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Quarterly Newsletter Published by Michael's Cookies, Inc.
Issue #11
July 2002
Spotlight On The Stars
John O’Halloran
Executive Pastry Chef
Chicago, renowned for it’s
Irish heritage, is home for
John O’Halloran who is the
Executive Pastry Chef at the
Chicago Marriott
Downtown.
Chef O’Halloran began his
pastry career by earning his
degree in Baking and Pastry
Arts from Johnson and Wales University in
Providence, Rhode Island. Upon completion of his
studies he worked in several fine dining restaurants in
the city and suburbs of Chicago honing his pastry
skills. Looking for more excitement he was drawn to
working within the hotel industry and he was fortunate
to join the Fairmont Hotel chain as a pastry
chef where he worked for a period of 5 years.
As is common for chefs within the hotel industry he
looked for a change from the fast pace of the hotel
world and used his formal training to assume the
position of General Manager of Desserts Ettcetera - a
wholesale baking company. But the lure of the hotel
industry was too great so he returned to the Chicago
Marriott Downtown as Assistant Pastry Chef and
within a year he was promoted to his current position
of Executive Pastry Chef. He is a member of
the United States Pastry Alliance and has won
numerous awards in pastry competitions.
Being of generous spirit Chef O’Halloran wanted to
give back to the industry he loves. He has served on
the steering committee of Share Our Strength and
continues to donate his time and efforts to such fund
raising events as the Celebrate Chicago Ball, the
Greater North Michigan Avenue Association Gala as
well as the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association.
Recipe Round-Up
Ice Cream Sandwiches
With summer fast approaching what better
dessert to serve your hot and hungry customers
than these delicious cool concoctions.
Forget what the neighborhood soda parlor
serves, ice cream sandwiches aren’t just for
kids anymore. Novel, grown-up versions conjure
up the comforting flavors and textures of
a childhood classic, with a snappy twist. Let
your renditions snub the snack category;
make your ice cream sandwiches a standout so
they are fancy enough to serve after dinner,
no matter how elegant. Or stick to the basics
so you can serve your younger customers poolside
with more traditional flavors.
The best part of all is that they are not difficult
to make. The only work required is to bake
the cookies and fill them with either self-made
or store-bought ice cream. Be sure to opt for
top quality purchases for both the cookies and
the ice cream - any dessert is only as good as
its ingredients.
For a more sophisticated, restaurant-style presentation,
lean the top half of the sandwich
against the ice cream rather than sandwiching
it completely. Plate the sandwiches with garnishes
of an exotic mixture of fresh fruits and
sauces. Enhance the ice cream with candy,
liquor, chocolate or dried fruit mix-ins.
The secret to your success is to let your taste
memories resurface and your imagination soar.
Unlike making soufflés, there are no dire consequences
if you break the rules. In fact, there
are no rules. Let your creativity run riot. Wow
your customers with your innovative creations.
Have fun and stay cool!
Click here to download PDF with more information.
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