

You can flavor them in so many ways, and it’s a good way to impress friends. The work-to-reward level with marshmallows is very high. And you let it cool, cut out the marshmallows and you’re done. Cool the syrup to 212 degrees and pour it into a standing mixer along with gelatin, whip it together and pour it into a brownie pan, like you would with Jell-O. You mix corn syrup, sugar and water, and boil it to about 250 degrees, which makes it firmer. The best thing for someone getting into baking to make: marshmallows. What was the first dish you ever cooked yourself? And what is the best dish for a neophyte cook to try? The first thing I ever made was biscuits when I was really little. I purée apple sauce and dried apples, and flavor it with dried strawberries. I make it as authentic to my childhood memories as possible. I use a pâte brisée, like a short bread but a little mealy, with a dried fruit paste filling. The inside should be as dry as a fruit roll up. Real Pop-Tarts have nothing to do with jamminess or flakiness. In most recipes, Pop-Tarts become turnovers, with a superflaky pie crust, but I think the people who write those are from an alternative universe. What's a dish that defines your cooking style? Pop-Tarts, because they demonstrate what the nostalgic foods of our childhood are supposed to be. For a long time, I had impostor syndrome because my career didn’t follow the traditional trajectory. It made me incredibly insecure so I worked a lot harder, because I knew no one was going to correct it for me or show me what to do. Looking back, I always wished that I had. When I came for an internship, the pastry chef preemptively quit, and ever since then I’ve never worked under anyone.

I learned all the basics, and then I lucked into a scenario where I became the executive pastry chef at a restaurant. I went to culinary school right out of high school. F&W Star Chef » See All F&W Chef Superstars Chef: Stella Parks Experience: Table 310, Lexington, KY Holly Hill Inn, Midway, KY Education: Culinary Institute of America Who taught you how to cook? What is the most important thing you learned from him or her? No one really taught me to cook.
