THE QUEEN OF TARTS ... AND MORE SHERRY YARD CAPTIVATES WITH HER LUSCIOUS DESSERTS.Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor Sherry Yard is the queen of gorgeous desserts and a Hollywood pastry star. You might find the executive pastry chef A pastry chef or pâtissier is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, and other baked goods. They are employed in large hotels, bistros, restaurants, and bakeries. of Spago Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. shopping for an assortment of colorful fruits at local farmers' markets  It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. or in the pastry kitchen mixing up a pot of vanilla cream, chocolate ganache ga·nache n. A rich icing made of chocolate and cream heated and stirred together, used also as a filling, as for cakes or pastry. [French.] or lemon curd. ``Desserts are my life - making them, eating them and teaching others how to prepare them perfectly,'' says Yard, adding that she has created hundreds of fancy desserts over the years, many for Hollywood movie and television industry parties including the Governors Ball after the Academy Awards telecast. Although many - in a rainbow of colors and flavors - appear to be sophisticated, all are based on simple techniques and ingredients. Now Yard shares them in her recently released cookbook, ``The Secrets of Baking,'' (Houghton Mifflin; $35.95). Her goal is to make baking accessible - and remove the fear, mystery and guesswork for everyone. ``I wanted the recipes (do-able) so even my mother could understand them, and the pictures to look good enough to eat right off the page,'' adds Yard. Unlike its counterparts, each of 12 chapters (i.e. Ganache, Caramel, Curd curd the proteinaceous part of milk precipitated by rennin. Usually contains some fat when whole milk is used. , Vanilla Sauce, Financier, Pound Cake & Genoise ge·noise n. A delicate buttery sponge cake. [French, from feminine of genois, Genoese, after Genoa.] Noun 1. , Pate a Choux Noun 1. pate a choux - batter for making light hollow cases to hold various fillings pouf paste, puff batter batter - a liquid or semiliquid mixture, as of flour, eggs, and milk, used in cooking , etc.) is based on a master or foundation recipe with variations or other creations emanating from it along with a family tree of related recipes. Diagrams are included to give cooks a quick, easy-to-understand overview. For instance, ``by varying techniques and tweaking tweaking Vox populi Fine-tuning to produce optimal results ingredients, you can turn basic ganache (chocolate and cream) into a truffle truffle (trŭf`əl) [Fr.], subterranean edible fungus that forms a mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationship with the roots of certain trees and plants. The part of the fungus used as food is the ascoma, the fruiting body of the fungus. , a glaze, a frosting frosting the slight graying of the haircoat around the face, particularly muzzle, in dogs with aging and as a regular feature of some breeds such as the Belgian shepherd dog. , a mousse, a tart, a warm drink or a frozen pop,'' writes Yard. While all recipes in a single chapter are in the same genre or belong to the same family, they don't all rely on the master recipe. A 13th chapter includes innovative restaurant-style dessert creations - like Frozen Hot Chocolate Tower, Mini Lemon Souffle souffle /souf·fle/ (soo´f'l) a soft, blowing auscultatory sound. cardiac souffle any cardiac or vascular murmur of a blowing quality. Tarts With Blackberry Granita gra·ni·ta n. A granular dessert ice with a sugar-syrup base, usually flavored with fruit purée, coffee, or wine. [Italian, from feminine past participle of granire, to make grainy, granulate and Creme Brulee Apricot Tart With Lavender-Vanilla Sauce - made with different master recipe components. ``Baking is both an art and a science,'' points out Yard, adding that precision measuring and high-quality ingredients are important for consistent results. ``In baking, cooks need to understand ingredient ratios.'' Not just a cookbook, the 395-page tome is jam-packed with a wealth of useful information - mini lessons on food science, time-saving and ingredient tips, a glossary of baking terms, a list of ingredient descriptions and uses along with a list of baking tools and names and addresses of suppliers. So even if you don't Even If You Don't is a single released by the band Ween in 2000 on Mushroom Records. Formats Enhanced CD single Includes the quicktime video of "Even If You Don't" directed by Matt Stone & Trey Parker of "South Park". feel like baking, you can learn a lot about techniques and food chemistry. Yard also spells out her bakeshop rules. ``Efficiency is key to a successful kitchen. Clean your station as you go. Make yourself aerodynamic. Buy the best. Taste ingredients as you go. Brush your teeth often.'' Yard, who describes herself as a transient flavor person, varies her dessert menus with the seasons - and is constantly trying new flavor combinations to surprise and please customers. For those intimidated by baking, Yard suggests starting with the easy Chocolate Financier cake and Master Ganache (recipes included here). With one book under her belt, Yard is already thinking about writing a series of dessert books. But that's after she returns home from a three-week whirlwind book tour (now in its second week) throughout the country. Natalie Haughton, (818) 713-3692 natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com CHOCOLATE FINANCIER WITH GANACHE AND RASPBERRIES (On the cover) 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 10 ounces high quality bittersweet bittersweet, name for two unrelated plants, belonging to different families, both fall-fruiting woody vines sometimes cultivated for their decorative scarlet berries. chocolate, finely chopped 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream Noun 1. heavy whipping cream - cream with a fat content of 48% or more double creme cream - the part of milk containing the butterfat 2 1/2 cups almond flour OR almond meal (look for almond flour in specialty or Middle Eastern markets; or grind chilled almonds in a food processor with a metal blade until as fine as possible, but not until it reaches butter) 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 7 large egg whites, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla Master Ganache (recipe follows) Fresh raspberries Place oven rack in center of oven. Spray a 10x2-inch round cake pan with pan spray, line with a piece of parchment paper, then coat paper lightly with pan spray. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until solids separate and brown to a dark golden color, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool at room temperature until it reaches 70 degrees F, about 30 minutes. Don't chill; it needs to remain liquid. Set aside. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Immediately pour hot cream over chocolate. Tap bowl on counter to settle chocolate into cream, then let stand 30 seconds. Using a ribber spatula spatula /spat·u·la/ (spach´u-lah) [L.] 1. a wide, flat, blunt, usually flexible instrument of little thickness, used for spreading material on a smooth surface. 2. a spatulate structure. , slowly stir in a circular motion, starting from center of bowl and working out to sides. Stir until all chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Set aside at room temperature to cool to 70 degrees F. Sift together almond flour, all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt into bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or use a large bowl and hand mixer. Turn mixer on low speed and mix dry ingredients 30 seconds. Add egg whites all at once and mix on medium speed 3 minutes. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla and mix 30 seconds. Add melted butter all at once. Be sure to scrape in all browned bits from bottom of pan. Mix 30 seconds on medium speed, then turn mixer to high speed and mix 3 minutes more, scraping down sides of bowl well. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 15 minutes. Rotate cake for even browning and bake 15 minutes more, or until a toothpick toothpick, n a wood sliver used to cleanse the interdental space. toothpick, balsa wood, n a triangular wedge of balsa wood used to clean the teeth interproximally and stimulate the interdental gingival tissues. inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then invert in·vert v. 1. To turn inside out or upside down. 2. To reverse the position, order, or condition of. 3. To subject to inversion. n. Something inverted. onto rack, remove cake pan and parchment and cool completely before decorating and serving. Wrapped airtight, financier will keep at room temperature up to 2 days or in freezer up to 2 weeks. To decorate cake, using a pastry bag and tip, pipe swirls or puffs of Master Ganache around outside edges of cake. Fill center with fresh raspberries; chill until set. Refrigerate re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. any leftover cake. Makes 1 cake. NOTE: Cake in photo was baked in a 9-inch round cake pan. MASTER GANACHE 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate 1 cup heavy whipping cream Using a serrated serrated /ser·rat·ed/ (ser´at-ed) having a sawlike edge. serrated (ser´āted), adj having a jagged or notched edge; saw-toothed. knife, finely chop chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof heat·proof adj. Unaffected by heat. Used especially of plastic, glass, or ceramic utensils that may be used directly over a flame or in an oven. bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Immediately pour boiling cream over chopped chocolate. Tap bowl on counter to settle chocolate into cream, then let stand 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a circular motion, starting from center of bowl and working out to sides. Be careful not to add too much air to ganache. Stir until all chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. It may look done after 1 minute of stirring, but keep going to make sure it's emulsified. Let ganache stand at room temperature until it cools to 70 degrees F. (about 15 minutes in a 65-degree F room). Speed up the process by pouring ganache out onto a clean baking sheet (thinner layers cool faster), if desired. Once ganache reaches 70 degrees F, it is ready to be used. At this point, it can also be covered and stored in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Makes about 2 cups. FUDGE FONDUE Fondue is back. This chocolate version is perfect for dipping pieces of fruit, cubes of cake or cookies. 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate 1/2 cup sweetened sweet·en v. sweet·ened, sweet·en·ing, sweet·ens v.tr. 1. To make sweet or sweeter by adding sugar, honey, saccharin, or another sweet substance. 2. To make more pleasant or agreeable. condensed milk 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped orange peel Fruits to dip: crisp fresh apple wedges, juicy pear wedges, bananas, fresh cherries, strawberries, etc. Cookies or cake cubes for dipping Using a serrated knife, finely chop chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces and place in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring milks to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour over chopped chocolate. Tap bowl on counter to settle chocolate into cream, then let stand 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a circular motion, starting from center of bowl and working out to sides. Stir until all chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. When chocolate has melted, insert a thermometer. When the temperature reaches 98 degrees F, add orange peel and stir to incorporate. Serve fondue immediately with assorted fruit, cake and cookie dippers Noun 1. Dippers - a Baptist denomination founded in 1708 by Americans of German descent; opposed to military service and taking legal oaths; practiced trine immersion Church of the Brethren, Dunkers Baptist denomination - group of Baptist congregations , or let cool, cover with plastic wrap, and store in refrigerator (reheat Re`heat´ v. t. 1. To heat again. 2. To revive; to cheer; to cherish. Verb 1. reheat - heat again; "Please reheat the food from last night" in top of double boiler). Makes 1 2/3 cups fondue; about 6 servings. VARIATION: Spike milk with 2 tablespoons rum, Grand Marnier OR Poire William. LIME FONDUE This is a fun twist on traditional curd. The butter in the master recipe has been replaced with condensed milk to create a flavor reminiscent of key lime pie Key lime pie is a dessert made of key lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk in a pie crust. The pie is topped with meringue, then baked until the meringue is a golden brown.[1] Some key lime pies use other types of whipped toppings or none at all. . The mixture is pulsed in a food processor, and the resulting texture is very creamy and smooth. Serve as a dip for cookies and tropical fruits such as mango, papaya papaya (pəpī`ə), soft-stemmed tree (Carica papaya) of tropical America resembling a palm with a crown of palmately lobed leaves. , roasted pineapple and caramelized bananas. 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons finely grated lime peel 4 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 1 cup fresh lime juice 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1 cup sweetened condensed milk Assorted fruits for dipping Fill a medium saucepan 3/4 full of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Combine sugar and lime peel in a food processor and pulse until sugar is light green and very fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk together lime sugar, eggs and egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl. Place bowl over simmering water and whisk 1 to 2 minutes, or until sugar dissolves. Whisk in lime and lemon juices. Cook, whisking continuously, about 5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape sides and bottom of bowl from time to time. Insert a thermometer and check curd's temperature. Curd is done when it has the consistency of sour cream and a temperature of 160 degrees F. Transfer curd to a clean food processor or a large bowl. Add condensed milk and pulse or whisk until texture is homogenous homogenous - homogeneous , about 1 minute. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Serve fondue immediately or refrigerate for later use. If not using immediately, place bowl over an ice bath and stir occasionally until cool. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week. Use fondue as a dip for assorted fruits, cookies, cake pieces, etc. Makes 4 cups fondue, 8 to 10 servings. THUMBPRINT LIME MELTAWAYS 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus up to 1/2 cup for dusting, as needed as needed prn. See prn order. 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1 1/2 cups Master Lemon Curd (recipe follows) A few hours before making cookies, prepare brown butter: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until solids separate and brown to a dark golden color, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature, then chill in refrigerator until solid. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream brown butter on medium speed until cream-colored, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and paddle. Add 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and salt. Cream on medium speed until smooth and free of lumps, about 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl and paddle. On low speed, add flour. Beat until just incorporated. Do not over-beat. Scrape down sides of bowl. Remove dough from mixer, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. At this point, dough will keep nicely, tightly wrapped, in refrigerator up to 1 week or in freezer up to 1 month. (Thaw frozen dough at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until you can pinch off pieces.) To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Move rack to lower third of oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Flour your hands. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Place balls 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Press your thumb into each ball creating a concave Concave Property that a curve is below a straight line connecting two end points. If the curve falls above the straight line, it is called convex. center. Continue to flour your hands as needed to prevent dough from sticking. Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately dust with a generous amount of powdered sugar. Let cookies cool, then fill indentations with Master Lemon Curd (using a pastry bag and tip) and serve. Makes about 2 dozen cookies. MASTER LEMON CURD Use this version of lemon curd as a filling for pies, tarts, cakes and cookies. Thin it to make a sauce or whip it with whipping cream for a topping. 2/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons finely chopped OR grated lemon peel 3 large eggs 4 large egg yolks 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes Prepare an ice bath using a large bowl to hold the ice. Fill a medium saucepan 3/4 full of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Combine sugar and lemon peel in a food processor and pulse until sugar is yellow and very fragrant, about 1 minute. The friction of the machine heats up peel, releasing its oils into the sugar. Combine lemon sugar, eggs and egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl and whisk together 30 seconds to distribute sugar evenly, which prevents premature coagulation coagulation (kōăg'y  lā`shən), the collecting into a mass of minute particles of a solid dispersed throughout a liquid (a sol), usually followed by the precipitation or . Place bowl over the simmering water and immediately begin whisking. Whisk continuously 15 seconds, or until sugar dissolves. Add lemon and lime juices and cook, whisking continuously, about 5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape sides and bottom of bowl from time to time. Insert a thermometer and check curd's temperature. The curd is done when it has the consistency of sour cream and a temperature of 160 degrees F. Transfer curd to clean food processor or large bowl. Pulse while you add butter, piece by piece, or whisk it in by hand. Once all butter has been added, pulse or whisk 10 seconds, or until texture is homogenous. Strain curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and set in ice bath to cool. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of curd to prevent a skin from forming. Stir curd occasionally until it has cooled completely. At this point, curd can be used or refrigerated re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. in an airtight container up to 1 week. Makes about 2 cups. NOTE: For a richer curd, increase butter to 1/4 pound (1 stick). Recipes from ``The Secrets of Baking,'' CHEF PROFILE ...SHERRY YARD Age: 40 Profession: Executive pastry chef, Spago Beverly Hills and other Wolfgang Puck restaurants and businesses. Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y. Food background: Yard begin her career at the Rainbow Room in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. while attending the hospitality management program at New York City Technical College. Her interest in baking led her to the Master Baking Program at the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y. After graduation, she worked at Montrachet and Tribeca Grill in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . She moved west in 1989, landing in the pastry kitchen at Campton Place Hotel, San Francisco, for four years and after that at Catahoula in Calistoga for a year. Then it was on to Spago Hollywood and Beverly Hills, where she has been for the last nine years. In 2002, she was named Outstanding Pastry Chef of the Year by the James Beard Foundation The James Beard Foundation is a New York-based national professional non-profit organization named in honor of James Beard that serves to promote the culinary arts by honoring chefs, wine professionals, journalists, and cookbook authors at annual award ceremonies and providing . Pastry style: Fresh and yummy. European twisted with American flair. Most popular desserts she makes: Lemon souffle, Kaiserschmarren, chocolate-glazed caramel-filled tart. Three favorite foods: Ice cream, cookies, champagne. Favorite junk food junk food n. Any of various prepackaged snack foods high in calories but low in nutritional value. junk food : Pink's hot dogs Pink's Hot Dogs is a well-known hot dog restaurant located in the Hollywood district of the city of Los Angeles; they are also sold at Hollywood Park Casino in Inglewood, California and at the Zanzibar Cafe in the Aladdin Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip (The Aladdin is now . Favorite thing to cook and eat: Potato knishes. Food she dislikes: Peanut butter. Secret food passion: Spago executive chef Lee Hefter's sweet corn agnolotti Agnolotti ('priest hats' in Italian) is a kind of ravioli made with a small round piece of flattened pasta dough, folded over with a meat and vegetable stuffing inside. They are prepared by either poaching them or by browning them in a frying pan with butter. with white truffles. Favorite kitchen gadget: Her tool box is filled with everything from blow dryers and spice grinders to heat guns and thermometers. Pet peeve: ``People who say it can't be done - because anything is possible.'' Favorite cookbook: Original ``The Joy of Cooking Joy of Cooking can be:
What does she do when she's not baking?: Goes driving in her turquoise T-Bird convertible. If she couldn't be a pastry chef, what would she be?: A lounge act. The worst part of being a pastry chef is: The wardrobe. - N.H. CAPTION(S): 4 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) On pastry's A-list Spago's Sherry Yard casts desserts in a starring role (2 -- color) Serve a choice of Fudge or Lime Fondue with assorted fresh fruits, whole or sliced, for dipping as an easy dessert. (3 -- color) Delicious Thumbprint Lime Meltaways are filled with Lemon Curd. (4 -- color) no caption (Sherry Yard, author of ``The Secrets of Baking.'') Photos by Tina Burch/Staff Photographer Box: CHEF PROFILE ...SHERRY YARD (see text) |
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