Sugar Mama Judiaann Woo

By Rachel Syme

Pastry Chef Judiaann Woo whips up a decadent chocolate pudding that's the perfect end to a light summer dinner.

Photo: Steven Freeman

Judiaann Woo is well on her way to becoming the Nigella Lawson of sweet treats.

By Rachel Syme

Pastry Chef Judiaann Woo whips up a decadent chocolate pudding that's the perfect end to a light summer dinner.

Desserts don’t make people fat,” says Judiaann Woo, pastry chef and executive director of ­PastryScoop.com. “People make people fat. Puddings should be about taste and texture, about the experience—not gluttony.”

Judiaann, 36, has been preaching the wonders of eating regular dessert since founding PastryScoop.com in 2002, the first Web site and online community exclusively dedicated to the art of baking, frosting and whipping cream into frothy white peaks. The South Korean–born pastry chef who moved to Portland, Ore., at age 3wasn’t always obsessed with sweets: “I began my career in advertising and fashion marketing, but I always had this fervent interest in cooking. I just didn’t think I could make a living off of it until I moved to New York 12 years ago and saw that you could have a viable career in high-end food.” Judiaann dove in immediately. An accomplished chef in all areas, she picked pastry as her primary focus at the French Culinary Institute (“I knew I would rise faster in the dessert ranks as a woman—unfortunately that’s how the industry is”). After graduating, she went on to create confections at some of the city’s best eateries, including Bouley Bakery, Mercer Kitchen and Tao.

Then, in 2002, she joined up again with the French Culinary Institute to found the NY-based PastryScoop.com, which now boasts more than 40,000 members. “We celebrate desserts through sharing tips and recipes,” Judiaann explains. “What’s not to love about that?”

Photo: Steven Freeman
For high-quality chocolate, Judiaann recommends the counter at Whole Foods.

And Judiaann is expanding her slice of the pie too, as a contributing editor for Food Arts magazine and host of her own TV show, currently in development. When asked about her favorite indulgences, she’s quick to respond. “Pie à la mode with real ice cream. People have lost the art of the rustic dessert. I like sweets to be retro, homey and filling.” And, like any card-­carrying pastry chef, she also loves chocolate: “It’s a real crowd pleaser. But I stick to only fine brands, like Valrhona and Calibo or anything you can buy at the front counter of Whole Foods.

Outside her own kitchen, Judiaann loves the four-part chocolate tasting at Jean-Georges and the reimagined carrot cake at WD-50. Her best tip? “Choose an indulgence made with the best ingredients, and ignore the calories,” she says.

SOURCE: nypost.com

Click here for her Chocolate pudding recipe. :)

Datebook: New York

By HILARY HOWARD

Foodies who dream of cooking alongside prominent New York chefs like Karen DeMasco, formerly of Craft, Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, or Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit and Merkato 55, might be interested in the New York Culinary Experience. Held Sept. 20 and 21, the event features hands-on classes with top chefs, as well as discussions with experts like Danny Meyer of Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, the Modern and other high-profile restaurants. Hosted by the French Culinary Institute and New York magazine, the event will take place at the institute, 462 Broadway, at Grand Street. Tickets, $1,395, include admission for both days, all classes, breakfast, lunch and a Champagne toast (www.nymag.com/nyce).

From the article: Datebook: Miami, New York and Heidelberg (nytimes.com)

New York's top chefs serve career advice (Part 2)

By: Elizabeth Lazarowitz
for part 1 (see previous blog)


Christopher Lee, 32
Executive chef, Gilt, midtown
If you want to do it right, I always recommend going to school. Schooling gives you a foundation. It teaches you culinary vocabulary and product identification; it gives you the basics of what we do. We teach things in the restaurant, but we teach finishing skills, not basic skills. There's just not the time to do it.
"If you don't have the foundation, which to me is schooling, you're going to be aggravated, and you're going to find yourself most likely leaving the industry, because it's not going to be very kind to you. There are a lot of demands and pressure.
"It takes patience to be a great chef. You've got to understand that you're going to start at the bottom."












Lombard for News


Marcus Samuelsson, 37
Chef/co-owner, Aquavit, midtown; Riingo, midtown
If you're not passionate about food - almost overly passionate - this is a really difficult industry.
"In the beginning, it's as simple as life skills: Showing up on time or early, making sure you dress properly, addressing people that you work for properly. You're an assistant in that kitchen, so really what matters is for you to have a great attitude. Somebody's going to take notice of that and give you a chance.
"People want to do it the quick way, but it takes a long time before it's about you. I found it calming peeling the carrots. I enjoyed cleaning the fish.
"It's all about work ethic, attitude, willingness to be there, commitment to yourself and to the industry. If you have all those things, this is a beautiful industry where you can go anywhere in the world or the country and be welcome."

Source: nydailynews.com

New York's top chefs serve career advice (Part 1)

By: Elizabeth Lazarowitz

Making it in the kitchen as a professional is not nearly as easy as some New Yorkers might think.

Some of New York's top cooks warn budding kitchen commanders that being a chef requires equal portions of business savvy, hard work and food expertise.

Handschuh/News

Anita Lo, 42

Chef/co-owner Annisa, West Village; chef/owner Bar Q, West Village; chef/partner, Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, Flatiron, Greenwich Village

Go work in a restaurant to see what it's like before you spend all that money on cooking school.

"With the advent of the celebrity chef, I think a lot of people think that it's a lot more glamorous than it actually is. You kind of have to pay your dues. I'm lucky to have gotten where I am, but it took a lot of work, it took a lot of sacrifice. I worked six days a week most of my life, and long hours on top of that. You're going to be on your feet the entire time. It's physically demanding. It can be really hot. You're probably going to cut yourself eventually. You're going to burn yourself eventually.

"A lot of people, if they knew what it was like to be working in a professional kitchen, probably wouldn't go to cooking school."

Alex Guarnaschelli, 39

Executive chef, Butter, Greenwich Village

When you're gathering your experience in the field on the road to becoming a chef, do a few things that branch you into the unfamiliar, so that you diversify your skill set. You'll always gravitate to what you love, naturally, but if you get some other types of experiences, that rounds you out. The bigger your skill set, the better.

"It's not a bad idea to get a little serving experience and eat out within your budget because the more experiences you have as a diner, or with the diners, it adds to your cooking. Then, when you cook, you think about how you would feel if you were eating it."

Watts/News

Charlie Palmer, 49

Chef/owner, Aureole, East Side

You need to fully understand the business, because at the end of the day it is a business. If someone wants to be successful as a chef, they have to take the time to understand that some of the failures come from someone becoming a pretty decent cook, but not understanding the financial makeup of a kitchen — the food costs, the labor costs.

"In this day and age, understanding marketing is a huge thing. If you can't market yourself, you're dead, especially in New York City. My hat's off to anybody who's successful in this business, because it's not easy, and the margins are very small.

"There are really no shortcuts to being a good cook. You have to cook a piece of fish a thousand times before you get it. You really have to put in the time."

To be continued....

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com