Welcome to the sweet life: a guide to Baking and Patisserie

The human tongue can sense four flavours; sour, bitter, salty and sweet. Half of us have a tendency of not eating sweets at all and half of us have a tendency of being addicted to sweets. I feel having a sweet tooth is the best thing; one has a variety of options to soothe their tongue. Some of us crave for sweets when we’re not well or when we feel low; they act as an energizer for us. For some of us, sweets are the best gift for our loved ones, be it lovers, friends or family, sweets bring a smile to everybody’s face. Too much of anything is not good for the body though and the same goes for sugar as well thus creating an even bigger market for sugar free products for health conscious individuals.

The world of Pastry has evolved in the last few years. Traditional Indian sweets or ‘mithais’ are slowly being replaced with French pastries. The pastry world offers an array of flavors, textures, colors and shapes and something to satiate everybody’s taste buds. Thanks to social media, and aggressive sales and marketing of various patisseries, every household is aware of Belgian chocolates, fondant cakes, mousse cakes, macaroons and so much more. With such an increase in demand for the products, the number of pastry chefs is also on the rise to keep up with the ever growing demand. After all, no celebration or festival is complete without a few sweet treats!

There are broadly three main categories in the pastry and baking world. Bakery consists of baked goods such as fresh bread, breakfast pastries, cookies, puffs, etc. Pastry consists of cakes, entremets, petit gateauxs, mousse cake and other cold desserts. Last is the confectionary section which consists of macaroons, chocolates, pate de fruit, nougat and other sugary delights.

Working in a Bakery or Pastry shop is no piece of cake. It requires passion for the art, guidance under good pastry chefs coupled with access to great ingredients and equipment to be successful in the field. Baking is no more just a hobby. With the advent of many great pastry academies and colleges many students are turning towards pastry as a profession. So get those aprons out and start whipping up a storm as the pastry world is only going to grow bigger, bolder, better and off course sweeter!

Comments

Survival guide with just 5 ingredients - Chef Shailesh

I think we’re lucky, really lucky because we live in a civilized and urban world where nearly everything we wish to eat can be easily delivered to our doorstep using an app. The saying “No one knows a man better than his grocer” may well have been usurped by “no one knows a man better than his food delivery app”. Consider also that talented chef’s today are experimenting and creating Indian haute cuisine in an attempt to command respect globally. Such cuisine is truly Indian but when presented looks identical to the highest quality French cuisine . Chefs are pushing boundaries and opening boutique restaurants where Indian favourites like butter chicken aren’t even on the menu. At such restaurants, the traditional Indian naan is being served stuffed with blue cheese which at times leads first-time diners to inform the chef that the cheese in the naan is spoiled! Yet undeterred, Indian chefs continue to push the boundaries of Indian cuisine. But while the lifestyles of us big city dwell...

Hobbies to inculcate: Patisserie Making

Hobby is a great way to relieve stress. It brings joy and enriches our lives. It is a stress-reliever and engages an individual for relaxation. Hobbies help an individual to become more patient and composed. It lets an individual to relax and indulge in activities, that aren’t associated with work or other responsibilities. Baking is a great therapeutic activity for a person who loves to cook new recipes. Activities liking baking pastries and cakes stimulates an individual’s sense of taste and can also be a pleasant surprise for others too. Baking not only gives pleasure but it also helps to ease depression and anxiety. There are several schools for baking and pastry classes, where students learn to make cakes and pastries for weddings and special occasions. Acts as a meditation therapy Baking is a simple and repetitive activity which relaxes the mind and therefore acts as a meditation therapy. Whipping up cream and butter and whisking eggs creates a space ...

All About The Fine Art Of Baking

This existence is fleeting and if one had to hold it by the reigns, the task would be as humongous as Hercules, moving the mountain. Yet as a part of human nature, we are prone to test our waters and perseverance, to achieve the unthinkable. And such is our hunger for life that it surpasses every other aspect of existence- we are beasts guided by the fancies of our senses. With eyes we view our acquisitions, with ears we pick up the cues to safeguard ourselves, through nose, we guide ourselves out of unpleasantness and through skin we comfort ourselves of this existence. But wait……..aren’t we missing something? Oh yes- the tongue. The organ that houses all the nerve endings, connected to the finer things in life- including baked goodies. Starting from savoury lasagnes to sweet chocolate covered cookies to healthy baked sweet potatoes- oh! how those baked goodies taste in your mouth? Salivating, eh? And while we can daydream endlessly about baked decadency melting in our mouth,...

Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts

Search This Blog