Baking & Snack - February 2010 - 70

CULINARY INFLUENCES

use of vibrant, bright, natural colors, rather than pastels or shades.
"You can tie retro with bite size in samples and shooters," Kerry's Mr. Bruns observed. The shooter format
takes the form of thick liquids or pastes but flavored to
evoke classic sweets such as brownies. "The small portions represent an easy, low-risk way to try new things,
instead of spending a lot of money on a full-size cake."
Classic flavorings and toppings in new formats
represent another culinary influence suitable for bakery product development, according to Mr. Bruns.
"There's the angle of 'familiar with a twist,'" he said of
products that are based on a home recipe or a comfort
food but re-engineered with a modern delivery such
as chocolate-flavored sandwich cookies reconfigured
as pop-able miniature snacks.
CROSS-TRAINING. The idea of cross-training between
culinary arts and bakery skills touches on another area
where culinary influences can be felt in the baking industry. "A baker needs more than baking skills today,"
said Klaus Tenbergen, Culinology program director and
assistant professor, California State University, Fresno,
CA. "He or she also needs culinary skills, and employers
at high-volume bakeries are looking for such multiplyskilled individuals.
"The principles of culinary arts and bakery have
not changed," he continued, "but what has changed is
what we do with them. The 'basic' here is the dough,
but what you do with it makes the difference. There
are many 'forgotten' ingredients that can be taken into
new applications and used with new technologies."
Taking such basics to the next level, however, is often unfamiliar territory, "so training becomes important," Mr. Tenbergen said.

He described savory pastries, a
concept that he will demonstrate
at the 2010 International Baking
Industry Exposition to be held
at Las Vegas, NV, Sept. 26-29.
He observed that meat loaf is a
common concept in many cuisines,
so he decided to combine it with
puff pastry and sweet doughs. "It
combines culinary arts and baking in one dish, yielding savory
baking," Mr. Tenbergen said. "It's a
concept that uses existing skills to
exchange different ingredients and
materials, to think outside the box."
Savory baked products exist in many parts of the
world, but are not yet mainstream in the US, according to Mr. Tenbergen, who cited Eastern Europe's
pirogies and the handheld meat pies of England and
South Africa. Combining foods and flavors from different cultures is a basic culinary technique. "It's a
matter of using ingredients and formats in different
ways," he noted.
LAYERING, NOT FUSING. In the culinary world,
such combinations represent a formulating approach
known as "fusion cuisine." Now, this concept is being
revisited in a new way. "Another culinary trend that
fits well with baked foods is the layered flavor approach," Mr. Bruns said.
"This uses inclusions, fillings, enrobed coatings and
so forth to top the product with a complimentary or
contrasting flavor to add extra dimensions to the eating experience," he continued. "For example, you have
'sweet and heat' and 'sweet and salt,' which are both popular now. Layered flavors also translate well into
snack foods. The idea of 'layered' is what used to
be fusion."
Layering enables the consumer to experience both primary and secondary flavors,
not just a blend of both, La Brea Bakery's Mr.
Davis explained. "There are many interesting
combinations. Not all work, but they serve to
spark ideas. That's the creative process."
FLAVOR FORWARD. The culinary influence
can also be noticed in flavor choices. "The
current trend is to minimize sugar and sweet
flavors in pastries and to use the more distinctive flavor of the fruit, for example," SFBI's
Mr. Suas said. Specifically, the approach is to
◀ A rustic appearance suggests crunchy texture and large
fruit pieces.

BAKING & SNACK / February 2010

Baking & Snack - February 2010

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