OLYMPIC PROVISIONS | PORTLAND, OR

The Art of Presentation: Elegance and Eccentricity64 DOMINIQUE CRENN and JUAN CONTRERAS ATELIER CRENN | SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Wild Refinement in the Modern Bread Service86 MARC FORGIONE MARC FORGIONE | NEW YORK, NY

Micro Greens, Macro Flavor Combinations88 PHILLIP FOSS EL IDEAS | CHICAGO, IL

Pimp My Grits92 VIVIAN HOWARD CHEF AND THE FARMER | KINSTON, NC

Wicked Good Barbecue: How Boston Does Brisket94 ANDY HUSBANDS TREMONT 647 | BOSTON, MA

Pile It On: Building the Perfect Sandwich98 PETER McANDREWS PAESANO’S | PHILADELPHIA, PA

The Fried Chicken Collaborative100 JEFFREY McINNIS ROOT & BONE | NEW YORK, NY

Urban Farmer John102 JOHN MOONEY BELL BOOK & CANDLE | NEW YORK, NY

Pasta, This Is How We Dough It104 EVAN and SARAH RICH RICH TABLE I SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Smart Sous Vide106 RICHARD ROSENDALE ROSENDALE GROUP | MAXWELTON, WV

Deep-fried Techniques from the Trenches110 MICHAEL and PATRICK SHEERIN TRENCHERMEN | CHICAGO, IL

The Ancient Art of Ceviche114 HÉCTOR SOLIS FIESTA | LIMA, PERU

Israel Alive: The Bold Flavors of Zahav116 MICHAEL SOLOMONOV ZAHAV | PHILADELPHIA, PA

Delicious Decapitation: Roasted Veal Head Technique118 MICHAEL TOSCANO PERLA | NEW YORK, NY

Workin’ It—Sugar in Every Incarnation 124 PATRICK FAHY SIXTEEN AT TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL & TOWER | CHICAGO, IL

Slow Fermentation and the Long Road to Loafhood126 ZACHARY GOLPER BIEN CUIT | NEW YORK, NY

Do Me a Flavor: Progressive Ice Creams 31 SAM MASON ODDFELLOWS | BROOKLYN, NY

Rise Up Flat Breads128 SHERRY YARD HELMS BAKERY | CULVER CITY, CA

One Woman Show: Yee in the Dining Room and Pastry Shop130 JENNIFER YEE LAFAYETTE | NEW YORK, NY

132 4th Annual StarChefs.com Pastry Competition

133 Pastry Competition Officials

135 Pastry Competitors

My Sherry Amor: Cocktails and Ibérico Love144 DEREK BROWN MOCKINGBIRD HILL | WASHINGTON, D.C.

146 MARIO HIRALDO REGALADO BRINDISA LTD. | LONDON, ENGLAND

The Keg Keepers and the Business of Draught Cocktails148 TAD CARDUCCI and PAUL TANGUAY TIPPLING BROS. | NEW YORK, NY

Cocktail Innovations at barmini152 JUAN CORONADO BARMINI BY JOSÉ ANDRÉS | WASHINGTON, D.C.

Guts, Glory, and the Birth of the Modern Cocktail Movement156 DALE DeGROFF KINGCOCKTAIL.COM | NEW YORK, NY

158 AUDREY SAUNDERS PEGU CLUB | NEW YORK, NY

The Business of Bartender’s Choice160 MEAGHAN DORMAN RAINE’S LAW ROOM | NEW YORK, NY

162 THEO LIEBERMAN MILK AND HONEY | NEW YORK, NY

164 KARIN STANLEY DUTCH KILLS | QUEENS, NY

The Zombie: What One Rum Can’t Do, Three Can!166 BRIAN MILLER MOTHER’S RUIN | NEW YORK, NY

168 RYAN LILOIA CLOVER CLUB | BROOKLYN, NY

Extraction for Attraction: Building Signature Cordials170 JOE RAYA GIN JOINT | CHARLESTON, SC

High Acid, Vibrant Flavors, and Pairing Fun with Rueda174 KERIN AUTH OLÉ IMPORTS | NEW YORK, NY

82 ANTHONY SASSO CASA MONO | NEW YORK, NY

Uncorking Portugal 176 SCOTT CARNEY THE INTERNATIONAL CULINARY CENTER | NEW YORK, NY

178 ANTHONY GONÇALVES 42 THE RESTAURANT | WHITE PLAINS, NY

Tipsy Tweeting: Somms and Social Media180 JEFF HARDING WAVERLY INN | NEW YORK, NY

181 TALIA BAIOCCHI PUNCH | NEW YORK, NY

182 JOE CAMPANALE L’APICIO | NEW YORK, NY

183 MIKE MADRIGALE BAR BOULUD | NEW YORK, NY

BBQ Meets Its Match: Costières de Nîmes184 JOE CARROLL FETTE SAU | BROOKLYN, NY

186 FRED DEXHEIMER JUICEMAN CONSULTING | NEW YORK, NY

Art of Coffee Harmonization186 FRED DEXHEIMER JUICEMAN CONSULTING | NEW YORK, NY

Crushing It at Pearl & Ash188 PATRICK CAPPIELLO and RICHARD KUO PEARL & ASH | NEW YORK, NY

Pairing in Paradise: Hawaiian Cuisine and a World of Wines191 CHUCK FURUYA DK RESTAURANTS | OAHU, HI

192 DK KODAMA DK RESTAURANTS | OAHU, HI

194 ED KENNEY TOWN | HONOLULU, HI

196 4th Annual StarChefs.com Somm Slam

197 Somm Slam Competitors

Somm Slam Hosts200 GEORGE McNEESE and JUSTIN WARNER DO OR DINE | BROOKLYN, NY

202 DALE TALDE TALDE | BROOKLYN, NY

Guts and Glory of Chef Reality TV 206 JEREMIAH BULLFROG GASTROPOD | MIAMI, FL

207 LEAH COHEN PIG AND KHAO | NEW YORK, NY

14 KEVIN SBRAGA SBRAGA | PHILADELPHIA, PA

208 MARISA AMADOR NEW YORK, NY

208 BETH SCHIFF YOU CHOOSE CREATIVE | NEW YORK, NY

From music and design to (most importantly) the cuisine that defines his brand, David Myers has made a career out of pursuing a world of culinary and aesthetic influences. And with a career that’s spanned more than two decades and three continents, he has a lot of inspiration to draw from. Before founding the David Myers Group, Myers worked under high-caliber chefs like Charlie Trotter, at his eponymous Chicago restaurant; Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel; Gerard Boyer at his three-star Michelin Les Crayères; and Joachim Splichal at Patina. After helping reopen Patina in 2000 as executive chef, Myers went on to become executive chef of JAAN at the L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills, later overseeing the opening of the JAAN outpost in Singapore.

By 2002, Myers was ready to open his first restaurant, Sona, incorporating global influences in a refined context. A culinary nomad at heart, Myers has put his travels across Asia, Europe, the United States, and even his own California backyard to good use. Over the course of developing and

expanding the David Myers Group, the Venice Beach-based chef and restaurateur has created a veritable rainbow of concepts, building upon the critical success of Sona with Comme Ça, Pizzeria Ortica, and Hinoki & the Bird in California; and SOLA and David Myers Café in Tokyo—all of them influenced by the art, lifestyles, peoples, and pantries Myers has personally encountered. And his work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Among his accolades, Myers was one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs” in 2003, a James Beard “Rising Star Chef” nominee in 2004, and a StarChefs.com 2004 Los Angeles Rising Star.

Hinoki & the Bird | Los Angeles, CA

Proudest accomplishment: My latest project, Hinoki & the Bird. It’s a highly curated experience that is luxurious yet not over the top. It truly reflects my culinary style, based on a foundation of seasonality, the best ingredients, and refined techniques, mixed with an artful, modern perspective and global inspirations.

Biggest challenge facing your restaurant: The biggest challenge for any restaurant is longevity—how do you balance the need for reinvention with the need to stay true to yourself and your concept? With each of my restaurants, I focus on establishing a core standard of great food, ambience, and style.

How you inspire your team: I strive to lead the David Myers Group as a home for creativity, passion, and excellence. Then I give the talented ones the freedom to grow and spread their wings. To make an operation run smoothly, you need the right people executing on all cylinders.

Chef who inspires you to grow: My former chefs Daniel Boulud and Charlie Trotter who gave me a shot. They continue to inspire me daily, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. I admire great chefs like Grant Achatz for doing their own thing and the sushi chefs in Tokyo for their passion for their craft.

@HINOKIBIRD

From California to Vegas and all the way to Tokyo, David Myers’s restaurant group is

striking a culinary chord that crosses national and cultural borders. His latest venture,

Hinoki & the Bird, is the ultimate expression of Myers’s style: curated, artful, global, elegant. In his Main Stage Demonstration, Myers will

share the culinary composite of his travels and year’s behind

the line.

15

PHO

TO:

SAM

PO

LCER

For the Ice Cream Base:In a large pot, combine milk, cream, and milk powder and heat to 155°F. In a bowl, whisk together dextrose, sucrose, invert sugar, and stabilizer. Whisk into milk mixture and heat to 180°F. Temper in egg yolks. Remove from heat, chill over ice bath, and cool in refrigerator.

For the Chorizo Caramel Swirl Ice Cream:In a saucepot, combine sugar, glucose, chorizo-infused cream, butter, and 20 grams reserved chorizo oil; heat to 230°F. Remove caramel from heat and cool to room temperature. With an immersion blender, blend rendered chorizo into half the Ice Cream Base. Rest 1 hour and pass through a chinois. Transfer to ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. As you extract ice cream, fold in caramel. Store in freezer.

For the Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream:Freeze jelly in liquid nitrogen and break into small chunks; set aside in freezer. With an immersion blender, blend peanut butter into remaining half of Ice Cream Base and freeze in ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. As you extract ice cream, fold in frozen jelly. Store in freezer.

For the Waffle Cones:In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment, combine egg whites and 16 grams powdered sugar and whip to soft peaks. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and remaining powdered sugar. Remove bowl with whipped whites from mixer and sift in flour mixture; gently fold until combined. Fold in melted butter. Heat a waffle cone iron, and spoon a scant ¼ cup batter onto iron. With an offset spatula, spread batter evenly over the surface. Close the lid and cook until desired color is achieved. Quickly remove waffle from iron and shape it around a cone roller. Hold cone for a few seconds to set its shape. Repeat with remaining batter.

To Assemble and Serve:Scoop 1 generous scoop Chorizo Caramel Swirl Ice Cream and 1 scoop Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream into a Waffle Cone.

Sam Mason of OddFellows – Brooklyn, NYAdapted by StarChefs.com

Ice Cream Base: (Yield: 2½ gallons)2 gallons whole milk6 cups heavy cream600 grams milk powder266 grams dextrose1.6 kilograms sucrose266 grams invert sugar20 grams stabilizer1.3 kilograms egg yolk

FEATURED EQUIPMENT: WARING COMMERCIAL IMMERSION BLENDER, INDUCTION BURNER, AND STAND MIXER

INGREDIENTS 

METHOD

Chorizo Caramel Swirl Ice Cream: (Yield: 1½ gallons, 64 three-ounce scoops)90 grams sugar72 grams glucose syrup80 grams chorizo-infused heavy cream12 grams unsalted butter1.2 kilograms rendered chorizo,

oil reserved

Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream: (Yield: 2 gallons, 124 two-ounce scoops)1.5 kilograms Welch’s Concord grape jellyLiquid nitrogen1 kilogram Skippy peanut butter

Waffle Cones: (Yield: 15 cones)140 grams egg whites196 grams powdered sugar160 all-purpose flour5 grams ground cinnamon2 grams salt115 grams unsalted butter,

melted and cooled

17

PHO

TO:

ALI

ZA

ELI

AZ

ARO

V

M A I N S T A G E

@LAMAR_NY@GASTON_ACURIO

19

Gastón Acurio is a chef, writer, entrepreneur, and champion of Peruvian cuisine. With 33 restaurants in 12 countries, 20 publications in his portfolio, and a weekly cable TV show, Acurio has received worldwide acclaim for starting a gastronomical revolution in Peru.

In the late 1980s, following the advice of his family, Acurio began his studies in law school. But his passion for food was stronger. He decided to pursue a culinary arts career at Le Cordon Bleu Paris. While abroad, Acurio met his wife Astrid, a German-born woman who was also working toward a career in the kitchen. In 1994, the couple returned to Peru and founded their eponymous restaurant, Astrid y Gastón. The restaurant was originally French inspired, but over time, Acurio began to experiment with Peruvian ingredients, and the restaurant became one of the first beacons of Peruvian haute cuisine. In 2011, 17 years after Astrid & Gastón opened

its doors, the restaurant was included in San Pellegrino’s “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list.

The restaurants La Mar Cebicheria Peruana, Tanta, Panchita, Chicha, and Madam Tusan followed, each focusing on a different specialty in the vast catalogue of Peruvian cuisine. Acurio’s empire continues to evolve and grow with projects like the Italian-Peruvian restaurant Los Bachiche, opened in 2012.

His international reach helped earn Acurio the “2005 Entrepreneur of the Year” by America Economía magazine. He has received honors for his work promoting Peruvian cuisine, including the international “Prince Claus of Holland” award in the category “Collective Memories and Journalism.” He was a featured speaker for 2011 Madrid Fusión and is a chief supporter of the Pachacútec Culinary Institute, providing underprivileged youths with access to a culinary education.

If there’s a face of Peruvian cuisine,

it belongs to Gastón Acurio. Head

chef of a culinary empire—with

more than 30 restaurants across

the world—Acurio is a major

force in bringing Peru’s singular

culinary heritage to the global

stage. More than a chef, he also

works tirelessly to provide kitchen

training to underprivileged students

at Pachacútec Culinary Institute in

Lima. On the Main Stage, he’ll share

his passion for moving forward

both Peruvian cuisine and his fellow

Peruvian citizens.

Presented by

PHO

TO:

INES

MEN

AC

HO

Astrid y Gastón | Lima, Peru

Hardest thing you’ve had to do: Hiding from my family that I was studying cooking instead of going to law school.

Proudest accomplishment: How younger generations are taking leadership in our kitchen.

What you would do differently: I would be more patient and curious from the beginning.

Success means: The opportunity to try harder every day.

How you inspire your team: By talking about the meaning of being a chef in Peru, where our people see us as ambassadors of our culture.

Next project: A gastronomy university outside of Lima, where young people from all over the world will come to be trained as chefs, who will write, build, and tell stories through cooking.

Learn more about Sous Vide Cooking, The Smoking Gun®, Anti-Griddle®, Sonicprep™ and other cutting-edge products at

CuisineTechnology.com

USA

SHA

NN

ON

ST

UR

GIS

Chef Michael Solomonov of Zahav – Philadelphia, PAAdapted by StarChefs.com

For the Masbacha:Combine chickpeas and baking soda and cover with measure of water at least twice the volume of chickpeas. Soak 18 hours in refrigerator. Drain chickpeas and rinse in cold water. Transfer chickpeas to large pot with garlic and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 3 hours, until chickpeas are very tender, adding water, if necessary. Drain chickpeas; discard garlic and reserve 1 cup cooking liquid and 1 cup chickpeas. Transfer remaining chickpeas to a blender. Add sesame paste and purée, adding grapeseed oil, lemon juice, and enough cooking liquid to achieve smooth, creamy consistency. Season with salt and cumin.For the Laffa Bread:In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine yeast, sugar, and 1 cup water; proof 10 minutes. Remove whisk and attach hook. Add flours and salt and mix on low speed, gradually adding remaining water, until a smooth, sticky dough forms. (It may not be necessary to add all water.) Proof

at room temperature until dough doubles in volume, about 1 hour. Lightly flour work surface, wet hands, pinch baseball-size piece from dough, and form into small round loaf. Place loaf on floured surface and rise until double in volume, about 10 minutes. Add flour to work surface, flatten proofed loaf and roll into 12-inch x ¼-inch disc. Repeat with remaining dough.To Assemble and Serve:Heat stone hearth oven to 500°F and place pizza stone on center rack. Spoon Masbacha into large serving bowl. With back of spoon, push Masbacha to edges to create well in center. In separate bowl, toss reserved chickpeas in Tehina; season with salt and cumin. Spoon dressed chickpeas into well in Masbacha. Garnish with parsley and oil. Transfer Laffa Bread disc to pizza peel. Carefully slide dough onto pizza stone and bake until puffed and lightly golden brown, about 1 minute. Serve Masbacha and Laffa Bread immediately.

Masbacha: (6 servings)1 pound dried chickpeas1 tablespoon baking soda1 whole head garlic12 ounces unhulled sesame paste½ cup grapeseed oil¼ cup lemon juiceKosher saltGround cumin

Laffa Bread: (Yield: 20 flatbreads)2 tablespoons active dry yeast1½ tablespoons sugar6 cups warm filtered water10 ounces pastry flour3¼ pounds all-purpose flour ¼ ounce kosher saltTehina: (6 servings)1 clove garlic, germ removed¼ cup lemon juice

4 ounces unhulled sesame paste½ cup warm water, plus additional as needed½ cup Turkish or Israeli extra virgin olive oilKosher saltGround cuminTo Assemble and Serve:FlourGround cumin¼ cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley ¼ cup Turkish or Israeli extra virgin olive oilKosher salt

PHO

TO:

SHA

NN

ON

STU

RGIS

INGREDIENTS 

METHOD

Zahav | Philadelphia, PA

Michael Solomonov is a chef defined by his ancestry. Raised

in Pittsburgh, he made his way back to his native Israel and,

despite speaking little Hebrew, found himself working in a

bakery and finding his chef calling. Since then he has opened

five restaurants with his restaurant group Cook + Solo, but

none of them speak more eloquently of his passion and

culinary homeland than Zahav. In his Hands-on Workshop,

explore the flavors, spices, heritage, and techniques of

Solomonov’s soulful Jewish and Middle Eastern cooking.

Presented by

Born near Tel Aviv and raised in Pittsburgh, Michael Solomonov returned to Israel at 15 to attend boarding school—only to return to America for a few smoke-filled semesters at the University of Vermont. Back in Israel with negligible Hebrew language skills, Solomonov found work at a bakery making traditional breads and pastries. After advancing to short-order cook, Solomonov began to explore the prospects of becoming of chef.

His next move took him to culinary school in West Palm Beach, after which he migrated north to Philadelphia. Solomonov was soon cooking in the French kitchen of Patrick Feury at Striped Bass and under the mentorship of Chef Marc Vetri in his growing Italian empire.

In 2003, Solomonov’s brother was killed while serving in the Israeli army, and the tragedy pushed Solomonov to focus on better understanding his country’s language, food, and culture. After two more years cooking with Vetri, Solomonov took over as executive chef of Steve Cook’s Marigold Kitchen. Solomonov and Cook proved to be a dynamic pair and went on to open Mexican Xochitl and Solomonov’s dream restaurant, Zahav in 2008. The Israeli restaurant is a celebration of Jewish and Middle Eastern cooking, and the passion he poured into Zahav earned Solomonov the James Beard “Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic” award in 2011. The team soon formed Cook + Solo restaurant group and has since opened Percy Street Barbeque and two Federal Donuts locations. In 2013, Solomonov won the StarChefs.com Philadelphia Rising Stars Restaurateur Award.

Proudest accomplishment: Opening Zahav.

Success means: Making our guests happy every night.

How you inspire your team: We play rock paper scissors at line up.

Favorite off-the-beaten-path restaurant: Cafe Soho in Philadelphia.

@ZAHAVRESTAURANT

PHOTO: SHANNON STURGIS

FEATURED EQUIPMENT: VITA-PREP 3 BY VITAMIX

22

PHO

TO

CR

ED

Lafayette | New York, NY

Even when Pastry Chef Jennifer Yee is directing large-scale pastry productions, she manages to pay close attention to every microscopic detail. No doubt her fine arts degree in interior architecture allows Yee to appreciate the scale of any successful design. And the patisserie diploma from London’s Le Cordon Bleu allowed her to apply that sensibility to dessert, a forum where Yee’s flavors, textures, and portions—large and small—are balanced and composed yet always boundary-pushing.

In London, early on in her career Yee garnished daily afternoon tea—a lesson in the delicacy and ceremoniousness of dessert, if ever there was one—at Gordon Ramsay at The Connaught. As pastry supervisor at Yauatcha she worked directly under Stephanie Sucheta and co-managed a team of 10 in the production and finishing of over 400 sweets for the patisserie showcase.

Stateside, Yee sharpened her pastry repertoire at Gilt, where she took charge of the restaurant’s chocolate program. Like a kid in a really fancy, well-stocked candy store, at Aureole, Yee continued to play with texture, temperature, and flavor; her work earned her a 2010 StarChefs.com New York Rising Star Pastry Chef Award. In June 2011, she took a position at The Breslin as pastry chef, and later joined SHO Shaun Hergatt. Today, this seen-it-all chef does it all, as well, playing a dual role at Andrew Carmellini’s latest success, Lafayette, where Yee crafts composed desserts and runs the patisserie.

Hardest thing you’ve had to do: Opening Lafayette because it’s been two things in one—a bakery and a restaurant. There are a lot of different products to deal with, the volume is pretty huge, and although I have worked in a bakery before, this is very, very new to me because most of my experience has been in restaurants.

Proudest accomplishment: As your career progresses, you try to up yourself every time, and this is definitely the most I have done in a single place. I am very proud to be here—to be heading this team and to have the freedom to really create spectacular desserts that are at the same time approachable and delicious.

Success means: Taking pride in your work, and always pushing yourself to do it better.

How you inspire your team: I like working with my cooks rather than bossing them around. We come up with different ideas together, everyone tastes everything before it gets put on the menu, and out in the bakery, I like us to have very open communication.

Jennifer Yee not only does it all, she’s seen it all. From London to

San Francisco and New York; from small to large scale; from The

Connaught and Gilt to Aureole, The Breslin, and SHO, she’s proven

there’s no pastry position she can’t handle. Today, she creates the

composed desserts and runs the patisserie at Andrew Carmellini’s

latest success, Lafayette. Come all Yee pastry faithful and soak up

her super powers and techniques in her Hands-on Workshop.

Pastry Chef Jennifer Yee of Lafayette – New York, NYAdapted by StarChefs.com

@JENYEEPASTRY

PHOTO: ANTOINETTE BRUNO

PHOTO: ANTOINETTE BRUNO

For the Cremet:Whisk together cream cheese and crème fraîche until smooth. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, make a meringue with remaining ingredients, whipping to medium peaks. Fold meringue into cream cheese mixture. Set a shallow, perforated hotel pan in a deep hotel pan and line with cheesecloth. Spread meringue mixture in the cheesecloth-lined perforated pan and refrigerate overnight.For the Cornmeal Cake: Heat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, combine oil, eggs, orange juice, and zest. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix wet ingredients into dry. Transfer batter to cake pan and bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. For the Blueberry Syrup:Combine blueberries and sugar and cook until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens. Pass through a chinois and chill syrup over ice water bath; discard solids. Mix in lemon, cover, and reserve.

For the Pickled Blueberry Sorbet: Combine blueberry purée and Champagne vinegar. Add enough Blueberry Syrup to bring the mixture to 23º to 24° Brix. Cover and reserve remaining Blueberry Syrup in refrigerator. Freeze Pickled Blueberry Sorbet base in ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.To Assemble and Serve:Heat oven to 400°F. Tear off 3 to 4 chunks from Cornmeal Cake and lightly toast in oven. Spread a little Blueberry Syrup in bottom of serving bowl. Spoon 3 ounces Cremet onto center of Blueberry Syrup. Sprinkle blueberries around Cremet, followed by thyme leaves and pinch of Piment d’Espelette. Spoon a small amount of Cornmeal Cake crumbs around one side of Cremet. Arrange toasted Cornmeal Cake chunks around Cremet. Place a quenelle of Pickled Blueberry Sorbet on top crumbs and serve.

METHODCremet: (Yield: 30 servings)672 grams room temperature cream cheese690 grams crème fraîche230 grams pasteurized egg whites 200 grams sugar 2 grams kosher salt 40 grams lemon juice 10 grams vanilla extract 60 grams St. Germain elderflower liqueur Cornmeal Cake: (Yield: 200 servings)1.848 kilograms olive oil 2.376 kilograms eggs2.464 kilograms orange juice Zest of 22 oranges 4.158 kilograms all-purpose flour 3.3 kilograms sugar1.54 kilograms cornmeal198 grams baking powder66 grams salt

Blueberry Syrup: 680 grams frozen blueberries136 grams sugar 13.6 grams lemon juice

Pickled Blueberry Sorbet: (Yield: 100 servings)4 kilograms blueberry purée 300 grams Champagne vinegar

To Assemble and Serve:Fresh blueberries, halved Lemon thyme leaves Piment d’Espelette

INGREDIENTS

24

26

Clover Club | Brooklyn, NYIn the year 2000, against all odds, Ryan Liloia landed his first restaurant gig as busboy at a South Florida sports bar. Over the next decade he mastered this dead-end job and did nothing to advance a career, driven more by complacency than by passion.

In the year 2010, out of boredom, Liloia moved to New York City. He uncharacteristically went out on a limb and applied for a position that he was under-qualified for: barback. During the application process at Lani Kai, Liloia met Julie Reiner who hired him on the spot—as a busboy and food runner. Staying true to himself, he did a hell of a job. Liloia was blown away by the style and quality of the drinks at Lani Kai. He’d never seen fresh juices and lavish garnishes while South Florida-sports-bar-busing. A new feeling poured over Liloia: motivation. Within a year he was made barback.

Enter Mixologist Brian Miller. Miller and Liloia met at Lani Kai. Miller was immediately drawn to Liloia’s work ethic and personality and asked him to barback for his “Tiki Mondays with Miller.” Liloia was quick to oblige. Inspired by Miller and using Tiki Mondays as a launch pad, Liloia experienced a meteoric rise to bartender. With dedication and help from Miller, this unprecedented upwardly mobile career thrust in the life of Liloia landed him a bartending gig at Brooklyn’s cocktail mecca, Clover Club. Today, Liloia can be found slinging cocktails to the masses of thirsty Carrol Gardeners; he’s also an accomplished air-guitarist.

Hardest thing you’ve had to do: The hardest thing that I grapple with, week after week, is waking up on a Tuesday, the morning after Tiki Monday.

Proudest accomplishment: When Clover Club won the award for “Best American Cocktail Bar” [at Tales of the Cocktail]. Yea, that got me pretty stoked.

What you would do differently: I would’ve pushed myself at an earlier age and not just settled for complacency.

What drives you to mix: As cliché as this may seem, it’s gotta be when guests come back time after time for tiki drinks that I turned them onto.

Mixo who inspires you to grow: Brian Miller constantly challenges me. Every time we get down to talking mixology, tiki or otherwise, I learn something new. Also, I’d still be busboy if it wasn’t for Julie Reiner.

@CLOVERCLUBNY

Alongside Brian Miller, Liloia will lead the

Mixology Workshop, The Zombie: What

One Rum Can’t Do, Three Can!

METHOD

In a cocktail shaker with 3 ice cubes, combine lime juice, Don’s mix, grenadine, Velvet Falernum, bitters, absinthe, and rums. Shake and strain into a tiki mug filled with crushed ice. Garnish with mint.

Mixologists Brian Miller and Ryan Liloia of Tiki Mondays at Mother’s Ruin – New York, NYAdapted by StarChefs.com

Yield: 1 cocktail

INGREDIENTS 

¾ ounce lime juice½ ounce Don’s mix (2:1 mixture grapefruit

juice and cinnamon simple syrup)1 teaspoon grenadine½ ounce Velvet Falernum1 dash Angostura bitters2 dashes absinthe1½ ounces Ron del Barrilito Three Star rum1 ounce Lemon Hart 151 rum1½ ounces Appleton Reserve rumMint sprig FEATURED INGREDIENT: RON DEL BARRILITO THREE STAR RUM FROM PUERTO RICO

PHOTO: ALIZA ELIAZAROV

PHO

TO:

ALI

ZA E

LIA

ZARO

V

29

Michael Laiskonis was named creative director of New York City’s Institute of Culinary Education in 2012. Previously executive pastry chef of Le Bernardin for eight years, his pastry philosophy manifested itself in a style of desserts that balanced art and science, and contemporary ideas with classic. Awarded “Outstanding Pastry Chef” in 2007 by the James Beard Foundation, Laiskonis’s work also helped the restaurant maintain three stars from the Michelin Guide and four stars from The New York Times. In his five-year tenure as pastry chef at Tribute in Detroit, Pastry Art and Design twice named him one of the “10 Best Pastry Chefs in America.”

Laiskonis has made numerous web, print, television, and radio appearances. He was named Bon Appétit’s 2004 “Pastry Chef of the Year” and StarChefs.com declared him a New York Rising Star Pastry Chef in 2006. His consulting projects have included a collaboration with the Ritz-Carlton hotels in Grand Cayman, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia through Ripert Consulting, as well as several pastry shops in Japan. A skilled writer who has been published everywhere from Gourmet.com to The Atlantic, Laiskonis is currently at work on a book that will detail his evolution as a pastry chef.

Hardest thing you’ve had to do: Making the leap to Le Bernardin and New York City. I was terrified, but I stayed for eight years. So, I think it worked out in the end!

Proudest accomplishment: The ongoing, daily satisfaction offering advice to young cooks on matters big and small.

What you would do differently: To simply put one extra hour into every day toward cooking, reading, and eating.

What drives you to cook: The short-term satisfaction of the guest. The long-term satisfaction of a cumulative body of work.

Success means: Any grand notion of success relies on all of the small details. I think it was Fernand Point who said cooking is easy. It’s just a matter of executing a lot of small tasks perfectly.

Institute of Culinary Education | New York, NY

Laiskonis will cook in the EAT@ICC Pastry Pop-up

Presented by

@MLAISKONIS

PHOTO: MICHAEL HARLAN TURKELL