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| Photo by chicagomag.com |
Gale Gand is a nationally acclaimed pastry chef, cookbook author, restaurateur, and television personality.
In 1994, she was one of Food & Wine’s “Top Ten Best New Chefs.” She was then recognized in 2001 as “Outstanding Pastry Chef” by the James Beard Foundation, and “Pastry Chef of the Year” by Bon Appetite magazine.
Gale has been the Executive Pastry Chef and partner of “TRU” restaurant in Chicago for over 12 years. TRU offers French cuisine at its finest. Some of Gale’s mouth-watering desserts include “honey crisp apple beignet with vanilla ice cream, and a mango, champagne, huckleberry trio of sorbet and orange confit.”
The Food Network asked Gale to host its first all dessert show called “Sweet Dreams.” This was one of my favorite shows to watch. I can still remember her making her famous sugar “boing boings.” She caramelized sugar and wound it around a stick. When it cooled, it looked like a long curly stick of sugar used to garnish desserts.
In 2008, two of Gale’s desserts were featured at the USA House at the Beijing Olympics. She has also taught pastry and baking at her children’s schools. What lucky kids they are!
If that is not enough, Gale has her own root beer company! She is a huge fan of root beer and produces “Gale’s Root Beer,” a cinnamon, ginger and vanilla infused root beer. I don’t know about you, but that sounds awesome! She also makes a good vanilla cream soda. Her products can be ordered on-line.
Here is one of Gale’s recipes that she used to make at a restaurant she owned called “Osteria di Tramonto.” It’s called Almond Ciabatta French Toast:
3 eggs
2 pinches salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ almond extract
1¼ cup milk
¼ cup heavy cream
Eight 1-inch slices ciabatta
1 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
Heat a griddle to medium low heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs well. Whisk in the salt, sugar, vanilla, almond extract. Gradually whisk in the milk and the cream. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish. Working in batches if necessary, place the bread in the dish and let soak for 3 minutes, then turn and soak on the other side.
Place the almonds in a shallow bowl big enough to fit the bread slices. Butter your griddle and let the butter bubble. Just before placing the soaked bread slices on the griddle, press one side of the bread into the almonds then quickly slap it on the griddle, almond side down. Cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes, then flip to the other side and cook until speckled golden brown. Serve hot.
Gale was once asked if she hadn’t been a pastry chef, what would she have done for a living? Her response was “a classical guitar player or a garden landscaper.” I’m so glad she decided to be a pastry chef!
For more recipes and fun facts about Gale, you can visit www.galegand.com
Pam
Source: galegand.com
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