Dessert Ideas

[Blade55440]

I recently had a chance to enter a dessert competition for students in the area and I have to say I chickened out, but I did come up with a few ideas I'd love to share here and see what people think, any ideas on how to maybe make it more elaborate, presentation, etc...

Anyway, to get to the point the competition's theme was "south american cuisine". I decided to go with a dessert tapas with 3 items (couldn't decide which ones I wanted though).

Here's some of the ideas I had.

A cold soup "shooter" -
This idea was about as vague as it could get (sorry). I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it exactly, whether I wanted to do some kind of a tropical fruit gaspacho type deal, or do a viccisous (please forgive my horrible spelling) from papaya perhaps.

Dessert Tamale -
My first problem was to figure out what I would do for the "crust" of the tamale. I didn't know whether to go with a sweetened corn dough, or switch it for short dough, pie pastry, or even phyllo, couldn't make up my mind. For the filling I was thinking a mango compote.

Tostone with ice cream and sauce (or) compote -
I'd never worked with plantains and had always wanted to so I wanted to try and do a tostone chip with a small quenelle of ice cream and either a sauce or a compote spooned over. This is where I couldn't make up my mind. I didn't know whether to make a tropical fruit (probably papaya) ice cream with some kind of sauce drizzled over, or to go with a more plain vanilla ice cream, and spoon a papaya compote over it.

If I could find my notebook I'd write out the rest of my ideas, but sadly I can't.

Ideas? Suggestions? Comments?

Is it all complete crap? Or does it deserve a second thought?

[sucrechef]

I like the ideas and find them interesting, but you need to be very careful when entering contests or designing new menu items for a restaurant. I can't comment more without knowing more about the actual contest. Just be careful that when you come up with an item that it is what the judges (or restaurant diners) want and not what you would like to see. Although the judges (and exec. chefs) often say they want you to think or be outside the box...more often than not, a slight variation on a "comfortable" dessert will "take the cake".

[chrose]

Originally Posted by sucrechef

Although the judges (and exec. chefs) often say they want you to think or be outside the box...more often than not, a slight variation on a "comfortable" dessert will "take the cake".

I agree with SC here, actually with his whole post. I like your thinking too. It shows creativity and originality keep that moving forward.
However it was my experience in Alaska that as cosmopolitan and modern as they want to show themselves, the whole area is still about 5-7 years behind everyone else. Granted that thre are a few chefs in the area that are up to date, just like SC said "comfortable" is where they're at.

And next time, don't chicken out. Show your ideas! Even if it's too far ahead of where they are, it's good practice and ultimately will be noticed! And remember elaborate rarely wins. A skunk wearing a bow may be prettier than the next skunk, but it still smells like a skunk

[momoreg]

Great comments already.

Blade,

You have a lot of creative energy, which is great.

I have a problem with regards to naming things something that they're not. A Vichysoisse (sp?) is made with potato, and without that, it simply isn't vichyssoise. A tamale should have corn, etc...

I don't know if Mexican food (or for that matter, French) would have qualified as South American, so bear that in mind when you finally do enter.

I do think that what's more importanat than the name (tamale, tostone, etc.), is the ingredients. If you can focus on what ingredients come from a particular S. American country, you can really exploit those flavors, and design your plate around that, rather than around the name of something vaguely S. American.

You have some fun ideas, and I hope that you enter the next contest. Thanks for sharing!

[Mangilao30]

I agree with the comments and I am not a chef but eat out a lot. Two nights ago the hubby and I went to dinner and had a porcini cannelloni. It had mushrooms in it but the "cannelloni" was not long and cylindrical it was square and made with a cross between a puff pastry and phyllo. My point, I was disappointed even though it tasted fine. Another time I was eating another cannelloni, thin slices of apple rolled into a tubular shape and filled with fresh dungeness crab meat. Again disappointment since there was no pasta.

The previous posts are right: tweak a little....less is more here.

[panini]

One question.
Did you go to the competition? That should have told you if your ideas fit.
Attending as many competitions as possible will keep you from chickening out.
pan

[Blade55440]

Originally Posted by momoreg

I have a problem with regards to naming things something that they're not. A Vichysoisse (sp?) is made with potato, and without that, it simply isn't vichyssoise. A tamale should have corn, etc...

I don't know if Mexican food (or for that matter, French) would have qualified as South American, so bear that in mind when you finally do enter.

I do think that what's more importanat than the name (tamale, tostone, etc.), is the ingredients. If you can focus on what ingredients come from a particular S. American country, you can really exploit those flavors, and design your plate around that, rather than around the name of something vaguely S. American.

First I do realize that a name does give you a pre-concieved idea of what a dish is supposed to be (or contain), but I was still brainstorming mainly at that part of the phase (I'm not good at names heh).

You do have to think though that like the mediterranean there are a number of countries that border it, not just the ones that immediately come to mind. With that same idea in mind, many countries in S. America have European "conquerers" and heritage, If I'm not mistaken there are a number of heritages down there including: dutch, french, portugese (main I believe), spanish, etc...

I was hoping to pull from some of the more unthought of inspirations in the continent.

What else...hmmm

Oh yeah, I did chicken out yes (for the one person who asked), I know that I shouldn't have, but I feel that I need to concentrate more on this semester right now seeing as I'm close to the end of my program.

As for the cuisine and how far behind everything is, I realize this and I wasn't even really hoping to win, I just was wanting to go out there and do my own thing, and see what people thought, win or lose. I figure if I can't get a good grasp on creativity early in my career, when will I?

Once again, thank you all for your comments, and please, keep them coming.

[panini]

Blade,
Don’t take this the wrong way. I would really like for you to go back and quickly read your post and the first three responses.
You threw out some ideas. All three posts had something positive to say. Then their opinions were given.
The people that posted to you all have the credentials to be judging competitions. They all new where you were headed with your thinking and I think they spoke to it quite well. Read again and make like the responses were coming from judges after a show.
Find the time to at least go to competitions. I’m in this 30 + years and still get in the car and travel and run through a show and return home.
When your brainstorming, build 2 boxes. Let your ideas reach out past the inside box, but don’t let them cross the outside box.
Good luck
Pan

[chrose]

Originally Posted by Blade55440

As for the cuisine and how far behind everything is, I realize this and I wasn't even really hoping to win, I just was wanting to go out there and do my own thing, and see what people thought, win or lose. I figure if I can't get a good grasp on creativity early in my career, when will I?

Once again, thank you all for your comments, and please, keep them coming.

Again don't take this the wrong way, but let's shoot straight here. From an outside point of view made only based on the information at hand with no knowlege of you personally you want to get a grasp on your creativity early on. It's very difficult to reach the heights of your ability without a lot of experience and background. There is so much to see and to know and until you actually go out there and make attempts win, lose or draw you'll only touch the tip of your potential.
You say you realize that Anchorage is a few years behind the times, so why not go out to win then and push them into the 21'st century. I did that many years ago in Anchorage. I came in 2nd place in a Chocolate contest with a unique dessert that to this day I have not seen anywhere. It was an amazing use of chocolate if I do say so myself. The winning item was a chocolate truffle cake that had it's day 4 years prior. I was disappointed that they were so behind, but I got a nice prize (actually for me it was a better prize than 1st place so I made out better!) but I was able to get them thinking and I know for a fact that I moved that area up a couple of years in their thinking.
So don't make excuses, just go out and do it. You would be amazed at what can win and how much thinking and precision and knowledge can go into a simple bowl of ice cream in a competition as an example.

[cakerookie]

Listen to them they can help you a lot, they have me. Don't know where I would be without their input at times.I respect and admire them all. They have a wealth of knowledge you can gain from that. Sorry guys, had nothing to do with the post just passing through and it caught my eye. CH, Pan how ya doin?

[Harpua]

anything with pomegranite sorbet.