All About Deserts

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everyone, and welcome. I hope everyone's having a great
day to day, and I've got a sweet treat for you.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Today.

Speaker 1 (00:09):
We're talking about one of my favorite things in the whole,
entire wide world, and that would be desserts. And we're
talking decadent desserts. So I kind of want to touch
into the history of desserts, how desserts that were popular

(00:30):
a long, long time ago, how it changes and to
what's popular now. So we're going to kind of take
a look at the history of these decadent desserts. So
let's let's take a journey through the fascinating world of desserts.
We're going to dive really deep into the decadent delights

(00:53):
that have defined generations, from ancient honeting treats to modern
culinary masterpieces. We'll explore how our favorite desserts have evolved
over the years, the meticulous craftsmanship that goes into making them,
and what they mean to us culturally and emotionally. So

(01:14):
grab a slice of cake, or a scoop of ice cream,
or even something a lot more sophisticated, and let's get started.
I honestly, I do love desserts. I mean, I've always
been kind of a health nut and work out freak,
and you know, athlete and all that. But I'm gonna
tell you something at the end of the day. One

(01:37):
of my favorite things. And I'm not telling you to
go out and do this by any stretching imagination, but
I like to have like a couple of glasses of
really kind of pretty average red wine peanut nore usually,
and I like to follow that with some good ice
cream and maybe an oreo on the side. I mean,

(01:58):
I do that probably fortnight week. I know I shouldn't,
but I do. We all have our vices, right well,
a couple of glasses of red wine, ice cream and oreo.
You just locked me up in that vice right now
because I'm guilty. So let's take a like a little
history tour of desserts. Did you know desserts date back

(02:21):
thousands of years? Of course, they weren't always as refined
or sugary as the ones we enjoy today. The earliest
desserts were made from natural sweeteners like honey and fruits.
Ancient Egyptians, for example, enjoyed honey coated nuts and dates.
Doesn't that sound like a popular cereal of today. Ancient

(02:45):
Greece and Rome. Sweetened pastries and doughnuts were coming. We're common, right,
So think of baclava's early ancestor.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
Love some bac lava.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
It's fun to say. So what started changing some things
in the history of sugar, of course, so the sugar Revolution,
the introduction introduction of sugar to Europe in the Middle
Ages transformed desserts forever. By the Renaissance, desserts became an
art form of the wealthy. The chefs created intricate marzipan

(03:25):
sculptures and sugar coated fruits. During the Industrial Revolution in
the nineteenth century brought advancements in food technology. Suddenly things
like ice cream and chocolate were mass produced. That's what
I'm talking about, making them more accessible. Iconic desserts like pies, pudding,

(03:47):
sponge cakes became staples in households modern decadence. Today, desserts
are an intersection of art, science, and indulgence, from elaborate
creations and Michelin starred restaurants to nostalgic classics like brownies
and cookies. The range is absolutely endless. So the word

(04:13):
dessert comes from French. I mean, why do I do
this to myself? A desert vee meaning to clear the table.
Now I should have just gone straight to clear the table.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
It was.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
It was traditionally the last course of a meal, and
it traditionally still is. That's just a little tip for you.
Maybe you can pronounce that word deservere better than I can.
So how have desserts changed over the generations so classic

(04:55):
to contemporary? Take take chocolate cake, for example. In the
early twentieth century, it was simple with a straightforward recipe,
but now we have molten lava cakes, flowerless chocolate torts,
and even chocolate sou flets infused with exotic spices. Cheesecake
has gone from plain New York style to macha, salted caramel,

(05:19):
and even savory options. I gotta tell you, though, cheesecake
is one of my favorites, and I don't like all
the glam and glips it goes with the cheesecake. I mean,
if you're gonna put all that fruity stuff on there,
you need to have some plain pieces set back for
me because I'm gonna scrape the fruity stuff off. I

(05:39):
don't particularly like the real light, fluffy cheesecake. I like
the dense, original style New York cheesecake. To me, that
is just absolutely amazing. It makes my mouth is watering
right now. So that's not an everyday vice for me.
That's I I'm going out to a nice restaurant. That's

(05:59):
what I'm gonna That's why I will save a little
room for a really good piece of cheesecake if they
have it. Cultural influences globalization has brought new flavors to
traditional desserts. Terra massoo now incorporates machia, and some regions
and turros have evolved with feelings like adulce delace or nutella.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
It's funny to throw nutella in there.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
In recent years, there's been a rise in gluten free, vegan,
and low sugar desserts. I think avocado brownies, aqua faba meringues,
and almost you know, almond flower tarts. These options make
the dessert successful to everyone without compromising flavor. So if
that's where you want to go, I respect that. I'm

(06:51):
not going that way. What's a dessert from your childhood
that has changed or maybe stayed exactly the same. Think
about that, so, I mean even some of the things
that my grandmother made when I was little, you know,
or things that they might still be on the menu,
but they're very different. So you guys, think about something
that has really changed over the years. So the craft

(07:17):
of making decadent desserts. Now, let's time to talk about
that for a minute, because it's not easy making these
complicated desserts, especially today, there's nothing straightforward about it anymore.
So it's like an artistry and an effort that goes
into creating these indulgent treats. If you've ever tried to

(07:38):
make a croissant or a sioux fle you know it's
no easy feet think about making it as a mass
production For a lot of people, dessert making is part science,
part art. Baking, for instance, is all about precision. One
wrong measurement and your dessert can collapse, burn, or lose flavor.

Speaker 2 (08:00):
That's a shame.

Speaker 1 (08:01):
Pastry chefs often spend years perfect perfecting their craft techniques
like tempering chocolate, making puff pastry, or mastering sugar. Work
requires incredible skill, and it really does, and you don't
think about that when you're eating it because it's so
good you just want to go to it right. But
my goodness, it's a lot of work getting that stuff done.

(08:22):
I would hate to have to make my dessert every night,
because if I did, you know, it might be a
good thing, because then I probably wouldn't eat it as much. Well,
desserts are often the grand finale of a meal, so
chefs put extra thought into presentation. A simple cake becomes
a masterpiece with layers and decorations and textures. So if

(08:46):
you hear something in the background today, evidently the landscapers
decided to come early and caught me right in the
middle of talking to y'all. So hopefully that's not going
to mess up what we're talking about. Hopefully it won't
get any louder than that, and it'll turn it'll turn off.

Speaker 2 (08:59):
You're pretty man.

Speaker 1 (09:02):
Think got battery operated stuff now that works just as good.
Why don't they use it? Know it a little more expensive,
but you know, stop the noise pollution. So think about
something like a wedding cake.

Speaker 2 (09:13):
It's not just.

Speaker 1 (09:14):
Dessert, it's architecture. Bakers plan days in advance, from sketching
designs to assembling edible flowers and ensuring structural integrity. I mean,
that's crazy. You have to ensure the structural integrity of
a wedding cake. I know our wedding cake was pretty big,
but it had structural integrity until I got into it,

(09:37):
and then it just kind of had disappearing integrity. Today,
tools like blow torches, silicon molds, and even three D
printers are revolutionizing the way desserts are made, and I
think that's really kind of cool. Just keep it coming.
Here's a tip for aspiring bakers. If you're just starting out,
focus on mastering the basics like good pie crust or

(10:00):
sponge cake. Once you have those down, you can experiment
with flavors and presentations.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
So, you know, like we always say, kiss, keep it simple. Stupid.

Speaker 1 (10:10):
I'm not calling anybody stupid, but keep it simple and
then grow from there. That's always the way you do things,
whenever possible. Why do desserts matter? Desserts are much more
than just a sugary ending to a meal. They're tied
to memories, celebrations, and traditions and the end of some
good meals. Think about desserts like birthday cake, holiday cookies,

(10:37):
or wedding pies. They are symbols of joy and togetherness.
I can't agree more. In many cultures, desserts are associated
with hospitality. Offering something sweet is often a gesture of
warmth and kindness, and that's one quick way to my heart.
I'll tell you that when we moved in here, my
neighborhood didn't bring me anything, nothing, nothing at all anyway,

(11:02):
So if you're listening, I'll take that cake now. So
a bite of warm apple pie can transport you back
to the family dinners, while a slice of rich chocolate
can feel like a well deserved indulgent after a long day,
true true, true, Like I said, wine, ice cream and oreo.

(11:24):
As Julia Childer said, Julia child said, a party without
cake is just a meeting.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
She is a smart woman.

Speaker 1 (11:33):
So how to enjoy decadent desserts at home? So let's
talk about that. How can you bring a little decadence
into your own kitchen? So start with easy recipes like
molten lava cake, pana panacotta, or no baked cheesecake. These

(11:53):
are indulgent but don't require advanced skills. You just kind
of have to put it together. Experiment with flavors, Twist
the classics, like infusing your cream breulet with lavender or
making chocolate moves with chili powder for a kick that's interesting.
There's some red pepper decorating, So even simple desserts can

(12:15):
look stunning with a little garnish I think fresh berries,
edible flowers, or a drizzle of caramel, just not on
the cheesecake, please, So try making one decadent dessert this
week and then and then let me know how.

Speaker 2 (12:34):
It goes on social media. So that's what I got
for today.

Speaker 1 (12:41):
I know that as soon as I said goodbye here,
I'm heading down to the kitchen and I'm gonna get
my I'm gonna get my oreo and ice cream a
little bit early. It's too early for wine though. Hey,
thanks for coming, Thanks for coming out, And I hope
that in listening, I hope that we touched on some
things that can get you interested in making some desserts
and eating some desserts and kind of knowing the history

(13:03):
of desserts and how they've evolved over time. So we'll
go into some more detail next time about desserts. Until then,
y'all have a great day and God bless you all.