We live in times of exhibitionism. Everyone shows off everything, which is good, but everyone copies from everyone else, and that is when it is no longer good. Leonardo di Carlo gives his opinion on this matter in this very edition of so good.. magazine, ‘what I do not like about current pastry is the lack of identity. If you take a tour of social networks, you see all kinds of creations copied and replicated, a huge amount of glazed and soulless cakes.’ In fact, what was once a trend, today is excess and repetition. Shapes, colors, decorations, everything is repeated ad nauseam. There is no single color pantone that has not been used to dye a glaze. Everything is round, smooth, polished, colorful, and shiny.
At this point, we get an idea from Frédéric Bau, corresponding to a very interesting interview that we also include in so good #18: ‘Decoration should be like a divine sauce on a fish or meat, that covers a preparation with delicacy, elegance, and character. Something we see very infrequently.’ Bau also refers to the increasingly absent imprint of the artisan’s hand in the presentations, ‘today, pastry and chocolate making do not sufficiently feel the hand of the artisan, with minimal personal touch… I make an invitation to audacity and to reflect on being as singular as possible, and to preserve emotion.’
We are not saying that we must return to earlier times to rediscover a more artisan idea of the trade. Everything is part of evolution. We should not forever banish certain resources that may have practical utility. It is not the mold or the glaze, but the use that is made of that mold or that glaze. In short, we are talking once again of personality, of singularity and personal style.
But something is starting to change. There are already many chefs that start to cross other roads and that are separated from an already worn aesthetic. They are professionals like Lior Shtaygman who also advocates for an ‘as fresh, moist, crispy or soft as possible’ pastry in this edition, all accompanied by a very personal, ‘raw’ and ‘rough’ presentation.
As one of the protagonists of this so good.. magazine # 18, Fabrizio Fiorani says, naming an interesting dessert and paraphrasing Voltaire, ‘There is nothing more necessary than superfluous.’ And for something as superfluous as pastry to continuing being necessary, we think it is essential that it reflects the soul, character, and imprint of its creator.
