mrjeffmccarthy.com

I’m a bit of a hack, I must admit.  I mean sure, I got skills.  I’ve got brains. I have a strong undestanding of proper technique, yeah I’ve baked some shit.  I know custards, cookies, cakes, and muffins, I’m sure I could puzzle out a turkey stuffins. The chessecake hand is strong, the bread pudding, people don’t shut up about it. What I’m trying to say here kids is I’ve cooked a bit, I’ve spent some time baking.  Having said all that, I’m kind of a hack.  I hack my way through plated desserts.  I’m like a blunt instrument swung lamely; a dull machete rampage in a chandelier shop.  When it comes to innovation, creativity, style, I’ve got a lot to learn.  I don’t have an original bone in my body.  Most of the things I do are bit off someone else, twisted and forced through the filter of someone in the one to five years of experience demographic.  I’m getting better, I think I might be starting to figure it out.  I Google ideas. I read cookbooks, magazines.  I try and eat dessert when I go out.  I write shit down a lot.  Well these days, I just tap it in.  I’ll be on the bus or my bike or whatever and suddenly I’ll think: Grilled Zucchini Bread with Root Beer Ice Cream!!  Into myPhone it goes. I’ve always drawn plates, shapes and squiggles sometimes reverse engineering shapes into flavors.  I like to bounce my ideas off Kate because she has a keen eye for design.  She taught me “plan view;” brilliant!.  I try to come up with something that looks cool and eats well.  I shoot for ninety percent Damn That’s Good and ten percent How’d He Do That?  Most times, it works.  I’ve been hammering out a new summer menu, and I think these are some bad-assed desserts.  I’ve been working with a consultant who asked to remain anonymous, suffice to say this person is a also bad-assed.  One of the best pastry chef’s I have worked with, this person has forced me to create outside my comfort zone, deviate from my normal menu formula.  Oregon produce is so good right now, fruit is everywhere on this one.  Changing desserts this week; stay tuned for more my faithful readers.