Q & A with Dahlia Narvaez of Mozza

by Elena North-Kelly on May 06, 2012

Together with her mentor Nancy Silverton, pastry chef Dahlia Narvaez has crafted some of the most legendary desserts in the city of Los Angeles. We got in touch with the 2012 Outstanding Pastry Chef nominee to look back on how she joined the restaurant industry and find out which sweet on the Mozza menu is her favorite.

JBF: As a native of Los Angeles, did any of the food of your childhood inspire what you make now?

DH: I actually didn't grow up with a ton of homemade desserts. Dessert just wasn't something my mother made. But she did made good food, getting complex flavors out of simple ingredients.

JBF: We read that you once fudged your résumé and talked your way into your first professional kitchen, the Conga Room. Can you tell us a little more about that?

DH: That probably was not the smartest thing I've done for my career—after ten minutes on my first day, it was clear that I had no... Read more >

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On Monday, the Empire State Building Will Glow Orange and Yellow for JBF

by Anna Mowry on May 04, 2012

All those flashing camera bulbs on the red carpet won’t be the only things lighting up for this year’s Beard Awards.

On Monday, the day of the Awards gala, the iconic Empire State Building will beam orange and yellow, two colors that have special meaning for JBF. The walls of the Beard House were painted orange when James Beard resided there ("It's like living in a bowl of tomato soup," he would say), while yellow represents the pineapple, a symbol of hospitality and a motif in the Beard House décor during the Foundation’s early years. A framed piece of the old pineapple wallpaper now hangs in the Beard House vestibule, welcoming all guests.

Alton Brown, who is hosting Monday’s festivities at Lincoln Center, will flip the ceremonial switch for our Empire State Building illumination. If you’re in New York City on Monday evening, be sure to look up!

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Q & A with Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery

by Elena North-Kelly on April 30, 2012

At her three Flour Bakery locations, Joanne Chang gives Boston-area dwellers their sugar fix with her menu of wholesome, like-you're-a-kid-again cookies, tarts, cakes, and other baked goods. Chang took a break from her packed schedule to answer our questions about her favorite pastry, where she likes to eat in Beantown, and the childhood treat she misses most. 

JBF: What’s your favorite item on the menu at Flour right now?

JC: We just introduced our kouign-amann, which is my favorite pastry ever.

JBF: Your sticky buns famously won in an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Any other baked goods in your arsenal that you would confidently take into battle?

JC: Many things: our banana bread, our midnight chocolate cake, our carrot cake, pop tarts, blueberry... Read more >

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Q & A with Hedy Goldsmith of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink

by Elena North-Kelly on April 23, 2012

At the Miami hotspot Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith’s whimsical yet sophisticated treats have earned an ardent following. We called up the Outstanding Pastry Chef award nominee to learn about her debut cookbook, the unexpected star of her repertoire, and how a Philly cheesesteak changed her life.

JBF: We’ve read that you like to draw on local fruits and herbs in your desserts, and that you use unexpected techniques like smoking. What are your favorite combinations?

HG: Smoked bittersweet chocolate with pickled mulberries; I was blown away at how great the flavors were together. I actually just served this dessert recently. Mulberry season is so short, so I try to jam-pack them with different flavors before they’re gone.

JBF: What’s your favorite dessert that you’ve made for Michael’s Genuine... Read more >

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