PreGel 5-Star Pastry Series®: 2017 Recap


PreGel’s 5-Star Pastry Series® welcomed extraordinary talent in 2017. Hosting four powerful seminars led by high-caliber talent, students experienced the magnetizing style of Chef Antonio Bachour, part owner at Bachour Bakery & Bistro, in his captivating April appointment covering Modern Entremets and Petit Gateaux, demonstrating:

  • Techniques to create a variety of entremets and petit gateaux.
  • Important aspects of flavor diversity and how to incorporate a range of flavors into your buffet.
  • The significance of texture variation in each dessert.
  • Techniques to decorate dessert items and presentation of an upscale buffet.

Chef Francisco Migoya, Head Chef at Modernist Cuisine, followed up in June with a fascinating lecture in Modern Methods and Techniques in Plated Desserts and Petit Fours. In this seminar, students enjoyed the experience of learning:

  • Emphasis on flavor forward desserts.
  • How to improve classic methods to achieve new results.
  • Science in the kitchen focusing on the structure and composition of pastry ingredients.
  • How to better understand the functionality of science and how to manipulate it.
  • Plated desserts as a form of architecture, textures, and flavors.

Adding to the collection of superior talent was accomplished pastry chef, Lauren V. Haas, department chair for the International Baking and Pastry Institute, Johnson & Wales University, Providence,
Rhode Island. Taking students on a gastronomic classroom adventure, Haas led an electrifying seminar in Innovative & Alluring Boutique Pastries, where students obtained knowledge in:

  • Techniques to create a variety of entremets, petit gateaux, and petit fours.
  • Important aspects of flavor diversity and how to incorporate a range of flavors into your pastries.
  • The significance of texture variation in each dessert.
  • Techniques to decorate dessert items. Presentation of an upscale buffet.

Rounding out the pool of culinary talent was Chef Michael Laiskonis, creative director of New York City’s Institute of Culinary Education. The highly-accolated chef elevated students’ knowledge with a seminar aptly named “Pre-Desserts to Mignardises: A Journey with Chef Michael Laiskonis”, teaching:

  • The benefits of offering pre-desserts and mignardises in conjunction with an effective dessert program.
  • A variety of techniques and recipes to create enticing petit fours and confections.
  • A look into the role of individual ingredients in successful dessert recipes.
  • Flavor diversity and texture variation to create an appealing variety of sweets.
  • PreGel experienced an energizing 2017, setting the precedent for what’s to come in 2018