Jamie Ronan, Pastry Sous Chef, Food for Thought Catering, Chicago,IL

Where did you get your start?
Okay, so I started out as a live in nanny and loved to cook for the family, desserts being my fave. I went to the French Pastry School to learn more about classic French desserts.

I�ve worked in restaurant kitchens most of all.

What and Who are your greatest influences?
My greatest influences would be Pierre Herme and Oriol Balaguer .

Who do you consider your mentors?
My mentor would be En Ming Hsu.

Do you keep up with pastry in the media? How?
Media up keep, I read a lot, go to the latest hot spot, several times over if it�s really good like Nomi and Scylla.

Are you a cook book reader? What are your favorites?
Cook books I love are The Food Lovers Companion and Devil in the Kitchen.

Tell us a little about how your day goes?
Daily Grind- I get in @ 6:45 a.m., look over my prep list., �Place� every thing out, go to town so to say on some of the major things, assign my assistants some of the rest. Place my orders, print up menus, go over them with Chef etc�

What gear do you use in the kitchen? What’s your go to
tool you can’t live without?
Gearing up- Love my bowl scrapper, can go where no other spatula can. And my baby off set is a charmer for me all the time.

Do you have a favorite dessert item that you make?
Sweet on preparing plated desserts with a lot of beautiful and innovative components. Like cellophane sprinkled with edible flowers right out of the oven. That would accent a nice hazelnut mousse covered in shinny mirror glaze and silver leaf flecks.
I like to make different gastrique�s and powders. I feel it gives the plate depth and creativity with out being sloppy.

Pave

Crust:
8oz. milk chocolate
8oz. praline paste
2cups fieutine flakes

Mousse:

1# 12oz. white chocolate, armed slightly.
12oz. milk
1 vanilla bean split- heat with milk
3 cup whip cream w/ 1tsp. cinnamon
6 sheets gelatine- bloomed

Combine all ingredients for the crust, melt over a double boiler.
Spread onto a half sheet pan, lightly sprayed with pan spray.
Dust with cocoa powder. Freeze for half of an hour.

Whip cream and set aside in cooler. Heat milk with vanilla bean.
Warm the white chocolate, pour the milk over this, squeeze the gelatine
And toss into the milk mixture. Whisk over an ice bath, when cool fold in
Cream. Pour and spread onto crust. Put in cooler for 3 hours.

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