On Chefs and baking.......

    Most chefs I know (including myself) for one reason or another tend to neglect the concept of baking and pastries. I took baking and pastry courses in culinary school not by sheer interest but because it was a requirement. I'm not saying that we as chefs should master the art of baking but we should at least possess a basic knowledge of the subject. Baking and pastry is an everyday part of the kitchen which is why we have talented pastry chefs and bakers out there. This still doesn't give us an excuse as chefs to be uneducated on the subject. I was recently inspired by a chef who I'm staging for. Everyday the chef bakes the bread for dinner service as well as the pastry items on the dessert menu. He's a very talented restaurant owner/chef and speaks about baking and pastries with the same passion as he does about his cooking. After talking to him and seeing his passion and dedication to his craft I have decided to make a conscious effort to develop my knowledge of baking and pastry arts. Here's an italian flat bread I made using an adapted recipe from the chef.