Find out the latest from pastry chef Richard Ruskell

My calendar is fast filling up.  Can’t believe it.  I am a guest chef at the Culinary Institute of America’s Napa campus.  Part of their Vintner’s Induction ceremony.  Should be fun.  I’m doing a Food Network Challenge at the end of March.  Backstage at The Geffen is a benefit for the theatre.  I’m one of the items you can bid on for their silent auction.  My brother and his family are coming sometime during all of this.  I’m giving a demonstration for the chocolate company, Michel Cluizel, in mid-April.  My absolute all time favorite chocolate, btw.  and then May 1st I’ll be part of the Disneyland California Food & Wine Fest.  Whew.  All that in 2 months.

Next week we have a great opportunity at the hotel to show off some of our culinary muscle.  We’re hosting a wine dinner.  Finally, some real foodies to entertain.  My dessert is called, Chocolate Ice, with compressed banana, blood orange and mint.  haven’t figured out how it will all go together, but the mint will probably be spherified (is that a word?)

Below is the chocolate/banana tart served at a banquet the other day.  Shiny chocolate glaze over banana mousse, sitting on a speculos crust.  Served with peanut sauce, chocolate dust and milk chocolate curd.

Just a short note to tell you the L.A. Times corrected my misspelled name.  Check it out.  And here is a pic of the cake.  It wasn’t very visible before

Kinda small.  I’ll work on it!

Lates!

For those of you who have kept up with my blog, the previous one and now this “new” one : Thanks!

As you may also know, and those who don’t will now find out, I have been doing opening night cakes for a theatre here in town (L.A.).  It’s the Geffen Playhouse and I would venture to say it is the premier professional venue in the city.

To make a long story short, I saw a show there, loved it, and emailed them saying I would love to see others.  They had invited us to the Playhouse as a thank-you for a function they had at the hotel.  They were very gracious and said, “any time.”  Being a former actor and lover of live theatre, and also someone who is NOT going to let opportunity walk away, I offered to make opening night cakes for the cast as “payment” for seeing the shows.  I gave them my laundry list of qualifications, years of service, TVFN Challenge wins, blah, blah, blah.  The Geffen, also seeing an opportunity, suggested I make cakes for not only the cast but for the opening night audience as well.  That was the birth of a beautiful relationship.  Not only has this become a wonderful opportunity, but it has allowed me to meet some fantastic people!

So, last night was the third show in their season.  I did a cake for the closing performance of their previous season.  The show was called Farragut North and starred Chris Pine (of the new Star Trek movie) and Chris Noth (Big on Sex in the City).  The opening play of this new season was Matthew Modine Saves the Alpacas, starring, yes, Matthew Modine, Perry Gilpin (Fraiser) and French Stewart (3rd Rock….).   The second show was Equivocation, starring Harry Groener (original cast of Cats, and Dear John) and Joe Spano (Hillstreet Blues and others).  The play last night was The Female of The Species, starring Annette Bening, David Arquette and Julian Sands along with other recognizable faces.

After the first two cakes/shows, we (the Geffen and myself) realized that the cast never gets to see the cakes. They are displayed in the lobby preshow and during intermission.  Neither of those times can the cast come out and see it.  The cake is cut after intermission and served when the audience exits the theatre.  So, no cast.  I was disappointed because I never got my picture taken with the cast.  I admit I’m a bit of a star stalker.  It’s fun, what can I say.

We figured out a way to make this work.  I would make fake cakes for display purposes only and have sheet cakes cut up in the back for service.  Voila, cast comes out, they see cake, Geffen gets pics of cast with cake, and I get pics of ME with cast and cake.

And last night didn’t disappoint!  The show was a lot of fun.  The afterparty was held at a restaurant close by the theatre and it was pretty star studded.  I not only got to meet Annette Bening, David Arquette, and the whole cast, but I got to meet the significant others.  When it’s Annette Bening that means Warren Beatty.  Both very charming and gracious.  David Arquette, for five minutes, was my new best friend!  Courtney Cox was there, Kirk Douglas, well, you can read the article.

And yes, the L.A. Times spelled my name wrong.  What is wrong with these people, don’t they know who I am!!!?

hope you like the pics (All photos by Jordan Strauss)

Pretty neat huh?

Who is that handsome guy in the background?