Frozen grapefruit and orange carpaccio with warm almond cake. Photo by © Liz Steger 2006.

New York, NY. January, 2006—New Yorkers enjoyed an afternoon of sublime desserts featuring Texas grapefruits in FOUR STAR MEETS LONE STAR with executive pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini from famed Manhattan restaurant Jean Georges. Chef and grapefruit were united at this special dessert demonstration and tasting event sponsored by TexaSweet and hosted by PastryScoop.com in the International Culinary Theater at The French Culinary Institute.

A packed house of 80 guests—including PastryScoop.com members, industry professionals, pastry students, and the press—were greeted with Riomosa cocktails of freshly-squeezed Rio Star grapefruit juice and champagne and grapefruit-inspired hors d'oeuvres created by chefs from The FCI.

Following the reception, Chef Iuzzini took center stage, demonstrating versatile flavor pairings and applications for Texas' signature red citrus in a presentation of five different desserts. "It's easy to be creative when working with a superior product like sweet Texas grapefruit," says Iuzzini. Luckily for the audience, he brought along three members of his staff to plate tastings so everyone could try each of his recipes.

The first was a delicate grapefruit-filled honey tart, baked à la minute and served with a refreshing grapefruit-shiso granité and charred blood oranges. Second came a grapefruit mirroir with honey-ginger ice cream, tiny brioche croutons, a chiffonade of Thai basil, and Thai basil oil. Next was a frozen "carpaccio" consisting of a mosaic of grapefruit, mandarin, and blood oranges served with a warm almond cake, garnished with micro bergamot. After that was a grapefruit-tarragon millefeuille layered with a thin rectangle of pâte sablé, topped by a light citrus sponge, glazed grapefruit segments, a leaf of white chocolate, "kisses" of tarragon cream, and another leaf of white chocolate garnished with candied grapefruit rind and a drizzle of tarragon oil. And for the finale, Chef Iuzzini presented a tender chocolate-grapefruit crêpe filled with grapefruit curd and fresh grapefruit, warmed gently in a citrus Suzette sauce, and garnished with Meyer lemon confit.

In the spirit of good fun, Chef Iuzzini sported a bold Texas flag shirt and cowboy hat as he and PastryScoop.com awarded door prizes, courtesy of TexaSweet and All-Clad Metalcrafters. All attendees received copies of the chef's recipes and a goodie box of Texas grapefruit, a citrus zester, and more grapefruit recipes. As a final surprise, the chef also brought along some fluffy grapefruit marshmallows to share with the crowd.

Desserts by Johnny Iuzzini featuring Texas grapefruits included:

• Warm Honey Tart, Grapefruit-Shiso Granité, Charred Oranges
• Grapefruit Mirroir, Thai Basil, Brioche, and Honey Ginger Ice Cream
• Frozen Grapefruit and Orange Carpaccio with Warm Almond Cake SEE RECIPE...
• Grapefruit-Tarragon Millefeille
• Chocolate-Grapefruit Crêpe Suzette with Meyer Lemon Confit

In New York City, Texas grapefruit may be purchased at Whole Foods Market and through Fresh Direct.

To request high resolution photos, email info@pastryscoop.com.

Chef Iuzzini demonstrates the basics of how to properly section grapefruit before moving on to more complicated techniques.		Stadium seating with a large projection screen allowed all 80 guests an unobstructed view of Chef Iuzzini's entertaining and educational demonstration.
A warm honey tart was served with a grapefruit-shiso granité and charred oranges.		Guests had the pleasure of tasting each of the five desserts presented by Chef Iuzzini.		Chef Iuzzini spoons a light glaze on fresh grapefruit as one component of his multi-tiered millefeuille.
Allegra Angelo from Jean Georges plated 450 tastings with the assistance of sous chef Chris Szczeniowski and FCI students.		A finished dessert is presented to the audience before tastings are passed out for all to try.		The six components of Chef Iuzzini's grapefruit millefeuille came together neatly in a balance of flavor and texture.
Guests included members of PastryScoop.com, industry professionals, pastry students, and the press.		Chef Iuzzini with his crew from left to right: sous chef Chris Szczeniowski, Emily Wallendjack, and Allegra Angelo from Jean Georges.		In a show of Texas pride, New Yorker Chef Iuzzini sports a Texas flag shirt and cowboy hat to the amusement of Gary Tucker, senior editor of Food Arts.
From left to right: FCI chefs Lee Anne Wong and Jay Dietershagen; PastryScoop.com's Kate Brown, Raina Bien, and Judiaann Woo; Johnny Iuzzini, Chris Szczeniowski, Allegra Angelo, and Emily Wallendjack from Jean Georges.

About TexaSweet www.texasweet.com

TexaSweet Citrus Marketing, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation chartered under the laws of the State of Texas for the purpose of advertising and promoting the sale of fresh citrus fruit grown and produced in Texas.

About PastryScoop.com

PastryScoop.com is an online resource designed to inspire and educate both pastry professionals and serious amateur bakers. It provides free content on such topics as dessert trends, baking tips, and food events in order to increase overall awareness of the pastry arts and to promote creativity within the field.

Press Contacts
Judiaann Woo, 646-254-8543, jwoo@pastryscoop.com
Kate Brown, 646-254-7550, kbrown@frenchculinary.com