The New Book “The great mignon patisserie” by Alessandro Dalmasso (Chiriotti Editori)
is now available at shop.chiriottieditori.it
The chapters range from classic and innovative choux to savory ones, through chantilly, tartlets, mignon, meringues, cake pop, liqueur mignons, cupcakes, fried mignons…
“With craftsmanship you have to touch perfection”.
A challenging statement for Alessandro Dalmasso, who turned it into a book about the science and culture of mignon pastry
Only a “foolish” perfectionist like Alessandro Dalmasso could conceive a book of this kind. Foolish in terms of the Steve Jobs’ famous mantra “stay foolish, stay hungry”. Because there’s no one like him to investigate the world of mignon pastry so intensely, with the desire to preserve tradition and to study every operational detail. In order to rationalize production and update it to contemporary demands.
This book is a kind of small “folly” in itself, because it required a titanic commitment to the author (and also to the publisher!) in order to develop an uncommon theme which had never been treated before with such a didactic and accurate approach. We had to discuss and revise each chapter several times, because of Alessandro’s constant dissatisfaction.
Indeed his passion is an impelling one, which leads him feel that there’s always more to achieve. No one knows and
loves mini pastry as he does. Because the single mignon is the antithesis of modernity,
intended as massification and quick production rates… It is the most uneconomical but prestigious pastry item!
“The great mignon pâtisserie” is the fruit of Dalmasso’s journey in more than thirty years of career, but it does not mark his definitive stage, because his research is incessant and it shows how versatile and modern mini pastry is. Since he was a boy, when he was still a pupil at the professional Arte Bianca school of Turin, Alessandro was attracted by mini pastry as an expression of refinement and taste, with very specific rules. A specialty that reflected and still reflects his character.
Mini pastry has an aesthetic power able to seduce customers looking through the shop window, with a capacity of attraction equal to a few other products. And its fascination involves more and more pastry chefs, who undertake this type of production, which is not simple but so salient. And it is also remunerative, if performed with all the care and skill required in each phase. A work that requires mastery and an “almost obsessive attention”, as Dalmasso says in his book, which took him several years of study, research, comparison and analysis. From the points of view of both production and artistic approach. Real micro decorations had to be conceived, starting from non-droop-ing glazes giving a great effect of perfection, as well as chromatic meanings based on tastes, glazes, coatings and granules. Without neglecting the details about conservation and presentation.
Chapter after chapter, Alessandro shares the results of his experiments with his colleagues, in search of the perfect and smoothest choux pastry, to be obtained through techniques and tricks, recipes and procedures, to guarantee the infinite reproducibility of a unique piece, i.e. the classic Piedmontese bignola.
Going back in time and analyzing the recipes of the past, we find the double baked dough which, beyond myths and legends, was already encoded in Italian Renaissance texts. Dalmasso’s vision is anchored to that tradition, but he looks at innovation with a scientific eye, based on critical research and the desire to codify a whole world, dividing it into families and giving further dignity to the
richness of Italian base doughs, playing on stratification, seasonality, festive and savory variants… The volume offers a composite range of recipes, which give the opportunity to the professional reader to start, enhance and perfect these small sweet jewels, that concentrate the essence of pastry in just a few grams. Specifically, the chapters range from classic and innovative choux to savory ones, through chantilly, tartlets, mignon, meringues, cake pop, liqueur mignons, cupcakes, fried mignons…
“The great mignon patisserie”
Alessandro Dalmasso – Chiriotti Editori
406 page – € 65 – app € 32,99
shop.chiriottieditori.it
