Semifreddo: The Italian Frozen Dessert You Can Make Without a Machine (and Should Make for Christmas)
My first Christmas Day off in six years of cooking, I volunteered to bring dessert — and then…
Panna Cotta: The Wobble Test, and Why Less Gelatine Is the Whole Secret
Our head chef judged panna cotta without a spoon. He'd put the plate on the pass and slap…
Cannoli: The Crunch Is a Deadline — A Chef’s Guide to Sicily’s Greatest Pastry
The function that taught me cannoli was a fiftieth birthday, eighty guests, and my bright idea to fill…
Tiramisu: The One-Second Rule That Separates Silk From Sludge
The pastry chef who taught me tiramisu counted the dip out loud. Every ladyfinger, both sides: "uno… due"…
Affogato: Two Ingredients, and Almost Everyone Wrecks One of Them
The easiest dessert on our menu was also the one the head chef policed hardest. Affogato — a…
Panforte: The Medieval Italian Christmas Cake That Laughs at an Australian Summer
Every December on the line, while the pastry section drowned in pavlova orders, we made panforte in secret…