Art of the Hearth

Putting the Art and Heart into Baking

By: John O’Connell Jr, C.C, C.P.C



Bread has been a staple in many cultures for centuries, bread has been held in religion as a sacred symbol. Bread has been the staple food of the poor and the noble a like, and bread has even been used as a trencher or absorbent plate in the middle ages what we now know as a bowl or bread and butter plate in our modern ages. For centuries bread was fermented using the used grapes from wine, or the foam skimmed off the top of beer to begin the fermentation process. It was allowed to ferment developing that beautiful flavor that any true bread connoisseur has come to love and appreciate also known as organic acids (Lactic and Acetic). As the dough fermented under the bakers watchful eye, he stoked a hot wood fire under a stone making sure that the stone was red hot so the bread can develop a nice crust from the heat. But over time the simple ingredients of Flour, Salt, Yeast, and Water has been bastardized by the addition of chemicals and additives to sustain the life of bread. Additives that destroy the very beauty which is baking, cutting down fermentation time and baking time for convenience. The argument for the commercial whole sale bakers is it saves on labor time and labor cost; they continue that argument with our bread last longer. Look at Artisan bread, 90% of bread use something called a preferment to help sustain and enhance the flavor and life of bread. Sponge, Pâte Fermenté ,Poolish and Biga’s have been used for years before the introduction of Absorbic Acid and Potassium Bromate. In fact most Commercial Bakeries don’t even follow the rules of artisan baking, products are not scored or baked properly and some of the bakers don’t have the appreciation or passion for bread that a true artisan baker has. Now not all commercial bakeries are “anti artisan” bakers. King Arthur Flour in Vermont is an amazing resource for Artisan Baking and does a very nice product.

Getting into Artisan Baking is not hard at all. You just need Flour, Yeast, Salt and Water combine with a little knowledge, a baking stone, clean metal nuts and bolts, meat loaf pan, scissors, and the passion for baking. Not to forget the Digital Scale, and Oven; and your all set. There are a lot of resources and books out there that can get you on your way to baking real artisan bread in no time at all. I would suggest checking out books written by a good friend of mine and one of my mentors when it comes to bread baking Chef Ciril Hitz. Chef Hitz has been recognized as one of the top pastry chefs in North America and is arguably one of the best artisan bakers in the world, currently he serves as one of the Department Chairs of the International Baking and Pastry Institute at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. I would also check out Chef Peter Reinhart another JWU chef instructor who has one numerous awards including a James Beard Award for Best Cookbook. There are also many classes you can take at different schools around the country.



Once you catch the bread baking bug you’ll never go back to processed loaves again. Don’t have the time to bake, support your local artisan bakers. Till next time: MAKE BREAD NOT WAR!!!

Back to the Cutting Board:

Refining the Techniques of Cookery

By: John O’Connell Jr, C.C. C.P.C

Finesse [noun]- refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture.
Throughout my training every chef that I have ever studied under, worked with, or been around has always said the same thing. “What sets you a part from the person next door is that little extra.” But what is that little extra? Is it attention to detail, better ingredients? The answer is all of the above. But as the fame Chef Thomas Keller has said “The Respect for Food is a Respect for Life; of Who we are and What we do.” The idea of respecting food comes in different areas, one it comes from knowing our product, where its from, what it’s flavor and texture is, and lastly what can it pair with. Second we must know how to cook that product to make the product even more appealing by it’s self in it’s natural state. This is where the skills and techniques of cookery come into play. You don’t poach a chicken breast with skin on, you give that chicken breast the love and attention it deserves. You sear that chicken breast skin down in a HOT skillet with butter (clarified or whole) or canola oil (not olive oil, don’t waste your money). You sear that breast till it is nice a firm, nice crunch, a beautiful golden brown color; basting it with the cooking fat with a spoon to help cook the other side and develop flavor. You listen to the pan sizzle as you put that cold chicken breast down onto the HOT skillet. Season generously with Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Salt. And viola you have an amazing singular dish with no sides that taste great and look great. Add in some honey glazed beta carrots (local) some nice truffled pommes puree, and a nice natural glace of chicken stock with roasted mire poix and bones, maybe finished in the pan that you seared in; there you have a complete dish. But to add more technique into his dish we could macedoine the carrot, tournee the potato and pan roast them with some clarified butter you now have a more skill driven dish that looks great.

But as I look at more and more menus and more and more photos of food from restaurants proper techniques have been lost. Knife Skills are almost non existent and skillets are being replaced by immersion circulators. Has the art of cookery been lost to the science of cookery? If anyone has ever had the pleasure of partaking in competition or has done certification then you would understand the appreciation for the proper execution of techniques. To show understanding of skills to refine the basics of cooking you can amazing even the most complex mind. In a conversation with three CMC’s not so long ago they gave me an inside look to what it takes to be a CMC. The secret to pass this rigorous test is simple; just execute the techniques the recipe calls for.

SIMPLICITY

By refining the techniques that are at the backbone of our trade we can improve on the mission of food, making it memorable for our guest. By refining our skills we can provide a more simplistic appeal with uniformity in knife cuts, proper execution of cooking techniques. By refining our skills we refine our food and keep it simple for the diner. In today’s gastronomic world simplicity is out the window, people are too concerned with the Achatz and Adria food of molecular gastronomy (another debate in itself) that they lost sight of the rest of the ingredients in good cooking, Technique and Flavor. Simple food is Delicious food, I am not saying that Grant Achatz’s food is not delicious heck the man has more James Beard Awards and Nominations then I’ll ever have. By going more advanced with food you need to know more about your diner and flavor palate of those people. Putting too many flavors on one plate can confuse the palate that the meal could become un-enjoyable to the guest. But simplicity in food the proper execution of techniques can impart the same if not more powerful emotional reaction in food that molecular gastronomy does to their diners.

TESTING YOUR SKILLS

I challenge anyone to test their skills, hone them. You can test your skills in different ways. First competition, competition I believe is the best way to test, hone and learn skills. But be warned sometimes competing can become addicting. By competing your putting yourself in a situation that offers critical feedback and also test your mental toughness. Second, take a certification exam. Certification can offer a lot for your career, by becoming certified your proving to your diners you know what your doing. Certification like competition provides critical feedback to the participant and validates if you have refined your skills. And lastly do your own skills inventory, practice each one of the cooking techniques and put it in front of one of your colleagues. Practice your knife skills and incorporate them into your menus. Challenge your brigade at work to do the same. Remember you’re only as strong as your weakest link. By taking pride in your skills through refinement you are doing that little extra that the guy next door is not.