Caroline Schiff, the pastry chef at Gage & Tollner, a famed oyster and chop eatery in Brooklyn, says, “Even on my days off, I just want to cook.” “We’ll order prepared foods for Thanksgiving because you’ll be so exhausted from work, my mom said to me while we were conversing. I said, “There’s no way you can take this away from me.” Today, Caroline releases The Sweet Side of Sourdough, the debut cookbook that was motivated by her (and perhaps everyone’s?) passion for pandemic cooking. We couldn’t have been happier to talk with her about Baked Alaska, her hair that defies gravity, and an unexpectedly challenging aspect of her work.
Indeed! Every day, we prepare the Parker House rolls. Probably the most labour-intensive thing we do is the bread service. I always hope that people understand that we’re not trying to con someone out of money when a dish has a set price. There is work and love involved all the way through.
Describe Your Baked Alaska to Us! It Appears Amazing
I thought there HAD to be a Baked Alaska from the moment I started working at Gage & Tollner. It’s this lavish dish from the Victorian era that requires three days to prepare. Three house-made ice cream flavours—amarena cherry, fresh mint, and dark chocolate—must be left in moulds for an entire night before being consumed. After we unmold and slice them, we freshly whip French meringue to cover everything. We blast torch it after that. I wanted it to be this huge, fanciful design that would make you say, “Wow, this is wild,” when you saw it on your table.
I’m always curious as to whether pastry chefs at restaurants become anxious when patrons are overindulged in the dessert.
That is not the case at Gage & Tollner. You have estimates for the percentage of people who will order dessert, but those estimates were wildly off.
Why, in Your Opinion
You are not going to leave before the third act since everyone here views the dinner as a play. Being able to prepare treats here is SO COOL. I wish I could go back in time to when I was six years old and tell myself, “Hey, you’re going to get to do this for a living,” because I used to get so excited when I would pass a bakery or ice cream shop.
To Crafts, Share With Us Your Caroline Schiff Hair
I’ve always had long hair. My mother has it as well. I use one of those enormous claws to stack it atop my head, and I cover it with scarves in the kitchen. I adore that it’s a well-known fact about me.
Do You Wear It Stacked High Every Time?
I got a blowout for my brother’s wedding, and I was like a puppy that you take to the groomer and they freak out. I rode the metro home right away and showered.
Which Cosmetics Are in Your Bathroom At All Times?
Every day, I apply sunscreen with a tint. My go-to makeup for dressing up is black mascara and eyeliner. I still buy Maybelline, the iconic drugstore brand, just like I did in high school.
What About Skincare
I get a layer of flour on my face at the end of the day from working in a kitchen. To clear my pores of the flour, I use Fresh Sugar Polish once a week!
Else Gives You a Wonderful Feeling
I wear my Star of David jewellery from my bat mitzvah every day. I’ve had it on my body for the majority of my life.
Congratulations on the release of your new book, The Sweet Side of Sourdough, today.
Pandemic baby of mine! The guidebook lists every dessert recipe that can be prepared with a sourdough starter.
Why Did You Decide to Write a Sourdough Blog
The planned opening date of Gage & Tollner was March 15, 2020. I thought, I can’t let the restaurant’s sourdough starter expire, so I’ll take it home for a couple of weeks when we have to slam on the brakes. You can only eat so much bread, so when I’m baking it at home, I’m kind of losing my mind. What more could I do with this sourdough starter, I wondered.
Oh My, What Other Ideas Did You Have
I began using it in cakes and pie dough. Next were fig brownies, sticky buns, doughnuts, babka, and double chocolate chunk cookies. I worked on each recipe as a means of nourishing folks during a very trying moment for everyone. I could put some biscuits in your mailbox or ride by and I’ll throw you focaccia, I could text buddies. I would text the neighbours to let them know that the cookies were on the lobby radiator and leave them downstairs.
I know this is unrelated, but I’d like to know what you think about The Great British Baking Show. Most medical dramas are hated by my sister, a doctor.
I have this weird nervousness when I watch cooking shows. You’re not baking it for long enough, I say! Because The Office is so unlike my reality, I like to watch it.
Was There Been a Point in Your Job When You Felt Like Giving Up But Persisted
Indeed. Pursuing an objective might take your emotions on a wild ride. I used to spend several months working as a freelancer, feeling like a complete failure and wondering, “What am I even doing?” when I wasn’t making any money. What is wrong with me? I’d freak out thinking I’d never get a job again. the times when you begin to spiral.
What can Patrons of Eateries Such as Gage & Tollner Do To Express Gratitude to the Pastry Chef?
Positive comments are quite important. I’m dead when someone tells me they adore my coconut cake. passed away. I always go say hello if a diner says they’d like to meet me. I enjoy strolling into the dining room and witnessing everyone conversing and enjoying their moments. To be honest, I’m ecstatic.
How Are You Spending Your Time
My education at a European university ended recently. I suppose I’m simply idly puttingtering around after college.
In Which Part of Europe
I studied at St. Andrew’s University in Scotland for three years; Prince William also attended. Next, I decided to travel abroad, to Grenoble in the French Alps. We spent a lot of time skiing and doing similar things. And yes, I did spend some time in London. Being a native New Yorker, I was actually kind of everywhere, but now I’m back.
Are You Going to Stay
For the time being. Even though I missed it, I truly enjoy life here, but I don’t plan to stay. I’ve always been so self-sufficient, so why is my mother my roommate now? However, it’s alright. She is cool. Additionally, my partner recently departed for Tanzania to join the Peace Corps. He has a lot of ambition.
What are Your Goals
Undoubtedly, one of the most important aspects of my life is fashion. This incredible burlesque-lingerie fashion display was staged by me in Scotland. Because St. Andrew’s is so pretentious, we had a very high-profile guest list and received a lot of coverage. Many European socialites attended. In the end, I suppose, I’d like to create jewellery and clothes and launch a lifestyle company that would revolve around my entire wardrobe, jewellery, and party aesthetic and be quite global. However, I haven’t exactly taken the time to draft a business plan for it.
What Style Do You Have
It ranges from a baby doll from the 1960s to Pat Benatar from the 1980s. and my tresses! That’s a major component of my style. I’ve always been attached to it, and it’s always been huge and red. I have my hair, even if nothing else is going on.
Step 1: Get Sober
Any hour can be the happy hour when under quarantine, but please plan your 11 a.m. beer for after the snipping. “Avoid doing this when intoxicated. This is not a smart idea, and many individuals have a tendency to do that, Fiona cautions. Your hair is something else that has to be dry in addition to you. If you cut your hair immediately out of the shower, you can inadvertently wind up looking like Lord Farquaad or Pikachu since wet hair shrinks as it dries.
Step 2: Locate the Bangs
Finding the true beginning of your bangs is the next step. Place a flat comb atop your head. To see where your head begins to round in the front, turn sideways in the direction of the mirror, advises Fiona. “That is where your bang section should begin.”
Step 3: Construct Your Triangle Bang
It’s time to do some math now. “Make a triangle with a wide-tooth comb to divide your bangs from the rest of your hair.”
Step 4: Measure Your Length
Pull your triangle straight out of your head and place it in front of you once you have it. According to Fiona, “your fingers should be roughly where you want the final trimmed length to be.” If you’re not sure, start further down; you can always go back; all we have left is time.
Step 5: Turn
Gently lift the tips of your bangs while holding them between your fingers.
Step 6: Make a Cut!
If there’s one thing you should remember, remember to never cut right across! It will not end well! “Point cutting occurs when you insert the scissors at an angle. Using the scissors, make a point similar to the hand of a clock, pointing to seven, and then lightly trim across. To be safe, review what an analogue clock looks like and take a close look at the image above before you cut.
Step 7: Examine Yourself
It’s over—the worst part is over. You now have to consider your actions. “I’ve only seen it get worse, so at this point, if you’ve made a mistake, you should probably just go to a professional,” Fiona advises. However, if you want to distance yourself from people, wait for it to grow out or embrace a purposefully awful haircut—which is fashionable right now.
Step 8: Put Some Style on It
It’s time to truly showcase your work if you’re happy with it. “Set your hair dryer to high heat and high power, place it over your bangs, and move it in an X pattern,” suggests Fiona. “What happens is that everything falls in a pretty way because your forehead acts like a gigantic roller.”