Title: Pastry Chef, Restaurant Gary Danko
Home town: San Francisco
1. How did you become a pastry chef?
You know the happiness people get from good food? That's what drew me to cooking.
I fell into pastry. I went to culinary school at City College but I didn't learn too much about pastry there. I did savory first. But I'm a picky eater and I realized I can't cook savory stuff if I can't try it. I can eat a lot more sweets.
2. What are your favorite fruits?
Strawberries and lemons. I just love berries. Lemons are so versatile and such a flavor enchancer. I think strawberries go with everything--in breakfast items, in desserts, panna cotta, crepes, with chocolate...
3. If you could take one thing off every menu in America what would it be?
Warm chocolate cake is so played out. I see it on every menu now. But our clientele really likes rich chocolate. My ultimate dessert is basically chocolate chocolate chocolate. It's three layers of chocolate--a rice crispy hazelnut base with chocolate ganache and a whipped cream lightened ganache mousse and a bittersweet chocolate sorbet.