Culinary Corner: An interview with Pastry Chef Amanda Burgess of Sweet Escape Bakery

Sweet Escape Bakery is the vision of Owner and Pastry Chef Amanda Burgess, who is yet another talented culinary artist making our upcoming Gingerbread Benefit a success. I’ll warn you ahead of time that she’s a little mysterious in her interview–I simply can’t imagine what her Gingerbread house will look like, but I know it will be absolutely amazing! Wanna chance to check out Burgess’ creation? Be sure to purchase your tickets TODAY.

 

Sweet Escape Bakery's Owner and Pastry Chef Amanda Burgess

What or who inspired you to become a pastry chef? I have always loved baking and creating.

When you start a project do you have a vision or goal in mind, or do you figure it out as you go? I generally have some level of a vision to begin with and then it’s a work in progress.

What are your three favorite ingredients to work with?  Chocolate, fondant and more chocolate!

What will the inspiration for your gingerbread house be? I’m planning to do something around a child’s view of the Christmas spectacle.

What are the most challenging aspects of being a pastry chef? I would say that one of the bigger challenges is taking someone’s vision and bringing it to reality.

When do you feel most rewarded for your work? I feel most rewarded when I see a client’s face and know I’ve exceeded their expectations.

 

The 9th annual Gingerbread Benefit is to be held on December 1, 2011 at the Umstead Hotel and Spa. Tickets for the event are available online at
https://tfsnc.org/index.php/gingerbread-benefit/purchase-tickets-online

Buy now–before the event sells out!

Check us out on Facebook!

Culinary Corner: An interview with Chef Ilya Koltusky of Sweet Loralee Pastries

Each year, the Gingerbread Benefit gives area pastry chefs an opportunity to share their creative gingerbread masterpieces with our event attendees. It’s interesting to see the various shapes, sizes and forms the gingerbread houses take on–indicating the sheer genius and vision of their creators. Pastry Chef Ilya Koltusky of Sweet Loralee Pastries uses his Ukranian heritage as inspiration to create his gingerbread Byzantine church. I can’t wait to see what it looks like!

Chef Ilya Koltusky of Sweet Loralee Pastries

What or who inspired you to become a pastry chef? Who do you look up to in the field? I have wanted to be a pastry chef ever since 1968 when I walked into the Minnedosa Bakery in Minnedosa, Manitoba, Canada with my mother who took me there after a dental appointment for a raspberry filled donut. I also think Julia Child, Jacques Pepin and Martha Stewart are some of America’s best bakers.

What will the inspiration for your gingerbread house be?  I want to do a Byzantine style church (my heritage is Ukrainian) and use the domed churches that I grew up with on the prairies as inspiration. I have a computer whiz making the templates (the son of my assistant). I love rolling out the gingerbread dough by hand.  I always look forward to making it as we only make it during the Holidays.  By the end of the Holiday season I don’t want to see it again for another year. I usually hot sugar the pieces together so the structure becomes sturdier.  You have to work quickly to do this.

What is your favorite ingredient to work with? One favorite ingredient would be meringue.

When do you feel most rewarded for your work? I feel most rewarded for my work when someone comes into my shop telling me that the cake they ordered for their recent birthday was the best they ever had.

The 9th annual Gingerbread Benefit is to be held on December 1, 2011 at the Umstead Hotel and Spa. Tickets for the event are available online at
https://tfsnc.org/index.php/gingerbread-benefit/purchase-tickets-online

Buy now–before the event sells out!

Check us out on Facebook!

Culinary Corner: An interview with Pastry Chef Sherry Stolfo of the Chef’s Academy

Chef Sherry Stolfo is a Pastry Chef instructor at the Chef’s Academy, an accredited culinary school located in Morrisville NC. Stolfo is using our Gingerbread Benefit as a learning opportunity and is collaborating with her students to plan their gingerbread house for our Gingerbread Benefit. I can’t wait to see what they come up with!

Chef Sherry Stolfo of the Chef's Academy

What or who inspired you to become a pastry chef?  My Father – I followed in his footsteps – 2^nd generation Pastry Chef. My Father, Rinaldo Stolfo, is 80 years old and still works in his bakery that he opened over 50 years ago. Now that’s passion!!

When you start a project do you have a vision or goal in mind, or do you figure it out as you go? I always have a vision, the path may change a bit by the time I’m done, but I always start with a plan and visualize what I am trying to accomplish!!

What are your three favorite ingredients to work with?   Sugar, cream and eggs

What will the inspiration for your gingerbread house be? If you’re unsure, how will you plan and prepare for the Gingerbread Benefit?  This will be a class project for my Pastry students, we will collaborate and come up with a plan.

What are the most challenging aspects of being a pastry chef?  Balancing work and family and the weather!

When do you feel most rewarded for your work?  When it is appreciated and enjoyed by others.

The 9th annual Gingerbread Benefit is to be held on December 1, 2011 at the Umstead Hotel and Spa. Tickets for the event are available online at
https://tfsnc.org/index.php/gingerbread-benefit/purchase-tickets-online

Buy now–before the event sells out!

Check us out on Facebook!

Culinary Corner: An interview with Pastry Chef Lorie Murray of Simply Cakes

I can already smell the fresh baked gingerbread after  reading this interview with Chef Lorie Murray of Simply Cakes. It’s clear that Murray is truly passionate about her career and seems just as excited about our Gingerbread Benefit as we are! We feel so lucky to have her participating this year and I personally can’t wait to see her Raleigh-inspired gingerbread shops!

Pastry Chef Lorie Murray of Simply Cakes

What or who inspired you to become a pastry chef? I grew up in a family of foodies, before anyone knew what foodies were!  My step mother was my main influence in culinary growing up.  She and her mom had a catering business and they would make these wonderful meals, and deserts. Christmas time was a joy, with homemade candies, cookies, gingerbread, and these wonderful holiday meals!  I also loved to paint and sculpt. So I decided to go to college to learn design.  I also discovered while I was raising my own family, my love for cooking and baking continued.  When I would have dinner parties, I would spend hours planning my plating designs using my art skills and love of cooking combined.  My friends often told me that this loved showed through in my food.  I took a couple of college courses and classes with famous cake decorators because I was fascinated by the sculpted side of cake decorating.  I found I could combine both my love of art and cooking into one.  To this day, I still find myself spending hours planning cakes and dreaming up new methods!

Who do you look up to in the field? Nicholas Lodge and Mike McCarey.  I have taken classes with Nicholas Lodge and he is an incredible teacher, an amazing artist and an inspiration to me.  His flowers are the most beautiful I have ever seen, with such attention to detail.  Mike McCarey has the most incredible eye for making cake not look like cake.  To have his talent!

When you start a project do you have a vision or goal in mind, or do you figure it out as you go? A lot of my planning is in my head, as I am very visual.  If its an unusual project, I will draw it out first or research.  Most of the research is on the structural side.  Sometimes I just sit down with a pile of layer cake and start carving away from what I see in my head.

What are your favorite ingredients to work with?
Chocolate cake and gum paste!

What will the inspiration for your gingerbread house be? If you’re unsure, how will you plan and prepare for the Gingerbread Benefit? My team and I are working on the idea of a set of shops.  We would love to honor how the city of Raleigh has revised itself into a place to not only work, but good food, good shopping and great entertainment.  

What are the most challenging aspects of being a pastry chef? Heat and Humidity!  They drive me crazy!

When do you feel most rewarded for your work? Ah, the smiles on the faces of people admiring your work and tasting your food.  There is nothing better than bringing that kind of happiness to a person, especially when you are doing something you love.

 

The 9th annual Gingerbread Benefit is to be held on December 1, 2011 at the Umstead Hotel and Spa. Tickets for the event are available online at
https://tfsnc.org/index.php/gingerbread-benefit/purchase-tickets-online

Buy now–before the event sells out!

Check us out on Facebook!

Culinary Corner: An interview with Pastry Chef Jill Leckey of the Fearrington House Restaurant

It might be too early to play holiday music in the office, but all this talk of our Gingerbread Benefit has the entire TFS staff in the holiday spirit! By the way–did we mention that we’re reeeallly excited for the event? It’s only 30 days away! Many of the area’s top chefs are preparing to create tasty masterpieces to auction off at our event. Last week we introduced our “Culinary Corner” posts with an interview with Chef Daniel Benjamin of Herons Restaurant. This week, we’re honored to introduce pastry chef Jill Leckey of the Fearrington House Restaurant. Reading her interview, I can’t wait to see what her gingerbread house will look like!

Jill Leckey, Pastry Chef at the Fearrington House Restaurant

What or who inspired you to become a pastry chef? Who do you look up to in the field? I have always just loved being in the kitchen and creating delicious things. Jacques Torres was my first employer right out of pastry school. I still look up to him, and have great admiration for his amazing pastry and chocolate skills.

When you start a project do you have a vision or goal in mind, or do you figure it out as you go? I usually try to come up with a general idea of how I am going to accomplish the goal. Then I am open to let the idea evolve and change if need be.

What are your three favorite ingredients to work with?
Dark chocolate, star anise and scented geraniums

What will the inspiration for your gingerbread house be? I think that I am going to try and create a gingerbread house that has some sort of structural or design element that I have never attempted to create before. I love to challenge myself with things that I might not be able to do, but am willing to attempt.

The 9th annual Gingerbread Benefit is to be held on December 1, 2011 at the Umstead Hotel and Spa. Tickets for the event are available online at
https://tfsnc.org/index.php/gingerbread-benefit/purchase-tickets-online

Buy now–before the event sells out!

Check us out on Facebook!

Culinary Corner: An Interview with Chef Daniel Benjamin of Herons Restaurant

Only 44 days are left until our 9^th annual Gingerbread Benefit! Our office is filled with busy little elves preparing for the holiday event who are getting more excited minute by minute!  Of course, we can’t have a Gingerbread Benefit without gingerbread houses and we are honored that some of the area’s top pastry chefs have agreed to participate this year. In fact, we’re so thrilled that we’d like to offer you a little preview of what’s to come, and share the masterminds behind the masterpieces of the Gingerbread Benefit.

Meet Daniel Benjamin of Herons Restaurant at the Umstead Hotel and Spa

Pastry Chef Daniel Benjamin of Herons Restaurant at the Umstead Hotel and Spa

What or who inspired you to become a pastry chef? Who do you look up to in the field? I don’t think I was inspired by any one thing, or person; it just seemed very natural.  [I look up to] anyone who doesn’t give up and keeps trying to do better and new things, but can also keep a respect for things from the past.

When you start a project do you have a vision or goal in mind, or do you figure it out as you go? I generally do not like to just figure it out as I go.  I usually have a vision in my head.

What are your three favorite ingredients to work with?
Smart people with a sarcastic dry sense of humor
Really nice fruit
Nuts, particularly pecans, pistachios, almonds, and hazelnuts

What will the inspiration for your gingerbread house be? At this point in time I think I will be making a “tree house” I have a vision of it in my head finished, but am not sure how my team and I will build it.

When do you feel most rewarded for your work?I feel rewarded when I get to see people eat our creations and they make that face that says, “This is really good,” and then you see them make the person they are with taste it too.

The 9th annual Gingerbread Benefit is to be held on December 1, 2011 at the Umstead Hotel and Spa. Tickets for the event are available online at
https://tfsnc.org/index.php/gingerbread-benefit/purchase-tickets-online

Buy now–before the event sells out!

Check us out on Facebook!