Canonne Teaches Innovative Techniques at ACF Convention
French Pastry School co-founder, Chef Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F., taught members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) how to twist a classic dessert into an innovative classic at the national convention in Orlando, Fla., on Aug. 1, 2015. The French Pastry School of Kennedy-King College at City Colleges of Chicago was invited to teach its recipes on behalf of Plugrá European-Style Butter, a sponsor of ACF meetings throughout the year including the Baltimore and Indianapolis conferences in 2014. More than 500 professional culinarians came from across the nation to learn and participate in the workshops in Orlando.
Canonne demonstrated how to make a modern version of baba with an exotic syrup, vanilla cream mousseline, and a mango and passion fruit gelée. Attendees gained insight into the techniques used to make semiliquid yeast proof dough, custard cream, mousseline, agar-agar and gelatin-based gelée.
Canonne emphasized the importance of using high-quality ingredients such as Plugrá European-Style Butter. “Plugrá Butter has 82 percent butterfat, combined with a lower concentration of water,” he said. “It’s this combination that makes cakes rise higher, cookies crisp and pie crusts turn out flakier, giving your desserts a delicious taste and texture.”
Canonne and The French Pastry School share the ACF’s goal to provide educational programs to enhance professional growth for all current and future chefs. With over 18,000 members, the ACF is the largest professional chefs’ organization in North America and provides cutting-edge resources that keep members involved with the culinary industry. Information on upcoming events and opportunities with the ACF may be found at www.acfchefs.org.