So you're a baker, right? What do you cook? Please mention cakes. LOL. I'm sorry about that. As a pastry chef, I have chosen to specialize on cake making. Not just any cake though; it has to be sugar-free, gluten-free, low carb (using only coconut and almond flour), and of course, like how every cake should be - elegant. Now, how does one become so particular in making just one kind specific kind of dessert? Here is how.
I recall baking for fun when I was younger. I'd love to embark on new adventures in crafting products I've seen in baking books and on food shows. Then aside from that, we love having cakes for our afternoon snack. We would finish the whole thing in just one sitting. Those were one of my happy childhood memories. Until one day, all in the family have diabetes, all thanks to my happy chilhood memories that have now become one of my worse regrets. It was painful to think that we cannot spend long afternoon talks over cake and coffee like we used to. However, I remembered that as a baker, I can do something. I think you know what I did. Yes! I brought back the great times. I would get my hands on every sugar-free low carb recipe. I doesn't matter if it's low carb bread or low carb cake. It easily became an obsession. After a series of failed sugar-free confectionery cakes and snacks, I finally hit the sweet spot. I started with preparing a sugar-free decadent chocolate almond cake for my family. It was only for small servings of snack cakes at first. Even so, nothing was ever more fulfilling than to see the faces of my loved ones when they enjoyed every morsel of cakes I made for them. That was how I met my passion.
I now bake to make others happy and to create great experiences for them. It's not always as much fun as when I was just doing it for myself (sometimes you have to continously bake for 10++ hours straight, standing and going from station to station to fill a hundred and more orders), but it's more purposeful, and it's given me a sense of fulfillment I've never felt before. If you want that, what I have to contribute will be extremely beneficial to you; if not, you can still keep reading. However, you might not find the next paragraphs very useful to you.
The phrase "profession" simply means "public service." This is also why a certification is required to be labeled a professional. Why? It assures the public that you follow safety regulations and other protocols when performing your tasks. As difficult as it was, I was proud of myself every time I had to acquire new techniques or pushed myself to become a better Pastry Chef. If you believe that all you need to know to become a Master Pastry Chef is to bake, you are mistaken. When you reach that level, you won't even recognize yourself because of how much you've changed to become the person you need to be to become a Master Pastry Chef. Don't worry, I'll provide for you a step-by-step plan for becoming a Master Pastry Chef.
First and foremost, study. Yes, you should study. You don't need a formal degree, but you will need basic math, chemistry (you don't want your little science experiment exploding in your face during product development), and, of course, baking. Let's start with mathematics, which is my favorite subject, not! This was one of the most difficult challenges I had to confront when I first started. For example, how do you add 4/5 cup of Erythritol when the only ones you have are 1/3 cup and 1/4 cup; and don't be deceived - even after you do the math, it's a different story when you actually have to fill the cup by a quarter or so depending on what your computations yielded. Do you understand what I mean? So that's for math. If you like mathematics, you'll appreciate this one even more - chemistry. Isn't that right? You didn't expect baking to be so scholarly, did you? Because some elements behave differently when paired with others, you'll require chemistry. What you actually need to watch out for are the components that when exposed to extremely high temperatures, would react and become a carcinogen (substance leading to higher risk of cancer). Sucralose is a good example. This can be found in sodas and other sweeteners. It is not dangerous in its natural state, but you should avoid ingesting it after using it in baking or cooking. LoCa solely serves sugar-free, low-carb, and keto cakes and snacks. We might be using sucralose, you'd suppose. Of course not; why would I desire anything like that for anyone?
We employ Stevia with an erythritol blend to ensure the safety of our customers and, of course, the promise of the tastiest cake you'll ever have. Finally, my specialty - baking. It's always been my dream to do something unique. How is it different? Different in a way that will make you remember me - the kind that will make me stand out. Food, in my experience, has this kind of power over us. It can bring you comfort, astonish you, and even make you fall in love. This is why I made it my life's work. With my pastries, I hope to connect with people and leave them with a lasting impression.
Outside of culinary school, when I was just getting started. I would also do several experiments at home before bringing a sample of my most recent product to my family, friends, and colleagues. I then take in their input (which is the nicest part for me) and eagerly return to my baking hideaway to experiment with more new things to modify my recipe. Nothing, in my opinion, beats genuine practice. So make sure to keep learning and changing, since if you stop learning new techniques and developing new recipes, you will become obsolete. An outmoded baker cannot be a master pastry chef since master pastry chefs must also oversee a team of bakers. A baker must also be a leader, and a leader's primary responsibility is to teach. There is nothing to teach if you have exhausted all new learnings. So, as a bonus step, you should always renew your shoshin, or "beginner's mind" in Japanese: always be creative, always add value by being unique, and always stand out.
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