July 24, 2009, Newsletter Issue #163: The Give and Take of Culinary Magic

Tip of the Week

Okay, so you’ve got it all figured out. You’re going to take cooking classes in New York City . Congratulations! Do you have any idea where you want to be in five years? That’s always a hard question to answer. Before you have to answer it in a job interview. Give it some consideration on your own time. Working in the culinary field can be as broad or as specialized as you want. You could focus your energies to pastry, chocolate, breads, gourmet cuisine, or keep your skills open to all of these things. For now, let’s talk a little about what it means to be a pastry chef.

There’s something sinfully joyous about going to the bakery. Eavesdrop on conversations and you might hear it in someone’s voice, the way they say bakery usually sounds more like baaakereee. You can almost hear the mmmmmmm sound behind it. Visiting the bakery is a wonderful experience if you’ve got a sweet tooth or if you’re a carbaholic. First, there’s that heavenly assault on the senses. Your sense of smell is heightened, the mouth salivates and your eyes practically squint against the colors and creations behind the counter. It’s enough to make you weak in the knees. Experiencing that reaction in people must be worth its weight in gold to a pastry chef.

So where do you want to put your culinary energy? Pastry doesn’t have to be your "thing" to experience and witness the same kind of wonder in your customers. All you need to do is put the passion into your cooking. Whatever you put into your specialty, you’re sure to get back. The important thing is to find your niche, then knead a little magic into it.

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