HOSPO HEADHUNTER BLOG

The Hospitality Headhunter Presents… Chef Liana

Posted by Hospo Headhunter on Dec 26th, 2011 | 0 comments home title

This creative chef began her training with the Professional Cooking Program at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (Edmonton) and passing the Red Seal qualifying examinations in 1995. A course in Two Dimensional, Three Dimensional Art & Design, Sculpting Design at Alberta College of Art (Calgary) followed in 1996, and in 1998 she completed the Dubrulle French Culinary School (Vancouver) Professional Pastry Arts and Desserts Program.As Executive Chef at the Calgary Petroleum Club since 2002, Chef Liana is passionately committed to regional cuisine. A farm-to-table philosophy pervades the three kitchens and staff of 45 under her leadership. This commitment extends out from her kitchen to include fellow chefs, diners and food enthusiasts in the community at large as evidenced by her involvement in professional organizations and participation in special and educational events for the public.Her professional memberships include the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Board (local and provincial apprenticeship committee member), and the SAIT Advisory Committee for the Professional Cooking Program which substantiate her commitment to education of up and coming chefs. Involvement in the Canadian Society of Club Managers, Chef’s Collaborative, Cambridge’s Who’s Who ,Research Chef Association , Chaine Des Rotisseurs, and Cuisine Canada. Being an active member of Slow Food led to her being selected to attend Terra Madre world food community conference, 2006 & 2008 held in Torino, Italy, Dine Alberta Unplugged are expression of her desire to put Alberta regional products in the spotlight. Finally, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR)gives focus to her desire to create and support opportunity for women in the food arts, she was also honored in November 2010 with the prestigious Golden Whisk Award, for culinary achievement and mentoring.

The Hospitality Headhunter presents – Chef Liana Robberecht’s Food Obsessions

Puddings: The Final Frontier

Join the conversation and let Liana and others in the Hospitality Headhunter network know your thoughts about Food and all things Food!

I’d like to take a moment to thank all of my readers for their attention, support and shared passion. This article marks my last blog entry with Food Obsessions, but rest assured: I am still very much obsessed. So, please continue to learn all you can about your favourite foods and know that I am out there doing the same.

Now. Let’s sit back, enjoy each other’s company for one last time and talk pudding.

Like most of my obsessions, my love of pudding stems back to my childhood with mom’s butterscotch. It was a comforting treat that just seemed to make all the worries of the day disappear (didn’t all mom’s treats?) Rice, chocolate, and bread puddings – I love ‘em all.

Puddings range from sweet to savoury with textures varying from soft to moderately hard. They can take the form of porridges, flans, custards, tarts and dumplings and typically contain flour, milk, eggs, some sort of flavouring and a sweetener. They’re great year-round and I have fallen in love with all of them! I can’t choose just one; I give them all equal love and dedication. Almost.

There is one pudding that stands above the rest. This pudding is rich with history and flavour. I am speaking, of course, of the one and only Christmas pudding. Some know it as plum pudding, others – figgy pudding. But no matter what nametag you slap on it, it’s delicious, it’s festive and if you put it in front of me, it’s gone in 10 minutes.

Christmas puddings originated as a fourteenth century ‘porridge’ called frumenty. The shortlist of ingredients for this medieval delicacy was:

Cereal
Breadcrumbs
Mutton (seriously mutton?)
Beef
Raisins
Wines (I guarantee ya, I’d be drinkin a helluva lotta wine to wash that mutton down!)
Currants
Spices

All of that would have been stuffed in sausage skins, enclosed in a pastry and baked. It was eaten as a fasting dish before the Christmas festivities. I kinda think that with this particular recipe, one would have to fast first in order to stomach it.

By 1595, the frumenty was replaced by a plum pudding with eggs, breadcrumbs, and dried fruits then flavoured with spirits and ale (getting a little better). It became thee Christmas dessert, but Puritans had it banned in 1664 (darn Puritans, ruined all sorts of fun). George the First (that raven-haired party animal) re-established it as part of Christmas in 1714. By the Victorian era, Christmas puddings became similar to the ones we enjoy today.

Christmas pudding is best known from the line in “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”- “now bring us some figgy pudding”. It was understood that should carolers arrive at your door during the holiday season singing cheerful Christmas songs, they would be rewarded with figgy pudding as payment for their efforts. Not a bad payment if you ask me.

Here at the Calgary Petroleum Club, our amazing Pastry Chef Otto De Nooij, makes Christmas pudding with many bottles of Brandy, Sherry and Dark Rum… by the end of Christmas dinner, you may just get checked into rehab (kidding!) But, might I add it is the best I have ever eaten.

Puddings are all kinds of tasty and comforting, like a warm blanket wrapped around you on a cold night. December is a month of beautiful snowflakes, skating, blueberry teas, my birthday and of course Christmas pudding. Enjoy!