Workshops are demonstration based and open to amateurs and professionals of all levels. Attendees may sign up for one, two, or three workshops. Each workshop is $50 plus a $5 service fee per registrant.
Venture beyond tiramisu and cannolis with Nicole Kaplan's delicious and elegant desserts. As the pastry chef of Mario Batali's Del Posto, her creations are a harmonious blend of the traditional cucina classica style of Italian cuisine and a contemporary American approach that emphasizes sophisticated presentation, quality of ingredients, and purity of flavor.
OH MY GOSH, GANACHE Kir Rodriguez, The French Culinary Institute
10:00 am – 12:00 pm, The FCI's Pastry 1 Kitchen
You may think you know ganache, but wait 'til The FCI's Chef Kir Rodriguez has his way with this heavenly mix of cream and melted chocolate. He'll transform a basic recipe with some easy modifications to make many, many desserts, like chocolate pudding, chocolate mousse, chocolate truffles, chocolate parfait, chocolate soufflé, and other chocolatey delights… Need we say more?
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Whole Foods Market Presents
DELICIOUS ALTERNATIVE BAKING Dianne Rossomando, The French Culinary Institute
10:00 am– 12:00pm, The FCI's Pastry 2 Kitchen
Eating healthily and living well need not mean a life without dessert (or even worse, bad dessert!). But can a dessert be better for you and delectable enough to leave you wanting more? Chef Dianne Rossomando of The FCI will show you that you can have your cake and eat it too. Learn how to turn your favorite baked goods into delicious and wholesome creations with alternative fats, vegan and gluten-free ingredients, and reduced fat and sugar, and still make it taste like the treat it was meant to be. Come on, life's too short to live without!
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Satin Ice Presents
TOPSY TURVY CAKES Ron Ben-Israel, Ron Ben-Israel Cakes
10:00 am - 12:00 pm, The FCI's International Culinary
Theater
Ever wonder how they make those popular topsy turvy cakes? Those tipsy stacks on top of stacks that look like they're about to tumble away? Despite their precarious appearance, these cakes are anything but haphazard. Putting one together requires a lesson in both architecture and artistry. Cake designer extraordinaire Ron Ben-Israel will reveal the secrets behind these structural stunners as he assembles, decorates, and deconstructs one right before your very eyes.
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DECORATING WITH ROYAL ICING Victoria Love, The Water Club
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, The FCI's Bread Kitchen
Whether it's piped or flooded, tinted, or gilded, royal icing (a simple mix of confectioners' sugar and egg whites) can be used to create the most delicate and intricate of decorations, including flowers, borders, lettering, and three-dimensional lace and scroll-work structures. Pastry chef and seasoned cake decorator, Victoria Love will teach you the basics of mixing, coloring, and working with royal icing to add whimsical touches and fancy flourishes to everything from simple cookies, to wedding favors, to the grandest of wedding cakes.
PAYARD: UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN Eric Estrella, Payard Patisserie and InTent
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, The FCI's Pastry 1 Kitchen
Eric Estrella, who for years oversaw operations for François Payard's renowned eponymous pâtisserie on Manhattan's Upper East Side, has migrated downtown as pastry chef of Payard's newest venture, the intimate NoLIta restaurant InTent. He'll present classic pastries and confections from the bakery along with a sampling of InTent's more formal plated desserts, inspired by the diverse cuisines of the Mediterranean.
GLORIOUSLY CHEESY DESSERTS Deborah Racicot, Gotham Bar and Grill
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, The FCI's Pastry 2 Kitchen
Artisanal cheese, one of the hottest ingredients out there, makes a sweet appearance in elegantly crafted desserts by pastry chef Deborah Racicot. Imagine goat's milk crème caramel with cherries, sweet focaccia with figs and sheep's milk feta, and fresh ricotta tarts with local berries, just to name a few. Go beyond cheesecake and mascarpone fillings and learn how to incorporate fine cheese into sophisticated desserts that are sure to soon become classics.
E. Guittard Chocolate Presents EXPERIENTIAL DESSERTS Will Goldfarb, Room 4 Dessert
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, The FCI's International Culinary Theater
As chefs look more and more to science to create art, industrial food technique and technology have transformed the modern kitchen into something akin to a laboratory. Only now, the experiments are yielding far tastier results. Join pastry provocateur Will Goldfarb as he shares with you his innovative, thematic dessert tastings in a session that can only be described as experiential. The experience is yours for the taking, if you dare!
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When his Ovaltine kulfi hit the scene at Spice Market, Pichet Ong became one of the most talked about pastry chefs in the city. He'll show off some favorite recipes from his soon-to-be-released cookbook The Sweet Spot (due out on May 22nd) which brings together a mix of desserts in his signature style: American goodies—accented with passionfruit, ginger, and other Asian fruits and spices—and traditional Asian sweets, like sesame balls and mango sticky rice, that have been adapted to suit an American palate.
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Twenty-six year old Alex Stupak may be few in years but he's heavy on talent. Since his arrival last summer from Grant Achatz's much lauded Alinea to Wylie Dufresne's equally acclaimed wd~50, Stupak has kept the übermodern tradition alive with desserts as intriguing as they are innovative. See his cutting edge methods up close and personal and get a sneak peak at some new techniques still in development.
PARTY PASTRIES & CAKES FOR KIDS Martin Howard, Brasserie 8½
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm, The FCI's Pastry 2 Kitchen
Here's a proven fact: kids love dessert. Surprise the sweetie pies in your life—pint-size and full-size—with the most amazingly creative cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and party treats they've ever laid their youthful eyes on. Pastry chef and kid-at-heart, Martin Howard, will teach you the ABC's of baking, assembling, and decorating like a true pro. You're sure to have a fun and delicious time!
DESSERTS FOR JEAN-GEORGES Joe Murphy, Jean-Georges Management
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm, The FCI's International Culinary
Theater
In the name of dessert, Joe Murphy travels around the world—from New York to Paris, to London, the Bahamas, to Shanghai, and back again—to make sure the last course at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's famed restaurants meets the high expectations of both the exacting chef and discriminating diners. Experience the world-class creations and learn the techniques that separate the every day from the extraordinary in this very special
presentation.
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