The Cake Couturier

WHAT’S HOT NOW TREND SPECIAL SPOTTINGPRODUCED BY KATE HEDDINGS & CHELSEA MORSE PASTRY EDITION TRAVEL SCOUT SOME OF THE most beautiful cakes in the world don’t come from a Parisian patisserie, but from a bakeshop in Hong Kong run by former Chanel executive Bonnae Gokson. The Cake Luxury in all spheres inspires most of the desserts at Ms B’s Cakery, from a swirled chocolate ganache cake that Couturier resembles fine marble (above, also available in a sugar-free A Chanel exec turned baking version) to a confection covered in sugar flowers designed impresario is creating luxurious in homage to a Dior couture dress. 39 Gough St.; confections in Hong Kong. msbscakery.hk. —M. ELIZABETH SHELDON chester ong ong chester FOLLOW US @FOODANDWINE 27 Trendspotting What’s Hot Now PASTRY of the MOMENT The Eclectic Éclair the PERFECTIONIST A New-Fashioned Bakery Houston’s Common Bond combines impeccable Old World pastries with high-tech innovation. IT STARTED with a simple kugelhopf. “I bit into that little cake for the first time when I was working at Pierre Hermé in Paris, and then I knew Pistachio-orange custard what I wanted to do with my life,” says pastry chef Roy Shvartzapel. Vanilla custard withVanilla caramelized pecans After working at El Bulli in Spain Chocolate custard with shaved chocolate and Bouchon Bakery in Beverly Hills, Raspberry custard with meringue and crispy wafers he has now opened Common Bond in his hometown of Houston. There, he uses high-tech gear (like precision cake carvers with powerful water jets) to create incredible breads, tarts and pastries. Yet the most popular is “We look to history to rework classics like the éclair, his low-tech version of the kugelhopf (below), studded with brandy- then go forward with something new.” soaked raisins. wearecommonbond PASTRY CHEF JOHNNY IUZZINI ON LE MÉRIDIEN HOTELS NEW ÉCLAIR MENUS ’ .com. –CHELSEA MORSE éclairs: le meridien hotels & resorts; dessance; dessance; & resorts; le meridien hotels éclairs: smith ralph pastry: dorelli; françoise the RENEGADE A Sweet Bistro The multicourse menus at Paris’s Dessance are dedicated to sweetness. THE LINE BETWEEN savory chefs and pastry chefs is blurring, and nowhere is that more evident than at Paris’s Dessance. Former pastry chef Christophe Boucher creates traditional multicourse meals, but each dish, from amuse- bouche to main course, contains naturally sweet ingredients. For instance, Boucher tops white tuna with a peach emulsion. 74 Rue des Archives; dessance.fr. –MES DECEMBER 2014 30 FOLLOW US @FOODANDWINE Trendspotting What’s Hot Now F&W 2014 PASTRY HONORS BEST NEW Sarah Rich RICH TABLE, SAN FRANCISCO PASTRY CHEFS She is a genius at transforming familiar American desserts F&W editors ate desserts around like s’mores, always adding a savory the country to spot trends—and find ingredient—fresh herbs, for instance—to these five outstanding pastry chefs. balance out a bit of the sweetness. BY KATE HEDDINGS Sam Kincaid FORK, PHILADELPHIA The daughter of a farmer, Kincaid is inspired by what she calls “the cadence of a growing season,” creating complex desserts that combine disparate flavors. Bitter Almond Cream The base for this sauce: house-made liqueur prepared with apricot pits steeped in brandy. Roasted Nectarines Kincaid uses a tiny ring cutter to punch out the fruit. Amaretti Cookies Chocolate Ganache Marshmallow Baby Tarragon “I roll the dough like The ganache is “I pipe marshmallow “The chocolate gnocchi, then toss poured over almond onto the ganache, ganache and the cookies in raw butter crunch on then brown with marshmallow need sugar before baking.” a big tray, then cut a blowtorch. It tastes a fresh herbal out with ring molds. exactly like Fluff aspect to tie them from the jar.” together.” “I ‘write’ and ‘rewrite’ every dessert each time I return to it.” SAM KINCAID FORK , kincaid: jason varney (2); rich: alanna hale (2) alanna (2); rich: varney jason kincaid: DECEMBER 2014 32 FOLLOW US @FOODANDWINE Trendspotting What’s Hot Now Jared Bacheller L’ESPALIER, BOSTON “I love being playful, nostalgic, even silly,” says Bacheller, creator of “Through the Forest” (below). His whimsy coexists with a serious fascination with science. Japanese Namelaka “I caramelize white chocolate to make this creamy, eggless custard.” Coriander Cake Toasted coriander flavors meringue- based cake. Poached Pears “We poach Boscs in pomegranate puree for great color.” Soaked Raisins “These are just regular Sun-Maids, steeped in verjus.” “Mushrooms” “Moss” Cake “Maple Leaf” Tuile The stems are made Chestnut flour and The cookie batter with candy-cap- green tea flavor gets blended mushroom-infused this cake, which is in a Vita-Prep and cream; the top is blended in a Vita-Prep, dehydrated, rather a marshmallow. then microwaved. than baked. Greg Mosko NORTH POND, CHICAGO Mosko has a unique Jen Yee global perspective, combining LAFAYETTE, NEW YORK CITY elements like a Japanese Yee’s plated desserts custard with verjus-soaked are homey and crowd- raisins and coriander cake. pleasing, as are her perfectly executed pastries. “I don’t crave foams and gelées,” she says. Amped-Up Raspberries Yee fills them with her own raspberry jam. White Chocolate Ganache ”I use Valrhona Ivoire, but the real secret is glucose syrup, which keeps the texture ultra smooth.” Pistachio Macaron She makes the batter by folding Italian meringue with a paste of pistachio flour, sugar and egg whites. “Sometimes I miss my tweezers, but who am I kidding?” JEN YEE LAFAYETTE , mosko: nathan michael (2); bacheller: michael piazza; piazza; michael (2); bacheller: michael nathan mosko: (2) fecks noah yee: schlubach; christian pastry: bacheller DECEMBER 2014 34 FOLLOW US @FOODANDWINE.

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